EAP Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield EAP facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of formal academic writing? → Contractions and colloquial expressions
2. Which frequency adverb functions as a hedging device in academic writing? → generally
3. Shikibu Murasaki, who wrote almost a thousand years ago, was one of the world’s _____ novelists. → earliest
4. Which of the following elements is essential for an effective presentation conclusion? → A brief summary of the main points and a final, memorable closing statement.
5. Jasmine is never late to meet her friends and sometimes arrives a few minutes early. Which best describes Jasmine? → Punctual
6. A student is drafting the conclusion for their argumentative essay. Which of the following should they AVOID including? → A new piece of evidence or a new sub-argument to support the thesis.
7. In academic writing, what does 'signposting' refer to? → Using language that guides the reader through the structure of the text
8. As demonstrated by his last album, which was released after his death, Ibrahim Ferrer _____ one of the most beautiful voices in Latin music. → had
9. Which of the following is an example of nominalization? → The investigation of the problem was conducted by researchers.
10. What is the primary purpose of using hedging language (e.g., 'it may suggest,' 'it seems likely that,' 'tends to') in formal academic writing? → To express claims with appropriate caution and acknowledge the limits of the research.
11. What is the purpose of a research question in academic work? → To focus the scope of investigation and guide the research process
12. What is a 'booster' in academic writing, and how does it relate to hedging? → A booster increases the strength of a claim, the opposite of hedging
13. Which of the following sentences demonstrates the most effective use of nominalization for a formal academic context? → The government's regulation of the industry was a necessary action.
14. What is the purpose of an abstract in an academic paper? → To give a brief summary of the paper's content, purpose, and findings
15. Under which circumstance would a piece of information generally be considered 'common knowledge' and NOT require a citation in an academic paper? → The fact that William Shakespeare wrote the play 'Hamlet'.
16. At only 43, John F. Kennedy was the _____ American president ever to be elected. → youngest
17. Which sentence uses the passive voice primarily as a hedging strategy? → It has been observed that stress levels increase during exam periods.
18. What is the purpose of a concluding paragraph in an academic essay? → To summarize main points and reaffirm the thesis in light of the evidence
19. Which of the following sentences uses appropriate academic vocabulary? → The investigation examined factors contributing to poor academic performance.
20. Which modal verb expresses the STRONGEST degree of certainty in academic writing? → must
21. What is the function of a thesis statement in an academic essay? → To present the writer's main argument or central claim
22. Which sentence demonstrates appropriate use of hedging language? → Climate change appears to pose significant risks to coastal cities in coming decades.
23. What does 'authority' refer to when evaluating sources? → The credentials and expertise of the author or publisher
24. Which of the following demonstrates appropriate use of the passive voice in academic writing? → The error was caused by a miscalculation in the data set.
25. What is the difference between a primary source and a secondary source? → Primary sources are original works; secondary sources analyze or interpret primary sources
26. In academic writing, the phrase 'it seems that' is best classified as which type of hedging device? → Introductory phrase hedge
27. Which word is the most suitable academic substitute for 'show' in the sentence: 'The data will show the results of the experiment.'? → Indicate
28. The SQ3R method is a critical reading strategy that stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. What is the primary purpose of the 'Question' step? → To formulate questions based on titles and headings to create a purpose for reading.
29. What is an 'annotated bibliography'? → A list of sources organized alphabetically with a brief summary and evaluation of each
30. Which type of source is generally considered MOST reliable for academic research? → A peer-reviewed journal article