ÃÛÌÒapp

As a proofreader and editor, I'm often asked to explain the rules of grammar. I answered three of the most common questions in the first post of this series, and now it's time to look at another frequent query: how to use apostrophes.ÌýWhere do they go? When are they needed? And when should they be left out entirely?

Apostrophes might be small but they can cause big confusion because they are used both to indicate posession and to contract words. But the good news is that there are clear, simple patterns to follow, which we'll explore, along with exceptions to watch out for.ÌýWhether you’re writing a report or just a text message, these tips will help you use apostrophes correctly and confidently.

When we set out to create the ÃÛÌÒapp English Express Test, we knew we were stepping into a new era of language testing. One where students could test from anywhere, at any time, in less time! But with that flexibility comes a big responsibility, to make sure the test is secure, accurate, and trusted by institutions around the world.

So how do we do that? And why does it matter so much?

Security is not optional

At-home testing opens doors for students who might otherwise be left behind by logistics. But it also raises questions. How do we know the right person is taking the test? How do we prevent cheating? How can institutions trust the results?

We’ve built ÃÛÌÒapp English Express Test with these questions in mind. Every test taker must present a government-issued photo ID, verified using facial recognition technology. They are monitored throughout the test using both their webcam and a second camera, from a mobile phone, to give a better view of their environment 

This dual-camera setup helps deter malpractice and gives our proctors a clearer picture of what is happening in the room.ÌýWe perform audio consistency checks to ensure the same person is speaking throughout the test and any mismatches are flagged as suspicious. We alsoÌý lock down the test environment so no one can navigate away or use unauthorized devices. 

Accuracy that goes beyond the score

Security is only half the story. Accuracy matters just as much. Institutions need to know that the scores they receive reflect a student’s true ability.

ÃÛÌÒapp English Express Test uses AI scoring engines trained on over 147,000 responses, with a 0.98 correlation to human scoring. That means the scores are not just fast, they are reliable. And every test is verified by a human expert within 48 hours to ensure fairness and consistency.

We also provide institutions with access to samples of graded spoken and written responses, so they can see exactly how a student performed. 

Why this matters for admissions teams

As an admissions professional, you are making decisions that shape futures. You need to trust the tools you use. ÃÛÌÒapp English Express Test was designed to give you that confidence.

It is not just about catching potential cheaters or ticking compliance boxes. It is about making sure every student has a fair shot, and every institution has the information it needs to make informed choices.

Looking ahead

We are not stopping here. Our roadmap includes even more security enhancements. Because trust is not something you build once, it is something you earn every day.Ìý

Startups are generally considered to be new, technology-focused companies that are less than five years old. For the most part, they aim to disrupt industry with innovations, grow in terms of users and revenues and provide value to customers and shareholders.

It may not appear that startups have much in common with English Language Teaching (ELT), but there is, in fact, plenty to learn from startups and the way they work.

By understanding how startups think and looking at their best attributes, we can bring more creativity to our classrooms. Not only can we find new ways for our students to learn, collaborate and grow together, but we can also help our students develop much-needed leadership and critical thinking skills.

What is startup thinking?

At its core, startup thinking is about problem-solving and growth. User-focused and data-driven, startup teams theorize, research, plan and test their products on new markets. Their strength is in their agility, being able to "pivot" quickly: change products, services and technology based on feedback from their customers.

They also operate on a number of key principles, all of which can be applied in the classroom:

1. Be entrepreneurial

Startups are entrepreneurial by definition. Their staff work in teams, but also have no problem going it alone, finding solutions and taking responsibility for new projects and initiatives. These are all excellent traits to encourage in the classroom as they will not only help your learners in an educational context, but in their professional lives too.

By learning to be accountable to themselves, measuring their own progress and seeing their achievements, autonomous learners develop self-confidence and progress faster as a result.

It’s therefore important to encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning. Rather than being solely reliant on their teacher, autonomous learners seek out ways to practice and improve their language skills in ways that appeal to them.

To do this, brainstorm strategies with your students to help them find ways to use English outside the classroom. They could, for example, keep a journal in English, watch English language films and take notes, read short stories or news articles, or even set their technology and social media language settings to English.

2. Collaborate and learn from each other

Startups have a common goal: to establish a business model and achieve a product-market fit. This goal focuses people’s attention and develops rapport among team members. As an additional benefit of working together, startuppers learn their own strengths and weaknesses and begin to collaborate with team members with complementary skills.

By learning about your students’ interests, objectives and needs, you can find inspiration to design relevant class projects. These give your students a common goal and the chance to collaborate effectively. What’s more, project work is rich in language learning opportunities and makes students accountable to one another. This in turn increases motivation and provides a genuine context for language learning.

3. Reward effort

Startups are not afraid to get things wrong. In fact, all entrepreneurs embrace mistakes, as they are part of coming to the right solution. As Thomas Edison once said "I have not failed 10,000 times – I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work." ÌýSome startups go as far as to reward and celebrate failure – saying that it’s a sign that a person is trying to succeed.

Encourage students to see mistakes as learning opportunities. Creating a safe space in the classroom where everyone is treated with respect and mistakes are viewed as natural learning experiences. This will help your students learn the language at their own pace, without fear of ridicule.

4. Foster a growth mindset

Startups are famous for focusing on growth and believing in improving their products. They see both negative and positive feedback as opportunities to grow. By always seeking to optimize their products and services, they improve the user experience and earn loyalty.

Similarly, it’s key to foster a growth mindset in your learners. ÌýA growth mindset perceives intelligence and ability as attributes to be developed, whereas a fixed mindset sees intelligence and ability as innate and unchanging.

Students with a growth mindset will therefore believe they can improve, be more motivated and see more progress as a result.

5. Mentor and support

Startup founders mentor and support their team members when they face challenges, when they need to grow and when they are not reaching their potential. This increases the value of the workforce and enables them to be more productive.

Teachers are often already naturals at this. We know how important it is to offer support to our students, especially when they are feeling frustrated or disappointed with their progress. With our encouragement and support, our students can achieve things they never thought possible. So perhaps, in this final point, startup leaders could learn a thing or two from us.