20200915 - Results

So the June exams results are out. I know I said June, but the exams, due to the Covid-19 pandemic only happened in September. Technically they were the June exams.

And ... drum roll ... I passed! Yay!

These following are the marks in each exam.

Reception

  Listening comprehension: 24

  Reading comprehension: 23

Production

  Spoken production: 21

  Written production: 21

Mediation

  Written + Spoken (combined): 22.5

Total

 111.5 (out of a possible 125)

The results are good, can't really complain, but ... they are a little bit lower than the mock exam back in February.

I know I made a mistake in the Written Mediation and only realised it when I was too deep into it. I started offering opinions and that is a big no no. So, that could explain the drop in points in the Mediation skill.

I did better in the Spoken production this time around. I did know what to expect, but still I was very nervous. Loads of room for further improvement there!

However, the Written production did somehow drop a few marks. I should really have a look at that.

In any case, I should celebrate and get the paperwork ready to enrol in the C2 class!!

Should anyone want to know more about what the skills are and mean, have a look at this:

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Companion Volume Feb 2018

_______________

PS (20200916):

I took the opportunity to revise my exams with Manolo and it turns out I was wrong about the Mediation marks. I lost some marks indeed, but not because of the reason I stated above.

In both the Written Production and the Written Mediation I lost points because I simply wrote too much! I far exceeded the word count guidelines. Far far exceeded them.

In an exam you can fall short or exceed the guideline by about 15% of the maximum word count. I went well above that 15% in all cases.

Each of the Written Production tasks cost me 2 points because of the 'over-extension' ... that is 4 points. Every other marking category was perfect. Except the word count. That is why I scored 21 points out of 25 in the Written Production exam.

In the Written Mediation pretty much the same. Another 2 points lost in there.

I can live with that. I know I will have to work on that for future exams.

20200901 - Unit 10 - Occasions - Quick Overview (Vocab + Useful Language)

 USEFUL LANGUAGE

- Take turns in more formal conversation

Passing a turn to speak to someone else

  Please, after you.

  Go on.

Signalling you want to continue speaking

  Speaking of which ...

  Before we get started ...

  Before we move on ...

  As I was saying, 

  Sorry, if I could just finish what I was saying ...

Taking a turn to speak

  Now, if you don't mind me coming in here,

  Sorry to interrupt, but ...

- Passive reporting verbs

We use passive reporting verbs to generalise about what most people say or think. Also to report information from other sources.

  The color white is known to represent purity in many cultures.

  It has been shown that superstition influences behaviour (Smith, 2003)

  It has been reported that the new US Postmaster General policies are causing widespread delays.

  It is widely known that the middle of the week is the worst day for many office workers.

  In past times, it was believed that the Sun revolved around our planet.

  The president is understood to be furious about the reports about his health.

  That has been said before many a time about me.

  She has been said to have met the president in a hotel room.

  It is thought to be good luck to do an exam on a Friday.

  He is reported to be colluding with the Russians again.

  It is not known for certain what the origin of the SARS-Cov-2 is.

  It is widely assumed that the origin of the current coronavirus is a wet market in Wuhan.

  It was not made clear to me.

  Donald Trump has implied that he might not accept the results of the election should he lose.

  It has been suggested that many jobs will be lost forever.

  It is argued that this crisis could be the worst the West has ever faced.

  It was announced that the exam results will be published soon.

  The current president is widely regarded amongst the left as possibly the greatest threat to democracy.

  ...

VOCABULARY

- Communication verbs

move on to

go into

present

demonstrate

illustrate

throwaway remark

address

pay tribute

back up

summarise

voice concerns

attack

sell an idea

conclude

- Superstitions, customs and beliefs

make a wish

traditionally

magic spell

customary

good fortune

good luck charm

ward of evil

fingers crossed

be on the safe side

touch wood

third time lucky

tempt fate

plausible

far-fetched

persuasive

convincing

20200823 - Unit 9 - Cities - Quick Overview (Vocab + Useful Language)

USEFUL LANGUAGE

- Deal with conflict

Expressing disbelief

  This is beyond belief!

  I am lost for words.

  Where on earth did they get this from?

Expressing anger

  This is outrageous!

  It's disgraceful!

  I'm calling to express my dissatisfaction.

  Words cannot express my anger.

  It's totally unacceptable.

Commenting on the behaviour of others

  Let's not jump to conclusions.

  There is no need to raise your voice.

  They've got no right!

  You owe me an explanation.

  Don't you think you should take full responsibility?

  You have failed to fulfill your responsibilities.

Taking action

  Absolutely not, and I would appreciate it if you did not contact me again.

  I have every intention of investigating the matter.

  I can assure you there will be consequences.

VOCABULARY

- Verbs with re-

revamp

redevelop

renovate

rejuvenate

restore

recreate

regain

reinstate

regenerate

remove

- Describing buildings

imposing

nondescript

graceful

innovative

tasteless

over the top

dated

out of place

stunning

cabin

skyscraper

power station

housing estate

warehouse

penthouse

studio

mansion

retail park

20200823 - Unit 8 - Body and Health - Quick Overview (Vocab + Useful Language)

USEFUL LANGUAGE

- Negotiate

There's just the issue of how much you would like for it.

I am open to suggestions.

Well, how much would you be willing to pay?

Oh, I think we would be prepared to offer, say, two fifty?

Would that be a fair suggestion?

Could you see your way to increasing that a little?

How flexible can you be on that?

I was kind of hoping for something in the region of five hundred.

No, out of the question. I am not authorised to offer any more.

It's worth much more than that.

What would you say to three fifty?

Is that your best offer? I am not prepared to accept anything less than ...

- Real and unreal conditionals

In real conditionals there is no change of use of verb forms. We use present tenses in the if clause.

  If I want a snack, I have one.

  She will recover quickly if her temperature goes down.

In unreal conditionals we show that a situation is hypothetical by changing the verb forms back one tense.

  If it wasn't raining, I would go out somewhere.

  If it were my choice, we would go to the opera.

  Megan wouldn't have missed her plane if she hadn't lost her passport.

  The car would have gone off the road if he had been driving any faster.

Other conjunctions (other than if, that is)

  You can borrow my shirt as long as you don't get it dirty!

  You can borrow my car on condition that you return it cleaner than it is.

  The negotiations would have failed but for my intervention.

  The goods will be ready providing you give us enough notice.

  Provided that you repay it by next month, I will lend you the money.

  Suppose you had all the money in the world, what would you buy first?

  Imagine there were no stars in the sky at night. What would that mean?

  Let's meet on Monday, assuming everyone can make it.

  Supposing the exams were cancelled in September, how would that affect us?

  Write down the number just in case we forget it.

  In case of emergency, duck and cover.

  I should do some more studying, otherwise my grade will be lower than the mock exam.

  I didn't know you were coming, otherwise I would have ordered a coffee for you.

VOCABULARY

- Sleep

nap

fast asleep

wide awake

drift off

light sleeper

restless

sleep like a log

not sleep a wing

toss and turn

oversleep

insomnia

drop off

- Ageing and health

complexion

saggy

wrinkles

freckles

rash

blotches

acne

show one's age

yellowing

heart trouble

circulation

injection

cardio(vascular) exercise

thinning

receding hairline

plastic surgery

arthritis

20200816 - Unit 7 - Connections - Quick Overview (Vocab + Useful Language)

  USEFUL LANGUAGE

- Apologise and admit fault

You're right. I was out of line.

I'm sorry, it was inexcusable of me to pretend I was a fan ...

I don't know what came over me.

That wasn't very tactful of me.

I guess I overreacted.

I had no right to take it on you.

I was out of order.

It was my fault entirely.

- Speculation and deduction

Certain speculations: will / going to

  Paper books surely will not ever disappear.

  I am sure she will have arrived by now. Let's call her.

  That painting is hardly going to win any awards.

Certain deductions: must / have got to

  Look at you! You must be going somewhere nice.

  Javier has not seen the message yet, he must be sleeping.

  You've got to be joking!

Likely: should / may well

  The rain may well be staying with us all week.

  Look at the time, their flight should have landed by now.

Possible and unlikely: could / might / may / can

  You might be right, for once.

  You could possibly be right this time.

  I guess you may be right for a change.

  There is a possibility you can be right for the first time in your life.

Impossible: can't / couldn't

  She couldn't get to the murder scene in time.

  The exam couldn't have been that hard for you to pass.

  Jeff can't be working today, it is a bank holiday!

  I couldn't have passed my exam without Maria's help.

Other

  We are bound to find a cure for cancer sooner or later.

  You can tell that someone was smoking here.

  It is highly likely that all cars will be electric in the near future.

  It is bound to happen sometime soon.

  I bet no one will read this phrase.

  I reckon so.

  I am quite sure that you are right.

  There is a good chance that not many people will attend the exam.

  There's an outside chance that I will not get wet in this rain.

  The chances of not getting wet in this rain are slim to none.

  There is a slim chance I will find an umbrella in the car.

  There is no way on earth that there is life after death.

  It is highly unlikely that the sun will explode in the next billion years. More like seven or eight.

- Cleft sentences

We use cleft sentences to emphasise, correct or point out information.

  What he does is park his car over the line.

  One thing you could do is park on his side of the line ...

  All I want is for him to take more care ...

  What she suggested was well out of the question.

  What is wrong is to try to limit the right to vote.

  What went wrong was that too many people got involved.

  What happened was that he took the money all for himself.

  What the children did was to lock the cat in the cellar.

  All I want for Christmas is you.

  All you need is love.

  All she did was to politely ask for her money back.

  What this tells me is that their customer service is appalling.

  All this tells me is that Sarah is very unfair,

  The first thing that you should do is to take a nice long break.

  The last thing on my mind right now is a holiday.

  Whatever, the main thing is to reduce your stress levels.

  The place (where) I grew up was very rural.

  The time to make peace with yourself is nearing.

  The right time to tackle climate change was yesterday!

  The only possible reason to leave the house when quarantined is force majeure.

  The main reason climate patterns are changing is because of unfettered human activities.

  

It cleft sentences

  It was Cathy who that the idea.

  It was three weeks later when they got back to me.

  It is working all day for little pay that gets me down.

  It will be only in big cities that humans will live in the future.

  It is more police and surveillance which will reduce crime.

  It is only when I realise that the exam is coming so soon that I start getting nervous.

  

VOCABULARY

- Compound adjectives

lifelike

tongue-tied

heartbreaking

open-minded

warm-hearted

backbreaking

heartwarming

mouth-watering

narrow-minded

half-hearted

absent-minded

short-sighted

light-headed

light-hearted

hair-raising

mind-boggling

- Society and relationships

intimacy

tolerance

loneliness

exclusion

security

isolation

materialism

optimism

nervousness

rudeness

selfishness

fairness

collaboration

distribution

liberation

innovation

20200810 - Unit 6 - Perspectives - Quick Overview (Vocab + Useful Language)

 USEFUL LANGUAGE

- Organise a presentation

My focus today is on this second interview.

Let me talk (take) you through why our listeners want to hear more ...

First and foremost, he wrote his book from a bench ...

One thing is clear, Max Redwood is on the road to ...

Turning now to the focus of the interview ...

More specifically, I propose to find out ...

So to recap on what I have been saying, ...

If you would like me to elaborate on anything I've just said ...

- Participle clauses

We use participle clauses to add more information to a sentence.

  Hiding behind the bushes, I held my breath.

  The stranger staggered into the bar, shaking and covered in snow.

Participle clauses after nouns.

  We found the wallet lying on the ditch by the road. (continuous verb)

  Everyone directly affected by the fire was told to leave their homes. (passive verb)

Participle clauses as adverbials. Used in formal language and writing.

  Approaching a junction, I noticed a car making an illegal manoeuvre.

  Stopping for a break, we decided what to do next.

  Left to my own devices, I probably would.

  Frightened by his own actions, he left town and never returned.

  Using my Swiss Army knife, I opened the box.

  

VOCABULARY

- Adjectives: Describing images

playful

gritty

powerful

humorous

elaborate

repetitive

meaningful

raw

evocative

iconic

observant

nonsensical

cluttered

sensational

bleak

flawless

- Emotions

disillusioned

protective

over-excited

satisfied

gleeful

devastated

frustrated

restless

jealous

insecure

speechless

ashamed

petrified

helpless

20200802 - Unit 5 - Fairness - Quick Overview (Vocab + Useful Language)

USEFUL LANGUAGE

- Recall and speculate

You are staying with Emma at the moment, if my memory serves me correctly? (recall)

I was under the impression that you were writing another book? (recall)

I think I remember Emma saying that her boyfriend's a technician at City FM. (recall)

What stands out in my mind most is that that interview was a total disaster. (recall)

I'd hazard a guess that he hadn't even read my book. (speculate)

Presumably, you are a technician, like Emma's boyfriend, right? (speculate)

No doubt you heard that from that guy from the radio interview. (speculate)

Suppose you'd known, would you still have agreed to meet with me? (speculate)

- Relative clauses: defining and non-defining

Defining relative clauses are essential to the meaning of the phrase.

  I'm getting really worried about the beak-ins that have been happening in this area.

  This isn't the type of place that burglaries normally happen in.

  Do you own the car that is parked over there?

Non-defining relative clauses are not essential, they give us additional information about nouns.

  The last one was at Mr Acosta's house, which is only two streets away from here.

  That's why it's been so upsetting for my neighbours, who are mostly young families.

  Graham is late, which is typical of him!

- Willingness, obligation and necessity

We use must and have to to say what is necessary. Must only refers to the present or future.

  I will have to get some more qualifications soon.

  I must get some more qualifications soon.

  Irene had to go to the hospital.

We use have got + to + infinitive to describe what is necessary, especially arrangements.

  My boss said I've got to be in the office at 8 am

We usually use must when we decide what is necessary and have to when other people decide.

  I must tell you what I heard on the news earlier.

  I finished that. What do I have to do next?

We use should and ought to say what is the right thing to do.

  I ought to organise my time better.

  You shouldn't do unpaid overtime.

We use had better + infinitive in advice or threats.

  She'd better see a doctor today.

  You'd better be early tomorrow!

We can use be supposed + to + infinitive to say what is necessary according to rules or instructions.

  Your manager is supposed to authorise that sale.

  I was supposed to read the book by tomorrow, but ran out of time.

Other phrases for obligation / no obligation. All of them followed by to + infinitive.

need to

don't need to

needn't

have no choice but

be allowed

be expected

be free

be required

be advisable

be permitted

be forbidden

be essential

be obliged

be under obligation

be under no obligation

All the following can indicate willingness / non-willingness

will + infinitive

  Richard won't work for such low salary.

can + infinitive

  I can work on Saturday if you give me Monday off.

be happy / willing + to + infinitive

  I would be happy to help you!

be prepared + to + infinitive / for + noun

  She wasn't prepared for that amount of paperwork.

have no objection to verb + -ing / noun

  The workforce had no objection to taking a paycut.

have nothing against verb + -ing / noun

  I have nothing against working with the new manager.

  I have nothing against the new manager.

have no problem with verb + -ing / noun

  My son has no problem with traveling that far to work.

VOCABULARY

- Crime and justice

assault

tax evasion

fraud

corruption

on suspicion of

allegation

in custody

be convicted of

evidence

testimony

plead guilty

be found guilty

imprisonment

community service

serve a sentence

solitary confiment

- Employment

sector

financial

agricultural

construction

the public sector

manufacturing

transport

energy

industrial

retail

import

record

export

contract

20200724 - More on inversions

Inversions: The normal word order of the subject, the verb and the object is changed.

The are many examples of this occurring in everyday English, the most common one is in questions.

You are coming.

Are you coming?

Dad has read the paper.

Has dad read the paper?

But there are other cases. Let's see if I can summarise some of those cases.

Expressing a condition, without the if:

If I had known it was your birthday, ...

Had I known it was your birthday, ...

If you should feel hungry ...

Should you feel hungry, ...

If you were here ...

Were you here, ...

If you were to travel there, ...

Were you to travel there, ...

If he had written that letter, ...

Had he written that letter, ...

Some elliptical sentences using so, neither, nor:

Jonathan felt very tired, and Joanna did too.

Jonathan felt very tired, so did Joanna.

Jack does not like tuna, and I don't either.

Jack does not like tuna, and neither do I.

Locative inversions:

A lamp lay in the corner.

In the corner lay a lamp.

A hobbit lived in a hole in the ground.

There lived a hobbit in a hole in the ground. (with presentational 'there')

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

Directive inversions:

A squirrel fell out of the tree.

Out of the tree fell a squirrel.

The toasts came after the speeches.

After the speeches came the toasts.

Copular inversions:

Javier is our class representative this year.

This year, our class representative is Javier.

The sky was a vivid orange.

A vivid orange was the sky.

Quotative inversions:

"We are in it to win it", the captain said to the team.

"We are in it to win it", said the captain to the team.

Existential there:

A shark is in the water. (funny)

There is a shark in the water.

Presentational there:

An eerie silence followed after the explosion.

After the explosion there followed an eerie silence.

A body hanged.

There hanged a body.

An enormous wild boar lived in this forest.

There lived an enormous wild boar in this forest.

Sort of comparing:

The prices were so expensive that we opted to leave.

So expensive were the prices that we opted to leave.

The seafood courses were really expensive, and all the meat ones were too.

The seafood courses were really expensive, as were all the meat ones.

Negative inversions:

We covered this in quite a bit of detail in Unit 3.

20200721 - Unit 4 - Consciousness - Quick Overview (Vocab + Useful Language)

USEFUL LANGUAGE

- Being tactful in formal discussions

Well, if you don't mind me saying so, it was like trying to get blood out of a stone.

I see where you are coming from, but I think we are forgetting something here.

Look, don't take this personally, I am just trying to be constructive here.

I do take your point, but I am not sure what else I could have done.

I beg to differ, there is always a way.

No offence intended, but I could not understand your line of questioning.

With all due respect, I don't think you are in a position to offer criticism.

And I mean that in the nicest possible way.

I'm afraid I have to say it will be a disaster

That is not the way I see it, there were several ways to avoid the conflict.

- get passives / have passives

- get passives like be passives

Sandra got kicked by a horse.

I got made redundant yesterday.

- get passives with reflexive pronoun

He got himself arrested again.

Are you trying to get yourself killed?

She has managed to get herself promoted again!

- have + object + past participle (subject active or passive)

I had my bag searched at the airport. (I = passive role)

Little baby Alice had her first photo taken yesterday. (Alice = passive role)

We will have the window fixed by tomorrow. (We = active role)

- get + object + past participle (subject usually active)

I got my bike stolen again.

He gets his apartment cleaned every week.

- get + object + past participle (completing an activity)

I have not managed to get the paperwork finished.

We can't go until we have got the car fixed.

- get + object + past participle (by somebody else)

I want to get my ears pierced.

I have to get my hair cut soon.

Get your car checked here!

- having / getting + object + past participle

Having / Getting the walls painted is number one in the list.

- have / get + object + verb + -ing

What you said yesterday had / got me thinking about my life. 

The music will soon get / have everyone dancing away.

- have + object + infinitive

Management has us clean our desks of paper every night.

Our teacher had us call him 'Sir'.

- get + object + to + infinitive

My girlfriend got me to take her shopping on Sunday.

You are getting me to do things I don't really want to do.

VOCABULARY

- Instinct and reason

rational

objective

think logically

on impulse

on a whim

spontaneous decision

subconsciously

deep down

weigh up

consider

gut instinct

have a hunch

think twice

think over

sensitive

sensible

money-conscious

conscientious

self-conscious

self confident

- Memory

a vague memory

a faint memory

a painful memory

a vivid memory

a photographic memory

a lasting memory

a distant memory

vaguely remember

come to mind

trigger a memory

cast one's mind back

treasure the memory

slip one's mind

refresh one's memory

20200720 - Take turns in more formal conversations (from Unit 10)

PHRASEBOOK

Interrupting the other speaker, taking a turn to speak

Do you mind if I just stop you there for a second? ...

If you don't mind me coming in here ...

Sorry to interrupt, but ...

Signalling you are going to continue speaking about the same subject

As I was saying, ...

Speaking of which, ...

Before we move on, could I just say ...

Before we move on, let me add something ...

Sorry, if I could just finish ...

Before we get started, ...

If I could just add to that point, ...

Passing a turn to speak, inviting the other person to speak

Do you want to add anything?

What do you think?

Don't you think?

After you, please.

Go on.

I would love to hear your opinion.