CAE Speaking part2 practice 1

SET 1

A: Compare 2 of the pictures, and say why the people might need a short break from work, and weather the short break is really important to all the people.



B: Who do you think needs the short break the most?


SET 2

A: Compare 2 of the pictures and say why it might be important to do these things carefully, and what might happen if great care is not taken.



B: Who do you think has the greatest responsibility to do the things carefully?


SET 3

A: Compare 2 of the pictures and say why their celebration is so special to them, and whether they will remember the celebration for a long time.




B: Who do you think will get the greatest long-term pleasure from the celebration?


SET 4

A: Compare 2 of the pictures and say how easy it is to play music in these situations, and how important it is for the musicians to practise regularly.



B: Who do you think might need the most practice?


SET 5

A: Compare 2 of the pictures, and say what the people might find hard about having to work in these situations, and what skills they might need to deal with the problems that arise.



B: Who do you think might need the greatest skill?


SET 6

A: Compare 2 of the pictures, and say what you think people might enjoy about taking part in adventure activities like these, and how much skill is involved in doing them.



B: Which activity do you think people find the most exciting?

SET 7

A: Compare 2 of the pictures, and say in what way you think the animals might be important for the people, and how the people might be feeling.



B: Which person do you think will have the longest relationship with the animals?


SET 8

A: Compare 2 of the pictures, and say why the people might have chosen to travel in this way, and why their journey might be important to them.



B: Who do you think will remeber their journey the longest?

GRAMMAR ISSUES - Agreement with Linking Verbs

In sentences with linking verbs, the verb agrees with the subject, not the predicate nominative.

Roses and lavender make a lovely bouquet. (The verb make agrees with the subjects, roses and lavender, not the predicate nominative, bouquet.)

Unfortunately, the result of the discussion was more disagreements. (The verb was agrees with the subject, result, not the predicate nominative, disagreements.)


1. Branches from pine trees (makes, make) a good shelter for a garden.
2. The accidents (was, were) a tragedy.
3. The robins’ nest (is, are) a mass of twigs.
4. The children (seems, seem) the image of their father.
5. The bird’s bright wings (was, were) a beautiful sight.
6. Eyes (appears, appear) as a symbol in many artists’ work.
7. Before our eyes the piles of lumber (is becoming, are becoming) a house.
8. The warm, sunny days (was, were) a great gift to the tomato plants.
9. The dancers’ costumes (was, were) a symphony of color.
10. The students (is working, are working) together as a team.

Continue on your own:

11. Dishonest people (is, are) a disgrace to any profession.
12. Large numbers of books (forms, form) a library.
13. The ugly statues (was, were) a monument to bad taste.
14. The musicians in their tuxedos (was, were) a sight to behold.
15. The focus of a teacher’s life (is, are) the students.
16. The lakes in this area (is, are) a haven for many tourists.
17. Their different backgrounds (was, were) a great gulf between them.
18. The smiling children (seems, seem) the picture of happiness.
19. The chorus’s songs (was, were) a delight to the ears.
20. They say that the eyes (is, are) a window to the soul.

Now try with these:

1. Final exams (was, were) a disaster.
2. Peanut butter and bananas (makes, make) a great sandwich.
3. Those mountain peaks (is, are) a great challenge to a climber.
4. The participants (is keeping, are keeping) their comments to a minimum.
5. The thousands of dollars they spent (was, were) a terrible waste.
6. The search planes (is, are) the only hope for the stranded hikers.
7. The explosion (was caused, were caused) by sparks.
8. Stars on a dark night (is, are) a splendid sight.
9. The dress (is, are) several inches too short.
10. The children’s closets (is, are) a mess.
11. Your furtive glances (has betrayed, have betrayed) your guilt.
12. Hot dogs and beans (was, were) my father’s favorite meal.
13. His twin daughters (is, are) the apple of his eye.
14. The stock market (is posting, are posting) great gains today.
15. The comedian’s jokes (was, were) a riot.
16. The test scores (represents, represent) the students’ best effort.
17. The unfair trials (was, were) a travesty of justice.
18. The lights twinkling on the water (seems, seem) like stars in the sky.
19. Building wooden models of ships (is, are) my hobby.
20. Rude remarks from the children (continues, continue) to be a problem.

FCE Speaking Part 2 Practice 3

Practice SET 1

Compare and contrast the photographs saying why you think the people have chosen to travel by taxi.





Practice SET 2

Compare and contrast the photos and say how the people are feeling about the animals.





Practice SET 3

Compare and contrast the photographs saying what skills are important in each one.





Practice SET 4

Compare and contrast the photos saying what possible problems and benefits the people collecting these things may have.