# CELTA / TESOL Preparation Question Bank Original practice questions for pre-course tasks and course input, with explanations. `scripts/quiz.py` reads this file: keep the `### | ` heading, options `- A)`..`- D)`, `Answer:` and `Why:` lines. Domains: Language, Phonology, Methodology, Planning, Classroom, Skills. ### L01 | Language In "She has lived in Rome for ten years", which tense and aspect is used? - A) Past simple - B) Present perfect simple - C) Present perfect continuous - D) Past perfect simple Answer: B Why: has + past participle = present perfect simple; "for ten years" + still true now is a typical use. ### L02 | Language Which sentence contains a modal verb of deduction? - A) You must wear a seatbelt. - B) She must be at home - her car is outside. - C) I must call my mother. - D) We must not smoke here. Answer: B Why: "She must be at home" draws a logical conclusion from evidence; the others express obligation or prohibition. ### L03 | Language "Give up" in "He gave up smoking" is best described as: - A) a prepositional verb - B) a phrasal verb with an idiomatic meaning - C) a collocation of two nouns - D) a verb + adverb of manner Answer: B Why: Verb + particle with a meaning not predictable from the parts (stop) = phrasal verb. ### L04 | Language Which is a good concept-checking question for "I used to play tennis"? - A) Did you use to play tennis? - B) Do you understand "used to"? - C) Do I play tennis now? - D) What is the past of "use"? Answer: C Why: CCQs check meaning without repeating the target language; "no longer true" is a key part of the concept. ### L05 | Language In "The letter was sent yesterday", the verb form is: - A) active past simple - B) passive past simple - C) passive present perfect - D) past continuous Answer: B Why: was + past participle = past simple passive. ### L06 | Language Which word is uncountable in standard English? - A) suggestion - B) advice - C) chair - D) problem Answer: B Why: "advice" takes no plural and no "an"; we say "a piece of advice". ### L07 | Language "If I had known, I would have come" is an example of: - A) first conditional - B) second conditional - C) third conditional - D) zero conditional Answer: C Why: if + past perfect, would have + past participle: an unreal past condition. ### P01 | Phonology How many phonemes are there in the word "through"? - A) 2 - B) 3 - C) 5 - D) 7 Answer: B Why: /θruː/ = /θ/ /r/ /uː/: three phonemes, though seven letters. ### P02 | Phonology Which word has the stress on the second syllable? - A) photograph - B) photography - C) photographic - D) table Answer: B Why: pho-TO-gra-phy; PHO-to-graph, pho-to-GRA-phic, TA-ble. ### P03 | Phonology The vowel sound in the unstressed syllables of "banana" (first and last) is: - A) /æ/ - B) /ɑː/ - C) /ə/ (schwa) - D) /eɪ/ Answer: C Why: Unstressed vowels in English often reduce to schwa: /bəˈnɑːnə/. ### P04 | Phonology The past tense ending in "wanted" is pronounced: - A) /t/ - B) /d/ - C) /ɪd/ - D) silent Answer: C Why: After /t/ or /d/ the -ed ending adds a syllable /ɪd/. ### P05 | Phonology Which pair is a minimal pair? - A) ship / sheep - B) cat / dog - C) though / through - D) read / red (spelling only) Answer: A Why: The words differ in one phoneme only (/ɪ/ vs /iː/). ### P06 | Phonology In connected speech "next day" often sounds like /neks deɪ/. This is: - A) assimilation - B) elision - C) intrusion - D) linking r Answer: B Why: A sound (/t/) is dropped: elision. ### M01 | Methodology Which is the correct order of stages in a PPP lesson? - A) Practice, presentation, production - B) Presentation, production, practice - C) Presentation, practice, production - D) Production, presentation, practice Answer: C Why: Present in context, practise with control, then produce more freely. ### M02 | Methodology In a test-teach-test lesson, the first "test" is used to: - A) give learners a grade - B) find out what learners already know and need - C) practise the target language freely after teaching - D) check homework Answer: B Why: The first task diagnoses gaps; the teaching stage targets them; the second task checks progress. ### M03 | Methodology Which activity is the best example of controlled practice? - A) A class debate - B) A role play with no script - C) A gap-fill with one correct answer per gap - D) Writing a story Answer: C Why: Controlled practice limits the language so learners focus on accuracy of the form. ### M04 | Methodology Guided discovery means: - A) the teacher explains the rule first - B) learners work out the rule from examples with the help of questions - C) learners read a grammar book alone - D) translating the rule into L1 Answer: B Why: Learners notice and infer the rule, guided by tasks or questions. ### M05 | Methodology In task-based learning, the language focus usually comes: - A) before the task - B) instead of the task - C) after the task cycle - D) only in the next lesson Answer: C Why: Learners first use their own resources; language focus follows, based on the task. ### M06 | Methodology Which is a recast? - A) "Not go - went." - B) "Yesterday you...?" - C) "Oh, you went to the cinema?" - D) "Past or present?" Answer: C Why: A recast reformulates the learner's sentence correctly without saying there was an error. ### PL01 | Planning Which is the best main aim for a lesson? - A) To teach the present perfect - B) Students will understand the present perfect - C) By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to ask and answer about life experiences using present perfect with ever/never - D) Present perfect worksheet Answer: C Why: Aims are learner outcomes that are specific and observable. ### PL02 | Planning "Anticipated problems" in a lesson plan should include: - A) only problems with the projector - B) problems with meaning, form, pronunciation and tasks, with solutions - C) a list of difficult students - D) nothing; problems cannot be anticipated Answer: B Why: Trainers expect language and task problems with concrete solutions. ### PL03 | Planning A "stage aim" describes: - A) the purpose of one stage of the lesson - B) the main aim of the whole course - C) the materials used - D) the time of the lesson Answer: A Why: Each stage has its own aim that shows why it is there. ### PL04 | Planning Why do teachers pre-teach a limited number of words before a reading task? - A) To test vocabulary - B) To remove words that would block the comprehension tasks - C) To teach all new words in the text - D) To fill time Answer: B Why: Only items that block the tasks are pre-taught; others can be guessed or ignored. ### PL05 | Planning Which is a "subsidiary aim" for a speaking lesson about holidays? - A) Learners will practise speaking fluently - B) Learners will review past simple irregular verbs needed for the speaking task - C) The teacher will reduce talking time - D) To finish the coursebook unit Answer: B Why: Subsidiary aims support the main aim; "the teacher will reduce talking time" is a personal (teacher) aim. ### C01 | Classroom What is the main purpose of instruction-checking questions (ICQs)? - A) To check learners understand the grammar - B) To check learners know what to do in the task before they start - C) To test vocabulary - D) To fill time while handing out papers Answer: B Why: ICQs check task instructions ("Do you write or speak?" "How long?"). ### C02 | Classroom When should materials usually be handed out for a pair task? - A) Before giving instructions, so learners can read them - B) After instructions and ICQs, so learners listen first - C) Never; read the task aloud - D) After the task Answer: B Why: Handing out first means learners read instead of listening to instructions. ### C03 | Classroom Which is the best way to reduce teacher talking time (TTT)? - A) Never speak in class - B) Elicit, use pair work, and give short instructions with demonstrations - C) Play more audio - D) Ask only yes/no questions Answer: B Why: Eliciting and pair work increase learner talk; short instructions cut unnecessary teacher talk. ### C04 | Classroom During a fluency activity, the teacher should usually: - A) correct every error immediately - B) monitor, note errors and give delayed feedback - C) leave the room - D) take part in every group's conversation Answer: B Why: Interrupting fluency work reduces practice; delayed correction keeps both fluency and accuracy. ### C05 | Classroom "Nominating" means: - A) choosing a specific learner to answer - B) writing names on the board - C) choosing a class monitor - D) marking the register Answer: A Why: Nominating spreads participation and checks individuals, unlike open questions to the whole class. ### C06 | Classroom The best seating for a mingle activity is: - A) fixed rows - B) learners standing and moving freely with space cleared - C) a horseshoe with the teacher in the middle - D) individual desks facing the wall Answer: B Why: A mingle needs learners to move and talk to many partners. ### S01 | Skills A "gist" reading task asks learners to: - A) find specific numbers - B) understand the general idea quickly - C) translate the text - D) learn every new word Answer: B Why: Gist is the overall meaning; it comes before detail tasks. ### S02 | Skills Scanning is reading to: - A) find specific information quickly - B) understand the writer's attitude - C) check grammar - D) read aloud Answer: A Why: Scanning = searching for specific items (names, dates, prices). ### S03 | Skills In a listening lesson, learners should usually see the task: - A) after listening - B) before listening - C) never - D) only on the third play Answer: B Why: Setting the task first gives a purpose for listening. ### S04 | Skills Why do learners compare answers in pairs after a listening task? - A) To copy answers - B) To check, build confidence and show the teacher whether another play is needed - C) To finish quickly - D) It has no purpose Answer: B Why: Pair checks lower anxiety and give the teacher information. ### S05 | Skills In a productive writing lesson, a model text is used to: - A) test reading - B) show the genre, organisation and useful language before learners write - C) be copied by learners - D) fill time Answer: B Why: Analysing a model helps learners notice features they then use. ### S06 | Skills Which is a sub-skill of speaking? - A) Skimming - B) Turn-taking - C) Scanning - D) Inferring meaning from text Answer: B Why: Turn-taking is part of interactive speaking; the others are reading sub-skills.