English: Grammar, Vocabulary and Comprehension
The English section tests grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, sentence correction and idiomatic usage. Questions are short but punishing: a single wrong preposition or verb form loses the mark.
Core rules and concepts
- Subject–verb agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb. In "one of the + plural noun", the main verb is singular, but a relative clause after the plural noun takes a plural verb.
- Tenses: keep the sequence consistent; use present perfect for an action continuing to now, past perfect for the earlier of two past actions.
- Prepositions: fixed collocations - "comprise" takes no "of", "discuss" takes no "about", "married to", "superior to".
- Vocabulary: learn roots and prefixes; distinguish similar pairs such as affect/effect and principal/principle.
- Comprehension: read the questions first, then locate the relevant sentence; answers must follow the passage, not outside knowledge.
Worked example
"One of the nurses who ____ (work) in the ICU ____ (have) resigned." The relative clause "who ___" refers to "nurses", plural, so it takes "work". The main verb belongs to "One", singular, so it takes "has". Correct sentence: "One of the nurses who work in the ICU has resigned." The reasoning is to identify what each verb agrees with before choosing the form.
Traps that cost marks
- Using "less" with countable nouns instead of "fewer".
- Dangling modifiers: "Walking into the ward, the patient was examined" implies the patient was walking.
- Double negatives such as "didn't do nothing".
- "Since" with a point in time, "for" with a duration.
- Spelling traps in words like "accommodation" and "occurrence".