English Language
What the paper tests
The English Language paper tests reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, and short writing. It rewards accurate control of basic tenses, articles, prepositions, and subject–verb agreement rather than ambitious but unclear sentences.
Core rules
- Present simple for habits and facts; present continuous for actions now.
- Present perfect with since + point in time and for + duration.
- A/an before singular countable nouns; the for specific or previously mentioned nouns.
- Third-person singular present verbs take -s: she writes.
- Use because for reason, although for contrast, and so that for purpose.
Worked example
Complete: She ___ (live) in Tripoli ___ 2015. Reasoning: the action began in the past and continues, so use the present perfect: has lived. The year 2015 is a point in time, so use since, not for. Answer: She has lived in Tripoli since 2015. “For 2015” would be wrong because for introduces a duration such as for nine years.
Traps
- Writing “since three years” instead of “for three years”.
- Dropping the third-person -s in timed writing.
- Using uncountable plurals such as “informations” or “advices”.
- Answering reading questions with opinion rather than evidence from the text.