Use of English (Grammar and Vocabulary)
Use of English is the grammar and vocabulary domain. It tests control of English at CEFR B1 or B2 in context: tense and aspect, conditionals, modals, passive voice, reported speech, prepositions, collocations, phrasal verbs, word formation and linking. The exam catalogue lists language in use as a separate objective domain. Typical formats are multiple-choice cloze, open cloze, word formation and key-word transformation. The focus is on meaning in a sentence or short text, not isolated rules.
Core rules
- Read the whole sentence or mini-text before choosing. A time expression, a contrast or a result clause often decides the answer.
- For multiple-choice cloze, test each option in the gap and check grammar and meaning. Two options may be grammatical but only one fits the context.
- For open cloze, identify the missing grammar word: article, preposition, auxiliary, relative pronoun or conjunction.
- For word formation, decide the part of speech first, then the form: negative prefix, plural, comparative or noun ending.
- For key-word transformation, keep the original meaning, use the given word unchanged, and write the complete new sentence. Do not add or remove information.
Worked example
Sentence: 'By the time the manager arrived, the team ___ the report.' A finished B has finished C had finished D was finishing Reasoning: 'By the time + past simple' sets a reference point in the past. The team completed the report before that point, so the earlier action needs the past perfect: 'had finished'. A would suggest the actions happened together. B is present perfect and cannot follow a past reference point. D suggests the team was still finishing when the manager arrived, which changes the meaning.
Traps that cost marks
The biggest trap is choosing by sound rather than by grammar. 'Has finished' can feel natural in isolation but is wrong after 'by the time ... arrived'. In word formation, candidates often give the right base word but the wrong form, for example a noun where an adjective is needed, or forget a negative prefix. In transformations, changing the given word, adding a new idea, or writing two separate sentences loses the mark. Check spelling, contractions and word order at the end.