A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 5 Test – Social Graces: Apologies & Polite Declines 7

25 but

– Why it's right: We use the conjunction but to connect two opposing ideas (she was invited, but she cannot go).

– Why not 'so': The word so introduces a result, but here we need a word to show a difference or problem.

26 of

– Why it's right: We use the preposition of to complete the common phrase groups of, which describes a collection of people or things.

– Why not 'from': You cannot say groups from to describe a quantity or collection of something.

27 I

– Why it's right: We need the subject pronoun I because Amelia is talking about her own feelings and how tired she gets.

– Why not 'they': The word they would refer back to the crowds of people, but the sentence is about Amelia's own reaction.

28 Are

– Why it's right: We use the auxiliary verb Are to start a present continuous question with the pronoun you and the -ing verb going.

– Why not 'Do': We cannot use Do here because the main verb in the sentence (going) ends in -ing.

29 because

– Why it's right: We use this conjunction to explain the reason why Sarah might want to go (she loves the music).

– Why not 'so': The word so introduces a result, but here we need a word that gives the reason for an action.

30 a

– Why it's right: We use the indefinite article a to complete the very common expression have a great time.

– Why not 'the': We do not use the here because she is talking about having a generally good experience, not one specific time that they already know about.

25 to

– Why it's right: We use 'to' before a base verb to explain the reason why we are doing something. Jacob is writing the email to say sorry.

– Why not 'for': We use 'for' before a noun, but we always use 'to' before a verb when explaining a purpose.

26 for

– Why it's right: When we are delayed for a planned event or place, the correct preposition to use is 'for' (late for school, late for work).

– Why not 'to': We say "go to school", but the correct phrase for being delayed is always "late for".

27 it

– Why it's right: We use the pronoun 'it' to talk about a situation we have already mentioned. Here, 'it' refers to his mistake of forgetting to walk the dog.

– Why not 'him': 'Him' would mean Jacob feels bad about the dog himself, but he actually feels bad about the mistake he made.

28 going

– Why it's right: We use the structure 'am going to' followed by a base verb to talk about our future plans. Jacob plans to walk the dog this evening.

– Why not 'go': After the helping verb 'am', you cannot use a simple verb like 'go'. It must have an '-ing' ending to make this future structure.

29 at

– Why it's right: We always use the preposition 'at' before a specific time on a clock, like 'at 6 o'clock' or 'at half past four'.

– Why not 'on': We use 'on' for specific days (like 'on Monday'), but we never use it for times on a clock.

30 Do

– Why it's right: We use the helping verb 'do' to ask a present tense question with the subject 'you' and a simple main verb like 'want'. Because it is the first word, it needs a capital letter.

– Why not 'Are': You cannot use 'Are' with a simple base verb like 'want'. You would only use 'Are' if the next verb had an '-ing' ending.

25 but

– Why it's right: We use the conjunction "but" to connect two different or opposite ideas, like wanting to do something and not being able to do it.

– Why not 'because': "Because" gives a reason for an action, but here Harper is showing a contrast between feeling sorry and her inability to help.

26 on

– Why it's right: We always use the preposition "on" when we talk about specific days of the week, like Wednesday.

– Why not 'in': We use "in" for longer periods like months and years (for example, "in May"), but never for days of the week.

27 a

– Why it's right: When we want to say "very much" in everyday English, we use the fixed phrase "a lot".

– Why not 'the': We never say "the lot" when describing how much something hurts; the correct grammatical chunk is always "a lot".

28 for

– Why it's right: We use the preposition "for" to talk about how long something lasts or a period of time, like "a few days".

– Why not 'since': We use "since" to point to a specific starting time in the past (like "since Monday"), not for a length of time.

29 to

– Why it's right: We use "to" after the verb "going" to make the future tense structure "going to do something".

– Why not 'and': We cannot say "going and ask" to talk about future plans; we must connect the verbs using the infinitive marker "to".

30 can

– Why it's right: We use the modal verb "can" before a main verb (go) to talk about having the ability or opportunity to do something in the future.

– Why not 'are': We would only use "are" if the verb had an "-ing" ending (like "are going"), but here the verb is just the base form "go".