PPSC Educators Test English Syllabus

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).

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).

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).

In subject-verb agreement, how do 'either...or', distances, amounts, and 'a number of / the number of' behave?

With 'either...or / neither...nor' the verb agrees with the nearer subject. Distances, sums, and periods of time take a singular verb (Ten miles is far). 'A number of' takes a plural verb; 'the number of' takes a singular verb.

What is the difference between a synonym and an antonym?

A synonym is a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another word (happy = joyful). An antonym is a word with the opposite meaning (happy ≠ sad).

Give the antonyms of: benevolent, transparent, and abundant.

Benevolent (kind) — malevolent/cruel; transparent (clear) — opaque; abundant (plentiful) — scarce/scanty.

Give synonyms for: candid, lethargic, and meticulous.

Candid — frank/honest; lethargic — sluggish/lazy; meticulous — careful/thorough/precise.

What is an idiom? Give the meaning of 'to bury the hatchet'.

An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal words. 'To bury the hatchet' means to make peace or end a quarrel.

What does the idiom 'to let the cat out of the bag' mean?

It means to reveal a secret unintentionally or carelessly.

What does the idiom 'a blessing in disguise' mean?

It means something that seems bad or unlucky at first but later turns out to be good or beneficial.

What does the idiom 'to add fuel to the fire' mean?

It means to make a bad or tense situation even worse by one's words or actions.

What does the idiom 'once in a blue moon' mean?

It means very rarely or almost never.

What is 'one word substitution'? Give the word for 'a person who eats too much'.

One word substitution is replacing a group of words or a phrase with a single precise word. A person who eats too much is a 'glutton'.

Give one word substitutions for: 'a person who studies the stars' and 'a government by the people'.

A person who studies the stars (heavenly bodies) is an 'astronomer'. A government by the people is a 'democracy'.

Give the one word for: 'a place where birds are kept' and 'a person who cannot read or write'.

A place where birds are kept is an 'aviary'. A person who cannot read or write is 'illiterate'.

Give one word substitutions for: 'one who loves mankind' and 'a medicine that prevents disease'.

One who loves mankind is a 'philanthropist'. A medicine/substance that prevents disease is a 'vaccine' (an antidote counters poison).

What is the one word for 'a speech made without preparation' and 'a person who talks in sleep'?

A speech made without preparation is 'extempore' (or impromptu). A person who talks in their sleep is a 'somniloquist'.

What is the general method for 'correction of sentences' in grammar tests?

Identify the grammatical error — usually in tense, subject-verb agreement, article, preposition, pronoun, or word order — then replace only the incorrect part to make the sentence grammatically correct, leaving correct portions unchanged.

Correct this sentence: 'He is senior than me.'

'He is senior to me.' Words like senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior, and prefer are followed by 'to', not 'than'.

Correct this sentence: 'One of the students were absent.'

'One of the students was absent.' The subject 'one' is singular, so the verb must be singular ('was').

What is the difference between active voice and passive voice?

In the active voice the subject performs the action (Ali wrote a letter). In the passive voice the subject receives the action, and the doer becomes the object of 'by' (A letter was written by Ali).

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

The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive; the verb changes to the appropriate form of 'be' + past participle (V3); the original subject becomes the agent introduced by 'by' (often omitted if unimportant).

What is the passive form of the Present Simple and Past Simple tenses?

Present Simple passive: is/am/are + V3 (e.g. The work is done). Past Simple passive: was/were + V3 (e.g. The letter was written).

How is the passive voice of Present Continuous and Present Perfect formed?

Present Continuous passive: is/am/are + being + V3 (The house is being built). Present Perfect passive: has/have + been + V3 (The work has been completed).

What is the difference between direct and indirect (reported) speech?

Direct speech reports the exact words inside quotation marks (He said, 'I am busy'). Indirect/reported speech reports the meaning without quotation marks, usually with tense and pronoun changes (He said that he was busy).

What are the main rules for converting direct speech into indirect speech?

Remove quotation marks, use a conjunction (that/if/whether), change pronouns according to sense, shift the tense one step back (present→past, past→past perfect), and change words of nearness to distance (this→that, here→there, now→then, today→that day).

How are the reporting verb and tense changed when reporting questions in indirect speech?

'Said to' changes to 'asked/enquired'. For yes/no questions use 'if/whether'; for wh-questions keep the wh-word. The question becomes a statement (subject before verb) with no question mark, e.g. He asked if I was ready.

In direct/indirect speech, how are imperative sentences (commands/requests) reported?

The reporting verb changes to ordered, told, requested, advised, or forbade, and the verb becomes an infinitive with 'to' (or 'not to' for negatives). Example: He said, 'Close the door' → He ordered me to close the door.

What are the four basic punctuation marks and the main use of the comma and apostrophe?

Common punctuation includes the full stop (.), comma (,), question mark (?), and apostrophe ('). A comma marks a short pause or separates items in a list; an apostrophe shows possession (Ali's book) or omission in contractions (don't).