Simple Present vs Present Perfect

 

A2 Key for Schools DIGITAL PRACTICE TEST

These symbols are in the top RIGHT corner. 
The 3 lines have options to change contrast, text size,  hide or show remaining time, and submit the exam.  Clicking on the pencil opens an area to take notes. 

DIGITAL LISTENING TEST- You cannot pause or rewind the audio while answering the questions. You will have 2 minutes to check your answers at the end.

 

Clicking this icon colors it and a question RED, so you can go back to it later. You will see the section and number at the bottom of the page. 

Differences between Cambridge English Qualifications Digital Sample Test and the Live exam:    

These arrows are at the bottom right-hand part of the page. If you click the check, it will take you to the last page and ask you to start over.

Differences between Cambridge Digital Sample Test and the Live exam:  

• In the sample test, there is a start over button on the final page. This will delete your answers. This button will not be present in the live exam.
• Highlighting will not save in the sample test, and the notes do not work. These will work in the live exam.
• In the live exam, when there are 5 minutes remaining, the background changes color, and the time starts showing minutes and seconds.
  
  The digital sample test does NOT mark your exam.  We will correct it in class. 

Digital LISTENING Test

Digital READING and WRITING Test

Be sure to look at the word count below the writing. 

SPEAKING Part 1

Part 1: the examiner asks each student questions:  personal details, daily routines, likes, dislikes, and so on. Candidates respond directly to the examiner. You do not talk to each other in this part. 

Here are some common exam questions: 

1.     What’s your name?  / Spell your surname, please. 

2.       Where do you come from?  /  Where do you live?

3.       How often do you see your friends?

4.       What do you like doing with your friends?

5.       Where do your friends live?

6.       When do you see your friends?

7.       Please tell me something about one of your friends.

8.       Who do you live with?

9.       How many bedrooms are there in your house/flat?

10.           Where do you watch TV at home? (which room?)

11.              What’s your favourite room in your house?

12.            Please tell me something about the things you like doing at home at the weekends.

POST with the list of topics you should be able to talk about.

For more possible questions, click one of the links under "SPEAKING"  in the right-hand column.

1) Speaking Part 2: Different things to wear + places to eat + places in a town + outdoor activities

Watch the videos of the speaking exam.

• Don’t talk at the same time as your partner or interrupt them when they are speaking. 
• Don’t worry if you make a mistake. The important thing is that you communicate with your partner and with the examiner. 
• If the examiner interrupts you, this shows that you have spoken enough.  The examiner must respect the time limits of the test.

Expressions to use:

• What do you think? 
• What about you? 
• I think… 
• I agree. / I don't agree. / I disagree.
• I love … 
• I prefer … 
• Yes, I think so too. 
• I don’t think so. 
• Maybe but I … 
• I don’t.
• I don't really like...
• That's an interesting question.
  
• I need to think about that for a moment. / I'll have to think about that...

In this part of the test, you are going to talk together. Here are some pictures that show different things to wear. Do you like these different things to wear? Say why or why not.  Now talk together.
 

After 1-2 minutes, the examiner will then ask each candidate a question, such as:
Do you think ...

• wearing jeans is boring?
• wearing sunglasses is important?
• wearing trainers is cool?
• wearing a cap in the sun is a good idea?
• wearing a watch is useful?

So, A, which of these things to wear do you like best? And B, which of these do you like best?

Do you prefer wearing a watch or using your phone to tell the time, B?  And what about you, A?

What kind of jewelry can you wear at school? Why?

**Give different answers or reasons than your partner.**

PARTS 6 + 7

  Some NOTES on parts 6 and 7   

• Be careful about writing too much or too little. "How are you?" is not necessary to begin your email. 
• You will lose points if you do not include all 3 parts of the email or write about all three pictures for the story. 
• Proper nouns (names, days of the week, months, cities, etc.) and I MUST be capitalized: Saturday, February, Rome, I (NOT i ) 
• my friends and I   NOT   me and my friends   
• be careful to use the correct verb tense 
• PUNCTUATION. Sentences end with a period ( . full stop) or an exclamation mark (!) Questions need a ?
• Titles of books should be underlined in the handwritten test, The Hunger Games, or use italics with digital, The Hunger Games. 
• TIME: 6 o'clock /  6 p.m. / 4:30 / 4
• Use words you know how to spell correctly. Some common misspellings: which (not witch); together, with, sandwich, picnic, a lot (2 words)
• MEET: We can meet at the station. (incontrare) BUT "It's nice to meet you." (conoscere)

 PART 6 
Question 31
You are going shopping with your English friend Pat tomorrow. Write an email to Pat.
Say:

• where you want to meet
• what time you want to meet
• what you want to buy

Write 25 words or more.

Here are two examples:

Hi Pat,
I want to meet you at the shopping center tomorrow at 10 a..m.  I want to buy a watch and a pair of basketball shoes. 
See you then.
Mary

(26 words)

--------------------------

Hi Pat,

I am so happy to go shopping tomorrow because I would like to buy a necklace for my mom's birthday. Why don't we meet at the cafeteria outside the shopping center at 2 p.m.?
See you tomorrow.
Mary
(35 words)

 ********************************** 

 PART 7 

Examples:
1)  Yesterday my friends and I put food in my bag for a picnic. We went to the park and ate our lunch by the lake. It was warm, so after lunch, two friends went swimming.
(35words)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

2)  Last weekend my mom and dad decided to have a picnic. First, we made sandwiches and filled our bags with fruit and some drinks. Then we went to the park where we ate our lunch on a blanket by the lake.  Later, my sister and I went swimming, while Mom and Dad talked.  It was a great day.
(58 words)

For more help with writing, click on a category under LABELS.

Let's communicate!

 When you don't understand, be honest and say so.

Sometimes people just speak too quickly. Remind them:

  Would you mind speaking more slowly, please?

 If you forget a word or don't know the right one to use, explain it:

• someone/somebody/a person - It's someone who
  works with students and wants them to learn.
• something / a thing - It's something you use when you want to remove what you write.  
• somewhere / a place - It's a place people go to when they are hungry.
• They take care of us when we're sick.
• It has two wheels, gears, brakes, pedals, and handlebars. We use it to get around the town.  
• It's where we stay when we travel. It usually has a swimming pool.

Getting to Know You

 

Introducing yourself:

Mary:  Hi, I'm Mary.  

George: Hello, Mary, I'm George. 

Mary:  Hi, George. // Nice to meet you, George.  // Nice meeting you. 

George:  Hi, Mary. // Nice to meet you, too, Mary.  //  Nice meeting you, too. 

When introducing another person, we use "THIS."

Bob:  Mary, this is George. George, this is Mary.

George: Hi, Mary. // Nice to meet you, Mary.

Mary: Hi George. // It's nice to meet you, too, George.

If you didn’t hear or understand someone's name: "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." "I’m sorry, what was your name again?”

Over the phone, in an office, or at school, someone may need more clarification:

"Could/can/would you spell that for me, please?"

"Is that with a C or K?"

When the conversation is over, the first to leave says: 

It was nice meeting you, (Mary). // It was nice to meet you.

The other person can respond:  It was nice meeting you, too. // It was nice to meet you, too.

                     

• In the 16th/17th century, Livorno [a.k.a. Liburnus in Latin; Livorna (1017); Livuorno, Liurono by Ferdinando de Medici (1593); Legorno; or Ligorna in Genoese] was a very important port for British merchants, who found it easier to pronounce the name as Leghorn.
• The world-famous Tuscan Leghorn breed of chickens got its name because it was exported from that port to N. America in 1828.
• In 1946, the Leghorn rooster became a cartoon character for Warner Bros.

Vocabulary and Phrasal Verbs

Choose the correct word:

Other phrasal verbs you should know:

sit down                 put on / take off              look out / watch out                look for
write down            turn on / turn off             go out                                           look after
lie down                 get on / get off                 fill in / fill out                             look at
                                  hold on                             find out
stand up
look up
wake up
get up
grow up
wash up
pick up
 
How are these phrases different: get up, get down, get in, get out ?

NOTE the position of pronouns:
Turn off the lights.  OR   Turn the lights off.
BUT
Turn them off.   NOT   Turn off them. 

Speaking Reminders

1. If you don't understand, you can say so.

Example, if the examiner asks, "Have you ever traveled abroad?" and you don't understand abroad, you can say: 

• I'm sorry. I don't understand "abroad".
• What does "abroad" mean?
• What is "abroad"?

2. The clock is always ticking, so keep talking. Show that you understand the question and know the vocabulary.

Examples: 

If you can't remember what the weather was like or what you wore yesterday,  a true answer is not important.  

• It was cold and rainy / It was warm and sunny. / It rained in the morning, but it was sunny in the afternoon.
• I wore a new pair of trousers and a black sweater with a white blouse.

3.  In part 2, keep the cards on the table so both of you can see them.
if your partner can't find the answer, you can indicate it with your finger.

4. KEEP THINGS SIMPLE and CORRECT. 
Do not give more information than you should.  
Do not change the questions or the information on the cards. 

5. Review the speaking posts

Part 7 Stories

 

K4S Part 4 Reading / Stop + to vs. stop + -ing

 

What's the difference between: 
stopped + -ing  and stopped to    

CONSIDER: 

They stopped eating.  vs They stopped to eat.

 

 

MISTAKES on the Mock Test

NB: La maggior parte degli errori sono dovuti alla disattenzione in classe.
Many of you did not use the ANSWER SHEETS correctly.  

1. Write BIG and DARK, so the examiner can read what you wrote!  
2. Follow the INSTRUCTIONS! In listening part 2 and R+W Part 5,  you MUST write the words in CAPITAL LETTERS.  
3. Listening:  Use the 10-15-20 seconds given to read the information! It helps to know what they will be talking about. 
4. You must transfer ALL of your answers to the answer sheets.  Be sure to copy correctly from the booklet to your answer sheet.  Do not leave anything blank. Guess! You might be correct.  
5. You must ERASE well.  Leave only one answer on each line.  Do not write anything other than your aswers in the correct spaces or write in the areas it says not to. Be careful when you erase. If necessary letters are missing [scarf(scarf)],  the word will be considered misspelled and a mistake. 
6. You have 6 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet in the listening. You must stop writing and put your pencil down when the time is up. There is one hour for the R+W INCLUDING the transfer time, so remember to give yourself enough to transfer your answers.
7. The circles must be filled in well.Stay within the circle. Make sure they are DARK and SHINY.   DO NOT cross them out.  

COMMON MISTAKES

1.  Write only 1 word in Listening Part 2 and R+W Part 5.
2.  Know the Alphabet! In Listening part 2  and in Writing part 5,  you must spell correctly.   Do not misspell words like Hi,  days of the week, with, because, snack, jacket, which, what, together
3.  Use capitals appropriately: at the beginning of a sentence, for names (Chris), days of the week, months. If you do not, the answer will be counted as incorrect. I (NOT i) !
4.  PUNCTUATION is important!  Sentences end with full stops / periods (.), exclamation marks (!), or question marks (?) ,  not commas ( , ).
5. You come last:  My friends and I   not Me and my friends.
6. You go TO town  / we went to a concert
7. House is the building; Home is used in a more personal way:
             Can you come over to my house this weekend?
             I have to be home before midnight. 
8.  It is best to write the story in the past tense. You can use the simple past and the past continuous:  Bob and Mary were walking in the park when they saw a huge tree with a big hole in it. 
   If you use the present tense, use the continuous to make it better: 
   Bob and Mary are walking in the park when they see a huge tree with a hole in it.  Know the difference between the present perfect and simple past. Be sure to write about all 3 pictures. It is a story, so they need to have a connection.
9. . You can practice with the exercises in HELPFUL LINKS. 

• PART 6- EMAIL.  DOVETE:
  • Leggere le istruzioni con attenzione, capire le 3 quisiti e a chi rispondere. 
  • Iniziare con  Hi / Hello" + Nome seguito da , della persona alla quale va indirizzata. 
  • Andare a capo e iniziare la prima parola con Lettera MAISUCOLA.
  • Rispondere alle tre quesiti. 
  • Chiudere con una frase adatta. 
  • Firmare tuo nome.
  • Contare le parole scritte.  Non scrivere meno di quanto richiesto. 
    SEE EMAIL POSTS
    

Phrasal Verbs

 

MOCK EXAM; classes 2025: READ THIS POST CAREFULLY!

The Mock Test (READING, WRITING, and LISTENING) will be on 

 Monday, February 24

Wednesday, February 26

Thursday, February 27.

Write in CAPITAL letters in Part 2

PLEASE BE ON TIME.  

Remember that you will use special answer sheets, so you must have  2 (#2hb) PENCILS and an ERASER.  Cell phones must be turned off or silenced. 

Write in CAPITAL LETTERS

  TAKE NOTE:

1. 
   Be careful to transfer your answers correctly. Stay inside the circles. Make sure they are dark and shiny.   Fate attenzione quando trasferite le risposte all' answer sheet e riempite bene gli spazi in maniera precisa, lucida e scura.   
    
2. ERASE well. Do NOT leave two answers on one line. Non lasciate traccia di cancellatura.
   
   
3. Answer ALL the questions. If you aren't sure, GUESS! NON lasciate nulla in bianco. Se non siete sicuri, indovinate! 
   
   
4.   If you have bad handwriting, use CAPITAL LETTERS for your email and story.  You MUST write in CAPITAL letters for part 2 of the Listening and Part 5 of the Reading.  Scrivete più leggibile possibile. Se non avete una buona scrittura, scrivete in STAMPATELLO MAIUSCOLO.  
   NOTA BENE: E' obbligatorio scrivere in STAMPATELLO in Part 2 del Listening e in Part 5 del Reading. 
   
   
5. Copy correctly! Spelling counts! Copiate perfettamente le risposte. Conta anche lo spelling!  
   
   
6. Part 6: Iniziate la lettera con Dear / Hi / Hello e il nome della persona a cui stai scrivendo, seguito dalla vergola. Andate a capo e iniziate la prima parola con una lettera MAIUSCOLA. Rispondete ai tre quesiti. È necessario leggere le istruzioni della lettera con attenzione e rispondere alle domande.
   Chiudete con frasi come From, / Love, / Your friend, /See you soon. / Bye for now, e firmate.  Do NOT close with Bye bye.
   
   
7. Remember to count and write the number of words. You must write at least 25.  Do not count the opening (Hi Mary,) or your name.
   Scrivete il numero di parole (un minimo di 25). Sarete penalizzate se scrivete meno di 25. Non contate l'apertura (Hi Mary,) o vostro nome. 
   
   
8. Fate attenzioni agli errori di ortografia. Dovete sapere come scrivere le parole della Vocabulary List.  I giorni della settimana iniziano con la lettera maiuscola, come la parola (io) "I" e la prima parola di ogni frase.
   
   
9. STUDY the vocabulary lists on this blog.