B2 FIRST Listening Part 2

First Certificate In English

Teacher:

10

Michelle

Student:

USE OF ENGLISH

45 min

SPEAKING

14min

listening

40 min

WRITING

1hr 20min

READING

1hr

SKILLS

Points

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

A modified cloze test containing 12 gaps and followed by 12 multiple-choice items

A text followed by 6 multiple-choice questions

¿?

One compulsory question

part 1

A monologue or text involving interacting speakers with a sentence completition task with 10 questions

An individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

A modified open cloze test containing 12 gaps

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

Candidate choose one task from a choice of 5 questions (includes set text opti ons)

¿?

part 2

Five short related monologues, with 8 multiple-matching questions

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

A text or several short texts preceded by 10 multiple-matching questions

¿?

part 3

linkers

A monologue or text involving interactive speakers with 7 mulitple-choice questions

A discussion on topics realted to PART 3 (spoken questions)

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

¿?

phrasalverbs

part 4

*visual and written stimuli

1. Introduction In part 1 you have a short text with 8 words missing. You must choose from 4 options the best word for each space. I think part 1 is a nice, easy start. I mean, it's easy in the sense that it doesn't take much brain energy. You either know the answers or you don't.

Use of English

45'

A modified cloze test containing 12 gaps and followed by 12 multiple-choice items

Here it is how it looks part 1 like: The example answer (0) is 'branch' - genealogy is a branch of history.

And the first 2 sets of options.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 1 Tips

1. Introduction In part 1 you have a short text with 8 words missing. You must choose from 4 options the best word for each space. I think part 1 is a nice, easy start. I mean, it's easy in the sense that it doesn't take much brain energy. You either know the answers or you don't.

Use of English

45'

A modified cloze test containing 12 gaps and followed by 12 multiple-choice items

Here it is how it looks part 1 like: The example answer (0) is 'branch' - genealogy is a branch of history.

And the first 2 sets of options.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 1 Tips

Use of English

45'

A modified cloze test containing 12 gaps and followed by 12 multiple-choice items

Lesson: You need to know which prepositions go with which words! choosing the correct answer takes me five seconds. unless we don't know all the prepositions, we would have just taken a guess and moved on.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 1 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A modified cloze test containing 12 gaps and followed by 12 multiple-choice items

This is another one where prepositions are important. See where it says 'in' after gap 2? Circle it! Underline it! That's the most important word in the sentence. Only one of the choices goes with 'in'.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 1 Tips

Use Of English

45'

1 part 1

Tips The best way to prepare for the Reading test is to READ. Read a lot. If you know that two of the options have the same meaning, neither can be the answer. Remember to read the title. It's there to help you. Never lose time trying to think of the answer to the example. Prepositions!

Practice

Use Of English

45'

1 part 1

Tips It's a good idea to read through the text before you start thinking of answers. If you don't read and understand what the writer wants to say you could put the wrong answer. For example, some words will be negative. No. Don't is two words - do not. He'll is two words - he will. But can't is one word, because it's the contraction of cannot. You'll never have to write 'umbrella' in part 2. It's always grammar stuff.

Practice

Use Of English

45'

The words travel, journey, trip and voyage can easily be confused by learners of English. I suppose it’s a good time of year to look at these words, as the spring and summer holiday seasons will soon be starting for many people. Travel The word 'travel' is used to talk about going from one place to another. It can be a verb, a noun or an adjective : Verb : Paul travels a lot in his job. Noun : Travel nowadays is faster than before. Adjective : There is a travel agency beside the bank.

Use Of English

45'

The words travel, journey, trip and voyage can easily be confused by learners of English. I suppose it’s a good time of year to look at these words, as x-mas holiday season will soon be starting for many people. Journey (noun) A journey means moving from one place to another, especially in a vehicle. It is a single piece of travel. A journey can also be a regular thing. Here is an example. Let’s say we go from London to Leeds then back again. That is two journeys (London to Leeds is the first journey, Leeds to London is the second journey). We can say: a bus journey, a train journey, the journey to school, my journey to work. Journey is not a work day Be careful with the plural: journeys NOT journies. How long does your journey to work take? Did you have a good journey? Did you have a good travel?

Use Of English

45'

The words travel, journey, trip and voyage can easily be confused by learners of English. I suppose it’s a good time of year to look at these words, as x-mas holiday season will soon be starting for many people. Trip (noun) A trip describes the whole process of going somewhere and coming back. (It is more than one journey.) Once again, let’s go from London to Leeds then back again. As I said above, that is two journeys, but it is one trip. Some examples: a day trip, a round trip, a round-the-world trip, a boat trip and a business trip. We say go on a trip. We went on a three-week trip to Scotland. He’s gone on a business trip to Germany. Let’s go on a trip to the mountains this summer! The trip there took three hours. The journey there took three hours.

Use Of English

45'

The words travel, journey, trip and voyage can easily be confused by learners of English. I suppose it’s a good time of year to look at these words, as x-mas holiday season will soon be starting for many people. Voyage (noun) Voyages are less common nowadays. A voyage is a very long trip, usually at sea or in space: At the age of twenty-three, Sir Francis Drake made his first voyage to the New World. A voyage around the world often took four or five years. The French Bon voyage! translates into English as Have a good trip! or Have a good journey!

Practice

Use Of English

45'

1 Steve's on a business___________________ in South America. A Journey B Trip C Voyage D Travel 2 The _____________ from Manchester to London by train takes about two and a half hours. A Journey B Trip C Voyage D Travel 3 My __________________to Spain lasted over two weeks. I went to Madrid, Valencia, Malaga and Granada. A Journey B Trip C Voyage D Travel 4 Eric Newby wrote a book about his _________________________ in Afghanistan in 1956. A Journey B Trip C Voyage D Travel 5 We went on a __________ to Paris to celebrate my wife's birthday. A Journey B Trip C Voyage D Travel 6 My ______________________ to work today was horrible. I was stuck in a traffic jam for two hours. A Journey B Trip C Voyage D Travel 7 ____________________ is one of the best ways to learn about other cultures. A Journey B Trip C Voyage D Travel

Use Of English

45'

A modified cloze test containing 12 gaps and followed by 12 multiple-choice items

FCE-Part-1-Multiple-Choice-Cloze-Practice

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 1 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A modified open cloze test containing 12 gaps

1. Introduction This is very similar to part 1, except you don't have a choice of words - you have to think of the answer all by yourself! gosh!

Here it is how it looks part 1 like: The answer to (0) is 'as'. I work as a stunt rider.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 2 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A modified open cloze test containing 12 gaps

What are the most common answers? ARTICLES I need to go to THE shop. Heaven is A place on earth. AUXILIARY VERBS When WILL I be famous? Who HAS eaten all my chocolates? LINKING WORDS But ALTHOUGH the ozone layer is recovering, we must continue to take care of it. One of the problems, HOWEVER, is that this technology is very expensive. But shorter THAN his father.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 2 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A modified open cloze test containing 12 gaps

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES It was in HIS bathroom that he had the idea for the flux capacitor. They discovered the kittens were living in THEIR garage. RELATIVE PRONOUNS The Black Widow spider, WHICH is perhaps the most famous of all arachnids, is actually rather friendly. The person WHO ate my chocolate is in for a world of pain. COMPARISONS He was as tall AS his brother. But shorter THAN his father.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 2 Tips

Use Of English

45'

1 part 2

Other tips Sometimes you'll be able to choose an answer just by looking at the words before and after the gap. Practice doing that. Sometimes you have to read the whole sentence, especially when we're talking about linking words. If your answer is a verb, make sure it agrees with the subject. i.e. I play, you play, he plays. Never use abbreviations. Write 'something' not 'sthg'. THIS IS AN EXAM NOT A WHATSAPP CHAT. :)

Practice

Use Of English

45'

FCE-Use Of English Part-2-Open-Cloze

A modified open cloze test containing 12 gaps

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 2 Tips

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

Use Of English

45'

1. IntroductionGuess what - it's another text with gaps. This time it's a test of your ability to turn words into adjectives, nouns, verbs, or adverbs. You also need to know negative forms, like turning 'interested' into 'disinterested'.

You get some text with words missing, and on the right is a 'root' word. You have to change that word to fit the sentence that it's next to.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

Use Of English

45'

Now, this part of the exam is a lot about nouns, adjectives, and all that stuff. So let's take a look.

VERY quick guide to Nouns These things are nouns: Names (Captain Jack Sparrow); Concepts (time, information); Names of jobs or types of people (skiiers, doctors, scientists); Things (cheesecake, flowers). Sometimes you know a noun because of its ending. Look out for: -eer; -tion; -ment, -age, -al, ance, -hood, -iety, -ness, and so on.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

Use Of English

45'

Now, this part of the exam is a lot about nouns, adjectives, and all that stuff. So let's take a look.

Plural words or possessives are nouns. Words connected to 'the, my/your/their (etc), whose, another, other, a/an' are probably nouns. Look: I want another cake. My my cake is bigger than yours. Whose cake is this? A cake is a wonderful thing.

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO FCE PART 3?

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

Now, this part of the exam is a lot about nouns, adjectives, and all that stuff. So let's take a look.

Change the root word to make nouns that fit the sentences. It is my __________ that global warming is a big threat to the planet. BELIEVE The __________ of One Direction is a complete mystery to me. POPULAR It was a great __________ to meet you today. PLEASE

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

Now, this part of the exam is a lot about nouns, adjectives, and all that stuff. So let's take a look.

Adjectives Adjectives describe nouns Notice that adjectives often come after the verb 'to be'? What kind of word do you expect in this gap? It is __________ to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. (IMPORT)

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

Use of English

45'

Now, this part of the exam is a lot about nouns, adjectives, and all that stuff. So let's take a look.

What are the adjective forms of: ENJOY BELIEVE OBJECT Now plug those answers into these sentences. In one case you need a negative form. Going to the beach can be very __________. The way Bolt accelerated through to the finish line was __________. People being interviewed expect the interviewers to be __________.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

Now, this part of the exam is a lot about nouns, adjectives, and all that stuff. So let's take a look.

Adverbs Like adjectives describe nouns, adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

Now, this part of the exam is a lot about nouns, adjectives, and all that stuff. So let's take a look.

Adverbs: Remember this sentence from a minute ago? People being interviewed expect the interviewers to be objective. How objective? People being interviewed expect the interviewers to be __________ objective. COMPLETE

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

Now, this part of the exam is a lot about nouns, adjectives, and all that stuff. So let's take a look.

Verbs Can! Will! Should! Must! These are all followed by the infinitive without 'to'. So if you see this in the exam: The most important factor seems to be how quickly muscles can contract and thus __________ the time a runner's foot is in contact with the ground. MINIMUM

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

Now, this part of the exam is a lot about nouns, adjectives, and all that stuff. So let's take a look.

Positive or Negative? Read the sentences carefully because some of the words you need are in the negative form. Example 1: When I began cycling, I found the flat rounds easy but the hills almost __________. POSSIBLE That's a pretty clear example of a sentence that needs a negative word in the gap. The first adjective, 'easy', is positive. Then there is the word 'but' which introduces a contrast. Using another positive word would be fruitloops!

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

fce_use_of_english_part3_

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A text contaning 10 one-word gaps. The stem of the missing words are given. Must be modified

Silk

Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be (1) into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin, and is (2) by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori, which is reared in (3) . The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which (4) silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles, thus producing different colours. Silk is produced by several insects, but, over the years, only the silk of moth caterpillars has been used for textile (5) , although there has been some (6) into other types of silk. Silk is mainly produced by the larvae of insects undergoing (7) metamorphosis, but some insects such as webspinners and raspy crickets produce silk (8) their lives.

(1) A stitched B woven C knitted D crocheted (2)A produced B manufactured C invented D offered (3)A chains B cell C prison D captivity (4)A encourages B tempts C allows D forces (5)A fabricating B constructing C assembling D manufacturing (6)A scrutinising B probing C research D interrogation (7)A complete B entire C thorough D intense (8)A through B entirely C completely D throughout

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Don't Waste Time Here Because this part of the exam is so hard, do it quickly. Some questions will be too hard for you - write your best guess and move to the next one. If there is an answer you know, take a few seconds to double-check that what you have written makes sense.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

1. Introduction Better known as 'word formation', this is one of the hardest parts of the whole exam. It tests your grammar and vocabulary. You are given a sentence and a keyword. You have to be able to complete a second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first sentence using 2-5 words. Like this: English food is better than Italian food. AS Italian food __________________ English food.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Comparative/Superlative

Passive

Direct/Indirect Speech

Reporting verbs

Types of Conditionals

Collocation and Idioms

Collocations with make and do

Personal and Impersonal Passive

Unreal Past

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

General Tips * Make sure the nouns and verbs in your sentence 'agree' with each other. I play/you play/he plays. * Try to keep the meaning from the first sentence. Use the same words where possible. Example: John finds trains very interesting. IN John is very interested in trains. Not that I didn't write 'John is interested in trains'... the first sentence says 'very interesting'.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

The Rules / Common Mistakes You MUST use the keyword, and you can't CHANGE the keyword. If the keyword is 'follow' you cannot write 'follows' or 'following'. You must use between 2 and 5 words. (It might be possible to create a grammatically correct sentence by writing 13 words, but you will get no points for that.) Contractions count as two words. Didn't = did not; isn't = is not; etc. However, can't = cannot = one word. Correct spelling is very important here Write your answers in CAPITAL LETTERS

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Part 4 tests your ability to paraphrase through your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary However, some patterns appear quite often. Let’s look at a few of them:

1) Comparative/Superlative Knowledge of structures like ‘so’/‘such’, ‘…er’/‘…est’ and ‘too’/‘enough’ are often tested in this task.

lesson

practice

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Part 4 tests your ability to paraphrase through your knowledge of grammar a and vocabulary However, some patterns appear quite often. Let’s look at a few of them.

Practice Passive You will sometimes be required to turn an active sentence into the passive in the Key Word Transformation task.

lesson

practice

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Part 4 tests your ability to paraphrase through your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary However, some patterns appear quite often. Let’s look at a few of them.

Direct/Indirect Speech You will sometimes have to turn direct into indirect speech or the other way round.

lesson

practice

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Direct/Indirect Speech Look at these examples to see how reporting verbs are used. direct speech: 'You should come, it's going to be a lot of fun,' she said. indirect speech: She persuaded me to come. direct speech: 'Wait here,' he said. indirect speech: He told us to wait there. direct speech: 'It wasn't me who finished the coffee,' he said. indirect speech: He denied finishing the coffee.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Direct/Indirect Speech Grammar explanation When we tell someone what another person said, we often use the verbs say, tell or ask. These are called 'reporting verbs'. However, we can also use other reporting verbs. Many reporting verbs can be followed by another verb in either an infinitive or an -ing form. Reporting verb + infinitive Verbs like advise, agree, challenge, claim, decide, demand, encourage, invite, offer, persuade, promise, refuse and remind can follow an infinitive pattern. 'Let's see. I'll have the risotto, please.' He decided to have the risotto. 'I'll do the report by Friday, for sure.' She promised to do the report by Friday. 'It's not a good idea to write your passwords down.' They advised us not to write our passwords down.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Direct/Indirect Speech Grammar explanation We can also use an infinitive to report imperatives, with a reporting verb like tell, order, instruct, direct or warn. 'Please wait for me in reception.' The guide told us to wait for her in reception. 'Don't go in there!' The police officer warned us not to go in there.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Direct/Indirect Speech Grammar explanation Reporting verb + -ing form Verbs like admit, apologise for, complain about, deny, insist on, mention and suggest can follow an -ing form pattern. 'I broke the window.' She admitted breaking the window. 'I'm really sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.' He apologised for not getting back to me sooner. 'Let's take a break.' She suggested taking a break.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Reporting verbs are used to report what someone said more accurately than using say & tell.

verb + infinitive agree, decide, offer, promise, refuse, threaten They agreed to meet on Friday. He refused to take his coat off. verb + object + infinitive advise, encourage, invite, remind, warn Tom advised me to go home early. She reminded me to telephone my mother. verb + gerund deny, recommend, suggest They recommended taking the bus. She suggested meeting a little earlier.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Reporting verbs are used to report what someone said more accurately than using say & tell.

verb + object + preposition accuse, blame, congratulate He accused me of taking the money. They congratulated me on passing all my exams. verb + preposition + gerund apologise, insist They apologised for not coming. He insisted on having dinner. verb + subject + verb admit, agree, decide, deny, explain, insist, promise, recommend, suggest Sarah decided (that) the house needed cleaning. They recommended (that) we take the bus.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

advise beg deny hope insist invite promise remind refuse suggest threaten warn

1 "I didn't do it," she said. She .............................. doing it. 2 "Have lunch with me," she said. She .............................. me to have lunch with her. 3 "Why don't you buy one?" said Tom. Tom .............................. I buy one. 4 "I promise I'll take you to Prague," said Mary. Mary .............................. to take me to Prague. 5 "I hope Andy phones tonight," said Clare. Clare .............................. Andy would phone that night. 6 "Please, please don't tell anyone!" he said. He .............................. me not to tell anyone.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

advise beg deny hope insist invite promise remind refuse suggest threaten warn

7 "I won't do it," he said. He .............................. to do it. 8 "You should have lessons," she said. She .............................. me to have lessons. 9 "We really must go with you," they said. They .............................. on going with me. 10 "Don't forget to phone Granny," said Mum. Mum .............................. me to phone Granny. 11 "If you wear my T-shirt again, I'll pinch you very hard," said Maggie. Maggie .............................. to pinch me very hard if I wore her T-shirt again. 12 "Don't fly kites near electric overhead cables," said my father. My father .............................. me not to fly kites near electric overhead cables.

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Part 4 tests your ability to paraphrase through your knowledge of grammar a However, some patterns appear quite often. Let’s look at a few of them.

Conditionals Your ability to use conditional forms will often be tested in this task

lesson

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

A conditional sentence has 2 parts, the condition and the consequence: If you study, you will pass your exam. Here, the condition is STUDY, shown by the word IF, and the consequence is PASS YOUR EXAM. There are several types of conditional sentences, but our interest here is how they are tested in the FCE sentence transformations: There is a connection between the words IF, UNLESS and BECAUSE. IF you study, you will pass your exam. You will not pass your exam UNLESS you study. You will pass your exam BECAUSE you studied.

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

There are five types of conditionals that a B2 student should be able to use comfortably. At more advanced levels, we can start to pick these conditionals apart a little bit, but for B2, make sure that you’ve got the basics covered.

Zero conditional – If I see someone eating, I get hungry – These conditionals describe situations that are always true. We use present tenses in both the conditional clause and the consequence. 1st conditional – If I pass my exam, I will celebrate – This is a real situation with a real consequence. The conditionals are based in reality, but the future consequence is dependent on meeting the conditional. We use present + future. Be careful with other conjunctions which can substitute if (e.g. unless, when, as soon as)

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

2nd conditional – If I had enough money, I would buy a house – Now we are discussing hypothetical situations. The conditional clause is an unreal situation with a corresponding unreal consequence. These can be either unrealistic situations or impossible ones. We use past tenses in the conditional clause and modal verbs for the consequence. B2 level is a good time to introduce 2nd conditionals with provided/as long as.

3rd conditional – If I had gone to university, I would have been more successful – This is where we start discussing the past. An unreal past condition with an unreal past consequence. To form this conditional you need to use past perfect and a past modal.

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Mixed conditionals – If I had made a sandwich, I wouldn’t be hungry at the moment – Mixed conditionals are a combination of the 2nd and 3rd. It’s an unreal past condition with an unreal present consequence. While they may appear confusing at first, mixed conditionals are actually quite common because we constantly lament our past and how it affects our present. Use the past perfect and a modal verb to form them. Note that mixed conditionals can also be flipped and have a permanent unreal situation with an unreal past consequence, but this is less common.

Here we have 10 transformations using conditionals. They have been designed to be challenging. I often find transformations with conditionals in course books are too easy, but these will force your students to push the limits of their grammar knowledge.

practice

HW

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Sentence Transformation - Expressions Vocabulary is very important when learning English. But vocabulary does not only mean individual words, because expressions are as important to understand, and they are widely used. There are some special types, like COLLOCATIONS, and IDIOMS, but there are also many normal everyday expressions, some of which are given here.

practice

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

As you study the vocabulary you need for FCE, you will soon realise that it’s not enough to study single words. It’s important to know how word combine with others to form partnerships, or collocations. This will help you to produce language of the level required to do well in the examination.

Collocations are important in every part of the examination, but your knowledge of them is especially tested in Paper 3 (Use of English). In Part 2 of this paper you have to use one word to fill in a blank, for example: In Part 1, however,you are given a choice: 10 A by B for C on D in

Jimmy made his way to the station exit. This was the first time he had been to London (10) ___his own and he was feeling a bit scared. In this exercise you have to think of the word yourself.

practice

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Collocations are also important in part 3 of the Use of English paper. You complete a sentence so that it means the same as the first sentence you are given, for example: There must always be somebody with her. own She should not be left _______________at any time. The answer is on her own. Being aware of these partnerships will enable you to build up your vocabulary so that you can use it when you take your exam

practice

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

A collocation is two or more words that often go together. These combinations just sound 'right' to native English speakers, who use them all the time. On the other hand, other combinations may be unnatural and just sound 'wrong'. He loves fast food. - Correct He loves quick food. - Not correct In English, collocations are widely used and carry the meaning. It is also the way native speakers speak. There are several different types of collocation made from combinations of verb, noun, and adjectives, and they are widely tested in the FCE. It is important to notice how the verb after a collocation sometimes changes into the -ING form.

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

There are several different types of collocation made from combinations of verb, noun, adjective etc. Some of the most common types are: adverb + adjective: completely satisfied (NOT downright satisfied) adjective + noun: excruciating pain (NOT excruciating joy) noun + noun: a surge of anger (NOT a rush of anger) noun + verb: lions roar (NOT lions shout) verb + noun: commit suicide (NOT undertake suicide) verb + expression with preposition: burst into tears (NOT blow up in tears) verb + adverb: wave frantically (NOT wave feverishly)

practice

Types of English Collocations There are several different types of collocations made from combinations of verb, noun, adjective, etc. Some of the most common types are:

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Adverbs & Adjectives

Adjectives & Nouns

Nouns & Nouns

Verbs & Prepositions

Adverbs & Verbs

example

Nouns & Prepositions

Adjectives & Prepositions

Personal and Impersonal Passive Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive. Example: They build houses. – Houses are built. Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive. Example: he says – it is said

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know). Example: They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that women live longer than men.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

They say that John is the worst boss ever. SAID John _______________________ the worst boss ever. In this case the answer must be “IS SAID TO BE”.

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

HOW TO USE THE UNREAL PAST The past tense is sometimes used not for the past, but as an unreal past. This means that the unreal past is used for situations that are unreal, usually in the present but also in the future. We typically use the unreal past to indicate that what we are talking or writing about is something we wish for or is something hypothetical, imagined, a preference, to be polite or even regret. The unreal past is commonly used in 1st and 2nd conditionals and also with certain set words and expressions. These phrases indicate that the verb being used is the unreal past and not the past. had better- to refer to the present or the future, to talk about actions we think people should do or which are desirable in a specific situation. It is followed by the infinitive without to: It’s five o’clock. I’d better go now before the traffic gets too bad.

Use Of English

45'

If If you came to the party you might get to meet Sue. (I know you want to meet her.) If I had the time I would take you out to dinner. (However, I am too busy). What if our team won the cup? – Imagining a future hypothetical situation If only We use ‘if only‘ for regrets. When we regret having done something: If only I had taken the job at the bank. (I regret not taking the job.) If only I were more handsome. It’s time By the way, it’s time we had a chat about your future in this company. It’s very late. It’s time he went to bed. It’s time you got a job because I am sick and tired of paying for everything.

Use Of English

45'

Wish I wish we weren’t all going to lose our jobs. She wishes her husband would spend more time with the family. (As a result, she might get a divorce.) I wish I didn’t have to give a speech tomorrow. Would rather, would sooner I’d rather you didn’t go to the party alone. I don’t want you here. I’d sooner you left the room. Suppose/supposing imagining a situation Supposing we went to the coast Suppose the manager changed his mind Imagine – imagining an unreal present situation Imagine unicorns really existed Imagine we could fly

practice

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

Collocations with make, do, have and take There's lots of fixed expressions with make, do, have and take which you should learn. If you haven't studied these already, look at these examples and an exercise to test your memory: collocations with make, do, have and take.

practice

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 4 Tips

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

1. I found it difficult to understand his accent. (trouble) I ___________________________his accent. 2. He complained to the manager about the terrible food. (made) He ___________________________to the manager about the terrible food. 3. Please look after my little sister for me. (of) Please ___________________________my little sister for me. 4. There's no hurry - please don't rush. (time) There's no hurry - please ___________________________. 5. You should ignore him. (notice) You should ___________________________ him.

Use Of English

45'

8 separate questions, each with a lead-in sentence to be completed in 2-5 words. Use the key word

6. My house was seriously damaged in the earthquake. (lot) The earthquake ___________________________to my house. 7. She's earning a lot of money in her new job. (fortune) She ___________________________in her new job. 8. I tried really hard to explain the problem to her. (best) I ___________________________the problem to her 9. You're too loud. Please be quiet. (noise) ___________________________. Please be quiet. 10. I'm researching the life of Queen Victoria for my master's degree. (research) I ___________________________the life of Queen Victoria for my master's degree.

Use Of English

45'

1 part 4: sentence transformation

As well as passive and active sentences (and related forms such as “have/ get something done”), typical transformations that students have to make in Use of English Part Four include: Sentences with direct speech and reported speech (e.g. “Do you know?” and “He asked me if I knew”) Sentences with different ways of comparing and contrasting things (e.g. “more… than” and “not as… as”) Sentences with different ways of talking about first times/ new experiences (e.g. “I had never…” and “It was the first time that I had…”) Sentences with different linking words (e.g. “Although” and “Despite”)

Use Of English

45'

1 part 4: sentence transformation

Fact and Unreal Past sentence about something that isn’t true (e.g. “I’m happy that I didn’t go to the party because I don’t enjoy that kind of thing” and “I wouldn’t have enjoyed the party” or “I don’t regret not going to the party”), sometimes including sentences with third conditionalSentences with different expressions for talking about probability/ speculating (e.g. “I’m sure that he has come” and “He must have come”) Sentences with different determiners in front of the noun (e.g. “too” and “not enough” or “so” and “such”) Sentences with and without a phrasal verb (e.g. “put off” and “delay”/ “postpone”)

Use Of English

45'

1 part 4: sentence transformation

Sentences with and without other idioms (e.g. “lend me a hand” and “help me”) Different forms of the same word (e.g. “popular” and “popularity”) Two phrases with the same function, (e.g. two recommendations sentences, two offers, or two requests ) Positive sentences and negative sentences that mean the same thing (e.g. “not far from” and “near to”)

Use Of English

45'

1 part 4: sentence transformation

There are quite often differences in the order of the sentence, e.g. which clause comes first when there are two clauses with a linking word. Especially recently, questions often combine two language points and therefore two difficulties, e.g. needing to change to passive and also change an adjective to an adverb or being asked to write a reported speech version of a request in direct speech in the prompt sentence.

PERSONAL AND IMPERSONAL PASSIVE CONTRUCTIONS

Use Of English

45'

The verbs think, believe, say, report, know, expect, consider, understand etc are used in the following passive patterns in personal and impersonal constructions. Active: People believe that he lied in court. Passive: 1. It is believed (that) he lied in court. (impersonal) It + passive + that-clause 2. He is believed to have lied in court. (personal) Subject + passive + to-infinitive Active: They expect him to arrive soon. Passive: 3. It is expected (that) he will arrive soon. (impersonal) It + passive + that-clause 4. He is expected to arrive soon. (personal) Subject + passive + to-infinitive

Different tenses in personal passive constructions

Use Of English

45'

Present active: People believe that Mr Brown owns a lot of land in the north. Present personal passive construction: Mr Brown is believed to own a lot of land in the north. Future active: people expect that a new law will be introduced next year. Future personal passive construction: A new law is expected to be introduced next year. Past active: People believed that Mr Brown owned a lot of land in the north. They thought that the prisoners had escaped. Present personal passive construction: Mr Brown was believed to have owned a lot of land in the north. The prisoners were thought to have escaped.

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON PASSIVES

Use Of English

45'

1. We sometimes use get instead of be to make passive verbs to show that something happens accidentally or unexpectedly. get usually conveys a negative meaning. My flat got burgled when I was away. (= a negative event) I was surprised that I didn't get invited to the party. John got bitten by a stray dog. get is used more in an informal style and when speaking. 2. Some verbs, like give, send, offer, show, pay, teach, promise, tell an more, can have two objects, which means that you can make two different passive sentences. Active voice: Someone gave Jimmy (1st object) the money (2nd object). Passive Voice 1: Jimmy was given the money. Passive Voice 2: The money was given to Jimmy.

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON PASSIVES

Use Of English

45'

3. with and by in passive sentences by + agent - when it is important to say who is responsible for the action (however, the Active Voice is recommended in this case). with + intrument I was hit with an umbrella. (BUT I was hit by an old lady, or the same in the Active Voice, An old lady hit me.)

Use Of English

45'

Use Of English

45'

End of part 1 !

A text followed by 6 multiple-choice questions

READING

1hr

1. Introduction Part 1: A text, followed by 8 multiple-choice questions. Students must choose one answer from four options. How many questions? 6. How many marks? You get two marks for each correct answer.

For this part, you should practise how to identify gist, detail, opinion, attitude, tone, main idea, purpose, meaning from context, text organisation, exemplification, comparison, reference. You have to show that you can understand what writers want to say. It might take you some time to do this part of the exam, but students who practice a lot can do it faster.

A text followed by 6 multiple-choice questions

Tips: The answers are the same order as the questions - so the answer to question 1 is near the beginning of the article, and answer 2 ALWAYS comes after answer 1. Sometimes question 6 is about the whole text

READING

1hr

A text followed by 6 multiple-choice questions

READING

1hr

Tips: Try your best to read what it SAYS in the text and don't bring your own opinion into the topic. Example - if I read a text about teaching English then I read it very quickly because I'm already an 'expert' in the topic. Sometimes the answers match what you think about a topic, but sometimes they don't. Be careful! Read as much English as you can. You will notice a big difference in how easy this task is after a few months of reading. Read the QUESTIONS as carefully as the text itself.

A text followed by 6 multiple-choice questions

READING

1hr

Advanced Tips * Read the text BEFORE the questions. This is the most efficient way to do it. * Be careful of TRAPS! If a word in an answer is also in the text, it's probably NOT the answer. Example: Once upon a time there was a beautiful texan lady and many men around the world fell in love with her because she was so kind, generous and smart. 01. Why did men love the Beautiful lady? A Because she was Texan. B Because she was Beautiful C Because they were kind, generous and smart. So what's the answer? None of them! It's certainly not C because 'they' means the men. The answer is, of course, D Because he was kind and generous.

A text followed by 6 multiple-choice questions

READING

1hr

Advanced Tips * Another trap is when more than one answer is mentioned in the text. Once upon a time there was a beautiful texan lady and many men around the world fell in love with her because she was so kind, generous and smart, but most of all because she had a great collection of Pokemon. 02. What is the main reason men loved the texan lady? A Because she was smart. B Because she was kind. C Because she was generous. D Because of her Pokemon collection. As you can see, all 4 options are mentioned in the text. However, the question says 'what is the MAIN reason', and that links to 'most of all' in the text. So the answer is.... D again

A text followed by 6 multiple-choice questions

READING

1hr

fce_reading_part 1 (5)

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

READING

1hr

1. Introduction You have to read another long text. This time, some sentences have been removed. Your job is to put them back into the right place. There are 6 gaps, and 7 sentences, so there is one you won't use. This can be a hard part of the exam, but the answers are actually very logical. The tips on this page should make it easier.

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

READING

1hr

2. General Tips Read the text with the gaps first (before the questions). It's very helpful to know what the text is about and get some idea of the structure of the writing BEFORE you start trying to find the answers. The most important sentences are the ones before and after each gap - read these very closely. You don't have to fill in the answers in order - start with the one you think is easiest and when you get to the most difficult one there will only be 2 answers left.

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

READING

1hr

3. The Text is Full of Clues Like in a good Agatha Christie book, there are lots of clues to the right answer. What sort of clues are in a text? Names and pronouns (Jack... he... this...) Chronology (Then... Finally...) Quotation marks ("I couldn't believe it.") Contrast words (However, but) Verb tenses (had gone... will have finished) Cause and effect (Therefore... as a result...) Repetition (in other words...)

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

READING

1hr

Let's look at each clue type in more detail.

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

READING

1hr

NAMES AND PRONOUNS 1 Once upon a time there was a boy named Jack. [1] __________________________. Then he died. Choose one of these sentences to go in gap [1]: A - He ate all the chocolate in London. B - Their house was on a hill. That's pretty easy, isn't it? Jack is a 'he', not a 'their'. There's also a logical connection between eating all the chocolate and dying.

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

READING

1hr

NAMES AND PRONOUNS 2 The documentary featured interviews with many of top scientists. [2] __________________________. But the story was not funny, and many viewers complained about its depressing ending. A - It was watched by 8 million people. B - One was Simon Baron-Cohen, brother of the famous comedian. This one is hard. A could be the answer because 'it' means 'the documentary'. But B could be the answer because 'one' refers to 'top scientists'. But it is still useful to look at names and pronouns because in the exam you will have 7 answers to choose from.

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

READING

1hr

NAMES AND PRONOUNS 2 So in this example what do we do next? The three sentences must fit together like a lock fits a keyhole. The clue is in the relationship between the words but, funny, and comedian. Those three words fit together perfectly. The word 'but' is a good example of a contrasting phrase, which brings us to...

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

CONTRASTING PHRASES We've seen an example of 'but'. Here's another one: At first, the show was not popular. [3] __________________________. A - However, in 2014 more people watched it every week and it ended the year as the number 1 show in America. B - In 2014 more people watched it every week and it ended the year as the number 1 show in America. Which do you think is a better story? Answer A gives a nice contrast. At first the show was not popular but later it WAS popular. The word 'however' introduces the change from negative to positive.

READING

1hr

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

READING

1hr

TIME PHRASES In the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood, actors and actresses were tied to one-sided contracts. [4] __________________________. A - These days, however, they are free to choose projects that interest them. B - More movies are now made in India than in Los Angeles.

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

READING

1hr

QUOTATION MARKS Sometimes the gap will be in speech marks ("") - that makes it pretty easy to find the answer. Which of the sentences sounds like it was said by a person? If there is a text written in a neutral tone and one of the answers has the word 'I' then that must be in quotation marks. But there was more to his performance than scoring the winning goal. He also motivated his younger teammates. '[5]_____________________.' A - He had become a true leader. B - I felt like I was on top of the world.

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

READING

1hr

QUOTATION MARKS Sometimes the gap will be in speech marks ("") - that makes it pretty easy to find the answer. Which of the sentences sounds like it was said by a person? If there is a text written in a neutral tone and one of the answers has the word 'I' then that must be in quotation marks. But there was more to his performance than scoring the winning goal. He also motivated his younger teammates. '[5]_____________________.' A - He had become a true leader. B - I felt like I was on top of the world.

A text from which 7 sentences have been removed and placed in a jumbled order, with an extra 1

READING

1hr

fce_reading_part 2

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

A text or several short texts preceded by 10 multiple-matching questions

READING

1hr

1. IntroductionHere you have 10 statements that you have to match to the information in one long text or a few shorter texts.

As you can see in this example, it's possible to have lots of the same answer. Text A might match with 2, 3, or 4 answers.

A text or several short texts preceded by 10 multiple-matching questions

READING

1hr

2. How to Do It Start by reading the introduction to the task (the part that says 'you are going to read...') and the title of the article (in this case 'Rising Star') - they give you an idea of what the text is about. Now you have two options: - you can either read the questions first or the text first. Cambridge put the questions before the text because they suggest students read the questions first. So let's assume you're going to read the questions first. Underline the key words and phrases. Then read section A of the text and try to find 2 or 3 sentences that match. Repeat with B, then C, etc.

A text or several short texts preceded by 10 multiple-matching questions

READING

1hr

STRATEGYSkimming• Use the title, introduction and any pictures to get an idea ofthe topic and what a text will be about. This will make it easier to understand the text. • To get a general understanding of a text, read through it quickly, focusing only on the main ideas. These are found in ‘topic sentences’, often the first or last sentences of each paragraph. ScanningWhen you know what information you want to find, you can save time by scanning the text for it, rather than reading the whole text. Read the questions first, identify the key words and look for phrases or information in the text that express the same ideas.

READING

1hr

2 part 3

Tips Your job is to find synonyms - if a word is in both the text and a question it is probably NOT the answer. That would be much too easy, wouldn't it? When you're practicing this part of the exam, underline the part of the text that you think matches the question. Then when your teacher asks you why you chose that answer, you'll be able to tell him. That will help him diagnose your mistakes.

Practice

READING

1hr

2 part 3

If you're training alone, underlining your reas30ons will help you see why you made mistakes. A lot of the questions are about peoples' thoughts and feelings, so learn as much of that vocabulary as possible. For example: make sure you know words like regret, accuse, reassure.

Practice

A text or several short texts preceded by 10 multiple-matching questions

READING

1hr

fce_reading_part 3

FCE Reading and Use of English Part 3 Tips

Reading and Use Of English

Reading and Use of English test 1

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

1. Introduction You have 80 minutes to write two texts. The first text will always be an essay and should be 140-190 words long. The second text can be an article, informal email or letter, a formal email or letter, a report, or a review and should be 140-190 words. The examiners give you a grade based on 4 things: Content - Did you write what you were asked to write? Communicative achievement - Was your writing too formal, too informal, or just right? Organisation - Did you link paragraphs and sentences? Is there a logical flow from start to finish? Language - Did you show off your sparkling vocabulary or did you use basic words? Did you make lots of grammar and spelling mistakes?

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

2. Time management The two texts are worth equal points and have the same word lengths, so you should spend equal time on them. That gives you 40 minutes per text. Spend some of that time planning and some checking. For example: Planning - 10 minutes Writing - 25 minutes Checking - 5 minutes You might think that's too long for the planning stage, but the more you plan the fewer problems you will have later.

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

2. Time management The two texts are worth equal points and have the same word lengths, so you should spend equal time on them. That gives you 40 minutes per text. Spend some of that time planning and some checking. For example: Planning - 10 minutes Writing - 25 minutes Checking - 5 minutes You might think that's too long for the planning stage, but the more you plan the fewer problems you will have later.

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

3. Don't cook without a recipe A lot of students hate the planning stage and like to just start writing as soon as possible. But the finished product is normally not very good. Imagine a chef in a restaurant - does he go into the kitchen and start throwing vegetables into pans? No - he gets a recipe and follows the plan! So, take a deep breath, think about what you have to write, what you want to write, and how you can write it. You can even start to think about good words you know, and advanced sentences that you can include. It's much easier to write with the structure already prepared.

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

4. Content What Cambridge cares about in your writing: The first point is the content itself. If you are asked to write a letter to your friend and you write a poem - well, it doesn't matter how good that poem is. Maybe you can write the best poem in the history of the world - the examiner will be impressed, and then give you zero points. Here's a sample FCE writing task:

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

5. Communicative Achievement The next thing Cambridge wants is for you to show that you understand about tone. In the previous example, you were asked to write an essay for your English teacher. How formal should that be? You're not writing to a lawyer so you don't have to be super formal, but you aren't writing to your best friend, so you shouldn't be too casual. For that essay, you should use a neutral or slightly formal style. That means you need to study how to write in different ways.

WRITING

1hr 20min

Spot the difference in tone in this extracts from letters: 1. Yo, John, Guess what? I bunked off school and tramped up and down the beach all day. Great fun! I found some nearly-fresh muffins in a box, so that was lunch sorted. Free food! Niiiiiice. 2. Dear Mr and Mrs Biggins, I regret to inform you that we have taken the decision to suspend Jack from school for the next week. Not only did he fail to come to school today, but we received a call that he had stolen a container of confectionery from a local business. In short, try to make sure that what you write is appropriate for the person you are writing to.

ESSAYcompulsory

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

6. Organisation Cambridge love when you link sentences together with words like 'whereas' and 'however', and link paragraphs with phrases like 'Firstly, secondly'. You must learn how to use these phrases if you want a good grade. One easy way to get a higher score in 'organisation' is to ask a question, and then answer it.

7. Language Your writing will be more interesting and you'll get a better grade if you can use a wide variety of language. Use high-level vocabulary when you know it; don't repeat the same word too many times; don't make too many mistakes; try to use a variety of grammar (not just 'subject verb object' all the time). You will be rewarded if you learn (and use) some appropriate phrasal verbs, idioms, and collocations. Compare these sentences: 1. The food was good and the service was good and we had a good time. 2. The food was delicious, while the service was faultless. Did we have a good time? Absolutely! I hope you agree that the second is much nicer to read. Is it much harder to write? Not really. And if you don't know the word 'faultless' you might know a different word that would fit. Even if you said 'good' again, the sentence would get you a much better score in FCE because the 'while' connects the first two parts and the question connects the last two.

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

WRITING

1hr 20min

TYPES

a report

ESSAY

a review

article

informal email/letter

formal email/letter

WRITING

1hr 20min

Writing Class: Linking Expressions Contrast This exercise will give you the chance to practise some of the common linking words and expressions that are used to express contrast. For example, 'although', 'despite' etc. Go to exercise

TYPES

Addition This exercise looks at words and expressions like 'moreover', 'in addition' etc. Go to exercise

Purpose or reason This exercise will give you practice in expressing purpose or reason with expressions like, 'as a result', 'owing to' etc. Go to exercise

Time This exercise focuses on linking words that express time, such as 'at first', 'eventually' etc. Go to exercise

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

8. FCE Essays You have to write an essay, so this is the first thing you should learn to write. Essays are about giving information and your opinions, comparing and contrasting. Title: Use a title at the top of your essay. The title should be interesting so that someone would want to read the article. Imagine two friends share a link on Facebook. Which are you more likely to click on? 1. Why Pollution is Bad 2. Climate Change is Fake, and Here's Why Most people would click on the second one! You don't have to be so provocative in your essay, but do try to make it interesting.

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

Structure: Use the task as the structure. You could have these paragraphs: Introduction The Transport Pollution Problem Pollution in Rivers and Seas Pollution at Home Conclusion

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

- Try to connect the title you have chosen with the conclusion. If you call your essay 'Climate Change is Fake!' you should end by saying 'and that's why climate change is not real.' - You should write in a balanced way - don't only say that something is good or bad. Example: 'It's clear that pollution from cars is a big problem that should be looked at. The air in some cities is not fit for humans. But the car isn't totally a villain - it's also a symbol of freedom for many people. So we need a solution that lets people drive their cars, but without being too harmful. For example, electric cars let people get to work but are cleaner than diesel engines.' - As a minimum, move from paragraph to paragraph by using phrases like 'firstly, secondly'. But try to learn some more advanced versions, too.

LINKING PHRASES

LINKING PHRASES

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

ENVIRONMENT

ENVIRONMENT

ENVIRONMENT

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

exercise

exercise

WRITING

1hr 20min

ESSAYcompulsory

essay

WRITING

1hr 20min

ARTICLE

FCE Articles Articles in First Certificate are usually written for English magazines or newsletters. The main thing is to make your articles interesting to read, and to give your opinions on the topic. THE TASK: You read this announcement in a magazine: what’s the best surprise you’ve ever had? Why was it a surprise? How did you feel when it happened? Send us your answers. We’ll publish the best ones. Write your article in 140-190 words.

WRITING

1hr 20min

Five Things You Need to Know about Writing Articles

ARTICLE

In Cambridge First or Cambridge Advanced, you might be asked to write an article. But do you know what makes an article different from other types of writing? 1 The reader is identified An article is like a direct conversation with the reader. The exam question might tell you who your readers are. For example, the students at a school, or the people living in a town or people who are interested in sports. Everything you write must speak to that reader and engage their interest right from the first sentence. 2 It has to get attention If you're anywhere on the internet these days, you'll be bombarded with articles with headlines that pull the reader in. It's called "click baiting" and all the writer is trying to do is make you open the page to read their article. You need to think like a journalist when you're writing your article. Look at the heading and the first line of this article. How did I get your attention?*

WRITING

1hr 20min

3 It has to be interestingFor an article to work, it has to be engaging enough to read all the way through. Remember how bored the examiner must be after reading fifty exam papers. Make it easier for them to get a good impression about your writing by entertaining them. Add humour, real life or made up examples, or make up quotes. 4 It has to be easy to read Use subheadings to break up the text and make clear paragraphs. Write in a semi-informal, conversational style. And make sure there is organisation to your ideas. The planning stage is vital for this. Think what your subheadings might be and then write a short introduction that lets the reader know what to expect. Keep in mind that you want the reader to keep reading, so don't tell them exactly what they will read. This is not an essay! In an essay you usually restate the question, explain how you will answer it and maybe say why it's important. In an article, that will kill the reader's interest.

ARTICLE

WRITING

1hr 20min

5 Write a good ending In an essay you sum up the points that have gone before and draw a conclusion from that. But in an article, it's better to give the reader something to think about, perhaps by asking them another question or giving them a call to action. Often, the best endings link back to the starting point in some way. Here are two endings I could use for this article: 1) Look at your internet browsing history from the last day. Which articles got your attention? Can you see how they did it? 2) So, now you know how to write an article, why don't you write one giving advice on something you know about?

ARTICLE

WRITING

1hr 20min

Common mistakes students make in articles 1) The language is too formal and more suited to essays. Avoid words like: to sum up, some people say, nevertheless, on one hand etc. 2) They don't use quotes or examples 3) They either use not enough, or too many, questions. The questions, called rhetorical questions because they don't require an answer, shouldn't be more than one per paragraph. Good examples are: Have you ever ……..? What do you think about ……..? Are you one of those people who thinks that ……? What would life be like if ……? Will the future bring us ….. ? 4) A title which makes the subject immediately clear. For some reason, people like reading lists! And a direct, rhetorical question in the first paragraph to make readers want to find out the answer.

ARTICLE

WRITING

1hr 20min

You see this competition in an international magazine.

ARTICLE

COMPETITION

Imagine you were on a desert island. What would you miss most? Write an article briefly describing an important object, person or place in your life and give reasons for your choice. The best article will be published and the writer will receive £500. Write your article in 140- 190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet.

WRITING

1hr 20min

Sample answer 1:

ARTICLE

Have you ever thought about the most important possessions you can barely live without? Would they be your bare necessities on a desert island? Well, for me it’d definitely be my mobile accompanied by a solar charger and a week supply of my favourite chocolate. Reading books and taking photos are just a few of daily activities I’ll be occupying myself with during the lonely stay on an island, hence the latest smartphone and a solar charger are my top items. An abundance of ‘me-time’ guaranteed on an island, which I’ve lacked for ages, would come handy when devouring Stephen King’s and Jeffrey Archer’s ebooks. Skills I’ve learnt on a survival course will definitely help me get by on an island however as I’m a chocoholic, I’d definitely opt for a week supply of my favourite chocolate bar. Having mastered tricks like catching a fish or igniting a fire without a lighter, which even Bear Grylls will praise me on, can hardly replace heavenly delicious Milka chocolate. I don’t know how you feel about staying on a desert island, but I can guarantee I would be far from bored. Just imagine all those hot sunny days and warm starry nights with my favourite book and mouthing-watering chocolate. (209 words)

WRITING

1hr 20min

Sample answer 2:

ARTICLE

Life away from home

How would you feel about living on a desert island? I can’t imagine anything worse. I would miss a lot of things, but most of all I would miss my home.

My home is a small house on the outskirts of a city. It was built about fifty years ago and has a small garden. In the summer our country gets very hot but our house is always cool.

You would probably think our house is nothing special, but I have lived there all my life and all my friends live nearby. It is a happy place, where I feel completely safe. Whenever I go away, I look forward to coming back, lying on my bed, reading a book and listening to my brother and sister arguing downstairs!

I love travelling and meeting new people, but if I were on a desert island I would be away from the place I love most — my home — and I would hate that.

WRITING

1hr 20min

ARTICLE

ARTICLE 2

ARTICLE 1

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1hr 20min

FCE Reports Often, you'll be able to choose to write a report in part 2. The reader will usually be your teacher or a group you belong to. You have to give facts and make recommendations. Example: A group of English students is coming to your college. Your English teacher has asked you to write a report on one local tourist attraction. In your report you should describe the attraction say what you can do there explain why you think students would enjoy visiting it

REPORT

WRITING

1hr 20min

If I were writing that, I'd use this structure: (Title:) Report on Old Trafford Football Stadium Introduction The aim of this report is to describe Old Trafford and to say why it's the best destination for students who visit our college. Old Trafford (a description of the stadium, its history) Activities (what you can do there - the stadium tour, the gift shop, touch the magical grass) Why It's Perfect for Visitors (the tour is given in English so it's good practice, football is universally popular, it's great for taking photos) Conclusion For the reasons I have mentioned, I highly recommend visiting Old Trafford with the visiting students. I'm sure they will all have a great time.

REPORT

WRITING

1hr 20min

Sample 1 REPORT

You must answer this question.

REPORT

Your college has been asked to accept a group of 50 students from another country for two weeks. You have been asked by your principal to find out what the advantages and disadvantages would be of accepting this group. Is it a good idea?

Write your report to the principal in 140- 190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet.

WRITING

1hr 20min

Report on Proposed Visit by 50 Overseas Students

REPORT

Introduction The purpose of this report is to consider the advantages and disadvantages of accepting a large group of students from overseas for two weeks. I have discussed the issue with all the senior members of college staff.

Advantages All those I interviewed believe that for students this would be an exciting opportunity to explore a foreign culture, both in the classroom and socially. Overall, they thought the visit would be stimulating for the college at a quiet time of the year.

Disadvantages Some members of staff are concerned that: 1 there would be insufficient seating in the library at bus times; 2 the visitors might be more interested in enjoying themselves than studying; 3 the restaurant queue would be very slow at lunchtime.

Conclusion and recommendation Clearly, the group might cause some practical difficulties but on the whole everyone thought that the visit should seen as an opportunity not to be missed.

WRITING

1hr 20min

REPORT

REPORT 1

REPORT 2

WRITING

1hr 20min

FCE Reviews Reviews are quite a good choice for part 2 because you've probaby read thousands of reviews in your own language - reviews of movies, video games, hotels and so on. So you should be quite familiar with the format. The main skills you need are: describing things, explaining, and giving your opinions. IMPORTANT - You are allowed to lie in the exam! I personally hate the movie INTERESTELLAR, but I remember quite a lot about it. If I had the task of reviewing a movie I love, maybe I would chooseINTERESTELLAR. The story is clear in my head, I remember the names of the actors, the director and the theme song... I can pretend to like it if it helps me pass the exam... - Like in the essay task, I encourage my students to use an interesting title. 'Interestellar- travelling has no limits'. - Use the question to help you structure your review.

REVIEW

WRITING

1hr 20min

REVIEW

Planning time! Okay, the first thing to do is to think of a book where the main character surprised me. This is quite an important step, because everything that follows is linked to this decision. Do you think I should spend five seconds on it, or thirty seconds?

WRITING

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So what do I have to include? - write a review of the book - explain what the character did - and why it was surprising - would I recommend it It doesn't make much sense to have points 2 and 3 separate, so for this review I will keep them together in one paragraph. So my outline looks like this: Title Introduction Review Main Character's Surprising Moment Recommendation

REVIEW

WRITING

1hr 20min

You must answer this question.

REVIEW

An international arts website is looking for reviews of novels for a new section called ‘A Reader Writes’. You have decided to write a review of a novel you’ve recently read for this section. Describe the novel and say what you think about it. Would you recommend this novel to other people?

Write your review in 140- 190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet.

WRITING

1hr 20min

Sample answer:.

I really enjoyed the film version of The Bourne Identity starring Matt Damon, but I thought the original novel by Robert Ludlum was even better. This book is so well-written, I didn’t want to finish it!

REVIEW

The plot is gripping right from the start. When we first meet the lead character, Jason Bourne, he is being rescued from the sea. His identity is a mystery to everyone, including himself! Over the course of the novel we gradually find out who Bourne is, and follow him through a series of exciting adventures.

As well as a highly original plot line, the novel includes a number of fascinating characters, especially the villains! I only have one negative -comment: in my view, the novel is strong on action but weaker on description. However, this is a small criticism of an otherwise excellent book.

I would highly recommend The Bourne Identity to anyone who enjoys action or crime stories. However, if you prefer more descriptive or romantic novels, then you should give it a miss. Personally, I can’t wait to start reading the sequel!

WRITING

1hr 20min

REVIEW

REVIEW 1

REVIEW 2

WRITING

1hr 20min

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL An informal letter or email is usually between people who know each other fairly well. In addition to giving news, they are often used to request information, congratulate people, give advice and ask questions. There are a lot of similarities between informal letters and conversation. Informal letters ask a lot of questions, show interest and enthusiasm, and imagine a lot of shared information. In many exam questions, you will be told what to include in your reply. Make sure that your reply answers any questions that you were asked in the task and takes into account any additional information that you have been told to mention. It is important that you include these in order to get a good grade.

WRITING

1hr 20min

HOW TO WRITE INFORMAL LETTERS OR EMAILS

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

SALUTATION OR GREETING Start with Dear followed by the first name of the person to whom you are writing. In emails, you can also start with Hi (and the person’s name). Dear Ben, or Hi Ben, (Don’t forget to use only the first name of the person you are writing to and not Dear Mr John, which is never used, or Dear Mr John Brown, which sounds too formal.) Informal letters sometimes have a comma after the person’s name, and the letter starts on the line below. The important thing is to be consistent with the style that you choose to use (so if you use a comma after the person’s name at the start of the letter, use a comma after the closing statement at the end).

WRITING

1hr 20min

HOW TO WRITE INFORMAL LETTERS OR EMAILS

Openings When writing an informal letter, you are usually replying to another letter. You would normally start with a greeting, then acknowledge the letter to which you are replying. It is often a good idea to acknowledge some key information given in the original letter too. You can also make a comment on your own reply. Useful phrases for the opening How are you? / How have the family been? / I hope you are well. Thank you / Many thanks for your (recent/last) letter / postcard. It was good / nice / great to hear from you again. I was so surprised to hear that… I’m sorry I haven’t written / haven’t been in touch for such a long time. It’s ages since I’ve heard from you. I hope you’re well / you and your family are well. How are things? / How are you? / How’s it going?

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

BODY

WRITING

1hr 20min

Other useful phrases Referring to news Great news about … Glad to hear that … Sorry to hear about … Giving news Listen, did I tell you about …? You’ll never believe what … Oh, and another thing … This is just to let you know that … I thought you might be interested to hear about / know that … By the way, have you heard about / did you know that …? Apologies I’m writing to apologise for missing your party but I’m afraid I was with flu. I’m really sorry that I forgot to send you a birthday card but I was busy with my new job.

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

BODY

WRITING

1hr 20min

Invitations I’m / We’re having a party on Friday 19th and I / we hope you’ll be able to come. Would you like to come / go to see ‘Room With a View’ with me at the weekend? I was wondering if you’d like to go to the theatre / come on holiday with us. Could you let me / us know if you can come / you’d like to join us? Thank you very much for your invitation. I’d love to come. Thank you for asking / inviting me to … but I’m afraid I won’t be able to … Requests I’m writing to ask for your help / you (if you could do me) a favour. I wonder if / I was wondering if you could help me / do me a favour. I hope you don’t mind me asking but could you (possibly) …? I’d be very / really / terribly grateful if you could …

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

BODY

WRITING

1hr 20min

Thank you / Congratulations / Good Luck I’m writing to thank you for your hospitality / the wonderful present. It was so kind of you to invite me to stay with you. I really appreciated all your help / advice. Congratulations on passing your exams / your excellent exam results! I wish you good luck / Good luck in / with your exams / your driving test / your interview. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do well / pass. Do be on time, won’t you, and don’t forget to … Making suggestions and recommendations Why don’t you …? / Maybe you could …? / How about …? You can’t leave New York without (…doing sth) I’m sure you will enjoy (…doing sth). If you like, we can … Do visit … / Don’t forget to …

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

BODY

WRITING

1hr 20min

The end of your letter is as important as the beginning. There are some standard ways of finishing an informal letter or email. Give a reason why you’re ending the letter: Anyway, I must go and get on with my work! / I guess it’s time I got on with that studying I’ve been avoiding. Send greetings and/or make reference for future contact: Give my love / regards to… / Say hello to… / Anyway, don’t forget to let me know the dates of the party. / I’ll try and phone you at the weekend to check the times. / We must try and meet up soon. / I can’t wait to hear from you / Look forward to seeing you again / Hope to hear from you soon / See you soon / Write soon Closing statement such as Love, Lots of love, All the best, Take care, Best wishes, should be written on a new line. If you used a comma after the opening greeting, use a comma here too. Signing off: Your first name then follows on another new line.

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

CLOSING

WRITING

1hr 20min

Range: It is important that you use grammatical expressions and vocabulary appropriate to the level of the exam. Even if there are no mistakes in your writing, you will not be able to get a good grade if you use only the language and vocabulary that you learnt at elementary level. Even in informal writing, there is a good range of language you can use (conditional sentences, a range of perfect and continuous tenses, indirect questions…) Informal language, including phrasal verbs, informal vocabulary (“I guess you loved the pics“), contractions, question tags. Simpler sentence structure: I’ll be late for the party. It’s because of my French exam.

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

Other things to consider

WRITING

1hr 20min

Connectors: All good writing makes good use of connectors. However, many of the connectors you have learnt for other styles of writing are inappropriate in an informal letter or email. For informal writing, you need to use some of the connectors that are more specific to spoken language. To introduce a topic: Well, you’ll never guess who I bumped into yesterday. / I know how much you love tennis, so I’ve got us some tickets to Wimbledon. / By the way, did you know that John’s got a new job? To go back to a previous topic: Anyway, as I was saying earlier, I really wasn’t very happy there. / Now where was I? Oh yes, I nearly forgot, Mary asked me tell you about the cinema.

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

Other things to consider

WRITING

1hr 20min

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

To introduce surprising or bad news: Actually, he came to the party after all. / I’m really sorry but I can’t make it. / To tell you the truth, I don’t really like sports much. To summarise what you’ve already said: Anyway, we had a really nice time in the end. / Well, to cut a long story short, we didn’t get there on time.

Other things to consider

WRITING

1hr 20min

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

sample You must answer this question. Write your answer in 140- 190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet. Last week, you organised a surprise birthday party for someone in your family, and your friend from Australia wants to hear about it. Write an email to your friend, describing what kind of party you organised, who you invited and how it went. Write your letter. Do not write any addresses.

Dear John, Thanks for your email- it was great to hear from you. How’s your new job, hope you’re still enjoying it. Apologise for not writing sooner, but I’ve been extremely busy at work for the last few weeks.

WRITING

1hr 20min

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

Do you remember in your email you asked about the party I was organising for my mother’s birthday? Well, it was a fantastic success. I told mother we were taking her out for a quiet meal at a local restaurant, but in fact I’d fired a large room in a hotel and invited all her old friends!

Anyway, I picked mother up and told her I’d changed my mind. We were going to have a meal in a hotel. You should have seen her face when she walked into the room and everyone cheered! She just couldn’t believe it and burst into tears. Then the party got going, and it didn’t finish until four in the morning. We were absolutely exhausted but mother had had wonderful time.

Must dash now, I’ve got to go and prepare a lecture which I ‘m going to be presenting next Monday. Hope to hear from you soon. All the best, Sandra.

WRITING

1hr 20min

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

email 1

email 2

WRITING

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FCE – FORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

Formal letters may be written to an individual or to an organisation. The purpose may be, for example, to apply for part-time or vacation work (application letter) to apply for study or scholarship opportunity (application letter) to complain about something (complaint letter) to make suggestions about something to request information (enquiry letter) In many exam questions, you will be told what to include in your reply. Make sure that your reply answers any questions that you were asked in the task and takes into account any additional information that you have been told to mention. It is important that you include these in order to get a good grade.

WRITING

1hr 20min

FCE – FORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

GREETING (A) If you know the name of the person you are writing to use the title (Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms) and the surname only. If you are writing to a woman and do not know if she uses Mrs or Miss, you can use Ms, which is for married and single women. Examples: “Dear Mr Simpson,” / “Dear Mrs Flanders,” / “Dear Miss Skinner,” / “Dear Ms Van Houten,” (B) If you do not know the name of the recipient of the letter begin with “Dear Sir,” / “Dear Madam,” (if you know you are writing to a man or a woman) or “Dear Sir or Madam,” (if you do not know the sex of the person you are writing to).

WRITING

1hr 20min

FCE – FORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

BODY [2.1] Opening The first paragraph states the reason(s) for writing and, if needed, what you are responding to (an advert, a prospectus…). In addition, an opening paragraph is needed to make reference to previous correspondence. Useful phrases for the opening I would like to apply for one of the scholarships I saw advertised in your prospectus. (applying for a scholarship) I am looking for an outdoor work during the summer holidays and I would like to apply for the position of hotel lifguard assistant which I say advertised in my university’s student newspaper. (applying for a job) I have seen your advertisement for the post / vacancy / job of… advertised in the local newspaper on 16 June. I am writing because I would like to apply for the job. (applying for a job) I am the secretary of my college Science Club. I saw your advertisement for the exhibition “The Next 100 Years” and I am interested in organising a group visit. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about it. (requesting information) I am writing (in order) to complain about the advertisement for your new game. Having just played the game, I realise that the advertisement is misleading. (complaint letter) I am writing with regard to … I am writing with reference to… I am writing in response to… Thank you for /your letter of 9 May… /for your letter regarding… In reply tor your letter of 8 May, …

WRITING

1hr 20min

FCE – FORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

BODY [2.1] Opening The first paragraph states the reason(s) for writing and, if needed, what you are responding to (an advert, a prospectus…). In addition, an opening paragraph is needed to make reference to previous correspondence. Useful phrases for the opening I would like to apply for one of the scholarships I saw advertised in your prospectus. (applying for a scholarship) I am looking for an outdoor work during the summer holidays and I would like to apply for the position of hotel lifguard assistant which I say advertised in my university’s student newspaper. (applying for a job)

WRITING

1hr 20min

FCE – FORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

BODY [2.1] Opening I am the secretary of my college Science Club. I saw your advertisement for the exhibition “The Next 100 Years” and I am interested in organising a group visit. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about it. (requesting information) I am writing (in order) to complain about the advertisement for your new game. Having just played the game, I realise that the advertisement is misleading. (complaint letter) I am writing with regard to … I am writing with reference to… I am writing in response to… Thank you for /your letter of 9 May… /for your letter regarding… In reply tor your letter of 8 May, …

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

WRITING

1hr 20min

BODY [2.2] Main content The rest of the body will be organized in paragraphs: that will make reading easier and the effect on the target reader will be better. For example, an application letter may have this layout and paragraphing: Salutation or greeting #1 Opening (first paragraph) #2 About you (age, where you live, education-training and/or work experience relevant to the job, languages …) #3 Reasons for applying (why you are suitable for the job) #4 Conclusion (availability for interview, further questions, … – if necessary) Closing Final salutation Name and surname

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

WRITING

1hr 20min

BODY Other useful phrases Asking politely Could you tell me… ? I would be grateful if you could … I would be interested in having more details about… I would like to know if/when/when/… I would like information on… Do you know if…? Complaining I would like to complain about + noun or -ing … is not what I expected / was expecting I am not satisfied with… I would be grateful if my money was refunded / if you could give me a refund

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

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[3] CLOSING The end of your letter is as important as the beginning. You usually state what you would like the recipient to do, make a reference to a future event, offer to help… I look forward to hearing from you soon / I look forward to receiving your reply I look forward to receiving a full refund (in a complaint letter) I would like to know what you are going to do about this situation (in a complaint letter) I would like to thank you in advance for this information (in a enquiry letter -requesting information) If you require/Should you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me/feel free to contact me.

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

WRITING

1hr 20min

[4] FINAL SALUTATION Depending on how you started your letter, you will end your letter with (A) Yours sincerely, (B) Yours faithfully, [5] Sign your name and then print your name clearly underneath on another new line Moe Szyslak Moe Szyslak

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

WRITING

1hr 20min

LETTER OF APPLICATION – USEFUL PHRASES Dear …… I am writing to apply for a/the job of ….. which I saw advertised in “The Guardian” newspaper. I am 26 years old and at the moment I am studying … at …. Having studied English for over seven years I am a fluent speaker of the language. My qualifications also include Proficiency certificates in both French and German. As far as experience is concerned, I have worked as …………. for ……….. As for my character, people tell me I am …………… I feel I would be suitable for this job because ………… . This will give me the opportunity to ….. . I would also like the chance to…. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours … name

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

WRITING

1hr 20min

Other things to consider... Range: It is important that you use grammatical expressions and vocabulary appropriate to the level of the exam. Even if there are no mistakes in your writing, you will not be able to get a good grade if you use only the language and vocabulary that you learnt at elementary level. Formal language Use full verb forms and not contractions (do not instead of don’t, would like instead of ‘d like…) Formal vocabulary, usually not using phrasal verbs. More complex sentence structure. Connectors: All good writing makes good use of connectors. You need to use some of the connectors that are more specific to formal language.

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

WRITING

1hr 20min

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

WRITING

1hr 20min

INFORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

Dear Sir/ Madam

My name is Emily and I am a secretary of the Middlesex Science Club. Reading your advert in the newspaper caused a heated discussion amongst club’s members hence we wish to visit and learn more about exhibits. Nevertheless, prior to our tour I was hoping you could answer few questions please. Firstly, we are a group of fifty passionate scientists, and so we are uncertain whether the museum is capable to accommodate such a vast number of visitors. Do you think you could confirm if it essential to book a timeslot and also how far in advance shall we do that? In addition, we are planning to spend a relaxing afternoon while enjoying our lunch, therefore I would be grateful if you could advise whether there is a snack bar or a picnic space available in a close proximity of the museum. Last but not least, we wish to take some photos and maybe record a video to post it on our Facebook page. Could you please let me know whether there are any restrictions in terms of the use of electronic devices such as mobiles with flash? Thank you in advance for all your help. I look forward to receiving your reply. Yours faithfully, Emily Kruszewska

WRITING

1hr 20min

FORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

email 2

email 1

WRITING

1hr 20min

FORMAL LETTER OR EMAIL

email 2

email 1

Phrasal Verbs

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Phrasal Verbs

A Phrasal Verb is an idiomatic combination of two (sometimes three) parts: a verb and an adverba verb and a preposition a verb and an adverb and a preposition.

My car broke down on the motorway. (verb + adverb) Please, look after the children. (verb + preposition) I can't put up with him, he is always complaining. (verb + adverb + preposition)

Many of them are formed from a small number of common verbs (such as get, ask, go, take, come, put and look) and adverbs and prepositions (for example, away, out, for, on, off, up and in). If the second part is a preposition, sometimes they are also called Prepositional Verbs.

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STRUCTURE OF PHRASAL VERBS a verb + adverb throw away a verb + adverb + preposition put up with STRUCTURE OF PREPOSITIONAL VERBS a verb + preposition look after, look at, wait for, think about, talk about, complain about

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs sometimes have meanings that can be easily guessed (for example, sit down or walk along). But in many cases their meanings cannot be guessed from the different parts which make the phrasal verb: for example, put off means to postpone and has no obvious connection with the idea of "putting" and "off".

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When I set off for work this morning, my car broke down, so I ended up taking the bus. As soon as I got off, I bumped into an old schoolmate, Mark. While we were talking, he brought up something I had already found out from some mutual friends- that he had come into some money and had set up his own business. He told me that there was a lot to sort out, and offered to take me on, but I turned him down straight away. When I clocked in, my boss had a go at me, telling me off in front of everyone. When I got over the initial shock, I told her I’d make up for being late, but it turned out that she had blown up over a deal that had fallen through, after a client of mine had pulled out of a contract. She told me that I wouldn’t get away with it, that I’d let everybody down, and just went on and on…. Eventually, I ran out of patience and answered back– I said I was not going to put up with it anymore, and if she wanted to lay me off, she should go ahead. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I stormed out, phoned Mark’s secretary, who put me through to him. I told Mark I’d like to take him up on his offer. So, in the end, everything has worked out perfectly!

An Imperfectly Perfect Day

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listening

40 min

The Cambridge B2 First listening test has 4 parts, 30 questions, and takes about 40 minutes. You normally do this after the Reading and Writing tests, so you might be quite tired before the listening test even begins. Every recording is played twice, but you will have to concentrate hard both times. Let's start this section with some general tips and then discuss each section separately.

listening

40 min

1. BEFORE THE EXAM

Make sure you know what to expect in each part of the exam. Listen to English! There are billions of free videos, presentations, radio shows, podcasts, etc, that you can listen to. Accents - you will hear some standard British and American accents in the exam, but you might also hear Australian, South African, Irish, Scottish... Try to listen to a variety of accents to give you a good chance of understanding everyone.

listening

40 min

Ages - the speakers will range from teenagers to the elderly - so again, make sure you're listening to a variety of types of people. Oh, and don't only listen to men, or only women.Practice listening and writing at the same time! Many of my students complain that they can't listen AND write. But they can - they just need to practice a few times. Learn from your mistakes. If you take some practice tests don't just say 'I got 23 out of 40'. Focus on the ones you got wrong and try to work out WHY you got them wrong. Read the transcripts. Listen again and again until you understand why the answer is the answer and why your answer is the wrong answer. Investing 20 minutes in this activity will have a huge impact!

listening

40 min

2. IN THE EXAM Time management is a way to give yourself an advantage over rival students. I know it's not a competition, but it TOTALLY IS A COMPETITION. Some students who take the exam don't do ANY preparation, if you can believe it. So at the start of every section Cambridge have to tell everybody what to do. So while the other students are listening to that explanation, you can start reading the questions in the next section already.

listening

40 min

2. IN THE EXAM Don't get cocky - you might be 100% sure that your answer is right and think you don't have to listen when the tape is played the second time. Let me remind you that Napoleon was 100% sure it was a good idea to invade Russia in winter. Listen twice and check for possible mistakes. Use whatever time you have to read the questions, underline keywords, and PREDICT possible answers. Guessing the answer before you listen is really helpful - just bear in mind that the answer you chose might be a distractor (see the next section).

listening

40 min

2. IN THE EXAM Time management is a way to give yourself an advantage over rival students. I know it's not a competition, but it TOTALLY IS A COMPETITION. Some students who take the exam don't do ANY preparation, if you can believe it. So at the start of every section Cambridge have to tell everybody what to do. So while the other students are listening to that explanation, you can start reading the questions in the next section already.

listening

40 min

3. DISTRACTORS, LINKERS, AND OTHER CAMBRIDGE FAVOURITES Imagine a listening test where you hear a voice saying 'I have an apple, a banana, and a carrot in my backpack' and your job is to answer the following question: What does the speaker have in his backpack? a] sloth, cushion, basket b] apple, banana, carrot c] egg, bacon, lettuce It's quite easy, right? Well I've got some bad news for you. Cambridge will never, ever, give you a question this easy.

listening

40 min

3. DISTRACTORS, LINKERS, AND OTHER CAMBRIDGE FAVOURITES Instead, they will mention ALL of the answers. This morning I ate a bacon and lettuce sandwich with some sliced egg, and then I went to my job at the zoo where it's my job to make sure the sloths have enough cushions and baskets. I'm on my way to the monkey cages now so I've got a few apples and carrots for them. Oh, and a banana, as you can see poking out of my rucksack.

See that ALL the phrases in a, b, and c were mentioned? Let's look at them more closely: a] It's the speaker's JOB to give cushions and baskets to the sloths. The question is 'what does he have in his backpack?' Meaning right now, and he doesn't say that he has a cushion in his backpack. And he wouldn't carry sloths around in a backpack - he knows sloths prefer to be carried in buckets. Remember, he didn't SAY that he had those things in his backpack and you can't ASSUME that he does. b] He mentions that he has some apples and carrot for the monkeys, and that a banana is sticking out of his rucksack, which is a synonym for backpack. So this is clearly the right answer. Let's just check c before we write anything down. c] He had egg, bacon, and lettuce for breakfast - it's not in his backpack.

listening

40 min

listening

40 min

3. DISTRACTORS, LINKERS, AND OTHER CAMBRIDGE FAVOURITES So that's a basic introduction to DISTRACTORS. What about LINKERS? Linkers are another way Cambridge try to distract you. Here I'm thinking of phrases like 'whereas', 'although', 'however' - all those phrases your English teacher tries to get you to use! What sandwich did the man have for lunch? a] bacon and lettuce b] cheese I normally eat bacon and lettuce sandwiches when I'm working at the zoo. However, today I had a cheese one.

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

listening

40 min

FCE Listening Part 1 Tips The first part of the exam is quite easy, as long as you pay attention and don't get fooled by the distractors. You hear 8 texts (monologues or dialogues) and there's no connection between them. Each question is worth one point. This part of the listening exam tests if you can understand what the speaker's purpose or opinion is. For example, is the man happy, sad, or disappointed? Does the customer want to complain or to give a compliment?

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

listening

40 min

It's also sometimes about understanding the gist of a speech or picking up on details. Let's look at an official Cambridge exam question:

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

listening

40 min

And what you would hear in the exam: “Oh hi it’s me, John. Sorry to miss you – you must’ve already left for work. Look, I wondered if you wanted to come away for the weekend. There’ll be about 10 of us including someone called Sam Brent who says he was at college with you – and he remembers that you were brilliant at rock and roll! They’ve decided it’ll be on October 9, Friday night till Sunday. Anyway, I’ll put the details in the post. I know you’re busy at the moment, so don’t feel you have to come, but just let me know one way or the other when you can. Talk to you soon. Bye.”

If you haven't done it already, take a minute to read through the question and answer and decide if you'd pick A, B, or C. Okay? So this question is all about purpose. Why is the guy calling?

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

listening

40 min

A - to confirm some arrangements. Nope - this call is all about making some new arrangements. 'I wondered if you wanted...' uses the past tense to talk about the future. It's a polite construction. But if you weren't sure it was about the future, there are more clues that it's a new invitation. 'Don't feel like you have to come' isn't something I'd normally say to someone who had already accepted an invitation. And 'let me know one way or another' is definitely about a new invitation. B - to issue an invitation. Yep, this seems to fit. To issue here means 'to give'. C - to persuade someone to do something. Some students might choose this one because it seems like the guy is saying 'please come to my party!' But he isn't. How do we know? The sentence 'don't feel you have to come'.

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

listening

40 min

Conclusion As you can see from this quick example - you have to be able to analyse what you hear - but you also need to know vocabulary such as the difference between confirm and issue, and certainly you'll need to know words like persuade.

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

listening

40 min

some key words you should learn:

Here's a collection of words used in FCE Listening Part 1 questions. Learn as many as you can!

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

listening

40 min

some key words you should learn:

TO PERSUADE - to try to make someone do something. My girlfriend persuaded me to join a gym. TO CONFIRM - to say that something is correct The test confirmed what everyone already knew - the child was deeply stupid. SHOULD - often used to show duty or obligation The government should give more money to schools. (=they don't give enough now)

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

listening

40 min

some key words you should learn:

IRRITATED / IRRITATING - annoyed The teacher was irritated when he realised his students hadn't done any homework. FRUSTRATED / FRUSTRATING - feeling annoyed because you can't change something The student was frustrated because she couldn't understand the grammar. 'Why is English so frustrating?' she yelled. PURPOSE - the reason you do something The purpose of this report is to decide which computer system our school library should buy.

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

listening

40 min

some key words you should learn:

ANXIOUS - feeling worried or nervous The exam results were due to come, and Sally was feeling very anxious. TO APPRECIATE - to understand the value of something When you travel to poor countries, you really appreciate how comfortable your life really is and how lucky you really are. VENUE - the location of an event When selecting a venue for a party, you need to consider the cost, the size, and the location.

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

listening

40 min

some key words you should learn:

TO ENVY / TO BE ENVIOUS - wishing you had something that belongs to someone else I really envy my friend Mike because his girlfriend isn't a complete lunatic. I'm Andrew's girlfriend and I'm envious of women who have normal boyfriends. I don't envy rich people like Donald Trump - their lives don't seem to have much meaning. TO SYMPATHISE - to feel sorry for someone I'm Andrew's girlfriend's best friend and I really sympathise with her - it must be very hard to live with something so weird and moody. I lost my job last year

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

listening

40 min

some key words you should learn:

TO ADMIRE - to think highly of someone I really admire Kamala! I think she's the greatest living American. I want my children to grow up to be just like her. The type of people I admire are the people who have tough lives but they just keep going and they keep smiling. TO LACK - to be without something This flat is really great, but it lacks a balcony.

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

listening

40 min

1. You hear a customer talking to a shop assistant about a coat she bought. What does she want? A a different kind of item В the same item but in a different size C her money back 2. You hear a weather forecast on the radio. Tomorrow, the weather in the east of the country will be A stormy in the morning. В sunny in the afternoon. C foggy in the evening. 3. You hear an office worker talking about cycling to work. What does she enjoy most about it? A getting some exercise each morning В avoiding the traffic into town C thinking about the day ahead

fce-listening 1

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

listening

40 min

4. You hear a radio announcer talking about a competition for writers of short stories. The man says that one of the rules is that A you have to be over sixteen to enter. В you can submit more than one entry. C your entry must be emailed. 5. You hear a conversation about reading. The man enjoys reading books which A have characters that remind him of people he knows. В describe situations that he finds highly amusing. C are set in places that he is unlikely ever to visit. 6. You hear two people talking about watching films on the Internet. What do they agree about? A the advantages of buying films online В the usefulness of reading film reviews C the pleasure of watching films at home

fce-listening 1

A series of 8 short unrelated extracts. There is one multiple choice question per extract

You will hear people talking in eight different situations. For questions 1-8, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

listening

40 min

7. You hear a woman at an airport talking on the phone. Why did she miss her flight? A She was held up by traffic. В There was a long queue at check-in. C She went to the wrong terminal. 8. You hear a man talking about his new job. What attracted him to this job? A the type of work В the opportunities for promotion C the salary offered

fce-listening 1

A monologue or text involving interacting speakers with a sentence completition task with 10 questions

listening

40 min

FCE Listening Part 2 Tips

This is a task called sentence completion. On your answer paper is a text with ten gaps. You listen to a monologue for about 3 minutes and you have to put the missing words (or numbers) into the text. It looks like this:

You get a little time (45 seconds) to read through the text before the recording starts to play. The phrase will never be more than 3 words long. Right, let's take 5 seconds to guess some words that might fit the gap: mother / history / smell / nose / fluffiness. (The last word is pretty unlikely to be the answer - the answers are all at FCE level.)

A monologue or text involving interacting speakers with a sentence completition task with 10 questions

listening

40 min

FCE Listening Part 2 Tips

Here's the transcript:

“Thanks for inviting me tonight. As you know, my main interest is in conservation and I’m lucky enough to work with lots of different organisations looking after animals both in captivity and in the wild. I’d been fascinated by all kinds of bears for a long time before I started working in this field. But it was the spectacled bear that really attracted me – some people find it appealing because of its size and shape, and it’s less well known than other types of bear, but for me I thought it was such a great name!”

A monologue or text involving interacting speakers with a sentence completition task with 10 questions

So what do you think the answer is? The important bit is at the end. 'Some people find it appealing because of its size and shape... but for me it was such a great name!' There's our answer right there. Name. That wasn't one of my guesses but that's okay. We don't guess to get the answer - we guess because it HELPS us get the answer.

listening

40 min

The answer to the next question comes right after the answer to the first question, so you can't waste time admiring your skills.

A monologue or text involving interacting speakers with a sentence completition task with 10 questions

listening

40 min

Quick predictions - arms / legs / ass - any part of the body really. Just don't write 'eyes' or 'cheeks'.

A monologue or text involving interacting speakers with a sentence completition task with 10 questions

listening

40 min

FCE Listening Part 2 Tips

Here's the transcript:

“The name comes from the patches of yellowish fur around the bear’s eyes which grow in a sort of circle shape, like glasses, although these golden markings vary greatly from one bear to another and may not be limited to the eyes – they can extend as far as the bear’s cheeks or even chest”

It's easy when it's written down, isn't it? But it's a listening exam, not a reading exam...

A monologue or text involving interacting speakers with a sentence completition task with 10 questions

MORE TIPS FOR PART 2

listening

40 min

• Never write more than 3 words.
• If the answer is a number, you can write the number. 300 (or you can write three hundred), 1918, etc.
• Be careful to read the whole sentence to make sure your answer fits grammatically. For example, if I wrote 'name that interested her' as my answer to the bear question, I wouldn't get a point. It says 'interested' later in the sentence. See?
• The second question always comes after the first question. There is normally one 'paragraph' for each question - if you look at some transcripts from past papers you'll see what I mean. The first question is answered in the first paragraph - on the recording the speaker leaves a slight pause - then the next question is answered in the next section.

A monologue or text involving interacting speakers with a sentence completition task with 10 questions

MORE TIPS FOR PART 2

listening

40 min

• The sentences on your paper are different from what you hear on the recording. But the words you write should be exactly the same as what you hear.
• Spelling isn't super-important in this part of the exam, though if you spell something really incorrectly you could miss a point. Basically if it's clear that you heard and understood the word, you should get a point. The only way to be REALLY sure of getting a point is to spell it properly!

A monologue or text involving interacting speakers with a sentence completition task with 10 questions

listening

40 min

You will hear an expert snowboarder called Brad Mitchell talking about the sport of extreme snowboarding. For questions 9-18, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.

Extreme snowboarding Brad says there are no 9_______ to warn extreme snowboarders of dangers. Brad advises snowboarders always to follow the 10_______ when descending. Brad always wears a 11_______ when he goes into the mountains. According to Brad, you need a lot of 12_______ to set off down the mountain. Brad particularly enjoys doing several 13_______ when he is going down a slope. Brad says at first he found it difficult to do a good 14_______ on steep slopes. Brad says you must never 15_______ if you feel you’re about to fall. Brad advises against putting your weight on your 16_______ in a fall. Brad always carries a 17_______ in case he is in difficulty following a fall. In the future, Brad would most like to try 18_______ snowboarding.

fce-listening 2

Five short related monologues, with 8 multiple-matching questions

listening

40 min

1. OVERVIEW

In part 3 of the listening test you hear 5 short clips, each from a different speaker, on the same topic.

There are 8 options and you have to match the options to the speakers. Obviously that leaves 3 options that don't match any of the speakers. The introduction is always the same and you should pay attention to two things:

In this example, the topic is a visit to a city, which probably means vocabulary about travel and cities. You have to say what the speaker liked most about the city. Without looking at the options, what would you expect to see on the list? The food, the weather, the architecture, the people?

Five short related monologues, with 8 multiple-matching questions

listening

40 min

Five short related monologues, with 8 multiple-matching questions

listening

40 min

2. WHAT SKILLS DOES PART 3 TEST?

This part of the exam is about understanding attitudes and opinions, plus your ability to work out the overall meaning of what someone is saying. For example, you might hear 5 people talking about their last holiday, and you have to decide if their holiday was stressful or fun, expensive or cheap. That means understanding that a person was happy with his holiday even though he never used the exact word 'happy'.

Five short related monologues, with 8 multiple-matching questions

listening

40 min

3. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MISTAKES STUDENTS MAKE?

Mistake 1 One trap a lot of students fall into is hearing specific words on the audio and matching them with words in the options. For example, take a closer look at two of the options from the last exercise:

Five short related monologues, with 8 multiple-matching questions

listening

40 min

Now 'listen' to speaker 1.

“Oh my time in Rome was fantastic! All the people are so well dressed - they’re so stylish! And the markets were great fun - really good!”

Is the answer C or D? Think about it... Done?

Five short related monologues, with 8 multiple-matching questions

listening

40 min

Mistake 2 don't listen for ten seconds and then write your answer. That's a big mistake because the answer can be in the middle or the end of each speech. It's a DOUBLE mistake because if you write 'B' as the answer for question 1, but B is really the answer for question 4, then you're sure to get two questions wrong. It's a listening test and you have to listen to all! The good news is you get to listen twice - use the opportunity to check your answer the second time round.

Five short related monologues, with 8 multiple-matching questions

listening

40 min

Mistake 3 Read the task and options before. It's not the time to draw little spider webs on the page. What you should be doing, as you know, is reading the options and underlining key words!

Five short related monologues, with 8 multiple-matching questions

listening

40 min

4. CASE STUDY Let's 'listen' to one of the speakers from the example above and discuss it a bit.

“We were pretty tired when we first arrived so we were glad just to relax. We’d booked late and I have to say that the room wasn’t the best I’ve stayed in. But we had a view of the lake, which was a real treat – we were really impressed by the forests and mountains around the city. We made good use of the swimming pool, though we were too lazy to go to the famous markets. We didn’t take advantage of all the shows either. Lots of people told us how good they were so that was a pity. And the theatres themselves were supposed to be impressive.”

Here are the options: A the efficiency of the public transport system B the natural beauty of the scenery C the variety of goods in the markets D the style of the architecture

E the well-designed plan of the city F the helpfulness of the people G the range of leisure opportunities H the standard of the accommodation

Five short related monologues, with 8 multiple-matching questions

You will hear five short extracts in which people talk about habits they find difficult to control.For questions 19-23, choose from the list (A-H) the habit each person has. Use the letters only once. There are three extra letters which you do not need to use.

listening

40 min

fce-listening 3

A eating unhealthy food В doing too much exercise C buying unnecessary items D watching too much television E spending too much time online F oversleeping G working too hard H arriving late for everything

Speaker 1 19 Speaker 2 20 Speaker 3 21 Speaker 4 22 Speaker 5 23

A monologue or text involving interactive speakers with 7 mulitple-choice questions

listening

40 min

FCE Listening Part 4

You hear an interview or conversation (about 3 minutes long) and have to answer 7 multiple choice questions. By this time, you might be quite tired from concentrating so this will be a challenge even if you’re normally quite good at this kind of task.

Like in the rest of the listening test, you have to ignore distractors, listen for linking words, and understand the meaning of what the people are saying.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE After underlining key information, eliminating wrong answers, and choosing the right answer, your paper might look like this:

A monologue or text involving interactive speakers with 7 mulitple-choice questions

listening

40 min

A monologue or text involving interactive speakers with 7 mulitple-choice questions

listening

40 min

READ THE QUESTION - CAREFULLY!

Make sure you read the questions carefully because some of the answers might be true without being the answer. A good example is when the question asks you to find the main reason for something. Example: What’s the main reason the writer moved to Spain? a) the weather b) his girlfriend c) the food *** As you can see, the speaker mentions all three choices - the food, his girlfriend, the food. But only one is the MAIN reason for his move.

A monologue or text involving interactive speakers with 7 mulitple-choice questions

listening

40 min

GUESS BEFORE YOU LISTEN

Another good tip is to think what the answer will be before you hear the recording. But while that can be VERY helpful, some students go too far with it. i.e. imagine you’re a banker and this question comes up: What is the speaker’s opinion of bankers? a) They are true heroes; princes among men b) They are thieves and criminals c) They are bad people in good suits Sometimes my students will decide ‘the answer must be A, of course!’ and as a result they don’t listen to the audio. The correct method is to think, ‘My answer is A, but I wonder what the speaker says?’ That way, you are alert and attentive.

A monologue or text involving interactive speakers with 7 mulitple-choice questions

listening

40 min

MORE TIPS

• When you’re practicing this before the exam, don’t only try to find the answer. Also say why the wrong answers are wrong. That will really help you build the skills you need to do well in the exam.
• The answers are in the same order as the questions.
• You’ve got a lot of text to read in part 4, so as soon as part 3 finishes, turn to part 4 and start underlining key words.
• As always, be very suspicious when you hear the exact words from the answers in the audio.
• You probably won’t know every word, so sometimes you’ll have to guess the meaning. That’s a skill you can work on while you’re preparing. Take a text with a new word and instead of reaching for your phone to check the meaning, think about what it could mean from the context.

A monologue or text involving interactive speakers with 7 mulitple-choice questions

You will hear Leonie Steiner talking to an interviewer about her work as a music teacher in a school. For questions 24-30, choose the best answer (A, В or C).

listening

40 min

24. Leonie first starting learning the piano A with a relative. B at primary school. C with a private teacher. 25. Leonie started giving music lessons A for the pleasure of seeing others learn. B because she needed some extra money. C to see if she was suited to teaching. 26. Leonie most likes to teach students wh A have great natural talent at an early age. B need good teaching to develop their talent. C have previously been taught badly.

fce-listening 4

A monologue or text involving interactive speakers with 7 mulitple-choice questions

listening

40 min

27. Leonie thinks that schools should A employ far more music teachers. B buy good musical instruments. C ensure that all their pupils pass music exams. 28. Leonie thinks the problem with singing in schools is that A many students are too embarrassed to sing. B few students want to learn how to sing. C singing is not often taught in them nowadays. 29. Leonie believes her success as a music teacher is a result of A choosing a particular age group of children to teach. B the training she received as a student teacher. C a natural ability to communicate with young people. 30. What decision did Leonie find difficult to make? A to turn down the offer of a job abroad B to refuse promotion in the school C to continue teaching when she felt tired

fce-listening 4

SPEAKING

15min

Cambridge B2 First Speaking Test Introduction

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

• What the exam looks like
• How many parts there are
• What to do in each part
• Some ideas of what to say and how to say it
• Mistakes to avoid And much more!

SPEAKING

15min

Cambridge B2 First Speaking Test Introduction

3. A QUICK GUIDE TO THE SPEAKING TEST

You and another student will sit in front of two examiners. One of the examiners will talk to you and the other one will take notes. (Cambridge call these people the interlocutor and the assessor but let's only make reference to the one who asks you questions, and I will call that person 'the examiner'.) (NOTE - the last group of the day can have 3 students, so it's a good idea to practice that situation.) There are 4 sections with different things to do in each section.

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

Cambridge B2 First Speaking Test Part 1

1. WHO TALKS?

The examiner asks you a question. You reply to the examiner. You don't have to talk to your partner in this part of the exam. It will take about 2 minutes. Cambridge want to help you relax in the test so they start with some nice, easy questions. Don't worry if you get off to a bad start - a lot of candidates start badly because they are nervous

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

Cambridge B2 First Speaking Test Part 1

2. WHICH QUESTIONS TO EXPECT

Questions are normally on these topics:

• Your hobbies
• Your work or education
• Things you like and things you don't like
• Friends and family
• Holidays
• Sports
• Future plans

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

First Certificate Speaking Questions

1. starters

6.Entertainment

8.Free Time

5.Travel and Holidays

2. Where You Live Now and Your Home Country

7.Family and Friends

9.Sports

3.Daily Life

4.Education and Work

10.The Future

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

3. HELP! I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION!

Don't stress. Politely ask the examiner to repeat it. Please could you repeat that? Could you say that again, please?

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

4. USE THE GRAMMAR OF THE QUESTION IN YOUR ANSWER

Here's a silly mistake: Do you enjoy cooking? Yes, I enjoy to cook. Why not use the same grammar as the question in your answer? Do you enjoy cooking? Yes, I enjoy cooking. Here's another example: Are you going to go on holiday this year? Yes, I'm going to go to Mexico. It's going to be my first time. You don't always have to do this - English is quite flexible. But for now, this method will help you avoid mistakes.

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

5. DON'T BE A ROBOT

In FCE, you shouldn't speak like a robot. So don't write down answers to questions and memorise them. Instead, learn a few keywords and speak naturally, like you would do in your own language.

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

6. WHAT ARE SOME GOOD KEYWORDS?

What is your job? Oh! How to say it in English? The first keyword you should learn is the name of your own job! Don't you think?! What is your job? I'm an architect. Then learn the jobs of your parents, boyfriend, best friend etc. My mother's a retired teacher. My father's an archeologist. My boyfriend is a luthier.

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

6. WHAT ARE SOME GOOD KEYWORDS?

You should definitely learn some nice phrases about hobbies. For example, the phrase 'to be keen on' means 'to like'. What are your hobbies? I'm keen on gardening. How about holidays? In the FCE exam you should know the difference between 'travel', 'cruise', and 'flight' - you could easily use these words if asked about holidays. What sort of holidays do you like? I'm actually not too keen on travel, and I really hate flights. I like cruises, though. That's my favourite. Get the idea? As I said before, you're not learning whole speeches, just a few words you can use at the right time.

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

7. HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU SAY?

It's okay to give short answers here, but I don't let my students say 'yes' or 'no'. Your answer shouldn't be shorter than the question! Here are some GOOD examples: 'Where are you from, Victoria?' 'I'm from Germany, from the north coast of Germany." And: "And Edward?" "I'm from Peru. I live in the capital, Lima. It's near the coast." If you watched the video above, you'll hear Victoria tries to keep talking after saying 'the north coast of Germany'. The examiner stops her - that was TOO much detail. So answer the question in a simple way, then add ONE extra sentence.

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

8. HOW TO PRACTICE

• You can practice this with another student (or a friend who speaks some English well enough to reply to your conversation)
• If you're alone, record yourself using your phone. If you've got a 'study buddy' ask permission to film. Not enough of my students do this, but the ones that do say it's VERY helpful. You will notice mistakes and you will be able to ask yourself questions like 'Did I answer the question? Did I sound like a robot?'
• To write their own questions and then "interview yourself"

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation between the interlocutor and each candidate (spoken questions)

9. CHECKLIST

• Do I sound like a robot?
• Were my answers too short, too long, or just right?
• Did I use my keywords?

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

Cambridge B2 First Speaking Test Part 2 (It's easy when you know how.)

Overview

• Part two of the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Speaking test is called the 'Long Turn' because you and student B take turns to give long speeches. You get two colour photos. You have to talk about them on your own for a minute. When you finish, the examiner asks the other student (student B) a question about your photos - student B should talk for about 30 seconds.
• Then student B gets two photos and has to talk about them for one minute. When that is over, the examiner asks you a question, and now you have about 30 seconds to answer

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

Cambridge B2 First Speaking Test Part 2 (It's easy when you know how.)

In this part of the test, nobody should interrupt you, and you shouldn't talk when the other student is talking.

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

More Detail: Part 2

The photos are always different but the process is always the same. The examiner will ask you to COMPARE the photos AND SAY something about them. Study these examples from past exams: Compare the photographs and say why they have chosen to travel in this way. Compare the photographs and say why you think the people are talking. Compare the photographs and say what the people are enjoying about doing these things. See the pattern? So the first thing you should learn is how to compare things, and make sure you answer the second part of the question.

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

Useful Phrases for FCE Speaking Part 2 - The Long Turn

Here are some useful phrases you can use in part 2 of the FCE speaking test. All the example sentences are based on these photos.

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

The top picture shows... The bottom picture shows... [The top picture shows a man riding a bicycle, while the bottom picture shows a man riding a motorbike.] In one photo there are... In the other photo there are... [In one photo there are some wonderful, snow-covered trees while in the other photo there are cars in the background.] In the picture above it looks as if... In the one below it looks like... [In the picture above it looks as if a bear is chasing the man while in the one below it looks like the man is chasing somebody else.]

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

Both pictures show... In both pictures there are... They're both quite similar because they both show... [Both pictures show men traveling on their own.] There are... in both photographs. [There are men riding alone in both photographs.] This picture shows... but that one... [This one shows a cold country but that one looks quite hot.] In one respect the pictures are quite similar because... [In one respect the pictures are quite similar because the men look very fit and sporty.]

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

One difference between the pictures is that... [One difference between the pictures is that we can see other cars and people in this picture.] The biggest difference between them is that this one... but the other one... [The biggest difference between them is that this one has a bear in it but the other one doesn't have any bears.] This one looks more ... than that. [This one looks more fun than that.] Doing ... isn't so ... as... [Riding a motorbike in a busy city isn't so healthy as riding a bike in the fresh air.]

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

In my opinion... I'd say that...I think... It seems to me... My view is that... [My view is that this bear has been photoshopped into that picture.] Another thing that's different is... Something else that's different is... [This is a cold place, whereas this place looks hot. Another thing that's different is that this motorbike looks quite old and cheap, while the bike seems quite expensive.] They're alike in another way, too. [Both men look strong and healthy. They're alike in another way, too - they are both adventurous and don't mind traveling alone.]

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

Common Mistakes

Most FCE students describe the photos. Nobody asked you to describe them! You are asked to compare - there's a big difference. Describing has ONE element - This man is riding a bike. Comparing has TWO elements - This picture shows a man riding a bike while this one shows a motorbike.If you forget a word or make a mistake, don't worry. Just keep talking. You have to talk for one minute. Mistakes are normal. Keep going! How about an example? Compare the two photos and say what might be good or bad for the people traveling in these ways.

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

BAD: There is a man riding a bicycle. He has a helm. Um... helm. Hat? Helmhat? Helmet! Yes, he has a helmet. This man is on a motor bicycle. There is a yellow taxi behind him. Um... I finished. (Problems: described the photos - didn't compare - wasted time on one word - didn't say what might be good or bad.)

SPEAKING

15min

GOOD: Both pictures show men on their own. In the picture on the top there's a man on a bicycle while in the other picture he's got a motorbike. In the first photo he's out in the countryside somewhere, maybe in Scandinavia. In contrast, this man is in a city and it looks quite dusty and polluted. Here in the first image, though, we can see it looks clean and the air seems fresh. I think there are good things about traveling by bicycle - it's good exercise and it's very healthy. And cheap! On the other hand, riding a motorbike doesn't give any health benefits and it's much more expensive because you have to buy petrol. What about the downsides of the bicycle? I suppose it isn't very safe because cars don't respect you. But that's the same on the motorbike sometimes. Oh, the bike is quite slow - much slower than the motorbike. That's the really good thing about the motorbike - the speed, and it's easy to find a parking space!

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

Practice

It's easy to practice - you just need two photos on a similar theme. Make sure they have people in. I just typed the word 'travel' into google image search. The first two photos are PERFECT:

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

Practice

They've both got two people, but the first one looks like two friends and in the other it looks like a couple. The first shows a trip to the countryside while the second is in a city. What sort of question would the examiner ask? Compare the two photos and ... say what is good and bad about these types of holidays say what the people are looking at and why say why they have chosen this sort of holiday. Easy, right? Now you know how to make your own exam-style questions, you can practice whenever you want.

SPEAKING

15min

A conversation individual "long turn" for each candidate, with a brief response from the second candidate *

5. The Follow-Up Question

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

5. The Follow-Up Question

Let's say student B was given the photos from part 4. He would talk for one minute, and then the examiner would ask you a question about the photos. Something simple like: Which of these holidays would you prefer? You should talk for about 30 seconds. How many sentences can you say in half a minute. Three? Four? Let's say you can say three sentences in 30 seconds. You could say something like this: Well, that's a very difficult question because I like both types of holiday. It's very interesting going somewhere outside of the city because I like to get some fresh air and see some dramatic things. But probably my first choice would be to go to a city, because there are also nice things to see but then I can get an ice cream whenever I want.

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

exercises part 2

PROMPT 2

PROMPT 1

Don't settle for 3-star performance Part 3 of the Speaking Test overview

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

You're given a spider web with five keywords linking to a question. It looks like this:

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

You speak to your partner, and listen to what they say.

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

3. Collaborative task

Have you ever played chess with a clock? You make your move, hit the button, your clock stops ticking and your partner's clock starts. It would be very useful to have one of these clocks while practicing this part of the exam. At the end you should both have spoken about the same amount of time. (Of course 5 or 10 seconds difference is no big deal.) Another way to think of it is like a tennis practice - you hit the ball to your partner with the goal of playing for as long as possible. You will get a good grade if you ask questions and react to what the other student says. You will get a bad grade if you are selfish, don't listen, or try to monopolise the conversation.

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

4. What if my partner is shy or aggressive?

There's normally no need to worry about this. First, you can find a speaking test partner and register for the exam together. Then you will know who your speaking test partner will be. Problem solved. Second, if you do end up with an aggressive speaking partner, you will have lots of time in parts 1, 2, and 4 to show your speaking skills. In part 3, try your best to politely interrupt and to be sociable - the examiners will notice and you will gain points while the other student is losing them. If your partner is too shy, just give them opportunities to talk as normal, wait a few seconds for an answer, then answer them yourself if needed. You know - exactly what you would do in your own language

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

5. I can't talk about 5 points in detail in 2 minutes!

True! And you don't have to. In fact, you probably shouldn't. it's much better to have a really good, deep conversation about three of the topics than to race through and mention five. The good discussions in my classes tend to hit 3 or 4 topics.

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

6. Help! We don't agree about anything!

it doesn't matter - it's all about opinions. There are no right or wrong answers, only good or bad discussions. If you disagree, explain why. Try to persuade your partner that your way is right. But also, when your partner says something good, react. 'Oh, that's a good point, I hadn't thought of that.'

Cambridge are only interested in the quality of the discussion and the quality of your language (your grammar and vocabulary). You won't lose points if you say something crazy like: “We shouldn’t build new parks because tourists hate green spaces. We should build more concrete buildings if we want to attract more tourists.” In fact, those sentences are relevant to the task (providing parks is one of the 5 topics) and there's some good vocabulary.

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

7. What's the best way to do it?

• LISTEN to your partner. Don't just wait for your turn to speak. Be interested in what they are saying and politely agree or disagree. If you disagree, try to persuade them to change their idea, but don't spend too long doing that.
• Refer back to things you already said.
• Say a couple of sentences then ask a question. Never answer your own questions!
• Try to look at your speaking partner more than the paper.
• Some students turn their chair a little bit - towards the other student. This helps them to remember who they should talk to.

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

8. What are some useful phrases I should learn?

• Would you like a list of phrases you can use in the speaking exam? You would? Then you're in luck!

I've split the phrases into different sections, and at the bottom of the page is an example conversation which uses some of the phrases in a natural way.

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

8. What are some useful phrases I should learn?

Which one shall we start with? What do you think, Bob? Bob, I think you know a lot about [topic]. What's your opinion on it?

Getting Started

Shall we move onto [topic] now? So what about [topic]? I wonder if we can compare [current topic] to [new topic]? What about this one? [pointing to topic] What do you think about this idea? How do you feel about that one? We're running out of time, so let's move on. We still need to discuss [topic]. Ah, that connects with the next topic. [Topic] is pretty similar to the last one - maybe we can skip it for now?

Moving to the Next Item

What do you think? Don't you agree? Do you have anything to say about that? Do you have anything to add to that? Did I forget anything?

Ending Your Turn

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

8. What are some useful phrases I should learn?

Sorry to interrupt but... Just a second...

Interrupting

Right. Good point. I fully agree. I was just thinking that! I was just going to say that! That's just what I was thinking. I couldn't agree more. You're totally right.

Agreeing

Maybe, but what about...? I think it would be better to... I'm not so keen on that. I don't really agree with you there. Weeeeeell maybe, but... Yeah, but, the thing is... The problem with what you said is... For one thing...[reason 1] And for another... [reason 2]

Disagreeing (with reasons)

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

8. What are some useful phrases I should learn?

9. Got any more tips?

Reaching a Decision

Well, I think it's definitely not [topic] We can eliminate [topic] right away. Don't you think? So then, what do you think is the best one? I guess you think we should choose [topic]? Are we both in favour of [topic]? Okay, so we agree. I don't think we're going to agree on this! Let's agree to disagree!

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

9. GOT ANY MORE TIPS?

• Don't introduce the task. There's really no point saying 'So, Bob, today we have to talk about attracting more tourists to our town.' Everyone in the room knows what the task is! Repeating it is just a waste of time.
• In part 1, don't talk about what the most important or best thing is. That is normally the question for part 2. If you look at the example question at the top of this page. It's a very important difference! Always focus on what the question says.
• If your speaking partner is talking about the wrong thing, bring them back to the task. Say, 'that's very interesting but we should talk about why more tourists would come'.

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

10. What about the second part?

Everything we said about the first part (2 minutes) applies to the second part (1 minute). You have to take turns, respond to your partner, agree and disagree, and so on.The only difference is the task. It's normally something like 'now decide which of the 5 topics is the most important'. DON'T start by saying what you think is the most important! This may seem crazy at first, but look:- I think providing parks will bring the most tourists because they will have a place to relax, especially in Summer.- I totally agree.

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

end conversation!

There's another 45 seconds left! What are you going to discuss? Nothing useful, that's for sure!

How about this: - I think the answer definitely isn't putting up security cameras. It might make some people feel safer but mostly it's just ugly and maybe people will think the city isn't so safe if there is such a need for cameras. What do you think?

- I totally agree. I think tourists don't want the NSA watching everything they do. [Great! Now we have 40 seconds left.] - I think building a nightclub would bring some tourists but would put off some others. - Yes, especially older ones. The best solution has to be something that's right for teenagers, their parents, and the elderly. Right? - Absolutely. - So I think maybe providing parks will bring the most tourists because they will have a place to relax, especially in Summer. - And as you said, it's something for people of all ages. You see how starting with something that isn't the best leads to a better conversation?

SPEAKING

15min

A two-way conversation between the candidates *

exercises part 3

PROMPT 2

PROMPT 1

SPEAKING

15min

A discussion on topics realted to PART 3 (spoken questions)

part 4 Overview

In this part of the test you have about 4 minutes to talk about the topics from part 3 in more detail. You are tested on your ability to give opinions, give reasons for your opinions, and your ability to politely discuss things with your partner. The examiner asks you a question. You answer it. But it's not the same as part 1. It's more like part 3 - you should respond to your partner's answers, and you should ask for their opinions.

SPEAKING

15min

A discussion on topics realted to PART 3 (spoken questions)

2. Top Tips

• The questions in part 4 are not written down, so you have to listen carefully. If you don't understand the question, ask the examiner to repeat it.
• Look at the examiner when you give your answer, but then look at your partner when you are talking to each other.
• Always explain your answers. 'Yes I think having computers in schools is a good idea because the children get used to using technology and it will make it easier for them to get a job in the future.' If you don't explain your answers, the examiner will always ask 'why?' It's much better if you say why on your own.

SPEAKING

15min

A discussion on topics realted to PART 3 (spoken questions)

• 'I don't know' is a BAD answer. You can say, 'Oh, what a question! I never thought about it before, but maybe...' That gives you a little bit of time to think of something to say.

• Be interested in what your partner says. Agree or disagree with them as in part 3. There are no right or wrong answers, only good or bad conversations. You can practice this if you're taking an FCE course - in the class always ask your partner's opinions on topics and always ask 'why?'
• Use some interesting vocabulary, and try to use a variety of words. e.g. instead of 'good' you might say amazing;interesting;costly;over-rated or another word you have learned. All those words fit in this sentence: 'Giving iPads to schoolchildren is a(n) ______________ idea.'
• When the exam is over, say goodbye but don't ask how well you did. They aren't allowed to tell you and it just puts them in an embarrassing situation. Also, don't start laughing or speaking your own language until you have left the room - it's not a job interview but there's no reason to make a bad impression.

SPEAKING

15min

A discussion on topics realted to PART 3 (spoken questions)

3. Which Questions Do They Ask?

They will ask questions about the topics from part 3. Some possible topics are:

• Travel
• Your Home Country/City
• Learning English
• Shopping
• Free Time
• TV
• Work

SPEAKING

15min

A discussion on topics realted to PART 3 (spoken questions)

TRAVEL

Do you think you have to spend a lot of money to have a good holiday?

Some people say we travel too much these days and shouldn't go on so many holidays. What do you think?

Why do you think people like to go away on holiday?

What do you think is the biggest advantage of living in a place where there are a lot of tourists?

SPEAKING

15min

A discussion on topics realted to PART 3 (spoken questions)

WHERE YOU LIVE

What can people do to have a good holiday in your country?

What's good about living in cities in your country?

Which is the best city for people to visit in your country?

If you could choose to visit a city you've never been to, which one would you choose?

Would you prefer to live in a modern city or a city with lots of history?

Are there advantages to living in a small town rather than in a big city?

Do you think it is better for children to grow up in the city or in the countryside?

SPEAKING

15min

A discussion on topics realted to PART 3 (spoken questions)

HISTORY

What do you think makes a good museum?

How do you think the teaching of history in schools could be improved?

Do you agree that learning about our past is important for our future?

What was the most important moment in the history of the twentieth century?

What has been the most important moment in your life so far?

What items from our lives today will be in the history museums of the future?

SPEAKING

15min

A discussion on topics realted to PART 3 (spoken questions)

LIFE AND LEISURE

If you could change one thing about your life, what would you change?

Many people say life's too busy these days. Why do you think they say this?

Many people want to become famous nowadays. Why do you think this is?

is it important to enjoy a job or do you think it's enough to be paid well?

How important is it to go on holiday every year?

Some people say we don't spend enough time talking to each other these days. What do you think?

SPEAKING

15min

A discussion on topics realted to PART 3 (spoken questions)

TV AND FILMS

Is watching TV the best way for people to spend their free time?

What kind of TV programmes do you like best?

Some people have more than one television in their home. Do you think this is a good idea?

Do you think children generally watch too much television in your country?

Is television the best way of following the news in the world?

Do you think watching TV is a good way to learn a language?

What sort of films do you never watch?

Are there any films that you’d like to see again?

Would you prefer to be in a film or behind the camera?

How important do you think it is to watch films in English?

What can you learn about a country’s culture by watching films from that country?

SPEAKING

15min

A discussion on topics realted to PART 3 (spoken questions)

4. Useful Language for Part 4

• BUYING TIME

• GIVING YOUR OPINION

• GIVING REASONS FOR YOUR OPINIONS

• ADDING REASONS

• ASKING YOUR SPEAKING PARTNER

• INTERRUPTING POLITELY

• TRYING TO CHANGE AN OPINION

the end