The exercises below were extracted from the british council. Try taking the free test on their website to test your knowledge by following the link below:
Activity 1- Write words to complete a text
In this exercise, students must write the correct word(s) to complete a text.
• The student will need to read the whole text.
• Before they select a word, they must have an idea of what type of word is missing? Is it a noun? A verb? A preposition? Etc.
• If they don’t know the answer, then they can guess.
• Missing words are often auxiliary verbs, pronouns, relative pronouns, articles, quantifiers, prepositions, phrasal verbs, modals and linking words.
• Check their answers carefully when they have completed the exercise and provide feedback on their results.
Example:
Activity 2 – Choose the correct option.
In this exercise, students must choose the correct option to fill the gap in a sentence.
• Students must read the whole sentence with all options before they choose.
• If they are not sure which option to choose, tell them to use their instinct on the option that feels and sounds correct.
• Check their answers carefully when they have completed the exercise and provide feedback on their results.
• Options will often test students on similar or easily confused words, linking words, phrasal verbs, and collocations.
Activity 2 – Complete the gaps
In this type of exam, the student will have to change the form of a word (in brackets) to complete the sentence. For example:
My dad _____ (work) in a shop.
My sister _____ (not like) swimming.
This song is much _____ (good) than that one.
Students must read the whole sentence and understand the entire sentence before starting the exercise. Here are some tips for this exercise.
The word is often a verb. Answer these questions for a verb:
• Does it refer to the present, past or future?
• Do you need a simple or continuous form?
• Do you need an auxiliary verb?
• Do you need to add an ‘s’ to the verb?
• Is it an irregular verb?
• Do you need a passive form? (be + past participle)
Sometimes the word is an adjective. Answer these questions for an adjective:
• Do you need the comparative form?
• Is it a regular or irregular form?
• Do you need the superlative form?
• Is it a regular or irregular form?
• Remember! There is no plural adjective form. e.g. Your shoes are nice. (NOT Your shoes are nices)
Sometimes the word is an adverb. Answer these questions for an adverb.
• What’s the adjective form?
• Do you add ‘ly’ to the adjective? e.g. slow + ly = slowly
• Is it irregular? e.g. fast, hard
Finally, remember these tips.
• If they are not sure which option to choose, tell them to use their instinct on the option that feels and sounds correct.
• Check their answers carefully when they have completed the exercise and provide feedback on their results.
Activity 3 – Example:
Activity 4 – Word Formation
In a sentence or text
The student must change the form of a word, e.g. from a noun to an adjective, or from a verb to a noun. For example:
The _____ was very nervous. (sing)
You have to complete the sentence with the person noun (singer). You change the verb (sing) into the person noun (singer).
• Look at the word you have to change. Which words do you know that are in the same word family?
• The beginning of the word is often the same and the end of the word changes.
• What form is the new word? A verb? A noun? An adjective? An adverb?
• Nouns often end: -ment, -ion, -ness, -ity.
• People nouns often end: -er, -or, -ist, -ian.
• Adjectives often end: -able, -ible, -ive, -al, -ic, -ed, -ing.
• Some verbs end: -ise, -ate, -en.
• Adverbs often end: -ly.
• Is the new word negative? If so, you may need a prefix, e.g. un- (unhappy), im- (impolite), in- (inexperienced), dis- (dishonest), etc.
• If you don’t know the new word, guess. You may be right!
• Check your answers carefully when you finish.
Example:
Activity 5 – Sentence transformation
In this type of test, you have two sentences. Sentence one is complete. Sentence two is incomplete. You have to complete sentence two so that it means the same as sentence one. For example:
Steven Spielberg directed Jurassic Park.
Jurassic Park _________ Steven Spielberg.
Answer: Jurassic Park was directed by Steven Spielberg.
Here are our tips for doing sentence transformation exercises well.
• Read the instructions carefully.
• Are you given a word to include in sentence two? If so, don’t change this word.
• How many words are you allowed to write to complete sentence two? Sometimes the instructions will tell you that there is a maximum word limit.
• Read sentences one and two slowly and carefully.
• Which part of sentence one is tested in sentence two?
• What grammar do you need to use?
• If you don’t know an answer, guess. You may be right!
• Check your spelling carefully.
• Check your answers carefully when you finish.
• Sentence transformations often test direct and indirect speech, comparative and superlative forms, active and passive forms, quantifiers, conditionals and verb patterns.
Example:
