Use of English Part 1

The Use of English Part 1 multiple-choice exercise asks you to complete each of the gaps in a text by choosing from four options. On this page we will talk about how it works and what you need to do.

How the Use of English Part 1 works

Sample Part 1 Exercise

Instructions

For questions 1-8 read the text below and decide which word (A,B,C or D) which best fits each gap.  There is an example at the beginning (0).

Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

A  reallyB onlyC stillD mostly

Use of English part 1 multiple-choice answer box

 People in the Amazon

The Amazon is not ………(0) a river. The Brazilian Amazon ………….(1) is home to up to 20 million people including 400 different indigenous groups and the future of the Amazon depends on the future of those who  ………(2) the forest home.

The rich and complex natural ………..(3) of forest life is linked to the people living in the forest. Although the …………..(4) of people in the Amazon live in cities and towns, there are still many others living in the jungle, some of whom have never had contact with the outside world.

These people rely on the forest for their way of life. It …………..(5) almost everything from food and shelter to tools and medicines, as well as playing a ……………(6) role in people’s spiritual and cultural life. The people living in the forest make practical and sustainable use of the forest, and live within the challenging limits of this …………(7) environment. We still have much to learn from their unique and valuable ………….(8)

1  A alone           B solo                   C only                    D   wholly

2  A say              B call                     C claim                  D address

3 A range           B choice               C variety                D selection

4 A least             B most                 C all                        D majority

5 A gives             B provides           C has                      D owns

6 A practical       important        C good                    D crucial

7 A cruel              B harsh               C harmful               D damaged

8 A opinions       B times                C ideas                   D perceptions

 

Doing the part 1 multiple choice exercise

In this exercise you need to put a word in each gap by choosing the best option from the four multiple choice answers. 

There are a number of steps you can use to complete the exercise.

  1. Think about the meaning of the missing word. Which option is most likely?
  2. Look at options and think about what grammar they need. For example do they need prepositions or some phrasal verb forms?
  3. What collocations are possible with the words in the text? For example  …….. part could be take part.

Doing it better!

The part 1 multiple-choice exercise is not always an easy exercise but because you have four options presented it can help to make finding the right answer a little easier.

Use the tips above to decide on your answer.
For each question review the options as above as you work through the task.

Collocations & Phrasal Verbs
Write down lists of collocations according to the preposition: interested in,  agree with, good at  etc. 
You should also build lists of common phrasal verbs. 

Cover other answers
if you are doing the paper exam it can help to cover the other answers and just focus on the current question.

Eliminate possible wrong options
Sometimes in the exercise you can see clearly that one or more options may not be correct. Highlight them so that you can ignore them.

Final thoughts
The exercise can be very challenging , especially with words that are very similar in meaning.  Candidates should try to identify as many options as they can for each gap. To do this you should have a strategy and some of the ideas we have suggested here may be of use to you.

Part 2

Put a single word in each of the gaps.

Part 3

Change the form of the word given at the end of a line to create a new word.

Part 4

Write a new sentence, with the same meaning as the example, by using the keyword given.