PPSC Lecturer Test English (Subject Specialist Portion) Syllabus

English (Subject Specialist Portion) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for English (Subject Specialist Portion) in PPSC Lecturer Test, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   English Grammar and Usage

   5 topics

   • Parts of Speech
   • Tenses and Verb Forms
   • Articles, Prepositions and Conjunctions
   • Voice, Narration and Conditionals
   • Common Errors and Sentence Correction
2. 2

   Vocabulary and Word Power

   4 topics

   • Synonyms and Antonyms
   • Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
   • One-Word Substitution
   • Foreign Words and Phrases
3. 3

   History of English Literature

   4 topics

   • Old and Middle English Periods
   • Renaissance and Elizabethan Age
   • Romantic and Victorian Periods
   • Modern and Postmodern Literature
4. 4

   Literary Genres and Forms

   4 topics

   • Poetry and Poetic Devices
   • Drama and Tragedy
   • Novel and Short Story
   • Prose and Essay
5. 5

   Literary Criticism and Theory

   3 topics

   • Classical Criticism (Aristotle, Plato)
   • New Criticism and Formalism
   • Modern Critical Theories
6. 6

   Phonetics and Linguistics

   4 topics

   • Phonemes and Sounds of English
   • Morphology and Syntax
   • Semantics and Pragmatics
   • Language and Communication
7. 7

   Comprehension and Composition

   4 topics

   • Reading Comprehension
   • Precis Writing
   • Essay and Paragraph Writing
   • Figures of Speech

English (Subject Specialist Portion) flashcards for PPSC Lecturer Test

20 of 50 cards from the English (Subject Specialist Portion) 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. Define a gerund and give an example.

   A gerund is a verb form ending in '-ing' that functions as a noun. Example: 'Swimming is good exercise.'

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

   A proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing and is capitalized (e.g., London, Ali); a common noun names a general class of things (e.g., city, boy).

4. State the structure (formula) of the Present Perfect Continuous tense.

   Subject + has/have + been + verb-ing. Example: 'She has been reading for two hours.'

5. What is the structure of the Future Perfect tense, and what does it express?

   Subject + will + have + past participle. It expresses an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future, e.g., 'By 2027 I will have finished.'

6. List the three forms (principal parts) of an irregular verb using 'go' as an example.

   Base form: go; Past simple: went; Past participle: gone.

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

   'A' is used before words beginning with a consonant sound; 'an' before words beginning with a vowel sound (e.g., a university, an hour).

8. Give the difference in meaning between the prepositions 'in', 'on', and 'at' for time.

   'In' is used for months, years, seasons (in May); 'on' for days and dates (on Monday); 'at' for precise times (at 5 pm).

9. What are correlative conjunctions? Give two examples.

   Correlative conjunctions are pairs that work together to join elements. Examples: either...or, neither...nor, both...and, not only...but also.

10. Convert to passive voice: 'The chef cooks the meal.'

    'The meal is cooked by the chef.' (Passive = object + form of 'be' + past participle + by + agent.)

11. Change to indirect speech: He said, 'I am happy.'

    He said that he was happy. (Reporting verb in past shifts present 'am' to 'was'.)

12. What is the structure of a Second Conditional (unreal/improbable present) sentence?

    If + past simple, ... would + base verb. Example: 'If I won the lottery, I would travel the world.'

13. What is the structure of the Third Conditional, and what does it express?

    If + past perfect, ... would have + past participle. It expresses an unreal past situation, e.g., 'If I had studied, I would have passed.'

14. Correct the error: 'He don't like coffee.'

    'He doesn't like coffee.' (Third-person singular subject requires 'doesn't', not 'don't'.)

15. Correct the subject-verb agreement: 'The list of items are on the table.'

    'The list of items is on the table.' (The subject is the singular 'list', so the verb must be 'is'.)

16. Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'benevolent'.

    Synonym: kind/generous; Antonym: malevolent/cruel.

17. Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'transient'.

    Synonym: temporary/fleeting; Antonym: permanent/lasting.

18. What does the idiom 'to bite the bullet' mean?

    To force oneself to endure or face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage.

19. What does the phrasal verb 'put off' mean? Use it in a sentence.

    To postpone or delay. Example: 'They put off the meeting until next week.'

20. What is the one-word substitution for 'a person who knows many languages'?

    Polyglot (or linguist).

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