TKT – Difficult Terms

TKT – Module 1 – Grammar

• DON’T need to produce different examples of grammatical structures or to provide definitions / explanations for different grammar concepts.

• need to know names, labels and terms used to describe the different ‘parts of speech’, the different English verb tenses and the most common types of English grammatical structures.

Grammar Terms

•A gerund

•A multiword verb

•A phrasal verb

• State (stative) verbs

•Verb patterns Vs Verb phrases

•Gerund

The form of a verb that ends in –ing and acts like a noun

e.g. I hate shopping / Smoking is bad for your health /

She is good at painting /

•What about the present participle? Is it the same?

•A gerund = form of a verb used as a noun

she’s good at painting

•Present participle = ‘-ing’ form of verb used with an auxiliary verb:

She is painting (v)

TKT M1 - Grammar

•Verb phrases

•Verb patterns

• Verb phrases = the part of a sentence containing the verb and any direct or indirect object, but not the subject (easy)

• Verb patterns = what words can follow a specific verb.

• Some verbs can be followed immediately by a to-infinitive:

• I always forget to take an umbrella / She offered to help me

Verb patterns = what words can follow a specific verb.

Some verbs are normally followed by the -ing form but not the to-infinitive:

I enjoy cooking (NOT I enjoy to cook)

She considered changing jobs (NOT she considered to change)

The verb pattern is the rule.

Conditionals

•Zero Conditional

•First (Type 1) conditional

•Second (Type 2) conditional

•Third (Type 3)

•But NOT the subjunctive …

•Zero Conditional (when or if)

When (or if) it rains, we stay indoors When you heat ice, it melts

NOT about the past, present or future ONLY for things which are ALWAYS true.

First Conditional

to describe the future result of a real possibility now or in the future.

If I miss the train, I’ll take the next one.

If I pass this exam, I’ll buy you dinner

Second Conditional

talking about unreal or imagined situations in the present or in the future

If I had a million dollars, I would buy a big house.

If dogs had wings, they would be able to fly.

Third Conditional

For past situations that cannot be changed, e.g. I would have seen her if I had arrived earlier (but I didn’t so I couldn’t).

If she had studied, she would have passed the exam

He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine

No ‘subjunctive’

Don’t confuse the second conditional with the subjunctuive

They are NOT the same thing

Actually English doesn’t really have a GRAMMAR structure the subjunctive

No Future Tense

English doesn’t have a FUTURE tense. It has future forms

I’m going to visit my aunt on Sunday. It’s going to rain.

He is meeting John for dinner at eight tomorrow.

The plane leaves at 9.00 next Saturday.

It will be lovely and sunny tomorrow

TKT M1 – Vocabulary – Tricky Terms

Words can have literal or figurative meaning

Literal meaning (words are with their common or simple dictionary) definition.

My heart is beating very fast. He has a serious heart illness

Figurative meaning:

She broke my heart with her comments / he put all his into his new job

Idiom – to break someone’s heart / - this idiomatic expression has figurative meaning / it’s an example of figurative language

False friends – this can be tricky in questions.

words in two languages that look or sound similar, but have very different meanings.

When English speakers learn French, they might be confused when they see the French word ‘la librairie’ because it looks like the English word ‘library’ but it actually means ‘bookstore’ in French.

Homonym - Homophone - Homograph

(quite frequent in TKT questions)

Even when you read the definitions of these words –it’s difficult to see the difference.

Homonym is the general term

Homograph &Homophoneare types of homonym

Phone = sound

Sound the same / spelling is different / meaning is different

Homographs:

It’s close to the river / please close the door

We used to live in London / The restaurant has live music

Your birthday present / Please present your lecture to the class

Homophones are words that sound the same but are different.

Homographs are words that are spelled the same but are different.

Homonyms can be homophones, homographs, or both.

Think about the word origins

What are they?

cent, scent and sent

there/their/they’re

pray/prey

Flour / flower

Please excuse me / I didn’t accept his excuse

TKT M1 - Pronunciation

Elision

in connected speech when certain sounds disappear or are not pronounced

Intrusion

in connected speech when certain sounds are added

'I don't know’

Camera

'fish 'n' chips' are all examples of elision.

'I am not happy' there is an intrusive /j/ sound between 'I' and 'am' which makes it easier to say the phrase quickly.

I agree go over

What are they?

Temperature We ate in May I go now?

Chocolate Mathematics

Go on. History That’s so amazing!

Family They allow it We’ll buy it!

Functions

• Easy concept / difficult TKT questions

• A function is the purpose for saying or writing something. We produce language for a reason.

• The reason is usually to communicate an idea. (the function)

• ‘Listen to me carefully!’ (the function here is “advising”, my reason for saying the words ‘listen to me carefully’ it is to give you some advice).

• The function is the reason – the words we use to express the function are called the ‘exponent’

• Why is it difficult?

OK let’s take a function ‘wishing’

(Expressing wishes)

I wish I had more money.

I wish I had more friends.

I wish I had a bigger house.

I wish to speak to Mr. Hennessy, please. (making a request)

I wish I had told him earlier (expressing regret)

I wish to join you for dinner tomorrow, if possible. (making an offer / suggesting)

I’ve got my exams tomorrow. Wish me luck! (asking for something)

I wish you’d stop banging that drum! (requesting someone to do something)

Apologising Vs Expressing Sympathy

I’m sorry to hear that you got fired from your job.

I’m sorry to tell you but I accidentally broke your cup.

I’m sorry about your exam results. You must be quite disappointed.

I’m sorry to inform you that your house has been destroyed

I'm sorry to say that we're out of milk. I just drank the last bottle.

So sorry, please do forgive me.

Functions & Exponents

There isn’t a simple one-to-one relationship

Many different exponents can be used to express the same function

Expressing necessity: When the speakers says that something needs to be done. E.g. ‘We ought to …’ (formal), ‘We should …’ (neutral) and ‘We have to …’ (informal)

Suggesting: When the speaker wants to give an idea or plan for other people to think about. E.g. ‘I’d like to suggest …’ (formal), ‘Why don’t we…?’ (neutral) and ‘Let’s …’ (informal).

Functions & Exponents

The same form (e.g. “can”) can be used for many different functions:

Can you believe it?

Can you help me with this?

Can you play the piano?

Can you forgive me?

Can I use this?

Can I show you this one?

The Function of ‘Clarifying’

When the speaker wants to make something clear or easier to understand by giving more details or examples

‘I may not have made myself clear’ (formal),

‘What I intended to say is …’ (neutral)

‘What I mean is’ (informal)

Persuading

When the speaker wants to make someone do or believe something by giving them a good reason.

‘I think you'll find this is the best option’ (formal)

‘This is the best way’ (neutral)

‘You can’t beat this’ (informal).

Language Acquisition

A simple view of acquisition theory is:

The learners are exposed to language.

The learners begin notice language items. They are aware of the how words or sentences are used to express a particular meaning or how a structure is formed.

They are not producing these language items yet. (Silent Period).

The learners begin to pick up these language items. They have worked out how and why a particular language item is used or formed. Thy have not studied these language items – they have only heard them or read them.

The learners begin to use these language items in the speaking or writing. The language items have been acquired.

Language Acquisition

Acquisition seems to take place best when learners are exposed to language at …

A … a level much lower than their current level.

B … a level slightly above their current level.

C … a level much higher than their current level.

Language Acquisition

Learners need a silent period because

A- they wait for the teachers to help them solve the language problems.

B- acquisition is a gradual process which takes time

C- they prefer to let others speak in interactive tasks

Language Acquisition

Exposure to language is

A Only useful for picking up vocabulary

B Useful for most areas of language learning

C Not useful for learning complex grammar

L1 & L2 Learners

People learn their first language because it is essential. Every child needs to learn their first language as part of their natural development. It is an essential life-skill. Learning a second language is quite different. This is not an essential part of an individual's general development. It is often just another subject on school curriculum or something that conflicts with a busy work-life.

What are the main differences between learning L1 & L2?

A L1 learner / B L2 classroom adult learner / C Both L1 and L2 adult learner

1. They may have limited opportunities to produce language but when they make errors these are often corrected. 2. Much of the language production is used to express non-real situations. 3. They notice and pick-up most of the grammar without focusing on rules. 4. They are usually exposed to a graded version of the language. 5. When they focus on form it is helpful to do controlled practice. 6. They don’t usually produce examples of specific language immediately after noticing it.