AEIS考试简介
新加坡政府中小学国际学生统一入学考试（Admissions Exercise for International Students）是由新加坡教育部专为有意申请就读新加坡政府中、小学的国际学生统一组织、安排的入学考试，考试时间为每年9月或10月。顺利通过该考试的国际学生将在次年1月份直接入读新加坡政府中、小学。
AEIS考试内容由两部分组成，即英文与数学。考试将主要考核考生的英语读写能力、数学计算能力，以及逻辑思维能力。新加坡教育部将会根据各公立学校的空缺学额情况、考生的考试成绩，以及考生的所在住址，为顺利通过该考试的学生安排合适的学校就读。
有意申请就读新加坡政府中、小学的国际学生需要认识到，英文是新加坡教育的媒介语言。因此，特别提醒所有参加AEIS考试的考生，在考试之前做好充分的准备。考生应当清楚地了解他们所申请就读的年级的英文与数学课程大纲。
AEIS英文考试提示与技巧 - 小学生
Less/Fewer
Do you know the checkout aisle in NTUC Fairprice store that says “10 Items or Less”? That’s actually incorrect. It should be “10 Items or Fewer.”
Why? “Items” are quantifiable. You can count the items. Use “fewer” for things that are quantifiable, like “fewer dolls” or “fewer road trips”. Use “less” for things that aren’t quantifiable, like “less sweet” and “less traveling”.
Amount/Number
Again, it’s a question of whether you can count the thing you’re describing. Examples of how you might use each word:
“There is a really large number of books in that library”
“There’s a huge amount of water going over the dam right now.”
Incomplete Comparisons
This one drives me up a wall when I see it in the wild. Can you see what’s wrong with this sentence?
Our car model is faster, better, stronger.
Faster, better, stronger … than what? What are you comparing your car to? A horse? A competitor’s car? An older model?
When you’re asserting that something should be compared to something else, make sure you always clarify what that something else is. Otherwise, it’s impossible for your readers to discern what the comparison actually means.
Between/Among
Let’s clear this one up: The word “between” is used to refer to two (or sometimes more) things that are clearly separated, and the word “among” is used to refer to things that aren’t clearly separated because they’re part of a group or mass of objects.
So you choose between a red shirt and a black shirt, but you choose among all your shirts. You walk between Tampines Street and Jurong Street, but you walk among your friends.
Affect/Effect
Most people confuse them when they’re talking about something changing another thing.
When you’re talking about the change itself – the noun – you’ll use “effect.”
That movie had a great effect on me.
When you’re talking about the act of changing -the verb – you’ll use “affect.”
That movie affected me greatly.
Possessive Nouns
Most possessive nouns will have an apostrophe. But where you put that apostrophe can be confusing. Here are a few general rules to follow:
If the noun is plural, add the apostrophe after the s. For example: the dogs’ bones.
If the noun is singular and ends in s, you should also put the apostrophe after the s. For example: the dress’ blue color.
On the other hand, if the noun is singular and doesn’t end in an s, you’ll add the apostrophe before the s. For example: the lizard’s tail.
Me/I
Most people understand the difference between the two of these, until it comes time for them to use one in a sentence. They’ll say something like:
When you get done with that lab report, can you send it to Jane and I?
But that’s wrong.
Try taking Jane out of that sentence. It sounds weird, right? You would never ask someone to send something to “I” when he or she is done. The reason it sounds weird is because “I” is the object of that sentence and “I” should not be used in objects. In that situation, you’d use “me.”
When you get done with that lab report, can you send it to Bill and me?
Much better.
He/Him
Especially in TV, I often hear people say something like, “Him and me went somewhere.” That’s incorrect. Instead you should say, “He and I went somewhere.”
Things get slightly more confusing from here. It’s incorrect to say, “He gave it to she and I.” Instead you should say, “He gave it to her and me.”
If you’re having trouble with this rule, take away the “and.” For example, you can probably tell that the sentence “He gave it to I” sounds weird, so you can figure out that “He gave it to she and I” is also incorrect.
Then/Than
What’s wrong with this sentence?
My dinner was better then yours.
*Shudder* In the sentence above, “then” should be “than.” Why? Because “than” is a conjunction used mainly to make comparisons, like saying one thing was better “than” another. “Then” is mainly an adverb used to situate actions in time:
We made dinner, and then we ate it.
Peek/Peak/Pique
This mistake is another one I often see people make, even if they know what they mean.
Peek is taking a quick look at something, like a sneak peek of a new film.
Peak is a sharp point, like the peak of a mountain.
And pique means to provoke or instigate, you know, like your interest.
If you’re going to use one in your writing, stop and think for a second. Is that the right “peek” you should be using?
Into/In to
Let’s clarify the “into” versus “in to” debate.
They’re often confused, but “into” indicates movement (John walked into the office) while “in to” is used in lots of situations because the individual words “to” and “in” are frequently used in other parts of a sentence. For example, “to” is often used with infinitive verbs (e.g. “to drive”). Or “in” can be used as part of a verb (e.g. “call in to a meeting”).
So if you’re trying to decide which to use, first figure out if the words “in” or “to” actually modify other words in the sentence. If they don’t, ask yourself if it’s indicating some sort of movement. If it does, you’re good to use “into.”
Your/You’re
The difference between these two is owning something versus actually being something:
You made it around the track in under a minute – YOU’RE FAST!
How’s YOUR FAST going? Are you hungry?
See the difference? “Your” is possessive and “you’re” is a contraction of “you are.” Again, if you’re having trouble keeping them straight, try doing another grammar check after every essay you’ve written.
Its/It’s
This one tends to confuse even the best of writers. “Its” is possessive and “it’s” is a contraction of “it is.” Lots of people get tripped up because “it’s” has an ‘s after it, which normally means something is possessive. But in this case, it’s actually a contraction.
They’re/Their/There
One’s a contraction for “they are” (they’re), one refers to something owned by a group (their), and one refers to a place (there). You know the difference among the three – just make sure you triple check that you’re using the right ones in the right places at the right times.
Correct Usage: They’re going to love going there. I heard their food is the best!
Who/That
These two words can be used when you’re describing someone or something through a phrase like, “Harry is a blogger who likes ice cream.” When you’re describing a person, be sure to use “who.”
When you’re describing an object, use “that.” For example, you should say, “His computer is the one that overheats all the time.” It’s pretty simple, but definitely something that gets overlooked frequently.
Who/Whom/Whose/Who’s
“Who” is used to identify a living pronoun. If you asked, “Who ate all of the cookies?” the answer could be a person, like myself (“I did”), or another living being (“the dog did”).
Both are realistic scenarios.
“Whom” is a little trickier. It’s usually used to describe someone who’s receiving something, like a letter – “To whom will it be addressed?” But it can also be used to describe someone on the receiving end of an action, like in this sentence:
Whom did we hire to join the Singapore team?
“Whose” is used to assign ownership to someone. See if you can spot the error in this question:
Who’s sweater is that?
Because the sweater belongs to someone, it should actually be written this way:
Whose sweater is that?
“Who’s,” on the other hand, is used to identify a living being. It’s a contraction for “who is”. Here’s an example of how we might use it in a sentence here:
Who’s running for the Singapore tonight?
See the difference? “Whose” is used to figure out who something belongs to, whereas “who’s” is used to identify someone who’s doing something.
“Alot”/A lot/Allot
I hate to break it to all of you “alot” fans out there, but “alot” is not a word. If you’re trying to say that someone has a vast number of things, you’d say they have “a lot” of things. And if you’re trying to say that you want to set aside a certain amount of money to buy something, you’d say you’ll “allot” $20 to spend on clothes.
Lose/Loose
When people mix up “lose” and “loose,” it’s usually just because they’re spelled so similarly. They know their definitions are completely different.
According to Merriam-Webster, “lose” is a verb that means “to be unable to find (something or someone), to fail to win (a game, contest, etc.), or to fail to keep or hold (something wanted or valued).” It’s like losing your keys or losing a football match.
“Loose” is an adjective that means “not tightly fastened, attached, or held,” like loose clothing or a loose tooth.
Compliment/Complement
These two words are pronounced exactly the same, making them easy to mix up. But they’re actually quite different.
If something “complements” something else, that means it completes it, enhances it, or makes it perfect. For example, a wine selection can complement a meal, and two colors can complement each other.
The word “compliment” though, refers to an expression of praise (as a noun), or to praise or express admiration for someone (as a verb). You can compliment your friend’s new haircut, or pay someone a compliment on his or her haircut.
AEIS英文考试提示与技巧 - 中学生
Dangling Modifiers
This mistake happens when a descriptive phrase doesn’t apply to the noun that immediately follows it. It’s easier to see in an example
After declining for months, Mr Lee tried a new tactic to increase profit.
What exactly is declining for months? Mr Lee? In reality, the sentence was trying to say that the profit was declining, not Mr Lee. To fix this problem, try flipping around the sentence structure (though beware of passive voice):
Mr Lee tried a new tactic to increase profit after it had been declining for months.
Better, right?
Assure/Insure/Ensure
All of these words have to do with “making an outcome sure,” which is why they’re so often mixed up. However, they aren’t interchangeable.
“To assure” means to promise or say with confidence. For example, “I assure you that he’s good at his job.”
“To ensure” means to make certain. For example, “Ensure you’re free when I visit next weekend.”
Finally, “to insure” means to protect against risk by regularly paying an insurance company. For example, “I insure my HDB house because everyone does so”
To/Too
We’ve all accidentally left the second “o” off of “too” when texting in a hurry. In this case, the mistake goes beyond that, involving commas. Let’s review some usage rules.
“To” is typically used before a noun or verb, and describes a destination, recipient, or action. Take these examples:
My friend drove me to my doctor’s appointment. (Destination)
I sent the files to my boss. (Recipient)
I’m going to get a cup of coffee. (Action)
“Too,” on the other hand, is a word that’s used as an alternative to “also” or “as well.” It’s also used to describe an adjective in extremes. Have a look:
My colleague, Peggy, teaches at the university too.
She, too, is vegan.
We both think it’s too cold outside.
You might have noticed that there’s some interesting comma usage where the word “too” is involved. We’ll cover commas a bit more later, but when you’re using the word “too” to replace “also” or “as well,” the general rule is to use a comma both before and after. The only exception occurs when “too” is the last word in the sentence – then, follow it with a period.
Since/As/Because
People sometimes think these three words have the same meaning. But “since” and “as” refer to time, while “because” describes the reason for something.
It’s incorrect to say, “He went home since the play was over.” Instead you would say, “He went home because the play was over.”
But if you’re talking about timing, you’d say, “Since the play ended, he’s gone home.”
And if you say, “He went to the store as his brother dug the ditch,” it sounds like you’re saying: While his brother was busy digging the ditch, he was shopping.
However, if you want to explain that the reason he went to the store was because his brother was digging the ditch and couldn’t go, then you would simply say, “He went to the store because his brother dug the ditch.”
Nor/Or
Use “nor” before the second or farther of two alternatives when “neither” introduces the first. Think of it as “or” for negative sentences.
For example, you would say, “Neither my boss nor I understand the new program.”
On the other hand, when you use the word “not,” you can also the use the word “or.” So you’d say, “He is not skilled at math or science.”
Use of Commas
There are entire courses on correct comma usage, but let’s go over some of the most common comma use cases here.
To separate elements in a series.
Each element in a series should be separated by a comma. For example: “I brought a jacket, a blanket, and an umbrella to the park.” That last comma is optional. It’s called an “Oxford comma”.
To separate independent clauses.
You can use commas to separate independent clauses that are joined by “and,” “but,” “for,” “or,” “nor,” “so,” or “yet.” For example, this sentence is correctly written: “My brother is very smart, and I’ve learned a lot from him.”
An independent clause is a sentence that can stand on its own. Here’s how to test it: Would the second part of the sentence (following one of those coordinating conjunctions) make a full sentence on its own? If so, add a comma. If it doesn’t, leave it out.
To separate an introductory word or phrase.
At the beginning of a sentence, we often add an introductory word or phrase that requires a subsequent comma. For example:
In the beginning, I had no idea how to use a comma.
Or:
However, after reading an awesome article written by Ms Felicia, I understand the difference.
Other common introductory words and phrases include “after,” “although,” “when,” and “while.”
Semicolons
Semicolons are used to connect two independent clauses that, though they could stand on their own, are closely related. For example, you could use a semicolon in the sentence: “Call me tomorrow; I’ll have an answer for you by then.”
Notice that each clause could be its own sentence. But stylistically, it makes more sense for them to be joined. (If there’s a coordinating conjunction between the two clauses, like “and,” “but”, or “or” – use a comma instead.)
You can also use semicolons to separate items in a list when those items contain commas themselves:
There are two options for breakfast: eggs and bacon, which is high in protein and low in carbs; or oatmeal and fruit, which is high in carbs but has more fiber.
Using ‘they’ as a singular pronoun
This mistake is gradually being more common — and more accepted.”They” is strictly a plural pronoun. So it’s incorrect to say, “Everybody raise their hand.” Instead you could say, “Everybody raise his or her hand” or, better yet, “All the people raise their hands.”
Likewise, you wouldn’t want to say, “The team arrived really late at their hotel.” Instead you could say, “The team arrived really late at its hotel” or “The players arrived late at their hotel.”
Farther/Further
People often use “farther” and “further” interchangeably to mean “at a greater distance.”
However, in most countries, there are actually subtle differences in meaning between the two. “Farther” is used more to refer to physical distances, while “further” is used more to refer to figurative and nonphysical distances. So while Paris is “farther” away than Madrid, a marketing team falls “further” away from its leads goal. (Note: The word “further” is preferred for all senses of the word in the U.K., Australia, Canada, and elsewhere in the Commonwealth of Nations.)
The word “further” can also be used as an adjective or as an adverb to mean “additionally.” For example, “I have no further questions.”
Irregular verbs
The English language has quite a few surprises. We can’t list all the irregular verbs, but be aware they do exist. For example, no past tense exists for the word “broadcast.” “Broadcasted” isn’t a word. You’d say, “Yesterday, CNN broadcast a show.”
“Sneak” and “hang” also fall into the category of irregular verbs. Because the list of irregular verbs (and how to conjugate them) is so extensive, you’ll have to look into them individually
Ending sentences with prepositions
Prepositions are any words that a squirrel can “run” with a tree (i.e. The squirrel ran around, by, through, up, down, around, etc. the tree).
For example, “My boss explained company policy, which we had to abide by” sounds awful.
In most cases, you can just transpose the preposition to the beginning of the clause. “My boss explained company policy, by which we had to abide,” or better yet, rephrase the sentence to avoid this problem: “My boss explained the mandatory company policy.”
Lie/Lay
It’s incorrect to say, “I’m going to lay down.” The word “lay” must have an object. So you can say, “I lay this blanket on the bed.”
However — and this is tricky — “lay” is also the past-tense version of “lie.” So you can say, “I lay down on the bed yesterday.”
Passive Voice
If you have a sentence with an object in it, basically a noun that receives the action – passive voice can happen to you. Passive happens when the object of a sentence is put at the beginning of a sentence instead of at the end. With passive voice, your writing comes across as sounding weak and unclear.
Hold up. Re-read that last paragraph I just wrote. There’s way too much passive voice. See how it seems kind of jumbled and not quite punchy? Let’s try that again.
Passive voice happens when you have an object (a noun that receives the action) as the subject of a sentence. Normally, the object of the sentence appears at the end, following a verb. Passive writing isn’t as clear as active writing. Your readers will thank you for your attention to detail later. Make sense? Active voice makes your writing seem more alive and clear.
Whether/If
“Whether” means “this one or the other.” “If” refers to one thing that might or might not happen.
It would be incorrect to say, “Whether I have a beer, I’m going to go waterskiing anyway.” Instead you’d say, “If I have a beer, I’m going to go waterskiing anyway.”
On the other hand, you’d say, “I enjoy hanging out with my friends whether we’re drinking water or beer.”
Referring to a Brand or an Entity as “They”
My close friend, an ex-MOE examiner made me aware of this mistake. “A business is not plural,” he shared. “Therefore, the business is not ‘they.’ It’s ‘it.'”
So, what’s the problem with this sentence?
To keep up with their changing audience, Singtel rebranded in 2014.
The confusion is understandable. In English, we don’t identify a brand or an entity as “he” or “she” — so “they” seems to make more sense. But as that examiner pointed out, it’s just not accurate. A brand or an entity is “it.”
To keep up with its changing audience, Singtel rebranded in 2014.
It might seem a little strange at first, but once you start correctly referring to a brand or entity as “it,” the phrasing will sound much more natural than “they.”
Continous/Continual
“Continual” means something happens repeatedly but not necessarily all the time. “Continuous” means something never stops.
So you’d say, “He let loose a continual stream of obscenities,” implying that he stopped to take a breath at some point.
And you’d say, “The water gushed from the pipe continuously.”
Mixing up subject (and possessive pronoun) and verb agreement
This rule seems a bit counterintuitive, but most plural subjects take verbs without an “s.” For example, “she types,” but “they type.”
The pronoun agreement comes into play when you add a possessive element to these sentences. “She types on her computer,” and “they type on their computers.”
As a caveat, the pronoun “someone” requires “her or his” as the possessive.
Misplacing adjectives and modifiers
An example of a wrong sentence: “It was a red boy’s bicycle.” The sentence is incorrect because it implies that the bicycle belonged to a red boy. So think about how you’re assembling strings of words and check to see if the arrangement makes sense. In this case, you would say, “It was a boy’s red bicycle.”
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