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Unit 03
Grammar Questions: Tenses, Prepositions & Linkers
questions 7–16
What to Expect
The ten grammar questions usually include about three tense questions (some with two blanks), two preposition questions and five questions on linkers and other structures such as relative clauses, gerunds and infinitives, quantifiers and comparisons.
Time Clues for Tense Questions
| Clue | Tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| since / for / so far / recently / over the past decade | Present Perfect (Continuous) | Prices have risen sharply over the past decade. |
| ago / in 1990 / last year / until recently | Past Simple | The bridge was built in 1890. |
| by the time + past simple | Past Perfect | By the time we arrived, the film had started. |
| by + future time / by the time + present | Future Perfect | By 2040, the population will have doubled. |
| when / while + interrupted action | Past Continuous + Past Simple | While I was reading, the lights went out. |
| It is the first time … | Present Perfect | It is the first time I have seen snow. |
| since + past simple (point in time) | main clause: Present Perfect | He has lived here since he moved in 2015. |
Linkers by Meaning
| Meaning | + clause | + noun / -ing |
|---|---|---|
| Contrast | although, even though, whereas, while | despite, in spite of |
| Cause | because, since, as | because of, due to, owing to |
| Result | so, so … that, such … that; therefore, thus (new sentence) | as a result of |
| Purpose | so that, in order that | in order to, so as to (+ verb) |
| Condition | if, unless, provided that, as long as | in case of, in the event of |
| Time | once, as soon as, until, by the time | during, prior to |
Tactics
- Decide the meaning relation first: do the two clauses contrast, or is one the cause, result or condition of the other?
- Then check the grammar: is the blank followed by a clause (subject + verb) or by a noun / -ing form? This removes half of the options.
- Look for tense agreement between the two clauses, especially with by the time, when, since and conditionals.
- Two-blank tense questions: solve the easier blank first and eliminate every option that does not match it.
- Learn prepositions as collocations: increase in, responsible for, effective against, interest in, contribute to.