Practice Test 2 (Grundkurs)  

A. Syntax:  Put the verb in brackets  in the correct form. Take care with the word-order. Do not use any modal verbs.  

When, a few months ago, you  ______________________________ (decide) to study English, ______________________________ (you, already, be aware) of what that decision ______________________________ (imply)? Since the study of modern languages ______________________________ (first, introduce) as an academic discipline in the mid-nineteenth century, there ______________________________ (be) many radical changes in the syllabus. If you ______________________________  (start) studying English a hundred years ago, you ______________________________  (look forward) to spending a lot of time reading the classics of English literature and studying the history of the English language. Disciplines such as synchronic linguistics and literary theory, which ______________________________ (now, be) firmly established for thirty years or more, ______________________________ (not, even, exist) in 1902. However, some parts of the syllabus ______________________________  (seem, change) very little in one hundred years; students ______________________________ (still, expect) to learn grammar and ______________________________ (probably, still, do) so in 2102. What ______________________________ (change) by then is the way grammar teaching is approached.  

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

Example:             You looked very busy when I saw you last night. What did you do?

                        ___________________________________________were you doing?

1. A bank clerk reports, “I got the shock of my life yesterday when two robbers rushed in through ____________________________________________________________________________________ the door. They demanded all the money we were having behind our counters, grabbed it and left ____________________________________________________________________________________  again. It’s all happened very quickly. Some minutes after they escaped the police had turned up. ____________________________________________________________________________________  They made us tell them what has been going on. I only hope the police finds the robbers soon.“ ___________________________________________________________________________________

2. Since abortion has been legalized by the U.S. Supreme Courts in 1973 Catholic groups are in __________________________________________________________________________________

the forefront of the fight to overturn the ruling with a constitutional amendment. ___________________________________________________________________________________

3. I will definitely call and see you when I will be in London. ____________________________________________________________________________________

4. I must go now. My wife will be waiting for me. ___________________________________________________________________________________

5. What time does the match begin? ___________________________________________________________________________________

6. The trees are losing their leaves soon. ___________________________________________________________________________________

7. Peter can five languages. You shall learn a foreign language, too. ___________________________________________________________________________________

8. The car turned over in the street but, fortunately, the driver could get out safely. ___________________________________________________________________________________

C. Translate.  

1. Ich wollte dich gestern Abend anrufen, doch dann habe ich es einfach vergessen.

2. Es ist das erste Mal, dass ich meinen kleinen Neffen sehe. Er ist noch nie bei uns gewesen.

3. Frank will mit Marcel Reich-Ranicki verwandt sein.  - Echt? Das muss ein Witz sein: er beschwert sich doch immer, dass wir zu viele Bücher lesen müssen!

4. Wenn Sie bitte in einer halben Stunde wiederkommen möchten, werde ich mit dem Chef gesprochen haben.

5. Als ich am Sonntag aufstand, musste ich nicht Schnee schippen (to clear the snow). Mein Nachbar hatte das schon gemacht.

                                                                                        KEY

A. Syntax

decided   -   were you already aware  -   would imply / implied - was first introduced - have been   -   had started   -   would have looked forward   -   have now been   -    didn’t even exist   -   seem to have changed   -   still expect / are still expected   -   will probably still do   -   will have changed

 [in der Prüfung jeweils nur EINE Form angeben, keine Varianten]

B. Spot the mistakes.

1. A bank clerk reports, “I got the shock of my life yesterday when two robbers rushed in through the door. They demanded all the money we HAD behind our counters, grabbed it and left again. It all HAPPENED very quickly. Some minutes after they (HAD) escaped the police TURNED up. They made us tell them what HAD been going on. I only hope the police (WILL) FIND the robbers soon.“

2. Since abortion WAS legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 Catholic groups HAVE BEEN ...

3. when I AM in London

4. ü

5. ü

6. WILL LOSE / WILL BE LOSING / ARE GOING TO LOSE

7. SPEAKS / KNOWS five languages; You SHOULD / OUGHT TO learn a foreign language, too.

8. WAS ABLE TO / MANAGED TO

C.  Translate.

1. I was going to ring you last night but then I simply forgot.

2. It’s the fist time I’ve seen my little nephew. He’s never been at our place before.

3. Frank claims to be related to Marcel Reich-Ranicki! - That must be a joke (He must be joking.): he’s always complaining that we have to read too many books.

4.     If you’ll come back in half an hour, I will have talked to the boss.

5.     When I got up on Sunday, I didn’t have to clear the snow. My neighbour had already done it.

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