Ehime Entrance English cheat sheet

Main-idea questions ask what the passage as a whole is about; a correct answer must cover the whole passage, while a detail that appears only in one paragraph is a distractor.

Paragraph-function questions (why does the author mention X?) are answered by the role the sentence plays: example, contrast, concession, cause, or conclusion.

Pronoun and reference questions: find the nearest preceding noun phrase that agrees in number and makes sense in context; "it/this/that" often points to a whole preceding clause, not a single noun.

Vocabulary-in-context questions are solved by substituting each option back into the sentence and checking whether the surrounding logic still holds.

Signal words decide structure: however / on the other hand / in contrast mark a reversal; therefore / thus / as a result mark a conclusion; for example / such as mark support for the previous claim.

For inference questions, the answer must be logically forced by the text; an option that is merely plausible in the real world but not stated is wrong.

Tone and attitude questions: judge from evaluative adjectives and adverbs (surprisingly, unfortunately, remarkably), not from the topic alone.

When two options seem right, the wrong one typically overstates (all, never, completely), reverses the causal direction, or mixes up two different people or studies.

Japanese word order puts the verb last: translate S+V+O into S+O+V, and move English postmodifiers (relative clauses, prepositional phrases) in front of the noun they modify.

English articles a/an/the usually disappear in Japanese; do not force 「ある」「その」 into every noun phrase.

Relative clauses become noun-modifying clauses with no relative pronoun: "the book that I bought" → 「私が買った本」.

Passive voice: English passives with an agent become 「〜によって…される」; impersonal passives (It is said that…) become 「〜と言われている」.

Paraphrase questions require a sentence with the same meaning but a different structure: swap a clause for a phrase (because → due to), a verb for a verb+noun (decide → make a decision), or change active/passive.

Keep technical terms and proper nouns in katakana or the original form; do not translate names of institutions or species into invented Japanese words.

Tense and aspect must survive translation: present perfect 「〜してきた／〜したところだ」, past perfect 「〜していた」, and future progressive need explicit Japanese time markers.

Check translation by back-translating: if the Japanese re-translated into English loses a negation, a modal (may/must), or a comparison, the translation is faulty.

Japanese subjects are often omitted; supply he/she/they/it from context, and use "you" only when the Japanese clearly addresses the reader.

「〜される」「〜てもらう」 can be rendered as a passive or as "have something done"; choose the passive when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

「〜するつもりだ」→ be going to / intend to; 「〜することになっている」→ be supposed to; 「〜しかない」→ have no choice but to; these fixed mappings prevent literal translation errors.

Sentence rewriting (書き換え) targets: too…to ↔ so…that…not; enough to ↔ so…that…can; because ↔ so; although ↔ but; "I was given it" ↔ "It was given to me".

When two sentences are combined with a relative pronoun, decide whether the clause is restrictive (no comma) or non-restrictive (comma + which/who).

Do not add articles to abstract nouns used generally ("Life is short", not "The life is short"), but do add them for countable singulars.

Subject-verb agreement and tense must be fixed after rewriting: check that the new subject (e.g., "the number of students") takes the correct singular or plural verb.

Word order for English adverbs: frequency adverbs go before the main verb but after be ("He is always late", "He always arrives late").

A standard 3-part structure: introduction stating the position, 2 body paragraphs each with one reason plus one supporting example, and a conclusion restating the position without new arguments.

Answer the exact prompt: if it asks for an opinion, give one and defend it; if it asks to describe both sides, do not merely list one side.

Use explicit linking devices (First, In addition, However, As a result, For these reasons) at paragraph and sentence boundaries to make the logic visible to the grader.

Keep sentence length moderate: a 15–25 word sentence with one main clause and at most one subordinate clause reduces grammatical error.

Avoid absolute claims (everyone, never, always) unless the prompt demands them; hedge with tend to, in many cases, is likely to.

Paraphrase the prompt's key words in the introduction instead of copying them verbatim.

Reserve 2–3 minutes to check the five high-frequency errors: third-person -s, past tense endings, articles, plural -s, and preposition choice.

Word-count requirements are hard limits: count before submitting and expand with a concrete example rather than with repeated general statements.

Collocation decides the answer: make a decision, do homework, take part in, pay attention to, have an effect on; a synonym with the wrong collocation is wrong.

Distinguish look-alike pairs: affect (verb) / effect (noun); rise (intransitive) / raise (transitive); lie-lay-lain (recline) / lay-laid-laid (put down).

Phrasal verbs change meaning with the particle: give up (quit), give in (surrender), give out (distribute / run out), give away (donate / reveal).

Prepositional idioms are fixed: be responsible for, be aware of, be interested in, depend on, be similar to, be different from.

Context clues: a definition may follow in apposition (a comma or dash), an example may follow "such as", and a contrast may follow "but" or "unlike".

Word-form questions: decide the part of speech needed from the slot (after an article → noun; after be → adjective or participle; before a main verb → adverb).

Connotation matters: thin/slim/skinny and cheap/inexpensive/affordable differ in evaluative tone, so match the sentence's attitude.

Countable vs uncountable: information, advice, furniture, luggage, news take no plural -s and use much/little, not many/few.

Subject-verb agreement traps: "The number of X is" vs "A number of X are"; "each/every/either + singular noun" takes a singular verb; "news, mathematics" are singular.

Tense sequence: a past main clause normally takes a past or past-perfect subordinate clause; use past perfect for the earlier of two past events.

Conditionals: If + present, will; If + past, would; If + had + past participle, would have + past participle. Mixed conditionals combine a past condition with a present result.

Relative pronouns: who for people, which for things, whose for possession, that in restrictive clauses only, and omission only when the pronoun is the object.

Participles: use the -ing form for an active or ongoing meaning and the -ed form for a passive or completed meaning ("the exciting news" vs "the excited students").

Comparisons: as…as for equality, the comparative + than, the superlative with the, and never double comparatives ("more better" is wrong).

Error-correction procedure: read the sentence for meaning first, then check verb tense/agreement, articles, prepositions, word form, and pronoun reference in that order.

Infinitive vs gerund: remember/love/start accept both with a meaning shift; enjoy, finish, avoid, look forward to take the gerund; decide, hope, plan take the infinitive.

Preview the question stems and options before the audio starts; the options tell you which details (numbers, places, reasons) to listen for.

Numbers and times are frequent distractors: the first number spoken is often corrected later ("at three - no, make it three thirty").

Listen for discourse markers that announce the answer: "The thing is…", "Actually…", "What I mean is…", "The reason is…".

In dialogue questions, the answer is usually in the second speaker's reply, not the first speaker's question.

Distinguish similar sounds in context: thirteen/thirty, can/can't (can't is stressed and longer), fifteen/fifty.

For inference items, judge the speaker's attitude from intonation and hesitation, not only from the words.

If a word is missed, keep listening: a later paraphrase usually restates the key point.

Write answers in the language the answer sheet requires; a correct idea in the wrong language or form may score zero.

A summary must contain the passage's main claim plus its main supporting reasons, with no examples, no new information, and no personal opinion.

Compress by nominalization and generalization: "people began to use smartphones" → "the spread of smartphones".

Ordering tasks: anchor on explicit sequence markers (first, then, after that, finally) and on cause-effect links; a step that depends on a previous result cannot come first.

Information-retrieval tasks: scan for the keyword or its paraphrase, then read the sentence before and after it to confirm the match.

Match the required output format exactly: number of words, number of sentences, or a specified chart/table cell.

When two passages are compared, build a two-column mental table (topic, claim, evidence) and answer from the table, not from memory.

Do not copy long phrases from the source in a summary; paraphrase to show comprehension and to stay within the word limit.

Check that every retrieved detail answers the question asked; extra correct but irrelevant details waste time and can break word limits.

Main-idea questions ask what the passage as a whole is about; a correct answer must cover the whole passage, while a detail that appears only in one paragraph is a distractor.

Paragraph-function questions (why does the author mention X?) are answered by the role the sentence plays: example, contrast, concession, cause, or conclusion.

Pronoun and reference questions: find the nearest preceding noun phrase that agrees in number and makes sense in context; "it/this/that" often points to a whole preceding clause, not a single noun.

Vocabulary-in-context questions are solved by substituting each option back into the sentence and checking whether the surrounding logic still holds.

Signal words decide structure: however / on the other hand / in contrast mark a reversal; therefore / thus / as a result mark a conclusion; for example / such as mark support for the previous claim.

For inference questions, the answer must be logically forced by the text; an option that is merely plausible in the real world but not stated is wrong.

Tone and attitude questions: judge from evaluative adjectives and adverbs (surprisingly, unfortunately, remarkably), not from the topic alone.

When two options seem right, the wrong one typically overstates (all, never, completely), reverses the causal direction, or mixes up two different people or studies.

Japanese word order puts the verb last: translate S+V+O into S+O+V, and move English postmodifiers (relative clauses, prepositional phrases) in front of the noun they modify.

English articles a/an/the usually disappear in Japanese; do not force 「ある」「その」 into every noun phrase.

Relative clauses become noun-modifying clauses with no relative pronoun: "the book that I bought" → 「私が買った本」.

Passive voice: English passives with an agent become 「〜によって…される」; impersonal passives (It is said that…) become 「〜と言われている」.

Paraphrase questions require a sentence with the same meaning but a different structure: swap a clause for a phrase (because → due to), a verb for a verb+noun (decide → make a decision), or change active/passive.

Keep technical terms and proper nouns in katakana or the original form; do not translate names of institutions or species into invented Japanese words.

Tense and aspect must survive translation: present perfect 「〜してきた／〜したところだ」, past perfect 「〜していた」, and future progressive need explicit Japanese time markers.

Check translation by back-translating: if the Japanese re-translated into English loses a negation, a modal (may/must), or a comparison, the translation is faulty.

Japanese subjects are often omitted; supply he/she/they/it from context, and use "you" only when the Japanese clearly addresses the reader.

「〜される」「〜てもらう」 can be rendered as a passive or as "have something done"; choose the passive when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

「〜するつもりだ」→ be going to / intend to; 「〜することになっている」→ be supposed to; 「〜しかない」→ have no choice but to; these fixed mappings prevent literal translation errors.

Sentence rewriting (書き換え) targets: too…to ↔ so…that…not; enough to ↔ so…that…can; because ↔ so; although ↔ but; "I was given it" ↔ "It was given to me".

When two sentences are combined with a relative pronoun, decide whether the clause is restrictive (no comma) or non-restrictive (comma + which/who).

Do not add articles to abstract nouns used generally ("Life is short", not "The life is short"), but do add them for countable singulars.

Subject-verb agreement and tense must be fixed after rewriting: check that the new subject (e.g., "the number of students") takes the correct singular or plural verb.

Word order for English adverbs: frequency adverbs go before the main verb but after be ("He is always late", "He always arrives late").

A standard 3-part structure: introduction stating the position, 2 body paragraphs each with one reason plus one supporting example, and a conclusion restating the position without new arguments.

Answer the exact prompt: if it asks for an opinion, give one and defend it; if it asks to describe both sides, do not merely list one side.

Use explicit linking devices (First, In addition, However, As a result, For these reasons) at paragraph and sentence boundaries to make the logic visible to the grader.

Keep sentence length moderate: a 15–25 word sentence with one main clause and at most one subordinate clause reduces grammatical error.

Avoid absolute claims (everyone, never, always) unless the prompt demands them; hedge with tend to, in many cases, is likely to.

Paraphrase the prompt's key words in the introduction instead of copying them verbatim.

Reserve 2–3 minutes to check the five high-frequency errors: third-person -s, past tense endings, articles, plural -s, and preposition choice.

Word-count requirements are hard limits: count before submitting and expand with a concrete example rather than with repeated general statements.

Collocation decides the answer: make a decision, do homework, take part in, pay attention to, have an effect on; a synonym with the wrong collocation is wrong.

Distinguish look-alike pairs: affect (verb) / effect (noun); rise (intransitive) / raise (transitive); lie-lay-lain (recline) / lay-laid-laid (put down).

Phrasal verbs change meaning with the particle: give up (quit), give in (surrender), give out (distribute / run out), give away (donate / reveal).

Prepositional idioms are fixed: be responsible for, be aware of, be interested in, depend on, be similar to, be different from.

Context clues: a definition may follow in apposition (a comma or dash), an example may follow "such as", and a contrast may follow "but" or "unlike".

Word-form questions: decide the part of speech needed from the slot (after an article → noun; after be → adjective or participle; before a main verb → adverb).

Connotation matters: thin/slim/skinny and cheap/inexpensive/affordable differ in evaluative tone, so match the sentence's attitude.

Countable vs uncountable: information, advice, furniture, luggage, news take no plural -s and use much/little, not many/few.

Subject-verb agreement traps: "The number of X is" vs "A number of X are"; "each/every/either + singular noun" takes a singular verb; "news, mathematics" are singular.

Tense sequence: a past main clause normally takes a past or past-perfect subordinate clause; use past perfect for the earlier of two past events.

Conditionals: If + present, will; If + past, would; If + had + past participle, would have + past participle. Mixed conditionals combine a past condition with a present result.

Relative pronouns: who for people, which for things, whose for possession, that in restrictive clauses only, and omission only when the pronoun is the object.

Participles: use the -ing form for an active or ongoing meaning and the -ed form for a passive or completed meaning ("the exciting news" vs "the excited students").

Comparisons: as…as for equality, the comparative + than, the superlative with the, and never double comparatives ("more better" is wrong).

Error-correction procedure: read the sentence for meaning first, then check verb tense/agreement, articles, prepositions, word form, and pronoun reference in that order.

Infinitive vs gerund: remember/love/start accept both with a meaning shift; enjoy, finish, avoid, look forward to take the gerund; decide, hope, plan take the infinitive.

Preview the question stems and options before the audio starts; the options tell you which details (numbers, places, reasons) to listen for.

Numbers and times are frequent distractors: the first number spoken is often corrected later ("at three - no, make it three thirty").

Listen for discourse markers that announce the answer: "The thing is…", "Actually…", "What I mean is…", "The reason is…".

In dialogue questions, the answer is usually in the second speaker's reply, not the first speaker's question.

Distinguish similar sounds in context: thirteen/thirty, can/can't (can't is stressed and longer), fifteen/fifty.

For inference items, judge the speaker's attitude from intonation and hesitation, not only from the words.

If a word is missed, keep listening: a later paraphrase usually restates the key point.

Write answers in the language the answer sheet requires; a correct idea in the wrong language or form may score zero.

A summary must contain the passage's main claim plus its main supporting reasons, with no examples, no new information, and no personal opinion.

Compress by nominalization and generalization: "people began to use smartphones" → "the spread of smartphones".

Ordering tasks: anchor on explicit sequence markers (first, then, after that, finally) and on cause-effect links; a step that depends on a previous result cannot come first.

Information-retrieval tasks: scan for the keyword or its paraphrase, then read the sentence before and after it to confirm the match.

Match the required output format exactly: number of words, number of sentences, or a specified chart/table cell.

When two passages are compared, build a two-column mental table (topic, claim, evidence) and answer from the table, not from memory.

Do not copy long phrases from the source in a summary; paraphrase to show comprehension and to stay within the word limit.

Check that every retrieved detail answers the question asked; extra correct but irrelevant details waste time and can break word limits.