Test Terminology

Question 1

Stative verb

Answer 1

states of feelings (I thought/ wanted/ wished for/ hated/
loved)

Question 2

Dynamic verb

Answer 2

physical actions (I ran/ skipped/ hopped away)

Question 3

Deontic modal verb

Answer 3

express certainty or
compulsion.

Question 4

Epistemic modal verb

Answer 4

express possibility and choice

Question 5

Modal verb

Answer 5

type of auxiliary verb. Express certainty (will), compulsion (must), possibility (might), choice (could/can)

Question 6

Auxiliary verb

Answer 6

helping verb (am/is/has)

Question 7

Modifiers (pre and post)

Answer 7

a word (noun or adjective) that modifies a sentence/ adds to the sense of the head noun (large family home)

Question 8

Superlative adjective

Answer 8

expresses the highest degree of quality (the weather was the best on Saturday)

Question 9

Comparative adjective

Answer 9

end in –er or have more in front of them (the weather was better the next day)

Question 10

Abstract nouns

Answer 10

do not physically exist, ideas and emotions (love, anger, honour, faith, dignity)

Question 11

Concrete nouns

Answer 11

things that physically exist (table, cat, chair, map)

Question 12

Pronouns

Answer 12

a word which stands in place of a noun or noun phrase (usually to avoid repetition of the noun)

Question 13

Low frequency words

Answer 13

words that appear more rarely, such as specialist terms from a field, e.g. medicine

Question 14

High frequency words

Answer 14

words that appear often in everyday speech

Question 15

Latinate

Answer 15

the use of words derived from Latin rather than those originating in Old English, e.g. suspend rather than hang.

Question 16

Jargon

Answer 16

specialist terminology

Question 17

Ellipsis

Answer 17

three omission or slurring [eliding] of one or more sounds or syllables - e.g. gonna = going to; wannabe = want to be; wassup = what is up

Question 18

Taboo language

Answer 18

a word that should be avoided because it is considered to be wrong, embarrassing or unpleasant

Question 19

Dysphemism

Answer 19

the substitution of a more offensive or disparaging word or phrase for one considered less offensive. Dysphemism is the opposite of euphemism

Question 20

Euphemism

Answer 20

the substitution of a polite expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt

Question 21

Idiom

Answer 21

a form of common non-literal expression (e.g. “I was dead on my feet”)

Question 22

Standard English

Answer 22

the form of English widely recognised and accepted as ‘correct’.

Question 23

Vulgarism

Answer 23

a word, phrase, or expression that is used widely but is regarded as nonstandard, unrefined, coarse, or obscene.

Question 24

Contraction

Answer 24

words or phrases that have been shortened by removing one or more letters.

Question 25

Slang

Answer 25

unconventional words or phrases that express either something new or something old in a new way

Question 26

Lexical field

Answer 26

identifies the main subject matter of a text (e.g. food in a recipe, money in an article on economics)

Question 27

Semantic field

Answer 27

a pattern of words with similar meanings found across a text or texts (e.g. bolt, trap, cage)

Question 28

Collocation

Answer 28

two or more words that are often found together in a group or phrase with a distinct meaning (e.g. over the top, fish and chips, back to front)

Question 29

Simple sentence

Answer 29

Has only one clause and must contain a verb

Question 30

Compound sentence

Answer 30

Links two or more clauses using the conjunction ‘and’ or ‘but’

Question 31

Complex sentence

Answer 31

Contains two or more clauses, one of which is a subordinate clause, which are linked together with conjunctions such as ‘by’, ‘because’, ‘when’, ‘while’ and ‘although’ (called subordinating conjunctions)

Question 32

Minor sentence

Answer 32

A phrase or a subordinate clause being used as a complete sentence​ e.g. Back home now.​ Great cake, that.​

Question 33

Complex-compound sentences

Answer 33

Has at least one subordinate clause and a number of coordinate clauses (clauses beginning with coordinating conjunctions ‘and’, ‘but’ ‘or’​

Question 34

Declarative sentence

Answer 34

A statement that gives information

Question 35

Interrogative

Answer 35

A question

Question 36

Imperative

Answer 36

A command

Question 37

Tag question

Answer 37

A declarative or imperative with a short clause (tag) on the end to turn it into a question

Question 38

Exclamatory

Answer 38

Contains an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence 

Question 39

Subordinate clause

Answer 39

A subordinate clause does not make sense on its own and needs to be paired with a main clause to form a complete sentence.​ It must also contain a verb​

Question 40

Conditional subordinate clause

Answer 40

These provide a condition:​ If you don’t complete your homework, you’ll get a detention​. Don’t phone unless it’s an emergency​

Question 41

Temporal subordinate clause 

Answer 41

These relate to time: When it’s 12 o’clock, we’ll take a break​. After the break, we’ll work on the presentation ​

Question 42

Active and passive voice

Answer 42

In active voice the subject of the sentence comes first and is the do-er of an action (Sarah broke the window)​ In passive voice either the subject is the done to rather than the do-er (the window was broken by Sarah) or is removed from the sentence (the window was broken)​

Question 43

Triad

Answer 43

A pattern of three words or phrases (I came, I saw, I conquered)

Question 44

Syntactic parallelism

Answer 44

When a writer or speaker repeats a sentence structure (If we build it, they will come. If they come, we will succeed)

Question 45

Syndetic/Asyndetic

Answer 45

Syndetic listing is items in a list connected by a connective (I bought the food and the wine and the dessert!)​ Asyndetic listing is items in a list connected by a comma or semi colon (I bought the food, wine, dessert…)​

Question 46

Main clause

Answer 46

A main clause can form a complete sentences on its own.​ It must contain a verb

Question 47

Coordinate clause​

Answer 47

A coordinate clause is a main clause in a compound or compound-complex sentence​

Question 48

Stranded co ordinate clause​

Answer 48

This is a co ordinate clause on its own in a sentence without another main clause to accompany it​

Question 49

Concessive subordinate clause​

Answer 49

These concede something:​ Even though I couldn’t afford it, I booked the holiday​ Although I don’t agree with her, I respect her views​.

Question 50

Subordinate clause of reason​

Answer 50

These provide a reason: Because the train was late, Sam missed the concert​. Since you didn’t reply to my message, I thought your weren’t coming.

Question 51

Relative subordinate clause​

Answer 51

These add additional information and start with a relative pronoun​: This is the woman who won the big cash prize​ Kate, who had been off sick for some time, was behind on the work​. The exams, which happened last week, went really well.

Question 52

Left branching sentences

Answer 52

Lengthy information before the subject of the sentence ​: Disorientated, dazed, discombobulated and peering through the narrow gap anxiously, Charlie wondered if it was safe out there​.