Tag: Cambridge exams

Posted in Exam Preparation Class, Vocabulary Classes

Phrasal Verb Test FCE

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a worksheet based on this quizlet set of essential phrasal verbs for FCE:

http://quizlet.com/59899439/flashcards

Download the worksheet here:

Phrasal verb test FCE

Phrasal verb test

Replace the words in brackets or complete the sentence with a phrasal verb:

  1. John and Sarah have (separated) after 20 years of marriage.
  2. I ______ up with a great idea for the summer party.
  3. We arrived at the hotel ______ ___ and had a shower.
  4. He has decided to ______ _____ ____ (smoke less) cigarettes.
  5. I brought her some flowers to _______ her____ . (make her happier)
  6. My dog went to the vet’s and they ____ ____ out some tests on him. (did)
  7. The teacher was so angry that she threw a pen at me, but after a few minutes she _____ ______. (became less angry)
  8. After his parents died his grandparents had to _____ him _____. (educate, feed, protect)
  1. We were talking on the phone when suddenly it _____ _____. (disconnected)
  2. Scientists think that the woolly mammoth ______ ______ 100,000 years ago. (became extinct)
  3. My mum _____ me _____ at school in her BMW every morning. (leaves me)
  4. John and Danny _____ _____ last week and haven’t spoken to each other since. (had a big argument)
  5. The builders are ______ ____ our house at the moment. (renovating/redecorating)
  6. I passed all my exams! I ______ ______ yesterday. (discovered)
  7. If you want to get a visa to go to the USA you have to _____ _____ lots of forms. (complete)
  8. The man who stole my bicycle ____ _____ from the police. (escaped)

Key:

  1. broken up
  2. came
  3. checked in
  4. cut down on
  5. cheer up
  6. carried out
  7. calmed down
  8. brought up
  1. cut off
  2. died out
  3. drops off
  4. fell out
  5. doing up
  6. found out
  7. fill in/out
  8. got away
Posted in Exam Preparation Class, Grammar Classes

Might/may…. but worksheet

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a worksheet on might/may… but for qualifying criticism.

You can download the worksheet here:

might may… but

Might/may  – qualifying criticism

Messi may/might be small, but he’s the best Player in the world.

She might/may not speak much in class, but she always does well in the exams.

We use “may/might…., but” as another way of expressing “although/even though”

Even though he’s small, Messi is the best player in the world.

Although she doesn’t speak in class, she always does well in exams.

Match the sentence halves together.

1.    It might be cold, a.     But he’s fitter than me.
2.    He might be handsome, b.    But it has charm.
3.    She might look stupid, c.     But it’s sunny.
4.    He may be a heavy smoker, d.    But he’s great company.
5.    Exeter might be a small city, e.     But when you get to know him he’s really sweet.
6.    The dog might be really annoying, f.       But he’s a nasty piece of work.
7.    He might seem unfriendly, g.     But it gets me from A to B.
8.    It might not be the best car in the world, h.    But she knows a lot more than you.

Key: 1-c, 2-f, 3-h, 4-a, 5-b, 6-d, 7-e, 8-g

Make sentences about these celebrities using the structure:

Posted in Exam Preparation Class, Grammar Classes

Inversion Revision Worksheet CAE/CPE

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a worksheet to revise 3 different inversion phrases for CAE/CPE students:

Download the worksheet here:

Inversion Revision

Inversion Revision.

  1. No sooner + had + subject + past part….. + than + sub +verb.

No sooner had I walked in the door, than the phone rang.

Invert these sentences:

As soon as the ball hit the back of the net, all the fans started cheering.

…………………………………………………

As soon as I saw her I fell in love.

…………………………………………………

As soon as the teacher entered the class the students fell silent.

…………………………………………………………

  1. Hardly/scarcely/barely + had + subject + past part…. + when + sub + verb

Scarcely had he left the house when it started to rain.

Invert these sentences:

As soon as the concert started his phone rang.

…………………………………………………………

As soon as his head hit the pillow he fell asleep.

…………………………………………………………

As soon as I saw her face I knew something was wrong.

………………………………………………………….

  1. Under no circumstances/On no account + should/must + sub + verb. (prohibitions)

Under no circumstances/On no account + to be + sub + infinitive

Under no circumstance is this door to be left open.

On no account should you eat on the bus.

On no account are you to speak during the exam.

Invert these sentences:

You mustn’t leave your bags on the table.

…………………………………………………………….

You mustn’t smoke in the school.

…………………………………………………………….

You mustn’t disturb the sleeping babies.

…………………………………………………………….

Posted in Conversation Classes, Exam Preparation Class

CAE/CPE Speaking Part 1: Talking About Yourself

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a sheet of phrases for the CAE/CPE speaking part 1. In speaking part 1 you are required to answer some questions about yourself. These questions could be about a number of subjects. On the sheet there are nice phrases to use divided by category. Put students in pairs to go over the vocabulary, encourage them to choose their favourite expressions and then test each other on them. Tell students to come up with 1 question related to each category and ask them to their partner, then switch partners and repeat.

Download the handout here.

Phrase list:

Where you live

On the outskirts of the city

Just round the corner from…

A stone’s throw from…

Just off calle…

A ten-minute walk from…

A sleepy/peaceful neighbourhood…

An old apartment block where everyone knows everyone else.

A leafy street/avenue

Bang splat in the middle of…

It’s not much to write home about.

Our place can be a bit chaotic

 Your aims for the future

I’ve got a burning ambition to…

It might sound silly but I’ve always wanted to…

I’ll probably follow in my Mum/Dad’s footsteps and become a…

Working in… kind of runs in our family.

With any luck/hopefully, in … year’s time I’ll be…

I haven’t got it all mapped out but I’d like to…

I have absolutely no clue what I wanna do, something to do with…

… is a field which interests me.

Provided I get the grades I’d like to be/study…

If all goes to plan I’m gonna…

… is on my bucket list.
Places you’ve travelled to

I’ve definitely got the travelling bug.

…(The Taj Mahal) blew me away.

I’ve never seen anything like it.

Awe-inspiring

Breath-taking

I couldn’t believe my eyes/ears.

The first place that springs to mind is…

I had the time of my life/a whale of a time.

I’ll never get bored of…

Soaking up the culture/atmosphere/sun

Catching some rays

Going for a dip in the pool/sea

Towering skyscrapers

Mind-blowing skyline

Snowy peaks

Rolling hills

Scorching heat

Miles of golden sands

Little secluded coves

Crystal clear water

Golden sands as far as the eye can see

Sleepy villages

Bustling towns/cities/marketplaces

 Your occupation

I’m in the middle of my (2nd) year of batxillerat.

I’m in the (2nd) year of a 3-year (psychology) degree.

I’m juggling my studies at… with working at…

I’m completely snowed under with coursework.

I’m up to my eyeballs in assignments.

It’s nonstop at the moment.

It’s a steep learning curve.

I’m getting a lot out of the course.

It’s not really living up to my expectations.

I’m gonna take the selectividad in… I’m hoping to get into… to study..

I’m finding it pretty challenging but definitely worthwhile.

I take several extra-curricular subjects such as… and.. on top of my studies.

At the start it was tough but I’m getting the hang of it now.

I’m working every hour of the day.
Learning languages

I’ve been studying English for as long as I can remember.

I’ve always had a knack for learning languages.

I try to really immerse myself in the language.

Learning languages comes quite easily to me.

I’ve always had a curiosity for other cultures and languages.

I spent (a year) living in (England)

 Preference in the arts

I’m squeamish so I don’t like horror films.

I’m easily (scared) so I don’t like…

I make an effort to see …’s films as soon as they come out.

I’m into big blockbusters/more obscure art-house films.

One artist I really look up to is…

I do my best to see (art/films) by … whenever I get the chance.
Spare time activities

I’m a keen/avid + personal noun (skier/surfer/skater/reader/swimmer etc.)

I dabble in…

I’m an amateur + personal noun

I like nothing more than to…

I’m really in to…

I’ve hardly got a spare minute these days but when I get the time I like to…

I can be a bit of a party animal…

I sometimes burn the candle at both ends.

I live for the weekend.

I like to go for a stroll around…

I hang out with friends.

My guilty pleasure is…

I’m a little ashamed to admit it but I’m a big fan of…

I’m doing evening classes in…

I’m a bit of a

·         film buff

·         geek

·         bookworm

·         foody

·         tech-head

·         rocker/metal head

·         culture vulture

 Your Personality

I’m not the (superlative most sociable/tidiest) person in the world.

I’m easy-going/happy-go-lucky

I can be a bit (negative adjective)

My friends/family would probably say I was…

At times I can be the typical moody teenager.

Were you to ask my Mum, she’s probably say I was…

I’ve got a short attention span.

I procrastinate a lot.

I’m a bit of perfectionist/motor mouth

I’m a bit of a daydreamer.

I sometimes drift off into my own little world.

I tend to (worry about things)

Positive

Hard-working

Sociable

Open-minded

Optimistic

Active

Carefree

Talkative

Reliable

Ambitious

Well-organised

Thoughtful

Focused

Laid-back

 Negative

Lazy

Unsociable/reserved

Closed-minded

Pessimistic

Sensitive

Moody

Absent-minded

Distracted

Uptight
Family

Chalk and cheese

Two peas in a pod

… runs in my family

I take after my Mum/Dad

We’re a close-knit family

We’re always having family get-togethers/gatherings

I’m the baby of the family/the middle child.

I’m the eldest so I get to boss my siblings around.

I’m the eldest so I was the guinea pig.

I’ve got a sprawling extended family.

I’ve got a kid brother/sister who really gets on my nerves/drives me up the wall at times.

I don’t know how my parents with us.

I really look up to my…

My family’s originally from… but my great-granddad settled her in …

We’re (Catalan) through and through.

My siblings are pretty competitive; we’re always trying to outdo each other.

My sister’s the brainy one, I’m the artistic one, my little brother is the sporty one.

 Friends and social life

I prefer to keep myself to myself.

I’ve got a really close circle of friends.

I’ve got a great support network.

My social life is non-existent at the moment; I’m up to my eyeballs/here in coursework.

Me and my best friend are real kindred spirits.

I can really count on my friends; they’re always there for me.

If I’m feeling blue/down, they always know how to cheer me up/lift my spirits

We’ve been through a lot together.

We met in (primary school/kindergarten) and we’ve been inseparable ever since.

I confide in my best friend.

We hangout all the time.

We’re always taking the mickey out of each other.

Sometimes people drift apart.

I do my best to stay in touch with old friends.

If I’m not with them, I’m glued to my phone texting them most of the time.

I know he/she/they have got my back.
Media

I’m completely hooked on (series name) at the moment.

I can watch a whole boxed set in a weekend.

I don’t watch a lot of tele, I stream everything online nowadays.

I like to keep up-to-date with the news.

I have to admit I watch a lot of trashy tele, shows like… and… are my guilty pleasures.

I’m completely hooked on/addicted to facebook/twitter/instagram.

I can’t do anything without tweeting/posting it.

I’m trying to get into (video) blogging/photography.

I can waste hours bingeing on funny cat videos on you-tube.

  
Posted in Writing Classes

CPE Review

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a handout with as much language and advice possible for approaching the CPE writing part 2 review tasks. I made it for my December candidates, fingers crossed they actually read it! I only had time to add language for film, book and restaurant reviews, in return for using my lesson plan please be so kind as to answer me the following question:

What other types or review have you come across in CPE exams? Let me know and I’ll endeavour to add language for them to this phrase list.

You can download the handout here: CPE Review (formatting looks better in word than on wordpress!)

CPE Review

Register: Informal/neutral

Use: all your colourful vocabulary:

Phrasal verbs/idioms/impressive collocations.

 Forms and conventions:

Title: for films/books/restaurants use the name/title or if think up an imaginative title using an idiom/expression.
Planning, 6 step system:

1.        Read task, underline content points.

2.        Divide content points into paragraphs: Intro, décor, ambiance, service, food, recommendation.

3.        WHAT do you want to say? Add your notes to each paragraph in simple form.

4.        HOW are you going to say that? Brainstorm advanced grammar and vocabulary for each note.

5.        Forms and conventions: Title paragraph titles, fixed introduction.

6.        Write! Remember word limit is: 280-320

 Introduction:

Personal anecdote to grab attention. Introduce name of book/film, restaurant + location, course, TV show etc.

Seldom do I find the time to…, however when I do take time out of my hectic schedule, I like nothing more than…

Being a bit of a film buff/book worm/foody, the news that … had opened a new restaurant/released a new film/book had me itching to try/see/read it. So last week I popped down with a friend to check it out.

Having never seen/read/tried… before I approached … with a sense of trepidation, not knowing what to expect. Soon however, all my fears were allayed.
Book reviews:

Vocab to describe the book in general:

a page-turner / a white-knuckle ride / a tearjerker / a laugh a minute / I couldn’t put it down.

Vocab to describe specific parts:

a slow start / a gentle introduction /gripping climax / nail-biting conclusion / cliff-hanger ending/ a shocking twist in the tail

Setting:

The book is set in _______(place/time)

The action takes place in ______ (place/time)

the present day (now)

an alternate reality where vampires / wizards walk the earth

a sleepy village in the USA

the bustling city of New York

Plot:

The plot centres around / focuses on (the adventures / lives of _________)

The plot follows the adventures of _________(character name)

Characters:

Villain / hero / heroine / anti-hero / main character / protagonist

The characters are believable / well-crafted / a bit 2 dimensional.

 Film/TV reviews:

General:

An all-star cast

heavily influenced by the films of..

glowing reviews

startling originality

suspense builds up

a polished performance

a bold experiment

an accomplished actor

an unmitigated disaster (bad film)

a dazzling display of his/her talents

made a lasting impression on me.

Brought a tear to my eye

Like watching paint dry (boring)

I was on the edge of my seat (exciting)

A blockbuster (big commercial film eg Superman)

… sets off an amazing chain of events

Gripping film (exciting)

The director/author evoked a magical atmosphere

… awakened my interest in…

Hold my attention

Capture the audience’s imagination.

Spectacular set-pieces (main action scenes)

… is cast in the role of…

… is miscast in the role of…

…gives a(n) (un)convincing performance as…

The film is let down by a clichéd script.
Restaurant review:

Hearty meal

Wholesome food

Piping-hot

Succulent/juicy (meat)

Creamy

With a kick (spicy)

Crunchy/crispy

Well-seasoned

Packed with flavour

A steaming plate of..

Hungry/starving/ravenous/famished

Bustling eatery(restaurant)

Lively atmosphere

Service with a smile

 A plate piled high with..

Mouth-watering

To die for

Heavenly

To lick your lips in anticipation

Roast

Pan-fried

Grilled

Steamed

Freshly-baked
Restaurants cont.

Make a pig of one’s self

To feast/gorge on (eat a lot of)

To eat/drink to your heart’s content

Devour/gobble up

Savour

Nibble

Bite

Lick

Aromas wafting from the kitchen

Cheap – economical/reasonably-priced

Expensive – pricey/costs an arm and a leg

€20 a head (per person)
Killer Lines:

Were I to sum up … in one word, it would be…

… left a lot to be desired (wasn’t good enough)

…more than lives up to the hype (is as good as everyone says it is)

… is by far and away the best … you’re likely to … this year

… really raises the bar (sets a higher standard)

… sets the benchmark for other (others will be judges against how good it is)

… ticks all the right boxes

… holds up well in comparison with …

…comes off badly in comparison with …

 Grammar check list

Have you included?

·         An inversion (not only/no sooner/seldom)

·         An inverted conditional (Were we to…)

·         A participle clause (Being…/Having gone…)

·         A double comparative (The more we… the more)

·         A cleft sentence (What is most crucial is…)

·         Idioms

·         Phrasal verbs
Posted in Writing Classes

CPE Report

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a handout with as much language and advice possible for approaching the CPE writing part 2 report tasks. I made it for my December candidates, fingers crossed they actually read it!

You can download the handout here: CPE Report

CPE Report

Register:

Formal, impersonal, cold and factual.

DO NOT USE:

·         Contractions

·         Colourful language (gorgeous/stunning/awesome etc.)

·         Informal phrasal verbs (meet up/break down/check out etc.)

·         “I/we think….” (too personal)

 Forms and Conventions:

Title: Report into …….

Paragraph Titles: Introduction, Strengths, Weaknesses, Conclusion. (for example)

 

Fixed introduction: The aim of this report is to evaluate/put forward ideas for/examine etc.
Planning, 6 step system:

1.        Read task, underline content points.

2.        Decide paragraph titles. Are they obvious from the task? Or do you have to be creative. Maximum of 5 paragraphs.

3.        WHAT do you want to say? Add your notes to each paragraph in simple form.

4.        HOW are you going to say that? Brainstorm advanced grammar and vocabulary for each note.

5.        Forms and conventions: Title paragraph titles, fixed introduction.

6.        Write! Remember word limit is: 280-320

 Introduction:

The purpose/aim of this report is to….

This report sets out to…

The report will comment on…

Below is an explanation of…

The focus of this report is…

This report will offer an in depth critique of…

Fake survey/questionnaire:

It can be a good idea to base the report on a survey/questionnaire.

This report will present the findings of/This report is based on the findings/results of an extensive survey carried out by…

Ending Introduction:

It will go on to give recommendations regarding…
Expressing general opinions/info:

….is considered/thought/said to be…

…is highly regarded in (place)…(good reputation)

There is widespread agreement that…

Opinions are divided regarding…

It is common knowledge that…

Recent research indicates that…

Interviewees who had first-hand knowledge of the situation stated…

There is considerable disagreement regarding…

 Comparing and Contrasting

There is a world of difference between… and…

… and… are fundamentally similar

… and… bear little resemblance to each other

There is a clear distinction between… and…

…compares favourably with…

… and… are polar opposites

There is a yawning gap between… and…

There is a subtle difference between… and…

There is a growing disparity between rich and poor.

… is strikingly different to…
Advantages/disadvantages:

…’s advantages clearly outweigh its disadvantages.

advantages

benefits/pros/strengths

disadvantages

downsides/weaknesses/drawbacks

 Giving Recommendations:

-In light of the above, we believe the following

measures should be adopted…

-In the short/long term, we suggest you should

consider…

-My recommendations are as follows:…

-In my view, in future, we should…

-To improve the situation, we recommend…

-It is recommended that…
Concluding:

-To sum up,…To conclude,…

-I hope that the plan outlined/presented in this

report meets with your approval…

-I hope that the recommendations outlined/

presented in this report will receive your serious

consideration.

Should the recommendations outlined in this report be carried out, I have no doubt that …. Will be a resounding success.

 

 Grammar check list

Have you included?

·         An inversion (not only/no sooner/seldom)

·         An inverted conditional (Were we to…)

·         A participle clause (Being…/Having gone…)

·         A double comparative (The more we… the more)

·         A cleft sentence (What is most crucial is…)

·         Linkers (Nevertheless/despite/due to/consequently)

·         Impressive verbs (bring about change/undergo development)
Posted in Writing Classes

CAE/CPE Writing: Planning and Completion

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a lesson plan to based around a 6 point plan for CAE/CPE writing tasks. It is designed to help students plan their compositions better and complete the tasks fully. The example is a CPE task but the system is applicable to FCE and CAE as well.

You will need the prezi, and the handout.

The prezi will walk students through the 6 step system. Included in the prezi are several scanned documents of each planning stage. Below I have included my example review and the various scanned documents in case you want to print them or project them individually.

My BBC review – This is the example from the end of the prezi, you may want to print it and give it out to students to evaluate in pairs.

cpe writing tasks part 2 – These are the writing tasks

Writing tasks, content underlined – These are the writing tasks with the content points underlined: Step 1

writing plan paragraphs – This is the planning page with paragraph titles: Step 2

writing plan stage 3 – This is the planning page with ideas: Step 3

writing plan after HOW – This is the planning stage with grammar and vocab: Step 4

Posted in Games, Grammar Classes

Inversions of Prohibition – Pictionary

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is an update of my modals of obligation/prohibition lesson plan. This is a fun way to practice the following inversions:

Under no circumstances must you talk in the exam.

On no account should you put your head out the window.

Part 1 – Introduce the structures

Write the following sentences on a piece of paper, cut them up and jumble the words, then give a copy to the students to rearrange in pairs or groups of 3.

You must not speak in the exam.

You must not smoke in school.

The winner is the team who makes the sentences first.

Now elicit what the two sentences express: Prohibition. Now explain that there are two inversion structures we can use to express prohibition in a more formal way.

Model the sentences on the board with the inversion structures, paying particular attention to the way in which the aux verb and subject are inverted and the “not” is removed.

Under no circumstance must/should you speak in the exam.

On no account must/should you smoke in school.

Part 2 – Pictionary

Now split the class into two groups. Tell each group that they need to come up with 10 prohibitions using the two structures as a group and write them on strips of paper, emcourage them to be imaginative and think of crazy prohibitions: Under no circumtances must you sing to the dolphins. To them to work quietly so that the other group doesn’t hear their sentences.

While they work monitor them and correct mistakes.

Now collect in the sentences making sure to keep the two group’s sentences seperate. Now the students play pictionary: 1 volunteer from the first group comes to the board and has 2 minutes to draw as many of the prohibitions written by the other group for their own group to guess. They musn’t speak or write letters. Award 1 point for each sentences they guess correctly.

Let both teams have 2 turns each, the winning team is the one with the most points.

Posted in Grammar Classes, Video Classes

Inversionana Jones: Video inversion lesson

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is a lesson plan based around clips from the Indiana Jones films to teach inversion structures. Specifically the following ones:

No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang.

Scarcely/hardly/barely do you enter the restaurant when you smell the delicious food.

Part 1 – Introducing the structures

Print out this handout and cut it up into separate words, keeping the “No sooner, hardly, barely, scarcely, than and when cards for yourself.” I laminated the words for future use and printed the “No sooner, hardly etc.” parts on orange paper.

Give out the cards to students in group and have them order them into correct sentences. Either do this on a central table where everyone can see, on the floor or have the students come and blu-tac the sentences on the board.

As soon as I had sat down the phone started ringing.

As soon as you enter the restaurant you can smell the delicious food.

As soon as we had stepped off the plane, it started raining.

Tell students that we can use inversion to express the same thing as these sentences in 4 different ways. Now use the “No sooner/hardly/barely etc.” cards to transform the sentences. Be sure to draw their attention to the way in which you invert the auxiliary verb or add it if it’s not in the original sentence. Note: if this is a revision class have the students do it themselves.

No sooner had I sat down, than the phone started ringing.

Barely do you enter the restaurant, when you can smell the delicious food.

Scarcely had we stepped off the plane, when it started raining.

Draw student’s attention to the use of “than” with no sooner and “when” with the others. Have them copy the following formula:

Inversion Phrase + aux verb + subject + verb

Hardly had I sat down

Part 2 – Indiana Jones Clips

Now you can show them the Indiana Jones clips, tell them to watch the action and look out for actions which can be described using the structures:

No sooner had he swapped the sandbag for the statue, than the temple began to collapse. Encourage students to look for more.

Barely had the Nazis got on the boat when Indy escaped on his motorbike. Encourage students to look for more.

Scarcely had the Nazi drunk from the fake Holy Grail, when he grew old and disintegrated. Encourage students to look for more.

There are hundreds of other video clips that can be used to teach these structures, let me know which other ones you find.

Follow up

Set a composition in which students need to describe an exciting activity they’ve done, encourage them to use the structures to make a narrative more exciting.

Posted in Exam Preparation Class

CPE resources I have found

Posted on by Tim Warre

I’ve recently taken on a CPE exam group who are taking the exam in December and I’ve been scouring the internet for suitable materials to boost their vocabulary before the big day. Here are the fruits of my labour: