English Language
What the section tests
Entry-level English items check grammar accuracy, vocabulary in context, reading comprehension, and sentence construction. Core concepts: subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, pronoun reference, articles and prepositions, comparatives and superlatives, punctuation (commas, apostrophes, semicolons), and paraphrasing from a short passage.
Traps to watch
- Interrupting phrases. A phrase between subject and verb does not change agreement: "The list of names is long." Questions hide a plural noun next to a singular subject.
- Collective and quantity nouns. "The team is", "each of the students has", "neither of them is".
- Apostrophes. It's = it is; its = possessive. Students' (plural possessive) versus student's (singular).
- Tense drift. A passage set in the past stays in the past unless a time marker signals otherwise.
- Reading questions. Wrong options often quote the passage but answer a different question, or overstate it with words like always and never.
Rule of thumb
For agreement, find the true subject, delete everything between it and the verb, then read the sentence aloud. For comprehension, read the question stem first, then locate the single sentence that answers it, and reject options that go beyond that sentence.
Worked example
"Each of the applicants (submit / submits) a form." The subject is Each, which is singular; of the applicants is only a modifier. Answer: submits.
Vocabulary in context
Use surrounding clues rather than memorised meanings: contrast words (although, unlike) signal an opposite meaning; cause words (therefore, because) signal a consequence.