HSC Admission English Cheatsheet

Cheatsheet Content

1. Grammar: Sentence Structure Basic Sentence Structure: Subject + Verb (+ Object/Complement) Example: She sings . (S+V) Example: He eats an apple . (S+V+O) Example: They are happy . (S+V+C) Compound Sentence: Independent Clause + Conjunction + Independent Clause Conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So (FANBOYS) Example: She studied hard , and she passed the exam . Complex Sentence: Independent Clause + Dependent Clause (Subordinating Conjunction) Subordinating Conjunctions: although, because, since, while, if, when, etc. Example: She passed the exam because she studied hard . 2. Parts of Speech Noun: Person, place, thing, idea (e.g., student, Dhaka, book, freedom ) Pronoun: Replaces a noun (e.g., he, she, it, they, we ) Verb: Action or state of being (e.g., run, eat, is, become ) Adjective: Describes a noun/pronoun (e.g., beautiful, tall, intelligent ) Adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb (e.g., quickly, very, well ) Preposition: Shows relationship (e.g., in, on, at, with, by ) Conjunction: Joins words/phrases/clauses (e.g., and, but, or, because ) Interjection: Expresses emotion (e.g., Oh!, Wow!, Alas! ) 3. Tenses (Common Formulas) Present Simple: Subject + Base Verb (s/es for 3rd singular) Example: He reads books. Present Continuous: Subject + am/is/are + Verb-ing Example: She is studying now. Present Perfect: Subject + has/have + Past Participle Example: They have finished their work. Past Simple: Subject + Past Form of Verb Example: He went to school yesterday. Future Simple: Subject + will + Base Verb Example: She will come tomorrow. 4. Voice (Active vs. Passive) Active Voice: Subject performs the action. Formula: Subject + Verb + Object Example: The boy kicked the ball . Passive Voice: Object receives the action. Formula: Object + be verb (tense-appropriate) + Past Participle (+ by Subject) Example: The ball was kicked by the boy . Changing Voice: Identify S, V, O in Active. Make Active Object the Passive Subject. Use appropriate 'be' verb according to original tense. Use Past Participle of main verb. Make Active Subject the Passive Object (preceded by 'by'). 5. Narration (Direct vs. Indirect Speech) Direct Speech: Exact words of speaker, in quotation marks. Example: He said, "I am busy." Indirect Speech: Reported speech, no quotation marks, tense/pronoun changes. Example: He said that he was busy. Key Changes in Indirect Speech: Tense: Present $\to$ Past, Past Simple $\to$ Past Perfect, etc. Pronouns: Change according to context (e.g., I $\to$ he/she, We $\to$ they). Time/Place: now $\to$ then, today $\to$ that day, here $\to$ there, this $\to$ that. Reporting Verb: 'said' $\to$ 'asked', 'told', 'ordered', 'requested', etc. Conjunction: 'that' often used for statements; 'if/whether' for yes/no questions. 6. Modifiers (Adjectives & Adverbs) Adjectives: Modify nouns/pronouns. Position: Usually before the noun ( a beautiful flower ) or after a linking verb ( She is happy ). Degrees: Positive ( tall ), Comparative ( taller ), Superlative ( tallest ). Adverbs: Modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Types: Manner: how ( slowly, carefully ) Place: where ( here, there, upstairs ) Time: when ( now, soon, yesterday ) Frequency: how often ( always, often, never ) Degree: to what extent ( very, too, almost ) Position: Flexible, but usually near the word they modify. Dangling Modifiers: Modifier doesn't clearly or logically modify anything in the sentence. Incorrect: Running down the street , the bus suddenly stopped. (Implies bus was running) Correct: While running down the street , I saw the bus suddenly stop. 7. Vocabulary: Common Prefixes & Suffixes Prefixes (meaning at beginning): un-: not ( unhappy, undo ) re-: again ( rewrite, return ) dis-: opposite of ( disagree, dishonest ) pre-: before ( preview, pretest ) sub-: under ( subway, submarine ) Suffixes (meaning at end): -tion: state of ( action, condition ) -able/-ible: capable of ( readable, visible ) -ful: full of ( beautiful, helpful ) -less: without ( careless, homeless ) -ly: characteristic of (forms adverbs, quickly, happily ) 8. Common Errors to Avoid Subject-Verb Agreement: Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs. Incorrect: The student study . Correct: The student studies . Run-on Sentences / Comma Splices: Joining two independent clauses without proper punctuation/conjunction. Incorrect: She is smart, she will pass. Correct: She is smart; she will pass. OR She is smart, and she will pass. Sentence Fragments: Incomplete sentences lacking a subject, verb, or complete thought. Incorrect: Because she studied hard. Correct: She passed the exam because she studied hard. Pronoun Agreement: Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender. Incorrect: Each student submitted their assignment. Correct: Each student submitted his or her assignment. (or rephrase to plural: All students submitted their assignments. ) 9. Noise (Sounds) Vocabulary Common Sounds: Whisper: speak very softly Mutter: speak in a low, unclear voice Shout/Yell: speak loudly Screech: harsh, high-pitched sound (e.g., tires, birds) Roar: deep, loud sound (e.g., lion, engine) Buzz: low, continuous humming sound (e.g., bee, phone) Clang: loud metallic sound Thud: dull sound of a heavy object falling Creak: squeaking sound (e.g., old door, floorboards) Rustle: soft, crackling sound (e.g., leaves, paper)