ATI TEAS Study Guide Reading and English.
Primary Sources
- The “original” source
- Need to determine it if is an original
... [Show More] source
- Examples: photographs, diaries, letters, eye-witness reports
- If it appears in a newspaper on the TEAS, it will NOT be considered a primary source
- Obituaries are NOT a primary source, they are in a newspaper
- AUTObiographies are primary sources, NOT biographies (auto=self)
Passage Types
- Scan the passage for numbers (percent, age, year)
o If you see numbers, most of the time it will be expository
- 1.) Expository
o Factual, like a textbook
o Purpose: ALWAYS to inform
o If asked where you would find an expository passage, the answer is always encyclopedia
o If you look at the title of a passage and it says “The History of Gettysburg,” the word history means it is expository
o Any kind of historical passage
- Scan the passage for opinion words
o If you see words that indicate an opinion, it will be persuasive
- 2.) Persuasive
o Can be anything from an e-mail to a novel on the TEAS
o Opinion words: should, good, best, seemed, & most
o All it takes is one opinion to make the passage persuasive
o Purpose: to persuade
- 3.) Narrative
o Tells a personal story
o On the TEAS a personal story will be a narrative
o Look for personal pronouns
o When the passage uses pronouns, the majority of the time it will be a narrative passage
o Works of fiction (ex. Harry Potter, The Hunger Games)
o If you see dialogue (in quotation marks) it means its narrative on the TEAS
o Purpose: ALWAYS to entertain
Reference Materials
- Dictionary
o On the TEAS they will ask you, “Which of the following resources is used to look up the meaning of a word?”
- Thesaurus
o A book of words that have similar meanings -> synonyms
o Useful for varying word choice
- Appendix
o Supplemental information that appears in the back of many books
o For example, if you were reading a book about global warming, Appendix1 might include a list of the top five emission producing countries; Appendix 2 might have a bar graph showing the emission values
o *Almost never the correct answer on the TEAS
- Almanac
o A book/calendar
o Used many years ago to determine when to plant crops, when to expect the first frost
o Still used today by some
o Useful for determining the next high tide, the phases of the moon, solar eclipse
- Index
o In the very back of the book
o Similar to the table of contents, much more specific & detailed
o Includes page numbers
Key Ideas & Details
- Main Idea
o The same thing as a thesis statement
o Always the last sentence of your first paragraph
- Summary
o The first sentence of the last paragraph
- Topic Sentence
o ALWAYS the first sentence of every paragraph
o Important for
▪ You should be able to answer most questions on the TEAS just by reading the first sentence of each paragraph
- Supporting Details
o Will appear in the same paragraph as the topic sentence
o First identify which paragraph has that topic sentence
o Then look to see which of your answers has a sentence that appears in that paragraph -> that will be the correct answer
Recipes
- 3 types of recipe questions
o Asks what is the first thing that needs to be done
▪ Ex. Q. What is the first thing that needs to be done in the recipe?
• First, look at the ingredients. If there is an ingredient that needs to be prepared in advance, such as beans, rinsed; onion, chopped; or eggs, beaten – then choose the first ingredient on the list that needs to be prepped
o Asks what should be done before a specific step
▪ Ex. Q. What should be done before cutting the dough?
• First, find the step that is part of the question (cutting the cookies). Then, find the step immediately before cutting the cookies
o Also, be sure that you are familiar with different words that describe an action
(that relate to cooking)
▪ Ex. Q. What does the word “sauté” mean?
• Sauté means to cook the meat quickly over high heat
Maps
- Example Question: A driver is headed toward the West. He drives 10 miles and then turns left. He continues to drive and at the third traffic light, he turns left again. He turns right at the stop sign and arrives at his destination. What direction is he headed?
- There will not be a map provided
- Draw out
- Always start at the opposite direction of where the driver is going. (If the driver is heading West, then you have to start on the East side)
- Place your pencil on the East side & start drawing a line toward the West
- Answer -> He is heading South
Facts & Opinions
- Facts
o Information that can be verified is known as facts
o The information can be proven. For example: Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Ford’s Theater
o Explanation: The location of Lincoln’s death can be verified by historical documents
o Statements of facts do not contain any opinions
o TIP: If the passage contains numbers, it is almost always a Fact
o Facts do not reveal the author’s feelings in the passage
▪ Example: The Washington Capitals won the 2017 Stanley Cup. (FACT)
▪ Example: The Stanley Cup playoff games were exciting. (OPINION)
- Opinions
o Statements that contain a writer’s feelings or beliefs
o They are not true or false
o They contain one person’s viewpoint
o Words that indicate opinions: should, best, seems, most, good, better, worst
Logical Conclusions
- For the purpose of the TEAS, logical conclusion & inferencing are the same thing
- To determine a logical conclusion, you look at the clues
- It will not be stated in the passage
- No strategies
- If you get a “both of the above” option it is NOT going to be the correct answer
Bias & Stereotype
- Best way to determine if a passage contains a bias or a stereotype is to look for opinion words: should, best, good, seems, etc.
- A bias is a personal opinion
- A stereotype is the opinion of people towards certain groups of people based on gender, race, etc.
- Q. Does the author try to hide his bias?
o Opinion word = no, the author does not try to hide his bias
o No opinion word = yes, the author tries to hide his bias
- Stereotype: Grouping races or people together & labeling them (even though you don’t know them) Includes racial & gender remarks
o To determine whether a passage contains a stereotype, you have to quickly search the passage for words that indicate an opinion
o Also, look to see if the passage refers to/labels a group of people
▪ Example: Most Asians are very good at Math.
▪ Example: Women are not as good in Science as men
English Section
Commas & Semi-Colons
- 3 major times to use a comma:
o Use a comma when you have a series of 3 or more items
▪ Example: The students are focusing on reading, science, and math
o Use a comma to separate day and year in a date
▪ Example: She is taking the TEAS on November 13, 2018
o Use a comma when combining two complete sentences (Also known as
independent clauses) before the FANBOYS
▪ Example: We went to the football game, and our team won!
▪ Example: My cats are sleeping, but my dog is running around the house.
o FANBOYS:
▪ For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
▪ Used to combine complete sentences (independent clauses)
- 3 major times to use a semi-colon:
o Use a semi-colon to separate two complete sentences (in place of a FANBOYS)
▪ Example: We traveled to Rome; it was a beautiful city.
▪ Example: We need to go home now; it is getting late.
• **Note: the two sentences need to be associated with each other
o Use a semi-colon to separate items in a series that already have commas (complex series)
▪ Example: The people attending the meeting included Al Jones, President; Lisa Smith, Vice President; and Diane Jones; Treasurer.
▪ Example: We visited Birmingham, Alabama; New York City, New York; and San Diego, California.
o Use a semi-colon to join clauses using transitional words like: However, otherwise, therefore, subsequently, in addition
▪ Example: It is going to snow 3 feet tonight; therefore, all classes tomorrow are cancelled.
▪ Example: Please use the rear door; otherwise, the alarm will go off!
Pronoun Antecedents
- What is a pronoun? -> takes the place of a noun
o Ex. Mary is going to bed -> She is going to bed
- What is an antecedent? -> the noun that is used in the beginning of the sentence, the noun the pronoun refers to
o Ex. The doctor went to the doctor’s car and drove home.
o This is where you would use a pronoun antecedent
o NEW sentence: The doctor went to his car and drove home.
- Pronoun Antecedent Agreement
o Rule 1.) The pronoun has to agree with the antecedent (singular vs. plural)
▪ Ex. The nurse used her stethoscope in the physical assessment
• Nurse is singular, so a singular pronoun must be used (her).
▪ Ex. The Doctors wore their lab coats before examining the patients,
• Doctors is plural, so a plural pronoun must be used (their).
o Rule 2.) If there is a phrase or clause between the subject and the verb, the pronoun still must agree with the antecedent
▪ Ex. The car on the road is screeching its tires.
• Car is singular so it uses the singular pronoun (its).
▪ Ex. The cars on the road are screeching their tires
• Cars is plural so it uses the plural pronoun (their).
o Indefinite Pronoun (does not refer to something/someone specific) Singular:
One Someone Anyone No one Everyone
Each Somebody Anybody Nobody Everybody
(n)either Something Anything Nothing everything
*These MUST be used with singular pronouns
- Singular pronoun antecedents must have singular pronouns
o Ex. Someone dropped his or her napkin on the floor
▪ Someone is a singular pronoun antecedent so it uses singular pronoun (his or her)
o Rule 3.) Compound subjects joined by ”and” must have plural pronouns
▪ Ex. Bill and Ted spent all their money on their excellent adventure
• Bill and Ted is a compound subject, so it must have a plural pronoun (their).
o Compound subjects joined by “nor/or” uses a pronoun that agrees with the antecedent that is closest to the pronoun
▪ Ex. Neither the doctor nor the nurses took their break
• Nurses is plural, and it is the antecedent closest to the pronoun, so it must have a plural pronoun (their).
▪ Ex. Neither the doctors nor the nurse wanted to take his or her break.
• Nurse is singular, and it is the antecedent closest to the pronoun, so it must have a singular pronoun (his or her).
Updated by Courtney Smith- November 17.
5 elements of a story
• Exposition
• Rising Action
• Climax
• Falling Action
• Resolution Exposition:
• The beginning of the story.
• Characters are introduced.
• Setting is described.
• Identifies the problem. Rising Action:
• Where the action is.
• Suspense builds.
• Leads up to the climax. Climax:
• Considered a critical moment.
• The part of the story when it really gets good.
• This is where you can’t put the book down. Falling Action:
• Everything that happens after the climax.
• Solution to the problem appear.
• Characters work together to solve the problem. Resolution:
• The end of the story.
• Conflict is resolved.
Subject/Verb Agreement
o If the subject is singular, the verb ends in “s.”
Examples:
The dog barks at the cat. Dog=singular subject. Verb= must have an “s.” Jack laughs at the joke. Jack=singular subject. Verb= must have an “s.”
A little trick. (Think “s”):
• Subject
• Singular
• S=verb
o If the subject is plural, the verb does not end in “s.”
Examples:
The dogs bark at the cat. Dogs= plural subject. Verb= does not have an “s.”
Jack and Sally laugh at the joke. Jack and Sally= plural subject. Verb= does not have an “s.”
o Personal pronouns (we, they, he, she) follow the same rules as the ones previously mentioned.
• If the subject is singular, the verb ends in “s.”
Examples:
He sees the cat. He= singular subject. Verb= must have an “s.”
We laugh at the joke. We= plural subject. Verb= does not have an “s.”
***********Exception to the Singular/Plural and Verb Rule************
Using personal pronouns (I and You):
If the subject is singular, the verb does not end in “s.”
Examples:
I speak with a loud voice. I= personal pronoun singular subject. Verb= does not have an
“s.”
You speak with a loud voice. I= personal pronoun singular subject. Verb= does not have an
“s.”
Past Tense:
• Both singular and plural subjects use the same form of the verb.
Examples:
The dog barked at the cat. Dog= singular subject. Verb= past tense= “ed.”
Jack and Sally laughed at the joke. Jack and Sally= plural subject. Verb= past tense= “ed.”
Helping Verbs:
If the subject is singular, the helping verb ends in “s.”
Examples:
The dog has barked at the cat. Dog= singular subject. Helping Verb= must have an “s.”
Jack has laughed at the joke. Jack= singular subject. Helping verb= must have an “s.”
A little trick. (Think “s”)
• Subject
• Singular
• S= helping verb
If the subject is plural, the helping verb does not end in “s.”
Examples:
The dog have barked at the cat. Dogs= plural subject. Helping verb= does not have an “s.”
Jack and Sally have laughed at the joke. Jack and Sally= plural subject. Helping verbs=
does not have an “s.”
Those tricky indefinite pronouns:
• Some indefinite pronouns might sound plural, but they are singular. Therefor, they use
verbs that in “s.”
either anybody somebody everybody nobody each neither anyone someone everyone no one one
other anything something everything nothing
Examples:
Someone has the winning lottery ticket. Someone= singular subject. Verb= ends in “s.”
Neither smiles very often. Neither= singular subject. Verb= ends in “s.”
• However, some indefinite pronouns are plural and use verbs that do not end in “s.” Both many few several others
Examples:
Both have a winning lotter ticket. Both= plural subject. Verb= does not end in “s.”
Many smile very often. Many= plural subject. Verb= does not end in “s.”
Summary:
Subject/Verb Agreement can be tricky.
However, if it is too overwhelming to remember all these silly rules, then focus on the first two I taught you:
If the subject is singular, the verb ends in “s.”
If the subject is plural, the verb does not end in “s.”
Updated by Sheila Jared December 20. [Show Less]