HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
POST GRADUATE ENTRANCE EXAM PREPARATION
(For internal use)
Contents
GRAMMAR 1
1. How much ... ? How many... ? 1
2. Some and Any 1
3. Adjectives 1
4. Adverbs 3
PART 1 VOCABULARY 9
Practice 1 9
Practice 2 10
Practice 3 12
Practice 4 13
Practice 5 15
Practice 6 16
Practice 7 18
Practice 8 20
Practice 9 21
Practice 10 23
PART 2 READING COMPREHENSION 25
Practice 1 25
Practice 2 26
Practice 3 27
Practice 4 28
Practice 5 30
Practice 6 31
Practice 7 32
Practice 8 34
Practice 9 35
Practice 10 36
PART 3 GUIDED CLOZE 37
Exercise 1 37
Exercise 2 39
Exercise 3 40
Exercise 4 41
Exercise 5 42
Exercise 6 43
Exercise 7 44
Exercise 8 45
Exercise 9 46
Exercise 10 47
PART 4 SENTENCE BUILDING 49
Practice 1 49
Practice 2 50
Practice 3 52
Practice 4 53
Practice 5 55
Practice 6 55
Practice 7 55
Practice 8 56
Practice 9 56
Practice 10 56
PART 5 WRITING 57
SAMPLE TEST 57
GRAMMAR
1. How much ... ? How many... ?
We ask How much ...? with uncountable nouns (e.g. shopping, water, money).
We ask How many ...? with countable nouns (e.g. books, classes, pens)
Exercise: Fill in the blank with How much or How many and answer these questions.
A. ... chocolate do you buy every week?
B. ... magazines do you get each month?
C. ... money do you spend on sweets?
D. ... CDs do you have?
E. ... T-shirts did you buy last summer?
2. Some and Any
Look at these sentences.
1. I'd like some pool shoes.
2. I'd like some information.
3. Have you got any more things to order?
4. We don't have any left in small sizes.
5. Can you give me some prices?
Complete rules A-E with Some and Any and match them to 1-5
A. We use some with uncountable nouns in affirmative sentence?
B. We always use _ in negative sentences.
C. We use _ with countable nouns in affirmative sentences.
D. We use _ for a request.
E. We usually use _ in questions.
3. Adjectives
- Some adjectives tell about the size of people or thing?
a big house
a large army
a huge ship
- Some adjectives tell about the color of things.
a red carpet
a white swan
a yellow ribbon
- Some adjectives tell what people or things are like by describing their quality.
a beautiful woman
a young soldier
a rich couple
- Some adjectives tell what things are made of. They refer to substances.
a plastic folder
a paper bag
a metal box
- Some adjectives are made from proper nouns of place. These adjectives are called adjectives of origin.
a Mexican hat
the French flag
a Japanese lady
3.1 The order of Adjectives
- When you use two or more adjective, the usual order is: size, quality, color, origin, substance.
A small
Green
Plastic
box.
Size
Color
substance
- Adjectives of quality sometimes come before adjectives of size.
beautiful long hair
elegant short hair
- But adjectives of size always come before adjectives of color.
beautiful long black hair
elegant short red hair
3.2 Adjective phrases
Phrases can be used like single adjectives to describe nouns and pronouns.
Phrases that are used in this way are called adjective phrases.
- Most adjective phrases come after the word they describe.
Who is the girl with long hair?
My friend lives in the house across the street.
- Some adjective phrases come before the word they describe. The words in these phrases are often joined with hyphens.
a long-legged bird
a well-dressed lady
a twenty-story building
4. Adverbs
- Adverbs are words that tell you more about verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. Many adverbs and in ly. You make these adverbs by adding ly to adjectives.
She writes neatly.
- Adverbs phrases are groups of words that functions as single adverbs to describe the action of the verb.
Are you sitting in a comfortable chair?
He draw cartoons like a real cartoonist.
1. Types of Adverbs
1.1 Adverbs of Manner
Some adverbs and adverb phrases describe the way people do things. They answer the question "How".
The plane landed safely.
Sam is behaving like a baby.
1.2 Adverbs of Time
Some adverbs and adverb phrases answer the question "When?". They are called adverbs of time.
It rained heavily last night.
We're going on a trip in a few day's time.
1.3 Adverbs of Place
Some adverbs and adverb phrases answer the question "Where?". They are called adverbs of place.
It's very sunny but cold outside.
Flowers like these grow in the park.
1.4 Adverbs of Frequency
Some adverbs and adverb phrases answer the question "How often?". They are called adverbs of frequency.
We've been to Disneyland twice.
Adverbs of frequency come:
- before most verbs: He always goes to the festival.
- after the verb be: lam usually late for dinner.
- Sometimes can also be places at the beginning or at the end of the sentence:
Sometimes I am late for school.
I am late for school sometimes.
1.5 Adverbs of Duration
Some adverbs and adverb phrases answer the question "How long?". They are called adverbs of duration.
We're staying in a hotel overnight.
I haven't seen my sister for two years.
1.6 Adverb of Emphasis
We have seen that most adverbs describe verbs but remember that some adverbs also describe adjectives or other adverbs. They are usually used to add emphasis.
Anna can run really fast.
That's a very good drawing.
Your excuses are completely unbelievable.
5. Auxiliary verbs
Auxiliary verbs are used before infinitives to add a different meaning.
Auxiliary verbs are can, could, would, should, ought to, will, shall, may, might and must.
Can and could
- Use can and could to say that someone is able to do something.
She can draw really good pictures.
Our teacher said that we could go home early.
- You many also use can and could to say that someone is allowed to do something.
My mum says you can come to our house for dinner.
The big sign on the gate said PRIVATE, so we couldn't go in.
- Can and could are also used for asking for information or help, for offering something and for suggesting something.
Could you show me where the accident happened?
Your sister could come with us, if she wanted to.
You can ask your dad to help us.
Will and would
- Use will and would when you are asking someone to do something.
Will you please stop making that noise?
Would you pass me that book, please?
- You can also use will and would to offer something or to suggest something.
Will I hold this end of the rope?
Would you like another drink?
Shall and should
- You can use shall and should to ask for advice, offer something and suggest something.
Should I bring waterproof clothes?
Shall we go home now?
Ought to
- You use ought to to make strong suggestions and talk about someone’s duty.
You look tired. You ought to go to bed early tonight.
The teacher ought to make his classes more interesting.
Must
- Use must to talk about things that you have to do.
You must speak louder. I can't hear you.
May and might
- Use may to ask if you are allowed to do something and to tell someone that they are allowed to do something.
May I go out?
- Use may and might to talk about things that are possible or likely.
Take an umbrella. It might rain.
You may not have time to go swimming tonight.
6. Conjunctions
Conjunctions are words used to link words, phrases or clauses. Some common conjunctions are and, but and or.
Conjunctions linking words
- Use and to link words that are similar.
We buy fruit and vegetables at the grocery store.
The President visit towns and cities across the country.
- Use but to link words that are different and do not normally go together. He works quickly but neatly.
The teacher is firm but fair with children.
- Use or to talk about choices.
You can have a soda or lemonade.
Who’s cooking dinner, Mum or Dad?
Conjunction And
- After a verb we usually put and between the last two nouns, adjectives or verbs in a list and commas (,) between the other things.
I like horses, cows, dogs and cats.
- And is less common with adjectives before a noun. We normally just use a comma.
a big, yellow fish
- When we use and we often miss out words instead or repeating them.
Nicole goes shopping and swimming at the weekend, (not Nicole goes shopping and she goes swimming at the weekend).
Exercise: Here are some errors that candidate have made with and in the KET exam. Correct the sentences.
1. I saw a nice and colourful parrot at the zoo.
2. Yesterday we went to the zoo and yesterday we went to the museum.
3. Susanna went out yesterday and Susanna took her dog for a Wlk.
4. There are many cats, dogs, horses at the farm.
5. The dolphins were near the boat and the birds were near the boat.
Conjunctions linking phrases
Use and, but and or to link phrases.
We like going shopping and visiting museums.
I tell my parents and my best friends all my secrets.
Conjunctions that join sentences.
Use and, but and or to join two sentences to make them one.
Mom is working in the garden and Dad is busy in the kitchen.
I switched on the TV, but there were no interesting programs on.
Other words for And
There are other words for and that also join two sentences.
Dad not only washed the car, but he also polished it.
Sam not only baked the cake, but she decorated it as well.
They visited Sydney, as well as Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Sam ran faster than both Kim and David.
Other words for But
There are other words for but that also join two sentences.
Although / even though / though grandpa is old, he is very fit.
While the bus is slower than the train, it's cheaper.
Other words for Or
There are other words for or that name choices or join two sentences.
You can do your homework either now or after dinner.
We could walk, or else take a taxi
7. Determiners
Determiners, or noun signals are special adjectives used before nouns. There are different kinds of determiners.
The Articles
The words a, an and the are called the articles. A and an are indefinite articles. They are used with singular nouns. Use a before nouns that begin with & consonant. Use an before nouns that begin with a vowel.
John is reading a book.
Would you like a peach?
- Some vowels begin with a consonant sound. Use a with these vowels.
Is there a university in your town?
Does every child in the school wear a uniform?
- Some words begin with a silent H. Use an with norms that begin with a silent h:
We've been waiting here for an hour.
The word the is called the definite article. Use the before a noun when you are talking to someone who already know which person or thing you mean.
Dad is sitting in the garden.
Turn the television off now.
Demonstrative determiners
Use this and these to talk about things and people that are near you.
Use that and those to talk about things and people that are farther away from you. Quantifying Determiners
Words such as many, much and several tell about quantity without giving an exact number. They are called quantifying determiners.
Some quantifying determiners are used only with plural nouns. They are few, a few, fewer; many, several and both.
Few people have been to the moon.
Both brothers have dark hair.
Some quantifying determiners can be used with plural nouns and uncountable nouns. They are all, half, some, enough, a lot of, lots of, plenty of, more, most and other.
We've eaten all the food in the fridge.
Do you have enough books to read?
Most lemonade contains sugar.
He likes playing with other children.
Some determiners can be used only with uncountable nouns. They are little (meaning not much, a little (meaning some) and much.
There's a little rice left.
I haven't got much information for you.
Some quantifying determiners can only be used with singular nouns. They are another, every and each.
I need another pencil.
He likes every child in the class.
Each house is painted a different color.
Some quantifying determiners are used with singular, plural and uncountable nouns. They are any, no, no other and the other.
Any dog will bite if it's afraid.
Are there any good books in the library?
There wasn't any space in the cupboard.
There is no other way of solving the problem.
She has no other friends.
We have no other food in the fridge.
Interrogative determiners
The words what, which and whose are used before nouns to ask questions. Interrogative determiners appear just before nouns.