Free GACE Paraprofessional Exam Flashcards

An affixed word adds a prefix or suffix to a base or root. A compound combines two complete base words, so separating meaningful word parts reveals which structure is present.

A prefix can signal a predictable change in meaning, such as negation, repetition, position, or quantity. Combine that clue with the base word instead of guessing from the prefix alone.

Nearby examples show members of the category represented by the unfamiliar term. The reader should infer a meaning broad enough to include every listed example.

Substitute each plausible meaning into the sentence and check the surrounding sentences. The best meaning fits both the local grammar and the passage's larger idea.

Use a glossary when the needed meaning is specialized to the book or subject. A general dictionary offers broader definitions that may not match the term's technical use in that text.

The topic names what the passage is about, often in a word or phrase. The main idea states the author's central point about that topic as a complete thought.

It directly explains, proves, illustrates, or develops the central claim. A true detail can still be weak support if it is merely interesting or only loosely related.

Preserve the central idea and the few details needed to explain it. Omit repetition, minor examples, and personal reactions that do not represent the source text.

Check whether it covers all major sections or only one detail. A main idea that leaves most of the passage unexplained is too narrow even if the statement is accurate.

Ask, “Which two details point to that central idea?” Requiring evidence reveals whether the idea represents the whole text rather than a guess or isolated sentence.

Words such as first, next, before, after, finally, and meanwhile signal order in time or steps. The reader should track what changes from one stage to the next.

The cause answers why something happened; the effect is what happened as a result. Signal words help, but the logical relationship is more reliable than a single word.

It must use a shared basis and state a supported similarity, difference, or both. Comparing unrelated features produces a statement that may be true but is not meaningful.

A fact can be checked against evidence; an opinion expresses a judgment, preference, or value claim. Precise wording can sound authoritative without making an opinion verifiable.

Purpose explains what the author aims to accomplish—such as inform, explain, persuade, or entertain. Text structure, evidence, tone, and requested response all help identify it.

A defensible inference combines specific textual evidence with a reasonable conclusion. It goes beyond what is stated without contradicting or outrunning the available clues.

Read labels, units, scale, and legend first, then identify which claim the data clarify or support. Do not treat a visual as independent of the passage's context.

It marks omitted letters, as in “they're” for “they are.” A possessive apostrophe instead signals ownership, so expand a suspected contraction to test the choice.

A question mark or exclamation point goes inside the closing quotation mark when it belongs to the quoted words. Placement depends on what the punctuation applies to, not simply the presence of quotation marks.

Spell-check can suggest a correctly spelled but wrong word, especially with homophones. Reread the full sentence to confirm meaning and grammatical fit before accepting the change.

Use it when the conjunction joins two independent clauses. If the second part cannot stand as a complete sentence, that rule alone does not require a comma.

Match diction to audience, purpose, and situation. A precise formal term may fit a report, while natural conversational language may fit dialogue or an informal message.

A complete sentence contains an independent clause with a subject and finite verb expressing a complete thought. Length does not matter; a fragment lacks that independent structure.

The verb agrees in number with its grammatical subject, not with a nearby noun inside a phrase. Remove interrupting words to expose the subject-verb pair.

Temporarily remove the other person from the phrase. If the remaining pronoun works alone as subject or object, it usually has the correct case.

A run-on joins complete clauses without acceptable punctuation or coordination. Repair it with a period, semicolon, or comma plus coordinating conjunction, depending on the intended relationship.

Move the modifying phrase next to the word it logically describes. Proximity removes the unintended reading and makes the sentence's relationship clear.

Generate possible ideas freely before judging or organizing them. Evaluation and selection come later, so early brainstorming should broaden choices rather than polish sentences.

Drafting turns planned ideas into an initial text. Revising rethinks meaning, organization, evidence, and clarity; it is more substantial than correcting surface errors.

Editing corrects grammar, usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling after the content is reasonably settled. Revision changes what the writing says and how effectively it develops ideas.

Audience determines needed background, vocabulary, examples, and tone. A writer should supply what that reader needs without assuming too much or explaining what the reader already knows.

It clearly states a debatable claim that the rest of the writing can support with reasons and evidence. A broad topic announcement does not establish a position.

A timeline or sequence chart makes chronological relationships visible. It helps the writer find missing, repeated, or misplaced events before revising the prose.

Give a specific prompt tied to the goal, such as asking which evidence best supports the claim. The paraprofessional scaffolds the decision instead of rewriting the student's work.

Place determines the digit's value as a multiple or fraction of a power of ten. Moving one place left multiplies its place value by ten; moving right divides it by ten.

Sharing asks how much each equal group receives; grouping asks how many groups of a stated size can be made. The same quotient can answer either interpretation.

The denominator defines the unit being counted. Rewriting fractions as equivalent amounts with the same-size parts lets the numerators count comparable units.

Percent means per hundred, so multiplying a decimal by 100 expresses the same value as a percent. Dividing a percent by 100 returns its decimal form.

Evaluate grouping symbols first, then exponents, then multiplication and division from left to right, followed by addition and subtraction from left to right.

Round to compatible values and compare the estimate's size with the exact result. A large mismatch often reveals a misplaced decimal, wrong operation, or calculation error.

An expression represents a value but makes no equality claim. An equation states that two expressions are equal and can be solved for values that make the statement true.

An equation is a balance. Performing the same valid operation on both sides preserves equality while isolating the unknown.

The proposed rule must generate every shown transition, not merely the next term. Checking all adjacent terms prevents choosing a rule that fits by coincidence.

Shape categories can be nested. A square meets the definitions of a rectangle and a rhombus as well as a quadrilateral, so the most specific label does not erase broader ones.

The x-coordinate gives horizontal position first, and the y-coordinate gives vertical position second. Reversing them usually identifies a different point.

The physical quantity remains equal while only its unit and numerical representation change. A conversion factor equal to one preserves that quantity.

Perimeter measures boundary length in linear units. Area measures enclosed surface in square units, so adding side lengths cannot produce area.

Volume counts three-dimensional unit cubes. Multiplying length by width by height combines three linear dimensions, producing cubic units.

The median is often more representative when extreme values pull the mean away from most observations. It depends on order rather than the magnitude of every value.

Intervals may skip values, start above zero, or use unequal-looking ranges. Reading labels and scale prevents visual size from being mistaken for the actual numerical difference.