Grammar and Vocabulary - Saga Public High School Entrance Examination
What the grammar and vocabulary items test
The grammar and vocabulary section tests control of basic sentence structure and common word use. Typical items cover tense, subject-verb agreement, participles, relative clauses, comparatives, conjunctions, prepositions, word form, and collocation. The goal is not rare grammar; it is accurate everyday English.
Core rules
- Find the main verb first. A correct English sentence normally needs one clear finite main verb.
- Check subject-verb agreement after ignoring interrupting phrases: 'The girl with two dogs is ...', not 'are'.
- Use a participle phrase only when it modifies a noun already in the sentence: 'The girl standing by the window is my cousin.'
- Match tense to time markers: 'yesterday', 'now', 'since 2020', 'by next week'.
- Learn vocabulary in chunks: 'take part in', 'be good at', 'depend on', 'look forward to'.
Worked example
Sentence: 'The girl ___ by the window is my cousin.' Options: stand / standing / stood / to stand. Answer: standing. Reasoning: the sentence already has the main verb 'is'. The blank needs a participle phrase meaning 'who is standing'. 'Stand' would create a second main verb, 'stood' is past and does not fit the reduced relative clause, and 'to stand' does not describe the girl here.
Traps
- Two main verbs in one clause: 'The girl stands by the window is ...' is wrong.
- Agreement errors when a plural noun sits near the verb.
- Wrong word form: 'success' versus 'successful' versus 'succeed'.
- Direct translation of Japanese prepositions or collocations.
- Ignoring countability: 'information' is uncountable, so 'informations' is wrong.
Exam habit
Read the whole sentence after filling the blank. Your ear often catches a double verb or missing subject.