English Language and Business Communication
This section tests grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and the conventions of professional writing. Expect sentence correction, fill-in-the-blank with prepositions and articles, synonyms and antonyms, one-word substitutions, idioms, and short reading passages. In business communication, know the structure of a formal letter, the tone of a complaint or escalation, the use of the passive voice in official writing, and the difference between a memo, a circular and a notice.
Focus on subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, correct use of articles, and preposition pairs such as 'comply with', 'adhere to', 'consist of' and 'depend on'. Understand concise writing: prefer short, direct sentences in reports and avoid redundancy such as 'return back' or 'discuss about'.
Traps include distractors that sound formal but are grammatically wrong, and comprehension questions whose answer requires inference rather than a copied phrase. Read the question stem before the passage so you know what to look for.
Rule of thumb: when two options seem correct, choose the one that is shorter and grammatically simpler; official writing values clarity over ornament.
Worked example: 'The branch has complied ___ the circular.' The correct preposition is 'with', because the verb 'comply' takes 'with', unlike 'adhere', which takes 'to'.