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. 

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

 

PARTS 6 + 7 from Sample Test

  Some NOTES on parts 6 and 7   

• Be careful about writing too much or too little. "How are you?" is not necessary to begin your email. 
• You will lose points if you do not include all 3 parts of the email or write about all three pictures for the story. 
• Proper nouns (names, days of the week, months, cities, etc.) and I MUST be capitalized: Saturday, February, Rome, I (NOT i ) 
• my friends and I   NOT   me and my friends   
• be careful to use the correct verb tense and use it correctly. 
• PUNCTUATION. Sentences end with a period ( . full stop) or an exclamation mark (!) Questions need a ?
• we HAVE a picnic or GO ON a picnic
• TIME: 6 o'clock /  6 p.m. / 4:30 / 4
• Use words you know how to spell correctly. Some common misspellings: which (not witch); together, with, sandwich, picnic
• MEET: We can meet at the station. (incontrare) BUT I am happy to meet you. (conoscere)

 PART 6 
Question 31
You are going shopping with your English friend Pat tomorrow. Write an email to Pat.
Say:

• where you want to meet
• what time you want to meet
• what you want to buy

Write 25 words or more.

Here are two examples:

Hi Pat,
I want to meet you at the shopping center tomorrow at 10 a..m.  I want to buy a watch and a pair of basketball shoes. 
See you then.
Mary

(26 words)

--------------------------

Hi Pat,

I am so happy to go shopping tomorrow because I would like to buy a necklace for my mom's birthday. Why don't we meet at the cafeteria outside the shopping center at 2 p.m.?
See you tomorrow.
Mary
(35 words)

 ********************************** 

 PART 7 

Examples:
1)  Yesterday my friends and I put food in my bag for a picnic. We went to the park and ate our lunch by the lake. It was warm, so after lunch, two friends went swimming.
(35words)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

2)  Last weekend my friends and I decided to have a picnic. First, we made sandwiches and filled my bag with fruit and some drinks. Then we went to the park where we ate our lunch on a blanket by the lake.  Later, Bob and Mary went swimming, while Peter and I talked. 
(52 words)

For more help with writing, click on a category under LABELS.

Grammar notes on writing exercises

Writing dates: 18 May / 18th May / May 18 / May 18th 
Money signs come BEFORE the number: £ 10, € 10, $10

Do not dot (.) a capital I !

NO:  "It's start"
YES: "It starts"

Borrow vs Lend: 
If I lend you money, I give it to you. If I borrow money, you give it to me. 

Could I borrow your pencil, please?
I lent Bob my dictionary.

ON foot, BY car, bus, train, plane

Spelling is important!
Count part 9 correctly. You MUST have 25-35 words. 

SPEAKING - some problems

PRIZES  (premi)     Prices (prezzi)

Have you ever won a prize?      What is the price of (a ticket)?  
                                    
cost?
How much is it?   /  How much are they?
How much does it cost?  /  How much do they cost?

£1400 = "one thousand four hundred pounds"  
£19.50 = "nineteen pounds, fifty"
€ 4.75 =  four euros and seventy-five cents   
                       "That's four seventy-five, please." 
                       "That'll be four seventy-five, please."
$122.33 = one hundred twenty-two dollars and thirty-three cents

Whose party is it?   It's Hannah's party.

     

What is the food like?   It's spicy. / It's very good. 

 Is eating out expensive? / Is it expensive to eat out?

               No, it's not expensive. It's cheap. 

What is the weather like?   It's sunny and warm.

    

Where does it take place?  It takes place in the city center.

 

eat?

     Can you eat there? 
food?
     Is there any food there?
    What kind of food is there? 

transport?
     How will/can we get there?
     What kind of transport will/can we use? 

How/get there?

     How can you get there?
     How do we get there?

(You can get there...) BY bus / train / boat / car
                                      ON foot

always sunny?
     Is it always sunny?

What/see?

     What can you see there? 
     What will we see there? 

age?

    How old is it? / How old is he/she?

car park?
     Is there a car park?

more information?

     Can you give me more information, please? 

     Where can I get more information? 

     How can I get more information?

Wear?
     What should I wear? (you, we)
     What do I/you/we have to wear?

What/clothes?
     What clothes should I wear? / What should I wear?

What/bring
     What should I bring?
     What can I bring?

long/journey?
     How long is the journey?

     Is the journey long?

good/food
     Is the food good?
     Do they have good food?

book/place (book means prenotare)
     How can I book a place?
     Can I book a place?
     
When?
When is it? (the party, the competition)

When/open?
When it is open?

April 25 or 25 April = "on the twenty-fifth of April" OR "April twenty-fifth."

November - January = "from November to January"

9 - 5 = "from nine to five"
Rd = Road
1900 = nineteen hundred

NOTE ON NUMBERS: 
1st = first  
31st = thirty-first
2nd = second  
22nd = twenty-second                       
3rd = third 
23rd = twenty-third 
5th = fifth
9th= ninth
12th = twelfth

@ = at
www.english.com = Double u-double u-double u - dot - English - dot - com 

If you have any questions or if there are other problem questions to add, please write them in the comments section below. 

Vocabulary and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the correct word:

Other phrasal verbs you should know:

sit down                 put on / take off              look out / watch out                look for
write down            turn on / turn off             go out                                           look after
lie down                 get on / get off                 fill in / fill out                             look at
                                  hold on                             find out
stand up
look up
wake up
get up
grow up
wash up
pick up
 
How are these phrases different: get up, get down, get in, get out ?

Pronunciation: verbs in the past tense

Please pay attention to the pronunciation of verbs in the past tense. 

EXAMPLES:
      cooked (cookt)                    lived (livd)                   wanted (wantid/wanted)

Now, try your hand at placing the verbs in the right column.

PRONOUNS

SUBJECT pronoun-verb-OBJECT pronoun

I see you.                          

You see me.                           

She sees him.                        

He sees her.

She sees it.

It sees us.

We see them.

They see us.

Object pronouns are also used after a preposition: 

Please give it to me. 

Don't give them to us.

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE pronouns are used before a noun and can be before or after the verb: 

That is my book.

Your book is on the table. 

POSSESSIVE pronouns replace a noun: 
Whose backpack is this? It's mine. 

Is that your sandwich? No, it's hers.

Those aren't my keys, they're yours.

Use a REFLEXIVE pronoun when the same person is the subject and object of the verb. 

I taught myself how to cook.
(You) Tell me about yourself. 
He looked at himself in the mirror.
She is talking to herself.
It can turn itself off if you use a timer.
We enjoyed ourselves.
Are you enjoying yourselves? 
They always talk about themselves.

Be careful for these common mistakes

 WRONG  //  RIGHT        
Do you like (pizza)?  Yes, I like.  //    Yes, I do.

She's name is Carla.    //  Her name is Carla.
Click HERE for a pronoun review.

What's your sport?  //   What sports do you do?

You have a family?    //    Do you have a family? 
What is your work?   //    What is your job?
I'm from French.    //       I'm from France. 
Have you (an uncle)?  //  Do you have (an uncle)?
I'm from in Spain.    //    I'm from Spain. 

Do you have pets?   //   Do you have any pets?  Do you have any animal?   //  Do you have any pets? 
I have 18 years.    //   I am 18.  /  I am 18 years old.  
Do you like travel?   //  Do you like to travel?  / Do you like traveling?

What do you do in your free time?  I watching TV.  //   I watch TV.

in my weekends.  //   on weekends / at the weekends
I return at home.  //  I return home. 
on your free time   //   in your free time

I practice any sport.   //  I don't do any sports.
practice is a noun with sports: I have football practice this afternoon. 
it is a verb with instruments: I practice the piano four hours a day. 

Listen to

Speaking Test Part 2 (Old version)

Speaking Part 2: the examiner gives you some information on a card with some ideas for questions. You must ask full questions and use correct grammar. Look and talk to your partner, NOT the examiner. 

Let's practice.  Write questions from these answers: 

1. It costs €3.50.  ("three euros and fifty cents")
2. I watch television in the evening.
3. It starts at 7 p.m.
4. It's on December 25.
5. There are 28 people in our class.
6. It's on High Street.
7. She was born on July 4.
8. I listen to pop music.
9. It's Roberta's backpack.
10. The club is open to students under the age of 15.
11. You can take the train.
12. Fine, thanks.
13. He's 14.
14. I like the black sweater.
15. Because I have a test tomorrow.
16. That's his.

Some structures you will use:

1. How much does it cost? How much do they cost?
   How much is it?  / How much are they?
2. What can you do there? 
3. What/Where/How can you _______?
4. Is/Are there __________?
5. What time/When does/do _________?
6. Is it open/closed on (weekends/Saturday)? / When is it open/closed?
7. Does it__________?
8. How many _________?
9. What kind of __________?
10. How far is _________?
11. How can we get there? / How do we get there?
12. Can you __________?
13. Whose _________ is it?

The different meanings of LIKE

    
 What's the weather like? It's sunny and warm.

What was the weather like yesterday? It was cold and rainy. 

What's Brad like?   He's smart, sweet and very funny! 

WHAT does he look like?   He is tall and muscular and has black hair and green eyes.

WHO does he look like?  He looks like his mom. 
(For more ideas, check the ADJECTIVEs + Describing people page above OR CLICK HERE)

What do you like doing on weekends?  
I like going out for a pizza with my friends.

What do you like to do on weekends?  I like to read books and relax. 

  

What would you like for lunch?  I'd like some soup and a sandwich. 

Do you like Coke?  Yes, I do. / No, I don't.

Would you like some Coke? Yes, I would, thank you. / Yes, please.     

OR   No, thank you. 

What does she like to eat?  She likes to eat spaghetti with meatballs.

Did she like vegetables when she was a child? 

           Yes, she did.  / No, she didn't. 

 She has a bag like mine. (Here like means "similar to".)