Mie Entrance English cheat sheet

Before audio plays, scan the answer choices for keywords (numbers, names, places); this tells you what information to listen for.

Listen for the stressed content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) rather than every function word; meaning survives even when articles or auxiliaries are missed.

Distinguish similar-sounding pairs by context: thirteen/thirty, can/can't, fifteen/fifty - the final -teen is stressed, -ty is unstressed.

Signal words mark structure: however/but introduce contrast, so/because introduce cause, first/then/finally mark sequence, in fact signals emphasis.

Infer speaker attitude from tone words and intensifiers (actually, unfortunately, absolutely) rather than from literal content alone.

Numbers tasks: write digits as you hear them; for prices and times, note whether the speaker corrects or revises the first figure ("No, make it...").

Negative questions and tag questions flip expected answers: "You didn't bring it, did you?" expects confirmation of the negative.

When two options are mentioned, the correct answer is usually the one that matches the speaker's final decision, not the first suggestion.

Main-idea questions ask what the passage is mostly about; the answer must cover the whole text, not one detail.

Detail questions are answered by locating a paraphrase of the question keywords, then reading that sentence plus one sentence before and after.

Vocabulary-in-context: substitute each option into the original sentence and keep the one that preserves both meaning and grammar.

Pronoun reference (it, they, this): the referent is usually the nearest preceding noun that agrees in number and makes logical sense.

Eliminate options that are true but not stated, that overstate with words like always/never/all, or that reverse a cause-effect relation.

Transition words define paragraph logic: however/although = contrast, therefore/thus = result, for example = illustration, in addition = continuation.

Titles and headings predict content; check the first and last sentences of each paragraph for the topic sentence.

Skim headings, first sentences, and proper nouns first to build a mental map, then read questions and return to the located section.

For information-retrieval tasks (notices, timetables, ads, forms), match exact constraints: date, price, eligibility, deadline, and location must all hold.

Watch for distractor rows in tables: an option may satisfy one condition but fail another (e.g., correct day, wrong time).

Insertion questions ("where does sentence X best fit?"): the sentence must connect to both the preceding and following sentence via pronoun or topic links.

Inference answers must be supported by textual evidence; if an option needs outside knowledge, it is wrong.

Author's purpose options are verbs: to inform, to persuade, to warn, to advertise, to compare - match the verb to the passage's dominant function.

Ordering/sequence questions: track time markers (before, by 2010, afterwards) and cause chains rather than paragraph position.

Subject-verb agreement: ignore prepositional phrases between subject and verb; each/every/everyone take singular verbs, and neither...nor agrees with the nearer subject.

Tense choice follows time markers: since/for + present perfect, ago + past simple, by the time + past perfect, tomorrow + will/going to.

Conditionals: If + present, will (real); If + past, would (unreal present); If + had + past participle, would have (unreal past).

Articles: a/an for first mention or one of many; the for unique or previously mentioned items; no article for general plurals and abstract nouns.

Preposition collocations are fixed: depend on, interested in, good at, responsible for, look forward to + -ing.

Word formation: after prepositions and articles use nouns; after be/seem/look use adjectives; adverbs modify verbs and adjectives, not nouns.

Confusable pairs: affect (verb) vs effect (noun); borrow (take) vs lend (give); bring (toward) vs take (away); few (negative) vs a few (some).

Match the speech act first: apology, request, offer, invitation, complaint, suggestion - each has fixed response patterns.

Apologies expect acceptance (That's all right / No problem), not agreement; requests expect granting or polite refusal with a reason.

Offers and invitations: accept with thanks, decline with an excuse plus a softener (I'm afraid, maybe next time).

Indirect questions keep statement order: "Could you tell me where the station is?" - never "where is the station" after an introductory phrase.

Politeness escalates with length and modals: Could you possibly... > Can you... > Do it. Choose options matching the register of the prompt.

Shop, restaurant, and travel scripts are predictable: ordering, asking for the bill, checking in, asking for directions - learn the standard exchanges.

Reject responses that answer a different question, repeat the prompt verbatim, or are grammatically impossible as a reply.

Answer the prompt's parts explicitly; if it asks for opinion plus two reasons, a missing reason caps the score regardless of fluency.

Structure: introduction stating position, one paragraph per reason with an example, and a conclusion restating the position in new words.

Cohesion devices to deploy: firstly, moreover, in contrast, as a result, for instance, in conclusion - one per paragraph boundary is enough.

Sentence variety: mix simple, compound (and/but/so), and complex (because/although/which) sentences; avoid starting every sentence with the same subject.

Formal register for essays: avoid contractions, slang, and "you"; use impersonal phrasing (people, students, one).

Word count is a scoring criterion: plan 3-4 body points before writing so length is reached without padding.

Edit for the top error types: subject-verb agreement, article use, tense consistency, and preposition choice.

A summary states the main idea plus the key supporting points in your own words; it omits examples, repetition, and the writer's asides.

Summary length control: one sentence per paragraph of source, or roughly 10-15% of the original.

Paraphrase technique: change word class (verb to noun), change sentence order, and substitute synonyms - never copy a phrase of more than three words.

Note-taking from audio or text uses symbols and abbreviations (→ cause, ↑ increase, w/ with); organize notes under headings, not linearly.

Cross-skill tasks (read then write, listen then summarize) require citing the source content explicitly; personal opinion is added only if the prompt asks.

Synthesis of two sources: group points by theme (agreement, disagreement) rather than by source order.

Planning sequence: identify task requirements, list points, group, order logically (general to specific or chronological), then write.