Описание картинки экзамен pet

PET SPEAKING PART 3

Части 3 и 4 по сути являются одним заданием состоящим из 2х этапов, в первом из которых Вы даете описание картинке, а во втором рассуждаете на эту же тему, но только применимо к самому себе, например, на картинке изображены люди играющие в футбол, а вопрос из четвертой части Вам зададут о том какую роль спорт играет в Вашей жизни.

TIPS

Описывайте картинку отвечая на следующие вопросы:

• Где находятся люди? (There are people on the sports field or in the restaurant…)
• Что они делают? (They are playing football or they are having a party…)
• Что Вы можете о них сказать? (They might be sportsmen or students… или they are happy or dissapointed…)

Постарайтесь добавить к описанию как можно больше подробностей:

• Что происходит на картинке?
• Где это происходит?
• Где находятся/как располагаются предметы?
• Какая погода?
• Какое время года?
• Какое время суток?

“Я предлагаю студентам представить, что они должны описать картинку человеку который эту картинку не видит, тогда задание приобретает смысл и воспринимается намного легче. Чтобы быстро и правильно выражать свои мысли пользуйтесь устойчивыми выражениями.”

REMEMBER!

• You will need to speak for approximatly a minute.

• You have to talk on your own about what you can see in a photograph, so try to say as much as you can about the photo.

• Don’t worry if you don’t know the word for something in the picture you are given — use the language you DO know to find a way around it and keep talking.

USEFUL LEXIS

I can see … in the background
They look as if they are …I think they …
I don’t think they …
It looks …
The weather is …
There is/are also …

Для описания местонахождение людей и предметов используйте:

• On the left, on the right, behind, near, next to, between, above, below, in the corner, through, outside, beyond.

Описывая погоду говорите:

• It’s sunny, rainy, pouring with rain, windy, snowy, freezing cold, foggy, cloudy, warm, hot.

USEFUL GRAMMAR

Описывая действия происходящие на картинке используйте Present Continuous:

• The family is having dinner in the garden.

Описывая расположение людей и предметов на картинке применяйте выражение There is/are:

• There are 4 people sitting at the table.

Описывая погоду, время года и суток пользуйтесь Present Simple:

• It’s summer. It’s sunny and warm.

Можно также использовать Present Perfect говоря о том что только что произошло:

• They have just finished eating/talking/swimming …

Делайте предположения и логические выводы о том КТО находится на картинке и ЧТО он делает, используя следующие выражения:

• The people are probably …
• They might be …
• Maybe the photo was taken …

AWARE AND PREPARE 

Далее можно послушать как с заданием справляются кандидаты.

Now I’d like both of you to talk on your own about something. I’m going to give both of you a photograph of children doing sports.
Candidate A, here is your photograph. Please show it to Candidate B, but I’d like you to talk about it. (Approximatly 1 minute)
Candidate B, you just listen. I’ll give you your photograph in a moment.

Thank you.

Now, Candidate B, here is your photograph. It also shows teenagers doing sports. Please show it to candidate A, and tell us what you can see in the photograph. (Approximatly 1 minute)

Thank you.

Listen to a student talking about photo A

Listen to a student talking about photo B

START TALKING. I DARE YOU!

Попробуйте последовательно ответить на каждый вопрос:

1. Who are the people?
2. Where are they?
3. What time is it?
4. What are they doing?
5. Why are they doing this?
6. What are they wearing?
7. What can you see in the background?
8. What is the weather like?
9. What season is it?
10. How do they feel?

“Используйте эти вопросы в качестве схемы и следуйте ей каждый раз давая описание картинки.”

Для примера возьмем картинку и сравним ответы кандидата с предлагаемыми вопросами.

GET HIGHER

Как увеличить длину предложений, ввести сложную лексику и грамматику?

• Relative pronouns: WHO, WHICH, THAT … Впервые эта грамматика вводится в Kid’s box 4, то есть, по хорошему, на втором году обучения. Сложности 0, а речь обогатить здорово помогает.

Например:

There is a man (who) is sitting on the grass.

A man (that is) wearing a uniform is going to buy a ticket.

The woman (that is) sitting next to the boy is making an order.

Throught the window which is open I can see the sun shining.. so it’s probably summer)

• Найдите правильное место в монологе для употребления Present Perfect и отработайте конструкцию до автоматизма. На экзамене используйте в подходящий момент.

Например:

I think he has just finished running because he looks tired.

I think the team has just scored a goal because they/children look happy.

• Лексика для PET не бесконечная и ее вполне можно осилить, но вот специальные тематические словечки действительно составляют сложность поскольку на них легко запнуться и испортить все дело. Разумным представляется потратить на них часть времени при подготовке. Разбирать их конечно придется по темам. Начните с простого, например: cash mashines, notes, wallet или straw, canteen, table spoon, tea spoon … а закончите чем-то посложнее, например: golf stick, golf ball, hole, course. Не нужно учить всю лексику по теме кухня, от формочек для запекания до специй, определите самые частотные в каждой теме, 3-5, больше все равно не запомнить во время подготовки, и выведите выбранную лексику в актив.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Practice for your speaking exam

PET SPEAKING PART 3 Sample cards/Карточки #1
PET SPEAKING PART 3 Sample cards/Карточки #2

You might also like:

PET SPEAKING Part 1: Sample questions
PET SPEAKING Part 2: Listen carefully
PET SPEAKING Part 3: Keep talking
PET SPEAKING Part 4: Talk together

You can get more information from the official website

Introduction

In 2020 Cambridge English updated the B1 Preliminary exam and there were a few changes to the Speaking paper so it is important for students and teachers to know what the ‘new’ Speaking exam looks like and what you can do to get ready and practise the right way.

The structure of the Speaking test still looks very similar to the old version, but, as I said before, there are a few changes.

1. Introductory phase – The examiner asks each candidate a few personal questions. It’s like a warm-up.
2. Individual long turn – Candidates need to describe a photo. This used to be Part 3, but now it is in line with higher-level exams like B2 First and C1 Advanced.
3. Collaborative task – In this part the candidates work together and discuss a topic based on pictures which they get from the examiner. Until 2020 this was Part 2.
4. Discussion – The examiner asks the candidates to discuss different questions which are linked to the topic in Part 3.

The different parts of the Speaking paper

Now that you know that there are four parts to the Speaking exam in PET it is time to look at them one by one. I’m going to show you how each section works based on an example video. We will look at the things the candidates do well and see what they could do better to get higher marks. Hopefully, you will understand the exam better and feel more confident once you get to the end of this article. 🙂

Part 1

In Part 1 of the B1 Preliminary Speaking test, the examiner asks the candidates some questions about their lives. There is a wide range of topics such as work/studies, family/friends, past/future activities, hobbies, your home, etc.

This section of the exam is like a warm-up or an introduction for you. The examiner tries to make you feel comfortable so you are not too nervous when you get to the following stages.

In the example video above you can see the two candidates doing Part 1. It only takes two minutes and the examiner asks them simple questions in turn. Both students do a good job because they give full answers adding some extra information like reasons or examples where they can. This is a very important point for you to remember as many candidates forget about this so their answers become very short and it doesn’t sound natural.

Another thing that many people often ignore is their body language. Try to smile when you are talking to the examiner or your partner, look at them when you or they are speaking and give them the impression that you are friendly, open and easy to talk to.

Part 2

We could say that Part 2 is where the exam really starts. Here you work on your own, which means you don’t interact with your partner, but you talk about a photo that the examiner gives you for about one minute. You have to describe the picture and tell the examiner what you can see.

I have seen many students preparing for the exam and there is a strategy that has worked best for most of them.

1. Describe the person/people in the picture first (appearance, What are they doing?, possible feelings)
2. Describe their surroundings (Where are they? What objects are around them? Are the people doing anything with the things around them?)

It is like going from the centre of the picture to the outside. You start with the people, who are usually in the middle of the image, and you move to the outside from there. This way you don’t forget any important details and if you get confused, you have something that can help you remember what to do next.

Example 1

In the video example, there are a few very interesting points to look at. Kenza goes first and I immediately notice that she doesn’t talk much about the woman’s appearance. She doesn’t speak about her clothes, her hair or body position. She could definitely improve that.

On the other hand, she speculates very nicely about what the woman might be doing in the photo. She uses words and expressions like “I don’t think…” or “Maybe…”. Also, her grammar is great using present continuous (am/are/is + -ing) to describe what is happening in the picture.

Unfortunately, she stops after just around 30 seconds when she could talk about a lot of other things and the examiner needs to help her a little bit. Don’t worry too much, this is OK and you won’t fail the exam just because of that, but it is better if you can talk for a full minute or until the examiner asks you to stop.

Once Kenza continues, she makes more good observations and keeps using nice grammar and vocabulary (“As I said before…”, revising, preparing, etc.)

Example 2

Mohammed does a very good job speaking for the full minute and he makes a lot of really good observations talking about the man, his phone, the guitar, his clothes and some other things as well. He mostly uses present continuous, just like Kenza, which is a very good thing to do too. Apart from that, Mohammed also speculates about the man possibly living alone because there is no one with him in the photo and there are no toys or any other signs of children.

The one thing, however, that Mohammed could improve is that there is no real structure in his turn. He jumps from one thing to the other instead of following a clear structure as I described above. To be clear, this doesn’t ruin his turn, but we can always work on little things in order to get even higher marks. Remember, describe the person first and then focus on the other things in the photo.

Part 3

Part 3 is the first task in which you communicate directly with your partner. The examiner gives you a situation and some pictures. Use these pictures to discuss the situation with your partner and make a decision based on the examiner’s instructions. You have 2-3 minutes of talking time and the examiner will stop you when the time is up.

Kenza and Mohammed generally work well together. They take turns talking and both of them give their opinion clearly as well as react to what their partner says instead of simply trying to throw their own ideas out there. Also, they discuss the topic until the examiner stops them, which is another important point for you to keep in mind. Teamwork is really the most crucial point in Part 3 and you should practise how to interact well with your partner before you take the official exam.

Kenza could support her ideas a little bit more and her answers are sometimes slightly too short while Mohammed does a great job giving reasons and examples to express his opinions. The same is true for how they interact with each other with Mohammed being more inviting than Kenza asking her to give her thoughts on the different gift options the football club could give to its supporters.

Overall, both students do a solid job, but Mohammed shows better skills when it comes to interacting with Kenza so I would give him higher marks here.

Part 4

Last but not least, Part 4 marks the end of the Speaking paper in B1 Preliminary. Here, the examiner asks you and your partner to discuss different questions together for about three minutes. The topic is always connected to Part 3 so in our example it is all about sports.

In the video, you can see that from the beginning Kenza and Mohammed work well together again. They react to what their partner says and give their opinions based on that information.

Similarly to Part 3 Mohammed shows better overall language awareness, a wider range of vocabulary and grammar and better interactive communication even though Kenza shows that her speaking skills are quite good for this level as well using good grammar and vocabulary to answer the questions and to interact with Mohammed.

Useful language for the Speaking exam

In each part of the Speaking test in B1 Preliminary, there are some useful phrases that you should try to use in order to get higher marks. The examiners look for this type of language because it signals that you are talking in the correct way and that you know what the examiners expect from you.

In general, we can break up the Speaking exam in three groups when it comes to useful language: Part 1, Part 2, Parts 3+4.

Part 1

Part 1 is the warm-up to your examination so it is important that you get accustomed to saying full sentences and to linking your ideas with reasons, examples, results and contrasts. A great way to achieve this is to use different linking expressions that you already know so there is nothing new for you to learn. Just make sure that you put one or two of them in each answer in Part 1 and you will see that what you say immediately makes more sense.

Below you can find some examples and O believe that these are probably the most common examples to give reasons or examples and to express result or contrast.

Again, these are the most common expressions, but there are many more that you can find online or in a good grammar book.

Part 2

Part 2 is all about describing what you can see in a photo, which means that you need the right language to do exactly that. Apart from that, you should also speculate a little bit about the people’s feeling or what they might be doing.

Parts 3 & 4

Lastly, we are going to look at the last two parts of the B1 Preliminary Speaking test. As described earlier in this article, it is important to interact well with your partner and you should give your opinion with reasons and examples. This last part about reasons and examples is very similar to Part 1 so I’m not going to repeat that, but let’s check how you can communicate effectively with your partner during Parts 3 and 4.

Time to practise

I hope you were able to take away some useful tips for the B1 Preliminary Speaking exam from this article. There are many great resources online like the videos Cambridge English puts on YouTube so you can see what the test looks like and very often they add comments by the examiners in the description for you to understand even better what the candidates do well and what they could improve.

You now need to start practising. As soon as you know who your partner for the official exam is going to be, go through different exams with your teacher or, again, find them online. Try to put some of the useful language in your answers and see how easy it can be to improve quickly.

Lots of love,

Teacher Phill 🙂

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for the B1 Cambridge test (PET)

In some English exams you have to speak or write about photos or pictures.

Here is a list of useful vocabulary and expressions for describing pictures or photos for oral/written exams.

What is there in the picture? (people, things, animals, places, etc)	In the picture I can see … There is a/ an +(adjective)+ singular noun There are (a couple/some/ a lot of) + (adjective) + plural noun There isn’t a + (adjective) + singular noun There aren’t any + (adjective) + plural noun
What is happening? (actions & weather) For actions use present continuous	The person/ animal is +verb-ing The people are + verb-ing It’s raining/ snowing, etc. It’s bright/ dark/ sunny/ cold/ hot, etc.
What might be happening? (If something in the picture is not clear you can make a guess)	It looks like a + noun It looks as if + person/animal + verb … It looks as though + persona/animal + verb … It seems that person/animal is … Maybe the person/animal is + verb-ing The person/animal might be +verb-ing
What could have happened before? (You can use your imagination and make a guess about the actions that happened before the picture was taken)	The person/animal might have + past participle … The person/animal may have + past participle … The person/animal could have + past participle … The person/animal couldn’t have + past participle …
Where in the picture? (location/ position)	At the top/bottom of the picture … In the foreground … In the background …. In the middle/ center of the picture … On the left/right of the picture … next to in front of across from behind near on top of under

Now that you know the vocabulary and phrases that should be included in picture description, let’s see an example:

I think this is a family photo. There are five people, all of them are smiling. They are having lunch in the dinning room. The dining room is so bright and modern. In the background we see the kitchen and some appliances. For example, a microwave and a coffee maker.

In the foreground we see the mother sitting at the head of the table. It seems that she is taking a selfie. Her children are sitting around the table. On the left side of the photo there is a boy and a girl. The girl is smiling. The boy has his mouth open, and he looks as he is going to eat the whole spaghetti.

There are two teenagers sitting across from the children. The young man is smiling, and the young woman is posing for the photo. The young man has his arm around the young woman.

There are five plates with spaghetti, three glasses of orange juice, and two glasses of red wine on the table. There might be some bread in the middle of the table. The food looks very delicious.

They might be having a video call with the father. The father could have travelled for work to a different city. It looks as though they are having a good time. This photo reminds me when I was younger, and I used to have lunch with my family every Sunday.

Time to practice

The best way to improve your writing and speaking is to practice. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Remember that practice makes progress.

Choose ONE picture and describe it.

What can you see in the picture? Write your answer in the comments below

FIRST IMAGE FOR STUDENT A