Free STEP Exam Flashcards

Asks for the one point that covers the whole passage, not a single paragraph. Sum up each paragraph in a few words, then combine them. Example: a passage weighing e-books' convenience against their access limits has the main idea "e-books are convenient but have drawbacks," not "e-books save shelf space."

A topic sentence states one paragraph's focus, often its first sentence. The main idea covers the entire passage and may never be stated in just one sentence. Don't choose an answer that only restates paragraph one's topic sentence.

A wrong choice can repeat a true fact from the passage without answering the actual question asked. Check that the choice matches the question's focus (main idea, cause, purpose), not just that it appeared somewhere in the text.

A correct main idea matches the passage's actual scope. Too broad adds a claim the passage never made, such as extending "this city's buses" to "public transit everywhere"; too narrow covers only one supporting detail.

Detail questions test one explicitly stated fact. Scan for the question's keyword, number, or name, then re-read only the one or two nearby sentences to confirm the exact wording before choosing.

The correct choice usually restates the passage's fact in different words rather than quoting it. Example: the passage says "rainfall dropped sharply"; the correct choice may read "precipitation fell significantly" - same meaning, new wording.

A choice can combine one true detail with a false add-on, such as the right number paired with the wrong cause. Check every clause of a choice separately before selecting it.

A choice can be true in real life but never stated in the passage. Reading comprehension only credits what the specific passage says - reject any choice you can't point to in the text.

Signal words include "suggests," "implies," and "the author would likely agree." The answer isn't written directly in the passage - it's the most reasonable conclusion the stated clues support.

Many inference answers come from combining two stated facts. If a passage says the library closes at 6 p.m. and that Sara arrived at 6:30 p.m., you can infer she arrived after closing, even though no sentence states it.

Attitude is inferred from word choice, not just content. Words like "unfortunately" or "remarkably" signal the author's stance even when the surrounding facts themselves are neutral.

A choice that goes further than the clues support - turning "one study found a link" into "this definitely causes it" - is wrong even though it feels like a natural next step.

Substitute each answer choice back into the sentence. The correct one keeps the exact meaning and tone of the original sentence; a generic synonym that changes the sentence's sense is wrong.

Common words often carry a less-common sense in context, such as "address" meaning "to deal with a problem" rather than "a street address." The surrounding sentence, not the word's most familiar meaning, decides the answer.

When context alone isn't enough, break an unfamiliar word into prefix, root, and suffix. "Unpredictable" breaks into "un-" (not) + "predict" + "-able" (capable of), giving "not able to be predicted."

The correct vocabulary choice must match the passage's connotation - positive, negative, or neutral - not just its dictionary meaning. "Frugal" (positive thrift) and "stingy" (negative) can both mean "spends little," but only one fits a complimentary context.

Asks why the author wrote the passage or paragraph: to inform, persuade, compare, or describe. Look at the verbs and structure used throughout, not just the topic of one sentence.

Recognize common patterns - cause-effect, compare-contrast, chronological, problem-solution. Spotting the pattern early helps you predict where a specific answer is likely located in the passage.

Asks the role a sentence plays - for example, supporting the claim before it or introducing a contrast - not its literal content. Reread the sentence immediately before and after it to find the relationship.

Skim the passage first for overall structure and main idea; scan back for exact wording only when answering a detail question. Reading every word twice before answering wastes time under the clock.

Use the simple past with a finished time expression (yesterday, last year, in 2020): "She visited Riyadh last year," never "She has visited Riyadh last year." Use the present perfect when no finished time is given and the past connects to now: "She has visited Riyadh twice."

With "either...or" or "neither...nor," the verb matches whichever subject sits nearer to it: "Neither the teacher nor the students are ready" takes "are" because the nearer subject, "students," is plural; "Neither the students nor the teacher is ready" takes "is."

Structure: "If + past perfect, would have + past participle," for a past situation that didn't actually happen. Example: "If she had studied grammar daily, she would have scored higher" - she didn't study daily.

Reporting a past statement usually shifts the tense back one step: "I am tired" becomes "She said she was tired"; "I visited" becomes "She said she had visited." If the statement is still true, keeping the original tense is also acceptable: "He said the library opens at 8."

Zero conditional ("If you heat ice, it melts") states a general, always-true fact. First conditional ("If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the trip") describes one specific, real future possibility.

"Must" and "have to" express necessity or a rule ("You must submit the form by Friday"). "Should" and "ought to" express weaker advice or a recommendation ("You should review grammar before the test").

"May/might/could have + past participle" expresses an uncertain past possibility ("She might have missed the bus"). "Must have + past participle" expresses a confident deduction from evidence ("The lights are off - he must have left").

Many adjectives and verbs pair with one fixed preposition: "interested in," "depend on," "responsible for." These pairings must be memorized individually - logic alone won't predict the correct one.

Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so) join grammatically equal parts, such as two independent clauses. Subordinating conjunctions (although, because, since) begin a dependent clause that needs a main clause to complete the sentence: "Because it rained" alone is a fragment.

"Although" is a conjunction followed by a full clause: "Although it rained, the match continued." "Despite" and "in spite of" are prepositions followed by a noun or -ing form: "Despite the rain, the match continued." "Despite it rained" is wrong.

A defining clause gives essential identifying information and takes no commas ("The man who called is my uncle"). A non-defining clause adds extra, removable information set off by commas ("My uncle, who called yesterday, is visiting").

"Who" is the subject form for people ("the student who won"); "whom" is the formal object form ("the student whom we chose"). After a comma in a non-defining clause, use "who" or "which," never "that": "My car, which is old, still runs."

A comparative compares two things or groups ("faster than," "more difficult than"). A superlative picks one out of three or more ("the fastest," "the most difficult"). Never double the form: "more faster" and "the most fastest" are wrong.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma ("She studied, she passed"). A fused sentence joins them with no punctuation; many guides call both run-ons. Fix either with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction ("She studied, so she passed").

An opening descriptive phrase must logically describe the subject right after it. "Having finished the exam, the room felt quiet" illogically says the room finished the exam; it should read "Having finished the exam, she felt the room grow quiet."

Items joined by "and" or "or" in a list or comparison must share the same grammatical form. "She likes reading, writing, and to study" breaks parallelism; it should be "reading, writing, and studying."

Form the passive with a form of "be" + past participle; a named doer follows "by." "The committee wrote the report" becomes "The report was written by the committee." The progressive passive adds "being": "The bridge is being repaired."

Pick the connector that matches the real logical link: contrast ("however"), result ("therefore"), or addition ("in addition"). "He studied hard; however, he passed" is illogical, because passing does not contrast with studying hard; "therefore" fits.

Some verbs take an -ing form (enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest): "She avoided making mistakes." Others take a to-infinitive (want, decide, plan, hope): "He decided to apply." "She enjoys to read" is wrong; it should be "She enjoys reading."

"Used to" + base verb describes a past habit that has stopped: "I used to walk to school." "Be used to" + noun or -ing means "accustomed to": "I am used to waking up early." "I am used to wake up early" is wrong.

Asks for the overall topic or purpose of a conversation or talk. Listen for the opening exchange and any phrase repeated across the recording rather than one small detail mentioned once.

The first exchange in a conversation usually signals the setting and relationship between speakers, such as customer/clerk or student/advisor. Use that setup to predict what kind of detail questions will likely follow.

Speakers flag key points with signposts such as "Today I'd like to talk about," "The main reason is," "However," and "To sum up." The gist usually follows the opening signpost or appears again in the closing summary.

Tests one specific stated fact - a number, name, place, or reason. Expect a near-miss distractor that names a similar but incorrect item mentioned elsewhere in the same recording.

Distractors often swap similar-sounding items, such as "thirteen" versus "thirty" or "fourth" versus "forth." Confirm the exact number or word from context, not just its sound.

Speakers sometimes correct themselves mid-sentence ("The meeting is at 3 - actually, make that 4"). The corrected statement is the one that counts; the first version is a likely distractor.

Infer a speaker's purpose or attitude from tone cues like hesitation, emphasis, or word choice in the dialogue, not from the topic alone. A reluctant "I suppose so" signals doubt, not enthusiasm.

A reply that seems to answer a different question than asked often signals an indirect answer. "Do you want to come?" answered with "I have an early class tomorrow" implies a polite "no."

First cross out choices that mention something never said at all. Then weigh the remaining choices, which usually reference something that was said but attach it to the wrong detail.

Use any instructions or pause to read the question and its choices before the recording starts, so you know what to listen for. Plan as if you will hear each recording only once unless the instructions say otherwise.