What is the most important thing to remember
when taking your B2 First speaking exam? Yeah, you must remember to look fabulous!
It's a big day! No, Monica! That was a stupid thing to say!
You must remember to talk! Okay yes,
but also try to avoid the present simple! My name is Toby, I am a Cambridge
Speaking Examiner, this is SMASH English and here is
everything you need to know about avoiding the present simple in
your B2 First Speaking exam!
Before we begin, why should you avoid the present simple? Well the clue is in
the name "present SIMPLE". Here is a secret
that nobody has told you before: it is better to
try to use complex grammar and make mistakes
than it is to use simple grammar and speak
perfectly. Doesn't that change your lives? It changed mine! Phwoar! That is great great
advice! Cheers, mate! So how can we do this? Well it's very
difficult to prepare complex grammar for parts three and
four of the speaking exam because these are supposed to be
natural and normal conversations. So if you prepare something it
immediately becomes unnatural and not normal...
The examiners will know if you have memorized structures to use
in parts three and four so try not to. If you need any help with part three I
have a video telling you all about it and
everything you must do so watch that instead.
For parts one and two though you absolutely should be avoiding the
present simple and trying to use complex grammar!
Let's start with part one then. Part one. Part one
consists of the examiner asking you simple questions
about familiar topics. If you only have one partner in the exam
it's only two minutes long so the examiner will
only have time to ask you one or two questions, maybe three if you give very
short answers but try not to do that! Let's look at some examples of possible
questions you could be asked in part one. Here
are some examples divided into topics: your friends, your hometown, your hobbies
and your future. What do you like doing with your friends?
Do you have a best friend? Do you like your city? Is there a lot to
do in your city? What is your favorite thing
to do in the evenings? Do you enjoy sport? Do you have any goals
for this year? Let's look at some of these questions
and think about some possible answers that we could give.
What do you like doing with your friends? This question is in the present simple.
So, Monica, what do you like doing with your friends?
I like listening to music and dancing and acting
and seeing my friends and going shopping. See!
Because the question was in the present simple the student
answered in the present simple. No! Don't do that! Oh my God! I made a big mistake!
Here are the grammar structures that I want you to use
instead. The present perfect. Used to and would. If only
and I wish. It depends plus a zero conditional. And inversion.
Let's see how we can use each of these structures
to answer the same question. I have always loved going shopping with my
friends because... I used to love going shopping with my
friends but now i prefer... If
only I had more time to spend with my friends
but when I do have time I enjoy going shopping...
It depends, if the weather is nice we go shopping
but if not we spend time inside listening to music...
Rarely do I see my friends these days but when I do
I enjoy going shopping with them. What's great about these structures
is that they can stay basically the same to answer any question in the present
simple. Remember your answers don't need to be true. The
examiner does not care about your personal life
they care about your language. Um, even my private life? Excuse me! I have like one
million followers on Instagram yeah? The examiner is probably one of
them! Let's have a look at another question
now. Uh, Bruce, I want you to answer using one of these structures. Yup. Bruce,
do you like your city? Oh if only I lived somewhere else!
I hate my city there's like nothing to do
and that's why I make videos with this idiot!
Thank you so much, Bruce! Now let's look at the remaining
structures. I have always loved my city. All of my
friends live there and there is so much to do.
I used to love my city when I was young but a lot of my friends have moved
and now it's boring. It depends if it's summer it's fun because the
weather is nice and we can go out, in the winter it's very quiet.
It depends is probably the easiest one to use.
When you don't know what to say or when you
cannot think of a long extended answer say 'it depends" and it will broaden
your language. Add the zero conditional to it!
When you do that the examiner is happy, I am happy! You're happy! We're happy!
Everyone's happy! Your marks will go up and you can say "I learnt that from SMASH
English and SMASH English is great and i'm going
to subscribe!" If you need any help with the zero
conditional then watch my video all about the zero conditional! You think
it's easy, trust me it's not! Never have I loved my
town but it's okay. I think i'll move when I
am older though. Remember it's better to make a mistake
using this grammar than to use the present simple perfectly
so embrace your mistakes! Love your mistakes!
In the B2 First speaking exam anyway... Monica, do you have any goals
for this year? Actually I've never had any goals!
I believe that if you're hot like me goals are not necessary because good
things just happen to you! I didn't use to give myself goals but
this year I've given myself the goal to help Toby with SMASH English.
If only I had set myself a goal. I think goals are really important because that
way you know where you are going in life and
that's really important! Yeah well it depends what you mean
by a goal. If you mean like an ambition then this year my ambition is to help
Toby with SMASH English but if you mean like
a new year's resolution then no mate I don't do that.
Never do I set myself goals. I think you only live once and so you
should just live in the moment, do you know what i mean?So
remember: present perfect, used to, I wish, if only, it depends plus
the zero conditional, inversion. Practice these all the time!
Ask yourself a present simple question, the simplest
questions you can think of, and try answering using one of these
structures. Toby what is your favorite color? Oh, I don't know. It used to be
green but now that I'm older I like red. Toby, do you have a dog? If only I had a
dog! I would love to have a dog, having a dog would change my life!
Toby, do you like music? I have always loved music! The more you do it the
easier it will get. Throw the truth out the window and
bring the grammar in the wind... It doesn't work doesn't work... Okay so
what about part two? Part two.
Well for describing the pictures we should always be using
modal verbs. Modal verbs in the present simple,
but modal verbs to speculate: could, would, might, may, must, couldn't. If you want more
information on that then watch my video on part two of the
Cambridge speaking exam! But after your partner has finished
describing their pictures the examiner will ask you a question
about their pictures. There are two types of
question that the examiner could ask you:
One is if you like something or not, so present simple again. The other one is
asking you to choose between the pictures: what activity would you
prefer? where would you prefer to go? If you are asked if you like something,
then use the same structures that I told you
to use in part one: used to, present perfect, inversion, if
only, it depends. However if you have used
one of them in part one try not to use it
again in part two. Repetition is not going to score you high marks. But
if you are asked to choose between the two pictures
use a second conditional. This always works
so always do it! "If I had to choose i would say _____ because _____"
Finished! It's that simple! Monica, which of these places would you prefer
to spend your holiday in? If I had to choose I would say the beach
because I love wearing my bikini because everybody
looks at me and I know what they're thinking! They're thinking
"wow she is so hot!". And Bruce? If I had to choose, I would say camping. I
prefer relaxing in nature with a beer in my
hand like a real man. You know what I mean?
And another example! Which of these activities would you prefer to do
outside? If i had to choose i would say cycling
because it's great exercise and it makes my legs look really
firm and hard and so sexy! And bruce? If I had to choose I would say
walking because I don't know how to ride a bike.
Is that embarrassing? I don't know. And with that we are finished!
Now you can answer these simple basic questions in the Cambridge B2 First
Speaking exam without using the present simple!
Remember the present simple is your enemy! We hate
the present simple! Yes? Yes! If you liked the video
don't forget to SMASH that like button, subscribe if you haven't already, leave a
comment down below! My name is Toby and this
was SMASH English...
you