General English
What this domain tests
General English tests grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension at the level expected of a graduate entrant. Typical items are error spotting, fill in the blanks, synonyms and antonyms, idioms, one-word substitution, and a reading passage.
Grammar
- Subject–verb agreement: one of + plural noun takes a singular verb; each, every, either, and neither are singular; with neither...nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- Tenses: since takes a point of time, for takes duration; use the present perfect for a past action with present relevance.
- Articles: a or an is chosen by sound (an hour, a university); the is used for unique things and superlatives.
- Prepositions and fixed pairs: depend on, married to, prefer to, good at.
- Voice and narration: keep tense and pronoun shifts consistent.
Vocabulary
Learn words in families and note the part of speech. Idioms are tested as fixed expressions, not word by word.
Worked example
One of the boys ___ broken the window. The subject is one, not boys, so the verb is singular: has. Cross out the prepositional phrase to see the true subject, then match the verb to it.
Traps
affect and effect; its and it's; since and for; between for two and among for more than two; less for uncountable and fewer for countable nouns; double negatives; spelling variants. In comprehension, answer from the passage, not from general knowledge, and beware of options that are true but not stated.