You only have one objective in the written exam - to get the best possible

mark you can. Your most important resource is your general level of
language competence, but now the exam is here, good exam technique is
your most important tool.
You have three hours to do the exam, and it is divided into five parts. It is
important to manage this time carefully. llocate the time as follows!
"eading #$ questions %&' marks( 45 mins
)riting #'' words %&' marks( 45 mins
*ultiple +hoice +lo,e -' questions %-' marks( 30 mins
.entence /ransformation #' questions %-' marks( 30 mins
0erb +lo,e -' questions %-' marks( 30 mins
In any exercise, there are some questions which are easier than others. If
you spend too much time pu,,ling over one or two of the difficult ones,
you1re using up the time you should be spending on the five 2easy3 ones in
the next exercise. )hen the allocated time is finished, put the exercise to
one side and move on to the next. You can always come back later.
/he 4irst Year 5nglish exam is given to you in two parts!
6art %"eading and )riting(
6art 7 %8se of 5nglish! *ultiple +hoice +lo,e,
.entence /ransformation, 0erb +lo,e(
You receive both parts together and you can do the exercises in any order
you like. 4or example, if you think that you are particularly good at
sentence transformation, do that exercise first. In this way, you don1t risk
losing any marks on your 2best thing3 through bad time management, and
you start the exam in a positive, confident way.
You need to do the reading before you do the writing, and the writing
straight after the reading when the information is fresh in your mind.
#
A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE FIRST YEAR
WRITTEN ENGLISH EXAM*
EXAM TECHNIQUE AND TIME MANAGEMENT
Play to your
strengths - do
your favourite
exercises first
When the time
is up, move on
to the next
exercise
*Corso di Lingua Inglese 1, Dipartimento di Lingue e Letterature Straniere, Universit degli Studi di Milano
*This is just one approach to the eam! "ther approaches are availa#le!
*$urther advice and practice materials ma% #e &ound on the course 'e#site!
+hecking through your work is an important element of exam technique.
)ith the time you have left over, read carefully through what you have
written. /his requires a high degree of self-discipline, but evidence has
shown that taking the time to check through your work can change your
final mark by up to -'9 - this is true of examinations in all disciplines.
8nderstanding the text is central to being able to answer the questions
correctly.
"ead through the whole text carefully
:o back and re-read difficult or dense sections
*ake sure you1ve understood the meaning
;on1t expect to know all the vocabulary in the text
;on1t expect to be familiar with all the structures

"eading in a second language is about understanding the content without
necessarily knowing all the vocabulary.
Your reason for choosing a particular alternative in multiple choice
questions should be one of the following, in this order of preference!
I know this is the answer
I1m pretty sure this is the answer
I1m making an intelligent guess
I1m guessing
If you really don1t know the answer, guess. ;on1t leave a blank< it is
definitely wrong.
-
Part A: Reading and Writing
READING
Your Expectations
Multiple Choice Questions
Leave time at
the end to
check through
your work
Read the
comprehension
passage all
the way
through before
you look at
the questions
f all else
fails, guess!
"on#t leave
any blanks
=uestion # +hoose the title which best describes the whole
passage > not just part of the passage. It will often be
the title which is most general in nature.
=uestions --& /he corresponding ideas mentioned in the passage
will be expressed using different words.
=uestions ?-@ Identify which of the alternatives is true according to
the passage. /he relevant paragraph is given.
=uestions #'-#$ /hese items of vocabulary will probably be unfamiliar
to you. 7y understanding the context, work out their
probable meaning. If the question is of the type, 24ind
a word in paragraph ? which means.....3, it1s almost
certainly one of the words in the paragraph that you
don1t know.
/he writing exercise is effectively a paragraph which summarises three or
four of the main points of the reading comprehension passage. /he opening
sentence is given to help you identify the ideas you should include in your
paragraph. /his sentence is often referred to as the 2topic sentence3 Aere,
2topic3 means 2subject3 or 2what it1s about3. .o the topic sentence of a
paragraph %usually the first sentence( tells us what that paragraph is going
to be about.
You should divide up the ?$ minutes you have for the writing exercise as
follows!
#$ minutes - planning
#$ minutes - writing
#$ minutes - checking
&
The Main Idea
Readin !or "peci!ic In!or#ation
$exicon
%RITING
$he opening
sentence tells
you what we
want you to
write about
If you do the writing immediately after the reading comprehension, you
should be able to remember enough information to write #'' words.
"eferring too closely to the reading passage can be a distraction, and you
risk copying long phrases from the original text. %B.7. If you do this, you1ll
get a mark of ' for the writing(.
6lanning means thinking. .pending #$ minutes thinking about what you
are going to write is a good investment of your time.
)rite your ideas down in note form in the space
provided for an 2outline3 on the exam paper
/hink about whether all of them are relevant to the
opening sentence given to you, and delete where
necessary
6ut what1s left in a logical order by numbering them
%or even rewriting them if you have time(
;o not begin to write until you know exactly what
you are going to say, and in what order
If you don1t include a plan or 2outline3, you won1t lose marks explicitly for
this reason. You are marked purely on the quality of the paragraph you
produce. Aowever, if you don1t plan it properly, you1ll produce a poor piece
of writing.
/he same is true for the rough copy. ;rafting your piece of writing gives
you the chance to change things, add things, cross out etc... without
worrying about how it will look at the end< you will be copying up your
final version.
/he writing is the part of the exam you should be least afraid of. It1s the
only part where you have total control.
)rite what you know to be correct
If you1re not sure about a structure, or spelling,
don1t use it
8se vocabulary and structures that you are
comfortable with
:ood writing in 5nglish is characterised by %relatively( short sentences, and
varied vocabulary. If you need to repeat an idea or refer back to something,
try to use different words. In basic terms, think like this!
?
"tructure and Content
"o not copy
from the text%
&ou#ll get a
mark of '()
Plan your
writing
carefully
before
you start
*s far as
possible, write
what you know
to be correct -
this is +,$
the time to be
adventurous
Write short
sentences -
vary the
vocabulary
%Anything else goes at the beginning, or
the end.(
)hen you feel you are getting lost in a sentence, finish it and start a new
one.
However consequently - in addition moreover indeed -
in fact subsequently thus etc...
5ach of these words and phrases means something. *ake sure you
understand what they mean. Cnly include them in your writing if they are
necessary. If you have planned your paragraph properly, the relationships
between your sentences should be clear, and your use of linking words
should be minimal.
)rite CB5 paragraph
;o not go to a new line in the middle
You do not need to indent the first line as the paragraph stands alone. If
you do indent, three or four character spaces is more than sufficient.
.emi-colons %<( and colons %!( are used much less in 5nglish than they are in
Italian. /hey are also used differently. /he practical advice is! Don't use
them. )henever you are tempted to use a semi-colon or colon, ask yourself
this question! +an this be a new sentenceD If the answer is yes, make it a
new sentence. If the answer is no, you probably need no punctuation at all
%just carry on with the sentence( or, at most, a comma.
+ommas are used to show how a sentence is structured and make it easier
to understand. In 5nglish, we use them only when they are necessary. If
you think the sentence is clear without any commas, they are probably not
necessary.
$
subject + verb + complement
> full stop > next sentence
$in&in %ords
'or#at
(unctuation
"on#t include
words and
phrases to
fill up the
word count -
write what
you want to
say - no more,
no less
Write ,+-
continuous
paragraph
Limit your
punctuation to
full stops and
commas - use
commas only
when you
need them
)e have included #$ minutes in writing time for checking. /his includes
copying up the rough copy into something tidier and more legible. You are
not being examined on the quality of your handwriting, but remember that,
at certain times of the year, the exam marker may have more than &''
paragraphs to read.
/aking the time to read through your final copy carefully will give you a
chance to spot all those careless mistakes that you1ve been making 2since
forever3. 4or example!
spelling
third-person 2-s3
irregular verb forms
false friends
capital letter for languagesEnationalities
.potting these mistakes could make a huge difference to your final mark
%see above(.
"ead the text through carefully first to get an idea of the overall content of
the passage. *any of the answers will be the logical, rational choices
according to the meaning of the text.
8se these lines of reasoning to arrive at the correct answer!
This is the right word - its meaning fits the
meaning of the sentence - it1s not the false friend
which has been included in the options to fool me
This is correct because of the grammar clue >
the grammar around the gap %which preposition,
singular, plural etc..( tells me what the right
answer must be
Collocation! /his is the most difficult, because you
can1t work it out - it1s a set expression which you
recognise because you have read andEor heard it
many times before
Elimination! /his one must be right because I1m
fairly sure all the others are wrong
F
Part B: Ue !" Eng#i$
MU$TI($E CH)ICE C$)*E
Chec&in
-nsure your
handwriting is
clear and easy
to read
f your choice
sounds right,
it probably is
In this exercise, you need to recognise the structure which is required, by
understanding the meaning of the sentence given and studying the word
and second partial sentence.
s far as possible, use the language which is given
- don1t make unnecessary changes
6ay close attention to the verb tenses in the
sentence given - this will help you choose the
correct tense in the sentence you need to write
*ake sure you have included all the information
which is in the sentence given, and don1t add
anything extra
"emember to check through carefully at the end to spot any careless
mistakes, such as spelling %especially if the correct spelling is on the paper
in front of you(.
/he verb clo,e exercise is essentially another reading exercise.
"ead the text carefully before you start
+hoose the correct form according to the meaning
of the passage

.ome of the forms required are in the passive, or they may be infinitives or
gerunds< this also tests your grammar knowledge. *ostly, however, you are
required to choose an appropriate tense. You can only do this if you
understand the text and how the different verbs relate to each other in
time.
G
"ENTENCE TRAN"')RMATI)N
+ER, C$)*E
.nderstanding
the meaning
makes choosing
the correct form
much easier
nclude all
the information
from the
sentence given -
add nothing
H
wrong
word
wrong
word
spelling
missing
comma
missing
comma
one or more
sentences are
too long
and/or contain
unrelated ideas
some
essential
punctuation
missing
very good
grammar
mark
three marks
off for
vocabulary/
spelling errors
grammar0
'all over
the world)
E%a&'#e !" Mar(ed E%er)ie
(ARAGRA(H"
@
new
paragraph
started
incorrect
use of
comma
grammar0
repeated
complement
basic
spelling
error
grammar0
incomplete
structure -
several words
missing
grammar0
article not
needed
grammar0
plural
grammar0
plural
basic
spelling
error
grammar0
1rd pers%
'-s)
grammar0
'go)
wrong
word
wrong
word
wrong
word
grammar0
'never)
and
'known)
new
paragraph
started
basic
spelling
error
#'
"ENTENCE TRAN"')RMATI)N"
reported speech
with 'if)
correctly identified
student has failed to recognise the structure -
'too young) 2 'not old enough)
correct answer0
'%%% is not 3isn#t4 old enough%%%)
incorrect
preposition
correct answer0
'%%% if she was interested in%%%)
student has failed to recognise the structure -
'to blame 5someone6 for 5something6)
correct answer0
'%%% blamed me for 3causing4%%%)
##
notice the tense
in the sentence
given
wrong
tense
who7
information missing0
'for 8rian)
correct answer0
'%%% was not 3wasn#t4 necessary for 8rian%%%)
+egative expression 'hardly any%%%)
9 'almost no%%%) or 'very few%%%)
correct answer0
'%%% few entrants for/to/in%%%)
missing
word0
'few)
#-
with this meaning,
'regret) is followed
by noun/gerund
correct answer0
'%%% being able to swim%%%)
student has
successfully
identified the
structure%%%
%%%but left out the
word 'fast)
correct answer0
'%%% no matter how fast%%%)
This document does not constitute a pu#lication and is not su#ject to cop%right restrictions! (ou can do 'hat %ou li)e 'ith it! This
includes editing, cop%ing and pasting, photocop%ing and redistri#uting! *ritten in Li#reo&&ice +!,!-!. under a /0U1Linu plat&orm
23u#untu 1.!456! Tim 7uinn, 8pril .41+