Exam format
How many papers are there in the exam and what are they called?
4: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking
Name 5 rooms in a house.
bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, dining room, etc
never, rarely, hardly ever, occasionally, sometimes, often, usually, always, etc.
What should you do if your partner talks too much or too little during the speaking test?
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?
sofa, armchair, bed, coffee table, dining table, chair, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, wardrobe, etc.
How many tasks do you have to do in the Writing
paper and what text types can you be asked to write?
2
Part 1: informal email
Part 2: article or story
Name 10 free-time activities
playing football, dancing, playing tennis, hanging out with friends, going swimming, jogging, playing video games, watching TV, taking photos, playing a musical instrument, etc
What's the difference between the Present Simple and the Present Continuous? (present meanings)
Use the Present Simple to talk about:
repeated habitual actions, something which is generally true and permanent, facts
Use the Present Continuous to talk about:
something happening now, a temporary situation, something happening around now but not necessarily at the moment.
Where should you write your answers to the listening test while you are listening?
On the question paper.
Sarah is a __________ swimmer__________ me. (good)
It is the _______________(delicious) food I've ever tried.
Sarah is a BETTER swimmer THAN me. (good)
It is the MOST DELICIOUS food I've ever tried.
How long does the speaking test take and how many parts are there?
12 minutes
4 parts
Name 10 holiday activities.
sightseeing, buying souvenirs, visiting museums, visiting art galleries, going to the beach, snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing, eating out, hill-walking, cycling, etc.
Complete the sentences with the Past Simple or Past Continuous.
The phone ___________(ring) while I ________________(watch) TV. I _________(decide) not to answer because I ____________(want) to miss anything.
The phone RANG while I WAS WATCHING TV. I DECIDED not to answer because I DIDN'T WANT to miss anything.
What can help you identify the correct sentence to insert in Part 4 of the Reading paper?
Look carefully at the sentences before and after the gap.
Try to find, synonyms, pronouns and linking expressions which help the text hang together.
Name 3 things you need to remember to take with you on the exam day.
Valid ID, statement of entry, pen, pencil, rubber
Describe part 2 of the Reading paper.
There are 5 descriptions of people who have specific needs/preferences.
You have to match each person to the short text which meets their needs.
Find the opposites for these adjectives
near empty cheap clean lively beautiful narrow noisy
near/far empty/full, crowded cheap/expensive clean/dirty lively/dull beautiful/ugly narrow/wide noisy/quiet
Correct any mistakes.
They hadn’t to pay. It was free.
I must to buy a present for my friend. It’s her birthday.
I had to queue for ages at the airport and almost missed my flight.
They DIDN'T HAVE TO pay. It was free.
I must buy a present for my friend. It’s her birthday.
I had to queue for ages at the airport and almost missed my flight.
What should you include in your plan before you start writing in the Writing paper and how much time should you spend on this?
Layout, paragraphs, key points and supporting examples, useful linking expressions, impressive vocabulary and grammatical structures.
About 5 minutes.
Make sure you don’t lift too much language from the exam question.
Countable or uncountable?
luggage wardrobe information microwave furniture advice sofa cushion
Countable: wardrobe, microwave, sofa, cushion
Uncountable: luggage, information, furniture, advice
What are the names of the areas examiners assess when correcting the writing paper? What do they refer to?
Content, Communicative Achievement, Organisation and Language.
Content: all key points included, expanded and relevant.
Communicative Achievement: appropriate layout and register for task and text type.
Organisation: paragraphing, linking expressions, how the text flows and hangs together.
Language: range and variety of grammatical structures and lexis.
Find phrasal verbs with these meanings.
have a good relationship with
discover
become an adult
invent
finish something that you need
take care of someone
get on with
find out
grow up
make up
run out of
look after
Describe the difference between the Present Perfect and the Past Simple and give an example of each one.
Use Past Simple for completed past actions. The time is specified.
Use Present Perfect for general past experiences, we don't say when they happened.
What should you do in Reading Part 6 if you are not sure about the missing words?
Think about the type of word that is missing and insert something suitable.
e.g. adjective, plural noun, adverb, etc.
Explain the difference between -ed and -ing adjectives and give examples.
-ed: describe how you feel (EFFECT)
-ing: describes the person or thing which causes the feeling (CAUSE).
I feel tirED because the gym is tirING.