General English
What is tested
The English section checks accuracy rather than literary flair: error spotting, sentence improvement, fill in the blanks, synonyms and antonyms, idioms, one-word substitution, sentence rearrangement (parajumbles), and a short reading comprehension passage.
Core rules
- Subject–verb agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb; phrases between subject and verb do not change it. One of the clerks is absent.
- Articles: 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds ('an hour', 'a university'); 'the' for unique or already-specified nouns.
- Tenses: present perfect with 'since/for' for continuing situations; past perfect for the earlier of two past actions.
- Prepositions: fixed pairs (depends on, capable of, prefer to, married to) are favourite question material.
- Voice and narration: passives keep the tense of the auxiliary; reported speech shifts tense and pronouns.
Worked example
Neither of the two assistants ___ willing to work overtime. (has/have) - 'Neither' is singular, and 'of the two assistants' is only a prepositional phrase; the verb agrees with 'neither'. Answer: has. The same logic applies to 'each of', 'every one of' and 'either of'.
Traps
- Collective nouns take a singular verb when acting as one unit ('The committee has decided').
- 'The number of' is singular; 'a number of' is plural.
- Confused pairs: affect/effect, principal/principle, complement/compliment.
- In parajumbles, find the opening sentence (one with no pronouns or connectors) before ordering the rest.