English Proficiency: Reading, Grammar, and Sentence Logic
What English Proficiency tests
The Verbal Ability section measures reading comprehension, grammar and usage, vocabulary in context, para jumbles, para summary, and sentence completion. Passages are short but dense, and grammar items test standard written English rather than obscure rules.
Core rules
- In reading comprehension, separate what is stated from what is inferred; the answer must be supported by the passage, not by your own opinion.
- Find the main idea by locating the sentence the author is arguing toward, usually near the start or the end.
- For para jumbles, find the opener first - a general statement with no pronouns or linking connectors - then link by pronoun reference, chronology, and contrast markers such as however and therefore.
- Subject–verb agreement: the verb agrees with the head noun, not with the nearest noun.
Worked example
Choose the correct verb: 'One of the reasons for the delay ___ inadequate staffing.'
The subject is 'One', not 'reasons'. The phrase 'of the reasons for the delay' is a prepositional phrase modifying 'One'. A singular subject takes 'is', so the answer is 'is'. Quick check: remove the phrase and read 'One ___ inadequate staffing'.
Traps
Being fooled by the noun nearest the verb. Choosing a vocabulary option that is merely plausible rather than precise in context. In para jumbles, starting with a sentence beginning 'This is why…' because it reads smoothly. Over-answering inference questions with outside knowledge. In para summary, picking a true statement that is only a detail rather than the whole paragraph's point.