diff --git a/apps/backend/src/db.js b/apps/backend/src/db.js
index 8fb1c2e..d335840 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/db.js
+++ b/apps/backend/src/db.js
@@ -2,12 +2,16 @@ import mongoose from "mongoose";
 import fs from 'fs';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
 import path from 'path';
+import { config } from 'dotenv';  // for loading mongodb url from .env.local file
+
+config({path:'.env.local'});
 
 const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
 const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);
 
-// const mongoUrl = `mongodb+srv://${uname}:${pw}@cluster0.oypxwnq.mongodb.net/?retryWrites=true&w=majority`;
-const mongoUrl = "mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/counting";
+//const mongoUrl = `mongodb+srv://${uname}:${pw}@cluster0.oypxwnq.mongodb.net/?retryWrites=true&w=majority`;
+//const mongoUrl = "mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/counting";
+const mongoUrl = process.env.MONGODB_URL;
 
 async function connectToDb(){
     try {
diff --git a/apps/backend/src/server.js b/apps/backend/src/server.js
index 991ce4d..d875226 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/server.js
+++ b/apps/backend/src/server.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { config } from 'dotenv';
 import {connectToDb} from './db.js';
 import express from 'express';
 import './database/userDetails.js';
@@ -11,7 +12,8 @@ import fetch from 'node-fetch';
 import cors from 'cors';
 import path from 'path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
-import { config } from 'dotenv';
+//import { config } from 'dotenv'; // might move it before importing the db.js file
+
 // change from apps/backend/.env.local to .env.local to enable environment variables to be loaded on server
 config({path:'.env.local'});
 
diff --git a/apps/frontend/src/pages/basePage.jsx b/apps/frontend/src/pages/basePage.jsx
index b24d79f..615632b 100644
--- a/apps/frontend/src/pages/basePage.jsx
+++ b/apps/frontend/src/pages/basePage.jsx
@@ -84,13 +84,24 @@ function basePage() {
   
     const handleTrayClick = (trayType) => {
       setSelectedTray(trayType);
-      if (trayType === "greenTray") {
-        textToSpeech("Correct");
+      // if the correct tray has been clicked
+      if (trayType === "greenTray" && baseData.pages[currentPage].greenTray[0].biscuits.length === baseData.pages[currentPage].cookies.length) {
+        textToSpeech("Green is correct, Good job!");
+      }
+      else if (trayType === "purpleTray" && baseData.pages[currentPage].purpleTray[0].biscuits.length === baseData.pages[currentPage].cookies.length){
+        textToSpeech("Purple is correct, Well done!");
+      }
+      // if the wrong tray has been clicked
+      else if (trayType === "greenTray" && baseData.pages[currentPage].greenTray[0].biscuits.length !== baseData.pages[currentPage].cookies.length) {
+        const explanation = `No, ${trayType} has ${baseData.pages[currentPage].greenTray[0].biscuits.length} cookies. Try again!`;
+        textToSpeech(explanation);
       }
       else{
-        textToSpeech("Incorrect");
+        const explanation = `Wrong answer, ${trayType} has ${baseData.pages[currentPage].purpleTray[0].biscuits.length} cookies. Try again!`;
+        textToSpeech(explanation);
       }
       storeAnswer(currentPage, trayType);
+      
     };
 
     const handleNextPage = () => {