1. Context
I’ve now completed one week of self-study (the Week 1 log already exists). Starting assessed level was roughly Band 6–6.5; target is Band 7.5 GT. The Week 1 coach was reactive and let the same error recur three separate times — technology make, hard working contribute, chores make. That was the core weakness: a singular subject dropping its -s on the verb.
This daily coaching format is diagnostic, not a lecture series. The rule is simple: drill until the score proves the habit is locked, then advance. No fixed weekly calendar — one focused task per day.
2. Priority 1 — Singular Subject + -s (diagnostic drill)
The coach gave me 15 sentences to test the habit directly. My verb answers, verbatim:
| # | My answer | # | My answer | # | My answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | makes | 6 | know | 11 | is |
| 2 | makes | 7 | contributes | 12 | is |
| 3 | is | 8 | helps | 13 | is |
| 4 | are | 9 | is | 14 | speaks |
| 5 | has | 10 | want | 15 | rises |
Coach’s grading: 14/15 clean at first pass. Two items needed a closer look.
- #6 — “Neither the manager nor the staff know.” This is a debatable call. Under British-English collective-noun rules, staff takes a plural verb, so know is acceptable. The strict prescriptive rule would want knows (agree with the nearest noun treated as a unit). Marked as debatable, not a clear error.
- #12 — “The police is.” A real miss. Police is always plural in English; correct is are. I wrote is.
So effectively: 13/15 clean, #6 debatable, #12 a true error.
Rule taught: collective nouns — police, staff, team, family, people, cattle — take a plural verb in British English.
3. Consolidation Set (5 sentences)
The coach gave a 5-sentence consolidation to confirm the habit was actually locked. My answers, verbatim:
| # | Sentence (key noun) | My answer | Rule confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The police ___ | are | police = plural |
| 2 | My family ___ | are | family = plural collective |
| 3 | Neither the students nor the teacher ___ | knows | neither A nor B agrees with the nearest noun (teacher, singular) |
| 4 | The team ___ | have | team = plural collective |
| 5 | Neither the driver nor the passengers ___ | are | nearest noun passengers = plural |
Coach’s grading: 5/5.
Verdict: Priority 1 LOCKED. The subject–verb error that appeared three times in Week 1 is now dead. Full pattern to carry forward:
- Gerund / subject phrase = singular verb.
- Collectives = plural verb (British English).
- Neither A nor B = nearest noun decides the verb.
4. Spaced Recall — Week 1 Vocabulary
The coach re-tests 3 words from the Week 1 vocab blocks each day so they actually stick. Today’s three:
- receptionist vs receptor — person at a front desk vs a biological/cellular sensor.
- staff vs stuff — employees vs miscellaneous things/materials.
- make an impression vs do an impression — to impress someone vs to mimic/imitate someone.
I already had homework reminders for these back in Week 1, Section 8f, so the coach just noted they’re carried into daily recall rather than re-teaching them.
5. Day 8 Wrap-up
- Priority 1 (singular subject + -s) completed and locked at 5/5 consolidation.
- Next: Priority 2 — articles (a / the), starting with the contexts I actually mess up: before adjectives like “a highly effective way”, and generic vs specific reference.
- Daily journal format confirmed: one focused task per day, drill until the score proves the habit, then advance. No fixed weekly calendar.