Estonian Basic-School English Exam flashcards
Estonian Basic-School English Exam · Build recall with a focused review session.
33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Listening: two-play rule
- Recordings in this exam are usually played twice. First listening: follow the whole text and note the topic. Second listening: answer each question and confirm numbers, names and times.
- Distractor in audio
- A wrong option that is mentioned in the recording but does not answer the question. All choices may be heard; only one matches what is actually asked.
- Contrast marker in listening
- Words like but, actually, instead and not cancel earlier information. The final answer usually comes after the contrast, so keep listening past the first number or name.
- Spelling in gap-fill
- When filling a gap from audio, write the name or place exactly as it appears in the recording or task, not as it sounds to you.
- Time expressions in audio
- The same time may be said two ways, e.g. half past seven and seven thirty. Write the form that the recording confirms last.
- Question order in listening
- Questions normally follow the order of the recording. If you miss one, move on to the next question instead of waiting.
- Skimming for main idea
- Read the first and last paragraph quickly to get the topic and the writer's point. Use this before detail questions so the text context is clear.
- Scanning for detail
- Move your eyes over the text looking only for a key word from the question, such as a date, name or number, then read the full sentence around it.
- Paraphrase trap
- The correct answer often repeats the text with synonyms, not the same words. Exact word matching between question and text can signal a wrong option.
- Pronoun reference
- Words like this, it, they and such point back to an earlier noun or sentence. Find what they refer to before choosing an answer.
- One-detail change
- A false statement usually copies the text but changes one detail: a number, a time, a person or a reason. Compare each detail one by one.
- Gap-fill grammar check
- In a gap, test both meaning and grammar. A preposition or conjunction before the gap limits which word class and form can fit.
- Present simple use
- Used for habits, routines and general facts: she works in Tartu. Third person singular adds -s or -es to the verb.
- Present continuous use
- Used for actions happening now or around now: he is working. Form: am/is/are plus the -ing form of the verb.
- Past simple use
- Used for finished actions at a known past time, with markers like yesterday, last week, in 2019. Irregular verbs must be memorised: go-went, see-saw.
- Present perfect use
- Links past to present: experience or result, e.g. I have seen it. It is not used with a finished-time marker such as yesterday.
- Definite article the
- Used when the listener knows which thing is meant, or when the noun was already mentioned. Not used for general plural or abstract ideas.
- Indefinite article a/an
- Used with a singular countable noun mentioned for the first time. Choose an before a vowel sound: an hour, a university.
- Comparative and superlative
- Short adjectives take -er and -est, doubling the final consonant after a short vowel: big-bigger-biggest. Longer adjectives take more and most.
- Prepositions of time
- In for years, months and long periods; on for days and dates; at for clock times and fixed points, e.g. at noon.
- Question word order
- Question word plus auxiliary plus subject plus main verb: Where did you go? Not Where you did go. The auxiliary carries the tense.
- Word formation suffixes
- Suffixes change word class: -tion makes nouns, -ful and -less make adjectives, -ly makes adverbs. Prefixes like un- and re- change meaning.
- Subject-verb agreement
- The verb matches the subject in number and person: he goes, they go. Watch collective nouns and phrases between subject and verb.
- Informal letter structure
- Greeting and opening, body covering every task point, then closing and signature. Each listed point needs at least one full sentence.
- Linking words in writing
- Words such as firstly, however, in addition, because and finally connect sentences. Use them moderately, not in every sentence.
- Contractions in register
- Short forms like I'm and don't suit an informal message to a friend. Formal texts use full forms: I am, do not.
- Word count rule
- Only the body text counts toward the required length. A text far below the range cannot cover all points; extra length earns no extra marks.
- Final writing check
- Before handing in, check three things: tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, and the spelling of every word.
- Full sentences in speaking
- One-word answers count as incomplete even when the content is right. Answer with a complete sentence, then add a reason or example.
- Speaking answer frame
- A safe pattern: opinion, reason, example. For instance: In my opinion..., because..., for example... This fills 30 to 60 seconds with content.
- Filled pauses
- Instead of silence, use a short phrase such as Well, let me think. Long silences and stretched sounds do not earn marks, but thinking aloud keeps speech going.
- Final sounds in speech
- Pronounce final consonants and the -s and -ed endings clearly. Dropping them makes plural forms and past tenses unclear to the listener.
- Dialogue reaction rule
- In a pair task, react to your partner before adding your own idea: question, answer, then extra detail. Ignoring the partner loses interaction marks.