TALKING ABOUT CLOTHES AND FASHION IN A SPEAKING TEST

Part 1-style questions

Examiner: Do you enjoy buying clothes?
Pedro: I used to … yes … like most young people I was a bit of a slave to fashion and I’d always have to buy that must-have shirt or pair of shoes … I’m not so bothered now though … I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing something old fashioned but I’m not as bothered as I used to be about what I wear …

Examiner: What kind of clothes do you like to wear?
Marco: I prefer casual clothes actually … I hate getting dressed up for special occasions … personally I think it’s possible to look good in a pair of jeans … but that’s my opinion … I don’t think my wife would call me a fashion icon that’s for sure …

Examiner: Are there many clothes shops where you live?
Sylvia: Yes … there are lots in my town … apart from the big chain stores we’ve got a couple of really nice shops that sell vintage clothes … old clothes but in a classic style that never really go out of fashion … I love going there …

Part 2-style task

Describe someone you know who dresses well. You should say

• who they are
• how you know them
• what kind of clothes they wear

and say why you like the way they dress.

Tomoko:  I’d like to talk about one of my teachers … Miss Evans … she teaches us English in the school I go to … we always look forward to seeing what she’s going to wear when our lessons start … she’s always very well dressed and takes a lot of pride in her appearance … it’s not that she dresses in very smart clothes … she doesn’t come to school dressed to kill or anything like that … but what she wears really suits her … and she has a great sense of style as well … we often ask her where she gets some of her clothes and most of the time they’re just off the peg … and she says she’s not interested in designer labels or anything like that … she doesn’t seem too concerned about keeping up with the latest fashion … she just wears clothes that are timeless… yes … Miss Evans is the person I think looks great in the clothes she wears …

Part 3-style questions

Examiner: What factors do you think affect the clothes we choose to wear?
Maki: It depends … where we are or where we’re going is a big factor … if you are going out to a club or party you’re going to dress for the occasion … and then there are those who think it’s important to look like they’re on trend … they’ll want to wear the latest fashions … there are lots of factors really …

Examiner: What kind of things determine what is in fashion and what we should be wearing?
Martin: I suppose the big fashion houses and fashion shows must have an effect but the clothes you see on the catwalk don’t always reflect what normal people wear … so I suppose it will be things like what singers are wearing in videos or models are wearing in magazines … that kind of thing …

Examiner: Is it possible to look good without spending lots of money on clothes?
Corinna: I’m sure it is … yes … I suppose it’s about having an eye for what looks good … knowing how to mix and match different items of clothing that go well together … I think you can pick up great bargains in charity shops … sometimes for youngsters even hand-me-downs can look good …

Definitions

• to be on trend: to be very fashionable
• casual clothes: not formal
• classic style: a simple, traditional style that is always fashionable
• designer label: a well-known company that makes (often expensive) clothing
• dressed to kill: wearing clothes that attract admirers
• to dress for the occasion: to wear clothes suitable for a particular event
• fashionable: in fashion
• fashion house: a company that sells (usually expensive) new styles in clothes
• fashion icon: a person who is famous for their sense of fashion
• fashion show: an event where modals show off the latest in fashion designs
• to get dressed up: to put on nice clothes, often to go out somewhere special
• to go out of fashion: to not be in fashion any more
• hand-me-downs: clothes that are passed down from older brothers or sisters to their younger siblings
• to have an eye for (fashion): to be a good judge of
• to have a sense of style: the ability to wear clothes that look stylish
• the height of fashion: very fashionable
• to keep up with the latest fashion: to wear the latest fashions
• to look good in: to wear something that suits you
• to mix and match: to wear different styles or items of clothing that aren’t part of a set outfit
• must-have: something that is highly fashionable and therefore in demand
• off the peg: clothing that is ready made
• old fashioned: not in fashion any more
• on the catwalk: the stage that modals walk along to show off the latest fashions
• a slave to fashion: someone who always feel the need to wear the latest fashions
• smart clothes: the kind of clothes worn for a formal event
• to suit someone: to look good on someone
• to take pride in one’s appearance: to pay attention to how one looks
• timeless: something that doesn’t go out of fashion
• vintage clothes: clothes from an earlier period
• well-dressed: to be dressed attractively

SOME IDIOMS CONNECTED TO THE TOPIC:

mutton dressed as lamb (level: advanced)
an older woman dresses in a way that is much more suitable for a younger girl
The actress was criticized by almost every fashion magazine, after she had put on an extremely short skirt at the opening night. The 60-year old woman looked like mutton dressed as lamb.

to fit like a glove (level: advanced)
to fit very well
Buy this blue T-shirt. It contains Lycra, so it will fit you like a glove.

to be in one’s birthday suit (level: advanced)
to be completely naked
He was arrested after he ran into the shop in his birthday suit, making all the customers feel very uncomfortable .

dressed to the nines/teeth (level: advanced)
dressed in stylish and expensive clothes
Everybody liked the elegant and stylish dress that she was wearing at the picnic. She was dressed to the nines, as usual.

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EXPLAINING DATA FROM DIAGRAMS AND CHARTS

Introducing the topic

• The graph shows… / The table reveals…
• The chart displays… / The diagram illustrates…
• Some interesting facts concerning… are revealed in the diagram.
• Several key trends are revealed by the graph showing…

Introducing the first set of data

• Beginning with the…
• To begin with the…
• Let me begin by describing the…

Introducing the second set of data

• Meanwhile, the…  shows that…
• As for the… , it shows that…
• Turning to the… , it can be seen that…

Introducing the first major trend

• First of all, it is clear that…
• Most noticeably of all, it can be seen that…
• The first result worth pointing out is that…

Introducing lesser trends

• Another trend that can be observed is that…
• It is also worth pointing out that…
• Also worth noting is that…

Exceptions to the main trend

• However, this was not always the case.
• However, it should be pointed out that…
• There was one noticeable exception, however.

Comparing and contrasting

• Similarly, … / By contrast, …
• A similar trend can be observed in…
• The results for… , however, reveal a markedly different trend.

Adding figures

• The figures were X and Y respectively.
• …, at X. / …, with Y. (Usage note: use ‘at’ when you mean ‘the figure was’; use ‘with’ when you mean ‘something had’)
• …, at/with X and Y respectively.

Concluding and summarising

• To sum up, … / In summary, … / In short, …
• On the whole, …
• The main thing that can be observed here is that…

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TALKING ABOUT MONEY

The following idioms and expressions with the noun 'money' are common in every day conversation.

Each idiom or expression has a definition and two example sentences to help understanding of these common idiomatic expressions with 'money'.

Colour of someone's money
Definition: the amount of money someone has available
Show me the colour of your money and then we can talk.
If we knew the color of the company's money we could make a better bid on the deal. 
 
Easy money
Definition: money that can be earned with little effort
Some people think that playing stocks is easy money.
Unfortunately, there are few jobs are truly easy money.
Front money
Definition: money paid in advance of receiving something
I'll need to put up $100,000 front money to get in on the deal.
Always be suspicious of companies that ask for front money. 
 
Heavy money
Definition: a lot of money
Tom will bring heavy money into the company if he agrees to invest.
They have heavy money. I'm sure they'll buy the house. 
 
Hush money
Definition: money paid to someone so that they don't provide information
Many people are paid hush money to not testify in court. It's illegal, but it happens.
The gang tried to pay the man off with hush money, but he was having none of it. 
 
Mad money
Definition: money used to have fun, money to waste
We've put away a few thousand dollars in mad money for our next vacation.
Don't go to Las Vegas without some mad money. 
 
Money from home
Definition: easily gained money
Peter thinks investing in stocks is money from home.
She's looking for a job that's money from home. Good luck! 
 
Money grubber
Definition: someone who does not like to spend money, a stingy person
She'll never give you money for your idea. She's a money grubber.
Money grubbers can't take it with them. I have no idea why they take it so seriously. I say easy come, easy go. 
 
Money talks
Definition: money has influence in a situation
Of course they let the big box store build in town. Never forget: Money talks.
Just remember money talks. If they really want you for the position, they'll meet your salary demands. 
 
On the money
Definition: correct, exact
I'd say you are on the money about that situation.
His guess that the company would succeed was on the money. 
 
Put your money where your mouth is!
Definition: let's have a bet about something
Come on, if you think that is true, put your money where your mouth is! I'll bet you 100 to 1 that it isn't true.
She put her money where her mouth was and made a fortune. 
 
Smart money
Definition: the best option, money of smart people investing in something
The smart money is on congress changing the law.
He thinks the smart money is going to invest in renewable energy. 
 
Soft money
Definition: money which can be earned without much effort
Take the job for a few months. It's soft money.
Jane thinks the position is soft money. 
 
Spending money
Definition: money to spend to have fun, purchases unnecessary items
It's important to have at least a little spending money each month.
They don't have much spending money, so they like to stay home rather than go on vacation. 
 
Throw money at something
Definition: waste money on a situation
Throwing money at the situation isn't going to make it better.
Some governments feel that throwing money at a program always helps. 

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SIMPLY SIMPLE WORDS?

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PHRASAL VERBS: A REMINDER!

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PHRASAL VERBS: TAKE

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ACTION VERBS

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THE BODY: INTERNAL ORGANS

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HOUSING: WORDS AND DEFINITIONS

You probably learned words like bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen in your first year of English class. But how about these more advanced English words for parts of a house?

Faucet / Tap

In most countries, the hot water is on the left and the cold water is on the right.

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The faucet or tap is the part of the sink where the water comes into the sink. At the bottom of the picture, you can see the drain (where the water goes out).

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Cabinets

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Most kitchens and bathrooms have cabinets where you can store pots, pans, dishes, and non-perishable foods.

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Drawer

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A drawer is another place to store things. Many houses have a “junk drawer” where you put random items that don’t fit anywhere else.

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Counter

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Most kitchens and bathrooms also have a counter - this is a flat area where you prepare the food. It can be made of wood or stone. The one in the picture is made of a type of stone called granite.

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Tile

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There are several different types of flooring. This one is called tile.

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Hardwood floor

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When the floor is made of wood, the room is said to have a hardwood floor.

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Carpet

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A carpet is a floor covering that is made of fabric. A carpet covers a large area (usually the whole room), differently from a rug, which covers a smaller area.

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Rug

Rugs are often used for decoration.

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Curtains

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This type of window covering is called curtains.

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Blinds

Blinds are another popular type of window covering.

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Attic

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The attic is the space between the ceiling of a room and the roof of the house. Most people use this space for storage.

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Basement

This basement is “unfinished”

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The basement is the underground space below the ground floor of the house. Basements can be “finished” (meaning they are decorated nicely like the other rooms of the house) or “unfinished” (meaning they look like the one in the photo, with pipes and wires exposed and not such a nice floor or walls).

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(Electrical) Outlet

Different countries have different types of outlet

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Driveway

The driveway connects the street to the house’s garage.

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Driveways can be paved (with a smooth, even surface) or unpaved (with dirt or rocks).

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Front Yard / Backyard

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The yard is the area around a house. The front yard is the area in front of a house, and the backyard is the area behind a house.

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Patio

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A patio is a small area next to the house that is used for eating outside. It usually has a floor and is covered to protect it from sun and rain.

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Deck

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A deck is an outdoor floor made of wood and often elevated from the ground.

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REVISION TESTS FOR FCE (B2)

http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/index.php

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/tsindex.htm

http://www.english-online.org.uk/fcefolder/gramfce.php?name=Practice%20for%20the%20First%20Certificate%20in%20English

http://www.lingoclub.com/html2/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=sobi2Details&sobi2Id=627&Itemid=134

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MATERIALS TO GET YOUR B2 (EOI) -FCE CERTIFICATES

http://www.mansioningles.com/First_cert.htm
http://fceblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/first-certificate-in-english-guide.html
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/tsindex.htm
http://esl.about.com/cs/britishcambridge/a/a_fce.htm
FCE B2-HANDBOOK FCE-b2 handbook