English Communication Skills
English Communication Skills
This domain measures how precisely you handle written English: grammar and usage, vocabulary in context, sentence structure, and reading comprehension. The items reward attention to exact wording, so read every sentence to its last word before choosing.
Core rules
- Subject–verb agreement. Match the verb to the true subject, not to a phrase between them: The list of names is on the desk.
- Either/or, neither/nor. The verb agrees with the nearer subject: Neither the seaman nor the officers were ready.
- Indefinite pronouns. Each, every, either, neither, everyone, nobody, somebody are singular: Everybody has a copy.
- Parallel structure. Items joined by and, or, but take the same form: He likes swimming, running, and cycling - not to cycle.
- Pronoun reference. A pronoun must point to one clear antecedent and agree in number: Each sailor must bring his gear.
- Tense sequence. A past-tense main clause normally takes a past-tense subordinate clause.
Vocabulary in context
Answer from the sentence, not from a memorized list. Words such as sanction or clemency change meaning with context; substitute your choice back into the sentence and check that it still makes sense.
Reading comprehension
Separate the main idea from supporting detail, and distinguish what a passage states from what it only suggests. Tone questions ask for attitude (critical, neutral, approving), not subject matter.
Worked example
Neither the boatswain nor the junior officers ___ familiar with the new procedure.
The subject nearest the verb is officers (plural), so the verb is plural: were. Choosing was because the first noun is singular is the classic error.
Traps that cost marks
- Applying the nearest-subject rule when and joins the subjects: The seaman and the officer are…
- Confusing affect/effect, lie/lay, its/it's, then/than, fewer/less.
- Picking an option because it is a true statement even though it does not answer the question asked.
- Ignoring qualifiers such as not, except, chiefly, and best.
- Answering comprehension items from personal opinion instead of the passage.