In Cambridge First (FCE) Speaking Part 3, useful phrases can be anything that helps you keep the communication going. This is the collaborative task in the exam, where you have to communicate with your partner about a topic that is provided for you by the examiner. The topic includes a question to discuss and several […]
First (FCE) Speaking Part 3 Useful Phrases Read More »
Writing Part 1 of IELTS: Academic features writing a 150 word description of a graph or a process. To succeed in this writing task, you have to give precise and clear details about the graph that you are provided. This is very specific language, but once you’ve done it a few times, you can rinse
IELTS Academic Writing Part 1 – Describing change and surveys Read More »
Giving advice is such a key area of functional language. It’s useful in real life and it’s useful for official exams. For the collaborative task in Trinity ISE II and ISE III, it’s essential! This is one of my favourite activities to practise giving advice in a fun and communicative way at B2 level. Your
Giving Advice – Call a Psychiatrist Read More »
FCE Speaking Part 2 is also called the “long turn”. In fact, it’s only a minute long, but for B2 First Certificate candidates, that minute can seem like an eternity. During the long turn, candidates are asked to speak by themselves for a minute about a pair of pictures and to answer a question about
How to do First (FCE) Speaking Part 2 – Useful Phrases Read More »
Expressing preferences is one of those functional areas that will come in useful across so many parts of any exam. For Cambridge exams, you’ll find a use for this language during the speaking part of the exam, but it could also pop up in readings, listenings or Use of English. For Trinity exams, expressing preferences
Expressing Preferences – Would you rather… Read More »
The environment seems to be one of English exam designers’ favourite topics. They take any opportunity they have to include a reading, listening or other exam task that informs us about recycling, plastic usage or wind power. Trinity even went so far as to include both recycling and national environmental concerns as separate topic areas
Agree / Disagree Language – The Environment Read More »
