English: Grammar, Vocabulary and Aviation Phraseology Awareness
The English section tests standard written English through grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, sentence improvement, para jumbles and error spotting, with the added expectation that you recognise ICAO phraseology as a separate, restricted code.
Grammar points that recur
- Subject-verb agreement: phrases such as along with, as well as and together with do not make a singular subject plural. The pilot, along with the co-pilot, was cleared.
- One of the plus a plural noun takes a singular verb: One of the runways is closed.
- Articles: a before consonant sounds, an before vowel sounds, the for a specified or unique item, as in the ILS runway.
- Prepositions in operational English: on final, at the holding point, in the circuit.
- Reported speech shifts both tense and pronouns.
Vocabulary and comprehension
Learn synonyms and antonyms in context, plus the operational difference between roger (received), wilco (will comply), affirm (yes) and standby (wait). Comprehension answers must be supported by the passage, not by outside knowledge.
Worked example
Error spotting: The pilot, along with the co-pilot, were cleared for the approach. The true subject is the pilot, which is singular; along with the co-pilot is parenthetical and does not compound the subject. The verb must be was. The corrected sentence reads: The pilot, along with the co-pilot, was cleared for the approach.
Traps
Choosing an option that is grammatical but changes the meaning; reading roger as agreement; assuming the longest option fits a para jumble, when link words such as however, therefore and this actually signal the order; applying general English to a phraseology question.