ESL Cheat Sheet 2026

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

1. Which sentence uses 'affect' correctly? → The medicine did not affect her symptoms.
2. In US culture, arriving 'fashionably late' to a party typically means: → Arriving 10–30 minutes after the stated time
3. Krashen's five hypotheses collectively form which model of SLA? → The Monitor Model
4. Choose the correct definition of 'obsolete': → no longer in use or outdated
5. In a US job interview, what does "Tell me about yourself" typically invite you to discuss? → Your professional background, key skills, and why you're a good fit for the role
6. When someone ends a phone call by saying 'I'll let you go,' what do they mean? → They are politely ending the conversation.
7. Which of the following approaches should an ESL instructor employ when doing small group instruction? → Try out various group configurations.
8. What time expression means 'every seven days'? → Weekly
9. In academic English, what is an annotated bibliography? → A list of sources with brief descriptions or evaluations
10. A teacher tells a student, 'Burning the midnight oil again?' The teacher is commenting on the student: → Staying up very late to work or study
11. Which sentence expresses a past ability? → She could swim when she was five.
12. Which sentence correctly joins two independent clauses? → It was raining; therefore, we stayed inside.
13. Which contraction is correct for 'do not'? → don't
14. Which word means 'to make something better'? → improve
15. What does the prefix 'mis-' mean in the word 'misunderstand'? → not correctly
16. In an IELTS or TOEFL essay, what does "coherence" refer to? → The logical flow and organization of ideas
17. Which of the following best describes 'automaticity' in reading? → Decoding words effortlessly without conscious effort
18. A reader can make an inference by combining ___. → text clues and background knowledge
19. In a US workplace, what is the appropriate response when you don't understand a colleague's instructions? → Politely ask for clarification, such as "Could you explain that again?"
20. You hear two people talking. Person A says: 'Did you finish the report?' Person B replies: 'I'm almost done—just a few more pages.' What does Person B mean? → The report is nearly complete
21. What is the purpose of a text written to 'persuade'? → To convince the reader to agree with an opinion
22. How does Cultural Context & Idiomatic Expressions help in ESL exams? → It helps learners express ideas more clearly, improving performance in exams.
23. Why is Speaking & Pronunciation essential for conversational English? → It allows learners to engage confidently in everyday conversations.
24. What does the word 'arduous' mean? → Difficult and tiring.
25. Which word is the ODD ONE OUT in terms of the vowel sound in the stressed syllable? → bit
26. Fill in the blank with the correct article: "I saw ___ apple on the table." → an
27. Which article is correct? '__ apple is on the table.' → An
28. Which of the following best explains why ESL students should read extensively (large amounts of easy text) to build fluency? → High volume of reading builds automaticity with common words and phrases
29. Which word is a synonym for 'happy'? → joyful
30. A customer service representative says: 'Your order has been processed and will ship within three to five business days.' What does 'business days' mean? → Only weekdays, not weekends or holidays