Language Proficiency is a critical component of the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT), assessing students' mastery of the English language. This section tests various elements of language use, including Parts of Speech, Correct Usage, and Punctuation. These components are essential for evaluating a student's ability to understand and produce coherent, grammatically accurate written English.
Parts of Speech
Understanding the Parts of Speech is foundational for mastering English grammar. The UPCAT examines knowledge of:
- Nouns: Identifying and correctly using different types of nouns (common, proper, abstract, concrete).
- Pronouns: Ensuring proper use of pronouns, including personal, possessive, reflexive, and relative pronouns.
- Verbs: Recognizing verb tenses, moods, and aspects, and ensuring subject-verb agreement.
- Adjectives: Using adjectives for description and comparison (positive, comparative, superlative forms).
- Adverbs: Modifying verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to express time, manner, place, frequency, and degree.
- Prepositions: Understanding prepositional phrases and their role in indicating relationships between different elements in a sentence.
- Conjunctions: Correctly using coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions to connect clauses and sentences.
- Interjections: Recognizing and correctly placing interjections to express emotions or exclamations.
Mastery of these parts of speech helps students construct grammatically correct sentences, enhancing both written and verbal communication skills.
Correct Usage
Correct Usage involves the application of grammar rules to ensure clarity and precision in communication. The UPCAT evaluates:
- Subject-Verb Agreement: Ensuring the subject and verb in a sentence agree in number and person.
- Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Matching pronouns correctly with their antecedents in terms of number, gender, and person.
- Word Choice: Selecting appropriate words to convey the intended meaning, avoiding common pitfalls such as malapropisms or incorrect usage of homophones (e.g., their/there/they’re).
- Verb Tenses: Using the correct verb tense to indicate the time of action, maintaining consistency within a text.
- Modifiers: Placing modifiers correctly to avoid ambiguity and ensure that they modify the intended word or phrase.
Correct usage ensures that writing is clear, precise, and free of common grammatical errors, making it easier for readers to understand the intended message.
Punctuation
Punctuation is crucial for clarifying meaning and ensuring the readability of a text. The UPCAT tests knowledge of:
- Periods, Question Marks, and Exclamation Points: Using these marks to indicate the end of a sentence and the type of sentence (declarative, interrogative, or exclamatory).
- Commas: Employing commas for lists, introductory elements, non-restrictive clauses, compound sentences, and to separate adjectives.
- Semicolons and Colons: Using semicolons to connect closely related independent clauses and colons to introduce lists, quotes, or explanations.
- Quotation Marks: Properly using quotation marks for direct speech, quotations, and titles of short works.
- Apostrophes: Indicating possession and forming contractions correctly.
- Parentheses and Dashes: Using parentheses to add supplementary information and dashes for emphasis or to indicate a range.
Proper punctuation ensures that sentences are well-structured and that the meaning is conveyed accurately, preventing misinterpretation.
UPCAT Examination Reviewer for Language Proficiency
Welcome to our UPCAT Reviewer! In this session, you'll have the opportunity to test your understanding of key concepts in Parts of Speech, Correct Usage, Punctuation. The quiz consists of multiple-choice questions covering various topics. Pay close attention to each question and select the best answer. After completing the exam, check the video below for the answer key and explanations.
Parts of Speech
1. Identify the part of speech of the underlined word in the following sentence:
She quickly finished her homework before dinner.
a) noun
b) verb
c) adjective
d) adverb
2. Which word in the following sentence is a preposition?
The cat jumped over the fence and ran into the yard.
a) jumped
b) over
c) fence
d) ran
3. Choose the correct part of speech for the underlined word in the following sentence:
The artist painted a beautiful mural on the wall.
a) noun
b) verb
c) adjective
d) adverb
4. Identify the part of speech of the underlined word in the sentence below:
Wow! That was an amazing performance.
a) noun
b) verb
c) interjection
d) conjunction
5. In the sentence below, what part of speech is the underlined word?
She spoke to the manager about the issue.
a) noun
b) verb
c) preposition
d) conjunction
6. Which word in the following sentence is a conjunction?
I wanted to go to the party, but I had too much homework.
a) wanted
b) to
c) but
d) much
7. Identify the part of speech of the underlined word in this sentence:
The children laughed loudly at the clown's antics.
a) noun
b) verb
c) adjective
d) adverb
8. Which part of speech is the underlined word in the following sentence?
The small dog barked ferociously at the stranger.
a) noun
b) verb
c) adjective
d) adverb
9. In the sentence below, what part of speech is the underlined word?
They decided to visit their grandparents during the holidays.
a) noun
b) verb
c) preposition
d) adverb
10. Which word in the following sentence is a pronoun?
Everyone in the class finished their project on time.
a) Everyone
b) class
c) finished
d) project
Correct Usage
1. Choose the sentence with the correct usage:
a) She and him went to the market.
b) She and he went to the market.
c) Her and him went to the market.
d) Her and he went to the market.
2. Choose the correct sentence:
a) It's a beautiful day outside.
b) Its’ a beautiful day outside.
c) It’s an beautiful day outside.
d) Its an beautiful day outside.
3. Choose the correct usage suited in the sentence.
The team lost ______ game.
a) their
b) there
c) they’re
d) thier
4. Choose the correct sentence:
a) Each of the boys have their own book.
b) Each of the boys have his own book.
c) Each of the boys has their own book.
d) Each of the boys has his own book.
5. Choose the sentence with the correct usage:
a) Between you and I, this is a secret.
b) Between you and me, this is a secret.
c) Between you and he, this is a secret.
d) Between you and she, this is a secret.
6. Choose the correct sentence:
a) He could of gone to the store.
b) He could have gone to the store.
c) He could gone to the store.
d) He could off gone to the store.
7. Choose the sentence with the correct usage:
a) Who’s book is this?
b) Whose book is this?
c) Who’se book is this?
d) Whose’s book is this?
8. Choose the correct sentence:
a) Neither of the girls are going to the party.
b) Neither of the girls is going to the party.
c) Neither of the girls am going to the party.
d) Neither of the girls be going to the party.
9. Choose the correct sentence:
a) I can't hardly wait for the concert.
b) I could hardly wait for the concert.
c) I can hardly wait for the concert.
d) I couldn't hardly wait for the concert.
10. Choose the sentence with the correct usage:
a) She did good on the exam.
b) She did well on the exam.
c) She done good on the exam.
d) She done well on the exam.
Punctuation
1. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?
a) My favorite fruits are: apples, bananas, and oranges.
b) My favorite fruits are: apples bananas, and oranges.
c) My favorite fruits are apples, bananas, and oranges.
d) My favorite fruits are apples bananas, and oranges.
2. Choose the sentence with the correct punctuation.
a) It's time to go, said Maria.
b) "Its time to go," said Maria.
c) "It's time to go," said Maria.
d) Its' time to go, said Maria.
3. Identify the sentence that is punctuated correctly.
a) We need to buy; bread, milk, eggs, and cheese.
b) We need to buy bread, milk, eggs, and cheese.
c) We need to buy bread, milk, eggs and, cheese.
d) We need to buy; bread, milk, eggs and cheese.
4. Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
a) She loves to play volleyball; however, she is not very good at it.
b) She loves to play volleyball however; she is not very good at it.
c) She loves to play volleyball, however, she is not very good at it.
d) She loves to play volleyball however, she is not very good at it.
5. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
a) After we eat, we'll go for a walk.
b) After, we eat we'll go for a walk.
c) After we eat; we'll go for a walk.
d) After we eat we'll go, for a walk.
6. Choose the sentence with the correct punctuation.
a) The meeting is scheduled for Monday: June 5, 2023.
b) The meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 5, 2023.
c) The meeting is scheduled for Monday June 5, 2023.
d) The meeting is scheduled for Monday; June 5, 2023.
7. Identify the correctly punctuated sentence.
a) I have read many books on the subject; however, I still don't understand it.
b) I have read many books on the subject however; I still don't understand it.
c) I have read many books on the subject: however I still don't understand it.
d) I have read many books on the subject; however I still don't understand it.
8. Select the sentence that is punctuated correctly.
a) I need to buy a few things at the store: bread, milk, and butter.
b) I need to buy a few things at the store; bread, milk, and butter.
c) I need to buy a few things at the store, bread, milk, and butter.
d) I need to buy a few things at the store bread, milk, and butter.
9. Which sentence has the correct punctuation?
a) To be honest I don’t like pizza.
b) To be honest, I don't like pizza.
c) To be honest I, don't like pizza.
d) To be honest, I dont like pizza.
10. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
a) Her favorite movies are, The Godfather, Titanic, and Inception.
b) Her favorite movies are, The Godfather, Titanic and, Inception.
c) Her favorite movies are The Godfather, Titanic, and Inception.
d) Her favorite movies are The Godfather; Titanic, and Inception.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR THE ANSWER KEY AND EXPLANATION
Please don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!