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30 cardsSTEP (Standardized Test of English Proficiency)

STEP: Grammar, Vocabulary and Reading Skills

Thirty cards with the grammar patterns, vocabulary and reading skills that appear most often on the STEP test.

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Present perfect
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1
Present perfect
have/has + past participle: for a length of time, since a starting point.
2
Past perfect
had + past participle: before another past moment.
3
Conditionals
First: if + present, will. Second: if + past, would. Third: if + past perfect, would have.
4
Inversion
Hardly had he ... when; Not only did she ...; Only after ... did ...
5
Subjunctive
It is essential that he submit ...; I wish I were ...; if I were you.
6
Passive voice
be + past participle.
7
Reported speech
Tenses move back; questions use statement order.
8
Relative clauses
who, which, that, whose, where; non-defining clauses use commas.
9
Gerund or infinitive
enjoy/suggest/deny + -ing; decide/promise/hope + to.
10
Parallel structure
Items in a list must have the same grammatical form.
11
Subject-verb agreement
Each, neither, the number of take a singular verb; a number of takes a plural verb.
12
Uncountable nouns
information, advice, furniture and news have no plural.
13
Comparatives
taller, more interesting; the more ..., the better.
14
Linking words
although/however: contrast; therefore/consequently: result; moreover: addition.
15
Prepositions after verbs
apologise for, depend on, rely on, look forward to + -ing.
16
Word formation
Prefixes un-, dis-, im-, mis- and suffixes -ness, -ment, -able, -ous.
17
Collocations
make a decision, do research, take place, pay attention, raise awareness.
18
Phrasal verbs
put off: postpone; turn down: refuse; come up with: invent; carry out: perform.
19
Context clues
Look for contrast and cause words around the missing word.
20
Synonyms in academic English
foster: encourage; hinder: obstruct; diminish: reduce; concise: brief and clear.
21
Reading: main idea
The best title or main idea covers the whole passage.
22
Reading: inference
Choose the option supported by the text but not directly stated.
23
Reading: vocabulary
Test each option in the sentence.
24
Reading: purpose
Ask why the author wrote the text: to explain, argue, describe or advise.
25
Error recognition
Check verb agreement, tense, prepositions and word forms first.
26
Double negatives
Hardly and scarcely are already negative, so say hardly ever, not hardly never.
27
Few and little
Few and little mean almost none; a few and a little mean some.
28
Used to and be used to
used to + base; be used to + -ing.
29
Despite and although
Despite + noun or -ing; although + clause.
30
Modal deduction
must: sure it is true; can't: sure it is not true; might: possible.

STEP (Standardized Test of English Proficiency) in Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, STEP (Standardized Test of English Proficiency) is part of: Study abroad and English.

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