English Language and Grammar: Precision Under Time Pressure
Core Concepts
Expect questions on parts of speech, tense and aspect, subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions, voice, narration, conditionals, and vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, idioms). Reading comprehension and sentence correction also appear.
Traps to Watch
Agreement questions often hide the subject behind a phrase: 'The list of items is long,' not 'are.' Watch for collective nouns and indefinite pronouns like 'each' and 'everyone,' which take singular verbs. In tense questions, look for time markers such as 'since,' 'for,' and 'by the time.' In narration, remember that 'this' becomes 'that' and 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day.' Preposition traps include 'married to,' 'composed of,' and 'capable of.' Conditionals: use 'were' for unreal present ('If I were you').
Worked Example
Correct: 'Neither the manager nor the clerks were informed.' Rule of proximity: with 'either/or' and 'neither/nor,' the verb agrees with the nearer subject, here 'clerks.'
Study Strategy
Maintain an error log of missed items by category. Read one editorial daily and note unfamiliar words with sentences of your own.