English Language and Comprehension
English Language and Comprehension tests grammar, vocabulary and reading. Typical items are error spotting, sentence improvement, fill-in-the-blanks, synonyms and antonyms, idioms, one-word substitution and comprehension passages.
Core rules
- Subject-verb agreement: the verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun in a prepositional phrase.
- 'One of + plural noun' takes a singular verb.
- Use 'since' with a point of time and 'for' with a duration.
- Use 'fewer' with countable nouns and 'less' with uncountable nouns.
- In comprehension, answer from the passage, not from outside knowledge.
Worked example
Sentence: 'One of the boys ___ absent.' Options: is, are, were, have. Reasoning: the subject is 'one', which is singular; 'of the boys' is a prepositional phrase. The verb must be singular. Answer: is. If the sentence were 'The boys ___ absent', the plural 'are' would be correct.
Traps
Do not assume a long phrase before the verb is the subject. Do not use a double negative. Do not confuse 'affect' (verb) with 'effect' (noun). In idioms, translate the whole expression, not each word. In comprehension, a statement may be true in general but unsupported by the passage, so reject it.
Reading method
For passages, read the questions first, then locate the relevant lines. For grammar, isolate the subject and verb before choosing. For vocabulary, use the sentence's contrast or cause-effect clue.