PEIC Level 1 (A2) cheat sheet

A2 reading texts are short and practical: notices, emails, menus, timetables, and simple articles of about 100–200 words.

Scanning means looking only for a specific word, number, name, or date; it does not require reading every word.

Skimming means reading quickly for the main idea, often by checking titles and the first and last sentences of paragraphs.

True/False/Not Given rule: choose False only when the text says the opposite; choose Not Given when the text is silent.

Pronoun reference rule: in 'Anna met Ben. She waved', 'she' refers to Anna because Anna is the nearest matching female noun.

In multiple-choice questions, the correct option usually paraphrases the text; an option that repeats exact words may be a trap.

Order rule: answers to reading questions usually appear in the same sequence as the information in the passage.

A2 inference limit: the correct answer is supported by one or two sentences in the text, not by general world knowledge.

A short A2 email normally contains a greeting, a purpose sentence, one or two details, and a closing with the writer's name.

Simple sentence formula: Subject + verb + object; add one adjective or adverb only when it adds necessary information.

Because introduces a reason, but introduces contrast, and so introduces a result; each connector joins two clauses.

Regular past simple verbs add -ed: work→worked, play→played, watch→watched.

Irregular past simple verbs do not add -ed: go→went, see→saw, have→had, do→did.

Be going to + base verb expresses plans or intentions: 'I am going to visit my aunt tomorrow'.

Formal email opening: Dear Mr/Ms + surname; informal opening: Hi + first name.

Capital letters are required at sentence start and for I, names, days of the week, and months.

Question preview rule: read the questions before the audio and underline key words to know which information to listen for.

Number contrast: 13–19 often carry stress on the second syllable; 30–90 carry stress on the first syllable.

Distractor rule: a speaker may first give a wrong time, price, or place and then correct it with 'actually' or 'sorry'.

Spelling rule: when a name is spelled aloud, write each letter as heard and then check the complete word.

Date rule: listening tasks may use ordinal numbers such as first, second, third, and month names such as January or June.

Signal words but, however, actually, and so often introduce a change, correction, or result that affects the answer.

Direction language includes imperatives such as turn left and go straight, and prepositions such as opposite, next to, and behind.

Missing-answer rule: if one answer is missed, leave it and move attention to the next question because the next answer often follows quickly.

Present simple rule: add -s to the verb with he, she, or it: 'She works', 'He plays', but 'They work'.

Present continuous formula: am/is/are + verb-ing; it describes an action happening now or around now.

Past simple question formula: Did + subject + base verb, as in 'Did you go?' not 'Did you went?'.

Fillers such as 'Well', 'Let me think', or 'That's a good question' can fill a short pause while planning the next words.

Turn-back questions such as 'What about you?' return the conversation to the other speaker after an answer.

Final -s pronunciation: /s/ after voiceless sounds, /z/ after voiced sounds, and /ɪz/ after sibilant sounds.

Picture description phrases include in the foreground, in the background, on the left, on the right, and next to.

A2 answer length: one direct answer plus one reason or detail, using one or two short sentences.