A Busy Day at the Market

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

A2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice, Multiple choice, Fill in the blank (text), Fill in the blank (dropdown), Cloze (text), Cloze (dropdown), Matching, Error correction, Sentence transformation, Sentence reordering

How to approach this practice

Read the complete context. Check both the meaning and the grammar, including word forms, collocations and links between sentences.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the best completion. While I … at the fruit stall, my brother called me.

   1. wait
   2. was waiting
   3. were waiting
   4. am waiting
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   was waiting

   An action in progress at a past moment uses was waiting with I.

2. Question 2 · Multiple choice

   Choose all the correct answers.

   Choose TWO correct statements based on the information given. The red bag costs £12 and the blue bag costs £18.

   1. The red bag is cheaper than the blue bag.
   2. The red bag is the most expensive of the two.
   3. The blue bag is more expensive than the red bag.
   4. The two bags cost the same.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The red bag is cheaper than the blue bag.; The blue bag is more expensive than the red bag.

   Twelve is less than eighteen, so the red bag is cheaper and the blue one more expensive.

3. Question 3 · Fill in the blank (text)

   Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.

   Write the past simple of buy. We ___ fresh vegetables at the market yesterday.

   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   bought

   Bought is the irregular past-simple form of buy.

4. Question 4 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   I would like a ___ of bread, please.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. bottle
   2. loaf
   3. bunch
   4. pair
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   loaf

   A loaf is a whole unit of bread.

5. Question 5 · Cloze (text)

   Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.

   Use the past simple. The seller 1___ (give) me a bag, and I 2___ (put) the pears inside.

   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   gave

   Blank 2

   put

   Give becomes gave; put has the same base and past form.

6. Question 6 · Cloze (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   There weren't 1___ eggs left, so I bought cheese instead. The cheese was cheaper 2___ I expected.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. a
   2. any
   3. some
   4. an

   Choices for blank 2

   1. as
   2. then
   3. than
   4. that
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   any

   Blank 2

   than

   Use any in this negative sentence and than after cheaper.

7. Question 7 · Matching

   Match each item to the correct choice.

   Match each beginning to its only suitable ending. Questions for the market seller.

   Answer choices

   • At six this evening.
   • Yes, we accept bank cards.
   • About half a kilo.

   Items

   • Can I pay by card?
   • How much do these grapes weigh?
   • When do you close today?
   Check answers and explanations

   1. Can I pay by card?

   Yes, we accept bank cards.

   2. How much do these grapes weigh?

   About half a kilo.

   3. When do you close today?

   At six this evening.

   The responses match payment, weight and closing time.

8. Question 8 · Error correction

   Rewrite the sentence, correcting the grammatical error.

   Correct the one language error. Write the complete corrected sentence. This stall is more cheap than the one near the gate.

   Check answers and explanations

   Accepted answers

   This stall is cheaper than the one near the gate.

   Cheap normally forms its comparative with er.

9. Question 9 · Sentence transformation

   Rewrite or complete the second sentence as instructed, keeping the same meaning unless the task asks you to change it.

   Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use the given word unchanged. This box is too heavy for me to carry. This box is not ___ for me to carry.

   Check answers and explanations

   Accepted answers

   light enough

   Too heavy is equivalent here to not light enough.

10. Question 10 · Sentence reordering

    Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.

    Put the chunks in order to make one complete sentence. Keep the capitalised opening first and the punctuated ending last.

    Sentence parts

    • The woman at the flower stall
    • a small bunch of roses.
    • gave
    • me
    Check answers and explanations

    Correct order

    The woman at the flower stall gave me a small bunch of roses.

    Give takes the recipient me before the thing given.

What to review next

Explain why each answer fits the meaning and structure. Record useful phrases and write a new example using each pattern you found difficult.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.