Samenvatting schriftelijk examen Engels
Syllabus
Chapter 1: spelling
-ce or -se ? In most cases, the noun has -ce and the verb has -se.
the advice à to advise the practice à to practise
the device à to devise the licence à to license
If the word begins with suc-, ex-, pro-, it must be spelled with -ee-, otherwise -e-.
to exceed to concede
to succeed to intercede
to proceed to precede
Their/there/they’re
Their: possessive determiner meaning “hun”
-> Their son wanted to go to Ibiza, something they didn’t like at all.
There: an adverb meaning “daar” / “er”
-> Where’s your sister? She’s right over there.
-> There’s a bomb in that box!
They’re: short for “they are”
-> I don’t think they’re coming.
Who’s/whose
Who’s: short for “who is” or “who has”
-> Who’s there? Who’s taken my book?
Whose: “belonging to which person” (wiens/wier)
-> Whose newspaper is this?
Your/you’re
Your: “belonging to you” (jouw)
-> Your dog has been barking all night!
You’re: short for “you are”
-> You’re not seriously thinking about moving to Japan, are you?
1
, To/too/two
To: part of a to-infinitive / “naar”
-> He’s going to jump!
-> I sent a message to Peter saying we’d be late. / We’re moving to Spain!
Too: also, as well, in addition / excessively
-> I’ve found a coconut. Me too!
-> I’m too tired to do the dishes.
Two: = 2
-> Two New Yorkers walk into a bar…
Its/it’s
It’s: short for “it is” or “it has”
-> It’s not too late to change your ways!
-> It’s been raining for days on end.
Its: belonging to it (“zijn”/”haar”/”ervan”, e.d.)
-> This book is about the Wall Street Crash and its consequences.
Days and months
These always take a capital letter at the beginning.
Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November,
December.
Four seasons do not take a capital: winter, spring, summer and autumn
Dates
You say ‘the twenty-first of March two thousand twenty’, you write:
21st March 2020 (UK, pref.)
Be careful! When using number-only dates British and American usage are different:
UK 06.04.1997 = 6th April 1997
US 06.04.1997 = June 4, 1997
Numbers
101: one/a hundred and one (“and” is not fully pronounced!)
Decimals: 0.125: (nought) point one two five
Commonly misspelled words
2
Syllabus
Chapter 1: spelling
-ce or -se ? In most cases, the noun has -ce and the verb has -se.
the advice à to advise the practice à to practise
the device à to devise the licence à to license
If the word begins with suc-, ex-, pro-, it must be spelled with -ee-, otherwise -e-.
to exceed to concede
to succeed to intercede
to proceed to precede
Their/there/they’re
Their: possessive determiner meaning “hun”
-> Their son wanted to go to Ibiza, something they didn’t like at all.
There: an adverb meaning “daar” / “er”
-> Where’s your sister? She’s right over there.
-> There’s a bomb in that box!
They’re: short for “they are”
-> I don’t think they’re coming.
Who’s/whose
Who’s: short for “who is” or “who has”
-> Who’s there? Who’s taken my book?
Whose: “belonging to which person” (wiens/wier)
-> Whose newspaper is this?
Your/you’re
Your: “belonging to you” (jouw)
-> Your dog has been barking all night!
You’re: short for “you are”
-> You’re not seriously thinking about moving to Japan, are you?
1
, To/too/two
To: part of a to-infinitive / “naar”
-> He’s going to jump!
-> I sent a message to Peter saying we’d be late. / We’re moving to Spain!
Too: also, as well, in addition / excessively
-> I’ve found a coconut. Me too!
-> I’m too tired to do the dishes.
Two: = 2
-> Two New Yorkers walk into a bar…
Its/it’s
It’s: short for “it is” or “it has”
-> It’s not too late to change your ways!
-> It’s been raining for days on end.
Its: belonging to it (“zijn”/”haar”/”ervan”, e.d.)
-> This book is about the Wall Street Crash and its consequences.
Days and months
These always take a capital letter at the beginning.
Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November,
December.
Four seasons do not take a capital: winter, spring, summer and autumn
Dates
You say ‘the twenty-first of March two thousand twenty’, you write:
21st March 2020 (UK, pref.)
Be careful! When using number-only dates British and American usage are different:
UK 06.04.1997 = 6th April 1997
US 06.04.1997 = June 4, 1997
Numbers
101: one/a hundred and one (“and” is not fully pronounced!)
Decimals: 0.125: (nought) point one two five
Commonly misspelled words
2
