ECAT English Syllabus

English syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for English in ECAT, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Grammar and Usage

   4 topics

   • Parts of speech
   • Tenses and verb forms
   • Subject-verb agreement
   • Prepositions and articles
2. 2

   Sentence Structure and Correction

   3 topics

   • Sentence correction
   • Common grammatical errors
   • Punctuation
3. 3

   Vocabulary

   4 topics

   • Synonyms and antonyms
   • Analogies
   • Idioms and phrases
   • Confusing word pairs
4. 4

   Reading Comprehension

   3 topics

   • Passage analysis
   • Inference and main idea
   • Contextual meaning

English flashcards for ECAT

23 of 54 cards from the English deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is a noun? Give the four main types.

   A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea. Four types: common (city), proper (Lahore), abstract (honesty), and collective (team).

2. What is a pronoun and what are its main categories?

   A pronoun replaces a noun. Categories: personal (I, you), possessive (mine, theirs), reflexive (myself), relative (who, which), demonstrative (this, those), interrogative (who?), and indefinite (someone).

3. Distinguish an adjective from an adverb.

   An adjective modifies a noun/pronoun (a quick runner). An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb (runs quickly), often answering how, when, where, or to what degree.

4. What is a conjunction? Name the three types.

   A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses. Types: coordinating (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), subordinating (because, although, while), and correlative (either...or, not only...but also).

5. What is an interjection? Give an example.

   An interjection is a word expressing sudden emotion, standing apart grammatically, usually followed by an exclamation mark. Example: "Wow!", "Alas!", "Oh!"

6. What is the function of a preposition in a sentence?

   A preposition shows the relationship (of place, time, direction, or manner) between a noun/pronoun and another word. Example: "on the table," "before noon."

7. Name the four aspects each English tense can take.

   Simple, Continuous (Progressive), Perfect, and Perfect Continuous. Combined with past/present/future, they yield twelve tenses.

8. What is the structure of the Present Perfect tense?

   Subject + has/have + past participle (V3). Example: "She has finished her work." It links a past action to the present.

9. What is the structure of the Past Perfect tense and when is it used?

   Subject + had + past participle (V3). It shows an action completed before another past action. Example: "The train had left before we arrived."

10. Give the formula for the Future Perfect tense.

    Subject + will have + past participle (V3). Example: "By 2027 he will have graduated." It denotes an action that will be completed before a future point.

11. What is the structure of the Present Continuous tense?

    Subject + am/is/are + present participle (V-ing). Example: "They are studying." It expresses an action happening now or around the present time.

12. What are the three principal parts (forms) of a verb? Illustrate with "go."

    Base/present (V1), past (V2), and past participle (V3). For "go": go, went, gone.

13. State the basic rule of subject-verb agreement.

    A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb. Example: "The boy runs" vs. "The boys run."

14. When two singular subjects are joined by "and," what verb form is used?

    Generally a plural verb. Example: "Ali and Sara are here." (Exception: when they form one unit, e.g., "Bread and butter is my breakfast.")

15. With subjects joined by "or/nor," how is the verb determined?

    The verb agrees with the nearer (closer) subject. Example: "Neither the teacher nor the students were present."

16. What verb form do indefinite pronouns like "each, everyone, somebody, nobody" take?

    They are singular and take a singular verb. Example: "Everyone is ready," "Each of the boys was selected."

17. Do collective nouns (team, family, jury) take singular or plural verbs?

    Singular when acting as one unit ("The team wins"); plural when members act individually ("The team are arguing among themselves").

18. What verb agrees with "a number of" versus "the number of"?

    "A number of" + plural verb ("A number of students are absent"). "The number of" + singular verb ("The number of students is small").

19. When are the indefinite articles "a" and "an" used?

    "A" before a consonant sound (a university, a one-rupee coin); "an" before a vowel sound (an hour, an MBA). It is the sound, not the letter, that decides.

20. When is the definite article "the" used?

    Before specific or previously mentioned nouns, unique things (the sun), superlatives (the best), and many proper names like rivers, seas, and ranges (the Indus, the Himalayas).

21. Which prepositions of time go with points, days, and longer periods (in/on/at)?

    "At" for clock times (at 5 pm); "on" for days/dates (on Monday); "in" for months, years, longer periods (in June, in 2026).

22. Identify the correct preposition: "different ___" and "comply ___."

    "Different from" and "comply with." (Common fixed-preposition collocations.)

23. Correct the sentence: "One of my friend is a doctor."

    "One of my friends is a doctor." After "one of," the noun must be plural while the verb stays singular.

See more English flashcards →

Planning English for ECAT

English (ECAT) FAQ