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TESOL Certificate practice questions

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Question 1Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which pair of English consonant sounds is distinguished only by voicing?

  1. /p/ and /t/
  2. /t/ and /s/
  3. /b/ and /m/
  4. /p/ and /b/ Correct answer.

Explanation

/p/ and /b/ are both bilabial plosives, produced with the same place and manner of articulation; the only contrast between them is that /b/ is voiced and /p/ is voiceless. Pairs that differ in place or manner involve more than one phonetic distinction.

Question 2Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which adjective collocates most naturally with 'rain' to describe a large amount of it?

  1. thick
  2. heavy Correct answer.
  3. strong
  4. big

Explanation

English conventionally uses 'heavy' with precipitation nouns such as rain, snow and traffic. Collocation is a lexical partnership rather than a matter of literal meaning, so near-synonyms like 'strong' do not substitute freely.

Question 3Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

  1. She gave me an information.
  2. She gave me many informations.
  3. She gave me some information. Correct answer.
  4. She gave me some informations.

Explanation

'Information' is an uncountable noun in English, so it has no plural form and cannot follow 'a/an' or 'many'. Uncountable nouns take quantifiers such as 'some', 'much' or 'a piece of'.

Question 4Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In 'Tom arrived late. He apologised to the teacher.', the pronoun 'He' is an example of:

  1. cataphoric reference
  2. ellipsis
  3. exophoric reference
  4. anaphoric reference Correct answer.

Explanation

Anaphoric reference points back to something already mentioned in the text, which is what 'He' does with 'Tom'. Cataphoric reference points forward, and exophoric reference points outside the text to the situation.

Question 5Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

How many phonemes are there in the spoken word 'through' (/θruː/)?

  1. three Correct answer.
  2. four
  3. five
  4. two

Explanation

The pronunciation /θruː/ contains the voiceless dental fricative /θ/, the approximant /r/ and the long vowel /uː/, giving three phonemes. Letters and phonemes do not correspond one-to-one, which is why the seven letters of the spelling are misleading.

Question 6Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

I ___ him at the station yesterday.

  1. have seen
  2. see
  3. saw Correct answer.
  4. had seen

Explanation

The finished time adverbial 'yesterday' locates the event in a completed past period, which requires the past simple. Present perfect is incompatible with a definite finished past time.

Question 7Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which word is the closest antonym of 'generous'?

  1. wealthy
  2. stingy Correct answer.
  3. thrifty
  4. cautious

Explanation

'Generous' describes a willingness to give freely, and its opposite is 'stingy', meaning unwilling to give or spend. The other options describe caution or financial prudence rather than the opposite of giving.

Question 8Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Choose the correct article: 'She waited for ___ hour.'

  1. no article
  2. the
  3. a
  4. an Correct answer.

Explanation

The choice between 'a' and 'an' depends on the following sound, not the following letter. 'Hour' begins with the vowel sound /aʊ/ because the 'h' is silent, so 'an' is required.

Question 9Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In which syllable is the primary stress in the word 'photography'?

  1. fourth
  2. third
  3. second Correct answer.
  4. first

Explanation

'Photography' is pronounced /fəˈtɒɡrəfi/, with the main stress on the second syllable. Related words shift the stress: 'photograph' is stressed on the first syllable and 'photographic' on the third.

Question 10Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In rapid speech, 'handbag' is often pronounced /ˈhæmbæɡ/. Which process does this illustrate?

  1. epenthesis
  2. assimilation Correct answer.
  3. reduplication
  4. elision

Explanation

Assimilation occurs when a sound changes to become more similar to a neighbouring sound. Here the alveolar /n/ takes on the bilabial place of articulation of the following /b/ and becomes /m/.

Question 11Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which question type most typically ends with falling intonation?

  1. wh-questions Correct answer.
  2. yes/no questions
  3. polite requests beginning 'Could you...'
  4. echo questions

Explanation

Wh-questions normally use a falling tone because the speaker is asking for information and the pitch falls on the final stressed syllable. Yes/no questions and polite requests typically rise, signalling that a yes/no response is expected.

Question 12Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which sentence means that leaving is not permitted?

  1. You needn't leave.
  2. There's no need for you to leave.
  3. You don't have to leave.
  4. You mustn't leave. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Mustn't' expresses prohibition, so it conveys that leaving is forbidden. 'Don't have to' and 'needn't' express the absence of obligation, which is a very different meaning.

Question 13Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

They will announce the results tomorrow. Rewrite in the passive: 'The results ___ tomorrow.'

  1. are announced
  2. will have announced
  3. will announce
  4. will be announced Correct answer.

Explanation

The passive is formed with the appropriate form of 'be' plus the past participle, so the future passive is 'will be announced'. The object of the active clause ('the results') becomes the subject of the passive clause.

Question 14Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

If I ___ more free time, I would learn to play the guitar.

  1. have
  2. have had
  3. would have
  4. had Correct answer.

Explanation

This is a second conditional describing a hypothetical present situation, so the if-clause takes the past simple 'had' and the main clause takes 'would' plus the infinitive. The past form signals distance from reality, not past time.

Question 15Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

My laptop, ___ I bought last year, has stopped working.

  1. it
  2. which Correct answer.
  3. what
  4. that

Explanation

The clause is non-defining, set off by commas, and non-defining relative clauses cannot take 'that'. The relative pronoun refers to a thing, so 'which' is the correct choice.

Question 16Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which suffix turns the adjective 'happy' into a noun?

  1. -ly
  2. -fy
  3. -ful
  4. -ness Correct answer.

Explanation

The suffix '-ness' attaches to adjectives to form abstract nouns of quality, giving 'happiness'. Each suffix selects a particular word class as its base.

Question 17Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which pair of words are homophones?

  1. near / far
  2. begin / start
  3. table / chair
  4. peace / piece Correct answer.

Explanation

Homophones are different words with the same pronunciation but different spelling and meaning, as with 'peace' and 'piece', both /piːs/. The other pairs differ either in sound or only in meaning.

Question 18Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which sentence is written in the style most appropriate for an academic essay?

  1. A bunch of researchers checked this out.
  2. Lots of researchers have dug into this.
  3. Loads of researchers have looked into this.
  4. Many researchers have studied this issue. Correct answer.

Explanation

Academic writing favours neutral, formal vocabulary and avoids colloquial quantifiers and phrasal verbs. 'Many researchers have studied this issue' uses an appropriate register for the genre.

Question 19Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which connector signals a contrast between two ideas?

  1. moreover
  2. for instance
  3. therefore
  4. however Correct answer.

Explanation

Discourse markers signal the logical relationship between propositions. 'However' marks contrast or concession, whereas the others mark addition, consequence and exemplification respectively.

Question 20Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

By the time we arrived, the film ___.

  1. had started Correct answer.
  2. started
  3. was starting
  4. has started

Explanation

The past perfect marks an event completed before another past event, and here the starting clearly precedes the arrival. Using the past simple would present the two events as sequential rather than ordered.

Question 21Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In which word is the initial /p/ aspirated?

  1. spring
  2. spin
  3. pot Correct answer.
  4. spot

Explanation

Voiceless plosives are aspirated when they begin a stressed syllable, as in 'pot' /pʰɒt/. After a preceding /s/ in the same syllable, the plosive is unaspirated, so 'spot', 'spring' and 'spin' have plain /p/.

Question 22Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

The difference between 'She sings' and 'She is singing' is best described as a difference in:

  1. tense
  2. voice
  3. aspect Correct answer.
  4. mood

Explanation

Both clauses are present tense, so what changes is aspect: the simple form presents the situation as a whole, while the progressive presents it as ongoing. Tense locates a situation in time; aspect concerns how it is viewed internally.

Question 23Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Either of the answers ___ acceptable.

  1. are
  2. be
  3. were
  4. is Correct answer.

Explanation

'Either' functions as a singular head, so the verb agrees with it in the singular even though a plural noun follows in the prepositional phrase. The number of the noun inside 'of the answers' does not control agreement.

Question 24Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In the clause 'The committee made the decision', the theme is:

  1. made the decision
  2. the committee Correct answer.
  3. the decision
  4. made

Explanation

The theme is the element placed in initial position, which is what the clause is 'about'. Here the subject 'the committee' occupies initial position and is therefore the unmarked theme, while 'the decision' is the rheme, the new information.

Question 25Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

A text whose sentences are joined by clear connectors but which nevertheless jumps between unrelated ideas lacks:

  1. substitution
  2. cohesion
  3. conjunction
  4. coherence Correct answer.

Explanation

Coherence is the underlying logical connectedness of ideas that allows a reader to make sense of a text as a whole. Cohesion refers to explicit surface links such as connectors and pronouns, so a text can be cohesive yet incoherent.

Question 26Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which of these words contains a diphthong?

  1. sit
  2. cat
  3. book
  4. boy Correct answer.

Explanation

A diphthong is a vowel sound that glides from one quality to another within a single syllable, and 'boy' contains /ɔɪ/. The other words contain the single, steady vowels /æ/, /ɪ/ and /ʊ/.

Question 27Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which adjective forms the most natural collocation with 'mistake' when you want to say it was a grave one?

  1. serious Correct answer.
  2. heavy
  3. strong
  4. high

Explanation

Collocation is the habitual co-occurrence of words, and English conventionally pairs 'mistake' with 'serious' to signal gravity. 'Strong', 'heavy' and 'high' collocate with other nouns but not with 'mistake' in standard usage.

Question 28Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which of these nouns is uncountable?

  1. table
  2. shelf
  3. chair
  4. bread Correct answer.

Explanation

Countable nouns have singular and plural forms and co-occur with 'a' or numbers, whereas mass nouns such as 'bread' do not take a plural or an indefinite article in this sense. 'Chair', 'table' and 'shelf' all form regular plurals and take 'a'.

Question 29Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In 'Tom arrived late. He apologised immediately.', the pronoun 'He' is an example of:

  1. anaphora Correct answer.
  2. ellipsis
  3. substitution
  4. cataphora

Explanation

Anaphoric reference points back to something already mentioned, so 'He' refers back to Tom in the preceding sentence. Cataphora points forward, substitution replaces a whole phrase with a pro-form such as 'one' or 'do', and ellipsis omits recoverable material altogether.

Question 30Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which pair of words is distinguished only by whether the first consonant is voiced?

  1. ship / sheep
  2. cat / cap
  3. pear / bear Correct answer.
  4. pin / pen

Explanation

In 'pear' and 'bear' the initial consonants /p/ and /b/ share place and manner of articulation and differ only in voicing, making them a minimal pair for that feature. The other pairs differ in vowel quality or in the final consonant.

Question 31Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In connected speech, the word 'can' in 'I can swim' is usually pronounced /kən/ because:

  1. it carries the main stress of the sentence
  2. it is a stressed content word
  3. it is unstressed and reduced Correct answer.
  4. it is followed by a vowel sound

Explanation

Auxiliary verbs like 'can' are grammatical words that are normally unstressed, so their vowel reduces to schwa in the weak form /kən/. The strong form /kæn/ appears only when the word is stressed, for instance in contrast or correction.

Question 32Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which prefix, added to 'understand', gives the meaning 'to understand wrongly'?

  1. un-
  2. mis- Correct answer.
  3. dis-
  4. in-

Explanation

The prefix 'mis-' carries the meaning 'wrongly' or 'badly', so 'misunderstand' means to understand incorrectly. 'Un-' and 'in-' typically negate a word, and 'dis-' commonly signals reversal or absence.

Question 33Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In the set 'rose, tulip, daffodil', the word 'flower' is best described as:

  1. a hyponym of each word
  2. a collocate of each word
  3. the superordinate term Correct answer.
  4. a synonym of each word

Explanation

A superordinate (hypernym) is the more general term whose meaning includes the more specific words, so 'flower' includes rose, tulip and daffodil as its hyponyms. Synonyms, by contrast, must be interchangeable in meaning.

Question 34Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In 'She must have missed the train', the modal 'must' expresses:

  1. ability
  2. obligation
  3. deduction Correct answer.
  4. permission

Explanation

'Must' followed by a perfect infinitive marks a confident logical deduction about a past event. Past obligation would be expressed with 'had to', permission with 'was allowed to', and ability with 'was able to'.

Question 35Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In 'I had my car repaired last week', the speaker means that:

  1. he repaired the car himself
  2. he helped a friend to repair it
  3. a garage repaired it for him Correct answer.
  4. he repaired it with a friend

Explanation

The pattern 'have + object + past participle' is the causative, which means arranging for someone else to perform the action. It contrasts with the active sentence 'I repaired my car', where the subject does the work.

Question 36Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which sentence contains a hedge?

  1. Everyone knows that the policy failed.
  2. The essay will show that the policy failed.
  3. The data clearly prove that the policy failed completely.
  4. The evidence suggests that the policy failed. Correct answer.

Explanation

A hedge softens a claim and signals appropriate caution, which 'suggests' does by presenting the conclusion as a possible reading of the evidence. The other sentences state the claim baldly or present it as beyond dispute.

Question 37Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In English, information that is new to the reader is most typically placed:

  1. in the subject position
  2. at the end of the clause Correct answer.
  3. at the beginning of the clause
  4. immediately after the verb

Explanation

English prefers to put given information early and new information late, a principle known as end-focus, because the end of the clause carries the greatest communicative weight. This is why the passive is often used to move a long or unfamiliar element to the end.

Question 38Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

The /l/ in 'leaf' and the /l/ in 'feel' differ in that:

  1. they belong to two distinct phonemes
  2. they are allophones of one phoneme Correct answer.
  3. the second is voiceless
  4. the first is always syllabic

Explanation

Clear [l] before a vowel and dark [ɫ] after a vowel are allophones of the single phoneme /l/, occupying different positions and therefore in complementary distribution. Substituting one for the other changes the accent but not the meaning of the word.

Question 39Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

Which pair of words illustrates polysemy rather than homonymy?

  1. sea / see
  2. bat (an animal) / bat (for cricket)
  3. foot (of a leg) / foot (of a hill) Correct answer.
  4. sole (of a shoe) / sole (a fish)

Explanation

Polysemy involves one word with several related senses, and the foot of a hill is a metaphorical extension of the bodily foot. The other pairs involve either unrelated meanings that happen to share a form (homonymy) or identical pronunciation with different spelling (homophony).

Question 40Language awareness and systems (phonology, lexis, grammar, discourse)

In 'It was Maria who solved the problem', the structure is best analysed as:

  1. a passive construction
  2. an it-cleft Correct answer.
  3. an existential clause
  4. a subordinate clause

Explanation

An it-cleft divides a single proposition into a focused element (Maria) and a relative-clause-like part that carries the presupposed information. Existential clauses begin with unstressed 'there', and passives require a form of 'be' with a past participle.

Question 41Second language acquisition and learner characteristics

In Krashen's input hypothesis, the formulation 'i + 1' refers to...

  1. input just beyond current level Correct answer.
  2. one hour of instruction per day
  3. a single corrective feedback move
  4. the first language plus one more

Explanation

Krashen used 'i' for the learner's current competence and '+1' for input containing structures just beyond that level, which the learner can understand from context. Acquisition is claimed to proceed when the learner receives such comprehensible input.

Question 42Second language acquisition and learner characteristics

Vygotsky's zone of proximal development is best described as the...

  1. period before a child first speaks
  2. score a learner obtains on an IQ test
  3. gap between solo and assisted performance Correct answer.
  4. stage when a learner stops making errors

Explanation

The ZPD is the distance between what a learner can accomplish independently and what the learner can accomplish with support from a more capable person. Instruction is held to be most effective when it targets this zone.

Question 43Second language acquisition and learner characteristics

A learner who studies Spanish mainly to qualify for a promotion at work is displaying...

  1. integrative motivation
  2. intrinsic motivation
  3. instrumental motivation Correct answer.
  4. language aptitude

Explanation

Instrumental motivation is driven by practical, external payoffs such as a job, a qualification or a salary increase. Integrative motivation instead involves a desire to connect with the target-language community.

Question 44Second language acquisition and learner characteristics

In Krashen's monitor model, a high affective filter is associated with...

  1. stronger intrinsic motivation to learn
  2. less intake of comprehensible input Correct answer.
  3. heavier reliance on the monitor
  4. faster acquisition of syntax

Explanation

The affective filter is a metaphorical barrier of anxiety, low self-confidence and low motivation that prevents comprehensible input from reaching the language acquisition device. When the filter is high, less input becomes intake.

Question 45Second language acquisition and learner characteristics

The 'silent period' typically refers to a stage in which a learner...

  1. refuses to attend any language classes
  2. practises pronunciation silently
  3. comprehends but produces little Correct answer.
  4. has stopped learning altogether

Explanation

Many learners, especially children in naturalistic settings, go through a period of taking in language and comprehending it before they begin to produce much speech. Production tends to emerge once the learner feels ready.

Question 46Second language acquisition and learner characteristics

Positive transfer occurs when...

  1. the learner overgeneralises a target rule
  2. an L1 habit supports correct L2 use Correct answer.
  3. an L1 pattern causes a persistent L2 error
  4. the learner switches to L1 to fill a gap

Explanation

Positive transfer is the facilitative influence of the first language, where an existing pattern or knowledge helps the learner produce correct second language forms. It contrasts with negative transfer, where the first language leads to error.

Question 47Second language acquisition and learner characteristics

Which of these best illustrates extrinsic motivation?

  1. studying English to pass a required exam Correct answer.
  2. reading English novels for personal pleasure
  3. wanting to feel like a competent language user
  4. enjoying the challenge of a hard grammar point

Explanation

Extrinsic motivation is regulated by outcomes that are separable from the activity itself, such as passing a test or earning a reward. The activity is a means to an external end rather than an end in itself.

Question 48Second language acquisition and learner characteristics

Swain's output hypothesis argues that producing the second language mainly helps learners by...

  1. allowing them to memorise fixed phrases
  2. increasing the quantity of input they receive
  3. making them process syntax, not only meaning Correct answer.
  4. lowering their affective filter in class

Explanation

Swain proposed that when learners must produce the target language, they are pushed from semantic processing to syntactic processing, since they have to encode meaning in well-formed utterances. This pressure reveals gaps and drives modified output.

Question 49Second language acquisition and learner characteristics

Long's interaction hypothesis emphasises that second language acquisition is supported by...

  1. translation of literary passages
  2. memorisation of scripted dialogues
  3. silent study of grammar rules
  4. negotiation of meaning during interaction Correct answer.

Explanation

Long argued that when interlocutors work to repair communication breakdowns, they modify input and interaction in ways that make forms salient and comprehensible. This negotiation of meaning is proposed as a key driver of acquisition.

Question 50Second language acquisition and learner characteristics

'Interlanguage' refers to...

  1. the mixing of two languages in one sentence
  2. a pidgin created for trade purposes
  3. the language used in international business
  4. a rule-governed system between L1 and L2 Correct answer.

Explanation

Selinker's concept describes the learner's own systematic, rule-governed grammar, which is distinct from both the first language and the target language and develops over time. Its rules can be described and are often internally consistent.