Reading: Fill in blanks

1. Scoring criteria

2. Steps

3. Tips

RFIB STRATEGIES

1. Word formation

2. Word order

3. S-V agreement

4. Passive voice

Grammar Revision

NOUNS usually end with: tion, ness, ance, ence, ce, age, ity, er/or, ment, ture, sion, ist, ism, asm, sis, dox, ics, ee

e.g. television, nation, education, business, kindness, friendliness, advance, importance, confidence, residence, attendance, instance, distance, advantage, message, ability, responsibility, entertainment, development, department, movement, departure, nature, orthodox, paradox, economics, patience

-ics: a subject (mathematics, physics, economics)

-ist: a job (dentist, scientist, physicist, journalist)

-or: a job (doctor, mentor, operator)

-ee: a lower tier to -er/or (employer - employee, mentor - mentee, examiner - examinee)

​Word formation

ADJECTIVES usually end with: ful, al, ous, ite, able, ible, ive, ic, ant, ent, less, ary, cial, sial, tial, ate, ty

-al: adj of -tion, -ment (nation - national, environment - environmental)

-able, -ible: adj of -ity (ability - able, compatibility - compatible)

-ant, -ent: adj of -ance, -ence (importance - important, confidence - confident)

-less >< -ful (opposite meaning): careless - careful

ADVERB = ADJ + “ly”

e.g. always, often, seldom, never, ever, very, rarely, usually, beautifully, carefully, politely, normally, formally

DIFFERENT FROM: NOUN + “ly” = ADJ

e.g. daily, weekly, monthly, friendly, lovely (adj)

Word order

V can stand before + after N/adv

adv + V (adv of frequency): I always wake up at 6am

V + adv (adv of method): I did my test carefully

adv + adv

adv + adj: She is extremely beautiful.

BE in the present: is/am/are

BE in the past: was/were

BE in the future: will be

be + adj

be + V-ing (continuous tenses - something happening right now)

e.g. We are learning English 

be + V3 (passive voice) 

Word order

has/have/had + V3

adj + N

a/an + N singular (unidentified)

the + N singular/plural (identified)

N without article before it -> N plural/uncountable

prepositions (except for ‘to’) + V-ing/N

​STEPS TO DO RFIB

1. Identify the word form of the BLANK (based on Word order)

2. Identify words of the same form from the word list (based on Word formation)

3. Eliminate other different word forms

4. Choose the correct answer (based on collocations, meaning)

​TIPS TO DO RFIB

1. S-V BLANK S-V

-> Blank is a conjunction (and, but, or, however)

2. base on the word before/after the blank

-> Blank -> positive/negative meaning

4. make st + adj

and/or is used to connect words/phrases with the same grammatical function

-> Blank -> positive adj (comfortable)

5. become + adj (comparative)

​SELF-ASSESSMENT

​Bloom's Wheel (1956)