English Language and Comprehension
English Language and Comprehension tests grammar, vocabulary, error spotting, sentence improvement, idioms and passage reading. Accuracy comes from identifying the tested rule, not from sounding fluent.
Core areas
- Subject-verb agreement: one of + plural noun takes a singular verb; each/every is singular; collective nouns take a singular verb when acting as one unit.
- Tenses: present perfect for a past action with present relevance; past perfect for the earlier of two past actions.
- Articles, prepositions, conjunctions, modifiers, parallelism, active/passive and direct/indirect speech.
- Vocabulary: synonym, antonym, one-word substitution and idiom meaning in context.
- Comprehension: main idea, inference, tone, reference and author's purpose.
Worked example
Sentence: 'One of the teachers are absent.' Reasoning: the subject is 'one', not 'teachers'; 'one' is singular, so the verb must be 'is'. Correct: 'One of the teachers is absent.'
Traps
Do not make the verb agree with the noun nearest it. Do not split infinitives unnecessarily, but do not treat every split as an error. In idioms, meaning is conventional: 'to bite the bullet' means to endure pain, not to eat metal. Watch misplaced modifiers and dangling participles.