COLLOCATIONS - HERE THEY COME AGAIN! :)

As you already know, a collocation is a pair or group of words that are often used together.  There are many different grammatical categories of collocations, of which these are some of the most common:

* Adjective + Noun
* Adverb + Adjective
* Noun + Verb
* Verb + Adverb
* Verb + Noun
* Verb + Preposition

And collocations are extremely important when speaking English, because if you get them wrong it can change the meaning of what you say, or make no sense whatsoever.  Moreover, they are a big part of getting yourself a decent score in the Use of English part of the exam.

So what do you say we do some more collocation exercises, huh?  Excellent! :)

Collocations 01

Collocations 02

FCE LISTENING TIPS & PRACTICE

TIPS:

Part 1
* Underline key words and try to predict what you may hear
* If you can't think of the right answer, move on to the next one
* If possible, choose all your answers on the first listening, and check them on the second

Part 2
* Try to predict the type of missing information (Is it a number, name, place, etc?)
* Use no more than 3 words to fill in the gap
* Listen a second time and check your answers
* Check for spelling mistakes

Part 3
* Read the instructions to find out what topic the speakers will be talking about
* Try to predict ideas or words you expect to hear
* Decide on your answers during the first listen, check them during the second listening

Part 4
* Again, try to predict ideas or words you expect to hear
* Think of synonyms that will go with the words in the questions

Below is a link to a site where you can practice the listening part of the exam - complete with transcript and answers! :)

And remember, although doing some study this weekend is important to improving your English skills, make sure you also find some time to relax and soak up the sun :)

Listening Exam Practice - Parts 1 to 4

PODCASTS

Podcasting is being able to listen to any sort of subject you want - and when you want.

There are hundreds of thousands of podcast channels out there, ranging in topics from gardening to aeronautics, movies to extispicy, soccer to Greek food, ancient history to anime...the list is almost endless.  The variety of content you can download to your mobile phone or tablet is staggering!  You can even listen to audio books from your favourite authors!

Every podcast channel adds news episodes on their specific topic every week/fortnight/month, and all you need to gain access to it is an Internet connection.  And best yet?  Most of them are free!  Kind of like Youtube, but without the video.

They are also a great way of enhancing your English listening skills.  Fire up your podcast app on your phone, check out the topics you're interested in, choose one, click play, and away you go.

Sometimes the hardest part of listening to podcasts is knowing which podcast channel to choose.  But just try one out - if you don't like the people speaking, or don't find them interesting, select another podcast channel.

You can listen to them while relaxing with your eyes closed.  You can listening to them while driving, running along the beach, or at the gym.  You can listen to them anywhere!

So what are you waiting for?  Get your podcast app up and running, find something of interest, and practice your listening - you might even have fun in the process :)

Here are some places to get started:

Halloween Podcasts
The Guardian - 50 Best Podcasts 2016
The 30 Best Podcasts 2016
13 Podcasts You Need To Listen To Right Now
Podcast Categories

USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4

Part 4 of the Use of English paper is often considered to be one of the hardest parts of the whole exam.  It tests your grammar and vocabulary.  You are given a sentence and a keyword, from which you have to complete a second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first sentence, using only 2-5 words.

Here's an example:

Italian food is better than British food.

AS

British food ___________________ Italian food.

The answer is: British food is not as good as Italian food.


REMEMBER:

* You must use the keyword - and you can't change the form of the keyword.
* You must use between 2-5 words for your answer.
* Contractions count as two words.  Won't - will not.  Don't = do not.
* Your spelling must be correct.
* On the answer sheet your answer must be in capital letters.
* Make sure your nouns and verbs agree with each other.
* Don't waste time!  If you have been staring at the one question for five minutes, move on to the next.
* Because of the scoring system, it's possible to get 50% in this section without getting any of the questions 100% correct.  So yes, try and answer every question, as incomplete answers may also get points.

Here are some exercises that I have no doubt you're dying to do :)

Use of English - Part 4 01

Use of English - Part 4 02

Use of English - Part 4 03

RELATIVE CLAUSES

Relative clauses connect two parts of a sentence with a word such as who, which, that, where, etc.  They may add meaning, but as the examples further below will show, they are not always necessary.  

And there are two types: defining clauses, and non-defining clauses.  A defining clause tells us which specific person or thing we are talking about.  If a defining clause is removed, the meaning of the sentence changes significantly.

Example:

* The woman who visited me in hospital was very kind.
(If we take out the defining clause the sentence reads: "The woman was very kind."  What woman?)
* The man who stole my wallet has been arrested.
(If we take out the defining clause the sentence reads: "The man has been arrested." What man?)
* The weather that we had in September wasn't very good.
(If we take out the defining clause the sentence reads: "The weather wasn't very good." What weather?)

A non-defining clause gives us more information about the person or thing we are talking about.  If it is removed from the sentence we lose some detail, but the overall meaning of the sentence remains the same.

Example:

* The farmer, whose name was Fred, sold us 10 kilos of carrots.
(Without the non-defining clause: "The farmer sold us 10 kilos of carrots.")
* Elephants, which are the largest land animals, love to eat grass.
(Without the non-defining clause: "Elephants love to eat grass.")
* My mother, who is 75, lives in London.
(Without the non-defining clause: "My mother lives in London.")

And now, as always, here are some links to exercises you can do to practice relative clauses:

Relative Clauses 01

Relative Clauses 02

Relative Clauses 03

Relative Clauses 04

READING, PART 5-7

Part 5 is the first part of the Reading section in the exam, and should take you no longer to complete than 15 minutes.  It is a long text with multiple-choice comprehension questions.  You have to show that you can understand what the writer wants to say.  The more you practice, the faster you can do this part of the exam.

Part 6 of the exam is where you read an article and some sentences have been removed from it.  You then have to choose from the removed sentences which one fits each gap - and remember, there is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Part 7 is where you read an article in which four people make comments.  For questions 1-10 you have to choose from the people A-D.  It is perfectly fine for A, B, C, or D to be chosen more than once - or else you wouldn't be able to complete this part of the exam :)

REMEMBER in Part 5:
* Read the text before the questions.  This is the best way to ensure you locate the answers quicker and with more accuracy.
* If a word in an answer is also a word in the text, it's most likely not the answer.

REMEMBER in Part 6:
* Read the text with the gaps first.  It's good to know what the text is about before you have to find the answers.
* The most important sentences are the ones before and after each gap.

REMEMBER in Part 7:
* You have to find synonyms.  If a word is in both the text and the question it is, again, most likely not the answer.
* Many of these questions are about people's thoughts and feeling, so learn as much as that kind of vocabulary as possible.

And now, without further ado, here are some practice exercises:

Reading - Part 5

Reading - Part 6

Reading - Part 7

LINKING PHRASES

You can use words or short phrases which help to guide your reader through your writing, and to link sentences, paragraphs and sections both forwards and backwards.  Good use of linking phrases will make what you have written easy to follow.

Linking words and phrases are often used to combine two sentences or clauses presenting contrast, comparison, purpose, reason, addition, etc.  They allow us to establish clear connection between ideas.

Here are some links for you to do some linking words/phrases practice:

Enjoy your weekend! :)

Expressing Contrast

Addition

Purpose or Reason

Time

MODAL VERBS

Modal verbs are used to show if we believe something is certain, probable or possible (or even not possible).  We use modal verbs to talk about ability, to ask permission, to make requests and offers.  They are a type of auxiliary verb.  And yes, they are a major part of the English language, used every day by English speakers.

To practice modal verbs, click on the links below:

Modal Verbs of Ability

Modal Verbs of Obligation

Modal Verbs of Probability

USE OF ENGLISH, PART 1 PRACTICE

The first part of the Reading/Use of English paper in the FCE is multiple choice cloze where you have to choose the correct word from four similar given words.

* The best way to prepare for this part of the exam is to read.  And read a lot.

* Remember to read the title, as it can be of help.

* Think of what prepositions (if any) go with each of the four options.

Here are some links you can check out to practice this part of the exam:

Multiple Choice 1

Multiple Choice 2

VOCABULARY EXERCISES

A wide variety of vocabulary is used in the FCE exam, all centered on numerous topics.  Below are some exercises you can do to check/improve your vocabulary:

Family and Relationships Vocabulary

Travel Vocabulary

Computer Verbs

Opposite Verbs

Activities and Interests Vocabulary

Personality Opposites

Phrasal Verbs - Make/Do

Phrasal Verbs - Get

REPORTED SPEECH

If we tell someone what another person has said, we usually don't use the speaker's exact words.  Instead, we use Reported Speech.  To use this correctly, you have to learn how to transform Direct Speech into Reported Speech.

When transforming, we have to decide which of these we need to change:

* Pronouns
* Verb tense
* Place and time expressions

Here are some links to Reported Speech exercises:

Reported Speech 01

Reported Speech 02

PREPOSITION SENTENCES

Here's a handy list of sentences using prepositions:

MOCK EXAMS TODAY! :)

Where?

ROOM 18

And remember to bring a pen and a pencil :)

GERUNDS & INFINITIVES

It can often be tricky trying to remember which verbs are followed by the infinitive (the to form) of the verb and which are followed by the gerund (a verb ending in ing that is used as a noun, either as a subject or object) of the verb.

Examples of infinitives:
* John wants to study English.

Examples of gerunds:
* Speaking helps students learn English.  (the gerund is a subject)
* John enjoys reading.  (the gerund is an object)

Of course, confusion often arises when learning the difference between the two, but it's good to keep in mind that gerunds sound more natural than infinitives when used as a subject of a sentence, and if you remember this it will lead to less mistakes.

Remembering which verbs are followed by a gerund and which are followed by an infinitive is often difficult, because simply by reading through a list won't always help you remember.  It's more effective to write your own list as you come across which verbs need a gerund and which need an infinitive.  Or choose a selection of verbs and write an article or a diary entry using them.  This often reinforces how to use them, instead of trying to memorize a list.

And then there's practice!  Well, you're in luck, because here's some links to a collection of gerund/infinitive exercises :)

Exercises 01

Exercises 02

Exercises 03

COUNTABLE & UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

It's important to know the difference between countable and uncountable nouns in English because their grammar usage is different.

Countable nouns are for things we can count using numbers.  They have a singular and a plural (more than one) form.  The singular form can use "a" or "an" (remember yesterday's post about articles?  Of course you do!).  Asking questions about countable nouns are usually with "How many?"

Singular - one desk.  Plural - two desks.
Singular - one man.  Plural - two men.
Singular - one idea.  Plural - two ideas.

Uncountable nouns are for things that we cannot count with numbers.  They are often the names for abstract ideas or qualities, or physical objects that are very small (rice, liquids, gases).  They usually do not have a plural form.

Examples are: tea, sugar, water, knowledge, love, money, research, information.

And yes, this is the part of the post where I give you some links to exercises that you can do at your leisure.  It wouldn't be a post without the chance to practice the topic of the day, would it? :)

Countable & Uncountable Nouns 01

Countable & Uncountable Nouns 02

Enjoy your weekend! :)

ARTICLES

Articles.  Love them or hate them, they are an often used, and extremely important, part of the English language.

Basically, an article is like an adjective, as it gives us more information about the noun that follows it.

The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns, and a/an are used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns.  The is referred to as the definite article, and a/an the indefinite article.

Have a quick look at this:

* "Let's watch a movie." (this means any movie)
* "Let's watch the movie." (this means a specific movie, one we have already talked about watching)

Of course, there is more to articles than the above examples.  Check out the tables below to get a better understanding:

Not using articles correctly can often cause confusion to the person you are talking to.  Using the when you should have used a or an can lead to misunderstanding.  Because of this, it's a good idea to make sure you know when to use articles.

It's lucky for you that we have some exercises below for you to put your article knowledge into practice. isn't it? :)

Article or No Article?

Multiple Choice

A, An, or The?

More A, An, or The

MORE LISTENING PRACTICE

Even after months of studying English, many students still have a hard time improving their listening skills.  And it's frustrating for them!  After all, their knowledge and grasp of grammar is pretty good, they have the ability to read and write - and they can speak on almost any everyday subject - but when it comes to watching a movie or listening to a bunch of native speakers, there are times they still feel lost.

And that's okay.  Listening difficulties when learning any language are very common.  But there are ways that will help you improve.  So don't worry, and don't give up, because by reading this you're now closer to listening to and understanding native speakers than you were before.

So what do you do?

Here's a few tips:

* Make sure your contact with native speakers is enjoyable.  If you're only watching the news to improve your listening then there's a good chance you'll get bored quickly.  It's better to interact with others in social situations.
* Make listening a daily habit.  I know you all have busy lives with study and work, but come up with a strategy that ensures you turn your listening practice into a habit.  You have to do it every day - like anything else in life - in order to get better at it.
* Make the most  of podcasts and the radio.  There are thousands and thousands of different podcasts out there, so there's no reason you can't find one that is about a topic you find interesting or like.  Video games are a hobby of yours?  Then find a podcast where they talk about video games.  You like soccer?  Easy to find a podcast about that.  No matter what your interests are, there's a podcast to match.
* Download an audiobook and read along with it - that way you can also improve your pronunciation and get an ear for how certain words are spoken.
* Watch movies.  Without subtitles.  And choose a genre that you like.  If you enjoy the topic, chances are you won't get bored.

And there's something else you can do - especially if you're an FCE student.  Go to this link - Listening, Parts 1-4 Practice - for it has three different listening exercises for each part of the listening exam.

MORE COLLOCATIONS! (because you can never know too many)

As you probably already know, a collocation is two or more words that often go together.  These combinations just sound "right" to native English speakers, who use them all the time.  If used incorrectly, they sound "wrong".

For example:

* Fast food, not quick food.
* A quick shower, not a fast shower.

Using collocations correctly will allow you to sound more natural, as well as being more easily understood.  So what do you say we do some practice? :)

Verb + Noun Collocations

Verb + Noun Collocations

Noun + of + Noun Collocations

Adjective + Noun Collocations