By the end of this exercise, you can use for/of + adjective + infinitive and let/make/have constructions to write more sophisticated sentences about online privacy.
Free Year 10 English practice: an original text on digital footprints and data tracking, plus for/of + infinitive and let/make/have constructions, Gymnasium B2/C1.
Read the text carefully, then answer the questions below. Some ask about content, others ask about how a sentence is built.
Every time you post a photo, like a video or search for a product online, you leave a trace. Companies call this a digital footprint, and it is bigger than most teenagers realise. It’s easy for advertisers to build a detailed picture of your habits just from your clicks. Every “like”, every search and every app you open teaches an algorithm something new about you — your interests, your mood, even your location.
Tracking consumers isn’t only about showing you adverts, though. Some companies use your data to decide what price you see, which news stories appear first, or which job advert reaches you. Researchers have called this “the weaponisation of mathematics” — algorithms trained on biased data quietly reinforcing biased decisions, often without anyone noticing. It was careless of many early tech companies not to test their algorithms for bias before releasing them to millions of users.
So what can you actually control? Start by checking your privacy settings and thinking twice before you share personal details publicly. It is important for anyone, not just teenagers, to search their own name occasionally and see what strangers can find. After all, a digital footprint, once made, is extremely hard to erase completely.
1 What does the text say a “digital footprint” is built from?
2 Besides showing adverts, what does the text say some companies use your data to decide?
3 What does “the weaponisation of mathematics” refer to, according to the text?
4 What does the text suggest anyone can do to see what their own digital footprint reveals?
5 “It’s easy for advertisers to build a detailed picture…” — why is for used here rather than of?
6 “It was careless of many early tech companies not to test their algorithms…” — why is of used here rather than for?
Choose the correct preposition. Use for when the adjective describes the action or situation itself (easy, important, essential, possible…). Use of when the adjective judges the person’s behaviour or character (careless, sensible, foolish, greedy…).
1 It’s easy hackers to find weak passwords that people reuse across different sites.
2 It was careless her to post her exact location while she was still on holiday.
3 It’s important companies to explain clearly how they use their customers’ data.
4 It was foolish him to click on a link from a sender he didn’t recognise.
5 It’s essential young people to think about their online reputation early on.
6 It was sensible the school to teach students how to recognise phishing emails.
7 It’s possible a stranger to find your home address online from just a few careless posts.
8 It was greedy the app to ask for so many permissions it clearly did not need.
Choose the correct verb form. Let and make are followed by the bare infinitive (no “to”); have is followed by the bare infinitive when someone else does the action for you, or the past participle when the action is done to something of yours. One question reviews an earlier unit — watch out for it!
1 The app made him the cookie settings before he could continue browsing.
2 She had her old accounts after she heard about the data breach.
3 Our IT teacher made us a short video about phishing scams last week.
4 He had his password as soon as he noticed something suspicious on his account.
5 My parents won’t let me photos that show our exact location.
6 The company makes its staff a cybersecurity training course every year.
7 She finally had her phone’s privacy settings by someone who actually understood them.
8 Review — My friend told me that she public Wi-Fi for online banking.
Your younger sibling has just been given their first smartphone and has started an Instagram account. Write them a short message (6–8 sentences, about 60–100 words) giving advice about protecting their digital footprint. Use at least two for/of + infinitive structures (e.g. It’s important for you to…, It would be careless of you to…) and one let/make/have construction (e.g. Don’t let strangers…, Make sure you have your settings checked…).
Review your answers below, then send them to your teacher.
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