Super TET / State TET General English Syllabus

General English syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for General English in Super TET / State TET, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   English Grammar

   4 topics

   • Parts of Speech
     • Noun, pronoun, adjective and article
     • Verb, adverb, preposition and conjunction
   • Tenses and Verb Forms
     • Present, past and future tenses
     • Modals, gerund, participle and infinitive
   • Sentence Transformation
     • Active and passive voice
     • Direct and indirect speech
     • Subject-verb agreement
   • Error Detection and Correction
     • Spotting grammatical errors
     • Sentence improvement
2. 2

   Vocabulary

   4 topics

   • Synonyms and Antonyms
     • Word meanings in context
     • Opposite words
   • Word Formation
     • Prefixes, suffixes and root words
     • One-word substitution
   • Idioms, Phrases and Confusing Words
     • Common idioms and phrasal verbs
     • Homophones and frequently confused words
   • Spelling and Punctuation
     • Correct spelling rules
     • Use of punctuation marks
3. 3

   Comprehension and Composition

   3 topics

   • Unseen Passage Comprehension
     • Reading and answering factual questions
     • Inference and vocabulary from the passage
   • Writing Skills
     • Paragraph and letter writing
     • Precis and report writing
   • Sentence Structure and Usage
     • Clauses, phrases and connectors
     • Common usage and collocations
4. 4

   Pedagogy of English Language Teaching

   3 topics

   • Aims and Methods of Teaching English
     • English as second language and learning principles
     • Grammar-translation, direct, structural and communicative approaches
   • Development of Language Skills
     • Teaching LSRW skills
     • Teaching aids and language laboratory
   • Assessment in English
     • Remedial teaching and error analysis
     • Evaluation of the four language skills

General English flashcards for Super TET / State TET

20 of 50 cards from the General English deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the eight parts of speech in English?

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

2. 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., Delhi, Ravi); a common noun is a general name for any member of a class (e.g., city, boy).

3. What is an abstract noun? Give two examples.

   A noun denoting an idea, quality, or state that cannot be perceived by the senses. Examples: honesty, freedom.

4. What is the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb?

   A transitive verb takes a direct object (She wrote a letter); an intransitive verb does not take an object (The baby slept).

5. What are the three degrees of comparison of adjectives, with an example?

   Positive, comparative, and superlative. Example: tall, taller, tallest.

6. What is the function of a conjunction? Name the two main types.

   A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses. The two main types are coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or) and subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if).

7. List the twelve tenses in English grammar.

   Present, past, and future, each in four aspects: simple, continuous (progressive), perfect, and perfect continuous — giving 12 tenses in total.

8. What is the structure of the present perfect tense, and when is it used?

   Structure: subject + has/have + past participle. Used for actions completed at an unspecified past time with present relevance, e.g., 'She has finished her work.'

9. How is the present continuous tense formed and what does it express?

   Subject + am/is/are + present participle (-ing). It expresses an action happening now or around the present moment, e.g., 'They are playing cricket.'

10. What is the difference between the simple past and the present perfect tense?

    The simple past refers to a finished action at a definite past time (I met him yesterday); the present perfect refers to a past action linked to the present, often at an unspecified time (I have met him before).

11. What auxiliary and form make up the past perfect tense, and what does it show?

    Subject + had + past participle. It shows an action completed before another past action, e.g., 'The train had left before we arrived.'

12. What is the difference between a finite and a non-finite verb?

    A finite verb changes with tense, number, and person and acts as the main verb of a clause; a non-finite verb (infinitive, gerund, participle) does not change with the subject and cannot stand alone as the predicate.

13. How is an affirmative sentence changed into the passive voice?

    The object becomes the subject, the verb becomes 'be + past participle' in the same tense, and the original subject becomes the agent introduced by 'by'. Example: 'She wrote a letter' → 'A letter was written by her.'

14. How do you transform a sentence from direct to indirect (reported) speech in general terms?

    Remove quotation marks, often introduce with 'that', shift the tense one step back, change pronouns to match the reporter's viewpoint, and adjust time/place words (now→then, here→there, today→that day).

15. How is an exclamatory sentence transformed into an assertive sentence?

    Replace the exclamation with a statement, often using 'very' for emphasis. Example: 'What a beautiful flower!' → 'It is a very beautiful flower.'

16. How can a sentence with 'too...to' be transformed using 'so...that'?

    'He is too weak to walk' becomes 'He is so weak that he cannot walk.' The 'so...that' version adds a negative clause.

17. How is a simple sentence converted into a complex sentence?

    Expand a phrase into a subordinate clause. Example (simple): 'I know his name.' → (complex): 'I know what his name is.'

18. What is subject-verb agreement, and what does it require?

    The rule that a verb must agree with its subject in number and person — a singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb (e.g., 'He runs' / 'They run').

19. In error detection, what verb form must follow modal auxiliaries like can, must, and should?

    The bare infinitive (base form without 'to'), e.g., 'She must go,' not 'She must to go' or 'She must goes.'

20. What common error involves the words 'each', 'every', and 'everyone' in terms of number?

    They are singular and take a singular verb and singular pronoun, e.g., 'Each of the boys has his book,' not 'have their books.'

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