Tokyo Metropolitan Public High School Entrance Examination - English cheat sheet

Question order follows audio order: read the answer choices before the audio starts so you know which detail (time, place, number, reason) to catch.

Numbers in audio are often corrected: listen for 'actually', 'no wait', 'I mean' - the second number replaces the first.

Japanese school English audio uses set phrases: 'Would you like to~?' invites, 'How about~?' suggests, 'Why don't we~?' proposes; the reply word ('Sure', 'Sorry, but') signals accept or refuse.

Time expressions shift: 'half past seven' = 7:30, 'a quarter to nine' = 8:45, 'the day after tomorrow' = two days ahead; compute the final time, not the spoken one.

Distractors name a real item from the audio but attach it to the wrong person or place; match speaker to action before choosing.

When the audio gives two plans, the correct answer is the final agreed plan, usually marked by 'OK, let's do that' or 'Then it's decided'.

Station and route announcements: listen for platform number, line name, and direction ('for Shinjuku'), which are usually stated once only.

Short notices answer one question: who must do what, by when, and where; scan for the modal (must, should, may) and the deadline date first.

A negative question ('Which is NOT true?') inverts the task: three choices are supported by the text, one is not; verify each against a line.

Pronouns refer back to the nearest matching noun: 'it' to a singular thing, 'they' to a plural or to 'people'; substitute and check the sentence still makes sense.

Inference items use 'probably', 'most likely', 'suggests'; the answer must follow from the text, not from general knowledge alone.

Titles and main-idea items require covering the whole passage; a choice that is true but covers only one sentence is a detail, not the main idea.

Numbers in short passages (prices, times, counts) are often given for two groups; check which group the question asks about before calculating.

Signal words mark contrast and cause: 'but', 'however', 'so', 'because', 'therefore' - the answer usually sits after these words.

Long passages follow a structure: situation → problem → attempt → result → opinion; locating the opinion paragraph answers most author-purpose items.

Dialogue items ask what a speaker means by a line; read the two lines before and after, since the meaning is carried by the exchange, not the single sentence.

Emotion and attitude words (surprised, relieved, disappointed, proud) are inferred from reactions such as 'I can't believe it' or 'That's too bad'.

Order-of-events items: number the events in the passage first, then compare with the choices; the wrong choices swap two adjacent events.

Paragraph-insertion or 'what fits in ___' items must connect to both the previous and the following sentence; check pronoun and topic continuity.

Vocabulary-in-context items: return to the sentence, substitute each meaning, and keep only the one that preserves the passage's logic.

When two choices both seem true, prefer the one stated in the passage over the one that is merely reasonable in real life.

Present perfect (have/has + past participle) pairs with 'since' + point in time and 'for' + duration; past simple pairs with a finished past time such as 'yesterday'.

Passive voice: be + past participle; keep the tense on 'be' ('was built', 'is being used', 'has been repaired').

Relative pronouns: 'who' for people, 'which' for things, 'that' for either in defining clauses; 'whose' shows possession.

Infinitives after 'want to', 'decide to', 'in order to'; gerunds after prepositions and after 'enjoy', 'finish', 'stop' (stop doing = quit).

Comparatives: short adjectives add -er/-est; long adjectives use more/most; 'as ~ as' for equality, 'not as ~ as' for inferiority.

Question tags and indirect questions: indirect questions keep statement order ('Do you know where he lives?', not 'where does he live').

Word-class check for fill-in-the-blank: the blank after an article needs a noun, after 'be' an adjective or participle, before a main verb an adverb.

Conjunctions: 'although' + clause contrasts, 'because' + clause gives reason, 'so that' + clause gives purpose; only one connector per blank.

Japanese exam free writing is scored on content, structure, and grammar; a clear three-part plan (opinion → two reasons → conclusion) satisfies content and structure.

Answer the exact prompt: if it asks for your opinion plus a reason and an example, all three elements must appear or points are lost.

Use a fixed opener ('I think that ~') and closer ('For these reasons, I believe ~') to make the structure visible to the grader.

Keep sentences short and correct: subject + verb + object order; avoid long chains joined by 'and'.

Give one concrete personal example ('For example, when I was in junior high school, ~') rather than a general statement.

Count words if a minimum is set; write slightly over the minimum rather than under, and never copy sentences from the reading passage.

Connectives (First, Second, Also, However, Therefore) mark paragraph logic; one connective per new idea is enough.

Chart and table items: read the axis labels and units first; the answer is a value read off the chart, not an estimate from memory.

When a table gives two years, compute the change (increase or decrease) rather than reporting one value.

Email items: identify sender, receiver, purpose, and requested action; the question usually asks what the reader must do next.

Notice and poster items: check date, time, place, fee, and who is eligible; a choice that matches three of four fields is still wrong.

Timetable items: transfer the departure time, travel minutes, and transfer wait into one total; a missed transfer invalidates the plan.

Fill-in-the-form tasks require the exact format shown in the example (date order, price with unit, name order).

Advertisement items: distinguish 'free' from 'included in the price' and 'discount' from 'refund' before choosing.