La Rioja PAU English (UR) cheat sheet

Typical format: one or two authentic English texts (often 300–450 words) followed by true/false with justification, short-answer questions, vocabulary-in-context, and a reference/pronoun question.

True/false justification rule: the mark depends on the quoted evidence, so copy a short verbatim fragment from the text and cite the line; a correct T/F letter alone scores zero for that item.

Reference questions ask what a pronoun or phrase points back to; answer with the exact noun phrase from the text, not a paraphrase, and keep number/gender agreement.

Vocabulary-in-context items require a synonym that fits the sentence; a dictionary sense that does not fit the passage is marked wrong, so substitute your candidate into the original sentence to test it.

Question order usually follows text order; locate the paragraph via a keyword from the stem, then read the sentence before and after it, since PAU answers often sit one line away from the keyword.

Distractors typically recycle exact words from the text in a wrong relation (reversed cause/effect, wrong subject, changed quantifier such as all/some/never); matching vocabulary alone is not evidence of the correct option.

If an item asks for your opinion or a personal reaction, answer in complete English sentences with a reason, since content and expression are both credited.

Time allocation rule: skim headings and first sentences, answer evidence-based items first, and leave 5 minutes to transfer answers and check that each justification quotes real text.

Standard task: an opinion/argumentative or narrative composition of about 120–150 words on a prompt linked to the reading topic; length is part of the rubric, so count words and stay within roughly ±10%.

Assessment criteria are typically content/task achievement, organisation (paragraphing, connectors), grammar range and accuracy, and vocabulary range and accuracy; a short but error-free text beats a long error-ridden one.

Structure rule: introduction stating position (1–2 sentences), 2 body paragraphs each with one idea plus support or example, conclusion restating the position without new arguments.

Connector set to deploy: however, although, in addition, furthermore, on the other hand, therefore, as a result, for instance, in conclusion; avoid the same connector twice.

Register rule: no contractions (do not, cannot, it is), no SMS forms, no idioms you cannot spell; keep one tense frame per paragraph and check subject–verb agreement and third-person -s.

Argumentative prompts need a clear thesis plus one counter-argument acknowledged and rebutted; a list of opinions with no development loses coherence marks.

Personal-experience narratives use past simple as the backbone, past continuous for background, and past perfect for earlier events; sequencing markers (at first, then, afterwards, in the end) carry the narrative.

Accuracy checklist before finishing: articles (a/an/the), plurals, prepositions after common verbs, capitalisation of I and proper nouns, and correct spelling of high-frequency words (because, which, really, although).

Common task types: gap-fill with one word, word formation from a root in brackets, rephrasing/transformation keeping the meaning, and multiple-choice grammar items.

Word-formation rule: decide the slot's part of speech first (after an article or adjective → noun; after be/seem → adjective; before a noun → adjective), then apply the correct prefix or suffix and check spelling changes (happy → happiness, succeed → success).

Conditionals: zero = present + present (general truth); first = present + will; second = past simple + would + infinitive; third = past perfect + would have + past participle; mixed = past perfect + would + infinitive.

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

Passive rule: object of the active becomes subject; use be + past participle in the tense of the original, and keep the agent with by only when it adds information.

Relative clauses: who for people, which for things, where for places, whose for possession; do not repeat the object pronoun (the book which I bought, not which I bought it).

Verb + preposition and gerund/infinitive patterns recur: look forward to + -ing, be used to + -ing, used to + infinitive, avoid/suggest/enjoy + -ing, decide/hope/refuse + to-infinitive.

Transformation tasks usually hinge on one fixed structure (so ... that, such ... that, too ... to, not ... enough to, it is said that, I wish + past simple); identify the target structure from the given prompt words before writing.

Typical format: a short recording (monologue, interview, or announcement) played twice, with multiple-choice, true/false, or short-answer items and sometimes a note-completion grid.

Use the first listening for global meaning and the task questions, the second for the specific items; do not stop writing to decode a single unknown word, since the answer usually follows within a few seconds.

Distractor pattern: the recording mentions several options, but only one matches the speaker's final position; words such as but, although, actually, and in fact signal the correction that carries the answer.

Numbers, times, dates, and prices are usually stated twice or corrected once (e.g., 'at three, sorry, half past three'); write the corrected value.

Note-completion items must respect the word limit stated in the instructions (often one or two words); articles and extra words can invalidate the answer.

Predict answer type from the item before listening: a place, a person's role, a reason, or a number; knowing the category helps you filter the stream.

Spelling counts: names and places are often spelled out letter by letter in the recording, so copy the spelling given rather than the phonetic guess.