PPSC Educators 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 PPSC Educators Test, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Grammar

   4 topics

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

   Vocabulary

   3 topics

   • Synonyms and Antonyms
   • Idioms and Phrases
   • One Word Substitution
3. 3

   Sentence Structure

   3 topics

   • Correction of Sentences
   • Active and Passive Voice
   • Direct and Indirect Speech
4. 4

   Comprehension and Writing

   2 topics

   • Reading Comprehension
   • Spelling and Punctuation

English flashcards for PPSC Educators Test

23 of 49 cards from the English deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is a 'part of speech', and how many main parts of speech are there in English?

   A part of speech is a category that classifies words by their function in a sentence. There are eight main parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.

2. What is a noun, and what are its four main types?

   A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. Its four main types are: proper (specific names, e.g. Lahore), common (general, e.g. city), collective (groups, e.g. team), and abstract (ideas/qualities, e.g. honesty).

3. What is a pronoun? Give the categories with examples.

   A pronoun replaces a noun. Categories: personal (I, you, he), possessive (mine, his), reflexive (myself, themselves), relative (who, which, that), demonstrative (this, those), interrogative (who, what), and indefinite (someone, all).

4. What is the difference between an abstract noun and a concrete noun?

   A concrete noun names something perceivable by the senses (e.g. table, music, smell). An abstract noun names an idea, quality, or state that cannot be physically touched (e.g. freedom, courage, beauty).

5. What is an adjective and what is the order of degrees of comparison?

   An adjective describes or modifies a noun/pronoun. Its three degrees of comparison are: positive (tall), comparative (taller / more beautiful), and superlative (tallest / most beautiful).

6. What is an adverb, and what does it modify?

   An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. It usually answers how, when, where, why, or to what degree (e.g. quickly, yesterday, here, very).

7. What is a conjunction? Name its three types.

   A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses. Three types: coordinating (and, but, or — FANBOYS), subordinating (because, although, if), and correlative (either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also).

8. What is an interjection? Give examples.

   An interjection is a word or phrase expressing sudden emotion, usually followed by an exclamation mark (e.g. Oh!, Alas!, Hurrah!, Wow!). It has no grammatical link to the rest of the sentence.

9. How many tenses are there in English and what are the three main divisions?

   There are three main tenses — past, present, and future — each with four aspects (simple, continuous/progressive, perfect, perfect continuous), giving 12 tense forms in total.

10. What is the structure (formula) of the Present Simple tense?

    Subject + base verb (add -s/-es for third person singular). Example: She writes a letter. It expresses habits, general truths, and facts.

11. What is the structure of the Present Continuous tense and when is it used?

    Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing. Used for actions happening now or around the present. Example: They are playing cricket.

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

    Subject + has/have + past participle (V3). Example: I have finished my work. It links a past action to the present and is often used with just, already, yet, ever, since, for.

13. What is the structure of the Past Simple tense?

    Subject + past form of verb (V2). Example: He went to school. It expresses a completed action at a definite time in the past.

14. What is the structure of the Past Perfect tense and what does it show?

    Subject + had + past participle (V3). Example: She had left before I arrived. It shows that one past action was completed before another past action.

15. What are the two ways to form the Future Simple tense?

    Subject + will/shall + base verb (e.g. I shall go; they will come), or Subject + am/is/are going to + base verb for planned/intended actions (e.g. I am going to travel).

16. What is the structure of the Present Perfect Continuous tense?

    Subject + has/have + been + verb-ing. Example: She has been studying for two hours. It shows an action that began in the past and is still continuing.

17. What is the basic rule for using the definite article 'the'?

    'The' is used before a specific or particular noun already known to the listener, before unique things (the sun, the moon), superlatives (the best), rivers, seas, mountain ranges, and oceans.

18. When are the indefinite articles 'a' and 'an' used?

    'A' and 'an' are used before singular countable nouns that are non-specific. Use 'a' before a consonant sound (a book, a university) and 'an' before a vowel sound (an apple, an hour). The choice depends on sound, not spelling.

19. What is a preposition, and name the three main types by meaning.

    A preposition shows the relationship of a noun/pronoun to another word, often regarding place, time, or direction. Types: prepositions of place (in, on, at), time (at, on, in, since, for), and direction/movement (to, into, towards).

20. What is the rule for using 'in', 'on', and 'at' for time?

    'At' is used for precise times (at 5 o'clock); 'on' for days and dates (on Monday, on 5th June); 'in' for longer periods — months, years, seasons (in June, in 2026, in winter).

21. What is 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 (He plays), and a plural subject takes a plural verb (They play).

22. In subject-verb agreement, which verb form follows two subjects joined by 'and' versus by 'or/nor'?

    Two subjects joined by 'and' usually take a plural verb (Ali and Sara are here). With 'or/nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject (Neither the boys nor the teacher was present).

23. What verb form do collective nouns and 'each/every/either/neither' take in subject-verb agreement?

    Collective nouns usually take a singular verb when acting as one unit (The team is winning). 'Each, every, either, neither, everyone, someone, nobody' are singular and take a singular verb (Each of the boys is present).

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