A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 5 Test – Social Graces: Apologies & Polite Declines 2

25 on

– Why it's right: We always use the preposition 'on' when we talk about specific days, like 'on your birthday' or 'on Monday'.

– Why not 'in': We use 'in' for months or years, but it is incorrect to use it for specific days.

26 because

– Why it's right: We use 'because' to give a reason for something. Leaving his phone at home is the reason Sam didn't call.

– Why not 'so': We use 'so' to talk about the result of an action, not to introduce the reason why it happened.

27 a

– Why it's right: We use the indefinite article 'a' before a singular noun phrase like 'really good day' when asking a general question.

– Why not 'the': We use 'the' when talking about one specific thing that both people already know about, but here Sam is just asking a general question.

28 of

– Why it's right: We always need the preposition 'of' to complete the common quantity phrase 'lots of' (which means 'many' or 'a lot of').

– Why not 'for': 'Lots for' is not a correct English expression when talking about how many things someone has.

29 would

– Why it's right: We use 'would' with 'like to' as a polite way to offer something or invite someone (e.g., 'I would like to buy you lunch').

– Why not 'do': We use 'do' to make present simple questions or negative sentences, but here we need 'would' to make a polite offer.

30 me

– Why it's right: Sam wants his cousin to reply to him, so we need the object pronoun 'me' after the verb 'let' to complete the fixed phrase 'let me know'.

– Why not 'I': 'I' is a subject pronoun used to perform an action, but here we need an object pronoun to receive the action.

25 but

– Why it's right: We use but to join two contrasting ideas together. Eva wants to go to the park, but she has a problem and cannot go.

– Why not 'because': Using because would mean the reason she cannot come is that she wants to meet at the park, which does not make sense.

26 going

– Why it's right: We use going with am and to to make the going to future form, which talks about planned events and intentions.

– Why not 'want': We can say want to help, but we cannot use the auxiliary verb am before want in this way.

27 her

– Why it's right: We use the object pronoun her because Eva is talking about helping a female person (her mum).

– Why not 'she': We cannot use the subject pronoun she as an object directly after a verb like help.

28 lot

– Why it's right: We use lot to complete the common phrase a lot of, which means a large amount.

– Why not 'many': We do not use many with the article a before it, and we cannot use many with uncountable nouns like time.

29 in

– Why it's right: We always use the preposition in when we talk about general parts of the day, like in the morning or in the afternoon.

– Why not 'at': We use at for specific clock times, like at 3 o'clock, but never for the word afternoon.

30 with

– Why it's right: When we do a fun activity or play a sport together alongside another person, we use the preposition with.

– Why not 'to': We do not say play to you; we always play a sport or game with someone.

25 was

– Why it's right: We need the past tense verb "was" because Chris is talking about being late earlier in the day.

– Why not 'am': We cannot use the present tense "am" because the event of being late is already in the past.

26 the

– Why it's right: We always use the definite article "the" in the common everyday phrase "go to the cinema".

– Why not 'a': They planned to go to one specific cinema together, so we cannot use the general article "a".

27 there

– Why it's right: The adverb "there" means "to that place", referring back to the cinema that he had to walk to.

– Why not 'here': He is writing this message from home, not the cinema, so he cannot use "here".

28 were

– Why it's right: We use "were" because it is the correct past tense form of the verb "to be" to match the subject pronoun "you".

– Why not 'was': We use "was" with subjects like "I" or "he/she/it", but never with "you".

29 me

– Why it's right: We always use the object pronoun "me" when it comes directly after a preposition like "without".

– Why not 'I': "I" is a subject pronoun that does an action, so it is grammatically incorrect to place it after a preposition.

30 for

– Why it's right: When we spend money to get an item or service, the correct verb phrase is always "pay for".

– Why not 'to': You pay money "to" a person (like a cashier), but you pay "for" objects (like tickets).