AUB-EN - AUB English Entrance Examination cheat sheet

English Language Proficiency

• Reading comprehension question types: main idea, explicit detail, inference, vocabulary-in-context, author's purpose/tone, and rhetorical structure; each type has a distinct evidence rule (detail = locate words; inference = combine stated clues, never add outside facts).

• Main-idea answers must cover the whole passage; an option that is true but covers only one paragraph is a distractor (too narrow), while one that generalizes beyond the passage is too broad.

• Inference is a required logical step, not a guess: the correct option must be supported by stated text plus minimal reasoning; if it needs outside knowledge, it is wrong.

• Vocabulary-in-context: substitute each option into the original sentence and check that the sentence's logic and tone remain intact; the most common dictionary meaning is often the trap.

• Tone and attitude words carry connotation: positive (approving, admiring, optimistic), neutral (objective, analytical, cautious), negative (critical, skeptical, dismissive); match degree as well as direction.

• Transition logic in sentences: contrast (however, nevertheless, whereas), cause-effect (therefore, consequently, because), addition (moreover, furthermore), example (for instance), concession (although, while).

• Grammar decision rules: subject-verb agreement ignores prepositional phrases; pronoun case depends on clause role (subject vs object); modifiers must sit next to the word they describe.

• Punctuation rules: a comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma (error); use a semicolon, a period, or a comma plus coordinating conjunction. Non-restrictive clauses take paired commas.

• Writing conventions: parallel structure in lists and comparisons, consistent verb tense within a narrative, active vs passive chosen by emphasis, and concision (delete redundant pairs such as 'each and every').