Preparatory Notes for the Oral Exam Part 1: Picture Description
Introduction: Start by mentioning the form of the picture and the artist/author. Then, describe the eyecatcher and use directional phrases to provide more detail about the picture. Use present progressive when describing people's actions.
Useful Phrases and Words:
- "The picture is a photo/cartoon."
- "The photo/picture shows..."
- "In the photo/picture, you can see..."
- Upper corner, lower corner, left, right, top, bottom, foreground, background, middle/center
- Use present progressive (form of "to be" + infinitive + ing) when describing people's actions
- Wait for questions if you don't know what to say
Questions:
1. What situation is shown in the picture?
2. Where are the most important persons/objects in the picture?
3. What do the persons/objects look like?
4. What are the people doing?
Important Notes:
- Tricky words
- Details
- Write what you think
Preparatory Notes for the Oral Exam Part 2: Discussion
Possible Topics: climate change, global warming, environment, teen problems, conflicts, etc.
Prepare and arrange your arguments, use if-clauses, give examples, and defend your position. Avoid getting personal.
Useful Words and Phrases:
- "In my opinion..."
- "I think that..."
- Simple present for Type 1 if-clauses (e.g. "If we don't change our behavior...")
- Simple past for Type 2 if-clauses (e.g. "If you talked to him...")
- Past perfect for Type 3 if-clauses (e.g. "If I had asked you...")
- "I am certain that..."
- "I am not convinced that..."
- "From my point of view..."
- "I would suggest..."
- Instead of, in fact, mention, suggest, whether
If-Clauses:
- Type 1: Simple present (e.g. "If we don't change our behavior...")
- Type 2: Simple past (e.g. "If you talked to him...")
- Type 3: Past perfect (e.g. "If I had asked you...")
Vocabulary: p. 179-188
Additional Vocabulary:
- Global warming
- Climate change
- Conditions
- Following sentence
Quotes:
"Have some fire. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature. Be better than anyone here, and don't give a damn what anyone thinks. You're on your own. Be on your own." - Cristina Yang
