FAST-NU Entry Test 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 FAST-NU Entry Test, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Grammar

   5 topics

   • Parts of Speech
   • Tenses and Verb Forms
   • Subject-Verb Agreement
   • Prepositions and Articles
   • Sentence Correction
2. 2

   Vocabulary

   4 topics

   • Synonyms
   • Antonyms
   • Word Meanings in Context
   • Idioms and Phrases
3. 3

   Sentence Structure

   3 topics

   • Sentence Completion
   • Sentence Rearrangement
   • Analogies and Word Relationships
4. 4

   Reading Comprehension

   3 topics

   • Main Idea and Purpose
   • Inference and Tone
   • Detail and Vocabulary in Passage

English flashcards for FAST-NU Entry Test

23 of 50 cards from the English deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the eight traditional parts of speech in English?

   Noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.

2. What is the difference between a common noun and a proper noun?

   A common noun names a general person, place, or thing (city, boy), while a proper noun names a specific one and is capitalized (Lahore, Ali).

3. What is an abstract noun? Give an example.

   A noun that names an idea, quality, or state that cannot be physically perceived, e.g., honesty, freedom, courage, happiness.

4. What is the function of an adverb, and what kinds of words can it modify?

   An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, typically indicating manner, time, place, frequency, or degree (e.g., quickly, very, often).

5. What is the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb?

   A transitive verb takes a direct object (She wrote a letter), while an intransitive verb does not require an object (He slept).

6. What are the three degrees of comparison for adjectives? Give an example.

   Positive, comparative, and superlative, e.g., tall, taller, tallest.

7. What is a conjunction, and name the three main types.

   A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses. The three types are coordinating (and, but, or), subordinating (because, although, if), and correlative (either…or, neither…nor).

8. What are the twelve tenses formed from the present, past, and future combined with the four aspects?

   Each of present, past, and future has simple, continuous (progressive), perfect, and perfect continuous forms, giving twelve tenses.

9. How is the simple present tense used?

   To express habitual actions, general truths, and permanent situations, e.g., 'Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.'

10. What is the structure of the present perfect tense?

    Subject + has/have + past participle (e.g., 'She has finished her work'); it links a past action to the present.

11. What is the structure of the past continuous tense and when is it used?

    Subject + was/were + present participle (verb+ing); used for an action in progress at a specific past time (e.g., 'They were playing').

12. What is the structure of the future perfect tense?

    Subject + will have + past participle (e.g., 'By 2026 he will have graduated'); it shows an action completed before a future point.

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

    Base form, past simple, and past participle: go, went, gone.

14. What is the present perfect continuous tense structure?

    Subject + has/have + been + present participle (e.g., 'I have been studying for two hours').

15. What is the basic rule of subject-verb agreement?

    A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb (e.g., 'The boy runs' vs 'The boys run').

16. In subject-verb agreement, what verb form follows two singular subjects joined by 'and'?

    A plural verb, because the compound subject is plural (e.g., 'Tom and Jerry are friends').

17. When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', which subject determines the verb?

    The verb agrees with the subject nearer to it (e.g., 'Neither the boys nor the teacher is here').

18. What verb form do indefinite pronouns like 'each', 'everyone', and 'somebody' take?

    They are singular and take a singular verb (e.g., 'Everyone is present').

19. In 'The number of students is large', why is the verb singular?

    'The number of' is treated as singular, whereas 'a number of' is plural and takes a plural verb.

20. Do collective nouns like 'team' or 'committee' usually take a singular or plural verb?

    Usually singular when acting as a single unit (e.g., 'The team wins'), but plural when members act individually.

21. What is a preposition? Give three common examples.

    A word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word, often indicating position, direction, or time, e.g., in, on, at, by, with.

22. What is the difference between the prepositions 'in', 'on', and 'at' for time?

    'In' for months/years/long periods (in May), 'on' for days/dates (on Monday), and 'at' for specific times (at 5 p.m.).

23. What are the three articles in English and their two categories?

    'A' and 'an' are indefinite articles; 'the' is the definite article.

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