Language Proficiency
"UPCAT English? Grammar, Vocabulary, at Reading Comp ang susi! Ito ang test kung gaano kasolid ang English foundation mo. Let's master the essentials, besh!"
1. Grammar Fundamentals
Grammar is the backbone of UPCAT English! Master these rules to ace the language proficiency section.
Subject-Verb Agreement Rules
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| Singular subject = singular verb | The student studies hard. |
| Plural subject = plural verb | The students study hard. |
| Compound subjects (and) = plural | Juan and Maria are friends. |
| Or/Nor = verb agrees with closer subject | Neither the teacher nor the students were late. |
| Collective nouns = usually singular | The team is winning. |
| Indefinite pronouns (each, everyone) = singular | Everyone has a chance. |
UPCAT Tip:
Watch out for prepositional phrases between subject and verb! "The box of chocolates IS on the table" (box is singular, not chocolates).
2. Pronoun Rules
Pronoun errors are common in UPCAT! Know these agreement rules.
Pronoun Cases
- • Subjective: I, he, she, we, they, who
- • Objective: me, him, her, us, them, whom
- • Possessive: my, his, her, our, their, whose
Common Errors
- • Wrong: "Between you and I" → Right: "Between you and me"
- • Wrong: "Him and me went" → Right: "He and I went"
- • Wrong: "Who did you see?" → Right: "Whom did you see?"
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement:
- • Singular antecedent = singular pronoun: "Each student must bring his or her ID."
- • Plural antecedent = plural pronoun: "The students must bring their IDs."
- • Indefinite pronouns (everyone, someone) are singular!
3. Sentence Structure & Parallelism
UPCAT tests your ability to construct grammatically correct sentences.
Parallelism Rules
Items in a series or comparison must have the same grammatical form.
Wrong: She likes swimming, to run, and hiking.
Correct: She likes swimming, running, and hiking.
Wrong: Not only is he smart but also works hard.
Correct: Not only is he smart but also hardworking.
Sentence Types
- • Simple: One independent clause
- • Compound: Two IC joined by FANBOYS
- • Complex: IC + dependent clause
- • Compound-Complex: 2+ IC + DC
FANBOYS (Coordinating)
- • For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
- • Use comma before FANBOYS joining two IC
- • Example: "I studied, but I still failed."
4. Vocabulary Building
Strong vocabulary is essential for UPCAT! Focus on academic and commonly confused words.
Commonly Confused Words
| Word Pair | Meaning |
|---|---|
| affect / effect | verb (influence) / noun (result) |
| accept / except | receive / exclude |
| principal / principle | leader, main / rule, belief |
| complement / compliment | complete / praise |
| stationary / stationery | not moving / writing materials |
| its / it's | possessive / it is |
Word Root Prefixes to Know:
5. Analogies
Analogies test your ability to recognize relationships between words.
Common Analogy Types
| Type | Relationship | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Synonyms | Same meaning | happy : joyful :: sad : sorrowful |
| Antonyms | Opposite meaning | hot : cold :: light : dark |
| Part : Whole | Component to complete | wheel : car :: key : keyboard |
| Cause : Effect | Action to result | fire : burn :: rain : flood |
| Tool : Function | Object to use | pen : write :: knife : cut |
| Degree | Intensity variation | warm : hot :: cool : cold |
Strategy:
Create a sentence describing the relationship, then apply it to the answer choices. Example: "A DOCTOR works in a HOSPITAL" → "A teacher works in a school."
6. Idiomatic Expressions
Know these common idioms and their correct prepositions!
Correct Preposition Usage
- • different from (not "than")
- • consist of
- • independent of
- • prefer X to Y
- • capable of
- • comply with
Common Idioms
- • Break the ice - start a conversation
- • Hit the nail on the head - exactly right
- • Piece of cake - very easy
- • Once in a blue moon - rarely
- • Cost an arm and a leg - expensive
- • Bite off more than you can chew - overcommit
7. Practice Questions
1. Choose the correct sentence:
A) Each of the students have submitted their papers.
B) Each of the students has submitted his or her paper.
Show Answer
B is correct. "Each" is singular, requiring "has" and singular pronouns.
2. DOCTOR : HOSPITAL :: TEACHER : ____
Show Answer
SCHOOL. A doctor works in a hospital; a teacher works in a school. (Worker : Workplace relationship)
3. The new policy will (affect/effect) all employees.
Show Answer
AFFECT. As a verb meaning "to influence," use "affect." "Effect" is usually a noun meaning "result."
4. Fix the parallelism error: "The manager asked us to work harder, be punctual, and that we should attend all meetings."
Show Answer
"The manager asked us to work harder, be punctual, and attend all meetings." All items should be infinitives.
UPCAT English Exam Tips
- • Read widely before the exam - newspapers, essays, academic articles
- • Build vocabulary through word roots and context clues
- • Practice identifying grammar errors in sentences
- • For analogies, determine the relationship first before looking at choices
- • Trust your ear - if it sounds wrong, it probably is wrong
- • Eliminate obviously wrong answers first
- • Don't overthink - go with your first instinct on vocabulary
Test Your Knowledge! 🧠
Ready ka na ba? Take the practice quiz for Language Proficiency to reinforce what you just learned.
Start Practice Quiz 📝