Most common mistakes on the last Mock test

As before, there are a total of 85 points (25 listening and 60 reading and writing). You need a total of  60  to pass.  

 Most of you have improved! YEAH! GOOD JOB! 

  If your total score is still less than 60, do exercises in the left-hand column.   REMEMBER that the writing part is worth points, so PRACTICE!  
There is still time to improve. The more you study, the better you will do.  Some of you are very close to passing.  You just need to work a little harder.  Reread the rules and information in the past posts and study the vocabulary!  

  COMMON PROBLEMS:  

1. Use a DARK PENCIL(HB or B).  Make sure the circles are  DARK and SHINY  and that you have erased any mistakes well. 
2. Do NOT cross out mistakes or use arrows to indicate changes. The answer sheet must be a neat, final copy.
3. Write big enough for the examiner to read! 
4. Common words must be spelled correctly:  because, with, to-get-her, paid
5. PUNCTUATION is important!  Sentences end with full stops / periods (.), exclamation marks (!), or question marks (?) ,  not commas ( , ).  There is not usually a comma before the word because.
6. Be careful about subject and verb agreement: people were, we were
7. Do NOT use the 24-hour system.  2:00 / 2 p.m. / 2 o'clock NOT  14:00 o'clock  / 7:00 o'clock. 
8. Write numbers in words from zero to ten, especially if it is the first word in the sentence. 
9. Part 6: Use the correct form for your email. Begin with Dear / Hi / Hello and the name of the person you are writing to, followed by a comma. Andate a capo e iniziate la prima parola con una lettera MAIUSCOLA. Rispondete ai tre quesiti.  È necessario leggere le istruzioni della lettera con attenzione e rispondere alle domande.  Be sure to write at least 25 words. Chiudete con frasi come From, / Love, / Your friend, /See you soon. / Bye for now, e firmate.  
10. Part 7: Remember that it is best to write the story in the past tense. You can use the simple past and the past continuous:  We were dancing and singing when the singer asked us to sing with him.
    If you use the present tense, use the continuous to make it better: Barbara and Mary are dancing when the singer asks them to come on stage.
11. Be careful not to use the present perfect when the past simple is more appropriate: I think I lost my wallet when we went to the bar.  Do NOT say: I've lost my wallet yesterday. but  I LOST my wallet yesterday.
12. OBJECTIVE PRONOUNS: He asked us to come on stage.  Click HERE for more help with PRONOUNS.
13. You come last:  My friends and I   not me and my friends 
14. I as in "io" is always capitalized!
15. The Last weekend we went to a concert. 

Speaking part 2: School subjects + Shopping + Fun activities

 Be sure you have read through the other SPEAKING POSTS.

 PHRASES to use:

• In my opinion      
  
• What's your opinion?
• I personally think/feel
• I really think/believe that 
• What do you think? 
• I prefer 
• Which/What do you prefer?
• I don't really care for

 Do you like these school subjects? 

Do you think:

• maths is important?
  
• geography is useful?
• history is interesting?
• science is fun?
• art is easy?
  

Which of these subjects do you like best?

Do you like learning alone or with a teacher?

What sort of homework do you prefer; reading something or writing something? (Why?)

MOCK EXAM May 15 + 16: READ THIS POST CAREFULLY!

You will have another READING, WRITING, and LISTENING  mock test on  May 15 + 16.

PLEASE BE ON TIME.  

Remember that you will use special answer sheets, so you must have  2 (#2hb) PENCILS and an ERASER.  NO pens. NO gum. No noisy bracelets. Cell phones must be turned off or silenced. 

READ this post about the mistakes you made on the last mock test. 
If you finish the mock test early, you can click here for ideas on what to do. If you have done some writing exercises, please give them to me BEFORE we start the test. 

Reading and Writing

Listening 

TAKE NOTE:

1. 
   Be careful to transfer your answers correctly. Stay inside the circles. Make sure they are dark and shiny.   Fate attenzione quando trasferite le risposte all' answer sheet e riempite bene gli spazi in maniera precisa, lucida e scura.     
2. ERASE well. Do NOT leave two answers on one line. Non lasciate traccia di cancellatura.
3. Answer all questions. If you aren't sure, GUESS! NON lasciate nulla in bianco. Se non siete sicuri, indovinate! 
   
   
4. In PART 2  of the listening and PART 5 of the Reading, you MUST write in CAPITAL LETTERS.  If you have bad handwriting, use CAPITAL LETTERS for your email and story.
   Scrivete più leggibile possibile. Se non avete una buona scrittura, scrivete in STAMPATELLO MAIUSCOLO.  In parte 2 dell'ascolta e parte 5 del reading,  è d'obbligo scrivere in stampatello. 
   
   
5. Copy correctly! Spelling counts! Copiate perfettamente le risposte perchè lo spelling conta!  
   
   
6. Part 6: Iniziate la lettera con Dear / Hi / Hello e il nome della persona a cui stai scrivendo, seguito dalla vergola. Andate a capo e iniziate la prima parola con una lettera MAIUSCOLA. Rispondete ai tre quesiti. È necessario leggere le istruzioni della lettera con attenzione e rispondere alle domande.
   Chiudete con frasi come From, / Love, / Your friend, /See you soon. / Bye for now, e firmate.  Do NOT close with Bye bye.
   
   
7. Remember to count and write the  number of words; you must write at least 25.  Do not count the opening (Hi Mary,) or your name.
   Scrivete il numero di parole (un minimo di 25). Sarete penalizzate se scrivete meno di 25. Non contate l'apertura (Hi Mary,) o vostro nome. 
   
   
8. Fate attenzioni agli errori di ortografia. Dovete sapere come scrivere le parole della Vocabulary List.  I giorni della settimana iniziano con la lettera maiuscola, come la parola (io) "I" e la prima parola di ogni frase.
   
   
9. STUDY the vocabulary lists on this blog.
   
   
   

Important Message

Si prega di inviare alla scuola, la ricevuta del pagamento dell'esame KET.

TAKE NOTE!

There is no school on April 24 or 25.
May 1 and 8 are also holidays, so the Monday group (Via Togliatti) will have their lessons on Wednesday, May 3, and Wednesday, May 10, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. as usual.

Be sure to check here in case there are any changes.

This would also be a good time to read through the blog and do some writing exercises: EMAIL and STORY / Homework

Speaking Part 2: Different things to wear + places to eat + places in a town + outdoor activities

Watch the videos of the speaking exam.

Expressions to use:

• What do you think? 
• What about you? 
• I think… 
• I agree. / I don't agree. / I disagree.
• I love … 
• I prefer … 
• Yes, I think so too. 
• I don’t think so. 
• Maybe but I … 
• I don’t.
• I don't really like...
• That's an interesting question.
  
• I need to think about that for a moment. / I'll have to think about that...

In this part of the test, you are going to talk together. Here are some pictures that show different things to wear. Do you like these different things to wear? Say why or why not.  Now talk together.
 

After 1-2 minutes, the examiner will then ask each candidate a question, such as:
Do you think ...

• wearing jeans is boring?
• wearing sunglasses is important?
• wearing trainers is cool?
• wearing a cap in the sun is a good idea?
• wearing a watch is useful?

So, A, which of these things to wear do you like best? And B, which of these do you like best?

Do you prefer wearing a watch or using your phone to tell the time, B?  And what about you, A?

What kind of jewelry can you wear at school? Why?

**Give different answers or reasons than your partner.**

Part 7 STORY Writing practice

Look at the three pictures. Write the story shown in the pictures. 

Write 35 words or more. You can hand in your work or write your stories in the comments section below. For more stories, click HERE. 

The more you write, the easier it gets and the better you become!

 

Let's talk about hobbies + sports

Look at the pictures and compare hobbies.
Do you like these different hobbies? (Why or why not?)

Do you think …

1. … playing football is fun?
2. … playing an instrument is difficult?
3. … playing computer games is boring?
4. … reading is interesting?
5. … painting/drawing is easy?

Which of these hobbies do you like best?

Do you do any sport? (Br)
Do you play any sports? (more common in Am Eng)
*remember the use of the verbs play / go / do

Every Sunday I play volleyball with my friends. 
NOT practice
BUT you can use practice when it means to train
The team is practicing/training for the big game. (VERB-AM)
The team are in training for the big match. 
I have football practice three days a week. (practice is a NOUN)
I practice the piano every day. (VERB)

Which is more fun, playing sports or watching sports? (Why?)

What do you think about playing video games/football/an instrument/reading/drawing/?

What do you think about the people who do these things? 

Are you good at drawing / sports / playing any instrument? 

Do you prefer to spend your free time alone or with other people? (Why?)
How much time do you spend drawing / reading / playing video games?

When do you play video games / rugby / the piano?
When did you .....?
How much time did you spend drawing / practicing the piano...?

Do you ever draw animals?
Do you like drawing landscapes? 

What are you drawing now?

What kind of books do you like to read?
What are you reading now? 

MISTAKES on the Mock Test

NB: La maggior parte degli errori sono dovuti alla disattenzione in classe.
Many of you did not use the ANSWER SHEETS correctly.  

1. Write BIG and DARK, so the examiner can read what you wrote!  
2. Follow the INSTRUCTIONS! In listening part 2 and R+W Part 5,  you MUST write the words in CAPITAL LETTERS.  
3. Listening:  Use the 10-15-20 seconds given to read the information! It helps to know what they will be talking about. 
4. You must transfer ALL of your answers to the answer sheets.  Be sure to copy correctly from the booklet to your answer sheet.  Do not leave anything blank. Guess! You might be correct.  
5. You must ERASE well.  Leave only one answer on each line.  Do not write anything other than your aswers in the correct spaces. Be careful when you erase. If necessary letters are missing [scarf(scarf)],  the word will be considered misspelled and a mistake.
6. You have 6 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet in the listening. You must stop writing and put your pencil down when the time is up. There is one hour for the R+W INCLUDING the transfer time, so remember to give yourself enough to transfer your answers.
7. The circles must be filled in well.Stay within the circle. Make sure they are DARK and SHINY.   DO NOT cross them out.  

COMMON MISTAKES

1.  Write only 1 word in Listening Part 2 and R+W Part 5.
2.  Know the Alphabet! In Listening part 2  and in Writing part 5,  you must spell correctly.   Do not misspell words like Hi,  days of the week, with, because, snack, jacket, which, bridge
3.  Separate words correctly, or not at all. be-cause, hap-py
4.  Use capitals appropriately: at the beginning of a sentence, for names (Chris), days of the week, months. If you do not, the answer will be counted as incorrect. Do not use them when not necessary.
5. Then and than:  
                         First we'll go to the park, then we'll get something to eat. 
                         My bag is bigger than yours. 
6.  £4.50  (NO commas!)
7.  3:30 or 3.30 (NO 24 hour system!).  10 o'clock, but NOT 10.30 o'clock.
8.  PUNCTUATION is important!  Sentences end with full stops / periods (.), exclamation marks (!), or question marks (?) ,  not commas ( , ).
9. You come last:  My friends and I   not Me and my friends.
10. You must write GOING TO / WANT TO, NOT gonna or wanna.
11. Money is singular: There was some money. 
12.  It is best to write the story in the past tense. You can use the simple past and the past continuous:  Bob and Mary were walking in the park when they saw a huge tree with a big hole in it. 
    If you use the present tense, use the continuous to make it better: 
    Bob and Mary are walking in the park when they see a huge tree with a hole in it.

• PART 6- EMAIL.  DOVETE:
  • Leggere le istruzioni con attenzione, capire le 3 quisiti e a chi rispondere. 
  • Iniziare con  Hi / Hello" + Nome seguito da , della persona alla quale va indirizzata. 
  • Andare a capo e iniziare la prima parola con Lettera MAISUCOLA.
  • Rispondere alle tre quesiti. 
  • Chiudere con una frase adatta. 
  • Firmare tuo nome.
  • Contare le parole scritte.  Non scrivere meno di quanto richiesto. 

Mock Test

If you haven't read the post on the Mock Test, do that first.
If you finish the mock test early, you can:

1. practice writing EMAILS and STORIES
2. read through possible questions for speaking part 1 / more questions
3. prepare statements for speaking part 2
4. study the vocabulary words and try this exercise and the other vocabulary exercises under Helpful Links.
5. try the exercise below on prepositions and phrasal verbs

 

Speaking - part 2 - TV Programs

(5 - 6 minutes) 
In this part, you will talk with your partner. Here are some pictures that show different television programs. Do you like these different types of television programs?  Say why or why not. Now talk together.

Things to think about for your discussion: 

• What people, places, and things do you see in the pictures?  
• Do you like action films?
• Do you think that the news on TV is sad/interesting?
• Do you think watching football on TV is fun/exciting?
• What do you think about history programs?

Be descriptive to show the vocabulary you know.  Ask your partner questions so you speak together.

After 1-2 minutes, the examiner will then ask each candidate a question, such as:
Do you think ...

• watching action films on TV is exciting?
• watching the news on TV is sad?
• watching football matches on TV is interesting?
• watching singing on TV is fun?
• watching programs about history on TV is boring?

So Candidate A, which of these programs do you like best? And Candidate B, which do you like best? 
(Then you return the pictures)

Then he or she will ask you both some questions about the topic. (up to 2 min.)
Examples:

• Do you prefer watching television alone or with other people, Candidate B? Why? And what about you, Candidate A? 
• How much time do you spend watching television on different days of the week? Why?

That is the end of the test.

Part 6: EMAIL PRACTICE

Practice writing the emails below. Be sure to answer all 3 questions in each email. Write 25 words or more.  

1) Read a note from your friend Sarah.

Thank you for asking your brother to meet me at the bus station tomorrow. What does he look like? What clothes will he wear? Where will he wait for me?

See you soon!

Sarah

2)  Hi,
      It’s great that you’re free to meet me this weekend. I have a few questions.   Where is the best place in your town to meet? What would you like to do?   Shall I bring anything?     
      Write soon!
      Francis     

3)  You are planning a party. Write an email to your English friend Malcolm. In your email: 

 Tell Malcolm about your party.
 Ask if Malcolm wants to come.
Suggest what Malcom should bring.

You can hand in your work or write your emails in the comments section below.  
The more you do, the easier it gets and the better you become!

SPEAKING Part 1

Part 1: the examiner asks each student questions:  personal details, daily routines, likes, dislikes, and so on. Candidates respond directly to the examiner. You do not talk to each other in this part. Here are some common exam questions: 

1.     What’s your name?  / Spell your surname, please. 

2.       Where do you come from?  /  Where do you live?

3.       How often do you see your friends?

4.       What do you like doing with your friends?

5.       Where do your friends live?

6.       When do you see your friends?

7.       Please tell me something about one of your friends.

8.       Who do you live with?

9.       How many bedrooms are there in your house/flat?

10.           Where do you watch TV at home? (which room?)

11.              What’s your favourite room in your house?

12.            Please tell me something about the things you like doing at home at the weekends.

POST with the list of topics you should be able to talk about.
For more possible questions, click one of the links under the SPEAKING heading at the bottom of the right-hand column.