ESIC UDC: English Language for ESIC UDC

English Language in ESIC UDC checks grammar, vocabulary and comprehension through reading comprehension, cloze tests, error detection, sentence rearrangement, fillers, synonyms and antonyms. Accuracy in grammar often decides the score because options differ by a single word.

Core rules to apply

• Subject-verb agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb. In "one of + plural noun", the verb agrees with "one": "One of the clerks has submitted the report."
• "The number of" takes a singular verb; "a number of" takes a plural verb.
• Use "since" with a point of time and "for" with a duration: since 2020, for five years.
• Use "fewer" with countable nouns and "less" with uncountable nouns.
• In rearrangement, find the opening sentence first, then follow pronoun and connector links.

Worked example

Choose the correct verb: "One of the officers ___ (have/has) verified the records." The subject is "one", which is singular, so the answer is "has". The phrase "of the officers" is a prepositional modifier and does not change the verb. This same logic applies to "each of", "either of" and "neither of".

Traps that cost marks

• Matching the verb to the nearest noun instead of the real subject.
• Using "since" for a duration, as in "since five years".
• Choosing a synonym that fits the dictionary but not the sentence context.
• Ignoring parallel structure in sentence correction, such as mixing "to read" with "writing".
• In reading comprehension, selecting an option that is true in general but not stated in the passage.