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European Baccalaureate Language 3 study materials
European Baccalaureate Language 3 study resources

European Baccalaureate Language 3 practice questions

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Question 1Written examinations

In the written Language 3 examination, a candidate is asked to write a formal letter of complaint to a company. Which opening salutation is the most appropriate register for this task?

  1. Hello everyone,
  2. Hi folks,
  3. Dear Sir or Madam, Correct answer.
  4. Hey there,

Explanation

A formal letter of complaint addressed to an unknown recipient requires the conventional formal salutation 'Dear Sir or Madam', which signals distance and respect. Informal greetings such as 'Hey there' or 'Hi folks' belong to personal correspondence and would clash with the register demanded by the task. Examiners reward consistent register across the whole text, so the opening must match the formal body.

Question 2Written examinations

Which sentence uses the subjunctive correctly in a formal written argument for the Language 3 paper?

  1. It is essential that the committee review the proposal before Friday. Correct answer.
  2. It is essential that the committee reviews the proposal before Friday.
  3. It is essential that the committee is reviewing the proposal before Friday.
  4. It is essential that the committee reviewed the proposal before Friday.

Explanation

After expressions of necessity such as 'It is essential that', formal English uses the mandative subjunctive, which takes the base form 'review' regardless of the subject. The indicative 'reviews' is acceptable in informal usage but weaker in a formal argument. The progressive and past forms change the meaning and do not express the required recommendation.

Question 3Written examinations

A candidate must summarise a 600-word article in about 120 words for the Language 3 written paper. Which strategy best meets the task requirements?

  1. Include personal opinion on the article's argument alongside its main points.
  2. Reproduce the article's structure paragraph by paragraph at reduced length.
  3. Retain the main claims and supporting evidence, omitting examples and repetition. Correct answer.
  4. Copy the topic sentence of every paragraph verbatim into the summary.

Explanation

A summary must condense the source by preserving central claims and essential evidence while discarding illustrative detail and redundancy. Verbatim copying of topic sentences produces a patchwork rather than a genuine reformulation and is penalised. Personal opinion and paragraph-by-paragraph mirroring both violate the conventions of neutral summarising.

Question 4Written examinations

In the Language 3 written examination, which feature most reliably distinguishes an argumentative essay from a descriptive one?

  1. A chronological narrative of personal experience.
  2. Frequent use of adjectives and sensory detail.
  3. Heavy reliance on direct quotation from source texts.
  4. A sustained thesis supported by reasoned evidence and counter-argument. Correct answer.

Explanation

An argumentative essay is defined by a clear position that is defended through reasoning, evidence and engagement with opposing views. Sensory description, chronological narrative and quotation are techniques that may appear in many text types but do not by themselves create argumentation. The examiner looks for a thesis and its logical development.

Question 5Written examinations

Which connector best completes this sentence in a formal Language 3 essay: 'The policy reduced emissions; ____, it increased costs for small businesses.'?

  1. similarly
  2. however Correct answer.
  3. moreover
  4. therefore

Explanation

The second clause presents a drawback that contrasts with the benefit stated in the first, so a concessive connector such as 'however' is required. 'Therefore' and 'moreover' signal consequence and addition respectively, which misrepresent the logical relationship. 'Similarly' would imply the two clauses point in the same direction.

Question 6Written examinations

A candidate writes: 'The report, which was published last month, criticises the scheme.' Which function does the relative clause perform in this Language 3 sentence?

  1. It converts the sentence into a question.
  2. It replaces the main verb of the sentence.
  3. It adds non-essential information and is set off by commas. Correct answer.
  4. It identifies which report is meant and cannot be removed.

Explanation

A non-defining relative clause, marked by commas, supplies extra information about an already identified noun and can be removed without destroying the sentence. A defining clause would identify the noun and would not take commas. The clause does not alter the verb or the sentence type.

Question 7Written examinations

In the Language 3 written paper, a task asks for a 'compte rendu' of a debate. Which feature is essential to this text type?

  1. A verbatim transcript of every utterance.
  2. A creative continuation imagining how the debate might end.
  3. A personal attack on the weakest speaker in the debate.
  4. An objective account of the positions presented and the conclusions reached. Correct answer.

Explanation

A compte rendu reports what was said in a neutral, organised way, distinguishing the positions of participants and the outcome. It is not a transcript, since it selects and reformulates, and it is not creative writing. Hostile personal commentary violates the objectivity expected of the genre.

Question 8Written examinations

Which sentence correctly uses the passive voice to maintain an impersonal tone in a formal Language 3 report?

  1. Somebody analysed the samples using standard laboratory procedures.
  2. The samples analysed using standard laboratory procedures.
  3. We analysed the samples using standard laboratory procedures.
  4. The samples were analysed using standard laboratory procedures. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passive construction 'were analysed' foregrounds the procedure and omits the agent, which suits the impersonal register of a report. The active 'we analysed' introduces a personal subject, and 'somebody analysed' is vague and informal. The final option omits the auxiliary and is grammatically incomplete.

Question 9Written examinations

A Language 3 task requires a text of 250 words with a tolerance of ten per cent. What is the acceptable range?

  1. 225 to 275 words Correct answer.
  2. 250 to 260 words
  3. 200 to 300 words
  4. 240 to 260 words

Explanation

Ten per cent of 250 is 25, so the tolerance extends 25 words below and above the target, giving a range of 225 to 275. A range of 240 to 260 corresponds to a four per cent tolerance, and 200 to 300 to twenty per cent. The asymmetric range ignores the lower tolerance entirely.

Question 10Written examinations

Which sentence avoids a comma splice, a common error penalised in Language 3 written work?

  1. The experiment failed, the team revised its method.
  2. The experiment failed, so the team revised its method. Correct answer.
  3. The experiment failed, the team, revised its method.
  4. The experiment failed the team revised its method.

Explanation

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; adding the coordinating conjunction 'so' repairs it. The second option is the uncorrected splice, and the third runs the clauses together with no punctuation at all. The fourth misplaces commas and obscures the clause boundary.

Question 11Written examinations

In a Language 3 essay, a candidate writes: 'Governments must act. The planet is warming.' Which revision best improves cohesion without changing meaning?

  1. Governments must act because the planet is warming. Correct answer.
  2. Governments must act; the planet is warming, however.
  3. Governments must act, the planet is warming.
  4. Governments must act. The planet is warming.

Explanation

Combining the short sentences with the causal conjunction 'because' makes the logical link explicit and improves cohesion. Leaving them separate preserves the choppy style, and joining them with a comma alone creates a splice. Adding 'however' reverses the logical relationship between the clauses.

Question 12Written examinations

Which expression is the most appropriate formal equivalent of 'a lot of people think' in a Language 3 discursive essay?

  1. Loads of people reckon
  2. Everybody knows that
  3. It is widely held that Correct answer.
  4. Loads of folks say

Explanation

The impersonal passive 'It is widely held that' reports a common view without committing the writer and matches formal academic register. 'Loads of people reckon' and 'loads of folks say' are colloquial, and 'everybody knows that' overstates the claim and is informal. Register consistency is a criterion in the marking of written production.

Question 13Written examinations

A candidate must write a review of a film for the Language 3 paper. Which combination of features best matches the conventions of the genre?

  1. A brief description of the plot plus an evaluative judgement with justification. Correct answer.
  2. A neutral laboratory report of the film's technical specifications.
  3. A full scene-by-scene synopsis with no evaluation.
  4. A letter of complaint addressed to the cinema manager.

Explanation

A review informs readers about the work and offers an evaluative judgement supported by reasons, which distinguishes it from mere description. A scene-by-scene synopsis lacks evaluation, and a technical report or complaint letter belongs to other genres. The task requires both informative and evaluative elements.

Question 14Written examinations

Which sentence uses the conditional correctly to express a hypothetical recommendation in a formal Language 3 text?

  1. If the government invests more, outcomes would have improved.
  2. Were the government invests more, outcomes would improve.
  3. Were the government to invest more, outcomes would improve. Correct answer.
  4. If the government would invest more, outcomes improve.

Explanation

The inverted conditional 'Were the government to invest' is a formal variant of the second conditional and correctly pairs with 'would improve'. The other options mix incompatible tense forms, producing ungrammatical or illogical conditionals. Formal written tasks reward accurate use of such structures.

Question 15Written examinations

In the Language 3 written paper, what is the main purpose of a 'lettre de motivation' task?

  1. To summarise a scientific article objectively.
  2. To persuade a reader that the candidate is suited to a position or course. Correct answer.
  3. To complain about a defective product.
  4. To narrate a fictional story about a job interview.

Explanation

A letter of motivation presents the writer's qualifications, experience and reasons for applying in order to persuade the reader of their suitability. Narrative fiction, objective summary and complaint belong to other text types. The persuasive purpose shapes the selection of content and the formal register.

Question 16Written examinations

Which sentence correctly uses reported speech in a formal Language 3 summary of an interview?

  1. The minister said that the reforms would take effect next year.
  2. The minister said that the reforms will take effect the following year.
  3. The minister says that the reforms would take effect the following year.
  4. The minister said that the reforms would take effect the following year. Correct answer.

Explanation

In reported speech after a past reporting verb, 'will' shifts back to 'would' and 'next year' shifts to 'the following year'. Keeping 'will' or 'next year' fails to make the necessary backshift, and mixing a present reporting verb with 'would' creates an inconsistent sequence. Consistent backshift is expected in formal reporting.

Question 17Written examinations

A candidate's Language 3 essay opens: 'In this essay I will talk about the environment and stuff.' Which criticism is most relevant to the assessment criteria?

  1. The introduction is too informal and announces the topic without stating a position. Correct answer.
  2. The introduction uses too many technical terms for the reader.
  3. The introduction contains a statistical claim that needs a source.
  4. The introduction is too long and should be shortened.

Explanation

The phrase 'and stuff' is colloquial, and announcing what the essay will do without a thesis weakens the introduction. Length is not the problem, since the sentence is short, and there is no statistic or technical terminology to criticise. Assessment rewards a formal register and a clear position.

Question 18Written examinations

Which punctuation correctly introduces a list in a formal Language 3 text?

  1. The study examined three factors: cost, feasibility and public support. Correct answer.
  2. The study examined three factors, cost, feasibility and public support.
  3. The study examined three factors - cost; feasibility; and public support.
  4. The study examined three factors; cost, feasibility and public support.

Explanation

A colon correctly introduces an explanatory list after a complete clause. A semicolon is used between independent clauses, not before a list, and a comma alone is too weak for this expansion. The final option misuses dashes and semicolons within the list itself.

Question 19Written examinations

In a Language 3 argumentative essay, which move best strengthens a counter-argument paragraph?

  1. Acknowledge the opposing view, then show its limits with evidence. Correct answer.
  2. Ignore the opposing view and repeat the thesis more forcefully.
  3. List several opposing views without responding to any of them.
  4. Concede the opposing view entirely and abandon the thesis.

Explanation

Effective argumentation engages with the strongest opposing view, concedes what is valid and then rebuts it with evidence, which demonstrates critical control. Ignoring the opposition or merely listing it without response weakens the argument. Abandoning the thesis removes the essay's position altogether.

Question 20Written examinations

Which sentence correctly uses a gerund as the subject in a formal Language 3 sentence?

  1. To reading the original sources improved the candidate's analysis.
  2. Reading the original sources improved the candidate's analysis. Correct answer.
  3. Read the original sources improved the candidate's analysis.
  4. Reads the original sources improved the candidate's analysis.

Explanation

A gerund, the -ing form of the verb, can serve as the subject of a sentence, as in 'Reading the original sources improved...'. The other options use an infinitive marker with a gerund, a bare imperative form, or a finite verb, none of which can function as a subject here. Accurate use of gerunds is part of grammatical range.

Question 21Written examinations

A candidate writes: 'The data shows that young people are more likely to vote in local elections than national ones.' What is the main logical weakness of this sentence in a Language 3 essay?

  1. The sentence uses too many commas.
  2. The verb 'shows' should be in the passive voice.
  3. The comparison is ambiguous about which group and elections are being compared. Correct answer.
  4. The sentence contains no subordinate clause.

Explanation

The phrase 'than national ones' leaves unclear whether it compares elections or groups of people, so the comparison is not parallel and the claim is ambiguous. The presence of a subordinate clause is not a weakness, and neither the voice of 'shows' nor comma use is at issue. Clarity of comparison is a criterion in analytical writing.

Question 22Written examinations

Which sentence correctly uses a modal verb to express a strong obligation in a formal Language 3 recommendation?

  1. Applicants may submit the form by the stated deadline.
  2. Applicants could submit the form by the stated deadline.
  3. Applicants must submit the form by the stated deadline. Correct answer.
  4. Applicants might submit the form by the stated deadline.

Explanation

'Must' expresses strong obligation or requirement, which fits a formal recommendation about a deadline. 'Might', 'could' and 'may' express possibility or permission and weaken the obligation. Modal choice must match the intended strength of the statement.

Question 23Written examinations

In the Language 3 written examination, which approach best handles an unfamiliar word in a reading passage when a question depends on it?

  1. Replace the word with a synonym that fits the sentence grammatically.
  2. Assume the word has the same meaning as a similar-looking word in another language.
  3. Infer its meaning from the surrounding context and word structure. Correct answer.
  4. Skip the question entirely without attempting it.

Explanation

Context clues and morphological analysis, such as prefixes and roots, allow candidates to infer meaning reliably when a word is unfamiliar. Skipping the question forfeits marks, and assuming cross-linguistic similarity often produces false friends. Substituting a word that merely fits grammatically ignores the actual meaning required.

Question 24Written examinations

Which sentence correctly uses a hyphen to avoid ambiguity in a formal Language 3 text?

  1. The report covers a little known policy area.
  2. The report covers a little-known policy area. Correct answer.
  3. The report covers a little, known policy area.
  4. The report covers a little known, policy area.

Explanation

The hyphen in 'little-known' binds the compound modifier so that it clearly means 'not widely known' rather than 'a small known policy area'. Without the hyphen the phrase is ambiguous, and the comma variants introduce faulty punctuation. Hyphens are required when compound modifiers precede a noun.

Question 25Written examinations

A Language 3 task asks candidates to write an article for a school magazine on a controversial issue. Which feature most clearly distinguishes an article from a formal report?

  1. A list of sources in a bibliography at the end.
  2. An impersonal passive style throughout with no direct address.
  3. A lively direct address to readers with a clear angle and examples. Correct answer.
  4. A neutral presentation of data with headings and no authorial stance.

Explanation

An article for a magazine aims to engage readers, so direct address, a clear angle and concrete examples are characteristic. Neutral data presentation with headings, bibliographies and impersonal passives are features of reports. Recognising these genre conventions guides appropriate stylistic choices.

Question 26Written examinations

In the Language 3 written paper, a task asks for an 'article de presse' reporting on a school event for a student readership. Which opening sentence best fits the conventions of this text type?

  1. Dear readers, you will never believe what happened at our school last week!
  2. I think the science fair was quite interesting and I would like to tell you about it.
  3. The science fair, which many people consider important, took place recently.
  4. Last Friday, more than three hundred students gathered in the main hall for the annual science fair. Correct answer.

Explanation

A press article opens with the essential facts: who, what, where and when, stated in a neutral journalistic register. The lead sentence should give the news directly rather than announce the writer's intention or address readers personally.

Question 27Written examinations

A Language 3 task requires candidates to write a formal letter of complaint to a language school about a cancelled course. Which closing formula is the most appropriate register?

  1. Anyway, hope you sort this out soon, thanks a lot!
  2. That is all I have to say about the problem.
  3. I remain at your disposal for any further information and thank you for your attention to this matter. Correct answer.
  4. Write back quickly because I am really annoyed about this.

Explanation

Formal complaint letters close with a polite formula that offers further contact and thanks the recipient, keeping the complaint courteous and impersonal. This maintains the distance required by administrative correspondence.

Question 28Written examinations

A candidate must summarise a two-page newspaper article in 120 words for the Language 3 paper. Which strategy best respects the conventions of a summary?

  1. Keep the most striking statistics and quotations to make the summary vivid.
  2. Reproduce the article's opening and closing paragraphs almost verbatim.
  3. Retain the main thesis and key supporting points, dropping examples and illustrations. Correct answer.
  4. Add the candidate's own evaluation of the article's argument.

Explanation

A summary condenses the source to its central argument and principal supporting points, omitting illustrative detail and examples. It must remain faithful to the original and must not introduce the writer's own judgement.

Question 29Written examinations

In a Language 3 argumentative essay, a candidate wants to concede a point before refuting it. Which sentence performs this move most effectively?

  1. Recycling is good and everyone should do it more often.
  2. Recycling, recycling, recycling: this is all we hear about nowadays.
  3. It is true that recycling alone cannot solve the problem, yet it remains the cheapest measure available. Correct answer.
  4. Some people say recycling is useless, but they are simply wrong.

Explanation

An effective concession acknowledges the opposing point fairly with a marker such as 'it is true that', then signals the rebuttal with a contrastive connector like 'yet'. This shows the candidate has weighed both sides before arguing.

Question 30Written examinations

A Language 3 reading task asks candidates to identify the writer's attitude in a short opinion piece. Which feature of the text is the most reliable evidence for this?

  1. The number of paragraphs in the passage
  2. The length of the sentences used by the author
  3. The presence of direct quotations from named experts
  4. Evaluative adjectives and modal choices such as 'regrettably' or 'should never' Correct answer.

Explanation

Attitude is carried by evaluative lexis and modality, which reveal approval, disapproval or obligation. Structural features such as paragraphing or sentence length say nothing about stance.

Question 31Written examinations

In the Language 3 written paper, a candidate must produce a 'compte rendu' of a survey on teenage reading habits. Which feature is essential to this text type?

  1. A neutral, organised account of the findings without personal commentary Correct answer.
  2. A vivid narrative of the candidate's own reading experiences
  3. A persuasive call for the school to buy more books
  4. A humorous tone to keep the reader entertained

Explanation

A report of findings presents information objectively and in a structured order, grouping results logically and avoiding the writer's opinion. Neutrality and organisation distinguish it from narrative or persuasive writing.

Question 32Written examinations

A candidate writes in a Language 3 essay: 'The government has took several measures.' Which correction is required and why?

  1. 'have took': the subject requires a plural auxiliary only.
  2. 'has take': the auxiliary is followed by the base form.
  3. 'has taken': the present perfect requires the past participle, not the past simple form. Correct answer.
  4. No correction is needed because both forms are accepted.

Explanation

The present perfect is formed with 'have/has' plus the past participle, so 'taken' is required after 'has'. 'Took' is the past simple form and cannot follow the auxiliary.

Question 33Written examinations

In a Language 3 formal text, a candidate wants to avoid repeating 'the company' several times. Which substitution preserves cohesion and formality?

  1. The company ... the company ... the company
  2. The thing ... stuff ... it
  3. The firm ... it ... the organisation in question Correct answer.
  4. The company ... they ... them

Explanation

Cohesion in formal writing is achieved through lexical substitution and appropriate pronouns that keep the referent clear. Using a synonym such as 'the firm' and a pronoun such as 'it' avoids repetition without loss of clarity.

Question 34Written examinations

A Language 3 task asks for a formal email requesting information about a summer course. Which sentence best performs the request appropriately?

  1. Send me the details of your course, please, and quickly.
  2. I want to know everything about your course right now.
  3. Could you maybe tell me some stuff about the course?
  4. I would be grateful if you could send me details of the course fees and timetable. Correct answer.

Explanation

Formal requests use indirect polite structures such as 'I would be grateful if you could', which soften the imposition and specify exactly what is needed. This matches the conventions of institutional correspondence.

Question 35Written examinations

In a Language 3 written commentary, a candidate must analyse how a slogan persuades. Which observation best demonstrates analysis rather than description?

  1. The imperative 'Act now' creates urgency while the first-person plural 'we' invites the reader to share responsibility. Correct answer.
  2. The slogan is a good one because it makes people want to help.
  3. The slogan is short and has five words in total.
  4. The slogan appears at the bottom of the poster in large letters.

Explanation

Analysis names a specific linguistic device, such as an imperative or an inclusive pronoun, and explains the effect it produces on the reader. Description merely reports surface features.

Question 36Written examinations

A candidate's Language 3 essay contains the sentence: 'Having read the article, the arguments seemed convincing.' What is the grammatical problem?

  1. A dangling participle: the subject of 'having read' is not the subject of the main clause. Correct answer.
  2. An incorrect use of the definite article before 'arguments'.
  3. A comma splice joining two independent clauses.
  4. A tense shift from present perfect to past simple.

Explanation

A participial clause must share its subject with the main clause; here the arguments did not read the article. The sentence should be rephrased so that the reader, the real agent, is the subject.

Question 37Written examinations

In the Language 3 paper, a task asks candidates to write a blog post for exchange students about life at their school. Which feature most clearly marks the text as a blog post rather than a formal report?

  1. Direct address to readers and a relaxed but controlled conversational tone Correct answer.
  2. Numbered sections with headings in a fixed template
  3. A reference list at the end of the text
  4. Impersonal passive constructions throughout

Explanation

Blog posts build a relationship with the reader through direct address and a conversational yet readable register. Formal reports instead favour impersonality, headings and citation apparatus.

Question 38Written examinations

A candidate must write a short speech for a school debate in the Language 3 paper. Which opening is most effective for an oral delivery?

  1. Fellow students, imagine arriving at school to find that every book has disappeared. Correct answer.
  2. This speech will discuss the issue of libraries from several perspectives.
  3. Libraries, which have existed for centuries, are important institutions.
  4. It is a widely acknowledged fact that libraries perform numerous functions.

Explanation

A speech opening should engage listeners immediately, often through direct address and a vivid scenario that makes the issue concrete. Written-style framing sentences lose an audience's attention.

Question 39Written examinations

In a Language 3 reading passage, the writer states: 'Far from being a marginal hobby, birdwatching now generates more revenue than professional football.' What is the function of 'Far from being a marginal hobby'?

  1. It introduces a concession that the writer later accepts as true.
  2. It marks a change of topic in the passage.
  3. It provides a statistical definition of the hobby.
  4. It rejects an assumption in order to emphasise the following claim. Correct answer.

Explanation

The structure 'far from being X' denies an expected characterisation and sets up a contrast that strengthens the claim that follows. It is a rhetorical way of correcting a reader's assumption.

Question 40Written examinations

A candidate writing a formal Language 3 report must refer to a survey of 400 respondents. Which sentence reports the result most appropriately?

  1. The survey indicates that most favour later opening hours, conducted among 400 respondents.
  2. Me and 400 people did a survey and most of us want later opening hours.
  3. The survey, conducted among 400 respondents, indicates that most favour later opening hours. Correct answer.
  4. A survey of 400 respondents, and most of them favour later opening hours.

Explanation

Formal reports use impersonal subjects, past or present reporting verbs, and embedded participial phrases placed next to the noun they modify. This sentence is grammatical, impersonal and correctly ordered.

Question 41Written examinations

In a Language 3 essay, a candidate writes: 'Social media has changed the way we communicate, it has also altered how we read.' Which revision best corrects the error?

  1. Social media has changed the way we communicate, and it has also altered how we read, however.
  2. Social media has changed the way we communicate it has also altered how we read.
  3. Social media has changed the way we communicate; it has also altered how we read. Correct answer.
  4. Social media has changed the way we communicate, it has also altered how we read.

Explanation

Two independent clauses joined without a conjunction create a comma splice; a semicolon correctly marks the boundary between closely related statements. Alternatively a coordinating conjunction could be used, but the semicolon version is clean and formal.

Question 42Written examinations

A Language 3 task requires a review of a school theatre production. Which combination of elements is most characteristic of this text type?

  1. A neutral summary of the plot with no assessment
  2. A formal complaint addressed to the theatre management
  3. A brief description of the production, an evaluative judgement and a recommendation to readers Correct answer.
  4. A chronological list of every scene with no comment

Explanation

Reviews combine description, evaluation and a recommendation, and they are written for an audience who may decide whether to attend. The judgement is what distinguishes a review from a summary.

Question 43Written examinations

In a Language 3 written task, a candidate must link two contrasting ideas in one sentence. Which connector is appropriate in formal written register?

  1. Whereas the first proposal is costly, the second is inexpensive to implement. Correct answer.
  2. The first proposal is costly, the second is inexpensive, sort of.
  3. The first proposal is costly, the second is inexpensive, whatever.
  4. But the first proposal is costly, the second is inexpensive to implement.

Explanation

'Whereas' is a subordinating conjunction that formally marks contrast and can open a sentence. It suits academic and report writing, unlike the coordinating 'but' at the start of a sentence or vague colloquial tags.

Question 44Written examinations

A candidate must answer a Language 3 question worth several marks that asks for two reasons and an example. Which response structure best matches the mark scheme?

  1. Give one reason in detail and ignore the request for a second.
  2. List keywords without forming complete sentences.
  3. State each reason in a separate sentence and attach a concrete example to one of them. Correct answer.
  4. Write a single long paragraph offering several vague reasons.

Explanation

Mark schemes reward coverage of each required element, so reasons should be clearly separated and the example explicitly linked to one of them. Complete sentences also demonstrate control of the language.

Question 45Written examinations

In a Language 3 text, a candidate writes: 'The new policy, announced by the minister, were criticised by teachers.' Which explanation of the error is correct?

  1. The verb should agree with 'teachers', so 'were criticised' is correct as written.
  2. The participial phrase requires a plural verb after it.
  3. The verb must agree with the singular head noun 'policy', so 'was criticised' is required. Correct answer.
  4. The error lies in the preposition 'by', which should be 'from'.

Explanation

Subject-verb agreement is determined by the head noun of the subject, not by an intervening phrase. The head noun 'policy' is singular, so the verb must be 'was'.

Question 46Written examinations

A Language 3 candidate must write a formal letter to a newspaper editor arguing against a proposed local tax. Which sentence best establishes the writer's position in the opening paragraph?

  1. The tax is bad and nobody likes it, so you should not support it.
  2. I am writing to you about the tax because I have some thoughts about it.
  3. In this letter I will discuss the tax and give my opinion about the whole situation.
  4. I am writing to express my opposition to the proposed levy, which I believe would penalise the poorest residents. Correct answer.

Explanation

A formal letter to an editor should state its purpose and position clearly in the opening, using precise vocabulary and a subordinate clause to signal the argument to come. Vagueness or empty framing weakens the opening.

Question 47Written examinations

A Language 3 reading passage uses the phrase 'the tip of the iceberg' when discussing hidden costs. What does the expression mean in context?

  1. The writer is describing a geographical location.
  2. The visible part is small compared with what remains unseen. Correct answer.
  3. The costs have been completely eliminated.
  4. The problem is trivial and can be ignored.

Explanation

The idiom refers to the small visible portion of a much larger hidden whole, so it warns that the apparent costs are only a fraction of the total. Idioms must be interpreted figuratively within the passage's argument.

Question 48Written examinations

In a Language 3 written task, a candidate must transform direct speech into reported speech for a news article. The original statement is: 'We will publish the results tomorrow,' the researcher said. Which version is correct?

  1. The researcher said that they will publish the results tomorrow.
  2. The researcher said that they would publish the results yesterday.
  3. The researcher said that they would publish the results the following day. Correct answer.
  4. The researcher said that we would publish the results tomorrow.

Explanation

In reported speech after a past reporting verb, 'will' becomes 'would' and time references shift, so 'tomorrow' becomes 'the following day'. The pronoun is adjusted to refer correctly to the researcher.

Question 49Written examinations

A candidate's Language 3 essay uses the same sentence structure repeatedly: subject, verb, object, full stop. Which revision strategy most improves the stylistic range?

  1. Shorten every sentence to fewer than eight words.
  2. Combine some clauses with subordinators and vary sentence openings with adverbial phrases. Correct answer.
  3. Add more adjectives to every noun in each sentence.
  4. Insert exclamation marks to add emphasis.

Explanation

Stylistic range comes from varying sentence length and structure, for example by subordinating clauses or fronting adverbials. This creates rhythm and shows grammatical control, which mark schemes reward.

Question 50Written examinations

In the Language 3 written examination, a candidate has ten minutes left and one task unfinished. Which action best protects the overall mark?

  1. Complete the task in note form with clear structure so the required content is present. Correct answer.
  2. Write a long introduction to the unfinished task and stop there.
  3. Leave the task blank and spend the time checking earlier answers.
  4. Copy the task instructions into the answer space to fill the page.

Explanation

Mark schemes credit content and organisation, so a structured response in note form can still earn marks for the required points. Blank space or padding earns nothing.