This is the fifth sample article candidates of the ECPE examination (Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English of the University of Michigan) My first post to deal with articles , explains what needs to be present in this type of piece of writing. As stated, examiners are looking for articles that elaborate on ideas and have solid arguments; are well organized; make use of a wide lexical and grammatical range; have an original ring to them (in other words, readers are able to distinguish the author's unique "voice"). Before reading, take a look at the following post if you haven't already done so. It will help you focus on the vital aspects you need to be aware of while reading the article and what you should make sure to use when you write your own. The question appeared in Practice Tests for the ECPE Book 1 (revised 2021 version) and is accompanied by the following three writing prompts:
The following list will help candidates practice answering description questions (Tasks 1 and 2 of the MSU-CELC examination), but can also be used by other learners of English to improve their speaking skills and teachers as a discussion or oral exam practice tool.
MSU-CELP candidates could also use the same topics but should extend their answers to cover 2 minutes.
How to use the list
Students should time themselves and be able to continue to speak for about one minute on the following topics. By practicing regularly, they should be able to know how long their answer should be to cover the time set aside for this task.
They should prepare a rough response for each question by thinking of key words to include in their answer, but should not memorize full-length texts.
For instance, if the question asks you to describe your favorite book, you should make a list of words related to the topic to review the day before the exam. In other words, you would include words like:
A second list with description topics can be found here.
MSU-CELP candidates could also use the same topics but should extend their answers to cover 2 minutes.
Click on the image for IELTS Speaking tips |
How to use the list
Students should time themselves and be able to continue to speak for about one minute on the following topics. By practicing regularly, they should be able to know how long their answer should be to cover the time set aside for this task.
They should prepare a rough response for each question by thinking of key words to include in their answer, but should not memorize full-length texts.
For instance, if the question asks you to describe your favorite book, you should make a list of words related to the topic to review the day before the exam. In other words, you would include words like:
- author
- plot
- main character / protagonist
- antagonist
- setting
- theme of the story
- genre
- suspense / drama / comedy
Looking for ECPE Stage 2 speaking tips? Click on the image. |
A second list with description topics can be found here.
MSU-CELC ORAL EXAM
Speaking Topics - Descriptions
1) Describe your perfect vacation.
2) Describe your favorite TV program.
3) Describe a book that you like.
4) Describe your school.
5) Describe a street in your city that you like very
much.
6) Describe a film that you like.
7) Describe a sporting event you recently watched or
attended.
8) Describe a computer game or board game that you enjoy
playing.
9) Describe your favorite season.
10) Describe your favorite dish.
11) Describe your favorite restaurant.
12) Describe a museum you visited.
13) Describe an interesting online video.
14) Describe a school trip you remember well.
15) Describe your favorite store, mall or shopping center.
16) Describe your best friend.
17) Describe a piece of furniture you have that you simply
cannot do without.
18) Describe your favorite teacher.
19) Describe a
place you enjoy visiting in the summer.
20) Describe a gift you received that you liked very much
/ didn’t like very much.
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