Ways of looking

FCE Speaking Part 1

Useful language and expressions to help you in Part 1 of the Speaking Exam.

FCE Placement test - Answers

Here you can check your answers to the placement test. Once you identify your mistakes, do not erase them, just cross out and write the correct answer.
After checking it all, please hand in to the teacher.

1

1b / 2d / 3a / 4c / 5a / 6c / 7a / 8c / 9c / 10c / 11b / 12a / 13a / 14c / 15d / 16b / 17c / 18a / 19b / 20c / 21c / 22d / 23d / 24c / 25a / 26b / 27b / 28a / 29a / 30b / 31d / 32c / 33b / 34b / 35d / 36c / 37b / 38b / 39a / 40b / 41d / 42b / 43c / 44d / 45b / 46b / 47c / 48d / 49d / 50a

2

51 exciting / 52 successful / 53 competition / 54 improvements / 55 products / 56 careful / 57 possibility / 58 Luckily / 59 arrival / 60 qualification(s) / 61 writer / 62 misunderstood / 63 worried / 64 boring / 65 popularity

3

66 had / 67 for / 68 if / 69 While/When / 70 was / 71 been / 72 ago/previously/before / 73 of / 74 what / 75 would / 76 could / 77 were/felt / 78 with / 79 the / 80 him / 81 which / 82 went / 83 time / 84 being / 85 say / 86 refused / 87 it / 88 a / 89 doing / 90 how

PAPER 2 WRITING - Part 2 Informal letter

1. Let's review how to write one...

What are the main characteristics of an Informal Letter?

2. Have a look at the format and paragraphs content:

GREETING: Say hello + friend's name

BODY: Opening + Giving a reason for writing/replying

          Answer to question 1 

          Answer to quetion 2 

               (If there are more questions you have to combine them appropriately 

                   with question 1 or 2, using good connectors)

CLOSING: Give a reason why you're ending + Make reference for future                    contact

               Closing statement

               Signing off 

3. Let's read an example: 

Informal greeting
Hi Dean,

Opening - referring to the sender's email/letter.

Good to hear form you again. I hope you're still enjoying your Science course.

Give reason for replying. I'm glad you asked me about the party I planned for my mother's birthday. Well, I have to say it was a fantastic success. I told my mother we were taking her out for a quiet meal at a local restaurant with just the family, but in fact I'd⁽¹⁾ hired a large room in a hotel and invited all her old friends!⁽²⁾

Answer to question 1: Start a new paragraph as the topic has changed slightly.Use an informal linking word/phrase.
Anyway, I picked my mother up and told her I'd changed my mind. We were going to have a meal in a hotel. You should have seen her face when she walked into the room and everyone cheered! She just couldn't believe it and burst into tear⁽³⁾. Then the party got going and it didn't finish until four in the morning. We were absolutely exhausted, but my mother had had a wonderful time.

Give a reason why you're ending + make reference for futre contact.
Must dash now - I've got to go to college. Hope to hear from you ⁽⁴⁾.

Closing statement: informal phrase
Love,

Sign with your name

Tania

(1) Use contractions

(2) Use some exclamation marks (but not too many) to express emotion.

(3) Use a range of appropriate vocabulary and informal expressions

(4) Short sentences are acceptable

For more information and examples CLICK HERE

4. HOMEWORK: WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 

You’ve just received this letter from an English pen pal.

Hello,

I would like to get to know you a bit more. I couldn’t find any clear picture of you in Facebook so can you tell me what you look like, please? And how would you describe your personality? Tell me some positive and negative aspects about it. What about your personal life: family, friends, boyfriend/girlfriend? Tell me something about them and what you like doing together.

Thanks.

Write your letter in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.

The best 3 will be published on our blog!!!

Important Dates!

Below you will find the dates for the Mock Exams during this year.

Some points to consider:

You will have a booklet with 8 complete exams (Reading & Use of English paper, Writing paper and Listening paper). This booklet is to be used at York, you will only take it home during the winter break to complete Mock #4. You must bring it back to class once we start again. It is yours, take care of it and keep a neat record of your corrected answer sheets. They will be essential for the revision period before the exam date.

Concerning the papers, please note:

• Listening paper. 

It will always be completed during class time. So make all your efforts not to be absent on that day. 
Before the class starts, ask for your booklet and an answer sheet to the secretaries. So, please, do come some minutes earlier.
When you finish, check you have written your name on the answer sheet, place it in the booklet and hand it to your teacher.

• Reading and Use of English paper, and
• Writing paper

Both of them are always on a Friday. You have to come to York during opening hours and ask for your booklet and an answer sheet to the secretaries.
When you finish, check you have written your name on the answer sheet, place it in the booklet and hand it back to the secretaries.

General advice:

• As you can see, you are responsible for your Mock Exams. We, teachers, believe you can handle this.
• Mock Exams are intended to give you full practice, constant evaluation of your progress and help you build the strategies you need to succeed in the exam.
• Complete every paper with responsibility, do not use dictionaries or any other help that is not allowed during the exam. 
• Very important: Be aware of the time set for each paper and do not exceed the limit (when you are doing the Reading and Use of English, and the Writing papers)

A 

	Date	Paper
1	April 13th	Listening
	April 22nd	Reading & Use of English
	April 29th	Writing
2	May 18th	Listening
	May 20th	Reading & Use of English
	May 27th	Writing
3	June 15th	Listening
	June 17th	Reading & Use of English
	June 24th	Writing
4	July (during Winter break)	Listening
	July	Reading & Use of English
	July	Writing
5	August 17th	Listening
	August 19th	Reading & Use of English
	August 26th	Writing
6	September 14th	Listening
	September 16th	Reading & Use of English
	September 23rd	Writing
7	October 12th	Listening
	October 14th	Reading & Use of English
	October 21st	Writing
8	October 27th	Listening
	October 28th	Reading & Use of English
	November 4th	Writing