Your FREE GED Flashcards 2026 – 250+ Cards

The central point a passage conveys — what the whole text is mostly about.

A fact, example, statistic, or reason that explains or develops the main idea.

The reason a text was written — to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain.

The author's attitude toward the subject, shown through word choice.

The feeling or atmosphere a text creates in the reader.

A logical conclusion drawn from text evidence plus reasoning — not stated outright.

The 45-minute RLA essay analyzing which of two passages is better supported by evidence.

A debatable statement an author argues for; your essay must state a clear claim.

The facts, examples, and reasoning used to support a claim.

An opposing view that a writer acknowledges and then responds to.

The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

The emotional or implied meaning of a word beyond its literal definition.

The sentence (often first) that states a paragraph's main idea.

A sentence stating the main argument or claim of an essay.

The underlying message or insight about life in a literary work.

A brief restatement of a text's main points in your own words.

Restating a specific passage in your own words, keeping the meaning.

Hints in surrounding text that help you figure out an unfamiliar word's meaning.

A one-sided or prejudiced view that can weaken an argument's reliability.

A fact can be proven true; an opinion is a personal belief or judgment.

Writing meant to convince the reader of a position.

Writing meant to explain or inform; ~75% of GED RLA passages are informational.

Fiction, drama, or poetry; ~25% of GED RLA passages are literary.

A text structure showing how one event leads to another.

A text structure examining similarities and differences.

A text structure presenting events or steps in order.

A text structure that presents an issue and a way to resolve it.

The perspective from which a text is told (first person, third person, etc.).

A flaw in reasoning that weakens an argument (e.g., hasty generalization).

The art of persuasion through language; appeals to logic, emotion, and credibility.

A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject a plural verb.

Keep tense consistent unless the time frame actually changes.

A pronoun must match its noun in number and have a clear referent.

Items in a list or comparison share the same grammatical form.

Two or more complete sentences joined without proper punctuation or conjunction.

An incomplete sentence missing a subject, verb, or complete thought.

Two independent clauses joined by only a comma — an error.

Shows possession or contraction — not plurals.

Words that sound alike but differ in meaning/spelling (their/there/they're).

A word or phrase describing another; misplaced modifiers cause confusion.

Words that connect ideas (however, therefore, in addition).

The subject performs the action; usually clearer than passive voice.

The final paragraph that restates the claim and ties the argument together.

Combining ideas from multiple sources into a coherent whole.

A claim supported by reasons and evidence, intended to persuade.

A response that refutes an opposing argument.

The intended readers a text is written for, which shapes its style.

Meaning suggested or implied rather than directly stated.

Meaning stated directly and clearly in the text.

Language that goes beyond literal meaning (metaphor, simile, etc.).

A comparison stating one thing IS another (e.g. 'time is money').

A comparison using 'like' or 'as' (e.g. 'brave as a lion').

A phrase whose meaning differs from its literal words (e.g. 'break the ice').

An author's specific word choice, which affects tone and meaning.

Logical, smooth flow of ideas in writing.

A word that joins words or clauses (and, but, or, because).

A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone.

A clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

Begin sentences and proper nouns with capital letters.

Introduces a list, explanation, or quotation after a complete sentence.

Joins two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.

Needless repetition of ideas or words; cut it for clarity.

Expressing ideas clearly in as few words as needed.

Another's exact words, set off by quotation marks and cited.

Revising a passage to fix grammar, usage, and clarity.

Description appealing to sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell.

Arranging events in the time order they occurred.

Using another's words or ideas without credit.

Rise over run: (y₂ − y₁)/(x₂ − x₁); the m in y = mx + b.

Where a line crosses the y-axis (x = 0); the b in y = mx + b.

y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept.

Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply/Divide (left→right), Add/Subtract (left→right).

An equation whose graph is a straight line; variables to the first power.

ax² + bx + c = 0; its graph is a parabola; solve by factoring or formula.

x = (−b ± √(b² − 4ac)) / (2a) — provided on the GED formula sheet.

A comparison of two quantities by division, e.g. 3:4.

Two equal ratios; solve by cross-multiplying.

A part per hundred; convert to a decimal by dividing by 100 (25% = 0.25).

Convert the percent to a decimal and multiply: 20% of 80 = 0.20 × 80 = 16.

(new − old) ÷ old × 100.

Add all values, then divide by how many there are.

The middle value of a data set arranged in order.

The value that appears most often in a data set.

The highest value minus the lowest value.

Favorable outcomes ÷ total outcomes; a number from 0 to 1.

A whole number and its negatives: …, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, …

A number's distance from zero; always non-negative. |−5| = 5.

Shows repeated multiplication: 2³ = 2 × 2 × 2 = 8.

A value that, multiplied by itself, gives the number. √16 = 4.

The largest number that divides two numbers evenly.

The smallest number both numbers divide into evenly.

Use a common denominator, add the numerators, keep the denominator.

Multiply numerators together and denominators together.

Multiply by the reciprocal of the second fraction (flip and multiply).

A fraction whose numerator is ≥ its denominator, e.g. 7/4.

A whole number plus a fraction, e.g. 1¾.

Area = length × width.

Area = ½ × base × height.

Area = πr², where r is the radius.

The distance around a circle: 2πr or πd.

Volume = length × width × height.

Volume = πr²h.

a² + b² = c² for the sides of a right triangle.

The total distance around a 2-D shape (add all sides).

A rule giving each input exactly one output; f(x) is the output for input x.

Compares values with <, >, ≤, or ≥; flip the sign when ×/÷ by a negative.

A grid of x (horizontal) and y (vertical) axes meeting at the origin (0,0).

Distance = rate × time (d = rt).

I = Prt — principal × rate × time.

A symbol (like x) standing for an unknown number.

The number multiplying a variable, e.g. 3 in 3x.

Terms with the same variable part; only like terms can be combined.

Use inverse operations to isolate the variable on one side.

A number written as a × 10ⁿ, e.g. 4.5 × 10³ = 4500.

An average where some values count more than others, by their weights.

Mean is the average; median is the middle value (better with outliers).

A data value much higher or lower than the rest.

An approximate answer used to check reasonableness.

Adjusting a number to a nearby value at a given place.

Tenths, hundredths, thousandths to the right of the decimal point.

Two negatives multiplied give a positive; a negative ÷ positive is negative.

a(b + c) = ab + ac.

Add or subtract terms with the same variable: 3x + 2x = 5x.

Writing an expression as a product, e.g. x² + 5x = x(x + 5).

Multiply two binomials: First, Outer, Inner, Last terms.

Two or more equations solved together for shared variables.

Lines with equal slopes that never intersect.

Lines whose slopes are negative reciprocals; they meet at 90°.

The point halfway between two points: average the x's and the y's.

The total area of all the faces of a 3-D solid.

The space inside a 3-D solid, measured in cubic units.

The diameter is twice the radius; the radius is half the diameter.

The ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, about 3.14.

A ratio comparing a quantity to one unit (e.g. miles per hour).

To solve a/b = c/d, set ad = bc.

Combinations ignore order; permutations count order.

Mean of 4, 8, 10 = (4 + 8 + 10) ÷ 3 = 22 ÷ 3 ≈ 7.3.

An ordered pair (x, y) locating a spot on the plane.

An equation has an equals sign; an expression does not.

Translate the words into one equation, then solve step by step.

The flip of a fraction; a/b becomes b/a. The reciprocal of 3 is 1/3.

Plants use sunlight, CO₂, and water to make glucose and oxygen in chloroplasts.

Cells break down glucose to release usable energy (roughly the reverse of photosynthesis).

A testable, falsifiable proposed explanation, often an 'if…then…' prediction.

The variable the experimenter deliberately changes.

The variable measured to see if it responds to the independent variable.

A factor kept constant so an experiment is a fair test.

Observe, hypothesize, experiment, analyze data, and conclude.

The basic unit of life; plant cells have walls and chloroplasts, animal cells don't.

The cell organelle that contains DNA and directs cell activity.

The organelle that produces energy (ATP) — the cell's 'powerhouse.'

The molecule that carries genetic instructions for traits.

A segment of DNA that codes for a specific trait.

A trait that masks a recessive trait when both alleles are present.

A trait expressed only when both alleles are recessive.

A grid used to predict the probability of offspring traits.

Cell division producing two identical cells for growth and repair.

Cell division producing sex cells (gametes) with half the chromosomes.

Better-adapted organisms survive and reproduce more — the engine of evolution.

The change in inherited traits of a population over generations.

A community of living organisms interacting with their non-living environment.

A sequence showing energy flow as one organism eats another.

An organism (e.g. a plant) that makes its own food via photosynthesis.

An organism that eats other organisms for energy.

An organism that breaks down dead matter, recycling nutrients.

The maintenance of a stable internal environment in an organism.

The basic unit of matter, made of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

A positively charged particle in an atom's nucleus.

A neutral (no-charge) particle in an atom's nucleus.

A negatively charged particle orbiting the atom's nucleus.

A pure substance made of one type of atom; organized on the periodic table.

Two or more atoms bonded together, e.g. H₂O.

A change in form or state that doesn't create a new substance (e.g. melting).

A change that forms a new substance (e.g. burning, rusting).

Matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.

Solid, liquid, and gas (and plasma); changes of state are physical changes.

Force = mass × acceleration (F = ma).

The energy of motion.

Stored energy due to position or arrangement.

Energy is never created or destroyed — only transformed.

Force applied over a distance: Work = force × distance.

Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection/runoff of water.

Weather is short-term; climate is the long-term average of conditions.

Atmospheric gases trap heat; extra gases intensify warming.

Earth's crust is broken into moving plates that cause quakes and mountains.

The Sun and the planets and bodies that orbit it; Earth's tilt causes seasons.

A resource that replenishes naturally (e.g. solar, wind).

The plant organelle where photosynthesis occurs; contains chlorophyll.

The green pigment that captures light energy for photosynthesis.

Adenosine triphosphate — the molecule cells use to store and transfer energy.

A structure of coiled DNA carrying genes.

One of the alternative versions of a gene.

An organism's genetic makeup (the alleles it carries).

An organism's observable traits, produced by genotype and environment.

A trait that improves an organism's survival in its environment.

The variety of life in an ecosystem; greater diversity aids stability.

The maximum population an environment can sustain.

A predator hunts and eats prey; their populations affect each other.

The movement of carbon through the atmosphere, organisms, and Earth.

A chart organizing elements by atomic number and properties.

A substance made of two or more elements chemically bonded.

A physical combination of substances that keep their own properties.

Acids have a low pH (<7); bases have a high pH (>7); 7 is neutral.

Mass per unit volume: density = mass ÷ volume.

Speed in a given direction.

The rate of change of velocity over time.

The force that attracts objects with mass toward each other.

A force opposing motion between surfaces in contact.

A disturbance that transfers energy; described by wavelength and frequency.

Energy moves by conduction, convection, or radiation.

The wearing away and transport of rock and soil by water, wind, or ice.

Preserved remains or traces of past life, evidence of evolution and Earth's age.

The movement of water across a membrane toward higher solute concentration.

The boundary controlling what enters and leaves a cell.

An object stays at rest or in motion unless acted on by a net force (inertia).

A conductor lets heat/electricity flow easily; an insulator resists it.

Legislative (makes laws), Executive (enforces), Judicial (interprets).

Congress — the Senate and House — which makes laws.

The President and federal agencies, which enforce laws.

The Supreme Court and federal courts, which interpret laws.

Dividing government authority among three branches.

Each branch can limit the powers of the others.

The power of courts to declare a law or action unconstitutional.

The supreme law of the United States, establishing the government's framework.

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing basic rights.

A formal change or addition to the Constitution; there are 27.

The sharing of power between national and state governments.

Government in which power comes from the people, often via elected representatives.

A government in which citizens elect representatives to make decisions.

Introduced → committee → passed by both chambers → signed or vetoed by the President.

The President's power to reject a bill; Congress can override with a 2/3 vote.

The body that formally elects the U.S. President based on state electors.

The 1776 document declaring the colonies' independence and natural rights.

The 1787 meeting that wrote the U.S. Constitution.

The 1861–1865 war over slavery and union; led to slavery's end.

The post–Civil War era; 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments expanded rights.

Abolished slavery in the United States.

The 1950s–60s struggle that ended legal segregation and expanded equal rights.

A period of rapid industrial growth that transformed the economy.

The 1939–1945 global war; reshaped the U.S. role in the world.

The post-WWII rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

The 19th-century belief that the U.S. was destined to expand westward.

Price settles where the quantity supplied equals the quantity demanded.

Limited resources versus unlimited wants — the core economic problem.

The price where supply and demand are equal.

The total value of goods and services a country produces (GDP).

A general rise in prices that lowers money's purchasing power.

A significant, widespread decline in economic activity.

The study of individual consumers, firms, and markets.

The study of the whole economy — GDP, inflation, unemployment.

The value of the next-best alternative given up when making a choice.

An economic system based on private ownership and market competition.

A required payment to government used to fund public services.

The key explaining a map's symbols, colors, and scale.

Shows the ratio of map distance to real-world distance.

Coordinates locating any point on Earth (north-south, east-west).

The movement of people from one place to another, often for resources or safety.

The growth of cities as people move from rural to urban areas.

The increasing connection of economies and cultures worldwide.

A firsthand account or original document from the time studied.

A later interpretation or analysis of primary sources.

A duty of citizens, such as voting, paying taxes, and obeying laws.

A 1215 English document limiting the king's power; an early rule-of-law model.

The first U.S. governing document; too weak, replaced by the Constitution.

The Constitution's introduction stating its purposes ('We the People…').

The legal requirement that the state respect a person's legal rights.

The right to vote.

Gave women the right to vote (1920).

An organized group that seeks to win elections and influence policy.

A directive from the President that manages the federal government.

The process of formally charging a government official with misconduct.

A government ruled by a king or queen.

A government in which one ruler holds absolute power.

A 1773 protest against British taxes, fueling the Revolution.

Lincoln's 1863 order freeing enslaved people in rebel states.

The severe 1930s economic downturn worldwide.

FDR's 1930s programs to fight the Great Depression.

A graph showing demand falls as price rises (downward sloping).

A graph showing supply rises as price rises (upward sloping).

Revenue minus costs; the goal of a business in a market economy.

A plan for income and spending over a period of time.

Borrowing money to be repaid, usually with interest.

A tax on imported goods.

An area defined by long-term temperature and precipitation patterns.

A material from nature used by people (water, oil, timber).

One of Earth's seven large landmasses.

A region using the same standard time, set by longitude.

A one-sided viewpoint that can distort a historical or news source.

Tensions, alliances, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

An economy where prices are set by supply and demand, not government.

A country’s GDP divided by its population; a rough living-standard measure.