Short version: 30 minutes, 24 points. No dictionary.
1Passive (6 points): Turn into the passive. Keep the tense.
be in the tense of the active verb + past participle. by only if the agent matters.
a)They clean the office every day.
b)Someone stole my bike.
c)They have built a new bridge.
d)They will open the shop tomorrow.
e)People speak English here.
f)She wrote the letter.
2Reported speech (6 points): Report.
Backshift, pronouns, time words. Questions: no do/does/did, statement word order. Commands: tell + person + (not) to.
a)„I am tired," she said.
b)„We live in Hamburg," they said.
c)„I will help you," he said.
d)„Where do you live?" he asked me.
e)„Are you hungry?" she asked.
f)„Sit down!" the teacher told us.
Text: Harrowby closed its high street to cars six months ago. Shops feared they would lose customers, but 22 per cent more people visit now. Cafés have tables outside and there is a market on Saturdays. Residents of nearby streets complain about parked cars.
3Reading (6 points).
Own words. Facts: numbers and sources. Opinions: says, thinks.
a)What did the town do?
b)What did the shops expect, and what happened?
c)Who is unhappy and why?
4Writing (6 points): Write a short comment (six to eight sentences): Should your town close its high street to cars?
Opinion → reasons → conclusion.
a)In my opinion … / Firstly … / However … / To sum up …
Short version: 30 minutes, 24 points. No dictionary.
1Passive (6 points): Turn into the passive. Keep the tense.
be in the tense of the active verb + past participle. by only if the agent matters.
a)They clean the office every day.The office is cleaned every day.
b)Someone stole my bike.My bike was stolen.
c)They have built a new bridge.A new bridge has been built.
d)They will open the shop tomorrow.The shop will be opened tomorrow.
e)People speak English here.English is spoken here.
f)She wrote the letter.The letter was written (by her).
2Reported speech (6 points): Report.
Backshift, pronouns, time words. Questions: no do/does/did, statement word order. Commands: tell + person + (not) to.
a)„I am tired," she said.She said (that) she was tired.
b)„We live in Hamburg," they said.They said (that) they lived in Hamburg.
c)„I will help you," he said.He said (that) he would help me.
d)„Where do you live?" he asked me.He asked me where I lived.
e)„Are you hungry?" she asked.She asked if I was hungry.
f)„Sit down!" the teacher told us.The teacher told us to sit down.
Text: Harrowby closed its high street to cars six months ago. Shops feared they would lose customers, but 22 per cent more people visit now. Cafés have tables outside and there is a market on Saturdays. Residents of nearby streets complain about parked cars.
3Reading (6 points).
Own words. Facts: numbers and sources. Opinions: says, thinks.
a)What did the town do?It closed the high street to cars.
b)What did the shops expect, and what happened?They expected to lose customers; instead 22 per cent more people visit.
c)Who is unhappy and why?Residents of nearby streets, because of parked cars.
4Writing (6 points): Write a short comment (six to eight sentences): Should your town close its high street to cars?
Opinion → reasons → conclusion.
a)In my opinion … / Firstly … / However … / To sum up …Own text. Points for content, structure (opinion, reasons, conclusion) and language.
Time: 45 minutes, 36 points. Monolingual dictionary allowed for part D.
1Passive (8 points): Turn into the passive. Keep the tense.
be in the tense of the active verb + past participle. by only if the agent matters.
a)They clean the office every day.
b)Someone stole my bike last night.
c)They have built a new bridge across the river.
d)They will open the shop tomorrow.
e)The teacher is correcting the tests. (progressive)
f)You must return the books by Friday. (modal)
g)Shakespeare wrote this play. (with by)
h)Somebody had already told her. (past perfect)
2Reported speech (10 points): Report.
Backshift, pronouns, time words. Questions: no do/does/did, statement word order. Commands: tell + person + (not) to.
a)„I am tired," she said.
b)„We have lived in Hamburg since 2019," they said.
c)„I will help you tomorrow," he said.
d)„Where do you live?" he asked me.
e)„Are you hungry?" she asked.
f)„Don't touch that!" Mum told me.
g)„I saw him yesterday," she said.
h)„Can you help me?" he asked her.
i)Report the dialogue in two sentences: Amira: „I'm going to the cinema tonight. Do you want to come?" — Jonas: „I can't, I have to finish my project."
Text: Six months ago, the town council of Harrowby closed its high street to cars. Local businesses feared the worst. „We thought we would lose half our customers," says baker Tom Riley. Instead, footfall has risen by 22 per cent, according to council figures. Cafés have put tables outside, and a weekly market now fills the street on Saturdays. Not everyone is happy, however. Residents of nearby streets complain about parked cars, and taxi drivers say they have lost income. The council will review the scheme in March.
3Reading (8 points).
Own words. Facts: numbers and sources. Opinions: says, thinks.
a)What did the council do and what did businesses expect?
b)What has changed on the high street? Name two things.
c)Who is unhappy and why?
d)Fact or opinion? „Footfall has risen by 22 per cent." / „We thought we would lose half our customers."
4Writing (10 points): Write a comment (120 to 150 words): Should your town close its high street to cars? Introduction with your opinion, two arguments, one counter-argument, conclusion.
Opinion in the first sentence, counter-argument with however.
a)Use linking words: firstly, moreover, admittedly, however, all in all.
Time: 45 minutes, 36 points. Monolingual dictionary allowed for part D.
1Passive (8 points): Turn into the passive. Keep the tense.
be in the tense of the active verb + past participle. by only if the agent matters.
a)They clean the office every day.The office is cleaned every day.
b)Someone stole my bike last night.My bike was stolen last night.
c)They have built a new bridge across the river.A new bridge has been built across the river.
d)They will open the shop tomorrow.The shop will be opened tomorrow.
e)The teacher is correcting the tests. (progressive)The tests are being corrected (by the teacher).
f)You must return the books by Friday. (modal)The books must be returned by Friday.
g)Shakespeare wrote this play. (with by)This play was written by Shakespeare.
h)Somebody had already told her. (past perfect)She had already been told.
2Reported speech (10 points): Report.
Backshift, pronouns, time words. Questions: no do/does/did, statement word order. Commands: tell + person + (not) to.
a)„I am tired," she said.She said she was tired.
b)„We have lived in Hamburg since 2019," they said.They said they had lived in Hamburg since 2019.
c)„I will help you tomorrow," he said.He said he would help me the next day.
d)„Where do you live?" he asked me.He asked me where I lived.
e)„Are you hungry?" she asked.She asked if I was hungry.
f)„Don't touch that!" Mum told me.Mum told me not to touch that.
g)„I saw him yesterday," she said.She said she had seen him the day before.
h)„Can you help me?" he asked her.He asked her if she could help him.
i)Report the dialogue in two sentences: Amira: „I'm going to the cinema tonight. Do you want to come?" — Jonas: „I can't, I have to finish my project."Amira told Jonas that she was going to the cinema that night and asked him if he wanted to come. Jonas replied that he couldn't because he had to finish his project.
Text: Six months ago, the town council of Harrowby closed its high street to cars. Local businesses feared the worst. „We thought we would lose half our customers," says baker Tom Riley. Instead, footfall has risen by 22 per cent, according to council figures. Cafés have put tables outside, and a weekly market now fills the street on Saturdays. Not everyone is happy, however. Residents of nearby streets complain about parked cars, and taxi drivers say they have lost income. The council will review the scheme in March.
3Reading (8 points).
Own words. Facts: numbers and sources. Opinions: says, thinks.
a)What did the council do and what did businesses expect?It closed the high street to cars; businesses expected to lose many customers.
b)What has changed on the high street? Name two things.Tables outside cafés, a Saturday market, more visitors.
c)Who is unhappy and why?Nearby residents (parked cars) and taxi drivers (lost income).
d)Fact or opinion? „Footfall has risen by 22 per cent." / „We thought we would lose half our customers."Fact (number, council figures). Opinion / quote (we thought).
4Writing (10 points): Write a comment (120 to 150 words): Should your town close its high street to cars? Introduction with your opinion, two arguments, one counter-argument, conclusion.
Opinion in the first sentence, counter-argument with however.
a)Use linking words: firstly, moreover, admittedly, however, all in all.Own text. Points for content, structure (introduction, two arguments, counter-argument, conclusion) and language.
Long version: 90 minutes, 50 points. Monolingual dictionary allowed for part D.
1Passive (10 points): Turn into the passive. Keep the tense.
be in the tense of the active verb + past participle. by only if the agent matters.
a)They clean the office every day.
b)Someone stole my bike last night.
c)They have built a new bridge across the river.
d)The teacher is correcting the tests. (progressive)
e)You must return the books by Friday. (modal)
f)Shakespeare wrote this play. (with by)
g)Somebody had already told her. (past perfect)
h)My aunt gave me this book. (two possibilities)
i)Why is the passive used in newspaper headlines like „Two men arrested"? Explain in one sentence.
j)Decide: passive or active is better here, and why? „The Prime Minister opened the bridge." / „Someone has broken the window."
2Reported speech (12 points): Report.
Backshift, pronouns, time words. Questions: no do/does/did, statement word order. Commands: tell + person + (not) to.
a)„I am tired," she said.
b)„We have lived in Hamburg since 2019," they said.
c)„I will help you tomorrow," he said.
d)„Where do you live?" he asked me.
e)„Don't touch that!" Mum told me.
f)„I saw him yesterday," she said.
g)Report the dialogue in three sentences: Amira: „I'm going to the cinema tonight. Do you want to come?" — Jonas: „I can't, I have to finish my project." — Amira: „Then I'll ask Lena. Don't work too late!"
h)No backshift? Explain why the tense doesn't change: „Water boils at 100 degrees," the teacher said. → The teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees.
i)Correct the mistakes: She said me that she is tired. / He asked where did I live. / They told to come early.
Text: Six months ago, the town council of Harrowby closed its high street to cars. Local businesses feared the worst. „We thought we would lose half our customers," says baker Tom Riley. Instead, footfall has risen by 22 per cent, according to council figures released on Monday. Cafés have put tables outside, and a weekly market now fills the street on Saturdays. Not everyone is happy, however. Residents of nearby streets complain about parked cars, and taxi drivers say they have lost income. „Nobody asked us," says driver Sam Patel. The council will review the scheme in March. Whether it stays may depend less on the figures than on who shouts loudest.
3Reading (10 points).
Own words. Facts: numbers and sources. Opinions: says, thinks.
a)Summarise the situation in two sentences.
b)Why does the author quote Tom Riley and Sam Patel? What do the two quotes have in common?
c)Fact or opinion? Give the words that show it: „Footfall has risen by 22 per cent." / „Nobody asked us."
d)Explain the last sentence in your own words. What attitude does it show?
e)Which sentence introduces the counter-arguments, and which word signals the turn?
4Writing (18 points): Choose one: a) Write a comment (200 to 240 words): Should towns close their high streets to cars? Introduction, two arguments with examples, counter-argument answered, conclusion with outlook. b) Mediation: Your English exchange partner's parents want to know what the German notice says. Write them an email (150 to 180 words) with the relevant information and a recommendation. Notice: „Die Innenstadt ist ab 1. Juni autofrei. Parken ist auf den Parkplätzen P1 bis P3 am Stadtrand möglich (2 Euro pro Tag), von dort fahren alle zehn Minuten kostenlose Shuttlebusse. Anwohner erhalten Ausnahmegenehmigungen im Rathaus. Lieferverkehr ist von 6 bis 10 Uhr erlaubt. Der Wochenmarkt findet jetzt samstags auf der Hauptstraße statt."
Plan first. Write, then check tenses and word order.
a)Comment: clear position, examples, varied linking words. Mediation: select what visitors need (not the residents' permits), semi-formal register, recommendation.
Long version: 90 minutes, 50 points. Monolingual dictionary allowed for part D.
1Passive (10 points): Turn into the passive. Keep the tense.
be in the tense of the active verb + past participle. by only if the agent matters.
a)They clean the office every day.The office is cleaned every day.
b)Someone stole my bike last night.My bike was stolen last night.
c)They have built a new bridge across the river.A new bridge has been built across the river.
d)The teacher is correcting the tests. (progressive)The tests are being corrected.
e)You must return the books by Friday. (modal)The books must be returned by Friday.
f)Shakespeare wrote this play. (with by)This play was written by Shakespeare.
g)Somebody had already told her. (past perfect)She had already been told.
h)My aunt gave me this book. (two possibilities)I was given this book by my aunt. / This book was given to me by my aunt.
i)Why is the passive used in newspaper headlines like „Two men arrested"? Explain in one sentence.Headlines focus on the event and save space; the agent (the police) is obvious.
j)Decide: passive or active is better here, and why? „The Prime Minister opened the bridge." / „Someone has broken the window."First sentence: active is better — the agent (the Prime Minister) is the news. Second: passive is better — the agent is unknown: The window has been broken.
2Reported speech (12 points): Report.
Backshift, pronouns, time words. Questions: no do/does/did, statement word order. Commands: tell + person + (not) to.
a)„I am tired," she said.She said she was tired.
b)„We have lived in Hamburg since 2019," they said.They said they had lived in Hamburg since 2019.
c)„I will help you tomorrow," he said.He said he would help me the next day.
d)„Where do you live?" he asked me.He asked me where I lived.
e)„Don't touch that!" Mum told me.Mum told me not to touch that.
f)„I saw him yesterday," she said.She said she had seen him the day before.
g)Report the dialogue in three sentences: Amira: „I'm going to the cinema tonight. Do you want to come?" — Jonas: „I can't, I have to finish my project." — Amira: „Then I'll ask Lena. Don't work too late!"Amira told Jonas that she was going to the cinema that night and asked him if he wanted to come. Jonas replied that he couldn't because he had to finish his project. Amira said she would ask Lena then and told him not to work too late.
h)No backshift? Explain why the tense doesn't change: „Water boils at 100 degrees," the teacher said. → The teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees.A general truth stays in the present tense.
i)Correct the mistakes: She said me that she is tired. / He asked where did I live. / They told to come early.She told me that she was tired. / He asked where I lived. / They told us to come early.
Text: Six months ago, the town council of Harrowby closed its high street to cars. Local businesses feared the worst. „We thought we would lose half our customers," says baker Tom Riley. Instead, footfall has risen by 22 per cent, according to council figures released on Monday. Cafés have put tables outside, and a weekly market now fills the street on Saturdays. Not everyone is happy, however. Residents of nearby streets complain about parked cars, and taxi drivers say they have lost income. „Nobody asked us," says driver Sam Patel. The council will review the scheme in March. Whether it stays may depend less on the figures than on who shouts loudest.
3Reading (10 points).
Own words. Facts: numbers and sources. Opinions: says, thinks.
a)Summarise the situation in two sentences.e.g. Harrowby banned cars from its high street six months ago, and against expectations more people now visit. However, residents and taxi drivers complain, and the council will decide in March.
b)Why does the author quote Tom Riley and Sam Patel? What do the two quotes have in common?Both are ordinary people affected by the scheme; Riley's fear turned out wrong, Patel feels ignored — the quotes give both sides a human voice.
c)Fact or opinion? Give the words that show it: „Footfall has risen by 22 per cent." / „Nobody asked us."Fact — „22 per cent", „according to council figures". Opinion — „says driver Sam Patel", a personal complaint.
d)Explain the last sentence in your own words. What attitude does it show?The decision may depend on who protests most, not on the evidence — a sceptical, slightly ironic attitude towards local politics.
e)Which sentence introduces the counter-arguments, and which word signals the turn?„Not everyone is happy, however." — however.
4Writing (18 points): Choose one: a) Write a comment (200 to 240 words): Should towns close their high streets to cars? Introduction, two arguments with examples, counter-argument answered, conclusion with outlook. b) Mediation: Your English exchange partner's parents want to know what the German notice says. Write them an email (150 to 180 words) with the relevant information and a recommendation. Notice: „Die Innenstadt ist ab 1. Juni autofrei. Parken ist auf den Parkplätzen P1 bis P3 am Stadtrand möglich (2 Euro pro Tag), von dort fahren alle zehn Minuten kostenlose Shuttlebusse. Anwohner erhalten Ausnahmegenehmigungen im Rathaus. Lieferverkehr ist von 6 bis 10 Uhr erlaubt. Der Wochenmarkt findet jetzt samstags auf der Hauptstraße statt."
Plan first. Write, then check tenses and word order.
a)Comment: clear position, examples, varied linking words. Mediation: select what visitors need (not the residents' permits), semi-formal register, recommendation.Own text. Points for content, structure (comment: full structure and examples; mediation: relevant selection, register, recommendation) and language.
Passive
be in the tense of the active verb + past participle. by only when the agent matters. Progressive and modal forms: is being repaired, must be returned.
Reported speech
Backshift, pronouns, time words. Questions in statement order with if/whether. Commands with tell + person + (not) to. No backshift for general truths.
Comment and mediation
Comment: opinion in the first sentence, two arguments with examples, counter-argument answered, conclusion. Mediation: who reads it, what do they need, what register — then select and write in your own words.