Practice
English practice: review and self-check
Sign in to saveA review works best when it asks you to retrieve English, not when you only reread a page. A small self-check can show which point is ready to use and which point needs another look.
Use a short self-check to review grammar, vocabulary, meaning, and correction choices, then identify one useful next step.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Could you send me the report by Friday? /kʊd juː send miː ðə rɪˈpɔːt baɪ ˈfraɪdeɪ/
The short answer
For a useful English self-check, try an item without looking at a rule, check the answer, and write down the exact point to review if you miss it.
I have lived here for three years.
Why it works: The phrase for three years connects a past starting point to life now, so the present perfect fits.
4 more examples
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Could you send me the report by Friday?
Could you is a polite way to make a request in an email or conversation.
Not this:
Send methe report by Friday. What changes: This direct imperative can sound too abrupt when you need a polite request. -
There are fewer mistakes in this draft.
Use fewer with countable plural nouns such as mistakes.
Not this:There is
lessnoise in this room. What changes: Use less with an uncountable noun such as noise. -
We arrived at the station at half past six.
Arrive at is usual for a specific place such as a station, hotel, or office.
Not this:We arrived
in Londonbefore noon. What changes: Use arrive in with cities and countries. -
I did not understand the question, so I asked for an example.
This sentence gives a clear reason and a useful action.
Not this:I did not understand the question,
butI asked for an example. What changes: But suggests an unexpected contrast. So better shows that the request followed the problem.
Read the full guide
A mixed review is useful because everyday English asks you to combine skills. You may need a tense for one sentence, a polite phrase for another, and the right preposition in a message. Work slowly enough to explain your choice. The explanation tells you more than a score alone.
Try before you check
Start by answering without opening your notes. This asks your memory to do the work. Even a wrong answer is useful because it shows which choice seemed natural to you before you checked the rule.
Choose the better sentence: She has already left, or She already has left.
Both forms occur, but She has already left is the usual neutral order in British English.
What should you do before reading the explanation?
Make your own choice first, then compare it with the explanation.
Check the meaning as well as the form
A sentence can look grammatical but still be unsuitable for the situation. Ask who is speaking, what they need, and how direct they should sound. This is especially useful with requests, advice, and email messages.
Would you mind opening the window?
This is polite when you ask someone you do not know well. Open the window is more direct.
I am writing to ask about the course dates.
The phrase gives the reader a clear purpose at the start of an email.
Find the exact reason for an error
When you correct an answer, avoid writing only wrong. Name the problem in plain language. It may be a tense, a countable noun, a preposition, word order, or meaning. A short reason gives you something specific to notice next time.
Incorrect: I have seen him yesterday.
Yesterday names a finished past time, so use the simple past: I saw him yesterday.
What is the useful note after this correction?
Write: use simple past with a finished time such as yesterday.
Use an example you can change
After you understand a correction, make one new sentence with the same pattern. Change the people, place, or time. This checks whether you can use the grammar outside the original question.
Model: There are fewer errors in this version.
New example: There are fewer chairs in this room. Both use fewer with plural countable nouns.
Model: We arrived at the hotel late.
New example: They arrived at the office early. The preposition stays the same with a specific building.
Choose one next step
Finish the review by choosing one small action. You could write three present-perfect sentences, reread a short email model, or practise five countable and uncountable nouns. Choose the point that caused the most uncertainty, not every point you have ever studied.
Next step: write three requests with Could you and check the word order.
This is more useful than writing review polite English because it tells you exactly what to do.
What makes a next step helpful?
It names one topic and one action you can complete soon.
Before you go
Remember this
Attempt the item before looking at the answer. Check the grammar and meaning, then write a short reason for any correction. Finish by choosing one point to revisit with a new example of your own.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "English practice: review and self-check"
What is an English self-check?
An English self-check is a short review you complete on your own. You try a question, compare your choice with the answer, and identify the exact language point to revisit if you need more practice.
I have lived here for three years.
Should I look at my notes before a review exercise?
Try the exercise first without notes when you can. This shows what you can retrieve independently. Afterward, use your notes or the explanation to check the answer and understand any mistake.
I lived there for three years before I moved.
How should I record a mistake in English practice?
Write the corrected form, a short reason, and one new example. For example, you might write simple past with yesterday, then make a sentence about something you did yesterday.
Could you send me the report by Friday?
Why do I need to check meaning as well as grammar?
A sentence can have correct grammar but sound too direct, vague, or unsuitable for the situation. Checking meaning helps you choose phrases that fit the person, purpose, and level of formality.
Send me the report by Friday.
What should I do after a self-check?
Choose one small next step based on the point that caused the most difficulty. You could write a few new examples, repeat a focused lesson, or use the pattern in a short message. Keep the action specific and manageable.
There are fewer mistakes in this draft.