Vocabulary and Grammar
Vocabulary and Grammar tests whether you can choose the form that makes the whole sentence correct. Iwate-style items usually embed grammar in a short context, so tense, agreement, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, comparatives, passives, infinitives, gerunds, relative pronouns, and modal meaning all matter. The correct answer must fit both the grammar and the meaning.
Rules that decide items
- Find the main subject and verb first. Phrases between them do not change agreement: 'The box of old photos (is/are) heavy' takes is.
- Let time words and logic fix tense. 'Yesterday' blocks present perfect; 'for three years' often signals present perfect or past perfect depending on the anchor time.
- Learn pattern meanings, not just forms: 'too ... to' = cannot; 'enough to' = can; 'so ... that' = result; 'not ... until' = the action began at that time.
- Check countability and articles: information, advice, furniture, news are uncountable; 'an hour' but 'a university.'
- In first conditional, use present in the if-clause and will in the main clause.
Worked example
'If it (rains / will rain / rained / raining) tomorrow, we will cancel the picnic.' The if-clause refers to a possible future event, so first conditional applies: if + present simple, will + verb. Answer: rains. 'Will rain' is a common error because the meaning is future, but English does not put will in this if-clause.
Traps
- 'Since' with a past starting point requires present perfect in the main clause.
- 'Few' with count nouns, 'little' with uncountables.
- 'Another' + singular; 'other' + plural; 'the other' for the second of two.
- Double conjunction errors: 'although ... but,' 'because ... so.'
- Verbs followed by gerunds: enjoy, finish, avoid, look forward to.