Practice Test 1 (Grundkurs)

A. Syntax:  Put the verb in brackets in an appropriate form. Do not use any modal verbs.

1. ___________________________ (you; hear) of Agatha Christie? She ______________________ (be) a writer who ________________________ (die) in 1976. She ________________________ (write) more than 70 detective novels. __________________________ (you; read) any of them?

2. I _________________________ (buy) a new alarm clock the other day in Taylor’s the jewellers, when I actually _________________________ (see) somebody shoplifting. I’d just finished paying for my clock and as I _________________________ (turn) round, an elderly woman ______________________ (slowly; put) a silver plate into a bag that she ________________________ (carry). Then she _______________________ (walk) over to another part of the shop and, when she ________________________ (think) that nobody ________________________ (look), she ________________________ (put) an expensive-looking watch into the bag. Before I ________________________ (have) a chance to tell the staff in the shop, she ________________________ (notice) that I ________________________ (watch) her and ________________________ (hurry) out. Unfortunately for her, two police officers _______________________ (walk) past just at the moment and she ________________________ (run) straight into them.

B. Spot the mistakes: Decide what is wrong in the following text. Underline the mistakes and correct them. Leave the correct words and passages unchanged.

“How long do you live in this lovely house?“ - “Well, since quite some time, in fact since I _______________________________________________________________________________________ have moved to Erlangen. I came here eight years ago and when I saw this house I fall in love _______________________________________________________________________________________ with it straight away. Just lately I am a bit worried. I hear they are planning to build a huge _______________________________________________________________________________________ shopping centre next door.“

___________________

C. Translate.

1. Es ist das erste Mal, dass mich meine britischen Freunde besuchen. _____________________________________________________________________________

2. Wie lange hattest du auf den Bus gewartet, als er endlich kam? _____________________________________________________________________________

3. Ich wünschte, ich hätte in der Schule Latein gelernt! _____________________________________________________________________________

4. Ich schlafe in letzter Zeit nicht gut. _____________________________________________________________________________

5. Jane putzte gerade die Fenster, als das Telefon klingelte. __________________________________________________________________________

KEY

A. Syntax.

1. Have you heard / was / died / wrote / Have you read

2. see HEWINGS p. 325: Key to Additional exercises 1 D

B. Spot the mistakes.

“ How long HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING in this lovely house?“ - “Well, FOR quite some time, in fact since I MOVED to Erlangen. I came here eight years ago and when I saw this house I FELL in love with it straight away. Just lately I HAVE BEEN a bit worried. I hear they are planning to build a huge shopping centre next door.“

C. Translate.

1.   It’s the first time my British friends have visited me.

2.   How long had you been waiting for the bus when it finally arrived?

3.   I wish I had learnt Latin at school!

4.   I haven’t been sleeping well recently.

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