English Language
English is a functional-grammar paper: tenses, subject–verb agreement, articles, prepositions, active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech, synonyms and antonyms, idioms, one-word substitutions, spelling, error spotting and a short reading comprehension.
Core rules
- Agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb. Each, either, neither and everyone are singular - neither of the two constables was present.
- One of + plural noun + singular verb: one of the officers is on duty.
- Since versus for: since marks a point of time (since 2019); for marks duration (for three years).
- Tense sequencing: after when, after and before in past narration, the earlier action takes past perfect.
- Articles by sound, not spelling: an hour, a university.
Worked example
Spot the error: Neither of the two constables were present at the checkpost. Reasoning: neither of makes the subject singular, so the verb must be was. Correct sentence: Neither of the two constables was present at the checkpost.
Traps
- Collective nouns: police and staff take a plural verb in Indian usage, while team may take either.
- affect (verb) versus effect (noun); advice versus advise.
- Idioms: to let the cat out of the bag means to reveal a secret, not to escape.
- Answering comprehension items from memory of the passage rather than the printed line.