Reading Comprehension Skills
1. Is the purpose of the passage to persuade, to inform, or to entertain? 2. What is the main idea? 3. What is the theme? 4. What details contribute to the meaning? 5. What inferences can you make? 6. What do the words mean in context (not in the dictionary)? 7. How is the passage organized? 8. Which point of view (first, second, or third) is used? 9. What is the tone? 10. What are facts and what are opinions? 11. How does this passage compare or contrast with another passage? 12. How are the characters described? 13. How can the visual aids help me better understand the passage?
Easily Confused Words
Words that are often confused: there: location their: belongs to them they're: they are
its: belongs to it it's: it is
know: to be aware of no: disagree, negate
accept: admit something is true except: not include
two: the number too: also to: a preposition
Capitalization Rules
The first word in a sentence
Leftovers are my favorite!
Proper nouns
Elizabeth, China, Wal-Mart
Titles
Senator Smith
Days and months
Wednesday, March
Historical events and time periods
the Great War, the Middle Ages
First word of a quotation
Jane said, "Crayons are messy."
Commas, Semicolons, and Colons
Rules for using commas: Do not put a comma between the subject and the verb.
INCORRECT: The man with a real appreciation for the sunny weather, ate an ice cream cone.
If you have a list of three or more things, put a comma after each thing except for the final one.
CORRECT: I baked gingerbread cookies with flour, sugar, salt, eggs, and molasses.
Do not join two complete sentences with a comma.
INCORRECT: She ran, he walked.
If you want to join two complete sentences, use a comma and "and," "but," or "or."
CORRECT: She ran, and he walked.
CORRECT: The man with a real appreciation for the sunny weather ate an ice cream cone.
A semicolon should only be used to join two complete sentences. CORRECT: She ran; he walked. A colon is used to introduce a list. CORRECT: Please buy the following: milk, eggs, and bread.
Apostrophes
In a contraction
I will → I'll
To show possession when a word is singular
the apostrophe is placed after the word and before the 's':
To show possession when a word is plural
the apostrophe is placed after the letter 's':
I am → I'm
the ball belonging to the dog → the dog's ball the coat Jen owns → Jen's coat
the ball that three dogs share → the dogs' ball
Writing the Extended Response (Essay)
Use this outline:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Introduction a. Summarize both passages b. State which passage was more persuasive First Body Paragraph a. Describe one piece of evidence used in the more persuasive passage b. Analyze the evidence, using one or more of these: i. Support for the evidence ii. Source of the evidence iii. Logic of the evidence iv. Reference to the weaker passage Second Body Paragraph a. Describe one piece of evidence used in the more persuasive passage b. Analyze the evidence, using one or more of these: i. Support for the evidence ii. Source of the evidence iii. Logic of the evidence iv. Reference to the weaker passage Third Body Paragraph a. Describe one piece of evidence used in the more persuasive passage b. Analyze the evidence, using one or more of these: i. Support for the evidence ii. Source of the evidence iii. Logic of the evidence iv. Reference to the weaker passage Conclusion a. Restate which passage you found more persuasive b. Briefly review the evidence c. Make a parting comment
General Advice for the GED Math Test
1. Use the erasable board that they will give you to write out your work—don’t try to solve problems in your head. 2. Use the process of elimination to eliminate wrong answers. 3. Make estimates based on a picture or graph. 4. Some problems will include unnecessary information. 5. Focus your attention on the final words of the problem. 6. If you get stuck, move on. 7. In math, the word “of” means to multiply. 8. Sometimes, you just need to set up—not solve—a problem. 9. Sometimes it is easier to “plug in” the answers and work backwards. 10. If you need more practice, use Khan Academy.
Numbers and Operations The absolute value of a number is how far the number is from zero. The absolute value of 3 is 3. The absolute value of -7 is 7. If two numbers with the same sign are multiplied together, the result is positive. If their signs are different, the result is negative. positive x positive = positive negative x negative = positive positive x negative = negative negative x positive = negative Some definitions: Factors = numbers that can be multiplied together to get another number Prime = a number whose only factors are itself and one Composite = a number with other factors in addition to itself and one Remember the order of operations with “Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally.” Please = parentheses Excuse = exponents My = multiplication Dear = division Aunt = addition Sally = subtraction The associative property: (a + b) + c = a + (b + c) The distributive property: a(b + c) = ab + ac
Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages The numerator is the number on the top in a fraction. The denominator is the number on the bottom in a fraction. A mixed number is a number that has a whole number and a fractional part. An improper fraction has a numerator that is larger than its denominator. Equivalent fractions are two fractions that have the same value. Reduce fractions by dividing the numerator and the denominator by the same number. To add fractions, the denominators must be the same. Then, add the numerators and keep the denominator the same. To subtract fractions, the denominators must be the same. Then, subtract the numerators and keep the denominator the same. To multiply fractions, multiply the numerators together and then multiply the denominators together. To divide fractions, invert the second fraction and then multiply the fractions. To convert a fraction to a decimal, divide the numerator by the denominator. To convert a decimal to a fraction, think about how you would say the name of the decimal. For example, “eighteen hundredths” tells you that the fraction equivalent to .18 is 18/100. To convert a percent to a fraction, simply make the percent the numerator and make the denominator one hundred. So, 17% = 17/100 To convert a percent to a decimal, simply move the decimal point two places to the left. So, 34% = .34. If you want to convert a fraction to a percent, find an equivalent fraction with a denominator of one hundred, and the numerator of that fraction will be your percentage. To convert a decimal to a percent, move the decimal point two places to the right and add the percentage sign. So, .58 = 58%.
Averages and Ratios
To find the mean, add all of the numbers and divide by the number of items. To find the median, list the items from smallest to largest and find the one in the middle. To find the mode, find which item occurs most often. To find the range, subtract the smallest number from the largest number.
A ratio compares two amounts. You can write it as 3:4, ¾, or 3 to 4.
Algebra Two general rules: 1. Think about algebra problems as “undoing” everything that has been done to the variable. 2. Whatever operation you perform on one side of the equation must also be performed on the other side of the equation. Sample problems from the audio book: 4x + 3 = 23 4x = 20 x=5 2a = (3b)(c - 1) if a = 9 and c = 3 2(9) = (3b)(3 - 1) 18 = (3b)(2) 18 = 6b 3=b 12 < x + 4 8<x -8 > -2x 4<x (x - 5)(x + 4) x2 + 4x - 5x - 20 x2 - x - 20
2x2 – 7x = 5 2x2 – 7x - 5 = 0 7 ± √49 − 4(2)(−5) 2(2) 7 ± √49 + 40 4 7 ± √89 4
Geometry
Line:
Line segment:
Ray:
Straight angle:
90o angle:
Acute angle:
Obtuse angle:
Geometry
Parallel lines:
Intersecting lines:
Perpendicular lines:
Key Takeaways for GED Math □ Before the test, study the formula sheet. □ Before the test, be sure that you know how to use the calculator. □ If you get stuck, estimate and eliminate any choices that are obviously wrong. □ If you don’t know how to solve a problem, try working backwards. □ Carefully read the final words of the problem. □ Remember that in math, the word “of” means to multiply. □ When you multiply or divide negative numbers, if the signs are different, then the answer is negative and, if the signs are the same, then the answer is positive. □ Round a number up if the place to the right of it is five or higher; leave it the same if the number to the right is four or less. □ The order of operations is: parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. Remember “please excuse my Dear Aunt Sally.” □ To add or subtract fractions, they need to have the same denominator. Then simply add or subtract the numerators. To multiply fractions, multiply the numerators and then multiply the denominators. To divide fractions, invert the second fraction and then multiply the fractions. □ Convert fractions to decimals by dividing the numerator by the denominator. □ You can’t multiply or divide percentages without converting them to decimals first. You convert a percentage to a decimal by moving the decimal two places to the left. □ Find the mean by adding the numbers together and dividing by the number of numbers. The median is the number in the middle. The mode is the number that occurs most often. And the range is the difference between the largest and the smallest number. □ To multiply exponents with the same base number, add the exponents. To divide exponents with the same base, subtract the exponents.
□ To find the probability of unrelated events, multiply the probability of each event time the other events. □ The two basic rules of algebra are, first, undo everything that has been done to the variable and, second, whatever you do to one side of the equation you also have to do to the other side. □ Solve an inequality the same way that you solve an equation, except that if you need to multiply or divide both sides by a negative number, flip the inequality sign. □ To multiply binomials, use the “FOIL” method—that’s first, outer, inner, last. □ For any triangle, the sum of the three interior angles is 180o. □ Use the Pythagorean theorem to find the third side if you know the length of two sides of a right triangle.
The Scientific Method
Make observations
Analyze the results
Think of questions
Perform the experiment
Make hypothesis
Design an experiment to test the hypothesis
The Rock Cycle
Magma
Volcanic Eruption
Metamorphic Rock
Igneous Rock
Sedimentary Rock
Sediment
The Water Cycle
Condensation (in clouds)
Precipitation (rain, snow)
Evaporation (from lakes, oceans) and Transpiration (from plants)