English: Grammar, Vocabulary and Comprehension
Core concepts
The English section tests tense and subject–verb agreement, articles and prepositions, voice and narration, sentence transformation, synonyms and antonyms, and short passage comprehension. Vocational candidates should master the present perfect versus past simple distinction, countable versus uncountable nouns, and the correct use of articles before vowels and silent letters.
Common traps
- Subject–verb agreement: words like each, every, neither take a singular verb, while both and few take plural. Collective nouns such as team take a singular verb when acting as one unit.
- Prepositions of time: in for months and years, on for days and dates, at for exact clock times.
- Voice change: the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive, and the main verb becomes past participle after the correct form of be.
- Confusing pairs: affect/effect, advice/advise, lose/loose appear frequently in vocabulary questions.
Rule of thumb
When a sentence has two verbs, check whether a conjunction or relative pronoun joins them; if not, one verb form is wrong. For passive voice, ask: does the doer still matter? If yes, keep by + agent.
Worked example
Change to passive: The mechanic repairs the engine. Object = the engine; tense = present simple; so: The engine is repaired by the mechanic. Keep the past participle repaired and match is to the singular subject.