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Useful expressions and vocabulary for

CAE and FCE Speaking Part 1


October 29, 2015
At CISL San Diego and San Francisco, we are proud of how well we prepare
our Cambridge ESOL (FCE & CAE) students: our wonderful teachers make
sure that students have the language skills necessary to excel, and the
numerous practice exams in our test preparation classes ensure
that students completely understand the test requirements and format.
Today we are looking at some additional tips for one of the most stressful
parts of the exam: the Speaking Module. This part of the exam is only about
15 minutes long but it counts for a large portion of your final score. We have
discussed the test and its four parts in detail before: click here for more
information on the Cambridge Exam Speaking Module. (If youve taken the
test in the past, make sure to also check out our article on

Overview of Speaking Part 1


In Part 1 of the Speaking Module, which is only about one minute per
candidate, you are asked very basic questions about yourself. Questions can
include the following:
Example Speaking Part 1 Questions
3 What is your name?
3 Where are you from?
3 And what do you do there/here?
3 How long have you been studying English?
3 What do you like most about studying English?
3 Is English important for your future?
From there, the examiner can widen the scope of the conversation, asking
you questions that are not directly related to the questions he or she has just
asked. Here are some examples.
3 Tell me about your experience arriving here today.
3 What was your day like today?
3 Where do you see yourself in five years?
3 Tell me about something you celebrated recently.
3 Tell me about a story you heard in the news lately.
There is little we can do to specifically prepare for these wider-ranged
questions (other than come to class every day, immerse yourself in English,
and make lots of American friends)! However, we can very easily prepare
ourselves for questions about our lives, our careers, and our experiences
with English. To help, here are some useful phrases that you should know.

Useful phrases and vocabulary for


Cambridge CAE and FCE Speaking
Module Part 1
On Your City
Speaking about your city is a great way to show that you know how to use
Relative Clauses correctly. Make sure you have a short explanation about
your city prepared.
Examples:
3 Im from Umbria, which is a region in Central Italy.
3 Im originally from Daegu, which is a small college town in South
Korea.
3 Im from Maresme, which is a region just north of Barcelona.
This is also a great opportunity to use the Present Perfect Continuous.
3 Im from Umbria, which is a region in Central Italy. But Ive been
living here in San Diego for four months.
3 Im originally from Daegu, which is a small college town in South
Korea. However, Ive been studying English in San Francisco for the last
three months.
3 Im from Maresme, which is a region just north of Barcelona. But for
the last few months Ive been living in California.

On Your Childhood
Speaking about your childhood is a great opportunity to use phrasal verbs
like GROW UP. Its also a great way to use the Past Passive.
Born in
3 I was born in Berlin.
Raised by
3 I was raised by my mother and stepfather.
Grew up in
3 I grew up in a small town, just north of Zurich.
Born and raised
, I was born and raised in Seoul.
On Your Job
When speaking about your job, make sure that you know which preposition
to use when speaking about the industry, your company, and your position in
the company.
I work in (INDUSTRY)
3 I work in sales.
3 I work in advertising.
3 I work in the marketing industry.
3 I work in Human Resources.
I work for (COMPANY)
3 I work for a marketing company in Germany.
3 I work for an international law firm.
3 I work for Nestle.
I work at (COMPANY)
3 I work at the Nestle headquarters in (CITY).
3 I work at Coca Cola.
3 I work at Samsung.
I work on (JOB DUTIES)
3 I work on sales reports and payroll.
3 I work on new advertising campaigns.
3 I work on providing job training to new employees.
I work as (JOB TITLE)
3 I work as a banker.
3 I work as a lawyer.
3 I work as a banker.
Remember that the best thing to do is to combine the above sentences to
create longer, more complex sentences.
3 I work as a lawyer at a law firm in Tokyo.
3 I work on sales at an advertising firm in Paris.
, I work in the banking industry. Specifically, I am a mortgage broker for
HSBC.
On Your Personal Life
The Cambridge employee will want to know a little about you, so be
prepared to talk about your likes, dislikes, and interests. Here are some
useful phrases.
Im an avid ________________.
3 Im an avid reader. I have hundreds of books in addition to plenty of
files on my e-reader.
Im a ________________ lover.
3 Im a huge soccer lover, so I usually play with my friends on
weekends.
Im a big fan of ________________.
3 Im a big fan of music, and in my free time I often go to concerts.
Im a ________________ fan.
3 Im a fitness fan, so Im often found at the gym or outdoors doing
something exciting, like hiking.

Speaking to the Interlocutor


There is one very important thing to remember: its completely natural that
you might not understand everything the interlocutors say! If you dont
understand a question, you can always ask for clarification. Here are some
ways to do so:
3 Im sorry, I didnt quite catch that. Could you please repeat the
question?
3 My apologies, I didnt hear that last bit. Would you mind repeating the
question?
3 Would you mind repeating the question once more? Thank you.
PART 1

Grammar Lesson of the Month:


Defining and Non-Defining Relative
Clauses (+ Choosing the right
proficiency exam)
September 1, 2015
Students are often confused about when to use THAT and when to use
WHICH in a Relative Clause. Do you know when to use each, and when to
use commas with a Relative Clause? The CISL Blog is exploring this, then
using Relative Clauses to help you decide between the English proficiency
tests that we offer: IELTS, Cambridge CAE, Cambridge FCE, and TOEFL.

Non-Defining and Defining Relative


Clauses
A general rule is that we use THAT for Defining Clauses and WHICH for
Non-Defining Clauses.

Non-Defining Relative Clauses


Non-Defining Relative Clauses provide us more information about
someone or something . . . but this information is considered extra: it does
not define the noun in the sentence.
Examples:
Many think San Diego, which is a city in Southern California, has the best
weather in the United States.
Surfing, which is done by many San Diegans, is a common activity.
San Francisco, which is located in Northern California, is considered a
highly culturally diverse city.
Wine tasting, which takes places in nearby Napa and Sonoma, is a
common activity for CISL SF students.
Notice that in these sentences, the information between the commas is
extra: it does not provide us the definition of San Diego, Surfing, San
Francisco, or Wine tasting.

Defining Clauses
Defining Clauses, as the name suggests, provide us with the definition of
the noun in the sentence: they specify the noun or help to distinguish it from
others.
Notice that we can also use WHO when the noun is a person. In casual
speech, we use both: for more formal writing, it is considered best to use
WHO and not THAT.
Examples
San Diegans who/that dont go to the beach are uncommon.
San Diego has many restaurants that offer beautiful views of the ocean.
San Franciscans are people who/that love culture and great food.
San Francisco has many restaurants that serve fusion food.

Vietnamese with a twist? Restaurants like the Slanted Door offer delicious Further
Examples
Looking at Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses side-by-side is a
great way to see the differences between these two types of Relative
Clauses.
Here are some examples. Notice how we only have the option of WHO or
THAT with Defining Clauses.
Dogs which are dangerous are not allowed. (Only dogs that are dangerous
are not allowed. The other dogs are probably allowed.)
Dogs, which are dangerous, are not allowed. (All dogs are dangerous and
are not allowed.)
Celebrities, who are rich, can buy anything. (All celebrities are rich and can
buy anything.)
Celebrities who/that are rich can buy anything. (Only some celebrities are
rich, and these celebrities can buy anything.)
San Diegans who/that love to swim go to the beach often. (The San Diego
residents who like to swim go to the beach. But not everybody loves to swim
and not everyone goes to the beach.)
San Diegans, who love to swim, go to the beach often. (All San Diegans
love to swim and go to the beach.)
Notice how Non-Defining Relative Clauses are always separated from the
rest of the sentence by commas, unlike Defining Relative Clauses, which
do not use this punctuation.

AMERICAN TRADITIONS LESSONS SAN DIEGO STUDENT ACTIVITIES STUDENT LIFE


SUGGESTED STUDENT ACTIVITIES

English Tense 6 of 12: Present Perfect


Progressive (+ surfing in Southern
California!)
November 1, 2013
November marks the halfway point in our monthly lessons covering all 12 of
the English tenses. Remember to look back at our previous lessons if you
need a refresher on the Simple Present, Simple Past, Present Progressive,
Past Progressive, or Present Perfect!
This month we are focusing on the Present Perfect Progressive. If you have
mastered the Present Perfect, then you will probably find that the Present
Perfect Progressive (also called the Present Perfect Continuous) is a quite
simple tense to understand.

The Present Perfect Continuous Form


The Present Perfect Continuous takes the following forms:
has/have + been + ing
has/have + not + been + ing
Have + subject + been + ing?
Wh-word + have + subject + been + ing?
There are many uses of the Present Perfect Progressive. Lets take a look at
them.

Use 1: For an action starting in the


past and continuing until now
Look at the following sentences below:
3 I have been living in San Diego for two years.
3 She has been wearing glasses since she was a child.
3 We have been looking for an apartment many times and still havent
found one.
In each of these sentences, the action started in the past and continues until
now. We can use the words for with a period of time, like for six months.
For since we have two options: a period of time plus the word ago, (like
since two years ago) or we could use since with a simple past verb (like
since I was a child or since I moved to the U.S.).

Use 2: For an action repeated a lot


recently
Look at the following sentences:
3 I have been exercising a lot lately.
3 We havent been spending a lot of money lately.
3 Ive been reading a lot of books recently.
In each, lately or recently are used to show that this action has happened
a lot lately. The speaker probably isnt exercising at that moment, but you
know that this action has been repeated a lot in the recent past.

Use 3: For an action that JUST


finished (and you can still see signs
of)
Sometimes an action occurs, and although we do not see the action, we see
signs that the action just happened. We see this clearly in these examples:
3 Why are you wet?
Ive been swimming.
3 Are you tired?
Yes, Ive been working all morning!
3 Why is her face red?
She has been crying.

The Present Perfect Continuous in


Action: Surfing in Southern California
Now that we have seen the most common uses of the Present Perfect
Continuous, lets take a look at two surfers: Jay and Tim. Read about their
experiences surfing in Southern California, and see if you can differentiate
between the three uses of the tense.

Surfing in Southern California


Surfing was invented by the Polynesians and was considered an art form by
Ancient Hawaiians. People have been surfing on Californias beaches since
1907, when a man named George Freeth brought the art from Hawaii.
Today, it is a large piece of California culture.
Surfer 1: Jay
Jay has been living in San Diego since 2009, but he has been
surfing since he was a child. Jay was born in Santa Cruz, California, and
surfed the colder waters of Northern California as a child. Jay is proud to say
that he has been surfing at most of Californias beaches.
Jays favorite beach for surfing is Ocean Beach, although recently he has
been exploring the waves in Mission Beach. Lately he has been traveling
up the coast to try new beaches, like Laguna Niguel.
It is safe to say that Jay is an avid surfer. He has been surfing every day
this week!

Surfer 2: Tim
Tim has been body-surfing since he was a kid. However, he hasnt been
surfing for very long: in fact, he has only been surfing since this spring.
Tim hasnt been surfing a lot lately because he has been busy. In fact, he
hasnt been surfing for two weeks. He misses it. He has been dreaming
about the ocean lately!

Using the Passive Voice to plan a


beach BBQ
March 31, 2015
English learners often feel frustrated with the Passive Voice because it has
so many forms. Rather than looking at each form, we suggest learning the
forms based on context: what can we use each type of the Passive Voice to
express? Today on the CISL Blog, we are looking at three forms of the
Passive that we can use to talk about plans: Passive Modals, the Simple
Past Passive, and Perfect Modals.

Quick Review: The Passive Voice


Do you need a quick reminder of what the Passive Voice is? Here is a quick
overview.
Active Voice
In an Active sentence, we say:
3 John washes the windows.
This sentence is in the Simple Present. and uses the following form:
subject + simple present verb + object

Passive Voice
To create the Present Passive, we add the BE verb to the sentence and use
the form:
object + simple present BE verb + past participle + by subject
The simple present verb from the Active sentence is now in its past
participle form with the Passive sentence.
3 The windows are washed by John.
We can do this again and again with different English tenses:
3 John washed the windows becomes The windows were washed by
John (Simple Past and Passive Simple Past.)
3 John has washed the windows becomes The windows have been
washed by John. (Present Perfect and Passive Present Perfect.)
With the Passive, we can also add Modals.
3 John needs to wash the windows becomes The windows need to
be washed by John.
Confusing? For many, yes! But not if you look at how to apply these Passive
sentences to real life. By doing so, you will remember their form and
function.

Using the Passive for Planning


One of the best ways to aproach some Passive tenses is to look at planning
something, like a party. The Passive Voice can be used to talk about things
that need to be done, things that were done by a specific point in time, and
things that were recently done.

Passive Modals
We can use the Passive with Modalslike need(s) to, has to, and mustto
talk about the things on our list that need to be done. We use the
construction modal + be + past participle.
3 The invitations must be sent.
3 The house needs to be cleaned.
3 The RSVPs must be counted.
3 The shopping must be done.
3 The food must be prepared.
3 The table has to be set up.
3 The room has to be decorated.
Note: we use TO with needs and has but not with must.

Simple Past Passive


We can use the Simple Past Passive to talk about things that were done
before a specific point in time in the past. We use the construction was/were
+past participle.
3 By February, invitations were sent.
3 By last night, the house was cleaned.
3 RSVPs were counted by Wednesday.
3 The shopping was done by last week.
3 By yesterday, the food was prepared.
3 The room was decorated by 5 pm.

Perfect Modal Verbs


We can use Perfect Modals (has/have + been + pp) to talk about things that
were recently finished.
3 The invitations have been sent.
3 The house has been cleaned.
3 The RSVPs have been counted.
3 The shopping has been done.
3 The food has been prepared.
3 The table has been set up.
3 The room has been decorated.
Practicing the Passive: Planning a Beach
BBQ
The following paragraph includes tips on how to plan the perfect beach BBQ
party. How many examples of the Passive Voice can you find?
To throw the perfect BBQ party, you need to be prepared. First, you have to
choose your beach: do you want a fun party atmosphere, like Pacific Beach,
or a place that provides you with beautiful scenery, like La Jolla? Then, a
date and invitation list need to be decided on. Next, the menu must be
chosen. Hot dogs, tri-tip, and hamburgers are meats that are simply asking
to be barbecued! On the day of the BBQ, the food must be purchased. Make
sure that your drinks are packed into a cooler and are surrounded by lots of
ice. When packing, dont forget that towels, sunscreen, and blanket all need
to be packed. Finally, make sure that your smart phone has plenty of room
on its memory card: plenty of pictures will be taken during your BBQ party.
Did you find all of the Passive Voice? Read the article again. The Passive
Voice is in bold.
To throw the perfect BBQ party, you need to be prepared. First, you have to
choose your beach: do you want a fun party atmosphere, like Pacific Beach,
or a place that provides you with beautiful scenery, like La Jolla? Then, a
date and invitation list need to be decided. Next, the menu must be
chosen. Hot dogs, tri-tip, and hamburgers are meats that are simply asking
to be barbecued! On the day of the BBQ, the food must be purchased.
Make sure that your drinks are packed into a cooler and are surrounded by
lots of ice. When packing, dont forget that towels, sunscreen, and blanket all
need to be packed. Finally, make sure that your smart phone has plenty of
room on its memory card: plenty of pictures will be taken during your BBQ
party.
Did you notice the Passive in one form we didnt look at in this article: the
Simple Future? (The phrase plenty of pictures will be taken during your
BBQ party uses this form.)

Further Reading

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