English
Core concepts
Expect grammar (tenses, articles, prepositions, conditionals, passive voice), vocabulary in context, reading comprehension, and short writing tasks. You should form correct questions, use modals appropriately, and distinguish similar words (affect/effect, its/it's, their/there).
Common traps
- Present perfect vs. simple past: "I have lived here since 2010" vs. "I lived there in 2010".
- Third conditional: "If I had studied, I would have passed."
- Prepositions after verbs: depend on, listen to, arrive at/in.
- False friends from Portuguese, e.g. "pretend" is not "pretender".
- Subject–verb agreement with collective nouns and "each/every".
Worked example
Choose the correct form: "She ___ (work) here for five years." The action began in the past and continues, so use the present perfect: "She has worked here for five years."
Rule of thumb
For tense questions, ask: does the action connect to now? If yes, present perfect; if it is finished and dated, simple past.