PAU Foreign Language II: English (Castilla-La Mancha) cheat sheet

Question types map to four skills: main idea (choose the option covering the whole text), specific detail (locate the exact line), inference (conclusion not stated but supported), and vocabulary in context (meaning from surrounding words).

Main-idea distractors are usually true details from one paragraph; the correct option must cover the entire passage, so test each candidate against paragraph one and the final paragraph.

Scan for proper nouns, numbers, dates, and capitalised terms first: detail questions almost always anchor on these unmovable markers rather than on paraphrased content.

Reference questions (what does 'it/this/they' refer to) resolve backwards to the nearest grammatically compatible noun phrase; check number and gender agreement before choosing.

Inference answers must be forced by the text: if an option is merely plausible in real life but not entailed by the passage, it is a distractor.

Signal words steer structure: 'however/although/nevertheless' introduce contrast, 'therefore/thus/consequently' introduce conclusion, 'for example/such as' introduce illustration, so the answer often sits after the contrast marker.

True/False/Not Given logic: False requires the text to contradict the statement; Not Given means the text is silent, so absence of evidence is never evidence of falsity.

Guessing unknown words: classify the word's grammatical slot (noun, verb, adjective) and its morphology (prefix, suffix, root) before using context; a negative prefix like 'un-/in-/mis-' reverses meaning.

Standard PAU composition length is roughly 120-150 words; going far below loses content marks, and going far above increases error density without extra credit.

Argumentative structure: introduction stating the thesis, two body paragraphs each with one claim plus supporting reason or example, and a conclusion restating the position without new arguments.

Cohesive devices to deploy: 'firstly, moreover, in addition' for addition; 'however, on the other hand, nevertheless' for contrast; 'consequently, as a result' for consequence; 'to sum up, in conclusion' for closure.

Opinion language must be marked as opinion: 'In my view, ...', 'It seems to me that ...', 'I would argue that ...' - unmarked assertions read as unsupported fact.

Register: keep formal written English, so avoid contractions (don't, can't), slang, and vague fillers ('a lot of', 'things', 'stuff'); prefer 'many', 'considerable', 'factors'.

Each paragraph should open with a topic sentence that names its single idea; a paragraph containing two unrelated ideas loses coherence marks.

Punctuation rules that carry marks: no comma splice between two finite clauses (use a full stop, semicolon, or conjunction), and no comma before a that-clause.

Concession strengthens argument: acknowledge the opposing view ('Admittedly, ...') then rebut it ('Even so, ...') to show balanced reasoning rather than one-sided assertion.

Word formation uses fixed suffix sets by word class: nouns -tion/-ment/-ness/-ity/-ance; adjectives -ous/-ive/-able/-ful/-less/-al; adverbs -ly; verbs -ise/-ize/-ify/-en.

Negative prefixes attach by root, not by rule: 'un-' (unfair, unable), 'in-/im-/il-/ir-' (incorrect, impossible, illegal, irregular), 'dis-' (disagree), 'mis-' (misunderstand), 'non-' (non-stop).

Common PAU transformations: 'succeed' (verb) → 'success' (noun) → 'successful' (adjective) → 'successfully' (adverb); 'decide' → 'decision' → 'decisive'; 'strong' → 'strength' → 'strengthen'.

Collocations are fixed partnerships: 'make a decision/a mistake/an effort', 'do homework/harm/a favour', 'take part/take place/take advantage of', 'pay attention', 'keep in touch'.

Dependent prepositions must be memorised with the word: 'depend on', 'interested in', 'afraid of', 'good at', 'responsible for', 'consist of', 'apologise for', 'succeed in'.

Phrasal verb meaning shifts with the particle: 'give up' (quit), 'give in' (surrender), 'give away' (reveal/donate), 'turn up' (arrive), 'turn down' (reject), 'put off' (postpone), 'put up with' (tolerate).

Context clues for meaning: definition ('a ... , that is, ...'), contrast ('unlike X, Y is ...'), and example ('such as') all narrow an unknown word's sense.

False friends to reject: 'actual' = real (not 'current'), 'assist' = help (not 'attend'), 'library' = biblioteca (not 'bookshop'), 'sensible' = reasonable (not 'sensitive'), 'eventually' = finally (not 'possibly').

Reported speech backshift: present → past, past simple/present perfect → past perfect, 'will' → 'would', 'can' → 'could'; pronouns and time markers shift ('now' → 'then', 'tomorrow' → 'the next day').

Passive transformation: move the object to subject position, use 'be' in the tense of the original verb plus past participle, and add 'by + agent' only when the agent is relevant.

Conditionals: zero (present + present), first (if + present, will + infinitive), second (if + past simple, would + infinitive), third (if + past perfect, would have + past participle); 'unless' replaces 'if not'.

Relative clauses: 'who' for people, 'which' for things, 'whose' for possession, 'where' for places; a non-defining clause takes commas and never uses 'that'.

Gerund after prepositions and after 'enjoy, mind, suggest, avoid, look forward to'; infinitive after 'want, decide, hope, manage, afford, refuse'.

Modal perfects: 'must have + participle' (strong past deduction), 'can't have + participle' (past impossibility), 'should have + participle' (unfulfilled obligation or regret), 'needn't have + participle' (unnecessary but done).

Inversion after negative adverbials: 'Never have I seen...', 'Not only did she...', 'Hardly had he arrived when...' - the auxiliary precedes the subject.

Causative 'have/get something done' expresses a service performed by another: 'I had my car repaired', not 'I repaired my car' when a mechanic did the work.