English: Grammar, Vocabulary and Writing
Core concepts
Build the paper around four pillars: tense and aspect, agreement, clause structure, and vocabulary in context. Know how present perfect differs from past simple, when to use passive voice, and how articles, prepositions and modals behave in fixed patterns. For transformation questions, practise changing voice, narration, degree and simple-complex-compound sentences. For comprehension, practise locating the main idea, inference and tone. For writing, learn the formats of a formal letter, a paragraph and a short composition, and keep a bank of linking words.
Traps to expect
- Subject-verb agreement with collective nouns, “each”, “everyone” and phrases between subject and verb.
- Reported speech: backshifting tenses and changing time and place words correctly.
- Choosing a word that fits grammatically but not in meaning; always check collocation.
- Writing a letter without the conventional salutation and closing.
Rule of thumb
When two options seem correct, choose the one that is both grammatically complete and natural in context. For transformations, keep the original meaning unchanged; if the meaning shifts, the answer is wrong.
Worked example
Change “He said, ‘I am busy now’” into indirect speech. Backshift the present tense to past, change “now” to “then”, and give: “He said that he was busy then.”