Miyagi Entrance English cheat sheet

In Japanese entrance listening sections, the question is read before the dialogue; previewing the answer choices during that time tells you what to listen for (time, place, reason, speaker's feeling).

Numbers, dates, and prices are frequent distractors: the first number mentioned is often corrected later with phrases like 'いや、' or 'actually, let me change that.'

Listen for contrast markers (but, however, actually) because the correct answer usually follows the correction, not the initial statement.

When asked 'What will the woman do next?', the answer is usually the last action proposed and accepted, not the first suggestion.

Track speaker roles: in Japanese, polite forms (です・ます) often indicate a customer/guest or junior speaker; casual forms indicate a friend or senior speaker.

For map or direction questions, orient yourself at the starting point and follow turn-by-turn cues: 'go straight,' 'turn right at the second corner,' 'it's on your left.'

If you miss a detail, keep listening; later lines often restate or clarify the key information needed for the answer.

Common trap: an option repeats a word from the dialogue but answers a different question; match the option to the question asked, not to a familiar word.

For short dialogue passages, identify the relationship between speakers (teacher-student, clerk-customer, friends) because it determines the register and the likely intent.

The correct answer to a 'main idea' question covers the whole passage; an option that is true but only about one sentence is a detail, not the main idea.

For 'what does X mean by ...?' questions, read the sentence before and after the quoted line; the context defines the meaning, not the dictionary alone.

In Japanese short passages, pay attention to sentence-final expressions (のだ, だろう, かもしれない) because they signal the writer's stance or uncertainty.

Negative questions ('Which is NOT mentioned?') require checking each option against the passage; eliminate the three that are explicitly stated.

Pronoun reference questions (it, they, this) are answered by the nearest preceding noun that fits the number and logic.

Time-order questions: underline sequence markers (first, then, after that, finally) and match the option that preserves the original order.

For invitation or request dialogues, the response 'I'd love to, but ...' signals a refusal; the reason after 'but' is the key information.

For longer passages, read the first and last sentence of each paragraph first; they usually contain the topic sentence and conclusion.

Information-transfer tasks (tables, notices, schedules) require locating the specific cell that matches two conditions; cross out rows that fail either condition.

When a passage contains a graph or table, the answer must be supported by both the text and the data; an option true in the text but contradicted by the table is wrong.

Paraphrase is the key: the correct option restates the passage in different words; an option that copies exact wording is often a trap.

For 'according to the passage' questions, the answer is explicitly stated; for 'inferred' questions, it follows logically but is not stated verbatim.

In Japanese longer passages, connectives (しかし, つまり, たとえば) mark contrast, restatement, and example; the author's claim often follows しかし or つまり.

For cause-effect questions, map 'because,' 'so,' 'therefore,' and 'as a result' to the correct direction; reversing cause and effect is a common distractor.

When transferring information to a form, copy the exact format required (date order, units, capitalization) from the source, not from memory.

Subject-verb agreement: singular subjects take singular verbs; intervening phrases ('along with,' 'as well as') do not change the number of the subject.

Tense consistency: a past-tense main clause usually requires past tense in the subordinate clause unless a universal truth or current state is expressed.

Conditionals: 'If + present, will' for real future; 'If + past, would' for unreal present; 'If + had + past participle, would have' for unreal past.

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

Prepositions of time: in + month/year/season; on + day/date; at + clock time. Prepositions of place: in + enclosed space; on + surface; at + point.

Japanese particles: は marks topic, が marks subject/new information, を marks direct object, に marks destination/time, で marks location of action or means.

Vocabulary in context: choose the word that collocates naturally (make a decision, do homework, take a shower) rather than the literal translation.

Comparatives and superlatives: use 'than' with comparatives, 'the' with superlatives; 'as ... as' for equality; 'not as ... as' for inequality.

Find the main subject and main verb first; every complete English sentence needs at least one finite verb.

In reordering tasks, identify fixed chunks: phrasal verbs (look after, give up), prepositional phrases (in the morning, at school), and infinitive/gerund patterns.

Adverb placement: frequency adverbs (always, usually, never) go before the main verb but after 'be'; manner adverbs usually follow the object.

Relative clauses: who for people, which for things, where for places, whose for possession; the relative pronoun replaces the repeated noun.

For Japanese reordering, place the verb at the end; particles attach to the noun that precedes them, so keep particle-noun pairs together.

Parallel structure: items joined by 'and,' 'or,' 'but' must have the same grammatical form (all nouns, all infinitives, all gerunds).

Dangling modifiers: the subject of the introductory phrase must be the subject of the main clause (Walking down the street, I saw ... not Walking down the street, the tree was ...).

Word order for questions: auxiliary + subject + main verb; for embedded questions, use statement order (Do you know where he is? not where is he).

A basic paragraph structure: topic sentence, two or three supporting sentences with reasons or examples, and a concluding sentence.

Use transition words to show relationships: addition (also, moreover), contrast (however, on the other hand), cause (because, therefore), example (for instance).

Keep tense consistent within a paragraph; switch tense only when the time frame changes, and signal the switch with a time expression.

For opinion essays, state your position in the introduction, give one reason per body paragraph, and restate the position in the conclusion.

Avoid sentence fragments and run-ons: every sentence needs a subject and a finite verb, and two independent clauses need a conjunction or semicolon.

In Japanese writing tasks, use です・ます for formal letters and だ・である for reports; do not mix styles within one piece.

Word count matters: plan roughly 15-20 words per sentence and 3-5 sentences per paragraph to hit typical length requirements.

Proofread for the errors most common in free writing: subject-verb agreement, article use, preposition choice, and spelling of common words.

For requests, 'Could you ...?' is more polite than 'Can you ...?'; the response 'Sure' or 'I'm afraid I can't' matches the register.

For offers, 'Would you like ...?' expects 'Yes, please' or 'No, thank you'; 'Do you want ...?' is more casual.

For apologies, 'I'm sorry for being late' is followed by an explanation or a promise; 'That's all right' or 'No problem' is the appropriate reply.

For invitations, accept with 'I'd love to' or 'That sounds great'; decline with 'I'd love to, but ...' plus a reason.

In service encounters (store, restaurant, station), the clerk's formulaic lines ('May I help you?', 'For here or to go?') have standard responses; learn the pairs.

For telephone English, 'May I speak to ...?' is answered by 'Speaking' or 'This is ...'; 'Hold on, please' means wait.

For asking directions, 'How do I get to ...?' is answered with imperative directions; 'Is it far?' expects a distance or time estimate.

Appropriate-response questions test function, not grammar: identify whether the first line is a request, offer, apology, invitation, or opinion, then choose the response that fits that function.