English Language and Comprehension
English Language and Comprehension tests grammar, vocabulary, sentence correction, idioms, and reading comprehension. The exam favors standard written English, not conversational usage.
Core rules
- Subject-verb agreement: each, every, either, neither, and everyone take singular verbs.
- Prepositions: “good at”, “capable of”, “married to”, “comprise” takes no “of”.
- Tenses: use present perfect for past actions with present relevance; past perfect for the earlier of two past actions.
- Modifiers should sit next to the word they modify.
- Comprehension answers must be supported by the passage, not by outside facts.
Worked example
Question: “Each of the boys ___ present.” Reasoning: “Each” is singular, so the verb must be singular. “Boys” is plural but is the object of “of”, not the subject. Answer: was.
Traps
- Being misled by the noun nearest the verb.
- Confusing “its” and “it’s”.
- Using “comprise of” instead of “comprise”.
- Choosing an idiom’s literal meaning.
- Answering comprehension questions from memory rather than the passage.