English: Grammar, Vocabulary, and Reading Precision
The English section rewards careful, literal reading more than fast reading. Build a firm grasp of subject-verb agreement (especially with intervening phrases, collective nouns, and indefinite pronouns like each, neither, everyone), pronoun-antecedent agreement, tense consistency, and modifier placement (dangling and misplaced modifiers). Know the difference between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses and how commas change meaning. For vocabulary, study context clues - contrast signals (although, unlike), definition signals (dashes, appositives), and cause-effect signals - rather than memorizing isolated word lists. For reading comprehension, distinguish main idea from supporting detail, inference from restatement, and author's tone from author's purpose.
Traps to watch
- Words like not, except, and least invert the question; underline them mentally.
- An answer that is true but does not answer the specific question is a distractor.
- "Extreme" answer choices (always, never, all) are usually wrong in inference items.
- In sentence-correction items, choose the option that fixes the error with the smallest change.
Worked example
"Each of the students (has/have) submitted a form." The subject is Each, not students; the phrase of the students is a prepositional modifier. Singular subject → has. Rule of thumb: cross out prepositional phrases before checking agreement.