Grammar and Vocabulary in Context
This domain tests grammar and vocabulary inside short contexts at A2: choosing the correct form, completing sentences, matching meanings, and recognizing everyday phrases. It rewards control of core structures rather than rare vocabulary.
Core grammar rules
- Nouns have grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, neuter.
- Four cases: nominative, accusative, dative, genitive. Prepositions and verbs govern case.
- The definite article is usually a suffix: “hestur” → “hesturinn,” “kona” → “konan,” “barn” → “barnið.”
- Verb conjugation changes with person and number: “ég tala,” “þú talar,” “hann talar,” “við tölum,” “þið talið,” “þeir tala.”
- Main-clause negation follows the verb: “Ég veit ekki.”
- Questions invert subject and verb: “Talar þú íslensku?”
Vocabulary in context
- Learn words in phrases: “fara í bíó,” “taka strætó,” “borga reikning.”
- Notice false friends and near-misses: “frændi” means relative, not friend; “gestur” means guest.
- Use word families and compounds to infer meaning.
Worked example
Sentence: “Ég ætla að fara með ___ (hún) í bíó.” Reasoning: the preposition “með” governs the dative; the dative form of “hún” is “henni.” The answer is “henni,” not “hana.” “Í bíó” is a fixed accusative phrase for going to the cinema. This shows why learning a preposition without its case is unreliable.
Traps that cost marks
- Using the accusative after “með” because English uses one object form.
- Forgetting the definite article suffix or attaching the wrong gender form.
- Confusing “að” as an infinitive marker with “að” as a preposition.
- Missing the expletive “það” in sentences about weather or existence.
- Choosing a vocabulary item that looks similar to an English word but means something else.