Speaking
Part 2
C1 Advanced Exam
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Speaking
In this section:
An overview and strategies for completing Part 2 of C1 Advanced Speaking Test.
C1 Advanced Speaking Part 2
C1 Advanced Speaking Part 2
Part 2
Part 2
Duration: 4 - 5 minutes
You have 1 minute to talk about two photos by yourself, and then respond to a question about your partner’s photos.
You’ll get a card with 3 photos. You must compare and contrast the 2 of the photos and answer 2 questions in 1 minute.
Your partner will also be asked a question about your photos. You must respond to a question about their photos.
Why might people partake in these activities with others?
What might happen after the activities?
What happens:
What happens:
The examiner will explain the task to both of you.
The examiner will then hand Candidate A their photos.
The examiner will tell talk briefly about the photographs and paraphrase the question. This is the first time Candidate A will get to see the photos. While they are explaining the task, the student should also carefully read the question and think about what to say. There is no additional time to prepare; the time between receiving the photos and speaking is very short.
When the examiner says "all right?", Candidate A should start talking.
Candidate A talks about the photos for 1 minutes.
The examiner tells Candidate A when to stop talking.
Candidate B then is asked a question about the photos. They answer for about 30 seconds.
Then the process is repeated for Candidate B.
In this part of the test, nobody should interrupt you and you should not talk when the other candidate is talking.
The Task
The Task
You must:
Compare and contrast two of the photos
Answer both questions
Complete all tasks within 1 minute
Common Mistakes:
Do not talk about all three photos. You must only compare and contrast two of them.
Do not simply describe the photos; you must compare and contrast them. Use speculative language while doing this. For more information about speculative language, see this.
Some people stop when they make a mistake. Do not do this; just keep going.
Some people stop speaking after they have compared the photos and answered the question. Don't do this. Just continue comparing and contrasting the photos until the examiner tells you to stop.
Strategy
Strategy
I find that people either say too much or too little for this task. To avoid such problems, I suggest this method:
COMPARE - Compare the photos.
focus on the most obvious comparison without saying too much.
CONTRAST - Contrast what you see in the two photos you've chosen to talk about.
Focus on the major differences.
Don't contrast the ideas of the photos, contrast what you see.
ANSWER THE QUESTION2 - There will be two questions at the top of the photos which you must answer. I recommend continuing to compare and contrast the photos while answering the questions.
Focus on big picture ideas so you talk about both photos before the time runs out
If you finish early, just continue to contrast the photos until the examiner tells you to stop.
Tips:
1 minute actually is not a lot of time. Keep your answers short and stay on topic.
Don't waste time by saying which photos you'll be talking about - just start talking. The photos will be obvious from your description. Also, you can point if needed.
If you tend to talk too much, try to answer in a way that addresses both photos at the same time so you don’t go over time.
You need to address both images while doing this task, so keep your ideas and answers short so you don't run out of time.
Once you've finished the task, just continue to compare the photos until the examiner tells you to stop.
Useful Language
Useful Language
How might these activities be done differently in the future?
How might people benefit from the changes?
Talking about both or all photos:
In both / In all photos we can see...
All / Both photos show...
They are quite similar because...
They are the same because....
In all photos we see various sectors which will change drastically in the future.
Both photos show industries that are really important to a functioning society.
Talking about each photo individually:
In the photo on the right / on the top we can see…. whereas in the photo on the left / on the bottom there is….
In the first photo there is… while in the second photo there is…
In the top photo…
In the bottom photo…
While and Whereas can be used to connect two contrasting ideas in a single sentence:
You’d need to be really careful when working around electrical wires because you could lose your life while being a paramedic would require different skills.
One photo depicts people in what appears to be a hospital room while in the other photo, we can see students in a lecture hall with a teacher..
Operations in the future may be done by robots with people controlling them remotely whereas education may take place entirely online on the future and have no need for physical spaces like auditoriums.
Phrases like On the other hand and However are used when there are two different sentences:
In medicine, people will probably benefit from future technological advances because we may find some cures for diseases. On the other hand, people will probably benefit from the changes in farming, as we will probably find better ways to grow food, and create more nutritious strains of fruits and vegetables.
Using comparative language:
In this photo there is ... but / however in this one there’s…
This is as [adjective] as.... / This is not as [adjective] as....
This [noun] seems [comparative adjective] because….
Here there are more [noun] in this photo than…
We might see major changes in how education is delivered but it might might take more time to see the same amount of progress in farming.
Your answer should also include a lot of comparative and superlatives so you should study this kind of language:
I imagine that medical procedures will become less invasive in the future.
Without a doubt, we will see the fastest changes in education. We are seeing them right now with the move towards online learning thanks to the pandemic.
Farming is really important but it doesn't receive as much investment as the other sectors, so it may take longer to see big changes there.
Learn more about comparative and superlative adjectives here: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/comparative-and-superlative-adjectives
Adding an Opinion
Adding an Opinion
Consider using the following alternatives to “I think”:
In my opinion…
I think...
I’d say that…
It seems to me that...
If you are less sure about your opinion, weaker openings could be:
I guess that…
I suppose that….
I’d say that…..
Why might people partake in these activities with others?
What might happen after the activities?
Here's an example based on the first task on this page:
So in one photo we can see two people cooking in a kitchen, while in another photo we can see people sitting together around a table looking at papers. Maybe they are students or something and they are studying together. Anyway, I guess people would cook together if they work together. I imagine that these people work together in a kitchen at a restaurant, or something, so they would have to work with one another. On the other hand, students might want other people around when studying because they can keep each other company, and motivate one another. After the scene in the kitchen, they will probably finish work and go home to their families, while the students will probably go out and get something to eat... maybe they'll get pizza or something.
The follow-up task
The follow-up task
On the exam, both you and your partner(s) will do this task with different photos. You will be asked a follow-up question about your partner's photos.
You should speak for about 30 - 40 seconds when responding to the question. This is enough time for 3 or 4 sentences.
Usually this question will ask you to use superlatives. For example: "Which activity is the most challenging?" "What do you think is most interesting?" or it may also be about your opinion about the task "What kind of leisure activities do you enjoy doing?".
What can be difficult about organizing group activities?
I suppose one of the biggest challenges is finding a time that works for everyone. We're all so busy, you know what I mean? Most people work, have a family to take care of, have a house, dog, their hobbies... and most people are so overworked they don't have much time to pursue their personal interests. Also, depending on where everyone lives, that could create problems too. For example, does everyone need to travel somewhere to get together in person? Do they even live in the same town? If people aren't in the same place, arranging it all can be a headache.
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