Headway Intermediate Stop | And Check 1

Headway Intermediate Stop and Check 1

Headway Intermediate Stop and Check 1 is a focused assessment used within the Headway Intermediate course to measure learners’ progress in grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening and productive skills after roughly the first half of the unit sequence. A well-crafted post about this checkpoint should explain its purpose, describe typical content and format, offer study tips, and include a short sample task with an answer key.

What is "Stop and Check 1"?

In the Headway Intermediate syllabus, Units 1 through 4 introduce foundational intermediate concepts. After completing these four units, the book presents Stop and Check 1. It acts as a bridge between the first and second halves of the course.

Unlike a traditional chapter, this section has no new teaching material. Instead, it focuses exclusively on revision, consolidation, and self-assessment. The title says it all: you must stop your forward momentum and check your understanding before proceeding.

Day 3: Error Analysis

This is the most important day. For every mistake you made in your mock test: headway intermediate stop and check 1

Identify the rule: Which grammar or vocabulary rule was broken?
Write the correct sentence three times.
Create one new sentence using the same rule.
Record yourself saying the correct pronunciation (for the pronunciation section).

Section D: Reading & Writing (Short Answer)

7. Read the text and answer (T) True or (F) False.

“Maria used to live in a small village, but now she lives in Madrid. She has worked as a journalist for three years. She says city life is more exciting than village life, but she misses the peace and quiet.”

Maria currently lives in a village. (F)
She has been a journalist for three years. (T)

8. Write two sentences about a place you used to visit as a child.
(Example answer: I used to go to my grandmother’s farm every summer. It was much quieter than the city.) Headway Intermediate Stop and Check 1 Headway Intermediate

Teacher’s Corner: Using Stop and Check 1 in Class

If you are a teacher, do not simply hand out the test and collect it. The “Stop and Check” is a diagnostic tool. Here is a better approach:

Collaborative Review (Day before): Put students in teams. Give each team one grammar topic from Units 1-4. They must create three quiz questions for the class.
Open-Book First Attempt: Allow students to take the Stop and Check with their books open but time-limited (30 minutes). This reduces anxiety and tests information retrieval, not memory.
The “Why” Correction: When returning the test, do not just give answers. Ask each student to find one question they got wrong and explain why the correct answer is right. If they can do that, give partial points back.

5. Pedagogical Objectives

The "Stop and Check" test serves several distinct pedagogical functions:

Consolidation: It forces students to retrieve language learned over a period of weeks, strengthening memory retention.
Diagnostic Feedback: It highlights common errors, such as the persistent confusion between Present Perfect and Past Simple (a common issue at the Intermediate plateau).
Preparation: It prepares students for the format of formal examinations (such as Cambridge B1 Preliminary or B2 First) through gap-fill and transformation exercises.

Revision Paper: Headway Intermediate – Stop and Check 1

Sample Questions (Similar to the Real Test)

To give you a concrete idea of what to expect, here are five questions modeled on the official Headway Intermediate Stop and Check 1. Identify the rule: Which grammar or vocabulary rule

Grammar (Present Perfect vs. Past Simple)

A: “______ you ever ______ (eat) Thai food?” B: “Yes, I ______ (try) it last month in Bangkok.” Answer: Have...eaten; tried.

Vocabulary (Prefixes) 2. It’s very ______ to leave a job without giving notice. (responsible) Answer: irresponsible.

Pronunciation (Word Stress – choose the odd one out) 3. a) computer b) information c) television d) tradition Answer: c) television (stress on the first syllable, not the second).

Everyday English (Reacting to news) 4. “I’ve just passed my driving test!” a) “Oh, poor you.” b) “That’s a shame.” c) “Congratulations! That’s great news.” Answer: c.

Mixed Tenses (Gap fill) 5. When I was a child, I ______ (spend) every summer at my grandparents’ house. They ______ (live) near the beach, so we ______ (go) swimming every day. Now, I ______ (not have) time for holidays. Answer: spent; lived; went; don’t have.