English Language
English Language assesses grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and usage through error spotting, sentence improvement, fill-in-the-blanks, synonyms and antonyms, idioms, spelling, and reading comprehension. The goal is standard written English, so choose the option that is grammatically complete and idiomatically natural.
Core rules
- Subject–verb agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb; one of plus a plural noun takes a singular verb.
- Tenses: use present perfect for past actions with present relevance; use simple past with a definite past time.
- Prepositions: learn fixed collocations such as comply with, depends on, and prefer to.
- Articles: use a before consonant sounds, an before vowel sounds, and the for specified or unique things.
- Comprehension: answer from the passage, not from outside knowledge.
Worked example
Question: One of the boys ___ absent today. Choose is or are. Reasoning: The subject is One, which is singular. The phrase of the boys is a prepositional phrase and does not change the verb. Therefore the singular verb is is correct: One of the boys is absent today.
Traps
- Matching the verb to the nearest noun rather than the true subject.
- Confusing since, a point of time, with for, a duration.
- Using effect as the verb and affect as the noun; usually affect is the verb.
- Using double comparatives such as more better.
- In comprehension, selecting an option that is true in general but not stated in the passage.