CAE Exam

Course book Notes

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Table of Contents
1 SPEAKING.................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 EXAM OVERVIEW – USE OF ENGLISH...........................................................................................3

2 WRITING....................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 EXAM OVERVIEW – WRITING..........................................................................................................5
2.1.1 General.............................................................................................................................. 5
2.1.1 Article................................................................................................................................. 6
2.1.2 Review............................................................................................................................... 7
2.1.3 Proposal............................................................................................................................. 8
2.1.4 Report................................................................................................................................ 8
2.1.5 Letter.................................................................................................................................. 9
2.1.6 Contribution to book........................................................................................................... 9
2.1.7 Information leaflet............................................................................................................. 10
2.1.8 Character reference......................................................................................................... 10

3 USE OF ENGLISH....................................................................................................................... 11
3.1 EXAM OVERVIEW – USE OF ENGLISH.........................................................................................11
3.2 PREPOSITION AFTER VERB...............................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
3.3 PREPOSITION AFTER ADJECTIVE / NOUN..................................................................................13
3.4 PHRASAL VERBS............................................................................................................................ 14
3.5 VERB + NOUN................................................................................................................................. 16
3.6 ADJECTIVE + NOUN....................................................................................................................... 18
3.7 WORD + ADJECTIVE............................................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
3.1 ADVERB + ADJECTIVE COLLOCATIONS......................................................................................19
3.2 COMPOUND ADJECTIVES.............................................................................................................19
3.3 PREFIXES........................................................................................................................................ 20
3.4 SYNONYMS / OPPOSITES..................................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
3.5 WORD TRANSFORMATION............................................................................................................21
3.6 ERRORS.......................................................................................................................................... 24
3.7 PRONUNCIATION............................................................................................................................ 26
3.8 EXPRESSIONS................................................................................................................................ 26
3.9 VOCABULARY................................................................................................................................. 31

4 LISTENING.................................................................................................................................. 35
4.1 EXAM OVERVIEW – LISTENING....................................................................................................35

5 READING.................................................................................................................................... 36
5.1 Exam Overview – Reading...............................................................................................................36

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1 SPEAKING
1.1 Exam Overview – Use of English
Speaking

15minutes
Parts Tasks
Part 1 Interview (3 minutes)
Introduction
Introductory topics
Part 2 Individual long turn (4 minutes)
Candidate1 - set of pictures Candidate2 - pictures
- 1 min talking - 1 min talking
Candidate2 - pictures Candidate1 - pictures
- 30 sec comment / ask a question to C1 - 30 sec comment C2
Part 3 Collaborative task (4 minutes)
Set of pictures
- dialogue / communication - interaction
- examiner will ask for the conclusion that has been agreed
"what about you" - interaction!
Prove communicational skills
 What do you think?
 What would you...?
 Which one would you choose?
 What about you?
 What do you reckon?
Part 4 Three-way conversation (4 minutes)
3 way discussion between the 2 candidates and the examiner
Related to what you have done in the task
The interlocutor leads the discussion

On the picture...

...in the top left corner... ...in the top right corner...

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In the picture in the In the picture in the middle on
middle on the left the right

...in the bottom left

corner... ...in the bottom right corner...

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2 WRITING
2.1 Exam Overview – Writing
Writing

1’30 hours – 2 parts

Parts Tasks
Part 1 Compulsory task (180-220 words)
Part 2 A choice from 5 options (220-260 words?)

2.1.1 General

W Who am I writing to?

R Reason why am I writing? Register Formal / Informal
I Include - what information is necessary?
T Task type - what is it (report, letter, essay, proposal, leaflet…) - does this affect my layout?
E Edit – correct

 Content - does the text answer the question? Are all

the points fully covered?
 Organisation and Cohesion - does the text flow?
 Accuracy
 Range of vocabulary
 Register
 Target reader

General

Markers

Of course, Anyhow,
Anyway, Not only that,
As well as that, As a matter of fact,
Besides that, Having said that,
Well, actually, Mind you,
Generalising

All the things considered, Generally speaking,

Opinion

Understandably, Strangely,
Annoyingly, Judging by what they said,
Naturally,
Comment

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 General
Not only that, As we shall see,
Arguably, Evidently,
In fact,
Admitting

Granted, Admittedly,
Impersonal report structures

It is claimed that… It has been suggested that…

It is known that… It is hoped that…
Writing numbers
18-year-olds these days are very naughty.
Numbers under 12 - write them out. (noun)
My son is 18 years old. I have an 18-year-old son. (adj)

2.1.1 Article

 large audience
 semi-formal / informal
 keeping interest
 start with a question

Addressing the reader

 Have you ever wondered (what X would be like if)...?
 If the answer is (yes), you (should have)…
 As you know,
 Doesn't it just make everyone feel (positive about)…?
 From now on, let's…
Giving your opinion
 We know from (the emails we received)…
 If we are going to (make our college)…
 Not (an easy task)…
 It has clearly been a good idea…
 For the first time that any of us can remember,…
Conveying information (expresando, transmitiendo, comunicando)
 On the (day itself)…
 The (editor) has received…
 Judging from the emails we have received…
 The idea was that…

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 2.1.2 Review

 target reader
 semi-formal
 organisation
 tends to end with recommendations

Making evaluations
 Particularly memorable  a bit flat
 entirely predictable  almost inaudible
 truly original  incredibly stylish
 really lively  entertaining
 excruciatingly boring  profoundly moving
 totally unconvincing  quite sophisticated
 over the top  absolutely hilarious
 extremely popular  refreshingly different
 riveting viewing
Comparing and contrasting
 X is a bit / considerably more original than...
 X isn't quite as good as...
 While / Whereas X is..., Y is...
 Neither... / Both...
Balancing an opinion
 I found..., but... . However, ...
 Although..., ...
 Even so, ...
 Despite this / In spite of this / And yet...
 On the other hand, ...
Expressing preferences
 If I had to choose one...
 I'd rather... Than...
 I much prefer...
 Give me... Any day!
Summarising
 So, ...
 All in all, ...
 Quite simply, this is the best...

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 2.1.3 Proposal

 (refer to the future)

 Formal
 headlines, NO bullet points
 tends to end with recommendations

 It is clear (from customer feedback) that…

 The last year's results have been…
 With regard to…, the general view seems to be…
 To raise the profile of the centre,
 The aim of the proposal is to…
 Perhaps the most effective way of…
 If the centre is to attract more customers, it is vital…
 A programme of… could…
 We recommend that… should…
 It would be a good idea to…
 We suggest / propose that… / -ing
 We urge… to…

2.1.4 Report

 (refer to the past)

 Formal
 specific target reader
 headlines, bullet points, objectives
 Structure:
* Intro
* Headlines, text and bullet points
* Recommendations

Introduction
 The main purpose/ principal aim of this report is to…
 This report is intended to…
 This report describes/ discuses / provides…
Generalising
 In the main… / In general… / On the whole…
 It seems that everyone…
Talking about specifics
 (This year) it was decided…
 (Collections) were carried out…
 (Assistance) was provided by…
 (The total raised) exceeded…
 (A campaign appeal) was launched to…
 The largest part of (the sum raised came from…)
 (A large amount of money) was raised by…

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 Concluding / Making recommendations
 To sum up / To summarise
 In short / In conclusion
 In light of (this year´s experience)
 In my view, in future, we should…
 It is recommended that…
 My recommendations are as follows:
General
 This report outlines / looks at…
 The aim of this report is to…
 In recent days… / Recently…
 At present…
 On the whole…
 This report is based on… / draws on…
 I conducted…
 According to (some students), …
 I might well be that… but…
 In light of the above, we believe the following measures…
 In the short / long term, we suggest you should consider…
 To improve the situation, we recommend…

2.1.5 Letter

 Dear Sir / Madam

 Yours faithfully - we don't know the name of the person
 Yours sincerely - we do know the name of the person
 Best wishes / Regards
 Register depends on the person you are writing to

2.1.6 Contribution to book

Drawing in the reader

 If there's one place that really…, it is…
 This is not just another…, but a…
 If you want a different kind of experience, …
 If you have a few hours to spare, …is well worth seeing.
Describing location
 Located / Situated (just a few miles away from / outside) is...
 Built (by the side of / just next to…) is…
 Just beyond (the…) is…
 Some (…) minutes from… stands…

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Giving background information
 Throughout its history, …
 …is by far the oldest… / was the first… / is the best-known…
 Originally a…, but now…
 In recent years, …
 Known locally as…, …
Describing attractions
 What is particularly (spectacular) is…
 Recent additions / changes include…

2.1.7 Information leaflet

2.1.8 Character reference

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3 USE OF ENGLISH
3.1 Exam Overview – Use of English
Use of English

1 hour – 5 parts – 50 questions

Parts Tasks
Part 1 Multiple-choice cloze (12 questions)
Part 2 Open cloze (15 questions)
Part 3 Word transformation (10 questions)
Part 4 Gapped sentences (5 questions)
Part 5 Key word transformations (8 questions)

3.2 Preposition after Verb

Preposition after Verb

Verb Preposition Example

Accuse of The headmaster accused the boy of stealing.
against + ing / to do
advise (sbd) sth His accountant advised him against investing in government bonds.
The government has launched a new scheme aimed at reducing
Aim at youth unemployment.
(to someone) for I must apologise for not replying sooner, but I am afraid I´ve been
Apologise (sth) rather busy lately.
approve of My parents don´t approve of smoking.
with someone about I argued with the policeman about the ticket he gave me.
Argue sth
Attribute to What do you attribute your success to?
Believe in Don´t you believe in God?
blame (sbd) for +ing The Gypsies were blamed for the robbery.
burst into The piece of paper burst into flames.
Care for I don´t really care for Jazz; I find it a bit boring. (not like)
Care about I really care about what happens to the environment.
Charge with The man was arrested and charged with murder.
Complain To sbd about My wife is always complaining to me about her boss.
An already difficult operation was complicated by the fact that the
Complicate by patient had a history of heart disease.
After studying for 2 hours, it becomes difficult to concentrate on your
concentrate on work.
Confess to +ing He confessed to having eaten all the cookies.
My brother once confided in me the fact that he was in love with
confide in someone thirty yrs older than himself.
Convert into They converted their attic into a bedroom.
convicted of He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
It amazes me how some women can cope with both a job and a
Cope with family.
The only way to cure someone from biting their nails is to knock their
cure from teeth out!
Decide on I haven´t decided on a colour for the new poster.
Depend on (sbd) for (sth) I depend on my sister for support.
Disapprove of His parents disapprove of his new girlfriend.
Discourage someone from He tried to discourage them from visiting.
discuss (sth) with I need to discuss something important with you.
End with (sth) He ended the speech with a toast to the bride and groom.
get annoyed with I get very annoyed with people who don´t queue at bus stops.

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Preposition after Verb

Verb Preposition Example

get tired of I think my girlfriend is getting tired of me.
hear of I´ve never heard of him. Is he famous?
Hear about Did you hear about the accident?
insist on He insisted on helping the old woman with her bags.
insist on sbd doing sth He insisted on my accompanying him to the bar.
One person I always laugh at when I see him on television is the
laugh at comedian Dave Allen.
laugh about We laughed about the things we had got up to the night before.
*look forward to I look forward to seeing you again. [look forward + to + -ing]
I object to the way some people look down on you just because you
Object to happen to be a foreigner.
Permit to We were not permitted to talk in class.
Prevent from As a result of his injury he was prevented from playing in the game.
with someone about We quarrelled about who should pay the bill.
quarrel sth
Refuse to Jack refuses to admit that he likes Susan.
Remember that I´m relying on you to see that there´s no trouble at
Rely on the party on Saturday.
remind of / about They remind us of the growing body of evidence suggesting that…
Reputed to She is reputed to be the best in the world.
Resort to +ing recurrir a He resorted to cheating in order to win the game.
Responsible for Who is responsible for spilling ink over my book?
The fall in the stock market resulted in serious losses for his
Result in company.
Shout at The player was sent off for shouting at the referee
Shout to John shouted to his friend on the other side of the street.
Although I've tried many times, I've never once succeeded in giving
succeed in up smoking for more than a few days.
Suspect of +ing He was suspected of being a spy.
think of Can you think of a synonym for 'stubborn'?
Think about I will think about it.
She thrives on competition, the tougher the opponent the better she
Thrive on plays

3.2 Preposition after Adjective / Noun

Preposition after Adjective

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 Adjective Preposition Adjective Preposition

able to Keen On
Afraid Of nervous about / of
annoyed at / with sbd preferable to
capable of preoccupied with
committed To protective Towards/of
disappointed about / at / with Proud Of
disappointed in sbd relaxed About
eager To scared of
enthusiastic About sceptical Of
excited about / by / at Sorry about sth / for +ing
grateful For/to surprised At/by
impressed with / by suspicious of / about
insistent On worried about

Preposition after Noun

Noun Preposition Noun Preposition

amazement At increase In
Anger about / at insistence on
apology For point in / of
Belief In prospect of
Delay In success in
effect Of taste for

3.3 Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb Meaning

bounce back recover quickly
bring about to cause

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Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb Meaning

bring along traer (Bring a friend along!)
bring down traer, bajar / derribar (gobierno), rebajar (precio)
bring up educar, plantear (asunto), vomitar
bump into chocar contra, toparse con alguien
If both parties in the strike cannot agree, then the Government are
call in to sometimes called in to arbitrate.
carry on with Continuar con
carry through sostener a alguien, hacer algo a pesar de los problemas
ganar popularidad, darse cuenta (Some new fashions take a long time to
catch on catch on with the public)
catch up on sth ponerse al dia en algo
catch up with sbd alcanzar, ponrerse al nivel, ponerse al dia con alguien
come down to ser cuestión de
come forward ofrecerse / mover hacia delante, avanzar
come up subir, salir, acercarse, surgir
cool off / down enfriarse, refrescarse, calmarse
cut back on cut back on the amount of…
cut down on Reducer
die out desparecer, extinguirse
do away with eliminar, acabar con, abolir
drag down Tirar abajo, desbaratar, arruinar
draw on (ahorros) recurrir a / (experiencia) aprovecharse de
drop in on pay someone a short, casual visit, presentarse sin avisar (pay a visit)
drop off Decrecer, quedar dormido, dejar (en coche)
drop out of withdraw from something (e.g. a race)
face up to accept something (e.g. an unpleasant fact), afrontar
fall back on Recurrir, apoyarse en, contar con el apoyo de
fall out (with sbd) They have fallen out (with each other) = They are not friends anymore.
feed on Alimentarse de
fit out with Equipar con
gather in recoger (They gathered in the harvest before the cold weather set in)
get along with llevarse bien con
get around/round to manage to find time to do sth (often after a long delay)
get away with salir impune
get hold of sth Conseguir una cosa
get on with llevarse bien con
get over recuperarse de (enfermedad), superar (obstáculo)
give off emitir, desprender
give out Ditribuir, fallar,
go in for Soler gustar
go on to Hacer algo a continuación.
hand back Devolver
hand in entregar, presenter
hang around / about perder el tiempo / esperar sin motivo

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Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb Meaning

hang on to keep sth instead of selling it or giving it away
hold on to keep, agarrarse a
lead up to proceder, llevar a
look back on remember, think about the past
look down on sbd mirar por encima del hombro a
look out for watch for sth or sbd
make off with (robar) e.g.: Thieves made off with over a million dollars in the robbery.
make up for compensate for
miss out on Lose the chance to do sth
pluck up the courage to
do something Armarse de valor
pull off Succeed
pull through Survive
It was Pat who put forward the idea of going to the new health centre.
put forward Proponer
put on Engordar(weight), ponerse (ropa), encender (luz), abrir (gas)
send out for (order take away by phone) e.g.: We sent out for a pizza last night.
set off Hacer sonarn(alarma), hacer estallar (bomba), partir, salir
set out proponerse, arreglar, siponer
stand in for take someone’s place or job for a short time
stand out destacarse, sobresalir
(respaldar, apoyar) e.g.: Sometimes you have to stand uo for your
stand up for principles.
start off make something begin with a specific start
stick out sobresalir, esaltar, aguantar algo (stick it out)
stroll through Dar una vuelta por (lentamente)
take after parecerse a, salir a: she really takes after her father
take back devolver, recuperar, retirar
take part in Participar
take up take up an offer, take up a hobby/sport – aceptar, empezar
trudge along caminar fatigosamente
turn down Reject
turn up subir, levantar / acudir, presentarse, aparecer
weigh up consider both sides carefully (weigh up what's more important).
win over/around ganarse a alguien, conseguir el apoyo, convencer
wipe out acabar con, erradicar
work off quemar (calorias), desahogarse, librarse (get rid of)
work up to Juntar valor para

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 Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verb Meaning

3.4 Verb + Noun

Verb + Noun

Verb Noun
achieve a goal, a target, an ambition
apply a cream to skin
contract malaria, hepatitis, pneumonia (not backache)
cut Costs
decline numbers (Population declined)
diagnose an illness, a problem, a condition
disturb the peace
draw attention, conclusions, sbd into a discussion, on research
foretell the future
gain access, insight into sth
gather, collect, come
across Information
install Machinery, computer programs
launch a campaign
Let slip Standards
make decisions, sacrifices, mistakes
make an impact
place an object or a person
point to a fact or person
pursue Career
put on Record
run the risk

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 spend, kill, take Time
take a risk, the plunge, a chance, notes (write down), notice (observe sth)

Noun + Verb

Noun Verb Noun Verb

accident Happens time flies
alarm clock goes off war breaks out
bomb Explodes
darkness Falls
day Breaks
doorbell Rings
fire Burns
ice melts in the sun
kettle boils
memories fade
plane lands
river flows
strike is called
the sun rises in the east

3.5 Adjective + Noun

Adjective + Noun

Adjective Noun Adjective Noun

abrupt statement identical twins
active volcano insatiable appetite
interest /
all-consuming preoccupation/passion lasting impression
ambiguous law memorable occasion
suburban house / grey
ample / firm evidence nondescript suit
bad temper open mind
brief glimpse personal goal
bright colour, idea, side phenomenal achievement / increase
casual clothes popular press
contrived story / comedy positive outlook
convenient arrangement practical joke
countless reasons public scrutiny
creaking hinge real world
daily life religious convictions
deadly poison renewable energy
deep principles residential area
dense fog roaring fire
different perspective rough guess, estimate
disused coal-mine rugged coastline
exact attention (to detail) sheltered upbringing
fatal accident social skills
ferocious animal solar / nuclear / wind power

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 flat tyre strong possibility
fragrant smell strong / high wind
future generations survival skills
public (not common /
general ordinary public!) thorough research, investigation
gifted musician, actor torrential rain
golden opportunity truly remarkable
heated discussion unwritten ending
highly exclusive vast / large array (of sth)
household name vicious satire / headache
household name wide array
huge impact world-wide scale
ideal way wrapping paper

3.6 Adverb + Adjective Collocations

Adverb + Adjective

Adverb Adjective Collocations

absolutely Furious
almost / virtually Identical
bitterly cold / disappointed / opposed
completely different / incomprehensible / new / sure
deeply ashamed / attached / divided / unhappy
entirely beneficial / different / satisfactory
fairly / quite / pretty Similar
heavily armed / dependent / polluted
highly contagious / critical / intelligent / likely / sensitive/ valuable / trained
painfully aware / obvious / sensitive / slow
perfectly balanced / normal / safe / serious
pretty / quite / fairly Cheap
quite / slightly /
somewhat unusual
rather / really Pleased
seriously damaged / hurt / rich / wealthy
totally harmless / inadequate / unbelievable / unique
utterly different / disastrous / impossible / useless
virtually Empty
widely available / held / publicised / used

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3.7 Compound adjectives

Compound Adjectives Adding Suffixes

left- / right- / single- handed sugar-free
half- / light- / broken- hearted lead-free
man- / hand- / self- made fat-free
open- / narrow- / broad- minded rent-free
full- / part- / first- time debt-free
interest-free
trouble-free
tax-free

3.8 Prefixes
Prefixes

Prefix Word Prefix Word

un able im measurable
un acceptably im moral
in accessible un original
in adequate im patient
re/dis appear im penetrable
pre arrange im perceptible
un bearable un pleasant
in calculable im polite
in capable over/under/un populated
un caring over/em power
un changeable un predictable
un comfortable re/mis print
in complete un profitable
non- conformist dis qualify
dis content ir rational
under/over/pre- cook im mediately
en danger im measurable
pre date im moral
re/over/co- develop un original
in dispensable im patient
in distinguishable im penetrable
over/re drawn im perceptible
co- education un pleasant
pre-/co exit im polite
in experience over/under/un populated
in formal over/em power
in hospitable un predictable
un intended un predictable
un interrupted re/over/mis print
mis lay (perder) un profitable

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Prefixes

Prefix Word Prefix Word

il legal dis qualify
il literate ir rational
il logical ir rational
un ravel
un realistic
ir relevant
ir responsible
ir reversible
en rich
un safe
pre- school
in secure
in sensitive
un sociable
un stable
un suited
in tolerable
un well
co- worker

un / im / in / dis / irr / non not, the opposite (unbelievable, non-fiction)

Mis wrong (misunderstand = entender, comprender mal)
Co together, with (co-production)
en / em cause to be, make into (enlarge)
Re again, in a different way (replace)
Under not sufficient (underpaid)
Over too much (overpaid)
Pre before (prefix)
well- [quantitative] a large amount / to a great degree (well-known)
well- [qualitative] pleasing / successful (well-attached)
well- established, paid, travelled, worn
off- not happening / located in usual place (off-stage)
off- not the case' (off-balance, off-peak)
off- duty, guard, line, road, track
self- how people feel about themselves (self-consciousness)
self- actions done to or by oneself (self-made, self-defence)
self- automatic' (self-cleaning, self-locking)
self- assured, confident, important, respecting, satisfied
low- not high or complex (low-key)
low- level, paid, profile, risk, tech

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 Prefixes

Prefix Word Prefix Word

3.9 Word Transformation

Word Transformation

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

acceptance accept Acceptable acceptably
accuracy Accurate accurately
Advisably /
advice Advise Advisable / advised advisedly
affection affect affectionate affectionately
aggression aggressive aggressively
amusement amuse amused / amusing Amusedly/amusingly
arrogance arrogant arrogantly
atmosphere atmospheric atmospherically
attendance /
attention attend Attending
beauty beautify beautiful beautifully
BELIEF BELIEVE (UN)BELIEVEABLE (UN)BELIEVABLY
breadth broaden broad broadly
character /
characteristic characterise characteristic (un)characteristically
choice choose Choice / chosen
collapsing collapse Collapsible
COMFORT comfort (un) COMFORTABLE COMFORTABLY
company
(compañía) /
companion
(compañero) accompany accompanying
complaint complain Complaining
confidence confide confident confidently
confrontation confront Confrontational Confrontationally
consumption consume Consuming
contentment content Content Contently
contradiction contradict contradictory Contradictorily
controlling /
control control (un)controllable Controllably
Count Count countless
cruelty cruel cruelly
curiosity curious curiously
danger endanger dangerous dangerously
death die Dying/deadly
decision decide decisive Decisively
defender/ defence defend Defensive Defensively
dependency / dependable / Dependently /
independence depend (in)dependent independently
deepen
depth (profundizar) deep / in-depth (a fondo)
devotion devote Devoted Devotedly

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Word Transformation

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

difference differ Different Differently
discerning
(exigente, con
discern criterio) discerningly discern
discovery discover Discovered/undiscovered
Distinction Distinguish distinctive Distinctively
diversity Diverse Diversely
drink drink Drinkable/drunk Drunkenly
economical (barato) /
economy economise economic (economia) Economically
energy energise energetic Energetically
envious / (un)enviable /
envy envy envied (envidiado) enviably / enviously
exaggeration exaggerate Exaggerated Exaggeratedly
exception except exceptional exceptionally
excess exceed excessive Excessively
EXCITEMENT EXCITE EXCITING/ EXCITED EXCITEDLY
fashion fashion (crear) fashionable (a la moda) Fashionably
flight fly Flying
Forget Forgettable / forgetful (un) forgetfully
fun Funny / Fun Funnily
generalisation /
generality generalise general generally
happiness (un) happy (un) happily
hazard (peligro, hazardous (peligroso,
riesgo) hazard (arriesgar) arriesgado) Hazardously
height heighten high highly
hesitation (pause) /
hesitancy (slowness hesitate hesitating / hesitant (un)hesitantly
history historical / historic Historically
Hopefully /
hope hope hopeful/ hopeless Hopelessly
ideal idealise ideal Ideally
imagination imagine Imagined/imaginative Imaginatively
IMPORTANCE / IMPORTANT IMPORTANTLY
inconvenience inconvenience Inconvenient Inconveniently
influence influence Influential Influentially
innocence innocent Innocently
innovation innovate Innovative Innovatively
intention intend intended / unintended Intentionally
isolation isolate Isolated
jealousy jealous Jealously
judgment /
judgement / judge judge judgmental Judgmentally
Knowledgably /
KNOWLEDGE KNOW Knowledgeable / knowing knowingly
last last / lasting (duradero) lastly (por último), last
length lengthen Long / lengthy Lengthily
LIFE / LIVES LIVE LIVING/ALIVE/LIVE/LIVELY
loneliness Lone / Lonely
materialism materialistic materialistically

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Word Transformation

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

neutrality neuter Neutral neutrally
notice (aviso /
letrero) notice Noticeable noticeably
origin originate original / unoriginal originally
participant/
participation participate Participating
persistence persist Persistent Persistently
PERSONALITY PERSONALISE PERSONAL PERSONALLY
persuasion persuade persuasive Persuasively
Pleasantly/
pleasurable / pleasant / pleasingly /
pleasure please displeased / pleasing Pleasurably
popularity popularise popular popularly
POSSIBILITY / POSSIBLE POSSIBLY
Empowering / powerful / Powerlessly /
power empower powerless powerfully
preoccupation preoccupy preoccupied
price price Priceless / pricey
product produce productive Productively
profit profit profitable Profitably
proof Prove Proven
reality real really
reason /
reasonableness reason (razonar, reasonable / reasoned
(sensatez) pensar) (argumentado, razonado) reasonably
Recognised / (un)
recognition Recognise recognisable (un) recognisably
restriction restrict Restricted/restrictive Restrictively
robbery / robber
(ladrón) rob
rudeness rude rudely
safety / saviour
(salvador) save safe Safely
scrutiny scrutinise
Seem Seeming / unseemly Seemingly
speech speak Spoken / unspoken
spirituality Spiritual / spirited Spiritedly / spiritually
star Star Starry
steeply
(considerablemente,
Steepen steep (empinado, brusco) bruscamente)
strength strengthen Strong Strongly
substance Substantial Substantially
success succeed successful / unsuccessful (un) Successfully
SURROUNDINGS SURROUND SURROUNDING /
temptation tempt (tentar) Tempting temptingly
THEATRE / THEATRICAL THEATRICALLY
theft (robo) / thief
(ladrón) Thieve Thieving
tolerance Tolerate Tolerant / tolerable Tolerantly / tolerably
TRADITION / TRADITIONAL TRADITIONALLY
variance / variety vary various / varied / variable / Variably / variedly /

23
 Word Transformation

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

varying Variously
width Widen wide widely

3.10 Errors
Errors

Errors
Suit Colour red doesn't suit me.
Fit These trousers don’t fit me (size).
Sensitive feelings, mind (esp. = sensible)
Sensible right decisions (esp. = sensato)
Yours faithfully When you don't know the name of the person
Yours sincerely When you know the name of the person
persistence dependence
confidence assistance
appearance existence
performance preference
correspondence
responsible reversible
believable breakable
collapsible flexible
defensible adjustable
adaptable suitable
Comma Tell me what you are going to do next.
Comma Tell me, what are you going to do next?
Comma when main clause is after sub If you kiss her, she will get cross.
clause She'll get cross if you kiss her.
Receipt Recibo / ticket
Recipe [recipi] receta de cocina
prescription receta medica

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 Errors

No / Every Determiner
None pronoun
Most of the words pronoun
Most words determiner
lose (V) perder
loose (adj) suelto, flojo
stationary estacionario
stationery artículos de papelería
complementary complementario
complimentary elogioso
effect (N) efecto (Have a big effect on sbd.)
affect (V) afectar (How will changes afect you?)
though (prep) por, a través
thorough (adj) cuidadoso, riguroso
Heel talón (anat.), tacón (of shoe)
Heal curar, cicatrizar
re-form rehacerse, reconstituirse
Reform reformar / reforma
break in entrar (a robar)
break-in robo
AS to be, fact
LIKE not identical, but similar to
E.g.: He was working AS a security guard, but acted more LIKE the Chief of Police.

3.11 Pronunciation
Pronunciation

Oo oO Ooo oOo oOoo ooOo

Anxious aware envious awareness psychology scientific

Envy depress scientist depression psychologist

Science depressed suffering depressing anxiety

Suffer support sufferer supportive

content (N) involve supporter

involved involvement

content (adj)

25
3.12 Expressions
Expressions

Be careful...
cost of living the expense
standard living quality (nivel de vida)
way of life of a community over a longer period
Lifestyle of an individual, easy to change
Livelihood source of your money
Living what you earn to live on (He makes his living as a tour guide)
Alive vivo / to be alive (after a verb, not used before a noun)
Living only used before a noun (He's one of our greatest living poets)
Lifelong continuing / existing all through your life (adj)
Lifetime period of time that someone is alive (noun)
live out to live until the end of your life
Outlive to live longer than someone else
Comparatives and superlatives
+ easily the safest
by far the safest
a great deal safer
just about the safest (the safest but just by a little bit, other options close)
one of the safest
somewhat / slightly less safe
far / considerably less safe
nowhere near as safe
- nothing like as safe
Emphasise
What I'd really like to change is to improve… /
What… What you need to do is take more exercise.
The thing that… The thing that surprises me most is …
The place where… The country where the most cosmetic surgery is performed is Brazil.
The reason why… The reason why many people have cosmetic surgery is to improve…
All… All my sister has ever wanted is to look like a movie star.
Expressing opinions about the future
I am confident / optimistic that
I predict that
I fear that
It seems far-fetched to think that (far-fetched = exagerado)
I don't hold out any / much hope that
I can't see any evidence that
I (don't) think / believe that
I'm sceptical of claims that
On
Heap prise on sbd While theatre heaps praise on its writers, film is quite the other way round.
Reflect on Challenging its audience to reflect on the subjects the boys are learning.
Set your heart on sth Tom was turned down flat by the school he had set his heart on attending.
On a whim He decided on a whim to go to Peru.

26
Do research on He was doing research on the history associated with his trips.
Writing
As a matter of fact
No, I am afraid I don't
Yes, I do, actually. In fact…
Well, I suppose…
I've not made up my mind yet, but…
One of the things I like most…
I think / I believe / From my point of view
But / (better) However
According to Einstein / According Belfast Telegraph
Very important - better = Vitally / Essential / Crucially

Expressions

Expression Meaning / Example

A card up his sleeve Tener una carta debajo de la manga
a fair bit of Bastante
a great deal of Mucho
against the odds Contra las probabilidades
Anything / nothing of the sort of Nada por el estilo
Attention to detail Cuidado de los detalles
be a means to an end Forma de proceder
be a pushover Pan comido
be a real plus Una verdadera ventaja
be a weight off your mind quitarse un peso de encima
be advisable to Ser aconsejable
be an only child Ser hijo unico
be at odds with sth En desacuerdo con
be bored out of your mind Estar totalmente aburrido
be bothered to do sth Tener ganas de hacer algo
be deeply apprehensive Estar muy ansioso
be experienced in dealing with… Tener experiencia en tratar con
be fond of sth Ser aficionado de
be forbidden Ser prohibido
be full of yourself Ir de sobrado
be in good company No ser el único
Be off duty Estar fuera de servicio
be on the verge of Estar a punto de
be out to Tener la intención de
be over the moon Estar contentísimo
be preying on your mind Preocupandose
be reliant on sth / sbd dependiente de algo / alguien
be required to do sth Se requiere que hagas algo
be set in your ways
be short of money Andar corto de dinero
be struck by sth Darse cuenta de algo
be suspicious of / about sth / sbd Tener sospechas de algo
be under no obligation to do sth No tener ninguna obligacion de hacer algo
beside the point No viene a caso

27
Expressions

Expression Meaning / Example

bow to popular pressure
Break new ground. Hacer algo nuevo en un campo
bring out the best in someone sacar a la luz lo mejor que hay en algn
bring to the attention of sbd Avisar a alguien
Burst OUT laughing Estallar en carcajadas
by a mile Con diferencia
by word of mouth Por boca a boca
capture the market Captar el mercado
catch hold of someone / sth agarrar a alguien / algo
club together Reunir dinero
Come as no surprise to us. No sorprender en absoluto
come in droves venir a manadas
cut sth short Terminar algo antes de tiempo
decide at short notice Decidir en ultimo momento
Degree of accuracy Nivel de precisión
down-to-earth Humilde / sencillo
element of risk Factor de riesgo
Entitle sbd to a reward Dar derecho de una recompensa a alguien
except for Excepto por
expose yourself to so many
needless risks Exponerte a tantos riesgos innecesarios
Fall out with sbd dejar de ser amigo de alguien
Fall over yourself to do something Intentar desesperadamente
far and wide De costa a costa
feel obliged to Sentir la obligación de
feel sorry for someone Sentir lástima por alguien
for a living Para ganarse la vida
for the sake of it porque si, sin razon
from the word go Desde el principio
Generally speaking En general
get away from it all Hacer una escapade
get hooked on sth Engancharse a algo
get on the wrong side of someone Molestar a alguien
get your own way salirse con las suyas
give a pat on the back to sbd. Felicitar alguien
give up hope of +ing Perder la esperanza de
Go down well (people like)/ Go
down badly (people don't like) Ser bien/mal recibido
Go off on the tangent Irse por las ramas
Grip Mantener la atencion o interes
had better Debería
have / make a huge impact on sth /
sbd Tener un gran impacto
have a god sense of humour Tener un buen sentido de humor
have a good eye for sth Tener buen ojo
have a good grasp of sth Entender bien algo
have a knack for sth / +ing tener habilidad para
have a row Discutir
have little chance of +ing Tener pocas posibilidades de
have power over someone Tener poder sobre alguien
have words with sbd Discutir con alguien

28
Expressions

Expression Meaning / Example

hear sth (straight) from the horse's
mouth Oir algo de primera mano
help sbd out Ayudar a alguien
hit it off Llevarse bien desde el principio
hit the roof Estallar en colera
Hold out hope for sth Mantener la esperanza de algo
I'd rather Preferiría
I'd sooner A than B Preferiría A a B
imagine + ing Imagínate
In a quest for En busqueda de
in all honesty Para ser totalmente honesto
in deference to por respecto / deferencia a
In excess of Más de
In return a cambio
in suspense En suspenso
in the background En el fondo
in the event of En caso de
in the middle of nowhere En el medio de la nada
introduce a ban Introducer una prohibición
It doesn´t bother me at all No me molesta en absoluto
it runs in the family. Es un rasgo familiar
It's all plain sailing Es cosa fácil
it's not a bed of roses No es una situacion comoda
Just do as you are told Simplemente haz lo que te digan
Keep doing something Hacer algo continuamente (negative)
leap year año bisiesto
let the cat out of the bag Revelar un secreto
lift a ban Quitar una prohibición
long since Hace tiempo ya
look on the bright side Mirar el lado bueno de las cosas
lose faith in somebody Perder la fe en alguien
lose yourself in sth Perderte en algo
make a pledge to + inf Hacer una promesa
manage to Lograr
meet with someone´s approval Ganar la aprobacion de alguien
miss the boat Perder una oportunidad
more and more = to emphasise Cada vez más
Never a dull moment Nunca es aburrido
no laughing matter. No es asunto de risa
Not be made of money No soy rico
Not be wild about … No me fascina
off and on De vez en cuando
on a regular basis habitualmente
on a whim Antojadizamente (whim= capricho)
on hand A mano
one in a while De vez en cuando
Over the top Excesivo / exagerado
pass sbd over No tener alguien en cuenta para algo
play a crucial role Jugar un papel vital
play a joke on someone Gastarle una broma a alguien
pleasing to the eye agradable a la vista

29
Expressions
Expression
pluck up the courage to do sth
pump money into sth
push sbd / onself
Put more effort into sth / +ing
put sth bluntly
put your trust in sbd
rabbit on about sth
reel of a list
Regardless of the
remain independent of / from
repeat sth parrot fashion
safety in numbers
show one´s ability
smell a rat
speak for itself
stand accused of
Sth suits me down to the ground.
strike a chord
strike the balance between X and X
succumbed to the temptation
swim against the tide
Take charge of sth
take hold of
take on board
Take something back
Take sth for granted
take sth on trust
take sth personally
take sth/someone at face value
take the plunge
Take time over sth
take yourself too seriously
talk the hind leg off a donkey
talk things through
tempt fate
tempt fate
The key to his appeal
The more ... The more...
There is no chance of
There´s good chemistry between…
There´s not much sense in
think nothing of sth
throw away your money on
tie the knot
tread on somebody´s toes
turn the clock back
walk on eggshells
weigh up the pros and cons
went on a bit
would you mind + ing
Wouldn't say boo to a goose
Meaning / Example
armarse the valor
Invertir mucho dinero en algo
Urgir, presionar
Esforzarse más en algo
Decir algo francamente, sin rodeos
Confiar en alguien
Hablar como un loro sobre algo
enumerar
Sea cual sea el
Mantenerse idependiente de
Repetir algo sin entenderlo
Cuanto más menos peligro
Mostrar tus capacidades
Tener sospechas
Hablar por sí mismo
Estar acusado de
Me viene perfecto
Tocar la fibra sensible
Encontrar el equilibrio entre
Rendirse ante la tentación
Ir contra el corriente
Tomar control de algo
encontrarse, agarrar
Asumir, entender, captar
Retractarse de algo
Subestimar, dar por hecho
Confiar
Tomarlo como algo personal
Aceptar el significado literal de algo
Tomar el riesgo, casarse
Tomarse tu tiempo con algo
Tomarte demasiado en serio
Hablar por los codos
Hablar las cosas
provar al destino
Tentar a la suerte
La clave de su atractivo
Cuanto más … más
No hay ninguna posibilidad de
Hay Buena quimica entre
No tiene mucho sentido
No le importaría en absoluto
Malgastar tu dinero en
Casarse
Pisar los pies de algo
Retrasar el reloj
ir con cuidado
Evaluar los pros y contras
Alargar un poco
Te importaría
Ser timido
30
 Expressions

Expression Meaning / Example

Yet, although Sin embargo, aunque

3.13 Vocabulary
Vocabulary

Word Meaning / Example

allure Encanto
backpacking ir de excursión con mochila
Clutch agarrar firmemente
concrete Cemento
curb frenar, poner freno a
daring audaz, osado
deceive Engañar
deceptively Engañosamente
deteriorate empeorar
disbelief Incredulidad
Drawback desventaja
Dropout Una persona que abandona los estudios
epitomise tipificar
feel tocar, palpar, sentir
flaw defecto, error
Fog niebla
grab agarrar, aprovechar, apropiarse de, llevarse
grasp agarrar, aprovechar, captar
grip agarrar, tener agarrado
grown-up adulto
half-hearted Carente de entusiasmo
hardship Adversidad, dificultad
hiccup Hipo, traspié
hind Trasero
itch picar (picor)
manslaughter Homicidio inviluntario
mast mastil, antenna
munch Mascar
outdo Superar, mejorar
Outlive Vivir más que, sobrevivir a
outstanding espectacular, pendiente, sin resolver
overwhelmed Abrumado
Pat acariciar, ar palmaditas
pick at picar (comida)
pinpoint Detallar, precisar, localizar, preciso

31
Vocabulary

Word Meaning / Example

pliable maleable, flexible
press apretar, prensar
presumably es de suponer, se supone que
punch pegarle a, perforar
push empujar, apretar
raise levantar, alzar / aumento
rendered Hacer que algo sea…
resilient fuerte, capacidad superación
restore Restaurar, recuperar
reverse Revocar, invertir, reves, opuesto
rise (rose / risen) subir, crecer / subida, aumento
rub frotar, restregar, masajear
run dirigir
scratch rascar(se), arañar, rasgar
setback Reves, traspié
slap pegar una bofetada, dar una palmada
spooky Espeluznante
squeeze apretar, exprimir, extraer
standby Espera, de repuesto
starry estrellado
startling Asombroso
steeply bruscamente, considerablemente, abruptamente
Stroke Acariciar
sunbathe tomar el sol
swig trago, tragar
tame Manso
tap dar un toque, golpecito
tightly-knit/close knit unido
touch Tocar
trait Rasgo
undertake asumir (responsibility), contraer (obligation), emprender (task)
widespread Extendido
wipe pasar un trapo, limpiar
wiped out hecho polvo

risk a calculated risk

risk an element of risk

32
 risk worth the risk
risk run / take a risk
risk at risk
risk at your own risk
risk health / fire / security risk
risk a good / bad / poor risk
risk risk life and limb
risk a risky business
flat speech (lacking interest)
flat notes (music)
flat throw yourself flat on the ground (level with the ground)
lay past of lie (lay/lied)
lay to put sth down
lay to prepare a table before a meal
term an expression
term a period of time
term the division of an academic year
gentle kind and careful
gentle not extreme or strong
gentle not steep (no empinado, brusco)
Emphasis
They should not have been employed by the At no time should they have been employed by the
company at any time. co.
I didn't know how dangerous the expedition
would be. Little did I know how dangerous...
Not only did he arrive late, (but) he also forgot to
He arrived late and forgot to bring the tickets. bring the tickets.
We will not enter into… Under no circumstances will we enter into…
On no account will the judges discuss their
The judges will not discuss… decision.
Not only is it witty, it's also original.
I haven't been so excited since winning… Not since winning the prize have I been so excited.
You don't often get the opportunity to… Rarely do you get the opportunity to…
We had only just arrived, when we were… Hardly had we arrived, when we were…
They are only now beginning to realise what… Only now are they beginning…
Not a word did he say / Not a word was said (by
He didn't say a word all evening. him) all evening.
I refuse to go the party wearing that. No way will I go to the party wearing that.

Alternatives to IF
Unless – a menos que
not… unless… - no… a menos que
whether… or not… - si … o no
provided that – siempre que

33
as long as – siempre que
..., but for… - si no fuera por
…, otherwise… - de no ser así

34
4 LISTENING
4.1 Exam Overview – Listening
Listening

40minutes approx.
Parts Tasks
Part 1 Multiple choice (4 questions)
Part 2 Sentence completion (8 questions)
Part 3 Multiple choice (6 questions)
Part 4 Multiple matching (10 questions)

35
5 READING
5.1 Exam Overview – Reading
Reading

1’15 hours – 4 parts – 34 questions

Parts Tasks
Part 1 Multiple choice
Part 2 Gapped text
Part 3 Multiple choice
Part 4 Multiple matching

36