English: Grammar, Usage and Comprehension
What to master
Expect items on tense and aspect, subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions, voice, narration (direct to indirect), conditionals, and modifier placement. Vocabulary appears as synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution, and idiom meaning. Comprehension passages reward locating the sentence that answers the question rather than relying on general knowledge.
Traps that catch candidates
- Subject-verb agreement with interrupting phrases: in “The list of items ___ long”, the verb agrees with list, not items.
- Uncountable nouns: information, advice, furniture, equipment take singular verbs and no plural -s.
- Tense sequencing in reported speech: backshift the tense unless the statement is a universal truth.
- Dangling modifiers: an opening participle must describe the subject of the main clause.
- Prepositions fixed by idiom (depend on, comprise with no of, prefer to), which cannot be reasoned out.
Rule of thumb
For error-spotting, test each underlined part against one grammar rule at a time. For comprehension, read the question first, then scan for the keyword; the correct option usually paraphrases the passage rather than repeating it.
Worked example
“Each of the students (A) have submitted (B) the assignment (C) on time (D).” Part B is wrong: the subject is Each, which is singular, so the verb must be has submitted. Note that of the students is a prepositional phrase and does not control agreement.