Tag: revision

Posted in Atomic Classroom Habits, Teacher Development

Atomic Classroom Habits: Retrieval Placemat

Posted on by Tim Warre

This is hopefully the first in a series of posts that accompany my recent talk, “Atomic Classroom Habits”, that I gave at Innovate ELT. Follow this link to access the slides from my talk.

One of the ideas I talked about was a using a retrieval placemat that students find on their desks when they enter the class. The aim is to stimulate retrieval of content from the previous class. They should work in pairs to answer the various questions on the mat without looking at their notes. The idea is to push them to retrieve the information from their long-term memory.

I got the idea from Kate Jones’s wonderful book “Retrieval Practice”, which you can find by following this link. Most of her retrieval activities are aimed at teachers of other subjects such as history or politics, so I’ve tweaked her idea for the ESL classroom.

You can download the mat by right-clicking on the image in the post, or by following this link. If you want to edit the placemat, I made it using a simple template on Canva. Follow this link to use my version as an editable template.

Simply print out the placemat in nice bright colours and put it on your students’ desks for when they arrive. Alternatively, you could just project it onto the board at the beginning of each class. Let me know how you get on!

Posted in Exam Preparation Class, Proficiency, Vocabulary Classes

C2 Proficiency: Use of English Revision Worksheet

Posted on by Tim Warre
C2 Proficiency de Inglés (CPE) del Cambridge: Cómo Aprobarlo | TURBOLANGS

This is a worksheet for students preparing for the Cambridge C2 Proficiency exam. It’s designed as a revision activity for a lot of the expressions, collocations and phrasal verbs that come up in the use of English paper. Download the handout and answer key below:

proficiency-use-of-english-revision-1Download
proficiency-use-of-english-revision-answer-keyDownload

Verb Phrases & Collocations

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in the box, you will need to use some verbs more than once:

bring    give    take    buy    make    do    place    get    have    put
  1. Could you please ……… me up-to-date with the latest news about the project?
  2. We’ve …….. our plan into action, now we just have to wait for the results.
  3. When is the wedding ……… place?
  4. She ……. exception to his comments about her lateness and got quite offended.
  5. The release of the chemicals ……… a detrimental effect on wildlife in the surrounding area.
  6. He ……… the impression that he doesn’t care but really, underneath he’s completely committed to the relationship.
  7. A few days off would ……… wonders for my mental health.
  8. Some people in this business ………. no scruples about stabbing their rivals in the back to get what they want.
  9. The council has ……….. steps to bring the situation under control.
  10. Where can I ……… hold of a good bottle of French red wine?
  11. How long do you think they’re going to ………. to finish the refurbishment?
  12. This school ………. a lot of importance on punctuality and respect.
  13. They failed to ………. into consideration just how expensive organising the festival would be.
  14. After ………. your suggestions a lot of thought, I’ve decided to make the changes you recommended.
  15. Most bars ……….. all their food and drink in bulk in order to save money.
  16. I’ve ………… an order for a new TV on the website, it should arrive next week.
  17. Don’t worry if your cat ate one of the leaves of the plant, it won’t …….. it any harm.
  18. The company ………. a pre-tax profit of €10,000 last year.
  19. Calm down, I’ve managed to ………. us some more time to get the presentation finished, I told the boss I had food poisoning.
  20. The sight of my brother and his fiancé finally tying the knot ………. tears to my eyes.

Missing Prepositions

  1. ……… all likelihood, the new store will be opening at the end of next month.
  2. ………. and large, the school play was well received by the audience.
  3. ………. the whole, the product launch was a success despite a few hitches.
  4. He broke his mum’s favourite salad bowl …….. accident.
  5. The instructor gave the group a safety demonstration to put them …….. ease before their first dive.
  6. Sadly bees seem to be ……. decline across Europe.
  7. They gave her the job ……. the strength of the excellent answers she gave to the interview questions.
  8. You can’t expect me to work the Saturday shift ……. such short notice, I can’t do it I’m afraid.
  9. He handed …….. his final project at 12:00 ……. the dot, just in time.
  10. I’m sorry but I’m ……. the end of my tether, I can’t handle this group anymore, they’re driving me ……. the wall!

Phrasal Verbs & Fixed Expressions

  1. More …….. than not, we go out for dinner on Friday night. (usually)
  2. For ……. we know, there might be aliens living underground on Mars.
  3. I had to put ……. with a screaming baby right next to me for the whole return flight.
  4. I didn’t know what to say so I just blurted out the first thing that …….. into my head.
  5. We can’t give up, there’s ………. he would love more than to see us fail!
  6. I’ve put a lot of effort …….. organising this evening so I hope everything goes …….. plan.
  7. Darkness ……. while we were still on the mountain so we had to walk the last part in the pitch black.
  8. His work didn’t see the …….. of day until years after his death.
  9. The last bus had already gone so we were …….. with no choice but to walk back.
  10. We’ve ……. into the habit of eating dinner in front of the TV, it’s so bad.
  11. The fog and rain made …….. difficult to make …… what was written on the signpost.
  12. The fire brigade arrived and managed to …….. out the fire in 20 minutes.
  13. We need to come ……. with a way to raise enough money for the trip to Paris.
  14. The renovations to the old church have given it a new lease of …….. as a community centre.
  15. The financial crash in 2008 gave …….. to a huge jump in the number of families in poverty.
  16. We need your help to organise the ad campaign, we’re giving you ……. rein, you can do whatever you want.
  17. My friends always ……… up for me in tricky situations.
  18. What were you doing on the night …….. question?
  19. I ……. in touch with my family via Skype or Whatsapp.
  20. Don’t worry sir, your order is …….. hand and will be ready soon.

Word Formation

  1. Watching the video about immigrants crossing the Mediterrean made me realise that my problems pale into …………………… compared to what they have to go through. SIGNIFY
  2. We need to see a drastic cut in carbon …………………………… if we’re going to meet our green targets. EMIT
  3. The economic effect of the pandemic could be ………………………….. for some families. DISASTER
  4. One of the …………………………….. of living in a city is the relentless noise pollution. SIDE
  5. I spent many …………………………… nights listening to my neighbours’ parties. SLEEP
  6. Life ……………………………. in the western world has increased considerably in the last century. EXPECT
  7. Scientists’ theories on what will be found beneath the surface of Mars remain ………………………. SPECULATE
  8. Green ………………………….. such as carpooling or cycling schemes can only do so much to mitigate climate change. INITIATE
  9. The city centre has ………………………… a marked change in the last few years. GO
  10. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the public have been ………………………….. about the true state of our planet. LEAD
  11. I think it’s fair to say that the current ecological crisis in the arctic is an ……………………………. complex issue that presents many problems. CREDIBLE
  12. One of the problems is that people make …………………………… about the situation without knowing all the details. ASSUME
  13. The school has opened a special unit for students with …………………………… hearing. PAIR
  14. I have complained to the council …………………………… but nothing has been done about the problem. REPEAT
  15. We need to protect the area by …………………………… tourists from taking rocks and plants home as souvenirs. COURAGE
Posted in Exam Preparation Class, Games, Proficiency, Vocabulary Classes

C2 Proficiency: Mega Revision Pub Quiz

Posted on by Tim Warre
4,881 Joker Card Illustrations & Clip Art - iStock

This is a fun revision activity I have designed for my C2 students to revise some of the vocabulary we have studied this year. It’s based on a series of lesson plans and activities I have used throughout the course, all of which you can find on the blog. Download the student handout, answer key and PowerPoint below:

revision-pub-quiz – PowerPointDownload
mega-revision-pub-quiz – questionsDownload
mega-revision-pub-quiz-answersDownload

Show students the PowerPoint that will explain the rules. They should work in pairs or groups of 3 and come up with a team name. The second slide will explain the concept of a joker round. Each team can play their joker round once to get double points in one round, but they must decide when they want to play their card before they see the questions. So each team must decide when to use their joker round before the quiz starts based on the titles of the different categories. Make a note of the round each group has chosen for their joker before starting the quiz.

Give out the student handout and give them 5 minutes to complete round 1, if covid restrictions allow you could then have them pass their papers to the next team in order to correct them, if not, they can correct their own.

The winning team is the one with the most points at the end of the 8 rounds!

Posted in Writing Classes

CAE Essay Revision Worksheet

Posted on by Tim Warre

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

My students are doing a mock CAE writing exam tomorrow so I’ve made them this worksheet to revise for it. I’ve also made a kahoot quiz to test them on some of the language.

cae-essay-revision

CAE Essay Revision Key

On the first page there is a true/false quiz for students to complete in pairs, followed by two exercises on formal language and linkers.

The task

Answer the questions with your partner:

  1. What is the word limit?
  2. This is a formal writing task True/False
  3. You can use contractions (Wouldn’t/don’t etc.) T/F
  4. You have to write about all 3 bullet points in the task. T/F
  5. An essay needs a title. T/F
  6. You have to include the 3 opinions from the task. T/F
  7. You can use the same language to express the opinions from the task. T/F
  8. An essay has paragraph titles (Introduction/conclusion) T/F
  9. An essay should be factual and objective T/F
  10. In your conclusion you must state which of the bullet points is most important/has the biggest influence. T/F

 

Example

Put the missing words back into the essay.

Hardly a week goes by without another report of the recent increase in online shopping appearing in the papers. The decline of the high street shop is undoubtedly a major issue in this day and _____. However, which aspect of shopping has the biggest influence ____ where people shop?

The first area to take into _______ is convenience. It is undoubtedly the ______ that shopping online is much more convenient than shopping on the high street. A clear example of this is that you can shop from the comfort of your armchair without lifting a finger. In _________, the goods are delivered directly to your door whereas when you shop in physical shops you have to carry it home yourself.

Another _______ to consider is cost. There are ______ who argue that cost has the biggest _______ on where people decide to shop. This is _________ by the fact that during the sales many people buy things in shops they would not normally enter. __________, for some people the cost is not an issue, they buy what they want to buy no matter the price.

In ______ of the above, it is probably _____ to say that cost has the biggest impact on where people decide to shop due to the fact that most of the time, if you cannot afford something then you will not be able to buy it.

On   case   age   nevertheless     those    aspect    account    addition    impact    illustrated   light  true

Formal Language

Match the formal words or phrases (1-10) that can replace the words/phrases in bold (a-j) .

1.       It goes without saying that

2.       In light of the above,

3.       It is widely believed that

4.       Furthermore/Moreover

5.       A great deal of + (uncountable noun)

6.       Due to the fact that

7.       A large number of + (countable noun)

8.       There are those who believe that

9.       In spite of the fact that

10.   therefore

 a)      Lots of people think that museums are out-dated.

b)      Many museums do not cater for young children so they must be updated.

c)       The majority of public gardens are badly-maintained because local governments cannot afford to employ more gardeners.

d)      Although many youngsters still play sports, participation id decreasing due to the influence of video games.

e)      To sum up, it is vitally important that local governments invest more in museums.

f)       Obviously having access to good sports facilities makes it easier to participate in both individual and team sports.

g)      Some people think that investing in public gardens is a waste of money.

h)      Also, many sports facilities are overcrowded due to a rise in demand.

i)        Local governments have already spent a lot of money on upgrading the city’s parks and gardens.

j)        A lot of local people have expressed their disappointment with the cuts in public spending for museums.
Posted in Games, Grammar Classes, Warmers

Advanced Relative Clause Pictionary

Posted on by Tim Warre

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

Photo credit: http://www.lamaestrachiara.com/inglese/song/green-bottles/ten-green-bottles.htm

This is a revision lesson plan for CAE students studying advanced relative clause phrases such as: all of whom, some of which etc.

Here’s the handout:

Advanced Relative Clause Pictionary

Step 1

I use this game as a revision/warmer after we’ve already studied advanced relative clause phrases with which and whom.

Draw two columns on the board with the titles which (objects/things) and whom (people) and have students recall as many relative clause phrases as they can:

Which (objects/things) Whom (people)
In which (where)

All of which

Some of which

None of which

Both of which

Neither of which

(1,2,3) of which

 All of whom

Some of whom

None of whom

Both of whom

Neither of whom

(1,2,3) of whom

Students may struggle with the difference between neither of whom/which and none of whom/which.

Neither refers to just two people/things where as none refers to a group of at least three:

Two students came to class, neither of whom had done their homework.

Ten students came to class, none of whom had done their homework.

There were two buses waiting to take people to the city centre, neither of which had enough space for us.

There were three buses waiting to take people to the city centre, none of which had enough space for us.

Cut out the hand out and divide the class into teams, one volunteer must attempt to draw the situation described in the picture, the team that calls out the corresponding sentence gets 1 point. Continue until all the situations have been used.

Draw the following sentences:

A group of children, some of whom are wearing hats, are waiting for the bus. Four houses, two of which are on fire.
A group of men, all of whom are wearing glasses, are watching TV. Two dogs, both of which are eating bones, are at the beach.
Two men, neither of whom has hair, are playing tennis. Two pizzas, both of which have mushrooms, are on the table.
Two snakes, both of which are green, are sleeping on the carpet. Ten bottles, all of which are full, are sitting on the wall.
Five babies, two of whom are sleeping, are lying on the bed. Five cats, some of which are black, are playing with a ball.
Posted in Exam Preparation Class, Grammar Classes

CAE Use of English Revision Test

Posted on by Tim Warre

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

Here’s a sentence completion worksheet with lots of common expressions and structures that come up in the CAE use of English paper. Use of English Revision Complete the sentences with 1 word:

  1. I think of him _____ a father figure.
  2. He’s my favourite uncle; I really look ____ to him.
  3. Everyone thought it would be a complete disaster but it turned _____ fine.
  4. Haha! Look at Tina, she has her jumper on back ___ _____.
  5. There were _____ over 100 people there (much more than)
  6. The company has run ______ trouble.
  7. The project is 4 weeks _______schedule, the boss is not happy.
  8. Everything is going according ____ plan.
  9. He’s making quite a ______for himself in the acting world.
  10. The police tried to prevent the protestors _____ entering the building.
  11. I think James would _______ an excellent Dad.
  12. There will be a show after dinner = Dinner will be ________ _____ a show.
  13. ____its height, this bar had 1000s of customers every night.
  14. He has promised to ______ us _____ a tour of the old town in the morning.
  15. The vandals _____ fire to the carpet and the curtains.
  16. Less people are visiting the park = there has been a _______ in the number of people visiting the park.
  17. He made a great _______ of money selling old cars.
  18. We had to stop because a _______ of cows was crossing the road.
  19. We had to walk a mile or _____ (approx.) before we found a house.
  20. I was ____ the point ____ giving up when I found it.
  21. As _____ as you eat all your vegetables you can have some ice-cream.
  22. As _____ as we know there’s no life on Mars.
  23. As _____ as you get the results, call me.
  24. As _____ as computers are concerned, I’m no expert.
  25. We are currently ____ the process of having our house done ____. (renovated)
  26. Only when I got home ___ I realise she had been flirting with me.
  27. I’d _______ not walk home alone if that’s ok.
  28. I’d _______ not to walk home alone if that’s ok.
  29. I’ve put a lot of time and effort ____ the project.
  30. My dentist has told me to cut _____ ____ fruit juice.
  31. I need a new TV, the old one takes ____ too much space.
  32. A high sugar diet can _____ to diabetes.
  33. A high fat diet can g_____ r______ t_____ obesity.
  34. This report is based ____ a survey carried ____ by members of the school council.
  35. My bicycle tires are completely worn ____, I need to get new ones.
  36. I definitely take ______ my Mum, we’re almost identical.

Key:

  1. as
  2. up
  3. out
  4. to front
  5. well
  6. into
  7. behind
  8. to
  9. name
  10. from
  11. make
  12. followed by
  13. at
  14. take on
  15. set
  16. fall/drop
  17. deal
  18. herd
  19. so
  20. on of
  21. long
  22. far
  23. soon
  24. far
  25. in up
  26. did
  27. rather
  28. prefer
  29. into
  30. down on
  31. up
  32. lead
  33. give rise to
  34. on out
  35. out
  36. after

Here’s another version which includes some relative clauses:

use-of-english-revision new version

Posted in Exam Preparation Class, Grammar Classes

CAE Revision Test

Posted on by Tim Warre

Follow me on twitter @RobbioDobbio

My CAE students have a progress test next week so here’s their test on some of the grammar and vocab we’ve covered this year so far. Download the hand out and key here:

Revision Test

Revision test key

  1. Please hurry up and decide which film to watch.

MIND

I wish you would______________________________ about which film to watch.

  1. I ate frog’s legs for the first time.

NEVER

I________________________ before.

  1. He played for the club for the first time on Saturday.

DEBUT

He _________________________________for the club on Saturday.

  1. My Dad will collect us with his car at the airport.

UP

My Dad_______________________ at the airport.

  1. Police think he is the murderer.

TO

He _____________________________ murderer.

  1. The painters are painting our house at the moment.

HAVING

We______________________________ at the moment.

  1. Someone stole my phone in the bar.

GOT

I_______________________________ in the bar.

  1. Although she’s good with animals, she’s not very comfortable with people.

MAY

She ________________________ animals, but she’s unable to relax around people.

  1. I’ve lost my keys, it’s possible that I left them at work.

HAVE

I’ve misplaced my keys, ______________________ at work.

  1. I definitely didn’t write that note, Lyn! That’s not my handwriting!

WRITTEN

I ______________________, Lyn, because that’s not my handwriting!

  1. Paul will definitely win the competition.

BOUND

Paul _________________________ competition.

  1. You should clean your room.

TIME

It’s about _____________________ your room.

  1. I wasn’t allowed to play in the street when I was little.

LET

My parents_________________________ in the street when I was little.

  1. “Give me your phone or I’ll shoot you!” said the thief to the old lady.

THREATENED

The thief _________________________ if she didn’t give him her phone.

  1. If Billy hadn’t advised me to continue, I would have given up.

ADVICE

But _________________________, I would have given up.

  1. If I saw someone stealing, I couldn’t just ignore it.

WITNESS

Were_______________________, I couldn’t ignore it.

  1. If I hadn’t seen the sign, I would have crashed into the river.

NOT

Had _______________________, I would have crashed into the river.

  1. The moment I sat down, the phone rang.

HAD

No_________________________ the phone rang.

  1. We didn’t just see dolphins, we saw whales too!

BUT

Not___________________ also whales!

  1. Two students came to class. Both students hadn’t done their homework.

NEITHER

Two students came to class,_________________ done their homework.

  1. Although it was sunny, it was still chilly.

THOUGH

Sunny ____________________, it was still chilly.

  1. The police ordered the man to drive to the side of the road and stop.

PULL

The police ordered the man _________________.

Revision test key:

  1. Make up your mind/make your mind up
  2. Had never eaten frog’s legs
  3. Made his debut
  4. Will pick us up
  5. Is thought to be the
  6. Are having our house painted
  7. Got my phone stolen
  8. May be good with
  9. I might/could/may have left them
  10. Can’t have written that note
  11. Is bound to win the
  12. Time you cleaned
  13. Didn’t let me play
  14. Threatened to shoot the old lady
  15. For Billy’s advice to continue/carry on
  16. I to witness a robbery/someone stealing
  17. I not seen the sign,
  18. Sooner had I sat down than
  19. Only did we see dolphins, but
  20. Neither of whom had
  21. Though it was
  22. To pull over
Posted in Exam Preparation Class

CPE Study Guide

Posted on by Tim Warre

Here are some materials to help students prepare for the Cambridge CPE exam.

Cambridge CPE Handbook

Download the latest version of the CPE handbook here:

Click to access 168194-cambridge-english-proficiency-teachers-handbook.pdf

It contains explanations of each part of the exam and practice tests with answers.

Quizlet sets:

Here are loads of different quizlet sets on different parts of the exam:

https://quizlet.com/592323310/flashcards – Key Word Transformations

http://quizlet.com/20934139/cpe-use-of-english-2-open-cloze-flash-cards/

http://quizlet.com/15560940/cae-cpe-inversion-transformations-flash-cards/

http://quizlet.com/56144162/cpe-describing-feelings-flash-cards/

http://quizlet.com/16987300/cae-cpe-use-of-english-practice-part-5-flash-cards/

http://quizlet.com/2150978/cpe-idioms-flash-cards/

Join this class for more:

http://quizlet.com/join/gkF6yKCg8

Recommended websites:

These websites have great materials for self-study:

http://www.flo-joe.com/cpe/students/

http://www.examenglish.com/cpe/ – old exam format but still useful.

http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/proficiency/how-to-prepare/

Writing Handouts

Here are a selection of documents to help prepare students for the writing paper:

CPE Writing part 1 (2)

CAE CPE Writing part 2 plan handout

cae-writing-useful-language-1

CPE Report

CPE Review

CPE speaking writing phrases

CPE writing essay 2nd plan

CPE Writing Part 1 walkthrough

Letter of Complaint tim

Narrative Letter

Paragraph Structure

Writing Expressions

Prezis

Here are links to various prezis on types of writing and grammar points:

Relative clauses: 

http://prezi.com/inqmfkuikbbt/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Inversion: 

http://prezi.com/wxy3-yvm3osw/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Inversion 2: 

http://prezi.com/mhabu89gv8-7/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Conditionals: 

http://prezi.com/r8peruvmq8nf/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Academic Writing: 

http://prezi.com/x1qhxvkwahez/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Report: 

http://prezi.com/cc55ukdsa3rk/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Planning Writing:

http://prezi.com/vmxjibrjz3lt/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Narrative/Descriptive writing: 

http://prezi.com/zvhgk3raimei/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Letter of Complaint: 

http://prezi.com/dxsaxacxoquv/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Book review: 

http://prezi.com/tvjva9mynbsj/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Proposal: 

http://prezi.com/faz_7zanfvvb/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Article: 

http://prezi.com/nwmmfijnmrlv/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Letter of application: 

http://prezi.com/dmwaid3cj4ql/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Speaking Materials:

Agreeingand disagreeing

CPE Speaking part 1

CPE long turn examples

Speaking Long Turn (1)

CAE Speaking Part 2 speculation

CAE Speaking Part 2

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 Exam Preparation Class, Grammar Classes

CPE use of English quizlet sets

Posted on by Tim Warre

Here are some great quizlet sets I found for CPE revision and cramming: