Aptis Grammar and Vocabulary Exam – Final Preparation

Aptis Grammar and Vocabulary Exam – Final Preparation

1 – Refresh your memory

What do you already know about the grammar and vocabulary exam? Choose one word from the
box to complete each gap in this summary text. Use each word only once.

as change consists each tests even for pause whole

The grammar and writing exam 1)__________ of 2 separate sections. The first is 25 multiple choice answers to
test your grammar knowledge. It tests things like verb tenses, articles, prepositions, linkers, modal verbs
and2)__________ spoken grammar. The second is 5 vocabulary exercises,3)__________ with 5 items for
which you have to select one choice from a drop-down list. It 4)__________ mainly synonyms and collocations.
There is one mark 5)__________ each answer, making a total of 50 marks for the6)__________ test. You have
25 minutes to complete the test. During the test, you cannot 7)__________ the clock, but you can go back or
forward8)__________ you like, and you can review and 9)__________ your answers at any point until you
submit your test or your time runs out.

2 – Navigating within the Aptis website

1) Circle the following: a) time remaining b) percentage of test completed c) button to move to next ques

2) How would you… a) go to question 7? b) leave a question for later? c)go straight to the vocab.
section?

3 – Do the Aptis Website Practice Exam

Go to the following web address and do the online Grammar and Vocabulary Practice Exam:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/aptis-practice-tests/AptisGrammarVocabPractice/

Once you’ve finished, you’ll get a % mark. Make a note of it here: _________%

4 – Find your Strengths and Weaknesses

In order to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in grammar and vocabulary knowledge, it’s useful to know
the name of the grammar or vocabulary that is being tested. That way, you can search for the same grammar /
vocabulary area online and improve on your weak areas. Here are all the questions from the test. Read
through them and decide whether you know the grammar or not. Put a tick or cross in the last column. Also
answer any of the questions in the ‘What is it testing?’ column.

Grammar

Do I know this?
Question with correct answer in bold What is it testing?
 or 
1. He is single. He never ________. Tenses
married Past simple, present simple. It’s also
marries testing use of the negative adverb
marrying ‘never’.
2. I ________ use to swim much, but now I have Used to
my own pool, I swim every day. An area of grammar used to talk about
don’t past habits & states. This question is
didn’t testing the form.
did
3. In those days, my father ________ never eat Would
dinner after 8 o’clock. A modal verb that can also be used to
used to talk about past habits. Why is ‘used
will to’ impossible?
would
4. I had a shower, ________ I went to bed. Linkers
during ‘during’ is a preposition, ‘then’ is an
then adverb
until and ‘until’ is either a preposition or a
conjunction.
5. How much ________ the train to Santiago cost? Question Forms
is This question is testing whether you
does understand which auxiliary to use in
do questions.
6. He ________ in Cairo. Tenses
living Present simple vs. present continuous.
lives Only ‘lives’ is formally correct. How
live would it be in present continuous?
7. ________ you like to go out this evening? Question Forms
Will This question is testing whether you
Would know how to form a question with
Can ‘would like’

8. He ________ finished cooking when we arrived. Tenses

has Past perfect simple vs. present perfect
have simple. Why is present perfect
had impossible?
9. The film starts ________ half past four. Prepositions of Time
at We always use ‘at’ with clock times.
on Do you know when we use ‘on’ and
in ‘in’?
10. I wish it ________ the time of year when I could Wish
go on holiday. Notice how we need to use past tense
will be after ‘wish’ (‘were’ is the subjunctive
is form). The same is true about ‘if
were only’.

11. I don’t think it’s right ________ children to play Syntax

with toy guns. A difficult area to revise. It tests your
for understanding of how to link clauses
that in sentences. Note the structure:
to be + right / wrong for (+ noun) to (+
verb).
12. I ________ to work when I saw Steve. Tenses
was going Past continuous vs. past simple. These
went are part of an area of grammar
going sometimes called ‘narrative tenses’.
13. That man’s so unreliable – you can’t trust him. Adverb position in sentences
________ There are specific rules as to where
I wouldn’t frankly work with him. we can and can’t put adverbs in
I wouldn’t work frankly with him. sentences. Do you know the rules?
Frankly, I wouldn’t work with him.
14. Excuse me, I’m lost. ________ you help me? Polite Requests
Could The example uses ‘could’. Do you
Shall know other ways of making polite
Should requests?
15. William ________ in South America now. Tenses
is living Present continuous vs. ‘will’ future
will live and past continuous.
was living
16. We could cook dinner. ________, we could buy Linkers
some take away food. ‘Therefore’ and ‘On the other hand’
Therefore are discourse markers, a type of
On the other hand adverb. Although is always a
Although conjunction. Do you know the
difference?
17. You ________ to do your homework by Expressing Obligation
tomorrow. This is testing an area that includes
should both ‘true modal verbs’ and the ‘semi-
must modal’ ‘have to’. Why are the others
have wrong?
18. We ________ have caught the early train, as the Needn’t have (+ past participle)
football match was delayed. Notice how some modals can be used
mustn’t in the past to express criticism or
didn’t make deductions. Google ‘past
needn’t modals of deduction’ for more
information.
19. She reads every day ________ she isn’t serious. Conjunctions
and This is testing the meaning of the 3
because conjunctions. How would you change
but the sentence to use ‘and’ or ‘because’?
20. A: I enjoy working on challenging projects at So do I / Neither do I
work. B: So ________ I! This is a specific area of spoken
am grammar that is often tested in the
do exam. How would you negate the
can answer?
21. Go to the end of the street and turn ________ Giving Directions
right. This is testing collocation / dependent
(-) prepositions within the functional area
on of ‘giving directions’.
to
22. The children ________ playing football for two Tenses
hours before it started raining. Past perfect continuous, the right
have been answer, is being contrasted with
has been present perfect continuous. What is
had been the other verb tense used in the
sentence?
23. There were ________ than fifty people in the Comparatives / Quantifiers
audience last night. Note that in Malaysia, ‘lesser’ is
 fewer sometimes used in this context, but
few this is considered wrong in standard
lesser UK English.
24. I just heard they are ________ get married in Be going to (+ verb)
June. Often just called ‘going to’, it’s a very
going to common future form in English.
going
go to
25. If you were a better cook, you ________ need to Conditionals (2nd vs. 1st)
eat out all the time. The correct answer is a second
won’t conditional. Why can’t it be ‘first
wouldn’t conditional’?
hadn’t

Vocabulary
For the vocabulary, write ‘strong’, ‘OK’ or ‘weak’ in the self evaluation column, depending on how you did in the
test:

Answers Choices What is it testing? Self-evaluation

Vocabulary 1 go begin Verb Synonyms
study = read plan listen Testing knowledge of
receive = get read run verb meaning. Notice
start = begin choose speak that the first answer is a
talk = speak end get very ‘weak’ synonym,
pick = choose but it’s (probably) the
best choice.
Vocabulary 2 attend assemble Verb Synonyms
cover – wrap approach arrive Testing knowledge of
improve / change – adjust admit verb meaning. Notice
state / make public – announce announce how sometimes 2 verbs
get somewhere – arrive arrange adjust are given on the left to
put something together – accept wrap ensure only one match is
assemble possible from the
choices.
Vocabulary 3 awkward Collocations
More and more people ancient Testing knowledge of
go abroad for their holidays these ahead adjectives and adverbs.
days. adequate Most of the correct
Drivers need to remain alert when articulate answers are ‘right’
in charge of a car. alert because they collocate
The city has many ancient and accurate with a verb before the
interesting buildings. abroad adjective or a noun after
She’s a highly articulate person adult it.
who explains things clearly. aggressive
He’s a very aggressive person –
always getting into fights
Vocabulary 4 line joint Noun Synonyms
timetable = schedule command prize Testing knowledge of
reward = prize mess fright noun meaning.
queue = line schedule dock
 phase = stage stage mistake
error = mistake
Vocabulary 5 bomb audition Collocation
aerobics + classes scissors rod Testing knowledge of
agriculture + minister classes strings adjective – noun
aisle + seat salesman seep collocations, and also of
apron + strings minister seat general noun knowledge.
atom + bomb If you know what an
apron is, only one word
goes with it logically!

Note
The exact choice of vocabulary exercises varies between exams. Some can also test adjective synonyms.

5 – My Learning Plan
Between now and the exam, you can improve your mark in the grammar and vocabulary paper significantly by
improving on your current weaknesses. Complete the table below, choosing 10 areas of grammar or
vocabulary you want to study most. Put the most important ones at the top of the table. Add the study
completion date in the last column to help you to plan your time effectively (e.g. by 20th Dec.):

Number What I want to study Study Completion Date

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

6 – How to find what you need online

Now that you know what you want to study and when, here are some tips for finding the right materials online.
For each area of grammar, use Google to find what you need. Example searches are given below:

1) Grammar Learning
Search for the name of the grammar (notice the use of inverted commas), and the words ‘grammar rules’.
This will bring up websites that explain the basic rules:
2) Grammar Practice
Search for the name of the grammar (notice the use of ‘vs’) and the word ‘exercises’ or ‘activities’.

Trainer Supplements

Answer Key
Grammar
1. married
2. didn’t Vocabulary 4
3. would
4. then timetable = schedule
5. does reward = prize
6. lives queue = line
7. Would phase = stage
8. had error = mistake
9. at
10. were
11. for Vocabulary 5
12. was going
13. Frankly, I wouldn’t work with him. aerobics + classes
14. Could agriculture + minister
15. is living aisle + seat
16. On the other hand apron + strings
17. have atom + bomb
18. needn’t
19. but
20. do Aptis Practice Test – Online Test
21. (-)
22. The children had been This is the online practice test (a past paper),
23. fewer copied from the Aptis website in Oct 2013. It can be
24. going to used with teachers who are having difficulty
25. wouldn’t accessing the online exam:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/aptis-practice-
Vocabulary 1 tests/AptisGrammarVocabPractice/

study = read (poor question) Grammar

receive = get
start = begin 1. He is single. He never ________.
talk = speak married
pick = choose marries
marrying
Vocabulary 2 2. I ________ use to swim much, but now I have
my own pool, I swim every day.
cover – wrap don’t
improve or change – adjust didn’t
state / make public – announce did
get somewhere – arrive 3. In those days, my father ________ never eat
put something together – assemble dinner after 8 o’clock.
used to
Vocabulary 3 will
would
More and more people go abroad for their holidays 4. I had a shower, ________ I went to bed.
these days. during
Drivers need to remain alert when in charge of a then
car. until
The city has many ancient and interesting 5. How much ________ the train to Santiago
buildings. cost?
She’s a highly articulate person who explains things is
clearly. does
He’s a very aggressive person – always getting into do
fights 6. He ________ in Cairo.
living 18. We ________ have caught the early train, as
lives the football match was delayed.
live mustn’t
7. ________ you like to go out this evening? didn’t
Will needn’t
Would 19. She reads every day ________ she isn’t
Can serious.
8. He ________ finished cooking when we and
arrived. because
has but
have 20. A: I enjoy working on challenging projects at
had work. B: So ________ I!
9. The film starts ________ half past four. am
at do
on can
in
10. I wish it ________ the time of year when I could
go on holiday.
will be
is 21. Go to the end of the street and turn ________
were right.
(-)
11. I don’t think it’s right ________ children to play on
with toy guns. to
for 22. The children ________ playing football for two
that hours before it started raining.
to have been
12. I ________ to work when I saw Steve. has been
was going had been
went 23. There were ________ than fifty people in the
going audience last night.
13. That man’s so unreliable – you can’t trust him. fewer
_________ few
I wouldn’t frankly work with him. lesser
I wouldn’t work frankly with him.
Frankly, I wouldn’t work with him.
14. Excuse me, I’m lost. ________ you help me? 24. I just heard they are ________ get married in
Could June.
Shall going to
Should going
15. William ________ in South America now. go to
is living 25. If you were a better cook, you ________ need
will live to eat out all the time.
was living won’t
16. We could cook dinner. ________, we could buy wouldn’t
some take away food. hadn’t
Therefore
On the other hand
Although
17. You ________ to do your homework by
tomorrow.
should
must
have
go aggressive
begin
plan
listen
read
run
choose
speak
end
get Vocabulary 3
Complete each sentence using a word from the
Vocabulary 1 drop down list.
Select a word from the list that has the most similar More and more people go ________ for their
meaning to the word on the left. Example: big = holidays these days.
large Drivers need to remain ________ when in charge
study = ________ of a car.
receive = ________ The city has many ________ and interesting
start = ________ buildings.
talk = ________ She’s a highly ________ person who explains
pick = ________ things clearly.
He’s a very ________ person – always getting into
fights.
attend
assemble line
approach joint
arrive command
admit prize
announce mess
arrange fright
adjust schedule
accept dock
wrap stage
mistake
Vocabulary 2
Complete each definition using a word from the Vocabulary 4
drop down list. Select a word from the list that has the most similar
To cover with paper or material is to ________ meaning to the word on the left. Example: big =
To improve or change is to ________ large
To state or make public is to ________
To get somewhere is to ________ bom timetable = ________
b reward = ________
To put something together is to ________
audit queue = ________
ion phase = ________
sciss error = ________
ors
awkward rod
ancient class
ahead es
strin Vocabulary 5
adequate Select a word from the list that is
articulate gs
sales most often used with the word
alert on the left. Example: big +
accurate man
seep house
abroad aerobics + ________
adult mini
ster agriculture + ________
seat
aisle + ________ atom + ________
apron + ________