NED Admission Test English Syllabus

Give the structure of the present perfect tense with an example.

has/have + past participle. Example: 'She has finished her work.'

Give the structure of the past continuous tense with an example.

was/were + verb-ing. Example: 'They were playing cricket.'

Give the structure of the future perfect tense with an example.

will have + past participle. Example: 'By 2027, he will have graduated.'

Which tense is used for actions completed at a definite time in the past?

The simple past tense (e.g., 'I visited Karachi last year').

State the basic rule of subject-verb agreement.

A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

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

A plural verb. Example: 'Ali and Sara are friends.'

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

The verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. Example: 'Neither the teacher nor the students were present.'

Do indefinite pronouns like 'each', 'everyone', and 'neither' take singular or plural verbs?

Singular verbs. Example: 'Everyone is here.'

Does a collective noun like 'team' usually take a singular or plural verb?

Usually singular when acting as one unit. Example: 'The team wins every match.'

What part of speech is a preposition, and what does it do?

A preposition shows the relationship (of time, place, or direction) between a noun/pronoun and another word in the sentence, e.g. in, on, at, under, between.

Which prepositions of time are used with: a specific day, a month/year, and a precise clock time?

'On' a day (on Monday), 'in' a month/year (in June, in 2026), 'at' a clock time (at 5 o'clock).

Which preposition follows 'good', and which follows 'afraid'?

'Good at' (good at maths) and 'afraid of' (afraid of dogs).

What is the difference between 'between' and 'among'?

'Between' is used for two items or people; 'among' is used for three or more.

What are the articles in English, and which are definite vs indefinite?

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

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

Use 'a' before a consonant sound (a book, a university) and 'an' before a vowel sound (an apple, an hour).

What is a determiner? Give three examples.

A word placed before a noun to specify quantity or reference. Examples: this, some, many, my, every, each.

When is the definite article 'the' used?

Before a specific or previously mentioned noun, unique things (the sun), superlatives (the best), and ordinals (the first).

Name the eight parts of speech in English.

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

What is the function of an adverb, and what does it typically modify?

An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, often telling how, when, where, or to what degree (e.g., quickly, very, here).

What is the function of a conjunction? Name the coordinating conjunctions.

A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses. The coordinating conjunctions are: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS).

What is the difference between an adjective and an adverb?

An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun (a fast car); an adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb (drives fast).

In 'identifying grammatical errors' questions, what is a common error with 'each of the students'?

Using a plural verb. 'Each' is singular, so it should be 'Each of the students has a book,' not 'have.'

Identify the error: 'He don't like coffee.' What is the correction?

Subject-verb agreement error. Correct: 'He doesn't like coffee.'

What is a dangling/misplaced modifier error?

When a descriptive phrase does not clearly attach to the word it is meant to modify, e.g., 'Walking to school, the rain started' (the rain wasn't walking).

What does a 'sentence completion' question test?

Choosing the word(s) that best fit the blank(s) so the sentence is grammatically correct and logically meaningful, using context clues.

In sentence completion, what clue does a contrast word like 'although' or 'but' signal?

It signals that the missing word should contrast with or oppose the rest of the sentence's idea.

What is the function of a full stop (period)?

It marks the end of a complete declarative sentence or statement.

What is the main use of a semicolon (;)?

To join two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction, e.g., 'She was tired; she kept working.'

What is the difference between a colon (:) and a semicolon (;)?

A colon introduces a list, explanation, or quotation; a semicolon links two related independent clauses or separates complex list items.

How is the apostrophe used to show possession for singular and plural nouns?

Singular: add 's (the boy's bag). Plural ending in s: add only ' (the boys' bags).