Twenty short two-minute questions: passive voice, reported speech, conditionals, pronunciation of -ed and -s, suffixes and prefixes, reading and text types. Start the timer of each question during the contest.
“The ancient Egyptians built the pyramids of Giza about 4,500 years ago.”
Task: Turn this sentence into the passive voice.
The pyramids of Giza were built (by the ancient Egyptians) about 4,500 years ago.
The teacher said, “I am preparing the exam for next week.”
Task: Report the teacher's words.
The teacher said (that) he/she was preparing the exam for the following week.
“If I (be) ............ the headmaster, I (build) ............ a new library.”
Task: Put the verbs in the correct form.
If I were the headmaster, I would build a new library. (If + past simple → would + base form.)
“In the past, people ............ (travel) on camels across the desert.”
Task: Complete with “used to”. What does it express?
People used to travel on camels across the desert. It expresses a past habit that no longer exists.
worked – played – wanted – watched – lived – decided
Task: Classify the verbs according to the pronunciation of the final “-ed”.
/t/: worked, watched. /d/: played, lived. /ɪd/: wanted, decided.
books – dogs – watches – cats – pens – buses
Task: Classify the words according to the pronunciation of the final “-s”: /s/, /z/ or /ɪz/.
/s/: books, cats. /z/: dogs, pens. /ɪz/: watches, buses.
honest – corrupt – responsible – develop
Task: Form nouns from these words by adding the appropriate suffix.
honesty – corruption – responsibility – development.
legal – responsible – honest – possible – regular
Task: Give the opposite of each adjective using a prefix.
illegal – irresponsible – dishonest – impossible – irregular.
(1) “Ibn Khaldoun is the scholar ............ wrote the Muqaddimah.”
(2) “This is the museum ............ I visited last year.”
(3) “Archaeologists study civilizations ............ history is very old.”
Task: Fill in the blanks with who, which or whose.
(1) who. (2) which (or that). (3) whose.
(1) “I wish I (have) ............ more time to revise.”
(2) “If only I (not / waste) ............ my time last year!”
Task: Put the verbs in the correct tense.
(1) had (present wish → past simple). (2) hadn't wasted (regret about the past → past perfect).
The Sumerians, who lived in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and the Euphrates, are considered one of the first civilizations. Around 3200 BC, they developed one of the earliest writing systems, called cuneiform, which was written on clay tablets.
Task: Are these statements true or false? (a) Mesopotamia lies between two rivers. (b) The Sumerians wrote on paper. (c) Cuneiform is a writing system.
(a) True. (b) False: they wrote on clay tablets. (c) True.
Match each word with its definition: (1) bribery (2) counterfeiting (3) tax evasion
(a) making illegal copies of products to sell them as originals.
(b) offering money to an official to get an unfair advantage.
(c) illegally avoiding paying taxes.
Task: Match the words with their definitions.
1 → b, 2 → a, 3 → c.
School uniforms should be compulsory. First, they reduce social differences between students. Second, they help pupils focus on their studies rather than on fashion. Therefore, every school should adopt them.
Task: What type of text is this? Pick out two linking words that support your answer.
An argumentative text (the writer defends an opinion). Linking words: First, Second, Therefore (and the modal “should”).
(1) “............ it was raining, we went out.”
(2) “He failed ............ he didn't work hard.”
(3) “The test was difficult. ............, most students passed.”
Task: Fill in the blanks with: although, because, however.
(1) Although. (2) because. (3) However.
education – civilization – important – technology
Task: Write each word and underline (or capitalize) the stressed syllable.
eduCAtion – civiliZAtion – imPORtant – techNOlogy. (Words ending in -tion are stressed on the syllable before the suffix.)
(1) “Education in the past was (strict) ............ than today.”
(2) “The Nile is (long) ............ river in Africa.”
(3) “This lesson is (interesting) ............ than the last one.”
Task: Put the adjectives in the correct form.
(1) stricter. (2) the longest. (3) more interesting.
(1) “You ............ respect your teachers.” (obligation)
(2) “You ............ cheat in the exam.” (prohibition)
(3) “You ............ revise every day.” (advice)
Task: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate modal.
(1) must (have to). (2) mustn't. (3) should (ought to).
(1) “I enjoy (read) ............ history books.”
(2) “She decided (study) ............ medicine.”
(3) “Stop (talk) ............, please!”
Task: Put the verbs in the gerund or the infinitive.
(1) reading. (2) to study. (3) talking.
“It's high time we (take) ............ action against pollution.”
Task: Put the verb in the correct form. What does the sentence express?
It's high time we took action against pollution. (It's high time + past simple) It expresses urgency: the action should have already been done.
(1) “The museum opens at 9 a.m.”
(2) “Carthage was founded by the Phoenicians.”
Task: Ask questions about the underlined words.
(1) What time (When) does the museum open? (2) Who was Carthage founded by? (By whom was Carthage founded?)