English

Grammar
Correct Usage
Vocabulary
Sentence Completion
Analogy
Speed Reading
Reading Comprehension

Grammar and Correct

Usage

Grammar and Correct

Usage
Review of Parts of Speech
Subject and Verb Agreement

GRAMMAR AND CORRECT USAGE

1. Nouns names of people, places, and things

examples: Pnoy, Philippines, dog, love,
peace

2. Pronouns used to replace the nouns in

sentences.
examples:

Maria is my sister. She is nine years old.

My children went home late last night.

They
attended a party.

GRAMMAR AND CORRECT USAGE

3. Verbs words that express actions or

existence
examples: I write short stories and novels.
I am here now.

4. Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns.

examples:

Filipinos are really hardworking people.

She is very smart and competent.

GRAMMAR AND CORRECT USAGE

5. Adverbs describe adjectives, verbs, or other
adverbs
examples: They are very noisy.
I usually go to garage sales.
They were able to finish the test so
quickly.
6. Prepositions link nouns or pronouns to another
word.
examples:

My family hears Mass on Sundays.

My pen is under the table.

GRAMMAR AND CORRECT USAGE

7. Conjunctions joins clauses or sentences or words
examples
I like oranges and apples.
An old man and a young child passed by.
I have seen this movie, and I liked it.

8. Interjections- short exclamation, sometimes inserted

into a sentence
examples:

Ouch! This hurts.

Wow, look at the sunrise!

Parts of
Speech

Description

Examples

Verb

Words showing
action

Learn, teach, do, be,

Noun

Names of persons,
place, thing, idea

Eyes, ears

Pronoun

Words that stands

for a noun

I, him, it, this, he, she,

him

Adjective

Word that describes

a noun or pronoun

Attractive, dusty,
gentle, red

Parts of
Speech

Description

Examples

Preposition

Word that indicates a

relationship

For, through, to, up

Interjection

Words that express

feeling

Wow!
Aha!

Conjunctions

Connect words,
phrases and clauses

And, or, but, yet, when

Adverb

A word that modifies a

verb or adjective, or
other adverb (often
ends in ly)

Gracefully, horribly

GRAMMAR AND CORRECT USAGE

Try this!

Hey! Kindly tell Annie and

Jessie to go home now.

Subject -Verb Agreement

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

1. A singular subject requires a singular verb.
A plural subject requires plural verb.

Joseph and Gerald (is/are) big artists in

their own right.

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

2. In phrases like along with, as well as, and in
addition to, the first noun appearing before the
said phrases determines whether the verb
should be singular or plural.

Sarah, along with her dog (eat/ eats) the ice

cream.

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

3. Each, either, everyone, everybody,
neither, nobody and someone
require a singular verb.
Everybody (believe/ believes) her story.

Nobody (does, do) it better.

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
THAT ARE ALWAYS
SINGULAR
anybody
either one
anyone
neither
anything
no one

everybody
each
everyone
something
everything
another

somebody
someone

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS THAT

ARE ALWAYS PLURAL
BOTH

MANY

OTHERS
FEW

SEVERAL

a. Both of them (is/are) going to

Baguio

b. Few of our soldiers (is/are)

going to die because of Rabies
c. Several dogs (is/are) cute

REMEMBER!
Some pronouns like ALL, SOME, and
MOST can be singular OR plural
1. Some of the beds are missing.
2. Some of the water is gone.

COUNTABLE

NON- COUNTABLE

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS THAT ARE

SOMETIMES SINGULAR AND SOMETIMES
PLURAL
ANY

ALL
NONE

MORE

SOME

ONEHALF

EXAMPLES
Singular:
Most of the cheesecake has been eaten.
None of the cheesecake has been eaten.
Plural:
Most of the cheesecakes have been
sold.
None of the cheesecakes have been
sold.

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

4. When either-or or neither-nor is used,

the subject closer to the verb determines
the number of the verb determines the
number of the verb.
a. Either my father or my brothers (is/are)
going to Cebu.
b. Neither my brothers nor my father
(is/are) invited.

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

5. None requires a singular verb when it
means not one. It requires a plural verb
when it pertains to more than one thing
or person.

None of us (is/ are) happy about the

situation.
None (is/ are) so blind than those who
refuse change and see their reports.

6. Fractional expressions such as half

of, a part of, a percentage of, a
majority of are sometimes singular and
sometimes plural, depending on the
meaning.

EXAMPLES
1. Some of the voters are angry.
2. Two fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by
fire.
3. A large percentage of the older population is
voting against her.
4. Forty percent of the student body is in favor of
charter change.

7. Sums and products of mathematical

processes are expressed as singular
and require singular verbs.
Two plus two is four.
Eight times seven is fifty-six.

8. Collective Nouns- team, family, group,

crew, gang, class and faculty- and the like
takes singular verb if the verb is considered
a unit, but they take a plural verb if the
group is considered as a number of
individuals.

The team is playing well tonight. (the team is

acting as a unit)
The team are getting dressed. (the team are
acting separately)

9. Title of the books, essays, short stories

and plays; a word spoken of as a word and
names of businesses take a singular verb
The Canterbury Tales (was/were) written by
Geoffrey Chaucer.
SM (has/ have) a sale this week.

10. Sums of the money, distances

and measurements are followed
by a singular verb when a unit is
meant.
Three dollars was the price (unit)
Three dollars were laying there
(individual)

11. Be careful with nouns ending in s.

Several Nouns ending in s takes a
singular verb.
Mumps (is/ are) an extremely unpleasant disease.
Economics (is/are) my major field of study.

12. Some nouns have only a plural form

and so take only a plural verb- for
example; clothes, fireworks, scissors
and trousers.
His trousers (is/are) badly wrinkled
Her clothes (is/ are) stylish and expensive.

SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT

TRY THIS!

1. Either the videotape or the photographs

_____
needed for the exhibit.
A. are
B. is
C. was
D. were

SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT

TRY THIS!

2. Two-thirds of the students ______ able to

sign the
position paper concerning business
establishments serving liquor to minors.
A. were
B. was

SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT

TRY THIS!

3. Every man, woman, and child _______

entitled to the protection of the State.
A. are
B. is

SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT

TRY THIS!
4. The police officer, as well as his subordinates,
________ found evidence to prove the involvement of a
noted businessman in an unscrupulous business
deal.
[Link]
B. were
C. has
D. have

SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT

TRY THIS!
5. Careless cutting of trees ______ increased run-off,
which carries away topsoil.
A. was
B. were
C. has
D. have

Other rules in grammar

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

13. Pronoun- Antecedent Agreement
- Antecedent is the word, clause or
phrase to which a pronoun refers.
Example:
Mary loves to swim. She does so every
other day.
PRONOUN
ANTECEDENT ?

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

a. The armies walk to the field as

(he/she/ they) rally behind their
general.
b. Martha always drinks coffee with
(he/ she/his/her/it) pretzels.

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

15. Dangling Modifiers

- A modifier describes something or
someone
- A modifying phrase should be
placed before the thing or person
it modifies.

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Having graduated a decade

ago, the school was visited by
Karen.
DANGLING MODIFIER

Having graduated a decade ago, Karen

visited the school.

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

16. Parallelisms
There must be a balance in
construction of words, phrases
and clauses.
Diving and running are my hobbies.
Diving and to dive are my hobbies.

Farina feels very blessed because she

has a blossoming career and a family
that cares.
Farina feels very blessed because she has a
blossoming career and a caring family.

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

To run a business and (to give

alms / giving alms) are my
hobbies.
Diving, fishing and (to cook/
cooking) are the things I want to
try.

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

17. Adjectives
-it describes a noun or pronoun
Positive

Comparative Superlative

good

better

best

bad

worse

Worst

many

More

most

CASES OF PRONOUNS
Nominative Case
(Subject)
Singular

Plural

First Person

We

Second Person

You

You

Third Person

He/ she/ it

They

First Person

me

Us

Second Person

You

Third Person

Him, her, it

them

First Person

My,

Our

Second Person

Your

Your

Third Person

His, her its

their/theirs

Objective Case
(Object)
you

Possesive Case

EXAMPLES
1. The ballet dancers flaunted (her/ their)
shapely legs.
2. The coach expected (he/ him) to practice
daily

3. Elaine and Sarah invited (I/me) to their

rest house

COMMON MISTAKES
1. Between you and I, this test is not really very
difficult.
2. You and me against the world.
3. If I was your parent, I would ground you
for a month.
4. I can go to California or Florida, I wonder
which is best.
5. We are all in search for the best
solutions.

6. Reaching for the book, the ladder slipped

out from under him.
7. In his book on winter sports, the author
discusses ice skating, hockey, and how to
fish in an ice covered lake.
8. The affects of the storm could be seen
everywhere.

9. The management will evaluate the

effectivity of the workshop.
10. Fatfat, my friend and mentor, are
working at the University.
11.A high number of problems about the
new modem is coming out.

Identifying errors

Identifying Sentence Errors

a. Skip the hard questions and come back
to them later.
b. Carefully read the questions and look for
obvious errors.
c. Trust what you know about basic grammar.
d. Use your ear for the language in spotting
the
errors.

An error will most likely be seen on an

underlined word or phrases that you find a
hard time comprehending.

Example
My mommy is the better
A
B
C
teacher in the whole world.
D
E

Ate Path, Jojo and Fatfat were the three of the

A
learning specialists that Learning Mate is proud
B
C
for. No error
D
E

Vocabulary

Context Clues

The context is the other words and

sentences that are around the new word.

When you figure out the meaning of a word

from context, you are making a guess
about what the word means.
To do this, you use the hints and clues of
the other words and sentences.

Context Clues

I love her being magnanimous;

she never hesitates to extend help
to those who need it.
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

Context Clues

His ingenuous remarks made her

bosses conclude that shes too
young for the job.
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

VOCABULARY WORDS
If the given word is not used in a
sentence, think of the word in a
context.

Miriam Defensor is a virtuoso

speaker.
virtuoso - highly skilled

VOCABULARY WORDS
Think of the word in another, more
familiar part of the speech
sobriety (noun)
sober (adjective)

Choose the word that fits in the sentence.

18. Historical buildings in many Philippine cities,
rather than being destroyed are now
______________.

A. constructed
B. described
C. condemned
D. renovated
E. designed

VOCABULARY WORDS
Determine if the word sounds
positive, negative or neutral
Say the word to yourself if it connotes
something positive, negative or
neutral.

Sample Questions
Find the meaning of the italicized word

Easy:
Bimbi had to give
up his job because
he got a
debilitating
disease.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

contagious
serious
weakening
heightening
gradual

Answer
C- weakening; only a weakening
disease can make him quit his job;
serious is vague.

Sample Questions
Find the meaning of the italicized
word
Average:
Bokbok had the
quixotic idea that he
was a reincarnation
of a Greek Soldier

a. wild
b. fantastic
c. unrealistic
d. gummy
e. shabby

Answer
C- unrealistic; because of the
presence of the word
reincarnation

Sample Questions
Find the meaning of the italicized
word

Difficult:
Only a ruffian can
do such an
heinous act of
killing a helpless
child.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

insane person
brutal person
confuse person
lovable person
ignoramus person

The
phosphorescent
sea is home to
marine life forms

a. warm
b. continuously
moving
c. immense
d. eternally
e. brilliantly
moving

The despotic
leader turned
down all the
suggestions and
made his own
decision

a. cruel
b. brave
c. wise
d. arrogant
e. generous

COMMON ROOT WORDS AND

WORD ORIGINS
Roots

Meaning

Word

alter

another

Alternative

Ami, amicable

love

Amicable, amiable

amphi

Both ends or all sides

Amphibian, amphidextrous

Ann/enni

year

Anniversary, annual,
biennial, perennial

anthrop

Human/ man

Anthropology/
anthromorphic/
misanthrope

Aqua/ aque

water

Aquatic, aquarium,
aqueduct

arch

Chief , leader, rule

Monarch, archbishop

arthro

joint

Arthritis

aud

sound

Audible, audiotape

bell

war

Belligerent, belicose

Roots

Meaning

Word

biblio

book

Bibliography

bio

Life

Biology, autobiography

brev

short

Abbreviate

cap

Take, seize,

Capture, captivity, capacity

carn

meat

Carnivorous

ced

Yield, go

Recede, proceed, intercede

chrom

color

chromatic

chron

time

Chronological,
chronology

cogn

know

recognize

corp

body

Corpse, corporal

Crac, crat

Rule, ruler

Autocrat, democracy

cred

believe

Credulous, credibility

cruc

cross

Crucifix

crusta

shell

Crustacean

crypt

hidden

Cryptogram , cryptology

Roots

Meaning

Words

culp

guilt

Culprit

dei

god

Deity

demo

people

Democracy, demography

dent

tooth

Dentist, dentin

derm

skin

Dermatology, epidermis

dic

Speak, say

Dictate, predict

dox

Belief, opinion

Paradox

Duc, duct

lead

Induce, conduct

duo

two

Duo

dynam

power

Dynamo

ego

self

Egotist, egomania

equ

equal

Equality, equidistant

fac

Make, do

Manufacture, factory

fil

threadlike

Filament

frater

brother

fraternal

Roots

Meaning

Words

gam

marriage

Monogamy, polygamy

geo

earth

Geology, geothermal

glyph

Vertical groove

Hieroglyphics- Egyptian sky

writing

Grad, gress

step

Graduation, progression

graph

Writing, printing

Graphology, biography

gym

naked

Gymnasium

gyn

woman

Gynecologist

Hemo, herna, hem

blood

Hemophilia, hematology

holo

Whole, entire

Hologram

Hydro, hydr

water

Dehydrate, hydroelectric

iso

Equal, identical

Isoteric

ject

throw

Reject, projection

jud

judge

Judicial

Leg, lect

Read, choose

Lecturer, election

Roots

Meaning

Words

liter

letter

Literature, illiterate

loc

place

Local, locomotion

log

word

Monologue

luc

light

Elucidate, lucid

magn

large

Magnify, magnate

man

hand

Manufacture, manuscript

mar
mater

sea
mother

Marine, mariner
Maternity, maternal

mere

Part, segment

Mere

Meta, met

Behind, between

Metacognition- behind the

thinking

Metri, meter

measure

Geometric, thermometer

min

small

Miniscule

Mit, mis

send

Permit, submission

Mob, mot, mov

move

Mobile, motion, movie

Roots

Meaning

Words

Mor, morth

death

Warn

morph

Form, structure

Metamorphosis

mut

change

Mutant, mutability

neuro

change

Mutant, mutability

Nomen, nomin

name

Nomenclature

nov

new

Renovate, innovate

Nym, onym
odonto

Word, name
tooth

Synonym, acronym
Orthodontist-

ortho

Straight/ correct

Orthodontist

pac

peace

Pacify, pacifist

Pater

father

Paternal, paternity

path

Feeling, suffering

Sympathy, apathy

Ped, pod

foot

Pedal, pedometer

Pel, puls

push

Pulsate, repulsive

pend

Hang, weigh

Pendulum, pendant

Roots

Meaning

Words

Phon, phono

Sound, voice

Plan

flat

Plane

pneum

lung

Pneumonia

pod

feet

Podiatrist

pot

power

Potent, omnipotent

psych

Mind, soul, spirit

Psychology, psychic

pugna

fight

Pugnacious

Quer, quis

ask

Query, inquisition

Scent, scend

climb

Ascend, ascent

Schizo, schiz

Division, split

schizophrenic

sci

To know

Scientific

sciss

cut

Scissor

Scrib, script

write

manuscript- scripture

Sec, sect

cut

Dissect, section

Roots

Meaning

Words

Sed, sess

sit

Sedentary, session

Sequ, secu

follow

Sequence, sequel

serv

Serve, protect

Service

simil

Same, similar

Simile, facsimile

siphon

tube

Siphon

Sol

sun

Solar

son
soph

sound
Wisdom, knowledge

Sonar, resonate
Philosophy

Spec, spic

Look, see

Spectacles, spectator

spir

coil

Spiral

spir

breathe

Inspire, respiration

Spond, spons

Promise, answer for

Respond, responsible

spont

By ones own force

Spontaneous

stat

Stay in position

Station

Tang, tact

touch

Tactile, tangible

Roots

Meaning

Words

Temp

time

Temporary

Ten, tent

hold

Tentative, tenable

terr

earth

Subterranean, terrestrial

theo

God, deity

Theology, polytheiism

therm

heat

Thermal, thermometer

trophy

Nutrition, food

Atrophy- without nutriition

uro

urine

Urologist

vac

empty

Vacation, vacuum, vacant

Ven, vent

Come, go

Intervene, convene

ver

truth

Veracity

vert

turn

Introvert, vertigo

Vit-

life

Vitamin, revitalize

voc

call

Revoke, invocation

Zoo

animal

Zoology, zoo

Ways to unlock meanings of difficult words:

1. Definition or synonym a statement giving the
meaning of a word.
For example:
"Don't think of words as
separate, discrete items, or entities."

entities?

separate, discrete items

discrete?

separate

Ways to unlock meanings of difficult words:

2. Antonym opposite meaning
For example:
I was not exactly enamored of the travel plans
my agent made for me; my lack of enthusiasm
was triggered by the eight-hour layover
required between flights.

Enamored?

Lack of enthusiasm

Ways to unlock meanings of difficult words:

3. Substitution replacing a word with another
word

For example:
"When we stayed at the military base, each
Saturday we went to the commissary to buy the
food and supplies we would need for the next
week.
Comissary? store

Ways to unlock meanings of difficult words:

Keep in mind the following when substituting:
Step 1: Reread and substitute a word that seems
to make sense in the context.
Step 2: Read on and try again.
Step 3: Look for synonym, definition, and
antonym clues.

Ways to unlock meanings of difficult words:

4. Examples
For example:
We were advised to take a lot of succulent
food especially fruits such as oranges and
lemons to keep our bodies dehydrated.

succulent? Full of juice

Ways to unlock meanings of difficult words:

4. Root words, prefixes, suffixes
ROOTWORD - base, origin
For example:
anthrop human
as in anthropology the study of human
beings
demo people
as in demography and democracy

Ways to unlock meanings of difficult words:

4. Root words, prefixes, suffixes
PREFIXES pre meaning before
For example:
ab away from
as in abnormal, abduct, abstain

mis wrong
as in misplace, misspell

Ways to unlock meanings of difficult words:

4. Root words, prefixes, suffixes
SUFFIXES after
For example:
-cide kill or killing
as in suicide, infanticide, patricide

-phobia fear
as in claustrophobia, photophobia

REMEMBER...
Word repetition is a useful tool for building
vocabulary.

If you really want to build you vocabulary

you should repeat words several times a
day, every day, to keep the words in your
memory.
Write them down on a notepad if you need to.
Each time you read a word analyze its meaning
and use it in a sentence.

SENTENCE COMPLETION
A word or phrase in the sentence is omitted:

The by laws ___ in detail how the

members of the association will
follow
all
the
duties
and
responsibilities

SENTENCE COMPLETION
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

determine
highlight
describe
disburse
calculate

ANSWER

C- Describe, because of the

word in detail

SENTENCE COMPLETION
We should never be _________ towards other
people for we have a social responsibility
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

apathetic
generous
confused
Idealistic
cognizant

SENTENCE COMPLETION
1. Choose the best answer.
Always remember the Latin roots,
prefixes, and suffixes to figure out what
some difficult words mean.
2. Try to predict the answer using context
clues. Take note of the signal words.

The Ortigas Center is filled with _______

buildings, some having up to 50 floors.
[Link]
[Link] and old
[Link] class
[Link]
[Link]

SENTENCE COMPLETION
Support Signals:
and, additionally, also, furthermore,
besides, whomever, likewise
His stubbornness and ____get him into a
lot of troubles
A. arrogance
B. benevolences
C. brilliance
D. kindness
E. compassion

SENTENCE COMPLETION
Cause and Effect Signals:
accordingly, consequently, therefore, thus,
because
Because of his girlfriends____ ,Dave was in
a very _______mode.
a. defeat, excited
b. demise, good
c. departure- sour
d. victory, confident
e. promotion, melodically

SENTENCE COMPLETION
3. In double blank sentences, read the
entire sentence first.

Test both the first and second words

before deciding on the answer.

I did not want to ____ the manager

but I commented that the service
was ____.
A. offend, good
B. upset, disappointing
C. commend, inadequate
D. judge, questionable
E. praise, bad

Last Shot!!!
a. Always remember the Latin roots,
prefixes, and suffixes to figure out
what some difficult words mean.
b. Always remember context clues.
c. Read the entire sentence using
your choice(s). If it makes sense,
mark
your
answer.

VERBAL ANALOGY

VERBAL ANALOGY
Verbal analogy relationship of words and their being
parallel or similar to other words.

Example:
Manila: Philippines : : Tokyo: ___________
Answer: Japan
Why?
Manila is the capital of the Philippines in the same way
as Tokyo ts the capital of Japan.

VERBAL ANALOGY
Some relationship of words that are included in verbal
analogy are:

Synonyms
Antonyms
Cause/effect
Sequence
Grammatical relationship
Part/Whole
Difference/Similarity
Function
Characteristics

Stout: Plump
Stout: Thin
Sorrow: Tears
Saturday: Sunday
Fight: Fought
Book: Library
Smile: Laughter
Composer: Symphony
Judge: Ever-tempered

VERBAL ANALOGY
TRY THIS!
Mango: Fruit: ___________:___________
[Link]: restaurant

[Link]: meat
[Link]: love
[Link] : beer

VERBAL ANALOGY
TRY THIS!
Magician: wand:__________:__________
[Link] : leotard

[Link] : pool
[Link] : baton
[Link] : concert

VERBAL ANALOGY
TRY THIS!
archipelago : island:___________:___________
[Link] : bead

[Link] : garden
[Link] : orchard
[Link] : delta

pork:pig;mutton:______:_______
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

school:fish as wolf:______:________
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

soldier: fight ; scientist:___________

A. read
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

LONELY is to DESOLATE as
ARROGANT is to_____________
A. humble
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

CONVICT is to PUNISHMENT as
ACQUIT is to _____________
A. freedom
B. guilty
C. jail
D. incarceration
E. [Link]

HEAT is to SCALD as
COLD is to __________
A. freeze
B. chill
C. melt
D. frostbite
E. stutter

________is to FAT as
POLYDACTYL is to________
A. pigbird
B. exercisestudy
C. obesefingersortoes
[Link]
[Link]

______is to Japan as
Dinar is to ________
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

_________is to CEILING as
STALAGMITE is to____________
A. paintrock
B. chandeliercave
C. topbottom
D. rooffloor
E. housebuilding

termagant: nagger :: ______: _____

A. virago: harpy
B. bubbly: miserable
[Link]: labor
[Link]: shop

quiescence: ______::frenzy: hysteria

A. dormancy
B. persistence
C. eternity
D. potency
E. calamity

Mini Examination:

trash talk: demoralize:: _____:_____

A. revelation: disclosure
B. recruitment: labor
C. equivocation: conceal
D. taxing: painful
E. avowal: confuse

atychipobia: ____:: cacophobia:____

A. failure: ugliness
B. automobiles: germs
C. marriage: laughter
D. chicken: general
E. death: night

SPEED
READING

SPEED READING
TIPS:
[Link] the entire article before you begin reading.
Take note of the following:
Title
Introduction
Headings & Sub-headings
Italicized / Bold-faced words /
sentences
[Link] your index finger or pen as a guide while
reading.

SPEED READING
TIPS:
3. Avoid sub-vocalization / auditory reassurance.
Stop sounding out the words in your head or
mouthing the words silently.
4. Chunking read groups of words at a time.
5. Dont take a small pause after each paragraph.

READING
COMPREHENSION

Description of the Exam

This section tests your ability to
analyze written information and
includes
passages
from
the
humanities, the social sciences, and
the physical and biological sciences.

a. You will be allowed to scroll through the

passages when answering the questions.

a. Many questions may be based on what

is implied in the passages rather than on
what is explicitly stated

Your ability to draw inferences

from the material is critical to
successfully
completing
this
section. Furthermore, you are to
select the best answer from five
alternatives.

READING COMPREHENSION
a. Read the passages first before proceeding
to the questions.
Always establish the general focused of the
passage. If possible, note important points,
names and so on your scratch paper.

READING COMPREHENSION
b. Make a mental map of the major points of
the passage and where they are found. Always
get the topic of the paragraph. Determine the
central thought.
Is there a topic sentence that
expresses main idea succinctly? What title
would you give to the passage?

READING COMPREHENSION
c. Familiar topics first, unfamiliar topics later.
Skip the hard questions and come back to
them later.
If there are choices, shorter passages first,
longer passages later.

READING COMPREHENSION
d. Answer questions carefully. Always look
for the context clues.
While answering the questions, you may go
back to the passage whenever that you
feel that is necessary.

READING COMPREHENSION
e. Predict an answer before looking at the
answer choices. If you are having difficulties,
paraphrase the question yourself so that you
can understand it better.
Try to answer all the questions in a particular
reading passage before heading for the next
passage.

READING COMPREHENSION
f. Beware of the negative words like NOT and
EXCEPT
g. Study the common questions which appear
in the reading comprehension portion of the
exam.

COMMON READING
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Main Idea
a. central thought or significance of the passage
b. key words: main point, chief theme, best title,
primary purpose

2. Details
a. explicitly stated by the author
b. supported in the passage
c. key words: states, cites, supports, according to the
passage, statements mentioned by the author

3. Inference
(the author wants you to supply ideas
based on the story)
a. Beyond authors statements/ not explicitly stated
(wala sa story)
b. Based on what the passage implies
c. Key words: implies, infers, suggest

4. Tone/ Attitude (cynical, aloof, cautionary)

a. Emotional state of the author or a character
b. Key words: tone, attitude, feeling

5. Vocabulary word in context

a. Meaning of unfamiliar words as used in the
passage
b. Check how the word was used by the author
c. You are not required to know the meaning of
technical or foreign words.

6. Technique (Argumentative, general,

explanatory)
a. Methods of organization or development of the
passage
b. Keywords: organization, technique, development

7. Tone or Attitude of the Paragraph

a. Focused on the authors style, attitude, or
mood. Look for key words such as adjectives
that reveal if the author is pessimistic, critical,
supportive, or objective

8. Logical Structure of the Passage

a.

Focused on the overall meaning and

organization of the passage. You may be asked
about the strengths or weaknesses the author
is making to identify assumptions or, to
evaluate counter- arguments.

BASIC READING SKILLS

BASIC SKILL no. 1:
Good understanding of the meaning of
individual words.
BASIC SKILL no. 2:
Ability to discover the central theme of the
passage
BASIC SKILL no. 3:
Capacity to organize mentally how the
passage is put together and determine
how each part is related to the whole.

Improving Paragraphs/
Sentences
a. Always focus on the general meaning/
subject of the paragraph
b. Expect grammatical or typographical errors
as you are read the paragraph
c. Always choose answers that totally fits within
the context of the paragraph.

PARAGRAPH
ORGANIZATION

PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH

The basic paragraph consists of the

following parts:
1. Topic Sentence
the main idea of each paragraph is stated in this
sentence.
All points in the paragraph should
support the topic sentence.

2. Supporting Details
statements that elaborate upon and prove the topic
sentence.

3. Concluding Sentence
A statement that ties together all the ideas in the
paragraph and emphasizes the main idea one last
time

TOPIC SENTENCE

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires eating a nutritious

diet and getting regular exercise. A nutritious diet includes

eating a variety of foods from each of the four food groups:

meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and grains. Regular
exercise is also an essential part of keeping a healthy
lifestyle. Most experts recommend exercising at least thirty
minutes a day, six days a week. These two aspects, eating a

healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis, will maintain a

healthy lifestyle.

CONCLUDING STATEMENT
SUPPORTING DETAILS

Principles of Organization
a. Chronological order (order of Time)
-items, events or ideas are arranged in the order which
they occur.
-this pattern is marked by transition words like next,
then, a few hours later, before the sun rose, that April
-commonly used for narratives and process texts

b. Spatial order
-items are arranged according to their physical position
or relationships
-this pattern might use transitions like just to the right, a
few feet behind

Principles of Organization
c. Climactic Order (order of Importance)
-items are arranged from least important to most
important.
-organization of a paragraph based on emphasis
- Typical transition words include more important, most
difficult, by far the most expensive

d. Topical order
-organization that emerges from the nature or a topic
itself
-transitions in this pattern will be a little vague like

another factor, the second component, in addition, and

so on.

PARAGRAPH
ORGANIZATION
- Pay attention to the signal words (contrast,
support, cause and effect, sequence or
chronology) which can aid in determining the
next sentence
- Sequence or Chronology words: first, second,
last and finally
- Try to spot the introduction and conclusion first.
The rest are supporting details.

Try this one!!!

A. The athletes push their bodies hard in
order to develop their muscles
B. Still, the life of an athlete is a nice one.
C. Contrary to popular idea, there are no
born athletes
D. They do have to be careful not to
overtrain, since it can lead to injuries
E. A person is turned into an athlete
through intense training and supreme
dedication.

PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATIONS
a. The first procedure is that bill passes through
three readings on separate days.
b. Otherwise, the bill will go back to the House from
where it originated, and it will be deliberated upon
again.
c. If the president approves the bill, then it shall be
deemed a law.
d. A bill, before becoming a law, undergoes several
procedures.
e. On the third reading, the votes of the lawmakers
shall be recorded and if the bill is approved, it goes
to the President for approval or veto.

What should be the first sentence?

a. The first procedure is that bill
passes through three readings on
separate days.
b. Otherwise, the bill will go back to
the House from where it
originated, and it will be
deliberated upon again.
c. If the president approves the bill,
then it shall be deemed a law.
d. A bill, before becoming a law,
undergoes several procedures.
e. On the third reading, the votes of
the lawmakers shall be recorded
and if the bill is approved, it goes
to the President for approval or
veto.

A.a
B.b
C.c
D.d
E.e

What should be the fourth sentence?

a. The first procedure is that bill
passes through three readings on
separate days.
b. Otherwise, the bill will go back to
the House from where it
originated, and it will be
deliberated upon again.
c. If the president approves the bill,
then it shall be deemed a law.
d. A bill, before becoming a law,
undergoes several procedures.
e. On the third reading, the votes of
the lawmakers shall be recorded
and if the bill is approved, it goes
to the President for approval or
veto.

A.a
B.b
C.c
D.d
E.e

PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATIONS
a. Not only that, paying taxes also means that the
government will no longer need to acquire loans to
fill the budget deficit.
b. Every citizen should lend a hand in pursuing
economic progress.
c. One way to do it is to pay ones taxes correctly.
d. Paying correct taxes results in increased revenues
that the government uses for infrastructures and
other projects
e. So be a good citizen and pay your taxes correctly.

What should be the second sentence?

a. Not only that, paying taxes also
means that the government will
no longer need to acquire loans
to fill the budget deficit.
b. Every citizen should lend a hand
in pursuing economic progress.
c. One way to do it is to pay ones
taxes correctly.
d. Paying correct taxes results in
increased revenues that the
government uses for
infrastructures and other projects
e. So be a good citizen and pay your
taxes correctly.

A. a
B. b
C. c
D. d
E. e

What should be the fourth sentence?

a. Not only that, paying taxes also
means that the government will
no longer need to acquire loans
to fill the budget deficit.
b. Every citizen should lend a hand
in pursuing economic progress.
c. One way to do it is to pay ones
taxes correctly.
d. Paying correct taxes results in
increased revenues that the
government uses for
infrastructures and other projects
e. So be a good citizen and pay your
taxes correctly.

A. a
B. b
C. c
D. d
E. e

What should be an appropriate title of

the paragraph?
A. Economics Progress
B. A Citizens Duty
C. Taxing the Economy
D. Taxes and Economic Progress
E. Lend a Hand for Progress

READING COMPREHENSION
TIPS:
[Link] for the main idea of the reading passage
which is usually expressed by the first or last
sentence.
[Link] through the reading passage. Do not waste
time reading examples, illustrations, and other details
very carefully. You can go back to them and reread
later to answer questions on details.

READING COMPREHENSION
The elevation of the position of women in society

has created a strong temptation to women to feel selfsufficient without the support of men. Lest our modern
mothers be caught in the web of this seemingly
attractive position, maybe they be reminded that the

true happiness of a woman is after all, in the simple

joys of home and contentment of every member of her
family. Whether in the primitive or in the moon age, a
mother to a child, still is love.

READING COMPREHENSION
1. Based on the selection, what will give the modern
mother a true happiness?

A. living freely and independently by developing her

fullest potential
B. loving God above all and educating her children
C. being a career woman despite some problems
D. building a home and looking after the welfare of
every family member
E. living with her loved ones.

READING COMPREHENSION
2. Which of the following is true, according to the
selection?

A. In the modern age, mothers love their children less.

B. Modern mothers have to work with his husband.
C. Women cannot live happily without men.
D. Being accorded a higher status in society has
tempted women to live without men.
E. Women can only be happy with her material wealth.