IEO preparation guide: grammar, reading and spoken English

The International English Olympiad (IEO) tests how well you use English, not how many rules you can recite.

Sections

• Word and Structure Knowledge — grammar, vocabulary, synonyms and antonyms, idioms.
• Reading — comprehension passages and inference.
• Spoken and Written Expression — choosing the natural thing to say in a situation.
• Achievers Section — harder items drawn from all three areas.

Grammar that is tested again and again

1. Subject–verb agreement (including tricky subjects like neither of the boys).
2. Tenses and time expressions.
3. Articles and prepositions.
4. Active and passive voice.
5. Reported speech.

Make a one-page cheat sheet for each. Read it once a day, then test yourself with five fresh sentences.

Build vocabulary the right way

Reading ten new words a day and forgetting them is useless. Instead keep a small notebook: word, meaning, one sentence you wrote yourself. Review the previous day's words before adding new ones.

Reading strategy

• Read the questions first so you know what to look for.
• Skim the passage once for structure, then read carefully where the questions point.
• Prefer the option supported by a sentence in the passage, not the one that "sounds true".

Spoken expression

These are conversation snippets: "Which reply fits?" Read the dialogue aloud in your head. The correct choice is almost always the polite, natural, context-appropriate one.

Weekly routine