English Language
Core concepts
Focus on grammar (tenses, subject–verb agreement, articles, prepositions), vocabulary in context, reading comprehension (main idea, inference, reference), and formal written English. Candidates should handle conditionals, passive voice, and reported speech.
Traps
Common traps include false friends (e.g., actually = in fact, not atualmente), preposition collocations (depend on, interested in), and tense consistency in reported speech. Reading distractors restate words from the passage but distort meaning.
Worked example / rule of thumb
Rule: in reported speech, shift tense back one step - "I am tired" → "He said he was tired." For conditionals: If + present, will (real future); If + past, would (unreal present).
Strategy
For comprehension, find the sentence supporting each option; if none supports it, eliminate. Check agreement and preposition collocations before choosing.