Depending on the English exam you're taking, the oral component will include questions that deal with things you already know about because the question will ask for information based on what you do, or about things that have to do with the country or city you live in. As you already know from my blog post IELTS Speaking: The Basics (even though the post deals with the IELTS exam, the main ideas stated also refer to oral exams administered by other examination boards), examiners are looking for variety in grammatical structures and vocabulary as well as good, long answers that show you feel comfortable expressing yourself in English.   The following list deals with a number of topics that could crop up during the oral examination and has therefore been divided into topic categories. Each category is followed by a short list of words that can be used to either add somewhat more advanced vocabulary to your answers or give you ideas how to develop your answer. For instan...

As part of the series of blog posts on letter/email writing (read the previous one on letters of complaint here ), the present post will turn towards formal letters giving information and making suggestions. Such letters, like letters of complaint, fall under the category of transactional letters. The list of useful phrases for such letters can be used for tasks you have to write as part of an English examination (FCE, CPE, IELTS, to name a few), but in addition to this, can improve your speaking skills any time you are asked to give information or suggest a few things in a polite fashion.  First of all, let's take a quick look at how a letter which provides information is organized.

As mentioned in my previous blog post concerning the Speaking component of the IELTS, the first part of the oral exam consists of general questions about you, your work or studies, your free time activities, family, home and neighborhood, and the like. This post lists a number of typical questions that could land at your feet on the day you present yourself before the examiner.  Don't panic, don't mumble, don't have prepared answers memorized. Just reply honestly having thought about what your answer should include (so memorize key words if you like, but not complete sentences) and also answer at length. Remember, the more you make the examiner work, the lower your grade. Show you can speak fluently and can express your thoughts clearly. Here is a first list of different questions you could be faced with:

In my 20 or so years of teaching, I've come to the conclusion that the IELTS Speaking component is the most innocuous part of the test. Other English-language examinations last longer, have more complicated tasks which need to be fulfilled, include two candidates who are assessed simultaneously and involve other factors that could create more stressful conditions for candidates. The IELTS is straightforward -- which means there's a catch.  The proof lies in the following case: I had one particular student whose parents (one of them, to be more precise) was a native speaker of English. This student, a girl, had been brought up in a foreign country where English was taught as a secondary language in schools, but who spoke English at home with her native English-speaking parent. She was, in effect, bilingual even though there were sporadic errors in more advanced grammatical structures and, as is natural, gaps in more advanced vocabulary. However, her pronunciation was impec...

Please read the first two paragraphs from Grammar: The Subjunctive by way of introduction to this series of blog posts regarding grammar. I nversion is yet another grammatical construction that shows a more advanced knowledge of the English language. It usually appears in grammar textbooks the year before and during which a candidate is set to sit a B2-level examination (IELTS 5.5-6.5, FCE, ECCE, MSU-CELC, ESB, LRN) but mo re often than not is not very well grasped by students, making it a rarely tested item at th is level.  If candidates are likely to encounter a single question whi ch tests inversion on a B2 test , meaning that they are not expected to have mastered it, they are most certainly expected to have learnt it well enough at C2 level to not only recognize it in a sentence, but use it as well in both the oral component of the test and as part of any writing task they are required to produce.

Essay writing at B2 level is no different from B2 letter writing in that candidates are still expected to write formally, give good, clear arguments and develop their ideas using a variety of grammatical structures and vocabulary expected at this level. To see what the different types of essays are and how they may be structured, read B2 Writing: The Basics.  The sample essay that follows answers the following question: A healthy diet plays a large role in a person's emotional health. Discuss, giving examples to support any information. Remember the reason why these sample essays have been uploaded and how to make the best of them by reading  "What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?".

Essay writing at B2 level is no different from B2 letter writing in that candidates are still expected to write formally, give good, clear arguments and develop their ideas using a variety of grammatical structures and vocabulary expected at this level. To see what the different types of essays are and how they may be structured, read B2 Writing: The Basics.  Let us deal with the following question:

Please read "What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?" before reading this blog entry.  The following letter is an example of how examination candidates could tackle the subject of limiting students' summer break. The sample has been modeled on the University of Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) Task 1 question of the Writing section available on page 206 of the Hellenic American Union's ECCE Practice Examinations book (Book 1).

To get the most out of these sample essays and letters, please read "What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?" before reading this blog entry.   The following letter is an example of how examination candidates could tackle the subject of recommending one of their pe e rs . The sample has been modeled on the University of Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) Task 1 question of the Writing section available on page 182 of the Hellenic American Union's ECCE Practice Examinations book (Book 1). Task 1 of the rubric asks candidates to write a recommendation letter. If you haven't already done so, read this post B2 Writing: The Basics to see what these letters are and how they can be organized. Based on an announcement that appeared in Greenpark High School's newsletter, the Board Members of the school are looking for a student to represent both school and country at the International Student's...

To get the most out of these sample essays and letters, please read "What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?" before reading this blog entry.   The following letter is an example of how examination candidates could tackle the subject of volunteering at an animal sh elter . The sample has been modeled on the University of Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) Task 1 question of the Writing section available on page 158 of the Hellenic American Union's ECCE Practice Examinations book (Book 1). The rubric presents an announcement found in The City Times newspaper entitled "Volunteer Your Time, Save a Life". According to it, the town's local animal shelter is asking for volunteers to feed, take care of and help with fund-raising events such as bazaars for strays and mistreated animals. The shelter will visit schools to inform students about the benefits of volunteering and invites readers of ...

To get the most out of these sample essays and letters, please read "What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?" before reading this blog entry. The following letter is an example of how examination candidates could tackle the subject of limiting internet access . The sample has been modeled on the University of Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) Task 1 question of the Writing section available on page 134 of the Hellenic American Union's ECCE Practice Examinations book (Book 1).   Based on the rubric, the newspaper The City Times reports that a public school official (Mr. Harding) has announced that access to certain kinds of websites that are inappropriate for children will be denied to students on all computers in schools after internet blocking devices will be installed. Although it is expected that some students will complain about this restriction, many more will see the benefit. Candidates a...

This overview gives you the basics to letter and essay writing primarily required for the Examination for the Certificate in Competency in English (ECCE) awarded by the University of Michigan but can, nonetheless, be used for writing at B2 level for other ESL assessments as well. This b log post is a starting point to help teach candidates the tricks to passing a test at B2 level and a springboard for writing tasks at subsequent levels (C1 and C2).  In any case, some of the pointers mentioned herein are so crucial to writing in an academic environ ment that if you grasp them , then you can transfer them onto any type of writing you may be asked to produce , no matter the level or context. The first main area to cover has to do with general pointers: L earn to use set phrases from sample essays provided in self-study textbooks or found here (look under the B2 or ECCE labels or follow the link from the key words category under ' letter ', ' essay ' or ...

To get the most out of these sample essays and letters, please read "What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?" before reading this blog entry. The following letter is an example of how examination candidates could tackle the subject of planning a fund raiser. The sample has been modeled on the University of Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) Task 1 question of the Writing section available on page 110 of the Hellenic American Union's ECCE Practice Examinations book (Book 1).   The rubric has informed candidates the one of the poorest countries in Africa, Mozambique, has been devastated by floods, with hundreds dead and thousands homeless and starving. The newspaper The City Times has set up a relief fund welcoming donations of money, food, clothes and medicine. Candidates are to write a letter explaining how their school or workplace is planning to raise money for the newspaper's flood relief f...

To get the most out of these sample essays and letters, please read "What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?" before reading this blog entry. The following letter is an example of how examination candidates could tackle the subject of banning smoking in public places. The sample has been modeled on the University of Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) Task 1 question of the Writing section available on page 86 of the Hellenic American Union's ECCE Practice Examinations book (Book 1).   The aim of the task is for candidates to write a letter to The City Times newspaper to express their opinion on the National Medical Association's (NMA) proposal to ban smoking in all public places. The information the rubric gives candidates is that: non-smokers who live with smokers face great dangers to their health (for example, serious respiratory problems) children whose parents smoke are at a higher risk...

To get the most out of these sample essays and letters, please read "What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?" before reading this blog entry. The following letter is an example of how examination candidates could tackle the subject of drunk driving among teenagers. The sample has been modeled on the University of Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) Task 1 question of the Writing section available on page 62 of the Hellenic American Union's ECCE Practice Examinations book (Book 1).   The aim of the task is for candidates to write a letter to the editor of the The City Times to offer some solutions to the problem of young people driving under the influence of alcohol as a result of being more and more involved in accidents of this nature. Candidates have been instructed to begin their letter with the words "Dear Editor". If you haven't already done so, read this post as well: B2 Writing: Th...