Cantabria PAU Foreign Language II - English cheat sheet

Global questions (main idea, author's purpose, best title) are answered from the whole text; detailed questions are answered from one or two sentences that can be located and cited.

A correct option paraphrases the text; an option that repeats the text's exact words but distorts the meaning is a typical distractor.

Absolute quantifiers in options (always, never, all, only, completely) usually conflict with the hedged language of the source text.

Order of questions normally follows the order of information in the text, so locate each answer before reading the next question.

For inference items, the answer must be logically forced by the text; a plausible real-world fact not stated or implied is not the answer.

For vocabulary-in-context items, substitute each option into the original sentence and keep the one that preserves both meaning and grammar.

Reference items (it, this, they, such) resolve to the nearest preceding noun phrase that agrees in number and makes sense in the sentence.

True/False items with justification require quoting or closely paraphrasing the exact lines that prove the answer; an unsupported justification scores zero.

Tone and attitude are signalled by evaluative adjectives, adverbs and modals (surprisingly, unfortunately, allegedly, should), not by topic alone.

Word formation: decide the slot's part of speech first (after a determiner → noun; before a noun → adjective; after a modal → base verb), then apply the affix.

Common negative prefixes: un- (unfair), in-/im-/il-/ir- (incapable, impossible, illegal, irregular), dis- (dishonest), non- (non-stop), mis- (misunderstand), over-/under- (overestimate).

Noun suffixes to test: -tion/-sion, -ment, -ness, -ity, -ance/-ence, -ship, -hood; adjective suffixes: -ous, -ive, -able/-ible, -ful, -less, -al, -ic.

Verb tense choice is fixed by time markers: for + period and since + point take present perfect; by the time + past takes past perfect; while + past takes past continuous.

Conditionals: zero (present/present), first (present/will), second (past/will + infinitive), third (had + participle/would have + participle); mixed conditionals combine past condition with present result.

Reported speech shifts tense one step back and adjusts time and place words (now → then, today → that day, here → there, tomorrow → the following day).

Passive transformation keeps the original tense: they built → it was built; they are building → it is being built; they will build → it will be built.

Relative clauses: use that after superlatives and after all/everything/nothing; omit the relative pronoun only when it is the object; never omit it as subject.

Preposition collocations must be memorised as chunks: depend on, interested in, good at, afraid of, responsible for, insist on, succeed in, look forward to + -ing.

A 120–150-word task is normally organised in 3–4 paragraphs: introduction stating the topic, 1–2 body paragraphs with one idea each, conclusion or opinion.

Each body paragraph follows point → explanation → example, so every claim is supported within two or three sentences.

Register must be consistent: a letter to a friend uses contractions and informal linkers (anyway, by the way); an opinion essay avoids contractions and slang.

Formal letters open with Dear Sir/Madam and close with Yours faithfully when the name is unknown; Dear Mr Smith closes with Yours sincerely.

An email or letter of application states the reason for writing in the first line and ends with a clear request or closing remark.

Cohesive devices to deploy: addition (furthermore, in addition), contrast (however, whereas, on the other hand), cause (because of, due to), result (therefore, as a result), example (for instance).

An opinion essay must signal stance explicitly (In my view, I strongly believe) and answer the exact prompt, not a related topic.

Word count is part of the task: staying under the minimum or well over the maximum loses marks, so count and trim rather than pad.

A narrative uses past tenses consistently (past simple for events, past continuous for background) and time linkers (at first, afterwards, in the end).

Subject–verb agreement traps: everyone/everybody/each takes a singular verb; news, physics and the police take singular or plural fixed forms (news is, police are).

Countability errors are the most frequent slips: information, advice, furniture, luggage, homework and research are uncountable and take no plural -s and no a/an.

Articles: a/an for first mention and professions; the for unique referents, superlatives and previously mentioned nouns; zero article for general plurals and abstract nouns.

Spelling rules to check: -y → -ies (study/studies), double consonant before -ing/-ed after a stressed short vowel (begin/beginning), -e drop before -ing (write/writing).

Punctuation: no comma splice between two independent clauses - use a full stop, semicolon or conjunction; English uses no comma before that-clauses.

Range is rewarded: include at least one conditional, one passive, one relative clause and one modal perfect (should have, must have) if the topic allows.

Avoid repeating the same linker or the same subject opener; vary with adverbials (Nowadays, In recent years, For many people).

Common Spanish-speaker interference to self-correct: I am agree → I agree; people is → people are; depend of → depend on; actually meaning 'currently' → currently/at present.

Read the finished text once only for grammar: check third-person -s, plural -s, past-tense endings and preposition after each verb.