CAE/CPE Trios 1

1. Though the movie was widely………………….. across the country, the sales were a disappointment for the studio.

2. For a woman to get …………………………in the business world seems to be a tall order in predominantly male environment.

3. This web site was shut down soon after the Internet provider realized it ………………………..extreme views inciting violence.

1. It was one of the gang's members that ……………………… the agent's cover as he'd seen him in uniform before.

2. Feeling tired, Lind put away the book,……………………… out the candle and went to sleep.

3. Separatists…………………… up several bridges in the province sending a violent message to the capital.

1. The latest evidence doesn't……………………….. the initial assumptions. We need to change the way we've thought about the process.

2. I'm really grateful to you for your affection and ………………………..I received throughout the recovery.

3. Chris had to work hard as he had a wife and three children to …………………………….. .

1. I didn't know about her problems. They never came to my …………………

2. The ……………………… on the wall of the building said 'No entry'.

3. It is next to impossible to organize relief at such short ……………… . We need some more time to make it work.

1. When in the pub, Frank usually ………………………..up attractive girls sitting at the tables which makes his wife see red.

2. I'm sorry I'm so busy at the moment. I'm up to my…………………. in work.

3. You've got to be very careful doing business with that Russian. He's a bit fishy. I advise you to have ……………………… in the back of your head.

1. I'll tell you something, Jane. Never trust men. They only offer …………………… promises which they don't keep.

2. Despite his achievements, the athlete strongly believed that his life was ………………….. and devoid of any purpose whatsoever.

3. Did the customs officers really ask you to …………………….. your pockets and show their contents?

1. Would you be so kind as to………………….. on the dotted line? I need to have your consent in black and white.

2. After much deliberation, the president decided to…………………….. the new legislation into law.

3. It took Miriam only a few days to learn the rudiments of ………………. language to help the deaf.

1. The country prides itself on having the most national parks and ……………………….reserves in the world and has often been given as an example for others to follow.

2. Fiona gave the ………………………away when she began giggling behind his back. This made him suspicious.

3. They were sitting in the armchairs hunching over the desk and playing a …………………… of chess.

1. He planned to stay in the box with 1000 scorpions for three months, an act which was supposed to put all the other entertainers in the ………………… .

2. When the sun reached its zenith, they wanted to find some ……………………. to escape from its scorching rays.

3. The artist uses a combination of light and …………………….. in his drawings to highlight certain recurring cycles in our lives.

1. The grass on the golf ……………………… was perfectly groomed and beckoned those willing to have a game that morning.

2. The GP prescribed a ……………………….. of injections that was to stop the spread of the infection.

3. After an aggressive advertising campaign, the university saw a steady flow of candidates enrolling on the ……………………….

CPE SPEAKING PROMPTS

PROMPT CARD 1

What effect does growing older have on relationships? 
• In the family 
• Friends 
• At school and work 
 
1 What kind of relationships do you think last the longest? Why? 
2 Do you think that the skill of making relationships should be taught at school? 
3 How important do you think it is to like the people you work with?


PROMPT CARD 2

What do you think is the best way to prepare children for life? 
• In the home 
• At school 
• Leisure activities 
 
1 Do you agree that schooldays are wasted on the young? 
2 What do you regret about your own schooldays? 
3 What skill would you most like to learn in the future? Why?


PROMPT CARD 3

How important do you think film will be as the entertainment of the future? 
• Technological developments 
• Costs 
• Changing lifestyles 
 
1 What kind of films do you like to see and what do you dislike? 
2 How influential do you think films are on young people’s behaviour? 
3 Do you think that films should be censored more? Why/Why not?


PROMPT CARD 4

What do you think makes some types of advertising potentially dangerous? 
• Content 
• Medium 
• Target market 
 
1 How much are you influenced by advertising? 
2 Do you think that society has become too materialistic? 
3 Why do you think that shopping has become a leisure activity?


PROMPT CARD 5

Is crime a bigger social problem now than it was in the past? 
• Types of crime
• Detection of crime 
• Control of crime 

1 Do you agree with some people who say that the police should never carry guns? 
2 How do you feel about the way crimes are reported in the media nowadays? 
3 What effect do you think the Internet could have on crime?


PROMPT CARD 6

How do you imagine life in cities in the future? 
• Work 
• Leisure 
• Travel 
 
1 Some people feel that modern buildings are ugly. What do you think? 
2 Which city would you most like to visit? Why? 
3 How far do you agree that there are more disadvantages than advantages in living in a city?


PROMPT CARD 7

What responsibilities do you think individuals have towards the environment? 
• Lifestyle 
• Shopping 
• Financial 
 
1 What is being done in your area to improve or protect the environment? 
2 How would you like to see people made more aware of environmental problems? 
3 What do you think is the biggest environmental problem in your area? 


PROMPT CARD 8

How important is it for young people to have good role models? 
• At school 
• In leisure time 
• At work 
 
1 Who do you think is a good role model for young people in your country? Why? 
2 What would you most like to be admired for? 
3 How much is success due to individual effort and how much to luck?


PROMPT CARD 9

Do you think that having a good imagination is important in life? 
• Personal happiness 
• Personal well-being 
• Personal achievement 
 
1 Do you think that people can learn to be creative? How?
2 Do you think that technology limits imagination? 
3 Some people say that reading fiction is a waste of time? How far do you agree?


PROMPT CARD 10

What kind of work do you think should be rewarded most highly? 
• Risk and training 
• Difficulty 
• Responsibility 
 
1 How far do you agree that job satisfaction is more important than financial reward? 
2 Do you think the age of retirement should be changed? Why/Why not? 
3 How far do you agree that computer skills are essential for every worker in today’s world? 


PROMPT CARD 11

What aspects of technological development do you find most exciting? 
• Medical 
• Communications 
• Agricultural 
 
1 What aspect of technological development do you find most worrying? 
2 What aspects of life do you think have been made easier by the development of 
technology? 
3 If you could have invented one thing, what would it be? Why?


PROMPT CARD 12

What do you think people gain from foreign travel? 
• Personal 
• Cultural 
• Financial 
 
1 What dangers do you see in foreign travel? 
2 How important do you think it is that there should be a common world language? 
3 Which country would you most like to visit and why?

PROMPT CARD 13

How do you think success should be measured? 
• At home 
• At school 
• At work 
 
1 How would you most like to be successful? Why? 
2 Do you think that there is too much emphasis on formal qualifications nowadays? 
3 What kind of people are usually successful in life?


PROMPT CARD 14

Why do think books continue to be popular in this technological age? 
• For children 
• For workers 
• For travelers 
 
1 Do you think that people should be encouraged to read more books? Why? 
2 What is the best book you have ever read? 
3 Do you think that writers should be well-paid? Why/Why not? 

USEFUL LANGUAGE FOR FCE/CAE/CPE WRITING

Writing for FCE/CAE/CPE

Useful language

FORMAL LETTERS

Letters objecting to someone's plans

I am writing to express my concern /disappointment / alarm at hearing ...

I was extremely alarmed/sorry/distressed to hear about your plans to ...

As I think you know, …

May I point out that …

I feel I really must object to ...

I am extremely concerned at the thought that ...

It must be very clear that ...

If these proposals go ahead, ... will happen.

Another threat to ... , if these proposals go ahead, would come from ...

I dread to imagine what damage this will cause.

May I respectfully suggest that you ...

I was wondering if you had considered this alternative?

Would it not be possible to ... ?

Letters of complaint

I am writing to complain about ...

I am writing to tell you how disappointed/annoyed I feel about ...

I was amazed/distressed/horrified to find that ...

As you must realise, ...

I am sure you know that ...

I am sure you can imagine ...

I am sure you will appreciate that ...

It goes without saying that ...

At the very least, I look forward to receiving ...

Unless you ... , I am afraid that I will have to take this matter further.

Letters of recommendation

I am writing to you on behalf of ...

I have known X for ... years.

She / He has shown herself/himself to be extremely ...

X would seem to fit the requirements of this job perfectly.

I have no hesitation in recommending X as a ...

Letters to the editor

I am writing about the article on ... , which appeared (in last night's paper).

I am writing with reference to the article you published (in last month's issue).

I have just read your article on ... and I feel I must ...

You raised some issues which I feel strongly about.

At the start of your article, you appear to claim that ...

I am afraid I totally disagree.

I am completely in agreement.

I am sure readers will agree with me when I say that ...

ARTICLES

Sequencing

At first / To start with/In the beginning, ...

Then/Next/After that, ...

The next thing that happened was ...

The next thing I knew was ...

Seconds/Minutes later,

Late on/Some time later,

It wasn't until much later that ...

After some time/After what seemed like years, ...

Finally/In the end, ...

At last, ...

Simultaneous events

Meanwhile/In the meantime,

While all this was going on,

In the middle of all this, ...

During all this time, ...

Sudden or unexpected events

Suddenly/All of a sudden, ...

All at once, ...

Out of the blue, ...

Without any warning, ...

Just when I was least expecting it, ...

The next thing I knew was ...

Rapid events

As quick as a flash, ...

In the wink of an eye, ...

In a matter of seconds/minutes, ...

In no time at all, ...

Looking back

In retrospect, ...

When I think back to what happened then, ...

REPORTS

Introductory comments

I recently visited (the new Leisure Centre) and have prepared the following report for your consideration.

Further to my visit to ... , I have prepared the following report.

The following report relates to my recent visit to ...

General comments

On the whole, I found that ...

Although ... , I should point out that ...

It is a fact that ...

Concluding comments

All things considered, I believe that ...

Taking all these points into consideration, I would recommend ...

I recommend that we look into the possibility of ...

Comparing places or facilities

One of the main differences between X and Y is that …

X is completely/entirely/totally different from Y in that …

Unlike X, Y is ...

While/Whereas/Although X is ... , Y is ...

X is a little/slightly/somewhat/a great deal (bigger/more elegant than Y.

X is not quite/nearly as (comfortable/expensive/ convenient) as Y because ...

X is virtually/exactly the same as Y when it comes to ...

PROPOSALS

As requested, I am submitting the following proposal on ...

I recommend that we ...

I propose that we ...

We should also ...

I believe that ...

We could ...

It is a fact that , which means that ...

If we were to , it would ...

I suggest we… .We would then be able to ...

I feel strongly that we should ...

I trust you will give my proposal your full consideration.

REVIEWS

x has much to recommend it.

X is, at heart, a(n) love/spy/adventure story.

It is based on a book by ...

It is set in the countryside/the future.

The film has a quality cast.

The film was directed by ...

The film score is enchanting/evocative/scary.

The film captures the spirit of ...

The hero/heroine/villain is ...

I felt/thought it was …

I was impressed by …

What struck me most was ...

What I liked most/didn't like was ...

The plot was gripping.

The characters were very convincing/very well drawn.

On reflection, I think it was ...

It struck me as being ...

What I didn't understand was how ...

In spite of these few criticisms, I think ...

I would have no hesitation in recommending …

Useful words and phrases

These words and phrases can be used in the following text types, depending on what are asked to write about:

• letters

• essays

• articles

• proposals

• reports

• reviews

Expressing and supporting opinions

These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.

I believe/do not believe that ... (because) ...

Personally I feel that ... Let me explain why.

In my opinion, ... Just consider ...

As I see it, … The reason is ...

It seems to me that… This is because ...

I would argue that for the following reasons.

I feel very strongly that ...

I am convinced that ...

I am of the opinion that ...

I am very much in favour of/against ...

I am completely opposed to ...

The reasons why I believe that ... are as follows.

Opening phrases

These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.

People (sometimes) claim that … but I feel that ...

It is often said/argued that ... However, it seems to me that ...

It is a fact that ...

Over the past few months/years, it seems that …

Recently, we have all become concerned that …

Nowadays, we are all realising that ...

In the past, people used to …, but now ...

These days, it seems that ….

Making statements

These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.

It is clear that ...

On the whole, it appears/seems that ...

We must take into account the fact that ....

It goes without saying that ...

It is important to remember that ...

Explaining/Expanding ideas and giving examples

These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.

... This means that ...

... This is largely due to ...

…For example/For instance, ...

…In other words, ...

Take, for example, the situation in ...

Listing arguments

These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.

Firstly/In the first place / To begin with, …

Secondly/A second area to consider is …

Another point to remember is ...

Finally, ...

In conclusion, ..

Last but not least, ...

Evaluating ideas, Dismissing contrary arguments

These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays and articles.

I think it is true that ...

I totally disagree/agree with the point that…

It is questionable whether …

I am sure/I doubt whether …

It is true that ... On the other hand, ...

While nobody can deny that ... , I would like to point out that …

I agree that …However, ...

Although it is true that , we must remember that ...

It could be argued that … However, I would like to point out that ...

Despite all the arguments, I still feel that ...

Notwithstanding the claim that ... , I would argue that…

It may be true that ... , but all too often ...

In no way can I agree that ...

Surely it is completely unacceptable that ...

Persuading

These words and expressions are especially useful in letters and proposals.

I would urge you to consider…

I am sure you will agree that…

Surely you must agree that…

I would urge you very strongly to ...

When you hear the arguments, I am sure you will agree that ...

Evaluating

These words and expressions are especially useful in reports, proposals and reviews.

I was extremely impressed by…

I was rather disappointed by…

While X has much to commend it, I feel that some aspects could be improved.

The problem could easily be solved if ...

I would like to praise the ...

Another area for complaint is …

My overall impression was that …

I am sure that visitors/readers/holidaymakers will thoroughly enjoy ...

While some people will love ... , others may feel less happy.

A major problem is that ...

I was less happy with ...

Making recommendations

These words and expressions are especially useful in proposals and reports.

I recommend that we ...

I propose that we ...

We should also ...

I believe that we should ...

We could ...

If we were to… , we could ...

I suggest we… We would then be able to ...

Summarising

These words and expressions are especially useful in letters, essays,articles, reports, proposals and reviews.

All in all, I think that ...

To sum up, I believe that ...

In conclusion, the facts suggest that ...

Describing

These words and expressions are especially useful in articles, reviews, and letters.

Character/Personality

He tends to be ...

She can be ...

He is inclined to be ...

She appears/seems to be ...

Hobbies and interests

He is crazy about ... -ing.

She loves ... -ing.

His greatest love is ...

What she loves most in life is ...

He spends all his time ... -ing.

CAE/CPE key word transformation practice part 2

1 So that he would be able to leave the room quickly, Matthew stood by the door.

positioned

Matthew ……………………………………………..as to be able to leave the room

quickly.

2 I haven't been told clearly what I'll have to do in my next project at work.

required

It hasn't been made…………………………………………………………….. me in my next project at work.

3 In my opinion, it was an absolute miracle that they survived the accident.

short

The fact that they survived the accident was………………………………..... , in my opinion.

4 What gave you the impression that Sue and Jack were going to split up?

led

What was………………………………………………………. that Sue and Jack were going to split up?

5 I tried as hard as I could to make sure that this problem would not arise.

power

I ……………………………………………………………………this problem from arising.

6 I don't think it was reasonable of you to complain so much about the service.

justified

I don't think you ……………………………………………………………………………..fuss about the service.

7 Laura was faced by a lot of problems during her childhood.

contend

Laura had a………………………………………………………………………….. during her childhood.

8 The audience suddenly started to applaud loudly.

sudden

All……………………………………………………………………………. from the audience.

9 David played the main role when the proposal was drafted.

instrumental

David …………………………………………………………………………….of the proposal.

10 If you hadn't changed our original agreement, everything would have been fine.

stuck

Had …………………………………………………………………………agreed, everything would have been fine.

11 I think you should have some consideration for those who don't have lives as privileged as yours.

spare

I think you should ………………………………………………………….lives aren't as

privileged as yours.

12 We decided to stay for longer because we were so thrilled by the place.

prolong

We decided to………………………………………………………………………. we by the place.

13 Competitors were amazed by how shrewdly he conducted his business affairs.

marvelled

Competitors ………………………………………………………….which he conducted his business affairs.

14 I didn't want to give up while some hope of success remained.

defeat

I was loath…………………………………………………………………….. some hope of success.

15 After a long hard journey, I cheered up when I saw my home.

sight

After a long hard journey, my spirits …………………………………………………of

my home.

16 Your attitude to life would be greatly improved by regular exercise.

wonders

Regular exercise would ………………………………………………………………at life.

17 If Tony hadn't interfered, there would have been no problems yesterday, I'm sure.

smoothly

Without Tony's ………………………………………………………………………yesterday, I'm sure.

18 I said that I thought he was wrong about the best way for us to proceed.

issue

I ……………………………………………………………………..best we should proceed.

19 He didn't want to get into a position where he might lose all his money.

possibility

He didn't want to expose……………………………………………………………. all his money.

20 The company received an enormous number of calls responding to the advert.

deluged

The company …………………………………………………………………………..response to the advert.

21 The manager said that he had paid attention to my complaints and would take the appropriate

action.

note

The manager said that he had………………………………………………………………. accordingly.

22 We'll have to make sure that costs are as low as possible or we'll have no money left.

minimum

We'll have to keep …………………………………………………………………ourselves with no money left.

23 His behaviour at the conference gave him the bad reputation he now has.

conducted

The way…………………………………………………………………………………. in the bad reputation he now has.

24 Her work didn't meet the standards that were considered acceptable.

conform

Her work…………………………………………………………………………….. acceptable standards.

25 The film was so controversial that it was banned in several parts of the world.

caused

Such was………………………………………………………………………………….. the film that it was banned in several parts of the world.

26 He had no idea what was going to happen to him when he walked into that room.

store

Little…………………………………………………………………….. him when he walked into that room.

27 You shouldn't let trivial matters worry you so much.

prey

You shouldn't let trivial matters…………………………………………………………….. extent.

28 He became famous but it cost him his privacy.

expense

His rise…………………………………………………………………………… of his privacy.

29 I helped Ray, with the result that his business became successful.

favour

I ……………………………………………………………………………….which his business became successful.

30 I had to wait for the manager for almost an hour before he would see me.

best

The manager kept ………………………………………………………….an hour before he would see me.

31 I'll have to consider working abroad if an opportunity doesn't arise here soon.

near

Unless an opportunity presents ……………………………………………………………. future, I'll have to consider working abroad.

32 I wanted to make sure that all my good work wasn't wasted in that way.

waste

I wanted to prevent …………………………………………………………………….in that way.

CAE / CPE key word transformation practice 1

1 John has hinted that he doesn't wish to remain in the group any longer.

hint

John has ........................................................................ wishes to remain in the group.

2 Five actors were competing for the leading role in the play.

contention

There ................................................................................... the leading role in the play.

3 A spokesman said that the story was pure speculation.

dismissed

The story .................................................................. than speculation by a spokesman.

4 She was concentrating so hard on her work that she didn't notice when I came in.

wrapped

She was ............................................................ that she didn't notice when I came in.

5 They still haven't found out what caused the accident.

cause

They have yet ..................................................................................... the accident was.

6 1 reluctantly signed the contract.

signature

It was with .............................................................................................. on the contract.

7 Suzanne is far superior to me in terms of technical knowledge.

match

When it comes ............................................................................................. for Suzanne.

8 Anthony wasn't at all discouraged by this bad experience.

Put

This bad experience ................................................................................................. least.

9 The company lent us an apartment as part of the deal.

loan

As part of the deal, we were ............................................................. by the company.

10 1 always enjoy this film, no matter how often I see it.

tire

However ............................................................................................................... this film.

11 1 don't know why Fred made such an extraordinary decision.

prompted

I don't know ..................................................................................................... a decision.

12 Inefficient treatment of customers creates a bad impression of the company.

reflects

Treating customers with a lack ................................................................ the company.

13 The organizers planned everything as carefully as they could possibly have done.

utmost

Everything was planned ..................................................................... by the organizers.

14 Coming second didn't make her feel any better because she only wanted to win.

consolation

Coming second ................................................................. was all that mattered to her.

15 1 promised him that the situation would not be repeated in the future.

word

I ................................................................. no repetition of the situation in the future.

16 Tim tried to be like one of his heroes when he was a young musician.

modelled

As ......................................................................................................... one of his heroes.

17 Diane finds that creating things stops her from thinking about her work.

mind

Diane finds that being ...................................................................................... her work.

18 1 tried not to get involved in that situation.

mixed

I tried to avoid ........................................................................................... that situation.

19 After announcing his resignation, he said that he had done nothing improper.

deny

After announcing his resignation, he went ..................................................... improper.

20 1 had to go to an expert and ask her to advise me.

seek

I was forced ................................................................................................expert.

21 1 realized that I was in a terrible position and I wasn't to blame for it.

fault

Through .............................................................................. myself in a terrible position.

22 I'm doubtful that this plan is very realistic.

reservations

I ........................................................................................................ realistic this plan is.

23 Francis chose computing rather than marketing for his next course.

preference

Francis opted .................................................................. marketing for his next course.

24 Presumably you're still interested in travelling this summer.

lost

I take ........................................................................................... travelling this summer.

25 Eventually, Jim admitted that he was responsible for the error.

owned

Eventually, it ................................................................. been responsible for the error.

26 Without your assistance, I could never have done this job so well.

assisted

Had ......................................................... , I could never have done this job so well.

27 The manager praised one particular player.

singled

One particular player ................................................................ praise by the manager.

28 He denied the accusation unconvincingly, which made me think he was guilty.

led

His ........................................................................................ believe that he was guilty.

29 There came a time when I completely ran out of patience.

stage

I ................................................................................................ more patience left.

30 Once I had made sure there was no reason to be afraid, I went ahead.

fear

Having satisfied ....................................................................................... , I went ahead.

31 It is likely that she will get very angry when she finds out.

liable

She ............................................................................................... fit when she finds out.

32 Being inexperienced was a disadvantage to her when she applied for promotion.

counted

Her ............................................................................... when she applied for promotion.