English 1: The Master Encyclopedia (Revision & Exam Handbook)
TIP
Use this for last-minute revision. Focus on the Traps and Exceptions.
⚡ 1. Introduction to Phonetics Cheat Sheet
Essential Sounds
| Sound | Symbol | Example | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schwa | /ə/ | About, Teacher | The lazy sound. Most common in English. |
| Short i | /ɪ/ | Ship, Sit | Short, crisp. |
| Long i | /i:/ | Sheep, Seat | Long, smiling mouth. |
| Short u | /ʊ/ | Put, Book | Lips rounded slightly. |
| Long u | /u:/ | Shoot, Boot | Lips fully rounded. |
| Voiced th | /ð/ | This, That | Vibration in throat. |
| Uniced th | /θ/ | Think, Thank | No vibration. |
Syllable Stress Rules
- 2-Syllable Nouns/Adj: Stress usually on 1st (TA-ble, HAP-py).
- 2-Syllable Verbs: Stress usually on 2nd (ex-PORT, de-CIDE).
- Words ending in -tion/-sion: Stress on Second-to-Last (Re-la-tion, TV).
⚡ 2. Grammar Rules Cheat Sheet
Article Flowchart
- Is it a Noun? → Yes.
- Is it Countable? → Yes.
- Is passed singular? → Yes.
- Does it start with VOWEL SOUND?
- YES → Use AN (An apple, An hour, An MP).
- NO → Use A (A car, A university).
- Is it Specific/Unique? → Use THE (The sun, The best).
Preposition Matches
| Word | Preposition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Accused | OF | Accused of thieft. |
| Afraid | OF | Afraid of spiders. |
| Agree | WITH/TO | Agree with person, Agree to plan. |
| Angry | WITH/AT | Angry with person, Angry at thing. |
| Good | AT | Good at math (Not in). |
| Interested | IN | Interested in art. |
| Listen | TO | Listen to music. |
| Married | TO | Married to him. |
| Prevent | FROM | Prevent from going. |
| Suffer | FROM | Suffer from fever. |
⚡ 3. Tense Timeline
- Past Perfect (Action 1) ---⇒ Simple Past (Action 2) ---⇒ NOW.
- By the time I arrived (2), the train had left (1).
- Past Continuous (Action 1 in progress) — Simple Past (Action 2 interrupts) ⇒.
- I was sleeping (1) when you called (2).
- Present Perfect (Past Action) ---⇒ Effect NOW.
- I have lost my keys (So I can’t enter now).
⚡ 4. Exam Trap Alerts! 🚨
WARNING
Trap: “Discuss about” / “Describe about”. Fact: Discuss/Describe are transitive. NEVER use ‘about’. Correct: “Let’s discuss the problem.”
WARNING
Trap: “One of the boy is here.” Fact: Structure is “One of the [PLURAL NOUN] is [SINGULAR VERB]“. Correct: “One of the boys is here.”
WARNING
Trap: “It’s” vs “Its”. Fact: It’s = It is. Its = Possession. Check: Can you say “It is”? If yes → It’s.