English language proficiency
English language proficiency checks control of standard written English: grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, cohesion, and register. Expect sentence correction or error identification, gap-fill with connectors or prepositions, and short usage items; the aim is clear academic English, not literary style.
Core rules and concepts
- Subject–verb agreement: locate the true subject, ignoring parenthetical phrases. “Each”, “every”, “either”, and “neither” are singular; with “neither … nor”, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- Tense: use past perfect for an action completed before another past action; keep conditionals consistent (“If I had known, I would have …”).
- Modifiers must attach to the intended noun. A participial phrase at the start of a sentence normally modifies the subject.
- Parallelism: items in a list or comparison must share grammatical form (“to plan, to fund, and to evaluate”).
- Connectors carry logic: “although” concedes, “therefore” concludes, “whereas” contrasts, “unless” sets an exception. Check pronoun reference and comparatives (fewer count nouns, less mass nouns).
Worked example
Original: “Having reviewed the proposal, the committee’s decision was to postpone the launch.” The opening modifier “Having reviewed” should describe the committee, not the decision. Correct: “Having reviewed the proposal, the committee decided to postpone the launch.” A second check: “Neither the manager nor the analysts was aware” is wrong because the verb agrees with the nearer plural subject: “were aware”.
Traps that cost marks
Beware comma splices, dangling modifiers, ambiguous pronouns, shifted tense, and “of” phrases that hide the subject. Do not choose a longer sentence merely because it sounds formal.
Key points
- Find the true subject before checking agreement.
- Attach every modifier to the noun it describes.
- Keep lists and comparisons grammatically parallel.
- Let connectors signal contrast, cause, or concession.
- Use “fewer” for count nouns and “less” for mass nouns.