CPE Use of English Part One practice of Speaking Part One

Choose the correct option for some suitable phrases for the exercise above.

Checking (again) what the question means

Can I just check __________________?

  1. what the question means
  2. what the question mean
  3. what means the question
  4. what does the question mean

 

_________________ I talk about just my close family or other relations too?

  1. Must
  2. Have to
  3. Ought to
  4. Should

 

Could you repeat ________________________________?

  1. the last of the question
  2. the last part of the question
  3. the final of the question
  4. the final section of the question

 

Could you say that ______________________________?

  1. another way
  2. other way
  3. other ways
  4. another ways

 

_____________________________ I still don’t quite understand.

  1. I’m afraid but
  2. I’m unfortunately
  3. I’m sorry to
  4. I’m sorry but

 

Commenting on the match or (possible) mismatch between the question and answer

Actually ____________________ my case,…

  1. at
  2. in
  3. on
  4. by

 

Commenting on the question/ Filling silence while pausing for thought/ Dealing with difficult questions

That’s an _________________ question.

  1. interesting
  2. tricky
  3. difficult
  4. weird

 

I’ve never really ______________________ about that before.

  1. asked
  2. said
  3. thought
  4. told

 

Vague language/ Saying you are not sure (e.g. you can’t remember exactly)

… or something __________ that sort.

  1. of
  2. like
  3. kind
  4. similar

 

I _____________________________… but I can remember…

  1. exactly don’t recall
  2. don’t recall exactly
  3. ’m not exactly recalling
  4. don’t have exact recall

 

Changing your mind halfway through/ Correcting wrong information

Sorry, I _______________________ to say…

  1. am meaning
  2. was meaning
  3. meant
  4. meaned

 

Ah no, that’s wrong. It’s ______________…

  1. actual
  2. actually
  3. fact
  4. factually

 

Explaining things that the examiner might not know or understand (e.g. names of things which are specific to your country)

There is something in my country which we ________________…

  1. name
  2. are named
  3. call
  4. are called

 

… which can _______________________ as…

  1. translate
  2. be translating
  3. be translated
  4. translated

 


Giving reasons

The _____________ reason for that is…

  1. big
  2. leading
  3. main
  4. large

 

Different (past, present or future) time expressions

once ________________ two or three weeks

  1. a
  2. per
  3. every
  4. all

 

Yes, I have. I went there a couple of years ________________

  1. ago
  2. before
  3. earlier
  4. since

 

I’m a bit busy with my PhD at the moment, but I’d love to go there ___________ a few years.

  1. after
  2. later
  3. in
  4. during

 

When I was ________________, I went to Tunisia on a school trip.

  1. in the second year of Junior High School
  2. the second year of Junior High School
  3. Junior High School student
  4. a Junior High School

 

I went there _________________________________.

  1. at last weekend
  2. the last weekend
  3. at the last weekend
  4. at the weekend

 

Different future forms

I __________________ study in graduate school in the US.

  1. have a plan to
  2. have plan to
  3. planning to
  4. plan to

 

Check your answers, then go through again explaining why the other options are wrong.
Brainstorming stage

Without looking above, put as many suitable phrases as you can into each section below. Many phrases not above are also possible.

Checking (again) what the question means

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commenting on the match or (possible) mismatch between the question and answer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commenting on the question/ Filling silence while pausing for thought/ Dealing with difficult questions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vague language/ Saying you are not sure (e.g. you can’t remember exactly)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Changing your mind halfway through/ Correcting wrong information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explaining things that the examiner might not know or understand (e.g. names of things which are specific to your country)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving reasons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Different (past, present or future) time expressions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Different future forms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compare your phrases to those above, then brainstorm more.

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PDF version for easy saving and printing: CPE Use of English Part One practice of Speaking Part One