Creating Opportunity Worldwide

Pro-ELT Teacher Training Materials

Level: B1 to B2

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 and
2)
__________ 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 the 6)__________ test. You have 25
minutes to complete the test. During the test, you cannot 7)__________ the clock, but you can go back or
forward 8)__________ 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 question

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 youve finished, youll get a % mark. Make a note of it here: _________%

Contributed by: Jason Anderson

The British Council, 2013
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities.
British Council Malaysia is a branch (995232-A) of the British Council, registered as a charity in England and Wales (209131) and Scotland (SC037733)

Creating Opportunity Worldwide

Pro-ELT Teacher Training Materials

Level: B1 to B2

4 Find your Strengths and Weaknesses

In order to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in grammar and vocabulary knowledge, its 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
Question with correct answer in bold

What is it testing?

1. He is single. He never ________.

married
marries
marrying

Tenses
Past simple, present simple. Its also
testing use of the negative adverb never.

2. I ________ use to swim much, but now I have my own

pool, I swim every day.
dont
didnt
did

Used to
An area of grammar used to talk about
past habits & states. This question is
testing the form.

3. In those days, my father ________ never eat dinner

after 8 oclock.
used to
will
would

Would
A modal verb that can also be used to talk
about past habits. Why is used to
impossible?

4. I had a shower, ________ I went to bed.

during
then
until

Linkers
during is a preposition, then is an adverb
and until is either a preposition or a
conjunction.

5. How much ________ the train to Santiago cost?

is
does
do

Question Forms
This question is testing whether you
understand which auxiliary to use in
questions.

6. He ________ in Cairo.
living
lives
live

Tenses
Present simple vs. present continuous.
Only lives is formally correct. How would
it be in present continuous?

7. ________ you like to go out this evening?

Will
Would
Can

Question Forms
This question is testing whether you know
how to form a question with would like

8. He ________ finished cooking when we arrived.

has
have
had

Tenses
Past perfect simple vs. present perfect
simple. Why is present perfect
impossible?

9. The film starts ________ half past four.

at
on
in

Prepositions of Time
We always use at with clock times.
Do you know when we use on and in?

10. I wish it ________ the time of year when I could go on

holiday.
will be
is
were

Wish
Notice how we need to use past tense
after wish (were is the subjunctive form).
The same is true about if only.

Do I know this?
or

11. I dont think its right ________ children to play with toy Syntax
guns.
A difficult area to revise. It tests your
Contributed by: Jason Anderson
The British Council, 2013
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities.
British Council Malaysia is a branch (995232-A) of the British Council, registered as a charity in England and Wales (209131) and Scotland (SC037733)

Creating Opportunity Worldwide

Pro-ELT Teacher Training Materials
for
that
to

Level: B1 to B2
understanding of how to link clauses in
sentences. Note the structure:
be + right / wrong for (+ noun) to (+ verb).

12. I ________ to work when I saw Steve.

was going
went
going

Tenses
Past continuous vs. past simple. These
are part of an area of grammar sometimes
called narrative tenses.

13. That mans so unreliable you cant trust him.

________
I wouldnt frankly work with him.
I wouldnt work frankly with him.
Frankly, I wouldnt work with him.

Adverb position in sentences

There are specific rules as to where we
can and cant put adverbs in sentences.
Do you know the rules?

14. Excuse me, Im lost. ________ you help me?

Could
Shall
Should

Polite Requests
The example uses could. Do you know
other ways of making polite requests?

15. William ________ in South America now.

is living
will live
was living

Tenses
Present continuous vs. will future and
past continuous.

16. We could cook dinner. ________, we could buy some

take away food.
Therefore
On the other hand
Although

Linkers
Therefore and On the other hand are
discourse markers, a type of adverb.
Although is always a conjunction. Do you
know the difference?

17. You ________ to do your homework by tomorrow.

should
must
have

Expressing Obligation
This is testing an area that includes both
true modal verbs and the semi-modal
have to. Why are the others wrong?

18. We ________ have caught the early train, as the

football match was delayed.
mustnt
didnt
neednt

Neednt have (+ past participle)

Notice how some modals can be used in
the past to express criticism or make
deductions. Google past modals of
deduction for more information.

19. She reads every day ________ she isnt serious.

and
because
but

Conjunctions
This is testing the meaning of the 3
conjunctions. How would you change the
sentence to use and or because?

20. A: I enjoy working on challenging projects at work.

B: So ________ I!
am
do
can

So do I / Neither do I
This is a specific area of spoken grammar
that is often tested in the exam. How
would you negate the answer?

21. Go to the end of the street and turn ________ right.

(-)
on
to

Giving Directions
This is testing collocation / dependent
prepositions within the functional area of
giving directions.

22. The children ________ playing football for two hours

before it started raining.
have been
has been
had been

Tenses
Past perfect continuous, the right answer,
is being contrasted with present perfect
continuous. What is the other verb tense
used in the sentence?

23. There were ________ than fifty people in the audience

last night.
fewer
few
lesser

Comparatives / Quantifiers
Note that in Malaysia, lesser is
sometimes used in this context, but this is
considered wrong in standard UK English.

24. I just heard they are ________ get married in June.

Be going to (+ verb)

Contributed by: Jason Anderson

The British Council, 2013
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities.
British Council Malaysia is a branch (995232-A) of the British Council, registered as a charity in England and Wales (209131) and Scotland (SC037733)

Creating Opportunity Worldwide

Pro-ELT Teacher Training Materials
going to
going
go to

Level: B1 to B2
Often just called going to, its a very
common future form in English.

25. If you were a better cook, you ________ need to eat

out all the time.
wont
wouldnt
hadnt

Conditionals (2nd vs. 1st)

The correct answer is a second
conditional. Why cant it be first
conditional?

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?

Vocabulary 1
study = read
receive = get
start = begin
talk = speak
pick = choose

go
plan
read
choose
end

begin
listen
run
speak
get

Verb Synonyms
Testing knowledge of verb
meaning. Notice that the first
answer is a very weak
synonym, but its (probably)
the best choice.

Vocabulary 2
cover wrap
improve / change adjust
state / make public announce
get somewhere arrive
put something together assemble

attend
approach
admit
arrange
accept

assemble
arrive
announce
adjust
wrap

Verb Synonyms
Testing knowledge of verb
meaning. Notice how
sometimes 2 verbs are given
on the left to ensure only one
match is possible from the
choices.

Vocabulary 3
More and more people go abroad for
their holidays these days.
Drivers need to remain alert when in
charge of a car.
The city has many ancient and
interesting buildings.
Shes a highly articulate person who
explains things clearly.
Hes a very aggressive person
always getting into fights

awkward
ancient
ahead
adequate
articulate
alert
accurate
abroad
adult
aggressive

Vocabulary 4
timetable = schedule
reward = prize
queue = line
phase = stage
error = mistake

line
command
mess
schedule
stage

joint
prize
fright
dock
mistake

Noun Synonyms
Testing knowledge of noun
meaning.

Vocabulary 5
aerobics + classes
agriculture + minister
aisle + seat
apron + strings
atom + bomb

bomb
scissors
classes
salesman
minister

audition
rod
strings
seep
seat

Collocation
Testing knowledge of
adjective noun collocations,
and also of general noun
knowledge. If you know what
an apron is, only one word
goes with it logically!

Self-evaluation

Collocations
Testing knowledge of
adjectives and adverbs. Most
of the correct answers are
right because they collocate
with a verb before the
adjective or a noun after it.

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

Contributed by: Jason Anderson

The British Council, 2013
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities.
British Council Malaysia is a branch (995232-A) of the British Council, registered as a charity in England and Wales (209131) and Scotland (SC037733)

Creating Opportunity Worldwide

Pro-ELT Teacher Training Materials

Level: B1 to B2

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 20 th 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.

This will bring up websites that have practice exercises, such as gap fills, matching exercises, etc. Check the
answers are available before you begin:
3) Vocabulary Building
Search for the name of the vocabulary area you want to strengthen and the word list.

This will bring up useful lists that you can download or copy and print off. You can use these lists for learning,
testing yourself or testing colleagues. You can stick them on the walls in your house (e.g. in the kitchen /
bathroom / above your bed!) to help you learn, too!
4) Vocabulary Practice
Search for the name of the vocabulary area you want to strengthen and the word exercises.

This will bring up websites that have practice exercises, such as gap fills, matching exercises, etc. Check the
answers are available before you begin:
Dont forget about your Aptis practice materials booklet. This also contains lots of practice material for the
grammar and vocabulary exam!
Contributed by: Jason Anderson
The British Council, 2013
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities.
British Council Malaysia is a branch (995232-A) of the British Council, registered as a charity in England and Wales (209131) and Scotland (SC037733)

Creating Opportunity Worldwide

Pro-ELT Teacher Training Materials

Level: B1 to B2

Trainer Supplements
Answer Key
Grammar
1. married
2. didnt
3. would
4. then
5. does
6. lives
7. Would

8. had
9. at
10. were
11. for
12. was going
13. Frankly, I wouldnt
work with him.

Vocabulary 1
study = read (poor question)
receive = get
start = begin
talk = speak
pick = choose

14. Could
15. is living
16. On the other hand
17. have
18. neednt
19. but
20. do

21. (-)
22. The children had been
23. fewer
24. going to
25. wouldnt

Vocabulary 2
cover wrap
improve or change adjust
state / make public announce
get somewhere arrive
put something together assemble

Vocabulary 3
More and more people go abroad for their holidays these days.
Drivers need to remain alert when in charge of a car.
The city has many ancient and interesting buildings.
Shes a highly articulate person who explains things clearly.
Hes a very aggressive person always getting into fights
Vocabulary 4
timetable = schedule
reward = prize
queue = line
phase = stage
error = mistake

Vocabulary 5
aerobics + classes
agriculture + minister
aisle + seat
apron + strings
atom + bomb

Contributed by: Jason Anderson

The British Council, 2013
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities.
British Council Malaysia is a branch (995232-A) of the British Council, registered as a charity in England and Wales (209131) and Scotland (SC037733)

Aptis Practice Test Online Test

This is the online practice test (a past paper), copied from the Aptis website in Oct 2013. It can be
used with teachers who are having difficulty accessing the online exam:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/aptis-practice-tests/AptisGrammarVocabPractice/
Grammar
1. He is single. He never ________.
married
marries
marrying
2. I ________ use to swim much, but now I
have my own pool, I swim every day.
dont
didnt
did
3. In those days, my father ________ never
eat dinner after 8 oclock.
used to
will
would
4. I had a shower, ________ I went to bed.
during
then
until
5. How much ________ the train to Santiago
cost?
is
does
do
6. He ________ in Cairo.
living
lives
live
7. ________ you like to go out this evening?
Will
Would
Can
8. He ________ finished cooking when we
arrived.
has
have
had
9. The film starts ________ half past four.
at
on
in
10.I wish it ________ the time of year when I
could go on holiday.
will be
is
were

11. I dont think its right ________ children to

play with toy guns.
for
that
to
12.I ________ to work when I saw Steve.
was going
went
going
13.That mans so unreliable you cant trust
him. _________
I wouldnt frankly work with him.
I wouldnt work frankly with him.
Frankly, I wouldnt work with him.
14.Excuse me, Im lost. ________ you help me?
Could
Shall
Should
15.William ________ in South America now.
is living
will live
was living
16.We could cook dinner. ________, we could
buy some take away food.
Therefore
On the other hand
Although
17.You ________ to do your homework by tomorrow.
should
must
have
18.We ________ have caught the early train,
as the football match was delayed.
mustnt
didnt
neednt
19.She reads every day ________ she isnt serious.
and
because
but
20.A: I enjoy working on challenging projects at
work.
B: So ________ I!
am
do
can

21.Go to the end of the street and turn ________

right.
(-)
on
to
22.The children ________ playing football for two
hours before it started raining.
have been
has been
had been
23.There were ________ than fifty people in the
audience last night.
fewer
few
lesser

24.I just heard they are ________ get married in

June.
going to
going
go to
25.If you were a better cook, you ________ need to
eat out all the time.
wont
wouldnt
hadnt

Vocabulary 1
Select a word from the list that has the most similar meaning to the word on
the left. Example: big = large
study = ________
receive = ________
start = ________
talk = ________
pick = ________

Vocabulary 2
Complete each definition using a word from the drop down list.
To cover with paper or material is to ________
To improve or change is to ________
To state or make public is to ________
To get somewhere is to ________
To put something together is to ________

Vocabulary 3
Complete each sentence using a word from the drop down list.
More and more people go ________ for their holidays these days.
Drivers need to remain ________ when in charge of a car.
The city has many ________ and interesting buildings.
Shes a highly ________ person who explains things clearly.
Hes a very ________ person always getting into fights.

Vocabulary 4
Select a word from the list that has the most similar meaning to the word on
the left. Example: big = large
timetable = ________
reward = ________
queue = ________
phase = ________
error = ________
Vocabulary 5

go
begin
plan
listen
read
run
choose
speak
end
get
attend
assemble
approach
arrive
admit
announce
arrange
adjust
accept
wrap
awkward
ancient
ahead
adequate
articulate
alert
accurate
abroad
adult
aggressive

line
joint
command
prize
mess
fright
schedule
bomb
dock
audition
stage
scissors
mistake
rod
classes
strings
salesman
seep
minister
seat

Select a word from the list that is most often used with the word on the
left. Example: big + house
aerobics + ________
agriculture + ________
aisle + ________
apron + ________
atom + ________