Category: Vocabulary

Vocabulary

What about the order of the “PET” exam?

May 30, 2019

Hello, my dear students

From the very first day I told you about the right order when taking the different parts of the PET exam. Just in case you forgot, here it is along with some final tips!

  • First of all, start with the long writing (part 3). It is worth 15 points, the highest of the whole exam, so you should start with it. Plan your writing, make a draft, use vocabulary you know (don’t try to impress anyone with words or structures you don’t know). Remember, the letter is always going to be easier than the story.
  • After that writing, you must continue with the 3rd and the 5th part of the reading exam. They’re worth 10 points each, and you can do whichever you want first, but take your time! Read everything carefully, look for synonyms in part 3 and pay special attention to the words before and after the gap in part 5.
  • The rest of the parts are worth 5 points each, but I suggest you starting with the 1st and 2nd part of the writing exam. Then you can continue with the missing parts of the reading in this order: part 1, part 2 and part 4. Why that order? Well, part 1 is faster and easier than the others, so you shouldn’t spend more than 5 minutes on it. Part 2 and part 4 are both quite long, but in part 2 you have 8 possible options (12,5% possibilities of getting the right answer) and in part 4 you need to read the text a couple of times to answer all the questions properly (25% possibilities of getting the right answer). Remember that, when doing part 4, the 2nd – 3rd – 4th questions are asking for specific information, and they’re in order within the text! So, if you’re in a rush, try to do those ones first.
  • Remember, answer all the questions, do not leave an answer unanswered!

That’s it. I wish you all luck, and I remind that the blog (and the Internet) is full of resources you can use to keep preparing this important test (like this one). Watch some videos of candidates taking the speaking exam, learn some idioms for your writings, remember the importance of using paragraphs, practise with different kinds of readings, listen to English music and try to understand the lyrics (or use LyricsTraining!).

Everything you do will prove to be useful, trust me.

Over and out.

Always looking for extra help?

January 31, 2019

Hello, my dear students

If you’ve ever been looking up for some extra practice dealing with the official exams of Cambridge, I have the perfect website for you. “Cambridge para ti” is an official site, run by Cambridge and containing different activities / resources to help you improve in some of the skills assessed in their exams.

The most interesting one might be “Write&Improve“, an amazing webpage where you can improve your writings. How does it work? First, you need to register. Once you’re in, you can upload your writings and the webpage will check them itself! There’re many types of writings to choose (all of them related to the official exams of PET).

You can also check their “Learning English” site, with plenty of activities divided into categories (just use the filters to find your perfect activity!).

Over and out.

Demonstratives pronouns

January 20, 2019

Hello, my dear students

If you’re still wondering about the different demonstrative pronouns in English, you better take a look at this picture of “Woodward English”! There are many types of pronouns, and demonstratives are essential when it comes to speaking or writing in English. Remember, by using them we can avoid repetition!

Over and out.

Using “Phrasal Verbs”

January 13, 2019

Hi there

Sooner or later you all face the problems of dealing with phrasal verbs. There’re just way too many of them, and many times the same verb has a very different meaning depending on the preposition that goes after it. I’m going to share a video about phrasal verbs with you, and I hope you find it useful!

Over and out.

“WordReference” is your best friend!

September 7, 2018

Hello, my dear students

Have you ever been worried about using “Google Translator” and getting all your translations wrongly? Well, you totally should, because “Google Translator” is not reliable at many times. You know what’s always reliable? You know who your best friend can be? “WordReference”!

Whenever you need to look a word up, just go to www.wordreference.com. I can honestly say that I use it all the time! English to Spanish, Spanish to English… We face new vocabulary every day, so we need to have a good friend to help us understand what that new vocabulary means, don’t you think?

Over and out.

Confused about “e.g.” and “i.e.”?

June 22, 2018

Hi there!

When reading this year we’ve found many examples of “e.g.” and “i.e.” in our books. You always asked me how to pronounce those letters, or what their meaning was, or you just ignored them right away… Well, they do have a meaning and an explanation! Take a look at this picture posted by “The YUniversity” (follow them on Twitter!) to clarify your doubts!

Over and out.

Looking for some PET activities?

May 4, 2018

Hi there!

If you’re looking for some extra PET activities, why don’t you take a look at this great website? You can find many activities depending on the level you want to work (for example, the activities of PET are in this link). Make sure you work with all the practice tests and the the different sections of vocabulary and grammar practice. This could be the extra work you needed to pass the exam!

Over and out.