B1 PRELIMINARY (PET) - SPEAKING TEST

1. When you don’t understand

- Could you say that again, please?
- Could you repeat that, please?
- Please could you explain what you want me to do?
- I’m sorry, what does ….mean?
2. When you don’t know the name of sth
- I don’t know the word for this in English.
- It’s like a box. It’s similar to a CD.
3. Giving yourself time to think what to say
- Well, I suppose that…
- I’m not really sure what to say, but…
- It’s difficult to say, but…
- Let me think for a moment…
- It’s not very clear in the photo but I think that …

PART 1:
-spend time + V-ing
I usally spend 2 hours playing sport everyday/every week.

1. Introducing yourself
- I’m/ My name’s…
- My friends call me …
2. Giving information about yourself
 Your family
- I’m from a large/ small family.
- I have 2 younger brothers and an older sister.
- I’m an only child.
 Your home
- We live in a house/ flat in …
- I share a flat with some other students.
 Your studies/job
- I live/ work in…
- I have a part-time job for ABC company
- I’m an auditor/an accountant/ shop assistant/ software seller with
Misa compay
- I work as an auditor/an accountant/ shop assistant for Misa company
- I’m studying at BA in accounting/auditing/finance
- I’m training to be an accountant/ auditor
What benefits can you get from your part-time job?
I have chances to meet a lot of new people
 Your daily routine:
- I get up early every morning
- I go to school/ work everyday of the week.
- I go out with my friends most evenings
 Your free time
- In my spare time, I do a lot of sport.
- My hobby is photography.
- I don’t have much free time, but when I do, I like …
-
PART 2
In part 2, you have to talk about a situation which is illustrated on a
sheet of paper. Make suggestions and discuss alternatives.
SOME USEFUL LANGUAGE
HOW TO:
 STARTING UP
- Shall I start? => Of course!
- Do you want to start? => Okay, I’ll go first.
- Would you like to start? => yes, thank you.

 AKS FOR SUGGESTIONS

- What shall we do tonight?
- Where shall we go tonight?
- What do you think we should give her?
- Where do you think we should take him?
- What’s your opinion?

 MAKE SUGGESTIONS
- How/What about going to the cinema?
- Why don’t we have a meal in that new restaurant?
- We could stay in and watch a video.
- Let’s invite some friends for dinner.
- I think we should + V-inf
- I think a photo would be a good idea
 RESPOND TO SUGGESTIONS
- Yeah, that’s a great idea.
- Yes, that sounds good.
- Yes, OK.
- All right, I agree.
- Of course (not)
- I think so too
- That’s true
- Well, I think I’d prefer to go to a disco.
- You may be right, but…
- I don’t think so…

 DISCUSS ALTERNATIVES
- Which do you think is best?
- Yes, that’s impossible.
- It’s difficult to decide, but….
- I think this is more useful because….
- It would be better to go to the cinema because….

 ASK FOR OPINIONS

- What do you think about that?
- How do you feel about that?
- What do you think?
- What’s your opinion?
- …, don’t you think?
- …, isn’t it?
- Do you think … is a good idea?
- Do you think so?
- Do you agree?
- What/How about (doing) sth.?
- …, don’t you think?
- …, isn’t it?
- Would you like to ……?
- Should we …….?

 GIVE YOUR OPINION

- I think/ I don’t think that’s a good idea because…
- Personally, I think that’s a terrible idea because…
- I think that a necklace is best because it’s very pretty
- In my opinion, a photo frame is a good idea. It will help her to
remember us.
- In my opinion, it would be better to stay in a hotel because …
- I think we should take him to the water park.
- I suppose…
- The way I see it,
- … is a good choice.
- … is the best option.

 AGREEING
- Absolutely
- That’s what I think too
- I agree.
- I (completely) agree (with you)
- Yes, you’re right.
- Well, you may be right.
- I think so, too.
- That’s good idea/ great idea.
- That sounds good.
- That’s true.
- I suppose so.
- Definitely. That’s a good point.
- Good idea. I never thought of that.

 DISAGREEING
- Hmm, I’m not sure.
- I don’t think so.
- I’m not sure I agree with you.
- I can’t agree with that.
 - I agree but…
- Well, that’s true but …
- I’m sorry but I don’t agree with you.
- Perhaps you’re right, but …
- I see what you mean, but I think…

 EXPRESS PREFERENCES
- I’d rather go to campsite.
- I’d prefer to go to the hotel.

Một số từ nối cơ bản đã được chia theo mục đích sử dụng:

- Để thêm thông tin: Also, Besides (ngoài ra), In addition (thêm vào đó)
- Để chỉ nguyên nhân, kết quả: And so (và vì thế), As a result (kết quả
là), Therefore (do đó),
- Để chỉ sự đối lập: However (tuy nhiên), In contrast (ngược lại), On the other
hand (mặt khác)
- Để chỉ sự so sánh: Similarly, In the same way (tương tự thế)
- Để chỉ sự tổng kết: Finally (cuối cùng), In conclusion, To summarize (tóm lại)
- Để chỉ ví dụ: For example, For instance (cho ví dụ), Such as (chẳng hạn)
- Để chỉ sự khẳng định: In fact (thực tế là), Actually (thực ra)
- Để chỉ sự tổng quát, nói chung: In general, Generally (nói chung)
- Để chỉ sự chi tiết, cụ thể: In particular, Particularly, Specifically (cụ thể là)
- Để nêu lên ý kiến: In my opinion, Personally, From my perspective (theo ý
kiến/quan điểm của tôi)
- Để chỉ sự chắc chắn: Certainly, Obviously, Definitely (tất nhiên, chắc chắn là)
- Để chỉ thứ tự: Firstly (thứ nhất), Secondly (thứ hai), Thirdly (thứ
ba), Finally (cuối cùng), At the same time (đồng thời), Meanwhile (trong khi
đó)
Practice2
A young man works very hard, and has only one free day a week. He
wants to find an activity to help him relax.
Here are some activities that could help him relax.
Talk together about the different activities he could do, and say which
would be most relaxing.

 Conversation
– Student A: Shall I start?
– Student B: Of course, yes.
– Student A: Well, I think going fishing might be a good idea. Many
people find it relaxing. What do you think?
– Student B: I agree, but maybe he needs to go far to go fishing.
Something like swimming is healthier and it’s closer to his
house, probably. What’s your opinion?
– Student A: Well, you may be right. Swimming is a very healthy
sport. And what about cooking?
– Student B: Cooking is great, but if this man works a
lot, probably he wants to do something outside his house, so maybe
cooking is not the best idea. I think hiking in the countryside with his
dog is better, don’t you think?
– Student A: Ah, I think so, too. Walking is healthy and he can
spend time with his dog, which is nice. And, honestly, if he’s tired he
won’t want to go to a club. What do you think?
– Student B: Of course not. And painting and reading, I
believe they’re boring and not very active, so in my opinion the best
option is to go hiking with his dog. Do you agree?
– Student A: I completely agree with you. It’s healthy and he can
have a good time outdoors.
 SPEAKING PART 3&4 TEST B1

PART 3: DESCRIBING PHOTO (1 – 2 MINUTES PER CANDIDATE)

In this part, each candidate talks on his/her own about a colour photo for about minute while the other candidate
just listens. The two photos are on a shared topic but each candidate only talks about their own photo.

Some useful language:

HOW TO
1. GIVE A GENERAL INTRODUCTION OF THE PICTURE:
a. Give a general description of the scene
- This picture shows….
- This is a picture of…. + Somebody + V-ing
- In this picture, I can see…
- The picture I'm going to describe is....
- This is a colour/black and white photo of...

Ex: This picture shows a family having a picnic.

In this picture I can see a family having a party.

b. Describe the background and exiting things:

- There is/ are + Noun + in/ on/ at…
- In the background/ in the foreground, I can see…
- In the middle of the picture there is a group of people, probably tourists because…
- In the background there is a church…
- There is a bookshelf next to/ near/ behind/ in front of/ on/ in/ under/ above/ between the door.
- On the left/ on the right of the picture, I can see….
- At the top/ In the middle/ at the bottom of the picture, …
- In the top right-hand corner/In the bottom left-hand corner, I can see....

2. TALK ABOUT PLACES

- They’re driving in the country/ in a city/ in the mountains…
 - She’s sitting inside/ outside a cafe’…
- They’re indoors/outdoors
- They’re in a park/the countryside
- They’re in a shop/cinema/theatre/ café/ hotel/ library…
- They’re on a bus/ train/ plane…
- Thet’re at home/school/work…
- I can see a street market/ old building/ square/ street/ restaurant/ beach
3. DESCRIBE A PERSON
- Height: tall/ short/ medium
- Build: thin/ slim/ plump/ fat/ skinny/ well-built
- Hair: bald/ straight/ curly/ wavy/ spiky.
- He’s rather/quite tall. Shoort/ fat/ thin
- She’s got fair/ dark skin.
- She’s got dark/fair/ short/ long hair
4. DESCRIBE PEOPLE’S AGE
- He’s elderly/ about 70 years old/ in his 70s.
- She is middle-aged/ in her 40s.
- They’re young/ in their twenties/ in their 20s.
- She’s a teenager/ a young child/ a middle aged woman.
5. DESCRIBE PEOPLE’S CLOTHES
- She’s wearing a pair of shorts and a red Tshirt
- They’re wearing quite casual/ smart clothes
- He’s wearing a uniform
- They are wearing sports clothes/school uniform/casual clothes.
6. DESCRIBE PEOPLE’S ACTIONS
- He’s sitting at a desk
- She’s standing in a queue
- They’re having a meal
- Some people are sunbathing and others are swimming in the sea.
7. DESCRIBE PEOPLE’S ROLES IN A PICTURE
- He’s probably a shop assistant and she’s a customer.
- This person on the left seems to be a tourist guide – he’s poiniting a building
- The man serving the drinks is a waiter.
8. DESCRIBE PEOPLE’S FEELINGS IN A PICTURE
- I think/ It seems + present continuous to describe actions
I think they are enjoying themselves because they are smiling.
- They look/ seem (very/ quite/ extremely) + Adj
They look very worried/ sad/ happy/ excited/ nervuos/ bored/ tired maybe because they are lost in
the mountains.
He seems a bit frightened. Maybe this is the first time he’s tried this.
She looks very interested in this activity – she’s concentrating very hard.
The father seems to be happy because he is laughing.
- I think the teenagers are bored because they look very serious.
- She looks like + Noun
 - They are probably....because
- They seem to be....
- It could be,
- The woman might be + V-ing/ Noun,
- Perhaps the younger girl is...
- Maybe the boy has got...
- I think they must be friends because they seem to be having fun together.
9. MAKE GUESSES
- It might be summer because some people are wearing sunglasses.
- It’s probably in the country because....
- This picture could be in Northen Europe because of the buildings.
- It looks like Russia because of the man’s arrearance aand the church behind him.
- It looks as if they’re having a good time.
- They look/seem very/quite happy/ sad/worried/ tired/ bored
- I think they’re happy because they’re both smiling
- They could be friends or brothers
- He’s probably a tour guide because…
-

10. GIVE YOUR OPINIONS

- In my opinion/view, it’s an interesting/funny… photo/ picture.
- I think/ believe that if I had opportunity, I would love to go rafting as I have never tried it and it looks
very exciting.
- If I had a chance, I would love to sit at this table and have my lunch because I love going to nice
restaurants.
- I quite like this picture because ….
- I don't like this picture at all because…..
- This picture reminds me of when....
- I find it (a bit) + Adj
-

Remember the question words: WHO – HOW MANY – WHERE – WHAT – WHEN – HOW – WHY

REMEMBER:

- Talk in sentences – don’t produce lists of items you can see.

- Organise your description – don’t describe the same thing more than once
- Start with a general ideas of the subject of the picture before going into details
- Give reasons (related to the picture) for your ideas.
- Talk about the situation as well as the physical things you can see in the picture
- Give some personal reactions to the picture
This is picture of the girl’s birthday party. On the right of the picture, there is one girl is
sitting on the table, holding a present with a big ribbon on it. She is wearing a summer
dress and suit, and she has a scarf on her head. She looks happy. There’s some food and
drink on the table too. On the left of the picture, there’s a group of children. They’re
properly her guests. They’re wearing summer shirts and dresses. They are all holding their
presents. I guess they are going to give them to the girl. In the background, I can see
colorful paper decoration and some trees behind. They’re probably in the garden of the girl’s
house. It’s a sunny day and I think it’s summer. They are having a good time.

This is the picture of some teenagers sitting at a table inside a café. On the right, there is a
girl with long hair. She’s smiling and she looks happy. On the left, I can see a boy with a
green top and sitting between them, in the middle, there’s a young boy wearing a blue T-
shirt. They all look happy to be together. They’ve got places with pieces on them and drink
with Strauss. They’ve just shared a whole pieces …. between them, I think. Behind them, I
can see the back of someone else sitting at the notable in the café. A girl, she’s on her own.
It looks a sunny day outside.
PART 4: DISCUSSION (3 MINUTES)
In this part, the candidates have to talk to each other again. The interlocutor gives them a topic which is related to
the photos they talked about in part 3 but he/she doesn’t take part in this discussion at all.

Part 4 (3 minutes)

Your photographs showed people having a snack. Now, I’d like you to talk
together about what you like to eat when you have a snack and say where you
like to have your snack.

SOME USEFUL LANGUAGE

HOW TO:

1. ASK FOR OPINIONS

- What do you think of Italian TV?
- What’s your opinion?
- How do you feel about going on a cruise?

2. ASK ABOUT LIKES/ DISLIKES AND PREFERENCES

- What do you like?
- Do you like skiing?
3. TALK ABOUT PERSONAL LIKES/DISLIKES
 - I love/ quite like/ really enjoy/ don’t like/ hate … camping because….
- I find (don’t find) visiting museums quite boring/ exciting/ expensive/ relaxing…
- I’m (I’m not) very interested in/ quite keen on sport…
- My favourite kind of music is …. I like it because…
4. EXPRESS PREFERENCES
- ’d (wouldn’t) like to live in a big house because....
- I’d rather/ prefer to live in the country because …
- If I could choose, I would live in a house by the sea

REMEMBER:

- Listen carefully to the instructions given by the examiner. Usually there are two things to talk about.
Remember to talk about both of them with the other candidate and give reasons and examples for your
opinions.
- Often the instructions from the examiner will use the verb “like”. Listen carefully to decide if you should
use “would like + to + infinitive” OR “like + the gerund” in your answers.

Picture 1