"NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS": the instruction that kills scores

Imagine this. You hear the answer perfectly. You spell it perfectly. And you still get zero for that question. Why? Because the instruction said ONE WORD ONLY and you wrote two. This happens to thousands of students. It takes two seconds to avoid.

Why this matters

The word limit is a rule, not a suggestion. If you break it, the answer is wrong even if the words are correct. Examiners don't decide based on how close you were. The rule is simple: inside the limit, or wrong.

The common instructions

Instruction	What you can write
ONE WORD ONLY	one word, no number
ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER	one word, or one number, or one word and one number
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS	one or two words
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER	up to two words, plus a number if needed
NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER	up to three words, plus a number if needed

What counts as a word?

a, an and the count as words. If the limit is one word, don't write "the library". Write "library".
A number written in figures, like 25 or 1990, counts as a number, not a word.
Hyphenated words, like part-time, usually count as one word.

Don't repeat what's already there

This is a very common mistake. Look at this:

The meeting will be in the __________ room.

You hear: "We'll meet in the conference room."

The answer is conference. Not conference room. The word "room" is already on the paper. If the limit is ONE WORD, writing "conference room" makes it wrong.

Write numbers as numbers

If you hear "twenty-five", write 25. It's faster, it saves your word count, and you can't misspell it. The same goes for times (write 9:30) and dates (write 22 March or 22/3). Keep your style simple and clear.

A two-second habit

Before each section, read the instruction. Circle the limit on your rough paper.
After you type each answer, count the words with your eyes.
Check the words just before and after the gap. Don't repeat them.

Try it yourself

Instruction: Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER.

The museum opens at __________ am. You hear: "We open at half past nine in the morning."
Visitors must leave their bags in the __________. You hear: "Please leave all bags in the lockers near the entrance."
The ticket costs £__________. You hear: "Adult tickets are twelve pounds fifty."

Show the answers

1) 9:30. 2) lockers (not "lockers near the entrance"). 3) 12.50.

Honest note

If you're not sure your answer fits, keep it short. A short answer that fits the limit has a chance. A long answer that breaks the limit has no chance.

Your task today

In your next practice test, circle every instruction before you start each part. After the test, check if any answer broke the limit.