Situation Questions: Choosing the Right Expression

Each question describes a short situation in English and ends with a phrase such as You say: or You tell him:. You must choose the sentence that a speaker would most naturally and appropriately say in that situation.

Most wrong options are perfectly correct English sentences. They are wrong because they perform a different function (for example, they complain instead of apologise) or they do not fit who you are talking to.

• 1. Read the end first. The last sentence of the situation tells you the function: you want to apologise / refuse politely / give advice / warn him.
• 2. Identify the listener. A manager, a teacher or a stranger requires polite, indirect language; a close friend allows a more informal tone.
• 3. Check the time. Is the action in the past (an apology for what happened), now, or in the future (an invitation, a plan)?
• 4. Eliminate options with the wrong function, even if they are polite and contain words from the situation.
• 5. Beware of rude or extreme options. ÖSYM almost always expects the polite, constructive answer.