Proficiency 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.

———————————

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

Related pages

C2 Proficiency Speaking page

C2 Proficiency Use of English page

Teaching C2 Proficiency: Interactive Classroom Activities (over 350 pages of photocopiable classroom materials on every part of the test) – NEW