YPIP English Syllabus

What are the eight parts of speech in English?

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

What is the function of an adjective versus an adverb?

An adjective modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun; an adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

What is a conjunction? Give two examples.

A conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases, or clauses. Examples: 'and', 'but', 'because', 'or'.

What is a preposition? Give two examples.

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and other words, often regarding place, time, or direction. Examples: 'in', 'on', 'under', 'between'.

Name the three main verb tenses and what each refers to.

Present (action happening now or habitually), Past (action that already happened), and Future (action that will happen).

What is the structure of the present perfect tense? Give an example.

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

What is the structure of the past continuous tense? Give an example.

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

What are the three forms of the verb 'go'?

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

What are the three forms of the verb 'write'?

Base form: write; Past simple: wrote; Past participle: written.

State the basic rule of subject-verb agreement.

A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. Example: 'He runs' vs 'They run.'

In subject-verb agreement, what verb form do 'each', 'every', and 'everyone' take?

They are treated as singular and take a singular verb. Example: 'Everyone is present.'

When two subjects are joined by 'either...or' or 'neither...nor', which subject does the verb agree with?

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

When is the article 'an' used instead of 'a'?

'An' is used before words beginning with a vowel sound. Example: 'an hour', 'an apple', 'an honest man'.

What is the difference between the definite article 'the' and the indefinite articles 'a/an'?

'The' refers to a specific, known noun (definite). 'A/an' refers to any non-specific, single countable noun (indefinite).

Which prepositions are typically used for a point in time, days, and months/years respectively?

'At' for a point in time (at 5 pm), 'on' for days/dates (on Monday), and 'in' for months, years, or longer periods (in June, in 2026).

What is the rule for changing an active voice sentence into passive voice?

The object of the active sentence becomes the subject; the verb changes to 'be' + past participle; the original subject becomes the agent introduced by 'by' (often optional). Example: Active 'She wrote a letter' becomes Passive 'A letter was written by her.'

Convert to passive voice: 'The manager approved the budget.'

'The budget was approved by the manager.'

Convert to active voice: 'The report is being prepared by the team.'

'The team is preparing the report.'

What changes occur when converting direct speech to indirect (reported) speech?

Quotation marks are removed, the reporting verb often changes, the tense usually shifts back (backshift), and pronouns and time/place words change accordingly. Example: He said, 'I am busy' becomes He said that he was busy.

In reported speech, what does present simple tense usually change to?

Present simple usually backshifts to past simple. Example: 'I work' becomes 'he worked' (he said he worked).

In reported speech, how do 'now', 'today', and 'tomorrow' typically change?

'Now' becomes 'then', 'today' becomes 'that day', and 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day' / 'the following day'.

Convert to indirect speech: She said, 'I will call you tomorrow.'

She said that she would call me the next day.

Error identification: what is wrong in 'He don't know the answer'?

The verb does not agree with the singular subject. It should be 'He doesn't (does not) know the answer.'

Error identification: what is wrong in 'One of the boys are absent'?

The subject 'one' is singular, so the verb must be singular: 'One of the boys is absent.'

Sentence improvement: improve 'The reason is because he was late.'

Replace 'because' to avoid redundancy: 'The reason is that he was late.'

Sentence improvement: improve 'I have went to the bank.'

Use the correct past participle: 'I have gone to the bank.'

What is the rule for using a comma before 'and' in a list (the Oxford comma)?

The Oxford (serial) comma is placed before the final 'and'/'or' in a list of three or more items to avoid ambiguity. Example: 'pens, pencils, and erasers.'

When is a semicolon (;) used?

A semicolon links two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction, or separates items in a complex list. Example: 'She studied hard; she passed the exam.'

What is an apostrophe used for in English punctuation?

To show possession (e.g., John's book) and to mark contractions where letters are omitted (e.g., don't = do not).

Sentence completion: choose the correct word — 'He worked hard ___ he could pass the exam.' (so that / in spite of)

'so that' — 'He worked hard so that he could pass the exam.' It expresses purpose.

In reading comprehension, what is the 'main idea' of a passage?

The central point or overall message the author wants to convey, around which the supporting details revolve.

What is the difference between a 'stated' fact and an 'inference' in a passage?

A stated fact is written explicitly in the text; an inference is a logical conclusion the reader draws from clues in the text that is not stated directly.

What does 'vocabulary in context' mean as a question type?

It asks you to determine the meaning of a word based on how it is used in the surrounding sentence or passage, rather than its dictionary definition alone.

Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'diligent'.

Synonym: hardworking/industrious. Antonym: lazy/negligent.