Conditional exercises

This blog has been running for several years so, if you use the search tool on your right you will come face to face with posts from former years. 

And they are handy if you need some extra practice. 

As for the Conditionals, you can find these posts in the blog:

Conditionals: Grammar and sentences

http://esl-freak.blogspot.com.es/2015/04/conditionals-answer-key.html

Conditionals Easy Practice

http://esl-freak.blogspot.com.es/2017/04/resit-exam-practice-conditionals.html

More Conditional Sentences

http://esl-freak.blogspot.com.es/2016/04/more-conditional-exercises-on-line.html

Conditional Sentences. Transformations

http://esl-freak.blogspot.com.es/2016/04/conditional-sentences-transformations.html

Some of you will be like...

(source of the picture: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6a/d4/b0/6ad4b07c23d2e63196c6eecef26b5732.jpg)

Please, don't get me wrong: You don't have to do all these exercises (remember that this is a compilation of several years). You can use this post as a reference or as an useful source of exercises.

Extra practice. Workbook Reading

Some of you have expressed their concern about the reading exam and wanted more practice. Since we are in a hurry, I'm afraid we don't have time to do an extra reading practice. However, today I'm posting the answer key to page 41 of your workbook. You can do the reading at home and check your answers with the following. As always, if you have any doubts just tell me and we can set a meeting during the breaks. 

Reading. A narrative

Exercise 1

1. d

2. b

3. b

4.c

Exercise 2

1. His son helped him record his story for StoryCorps.

2. He was terrified of how she would react

3. Because Linsk broke the glasses in the playground he stole from Pearl

4. He probably felt guilty

5. Yes. He probably felt relieved after he shared it.

Exercise 3

1. without a second thought

2. settling

3. hard to come by

4. tracking down

5. holding onto

Workbook answer key page 37

Vocabulary. Relationships.

Exercise 1:

1. b

2. f

3. c

4. a

5. e

6. d

Exercise 4:

1. fell in love

2. engaged.

3. took it for granted

4. break up

5. damage

6. close friends

7. get along

8. value

9. growing apart

Reading Answer Key (unit 5)

Reading. A short story

Exercise 1:
1. c
2. a
3. b
4. c
5.a

Exercise 2
1. She pulled her hair down and looked at it in the mirror to see how long it was because she knew she could sell her hair to buy Jim a present.

2. She was worried because she wasn't sure Jim would still find her beautiful after having cut her hair 

3. Della was frightened because she couldn't read his expression, which wasn't an expression she could have expected.

4. She was trying to explain why she had cut her hair off. 

Exercise 4:

1. length
2. possessions
3. flowed
4. damage
5. lived through

Exercise 5
(possible answers)
1. jewellery shop
2. an actor
3. a diamond ring
4. a sad story
5. an old pair of jeans
6. when a dog starts barking at you

Speaking materials... @home practice

(source of the pictures: https://deesite.wordpress.com/2014/11/22/images-photos-et-questions-pour-la-partie-2-du-speaking-test-fce/)

More speaking materials...

When my students realise that the speaking exams are approaching, their smiles suddenly drop. They are like...

(sourse of the picture: https://www.buzzfeed.com/matwhitehead/cram-bam-thank-you-maam)

Some of them even confess having nightmares! I guess that is because they picture themselves in an unlikely exam-situation such as...

(source of the picture: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/425660602252666591/)

Don't you worry, my brave students, as some speaking-related posts are coming to save you!

Let's start with youtube videos showing how your speaking test (remember, FCE part 2) is nicely done!

Speaking time!

So the final term is already here (yay!).

Let's take a look at the second part of a B2's speaking test!

Examiner’s initial instructions

 
In this part of the test, I’m going to give each of you two photographs. I’d like you to talk about your photographs on your own for about a minute, and also to answer a question about your partner’s photographs.
(Candidate A), it’s your turn first. Here are your photographs. They show people who are helping other people in different situations.
(place the following pictures in front of Candidate A)

 

Via Cambridge English

I’d like you to compare the photographs, and say how important it is to help people in these situations.

Candidate A’s response

(introduction) Both of these pictures show people getting some help; the first one shows a football player who seems to be injured and the second one is an Asian tourist getting help from a policeman.

(similarities + differences) Although both situations involve someone helping a person, they are very different. In the first one, the football player needs help because he’s had an injury and, probably, he can’t walk properly. On the other hand, in the second picture, the tourist is probably asking for directions because he might be lost. Also, the footballer is likely to be in pain, while the tourist may only be a little nervous.

(question) As for how important it is to help these people, I’d say it’s important in both situations. However, I strongly believe that the footballer needs more help than the tourist, as his situation is obviously more serious.

Examiner’s follow-up question for Candidate B

(Candidate B), do you find it easy to ask for help when you have a problem?

Candidate B’s response

Well, it depends on the problem, but normally I do. Whenever I have a serious problem I ask my mum or my dad for advice. It’s not easy, but I do it. With other problems, I always ask my friends first, because they normally know what to do.

4. Basic observations

If you read the task above carefully, you will notice the following features:

• Candidate A is asked to compare two pictures and to answer a question about them.
• The question the examiner includes in his explanation is also written above the pictures, so don’t worry about having to memorise it.
• Candidate A will have to speak longer than Candidate B, that is, the person comparing speaks longer than the person answering the follow-up question.
• Candidate A has clearly compared both pictures and answered the question.
• The expressions in bold are useful words or phrases to use in any comparison.
• Candidate A’s comparison follows a clear order: introduction + similarities, differences, question. Although this particular order is not compulsory, it is recommendable.