CONDITIONALS

Conditionals!  Love them or hate them, they're a regular part of the English language, and the more familiar you become with them, the more confident you'll be when it comes to expressing your thoughts and opinions.

Here are some conditional exercises and a handy chart that you can keep and refer to whenever you need it.  Have a great weekend! :)

Conditionals - Exercises

PHRASAL VERBS

Phrasal verbs are a common part of the English language.  They are, more often than not, informal, and are used instead of a formal verb.  They are a combination of two or three words, where one verb is combined with a preposition (on, in, at, etc) or an adverb (down, away, etc).

Learning phrasal verbs and remembering to use them when speaking is an extremely important aspect of learning English.

Below is a link to a site that has a list of common phrasal verbs, along with a variety of exercises from flashcards to games that give you the opportunity to practice and learn them.  It's definitely worth checking out :)

Phrasal Verbs Exercises

SO & SUCH

There's often confusion about when to use so and when to use such.  Below is an excellent explanation of these two words, so save the picture to your phone/tablet/laptop and keep it handy for those times when you're not sure.

Also, here's a few exercises if you wish to do some extra practice.  And, let's be honest, why wouldn't you? :)

So and Such - Exercises

READING - PART 5, 6, and 7

Part 5 is a long text with 6 multiple choice comprehension questions.  In this part you have to show that you can understand what the writer is saying.  It often takes a while to get used to this part of the paper, but the more practice you can do, the faster and easier it becomes.

Remember:
* The answers are in the same order as the questions, which means the answer to question 1 is near the beginning and the answer to question 2 comes next.
* Read what the text says, and don't insert your own opinion in the topic.  It is about what the writer says, not what you think about the topic.
* If a word in an answer is also in the text, there's a good chance that it's not the answer.

Part 6 is where you have to read another long text, except this time some sentences have been removed.  What you have to do is put them back into the right place.  There are 6 gaps, but 7 sentences, which means there is one you will not use.

Remember:
* Read the text with the gaps before you look at the questions.  It will help knowing what the text is about and allow you to get some idea of its structure before you start trying to find the answers.
* The most important sentences are the ones before and after each gap, so read these well and closely.
* There are clues in the text: names and pronouns, time phrases, quotation marks, contrast words, verb tenses.

Part 7 is where you have 10 statements that you have to match to the information in one long text or a few shorter texts.

Remember:
* Start by reading the introduction to the task, and the title of the article, for they will give you an idea of what the text is about.
* Underline the key words and phrases in the questions.
* You want to find synonyms.  Again, if a word is in both the text and a question then it is probably not the answer.

Now it's time for some practice :)

Reading - Part 5

Reading - Part 6

Reading - Part 7

ENGLISH PRACTICE FOR THE LONG WEEKEND :)

It's the Queen's Birthday long weekend, which means there won't be class on Monday (I can hear you all rejoicing already), but that's no excuse not to practice your English.  Sure, you've probably already organised a trip or something with you friends - and that's awesome, I hope you have a great time - yet you have to keep using English as often as possible to ensure you're ready for the exam.

If you're off on a trip somewhere, why not designate the time in the car to English speaking only?  Or, if it's a really long trip, make a deal with your friends that during meal times it's English speaking only.  Basically, make sure you can devote some time to speaking English.  Three days without practicing your English speaking skills can easily make you a little rusty.

And, of course, if you can make the time, why not try one or more (or perhaps even all) of the following exercises:

Practice makes perfect :)

Word Formation Exercises

Use of English - Multiple Choice Exercises

Word Formation (Verbs) Exercises

Word Formation (Nouns) Exercises

Phrasal Verbs with Up Exercises

So and Such Exercises

Whatever you get up to this long weekend, I hope you enjoy every minute of it!  See you all again on Tuesday! :)

LISTENING PRACTICE

SOME QUICK TIPS:

* In the Listening part of the exam you will commonly hear British and American accents, but remember that you might also hear Australian, Irish, Scottish, etc, as well.  When practicing your listening skills, try to listen to a variety of accents to give you a good chance of understanding the majority of speakers.
* The speakers in the exam will range from teenagers to the elderly, so listen to a wide selection of people speaking.
* Practice listening and writing at the same time, because it will enable you to utilise your time much better in the exam.
* If you get some questions wrong, then find out why you got them wrong.  Look at the transcripts, then listen again, until you understand the answer.

And finally, do as many listening activities as possible similar to those that will be in the exam in order to build your confidence and listening skills.  Starting with this one below:

Listening - Parts 1 - 4

(This link has numerous listening exercises to choose from)

PUBLIC HOLIDAY!

MONDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER IS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY - THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY :)

That means Lexis will be closed, so whatever you do, do not come to class.  Well, I mean, you can, but the doors will be locked, and you'll be the only one there.

Instead, I suggest you plan something fun with your friends and enjoy the fact that this weekend is 3 DAYS LONG!  Maybe go down south and check out some of the beautiful towns and beaches, or head on up north to somewhere you've never been.  Or just hang out in the sun and do whatever you feel like.

But remember to speak English :)

PREPOSITIONS - IN, ON, AT

A preposition is a word that links a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to some other part of the sentence, and they can often be a little bit confusing for English language learners.

There is no definite rule or formula for choosing a preposition, yet through reading and listening you can begin to recognise and understand its usage.

Most prepositions show direction, location, or time, or to introduce an object.

As always, here are a few exercises you can do in order to improve your knowledge of prepositions:

Prepositions Exercise - 01

Prepositions Exercise - 02

Prepositions Exercise - 03

USE OF ENGLISH - PART 3

In Use of English, Part 3 you will read a short text.  Within the text will be 8 gaps, and for each of these gaps you will be given a "stem" word to make the correct form of the missing word.  This part of the exam looks at your knowledge of word formation, which includes suffixes, prefixes, and spelling.

For some practice, go to the following link, where there are exercises on forming nouns from verbs, opposite meanings, and forming adjectives and adverbs.

WORD FORMATION - EXERCISES

COMMAS

Commas are often the bane of many a student when writing.  There are numerous reasons why we use them, but below let's have a quick look at some of the common ways in which they are used:

COMMAS SEPARATE IDEAS OR NOUNS (LIKE A LIST)

* She's wearing a wool coat, gloves, hat, and snow-boots.

* Lucy did the shopping, cleaned the house, and finished the laundry.

* Paul, John, Ringo, and George were members of The Beatles.

A COMMA CAN CHANGE A NOUN TO A VERB

* The panda eats shoots and leaves.

* The panda eats, shoots, and leaves.

A COMMA CAN CHANGE THE PERSON YOU ARE SPEAKING TO INTO THE PERSON YOU ARE SPEAKING ABOUT

* John is the farce today.

* John, is the farce today?

A COMMA TELLS THE READER TO PAUSE FOR A MOMENT BECAUSE YOU ANOTHER AWESOME IDEA TO ADD

* Superman shot off high into the air, and then he spun around and faced Brainiac.

* Spiderman swung from one building to another, and then did a triple twist before landing.

A COMMA IS USED TO SEPARATE TWO ADJECTIVES

* She is a strong, healthy woman.

Also...check this out:

VERB COLLOCATIONS

Collocations - students love them! - are two or more words that generally go together. Collocations with make and do are extremely common, but there are many other verbs that love to hang out with other words, too.

Below is a brief list of some common collocations:

have	do	make
have a bath have a drink have a good time have a haircut have a holiday have a problem have a relationship have a rest have lunch have sympathy	do business do nothing do someone a favour do the cooking do the housework do the shopping do the washing up do your best do your hair do your homework	make a difference make a mess make a mistake make a noise make an effort make furniture make money make progress make room make trouble
take	break	catch
take a break take a chance take a look take a rest take a seat take a taxi take an exam take notes take someone's place take someone's temperature	break a habit break a leg break a promise break a record break a window break someone's heart break the ice break the law break the news to someone break the rules	catch a ball catch a bus catch a chill catch a cold catch a thief catch fire catch sight of catch someone's attention catch someone's eye catch the flu
pay	save	keep
pay a fine pay attention pay by credit card pay cash pay interest pay someone a compliment pay someone a visit pay the bill pay the price pay your respects	save electricity save energy save money save one's strength save someone a seat save someone's life save something to a disk save space save time save yourself the trouble	keep a diary keep a promise keep a secret keep an appointment keep calm keep control keep in touch keep quiet keep someone's place keep the change
come	go	get
come close come complete with come direct come early come first come into view come last come late come on time come prepared come right back come second come to a compromise come to a decision come to an agreement come to an end come to a standstill come to terms with come to a total of come under attack	go abroad go astray go bad go bald go bankrupt go blind go crazy go dark go deaf go fishing go mad go missing go on foot go online go out of business go overseas go quiet go sailing go to war go yellow	get a job get a shock get angry get divorced get drunk get frightened get home get lost get married get nowhere get permission get pregnant get ready get started get the impression get the message get the sack get upset get wet get worried

Now you're undoubtedly pretty excited about collocations and wish to put your knowledge into action!  Well, you're in luck, because here are some links to some collocation exercises:

Collocations - 01

Collocations - 02

Collocations - 03

Collocations - 04

PLANNING AN ESSAY - SOME TIPS

You have 80 minutes to write two pieces in the exam, which means allocating 40 minutes to each.  The first one is an essay, and a rough idea of how to plan your time for it is as follows:

* Planning - 5 minutes
* Writing - 30 minutes
* Checking - 5 minutes

Some students give themselves 10 minutes to plan, and 25 minutes to write, which is fine.  The important thing is that you do some planning, for it will lead to fewer problems during the writing stage of the essay.  Without the planning stage, the finished essay is normally not as good as it could have been.

Think about what you want to write, and how you want to write it.  Think about the vocabulary and phrases you can use throughout the essay and jot them down as part of your plan.  It is much easier to write with the structure already prepared.

Let's look at this essay topic:

An online friendship is no substitute for real friends.  What's your opinion?  
Write about: "Technology", "Friends and Family", "Your own idea."
(Write your essay in 140-190 words).

In the planning stage you should jot down the Advantages of Online Friendships and the Disadvantages of Online Friendships.  Even if you only talk about one side of the argument in the essay, writing down points for both sides in your plan can be extremely helpful.

Once you've made some quick notes, then think of how you will complete these sentences:

Personally, I believe that...
On the one hand, having an online friendship...but on the other hand...
As far as I'm concerned...

Completing these sentences will give you a much clearer idea of what you want to say, and the direction your essay will take.

You will have three main paragraphs between the introduction and conclusion, each of which will focus on one of the three points mentioned in the essay question.

Planning what you are going to write about will give you direction.  It's an extremely important part of the essay writing process, and the more you practise this skill, the easier it will become.

GERUNDS & INFINITIVES

Many students often have a difficult time knowing when to use gerunds or infinitives.

Here is some basic information, followed by some exercises you can do to improve your understanding:

GERUND
A gerund is a noun made from a verb.  To make a gerund, you add "ing" to the verb.

In the sentence "I read every day", the word "read" is a verb.
In the sentence "I like reading", the word "reading" is a noun.

"She reads many books a month" - "read" is a verb.
"Reading is important" - "reading is a noun.

INFINITIVE
An infinitive is the basic form of the verb " "to".

"I want to eat."
"They asked us to leave."
"The aim is to pass the exam."

Infinitives are often used when actions are unreal, general, or future.

"I hope to see you soon."
"She promised to study hard."
"I refuse to pay!"
"I need to get up early tomorrow."

GERUNDS & INFINITIVES - 01

GERUNDS & INFINITIVES - 02

GERUNDS & INFINITIVES - 03

GERUNDS & INFINITIVES - 04

BREAKING NEWS ENGLISH

Breaking News English is a great web site that has articles on recent events for you to read and then choose from a variety of exercises to ensure your understanding of the article you've just read.  These include a 2-page mini-lesson with synonyms and comprehension questions, all the way up to a 26 page PDF document you can download to practise writing, sentence structure, vocabulary, and gap-fills.

This site also has listening exercises where you can adjust the speed of the speaker to your level, as well as interactive dictation - and heaps more!

And best of all?  It's FREE! :)

If you haven't already come across this site, I suggest you check it out, as it allows you plenty of opportunity to improve your reading, writing, and listening skills, as well as your vocabulary.  Just click on the link below:

BREAKING NEWS ENGLISH

READING & USE OF ENGLISH, PART 2

Part 2 of the Reading & Use of English exam is very similar to Part 1, except that you don't have a selection of words to choose from - you have to think of the answers all by yourself!

It's a good idea to read through the text before you start tackling the answers.  If you don't get the context and understand what the article is about, you could easily put the wrong answer.

What do they like to test in this part of the exam?

* Articles (a, an, the)
* Auxiliary Verbs (will, has...)
* Linking Words (although, however...)
* Possessive Adjectives (his, their...)
* Relative Pronouns (which, who...)
* Comparisons (as, than...)

So you want to do some practice?  Excellent! :)  All you have to do is click on the links below:

Reading & Use of English, Part 2 - 01

Reading & Use of English, Part 2 - 02

THE ESSAY & LINKING WORDS

In the first part of the FCE Writing paper, you have to write an essay where you state your opinion on a given topic.  Remember to:

* Answer the question
* Plan your essay
* Stay on topic
* Have an introduction
* Develop your argument in the middle paragraphs
* Give reasons to support your argument
* Use a variety of words and phrases
* Give examples where possible
* Don't use contractions
* Sum up your argument in the final paragraph, your opinion expressed clearly

Below are some phrases and expressions that are useful when writing your essay:

To express an opinion: In my opinion.  In my view.  I strongly believe.  It seems to me.
To list points: First of all.  To start with.  Firstly.  To begin with.
To add more points: What is more.  Another major reason.  Furthermore.  Moreover.  Not to mention the fact that.
To contrast: However.  Whereas.  Opponents of this say.  Contrary to what most people.
To introduce examples: For example.  For instance.  Such as.  In particular.  Especially.
To conclude: To sum up.  All in all.  All things considered.

Linking words are an excellent way to help you connect your ideas and sentences so that people can follow what you are writing.

Here are a couple of links to linking word exercises for you to do...you know, when you have the time.  Each exercise takes about 5-10 minutes, which is much less time than what you probably spend on Facebook every day :)

Linking Words - Exercise 1

Linking Words - Exercise 2

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE & PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Choosing between Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous often causes students some problems because we can use both of these tenses for finished and unfinished actions.

In A Nutshell

The Present Perfect Simple can be used to talk about unfinished actions that started in the past and are still true in the present.  It's often used with state verbs:

I've known Mike for ten years.


The Present Perfect Continuous can also be used to talk about unfinished actions that started in the past and are still true in the present, but rarely do we use it with state verbs.  Instead, we use active verbs.

I've been living here for two years.

Sometimes there's very little different in meaning between the two tenses, especially with verbs such as live, work, and study.

Sometimes there is a difference in meaning.

* PPC can be used to emphasise the length of time that has passed: I've been waiting here for hours!
* PPS is often used when we're talking about how much or how many: She's written three emails this morning.
* PPC often focuses on the action, while PPS focuses on the fact that the action is completed: I've been watching that TV show you suggested.  I've watched the TV you suggested.  In the first example it is unfinished, whereas in the second example it is finished.
* PPC can be used to emphasise that something is temporary: She's been studying a lot lately.

Here are a couple of links to some exercises - have fun! :)

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

 

READING & USE OF ENGLISH, PART 3 - WORD FORMATION EXERCISES

In this part of the exam you are given one continuous text, and you have to change the word given at the end of the line so that it fits into the text by meaning and part of speech.  Often it can be by adding a prefix or suffix.

* Read the whole text first.

* After reading the text, start the task, and go with your instinct.

* If you can't think of anything, think about what kind of word the gap needs: noun, adjective, adverb, etc.

* If you are still uncertain of the word, try adding a prefix or suffix until you think it sounds right. Often you will suddenly realise you were familiar with it, after all.

* You don't lose points for wrong answers, so make sure you answer every question.

* If you have time, read the whole text again with your answers completed to make sure it sounds correct.

Here is a link to some Word Formation Exercises:

Reading & Use of English, Part 3

ENGLISH IS A FUN LANGUAGE :)

Here's something to think about...

WELCOME! :)

This is the beginning of your 12 week FCE course, and I'm looking forward to spending it with you.  Throughout the duration of the course I'll be posting all sorts of things on this site, including texts, exercises, advice on different parts of the exam, useful links, and whatever else I believe will be of benefit to you.  You can make comments on any entry, or talk about it with me in class - whatever you prefer.

But for now, this first day of the course, I just wanted to mention these five important FCE study tips:

1. Familiarise yourself with the structure and timing of the exam.
2. Understand exactly what is being tested in each part of the exam.
3. Read and speak English outside of the classroom as often as you can.
4. Do your homework.
5. Eat well, sleep well, and remember to go out at times and have fun - no point in burning yourself out before you get to the final exam.