General English: Grammar and Usage Accuracy
General English tests grammar, vocabulary and comprehension at a practical level: error spotting, sentence improvement, fill in the blanks, synonyms and antonyms, idioms, active-passive, direct-indirect speech and reading comprehension.
Rules that decide marks
- Subject-verb agreement: “one of + plural noun” takes a singular verb; each, every, either and neither are singular; collective nouns are usually singular when acting as a unit.
- Tenses: use the present perfect for past actions with present relevance; the past perfect for the earlier of two past actions; conditionals follow if + present, will; if + past, would.
- Prepositions: learn fixed collocations - comprise (not “comprise of”), prefer to, superior to, married to.
- Articles: use a before consonant sounds and an before vowel sounds; use the for unique things.
- Voice and narration: keep tense and pronoun shifts consistent; in reported speech, adjust the reporting verb and time markers.
Worked example
Spot the error: “One of my friends are coming today.” The subject is “one”, not “friends”, so the verb must be singular: “One of my friends is coming today.” The reasoning is that the prepositional phrase “of my friends” does not change the headword.
Traps that cost marks
Being misled by the noun nearest the verb; writing “comprise of”; confusing affect/effect and principal/principle; and changing tense in reported speech without need.