MULTIPLE CHOICE ERROR RECOGNITION STRATEGIES Do you remember that song Three of these things belong together from Sesame Street? Well, the error recognition section on the AP Spanish exam asks you to determine what three items in a sentence belong and which one does not. You will be given approximately 15 unrelated sentences in which four words or phrases are underlined. Below each underlined item is a letter from A to D. Three of the four underlined items are grammatically correct; only one is grammatically incorrect. The object is to select which one is incorrect, which one doesn t belong. Unfortunately, this is not Sesame Street, and the choices are much harder than Elmo must make. This section expects you to identify common errors that someone learning Spanish would make, so you must be especially sure of your Spanish grammar. The AP exam writers love to test the trickiest grammar points in this section, and they try to make the right answers look wrong. This section is where you can show your knowledge of the finer points of Spanish grammar. Review those trouble spots of Spanish grammar (i.e. ser vs. estar, preterit vs. imperfect, etc.) and you will have no worries. Strategies for Success on the Multiple Choice Error Recognition Section The following is a checklist of some important suggestions to help you do well on the error recognition section of the exam. Read the entire sentence first! Check: Verbs Agree in number and person with their subjects. Proper tense is used and spelled correctly. Proper mood (indicative, subjunctive, or imperative) is used and spelled correctly. Nouns Proper definite article (i.e el, la, los, las) is used according to the gender and number. Adjectives Agree in number and gender with the nouns they modify. Pronouns (yo, tú, se, lo, le, ésta, estos, etc.) Agree in number and gender with the nouns they replace.. Remember: The non-underlined items in the sentence are all correct. Use them to help you identify which one of the underlined items is incorrect. You do no have to actually correct the error; you only have to identify it! You do not even need to know what the words in the sentences mean! You only have to recognize parts of speech (i.e. nouns, verbs, pronouns, etc.). Make educated guesses about the gender of nouns. Apply Spanish grammar rules and exceptions. Eliminate: If you can eliminate two of the four possibilities, then make an educated guess! 2002 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
If you know that three of the four points of grammar are correct, then assume that the fourth underlined word or phrase is the incorrect item, and is the answer. Do not spend too much time on sentences in which you cannot find the error. Finish what you can, and then go back to those sentences that are more difficult to do. Watch for clues: Parts of speech in the sentence Nouns Pronouns Adjectives Verbs Adverbs Conjunctions Prepositions Interjections Other grammatical elements Modal Verbs (i.e. deber, gustar, necesitar, poder, querer, saber, etc.) Direct and Indirect Objects and their Pronouns Active and Passive Voice Comparisons Tense Indicators Mood Indicators: Subjunctive vs. Indicative Warning: The Exam-Writer General has warned that making the following errors can be hazardous to your AP Spanish exam score Don t make the same mistakes! Pronouns: Wrong case Subject, object, reflexive, etc. Incorrect agreement with the noun it replaces. Gender Number Verbs: Wrong form is used. Tense or mood Wrong verb is used. Ser vs. Estar Saber vs. Conocer, etc. Adjectives: Wrong form of an adjective is used. Adjective is shortened when it should not be. Adjective is not shortened when it should be. Does not agree in gender and number with the noun that it modifies. Prepositions: 2002 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
Por vs. Para De instead of A No preposition used when there should be one. Preposition used when there should not be one. Other items: The wrong conjunction is used. False cognates (embarazada for embarrassed) In the error recognition section, the AP exam writers delight in using words that look similar to English words that mean the same as the word that would be used in a similar place. For instance, they would use embarazada to mean embarrassed. However, you know by now that embarazada means pregnant, not embarrassed. Incorrect idiomatic expressions Comparatives are formed incorrectly. Look at this as an opportunity to showcase what you know. The AP exam readers will be checking out your grammar. A good way to review for this section is to check out your grammar in the review section entitled Grammatically Speaking just to make sure that you do know your stuff. Since the error recognition section is part of the multiple choice section of the AP exam, here some strategies for success on all the multiple choice sections. Strategies for Success on the Multiple Choice Grammar Sections The multiple choice grammar sections are scored automatically by computer. The computer calculates the multiple choice score by awarding one point for each correct answer, no points for skipped questions, and subtracting one-third of a point for each incorrect answer as a correction for random guessing. Remember, if you cannot eliminate at least one option, a blank is better than a guess! The following is a checklist of some important suggestions to help you do well on the multiple choice sections of the exam. Work quickly and accurately. Do not spend too much time on any one question. All of the questions in a section are worth the same regardless of their level of difficulty. If you don t immediately recognize an answer, go on to one that is not as difficult for you. Go back to questions you skipped or were not sure about later if you have time. Use all of the time available. If you finish a section early, go back and check your answers. Read the entire question. Read all the options. Select the single best answer for the question. 2002 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
Cautions: Be alert for negative phrases. Todos los siguientes MENOS Cuál de los siguientes NO? Do not rush through items that appear to be easy. If you get stuck: Eliminate wrong answers. The more choices that you can confidently eliminate, the lower the risk of losing points for guessing. If you cannot eliminate at least one of the four possible choices, do not guess! Be careful! Fill out the bubbles completely on your answer key. Only mark the test booklet, not your answer sheet. Mark questions you have skipped in your test booklet, so that you do not waste time looking for them later. Stray marks on your answer sheet can be confused by the computer and may be counted as wrong answers. Check to be sure that the number of the question on your answer sheet corresponds to the number of the question in your exam booklet, especially if you have skipped questions. You can only do as well on the multiple choice grammar sections of the exam as you are prepared. Review basic Spanish grammar. You can start by going to the section Grammatically Speaking for a thorough review of important Spanish grammar points. Here are some quick pointers for success on all the grammar sections. Strategies for Success on the Grammar Sections The following is a checklist of some important suggestions to help you do well on all the grammar sections of the exam. Timing Be aware of time limits of the different sections. One minute per question for: Cloze Passage Error Recognition Less than one minute per question for: Paragraph Completion Sentence Completion Bring a watch to the test. Write the exact time you start each section, and note when your time will run out on your test booklet. Pacing Answer the easiest questions first. Skip difficult or time consuming questions and come back to them later. Record your answers in the test booklet first. You may copy them onto the answer sheet later. 2002 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.
This will alleviate the possibility of marking answers in the wrong places after having skipped some questions and will ultimately save you time. Make sure that you start copying your answers well before the time expires for the section. Do not get caught with the correct answer circled or written in your test booklet, but not recorded on your answer sheet when the time expires for the section. You will not receive credit for answers in your test booklet, only the answer sheet. Guessing Again, if you can eliminate one of the four possible choices, then guessing is worthwhile. A BLANK IS BETTER THAN A GUESS. Random guessing will cost you points. Directions Familiarize yourself with the format of the test. The directions are given in both English and Spanish. Sometimes the directions are given in both written and oral form. Know all of the directions for every section of the test beforehand. Familiarity with the directions beforehand will give you a little more time to answer the questions instead of trying to figure out what you are required to do on the particular section. Anxiety Plan for a healthy amount of anxiety. Some anxiety is good and will help you do your best on the exam. Too much anxiety will have a detrimental effect because it will cause you to blank out on items that you already know. Eliminate excessive and unfavorable anxiety. Take entire practice exams in one sitting in an environment that reproduces the conditions to be found when you take the real AP Spanish Language Examination. When you go to take the real exam you will find yourself in familiar and favorable circumstances that will eliminate the negative anxiety. It is important not only to know the grammar, but also to be familiar with the test format and to have an understanding of techniques that will enable you to perform your best. However, knowing how to take the test will not compensate for lack of knowledge. So make sure to review Spanish grammar by starting with the section entitled Grammatically Speaking. A thorough preparation of Spanish grammar will help you succeed on the grammar sections, and it will also increase your scores on all other sections of the exam. A sound knowledge of Spanish grammar will help you better understand spoken and written Spanish. And it will improve your speaking and writing. Buena Suerte! 2002 All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of registered users only.