Exam Format
How many papers are there in the Preliminary for Schools exam? What are they
4: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking
Name 5 school subjects
history, maths, science, geography, ICT, P.E., R.E.,English, French, Italian, Spanish, law, etc.
Complete the sentence with (an) appropriate present tense(s).
I ________ (can-negative) hang out with you now because I ______________ (do) my homework.
I __CAN'T_____ (can-negative) hang out with you now because I _AM DOING_____ (do) my homework.
What should you do if you don't know the word to describe something you see in the photo in Speaking Part 2?
1. Avoid it, if possible, and describe other things in the picture.
2. Give a definition of the word.
e.g. It's the thing you use to hit the ball when you play tennis.
Name 5 sports
swimming, karate, football, basketball, volleyball, skiing, hockey, cycling, rugby, badminton, etc.
How many texts do you need to write in the Writing paper?
2
Name 6 places you can often find in a school.
classrooms, teachers' room, IT room, gym, science lab, hall, reception playground, canteen, etc.
Complete the sentences with appropriate modal verbs.
1. You ____________ save up to go on holiday.
(I think it's a good idea.)
2. In Italy you ____________________ wear a uniform at secondary school.(It's not necessary.)
1. You ___SHOULD______ save up to go on holiday. (I think it's a good idea.)
2. In Italy you _DON'T HAVE TO_____ wear a uniform at secondary school.(It's not necessary.)
What should you do if your partner speaks too much or doesn't speak enough in Speaking Part 3?
Too much: interrupt politely, e.g. Can I say/add something?
Not enough: ask for his/her opinion, e.g. What do you think? Do you agree with me?
Name 3 items of jewellery.
bracelet, earrings, necklace, ring, etc.
What text types do you have two write in the Writing paper?
An email, an article and a story
Name 10 items of clothing
shirt, blouse, t-shirt, trousers, jeans, hoodie, shorts, skirt, shirt, socks, shoes, trainers, dress, top, sweater, jumper, etc.
Complete the sentence using (an) appropriate past tense(s).
While I _______________(shop) in the city centre, I ____________ (meet) my best friend.
While I _WAS SHOPPING_____(shop) in the city centre, I ____MET________ (meet) my best friend.
If you choose to write a story in Writing Part 2, what should you include and/or pay attention to?
Name at least 3 things.
1. Accurate use of narrative tenses
2. Time expressions to describe the order of events
3. Adjectives to describe people, places and feelings
4. Adverbs
5. Be sure to have a clear idea of the story in your head before you start writing.
What is the difference between -ed and -ing adjectives? Give examples
-ed adjectives describe feelings.
-ing adjectives describe the thing that causes these feelings.
I feel tired. (feeling)
Studying all day is tiring. (the cause of the feeling)
How long does the speaking test last and how many parts are in it?
10-12 minutes
4 parts
Name 5 different materials that clothes and accessories can be made of.
cotton, leather, wool, silver, gold, silk, metal, plastic, etc.
Put the adjectives in the correct order to make a grammatically accurate sentence.
When I was shopping at the outlet, I saw a __________________________________ bag.
(leather, beautiful, red, round, Italian, big)
In Listening Part 3 (sentence completion),
what should you do before the recording starts in order to help you complete the task?
Try to identify what type of information is missing. Are you listening for a name, a number, a noun, etc.
Provide 3 ways in which you could agree and 3 in which you could disagree with your partner in the Speaking exam. Don't be rude!
Agreeing:
I couldn't agree more./You are right./I agree with you. /That's true., etc.
Disagreeing: I disagree with you because..../ I don't agree with you because.../I'm not sure about that because.../ I don't think so because...
Which aspects of your speaking ability are assessed in the speaking test?
Grammar and Vocabulary
Discourse Management (fluency)
Pronunciation
Interactive communication
Name 5 phrasal verbs with 'in' and say what they mean.
hand in= submit
join in= participate
give in= stop trying
believe in= feel confident that you or someone else is good or right
get in = manage to enter a place
stay in= stay at home
Describe the form and use of the Present Perfect Simple. Give at least two uses and example sentences
Form: have/has + past participle
Use:
1. for something which started in the past and is still true now
2. for something which started in the past and is connected with the present
3. for general past experiences
4. for recent past actions
In reading Part 4 (where you have to insert the missing sentences), what kind of words can help you understand which sentence to insert?
Name at least 3.
1. pronouns
2. synonyms
3. linking words
4. paraphrase
Give the Past Simple forms and Past Participles for the following verbs.
speak
fall
ride
buy
begin
speak spoke spoken
fall fell fallen
ride rode ridden
buy bought bought
begin began begun