ETEA Engineering Test English Syllabus

What is the structure of the future perfect tense?

will have + past participle (e.g., 'By 2026, she will have graduated'). It expresses an action that will be completed before a certain future time.

Convert to present perfect continuous: 'I am studying for two hours.' What is the structure of this tense?

'I have been studying for two hours.' Structure: have/has + been + verb-ing, used for an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

State the basic rule of subject-verb agreement.

A verb must agree with its subject in number and person: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb (e.g., 'He runs' vs 'They run').

In subject-verb agreement, which verb form is correct: 'Each of the students (has/have) a book'?

'has' — 'Each' is singular, so it takes a singular verb: 'Each of the students has a book.'

When two singular subjects are joined by 'or'/'nor', is the verb singular or plural?

Singular. With 'either...or' / 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject; two singular subjects take a singular verb (e.g., 'Neither John nor Mary is here').

Is the verb singular or plural with collective nouns like 'team', 'family', or 'committee'?

Usually singular when the group acts as one unit (e.g., 'The team wins'); plural when members act individually (e.g., 'The team are arguing among themselves').

Choose the correct verb: 'The news (is/are) good.'

'is' — 'news' is an uncountable singular noun, so it takes a singular verb: 'The news is good.'

What are the indefinite articles and the definite article in English, and how do they differ?

Indefinite articles 'a' and 'an' refer to any non-specific member of a class; the definite article 'the' refers to a specific, particular noun already known or identified.

When do you use 'a' versus 'an' before a noun?

Use 'a' before a consonant sound (a book, a university) and 'an' before a vowel sound (an apple, an hour). It is based on sound, not spelling.

Fill in the correct preposition: 'She is good ___ mathematics.'

'at' — 'good at' is the correct collocation: 'She is good at mathematics.'

Choose the correct preposition: 'He has been ill ___ Monday.' (since/for)

'since' — use 'since' with a specific point in time (since Monday) and 'for' with a duration (for three days).

Which preposition follows 'congratulate' and 'depend'?

'congratulate someone on something' and 'depend on something/someone'. Both take 'on'.

What is the difference between active voice and passive voice?

In the active voice the subject performs the action ('The dog chased the cat'). In the passive voice the subject receives the action ('The cat was chased by the dog').

What is the general rule for converting active voice to passive voice?

The object of the active sentence becomes the subject, the verb changes to the appropriate form of 'be' + past participle, and the original subject becomes the agent introduced by 'by' (often omitted).

Convert to passive voice: 'They are building a bridge.'

'A bridge is being built (by them).' Present continuous passive uses is/are + being + past participle.

Convert to passive voice: 'Someone has stolen my wallet.'

'My wallet has been stolen.' Present perfect passive uses has/have + been + past participle.

Convert to active voice: 'The letter was written by John.'

'John wrote the letter.'

In passive voice, how is the modal verb 'can' handled, e.g., 'You can solve this problem'?

Modal + be + past participle: 'This problem can be solved (by you).'

Identify and correct the error: 'He don't like coffee.'

Incorrect: subject-verb agreement. Correct form: 'He doesn't like coffee.' (third-person singular takes 'doesn't').

Identify and correct the error: 'She is more taller than her sister.'

Incorrect: double comparative. Correct form: 'She is taller than her sister.' Do not use 'more' with a -er comparative.

Identify and correct the error: 'I have visited Lahore last year.'

Incorrect: present perfect with a finished past time marker. Correct form: 'I visited Lahore last year' (use simple past with 'last year').

Identify and correct the error: 'One of the boys are absent.'

Incorrect: subject-verb agreement. The subject is 'One', which is singular. Correct: 'One of the boys is absent.'

Identify and correct the error: 'He is senior than me.'

Incorrect preposition: Latin comparatives like 'senior', 'junior', 'superior', 'inferior', 'prior' take 'to', not 'than'. Correct: 'He is senior to me.'

Identify and correct the error: 'The two first chapters are easy.'

Incorrect word order: ordinal precedes cardinal. Correct: 'The first two chapters are easy.'

What is the standard word order of a basic English declarative sentence?

Subject + Verb + Object (SVO), e.g., 'The student (S) reads (V) a book (O).' Adverbials of place usually come before time: 'She went to school yesterday.'

What is the typical order of cumulative adjectives before a noun?

Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Colour, Origin, Material, Purpose (e.g., 'a beautiful small old round brown wooden table').

What is an adverb of frequency, and where is it normally placed in a sentence?

An adverb of frequency (always, often, never, usually) tells how often an action occurs. It is normally placed before the main verb but after the verb 'to be' (e.g., 'She always arrives early'; 'He is never late').

In short passage analysis, what is the difference between the 'main idea' and a 'supporting detail'?

The main idea is the central point or overall message the passage conveys; a supporting detail is a specific fact, example, or reason that explains or backs up the main idea.

What is a 'text-explicit' question, and how does it differ from an inference question?

A text-explicit question can be answered with information stated directly (word-for-word) in the passage. An inference question requires reasoning from clues, as the answer is implied but not stated directly.

When answering a text-explicit reading question, what is the best strategy to ensure accuracy?

Locate the relevant line(s) in the passage and select the option that matches the stated information directly, avoiding answers that add outside knowledge or contradict the text.