CELTA Pre-interview task

could someone please check my answers and correct me if im wrong..


section one - language awareness

1. what would you say to a student who asked you to explain the differnce between these pairs of sentences? this does not need to be a grammatical explanation, try to focus on the differnce in meaning.

a) i bought a newspaper this morning.
i've bought a newspaper this morning.

The first is a simple statement about a past fact. It may or may not still be morning.
In the second sentence, it is probably still morning.

b) she speaks french.
she's speaking french.

The difference in meaning is that the first sentence is a general statement providing information; also means that she has the ability to speak french. the second sentence implies that the person is currently speaking french at that time and has not finished.

c) i remembered to sign the letter.
i remembered signing the letter.

??

d) he didn't need to call the doctor.
he needn't have called the doctor.
??

e) he could have made a lot of money.
he must have made a lot of money.

??

f) He was discussing the business when i left.
He discussed the business when i left.

??


2.
i) Identify the verb tense in each of these sentences.

a) i bought a newspaper this morning. - simple past
b) I've bought a newspaper this morning. -present perfect
c) she speaks french. - present simple
d) shes speaking french. - present continous

ii) give further two examples of each tense.

a) i had breakfast this morning.
b) i've had breakfast this morning.
c) she speaks spanish
d) she's speaking spanish.

??

3. look at the diallogue below and label the function of each utternace.

informal dialogue -function
a) hey bob - greeting
b) yeah? - respond from the greeting
c) help me with the case will you - making a request
d) sorry, but Anne's waiting for me - refusing a request
e) OK. Never mind. -accepting a refusal

this is clearly an informal conversation between two freinds, imagine a similar dialgue with the same number of lines and using the same funtions between two people who do no know each other.

informal dialogue formal dialogue

a)hey bob - Hello bob
b) yeah? - yes? what can i do for you?
c) help me with the case will you?
- could you please help me with this case?
d) sorry, but Anne's waiting for me.-
-i am sorry i cant, as Anne is waiting for me
e) OK. never mind - it doesnt matter, thanks

1.
a. OK
b. OK
c. “remembered to sign”: would mean that the speaker wanted beforehand not to forget to sign and signed.
“remembered signing”: would mean that the speaker remembered the specific act of signing as if someone had questioned whether the document had actually been signed.
d. “didn’t need to call the doctor”: would mean that the injury/illness was not severe enough to require a call to the doctor and he didn't call.
“needn’t have called”: would mean that “he” did call the doctor but it really wasn’t necessary probably because the injury/illness wasn’t severe enough to have done so.
e. “he could have made a lot of money”: could mean that it was possible for him to have made a lot of money but for some reason, he didn’t.
“he must have made a lot of money”: would mean that the speaker has some knowledge that “he” probably made money.
f. “he was discussing”: means that “he” was in the process of speaking about the business and during the process the speaker left.
“he discussed…when I left”: means that he began discussing after the speaker left.

2. All OK
3. ( It’s not clear to me what you are looking for here.)