Grammar, Vocabulary, and Sentence Structure
Grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure questions reward precise knowledge: verb forms, word order, prepositions, comparatives, relatives, and vocabulary in context. Most items are short, so small errors decide the score.
Core rules
- Tense and agreement: third-person -s, past forms, and present perfect with since or for.
- Word order: subject–verb–object; frequency adverbs go before the main verb but after be; questions need an auxiliary before the subject.
- Infinitives and gerunds: want to do, enjoy doing, stop doing vs. stop to do.
- Relatives: who for people, which for things, that for both in defining clauses.
- Comparatives: as ... as, -er than, the most.
Worked example
Reorder: (book / the / I / bought / this / is / yesterday / that). Reasoning: begin with the subject and verb 「This is」, then 「the book」, then the relative clause 「that I bought yesterday.」 Answer: 「This is the book that I bought yesterday.」 The relative pronoun that replaces the book as the object of bought, so no extra 「it」 is needed.
Vocabulary in context
Choose the word that fits the sentence's logic, not just a word you recognize. In 「She was ___ because she passed the test,」 happy fits; angry is grammatical but illogical.
Traps that cost marks
- Extra words in ordering tasks; every word must be used once.
- Singular agreement with everyone, each, and news.
- Irregular past forms: bought, taught, caught.
- Confusing borrow and lend, bring and take, few and a few.
- Prepositions after verbs: listen to, wait for, arrive at or in.