English Language
English Language checks reading comprehension plus control of grammar and usage. Typical items are a reading passage with inference and vocabulary questions, cloze test, error spotting, sentence improvement, para jumbles, fillers, synonyms and antonyms, and spelling.
Core rules
- Subject-verb agreement: one of the + plural noun takes a singular main verb. In One of the officers who have been posted here is on leave, who have agrees with officers, while is agrees with one.
- Parallelism: after not only use but also, and keep the same grammatical form on both sides.
- Tenses: use present perfect for an action that began in the past and continues; since takes a point of time, for takes a duration.
- Para jumbles: find the opening sentence, usually a general statement with no pronoun referring back, then link pronouns and connectors.
Worked example
One of the clerks who ___ (has/have) cleared the test ___ (is/are) waiting for joining. Here who refers to clerks (plural), so have. The main subject is One (singular), so is. Answer: have, is.
Traps
Being fooled by words placed between subject and verb; using affect (verb) for effect (noun); mismatching pronouns; and choosing a comprehension option that is grammatical but changes the passage's meaning.