Need help with the English Basics?

Our English Basics “test” is not actually a real standardized test. Union Test Prep created English Basics as a learning resource with several purposes. Perhaps you are preparing for a standardized test that contains reading and/or writing sections. Going through our English Basics study guides, practice questions, and flashcards will help you gain a stronger background in oral and written language so that your scores may be higher. It may also provide extra support and practice for the reading and English portions of our other test prep materials that you find difficult.

You may not be preparing for any test at all, but perhaps an employer or instructor has required or suggested improvement in spoken and/or written English as part of your job evaluation or coursework. Using all three parts (study guides, practice questions, and flashcards) of English Basics should easily satisfy that requirement. You can set aside regular practice times and improve many aspects of your communication skills.

Finally, maybe you are neither preparing for a test nor needing recommended English improvement. You may just have the feeling that you don’t know enough about how English should be spoken and written. Most friends will not point out your mistakes, but someone may have made a crack about your grammar, at some point. Why not see how much you do know and find out ways to improve?

There are all sorts of reasons for poor English usage and most of them have nothing to do with intelligence. Perhaps your English instruction in school was not sequential and there were gaps left, due to changing schools or ineffective instruction during particular years. Prior personal experiences also shape the way we do things, and perhaps correctly speaking the language was not a priority during your formative years. Maybe it’s hard to know what “sounds right” because you are not accustomed to hearing “good English.” English Basics can help you there, too. After all, you can’t do something “right” if you don’t know the correct way. You can use English Basics as a fun, self-improvement project.

Since there is no real test called “English Basics,” you’re not going to pay a thing—all our materials are free to the user. But, you may find us saving you money as you avoid retakes of the English sections of tests. We can also provide extra information and practice to support any classes and other practice that has been required, allowing you to get the most for your money!

You really don’t need anything to use our materials, but if you are a pencil-and-paper person, those supplies might come in handy. Or you can keep notes electronically—whatever works best for you. If you have a need or desire to work on your English grammar and usage, we can provide the vehicle!

When you utilize any of our practice materials, you can track your progress in our system. If you score well the first time, great! A boost to your confidence with English! If you miss some, there is always a chance to improve that score another time.

There are very few career and/or general life situations that do not involve some measure of written and spoken English. From the job interview and application essay to meeting your new in-laws, language use is generally required and how proficiently you speak and write is often judged. It couldn’t hurt to work on speaking and writing correctly so that mistakes don’t become barriers to success in any situation.

As long as you can connect to the Internet, you’re good to go with all of our test prep materials. They are available on computer, tablet, or smartphone. You might even find another test on our site that could propel you into new levels of study or a new job opportunity. And away you will go, with free practice stuff!

Yes, there are times when perfect language does not matter too much. When you are just hanging out with family and friends, you may be fine just “going with the flow” and making grammatical errors, if that is the norm in that group. But, beware, in this day and age, much of what you write online can become available to anyone—a prospective or current boss, the family and friends of a romantic interest, etc. You just never know, so why not put your best out there for the world to see?

Forbes Magazine conducted some research on the relationship between good grammar and career advancement. This is what they found:

• Employees in higher positions made fewer grammatical errors when writing professionally.
• Employees who used good grammar when writing have a greater likelihood of promotion.

And, higher positions generally equal higher pay, so why not give yourself all the tools?

Union Test Prep is always here for you, online, at any hour. You can access English Basics during work breaks or while waiting for appointments. This makes practicing English extremely convenient! And, if you have questions or concerns, we even have a way for you to register and submit them for an answer, usually within a day or so.

No real test = no time limit. You can just work at your own pace on our practice materials, go back and do them again for extra practice, any time, day or night. You get to practice only what you need, at your convenience.