Grammar and Language Use
What the section tests
This section checks whether you can control verb forms, sentence structure, agreement, articles, prepositions, and connectors. Questions are usually gap-fill, error identification, or sentence transformation.
Concepts to master
- Tenses and aspect: present simple vs. present continuous; past simple vs. present perfect (I have lived here since 2010); future forms.
- Conditionals: first (If it rains, we will stay), second (If I had money, I would travel), third (If I had known, I would have come).
- Passive voice: The letter was written by Ana - object becomes subject; use be + past participle.
- Reported speech: backshift tenses ("I am tired" → She said she was tired).
- Subject–verb agreement: The news is good; Each of the students has a book.
- Relative clauses: who for people, which for things, whose for possession.
- Connectors: contrast (although, however), cause (because, since), result (so, therefore).
Traps to watch for
- Time markers that force a tense: since, for, ago, yesterday, already, yet.
- Although/despite: although + clause, despite + noun/gerund.
- Double negatives and missing auxiliaries in questions.
- Irregular past forms (wrote, went, took) and past participles (written, gone, taken).
Rule of thumb
Find the time signal first, then choose the tense; then check agreement between subject and verb.
Worked example: "She ______ (live) in Luanda since 2015." The signal since + a past starting point requires present perfect: has lived.