Explaining language errors - CELTA task

Hi everyone!
I have applied to study for a CELTA qualification and have to do a pre-
interview task. Whilst I have worked twice as an English Language
assistant I am not fully able to explain the language errors clearly.
I corrected the sentences and had a go at explaining, but would like
some clarification from those with more experience.

1. I’d like some informations about your courses.
I’d like some information about your courses.
Information is an unaccountable noun and so remains in the singular form, we do not add an S on the end.


2. Why you no answer the phone?
Why didn’t you answer the phone?
I'm struggling to with explaining this one!
No is used in response to a question.. ?? I know that's not correct but I can't think how to explain the need for didn't..

3. I’ve played tennis yesterday.
I played tennis yesterday.
The action has occured once in the past and is now finished, so you must use the simple past.


4. Do you have got any money?
Do you have any money?
When forming this interrogative without do we say : 'Have you got any money?' but when using 'Do' we remove the 'got'.


5. I made a terrific nightmare.
I had a terrible nightmare.
I am not sure if I need to change terrific to terrible? I argued that terrific is usually a positive adjective - whereas a nightmare is never a positive thing - but you can say a terrific mess, terrific noise..?

We must use the verb had instead of made - I had a nightmare/dream.

Thank you in advance for any help/suggestions people can offer,
Really appreciated!

Welcome to the forum Laurae. :hi:

We like to help when we can, but the course providers want to know what you can do, not what we can. It would be inappropriate for us to offer help with this task.

This task, and the interview itself, are intended to give the course providers an idea of whether you are likely to complete the course successfully. No reputable provider accepts people who do not have the potential to do this. It is in your own interest to complete the task without help from other people, though you are usually allowed to refer to books.

Good luck.

Hello, I'm also having trouble with this part of the same CELTA course pre-interview task, and while I understand that it would be inappropriate to provide me with the solution directly could you please help to guide my research?
It's only "

5. I made a terrific nightmare." that I'm struggling with - I think that not knowing which grammar rule to look up is what's stopping me.
If anyone could prompt me with some Google search terms or grammar rule(s) to look up I'd be very grateful!
Thanks in advance, Rob.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by robfir

Hello, I'm also having trouble with this part of the same CELTA course pre-interview task, and while I understand that it would be inappropriate to provide me with the solution directly could you please help to guide my research?
It's only "

5. I made a terrific nightmare." that I'm struggling with - I think that not knowing which grammar rule to look up is what's stopping me.
If anyone could prompt me with some Google search terms or grammar rule(s) to look up I'd be very grateful!
Thanks in advance, Rob.

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Are you sure a grammar rule is involved?

"I had a wonderful time" is grammatical, and natural.
"I had a wonderful disaster" is grammatical, but ...

Thanks 5jj!
I'd been suspecting that perhaps I don't need an explanation beyond what is considered natural and unnatural, but it was hard for me to be sure so early in my studies.
Thanks again, Rob.

I wonder if it could hurt to know the key word, that is 'collocations'?

Thanks Esgaleth, that's a really useful link and key word for this!
I've also been looking at "verb groups" which seem somewhat involved in this...

It will definitely help the students to know how to use dictionaries and thesauri and what information they can find there, collocations included.

Hello again, I've had my interview and been accepted onto a course starting later this month - thanks for helping me, and so promptly!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by robfir

Hello again, I've had my interview and been accepted onto a course starting later this month - thanks for helping me, and so promptly!

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Congratulations on being accepted. I hope you enjoy the course. Let us know how you get on.