National MDCAT 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 National MDCAT, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Reading and Thinking Skills

   3 topics

   • Scanning for Short Answers
   • Deducing Meaning from Context
   • Figurative Language
2. 2

   Formal and Lexical Aspects of Language

   9 topics

   • Contextual Vocabulary
   • Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
   • Tenses
   • Infinitives and Gerunds
   • Adverbs and Prepositions
   • Punctuation and Transitional Devices
   • Sentence Structure and Inversion
   • Active and Passive Voice
   • Direct and Indirect Speech
3. 3

   Writing Skills

   4 topics

   • Proofreading and Editing
   • Faulty Sentence Structure
   • Subject-Verb Agreement
   • Errors of Function and Spelling

English flashcards for National MDCAT

23 of 51 cards from the English deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is scanning as a reading strategy used for short-answer comprehension?

   Scanning is rapidly moving the eyes over a text to locate specific information (a name, date, number, or keyword) without reading every word, used to find short factual answers quickly.

2. When scanning a passage for a short answer, what should you first identify from the question itself?

   Identify the keyword(s) or 'question word' (who, what, when, where, how many) so you know exactly what specific detail to search for in the text.

3. What does 'deducing meaning from context' mean?

   Working out the meaning of an unfamiliar word by using the surrounding words, sentences, and overall sense of the passage rather than a dictionary.

4. Name three types of context clues used to deduce a word's meaning.

   Definition/restatement clues, synonym/antonym (contrast) clues, and example or inference clues from the surrounding text.

5. In figurative language, what is a simile and how is it formed?

   A simile is a comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'as brave as a lion').

6. How does a metaphor differ from a simile?

   A metaphor states one thing IS another directly, without 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'Time is a thief'); a simile uses 'like' or 'as' to compare.

7. What figure of speech gives human qualities to non-human things or ideas?

   Personification (e.g., 'The wind whispered through the trees').

8. Define hyperbole and give an example.

   Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect, not meant literally (e.g., 'I've told you a million times').

9. What is the difference between connotation and denotation in vocabulary?

   Denotation is a word's literal dictionary meaning; connotation is the emotional or implied associations the word carries (e.g., 'childish' vs 'youthful').

10. In contextual vocabulary questions, why can the same word have different meanings?

    Many words are polysemous (have multiple meanings); the correct meaning is determined by how the word is used in that particular sentence or passage.

11. What is a pronoun's antecedent?

    The antecedent is the noun (or noun phrase) that a pronoun refers back to and replaces in a sentence.

12. State the rule of pronoun-antecedent agreement.

    A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number (singular/plural), gender, and person.

13. Which pronoun agrees with indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'each', and 'somebody'?

    They are singular, so they take singular pronouns (he/she/his/her or singular 'their' in modern usage), e.g., 'Everyone must bring his or her book.'

14. How many tenses are there in English by time, and what are they?

    Three main times — past, present, and future — each with four aspects (simple, continuous/progressive, perfect, perfect continuous), giving 12 tense forms.

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

    Subject + has/have + past participle (V3), e.g., 'She has finished her work.' It links a past action to the present.

16. When is the present continuous (progressive) tense used?

    For actions happening now or around the present moment, and for planned future arrangements; structure: subject + am/is/are + verb-ing.

17. What is an infinitive in English grammar?

    The base form of a verb usually preceded by 'to' (e.g., 'to run', 'to study'); it can act as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

18. What is a gerund and what role does it play in a sentence?

    A gerund is the '-ing' form of a verb used as a noun (e.g., 'Swimming is fun'); it functions as subject, object, or complement.

19. Give two common verbs that are followed by a gerund and two followed by an infinitive.

    Followed by gerund: enjoy, avoid (also finish, mind). Followed by infinitive: want, decide (also hope, agree).

20. What is the difference between an adverb and a preposition?

    An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb (telling how/when/where/to what extent); a preposition links a noun/pronoun to another word and shows relationship (e.g., in, on, at, between).

21. What are the main types of adverbs?

    Adverbs of manner, place, time, frequency, and degree.

22. Which prepositions of time are used with points in time versus longer periods? Give examples.

    'At' for precise times (at 5 o'clock), 'on' for days/dates (on Monday), and 'in' for months, years, and longer periods (in June, in 2026).

23. What is the function of a semicolon (;)?

    A semicolon joins two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction, or separates items in a list that already contains commas.

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