Homework · Day 1

Review Units 1–2 · Spelling, Numbers, Word-Count Rules

Estimated time: 30–40 minutes Due: Before Day 2 Submit by: Email (button at bottom)

What you'll do tonight

  1. Practise the alphabet aloud — focus on B/V, M/N, E/I, G/J.
  2. Complete the four exercises below (about 25 minutes).
  3. Self-check using the Reveal buttons.
  4. Submit your answers by email.

Exercise 1 — Spelling discrimination

Spell each word aloud, then write the version that sounds confusable. Imagine a partner is dictating these to you in a noisy reception desk.

  1. Andersen / Anderson — which has the -on ending?
  2. Smith / Smyth — which uses a y?
  3. What letter sounds like "jay"?
  4. What letter sounds like "aitch"?
  5. Spell your own surname using NATO-style clarification (e.g. "B for Bravo"):
  1. Anderson — ends in -son. Listen for the second vowel: Andersen vs Anderson.
  2. Smyth — the y makes the difference. The speaker will usually say "Smyth, with a Y."
  3. J — confusable with G (which sounds like "jee"). Listen carefully or ask for clarification in real conversation.
  4. H — the only English letter where the name doesn't start with the sound.
  5. Self-graded. Just check you used real clarifiers, not random words.

Exercise 2 — Number discrimination

Say each pair out loud, then write the rule that helps you tell them apart. Stress patterns matter.

  1. 13 vs 30 — where's the stress?
  2. £15.50 vs £15.15 — what's the easy mishearing?
  3. Write these as you'd hear them in a recording: 2,450 →
  4. Write these: $19.99 →
  5. Write these: 4th July →
  1. 13 = thirTEEN (stress on the second syllable). 30 = THIRty (stress on the first). All -teen numbers stress the end; all -ty numbers stress the front.
  2. "Fifteen fifty" vs "fifteen fifteen" — the end sound is almost identical. Listen for the final stress: "fifTEEN" gives away the second one.
  3. "Two thousand four hundred (and) fifty" — UK English keeps the "and"; US English often drops it.
  4. "Nineteen dollars (and) ninety-nine (cents)" or "nineteen ninety-nine".
  5. "The fourth of July" or "July the fourth." In IELTS, write it as "4 July" or "4th July" — both accepted.

Exercise 3 — Word-count rules

The instruction tells you exactly how much to write. Go over and you lose the mark, even if your answer is correct. The expo example from class: "more than _____ experts there" — the answer is 250 computer. Apply the rule to the candidate answers below.

  1. Instruction: NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER. Is "two hundred and fifty computer" correct?
  2. Same instruction. Is "250 computer" correct?
  3. Same instruction. Is "two hundred and fifty computers" correct?
  4. Same instruction. Is "over 250 computer" correct?
  5. Same instruction. Is "250" on its own correct (meaning is preserved by the sentence)?
  1. Wrong. "Two hundred and fifty" is four words — breaks the one-word limit.
  2. Correct. "250" is a number; "computer" is one word. Fits "one word and/or a number".
  3. Wrong. Five words.
  4. Wrong. "Over" adds a second word.
  5. Wrong for the original question — the sentence needs "computer" to make sense. But if a question were just "There were _____ experts", then "250" alone could work depending on phrasing.

Rule of thumb: count strictly. "And" is a word. Hyphenated words like twenty-four count as one. Contractions like don't count as one.

Exercise 4 — Extension listening (optional)

Find one English-language radio station or podcast online (BBC Learning English's 6 Minute English is a good starting point). Listen for 5–10 minutes. Then answer:

  1. What was the main topic?
  2. Name two new words you heard:
  3. Were any numbers, dates, or spellings mentioned? Write them down:
  4. What accent(s) did you hear? (British / American / Australian / Other)

Free practice resources

Extra free practice for tonight — each link opens in a new tab. These are free online resources (no purchase needed); a few may ask you to create a free account.

Ready to submit?

Use this button to send your answers to me. It opens your email app with your name and "Day 1" pre-filled — type your answers into the body, or paste them in.