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3.4 Speaking Part 4

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3.4 Speaking Part 4

In the FCE speaking Part 4 exam, the two students are required to have a conversation with the examiner about ideas related to the discussion in part 3.

That means that although the examiner will ask each of you a question which you need to answer, you are also required to interact with each other.

The information given in part 3 about what the examiners are looking for is relevant here.


The focus is on sustaining an interaction - exchanging ideas, expressing opinions and justifying opinions, agreeing or disagreeing, suggesting, speculating, evaluating, .

For this reason, using the methods we discussed in the writing section - using good structure, good sentence construction, good variety of grammar elements can help the student get good marks.

The examiners also explain what specific elements they are looking for:

Students need to respond to each other's contributions by agreeing, disagreeing, and questioning each other.

The method:

Using these ideas, the basic structure of the way to answer the examiner's questions is as follows:


STRUCTURE

1 QUALIFY THE QUESTION

2 EXPRESS YOUR OPINION

3 JUSTIFY YOUR OPINION

4 GIVE SUPPORTING EXAMPLES

5 INVITE YOUR PARTNER TO EXPRESS AN OPINION ON YOUR OPINION

Let's develop this structure in a bit more detail:


ANALYSIS

1 GIVE AN OPINION ON THE QUESTION

2 GIVE AN OPINION ON THE SUBJECT OF THE QUESTION

3 JUSTIFY YOUR OPINION

4 GIVE EXAMPLES FOR YOUR OPINION

5 PASS THE QUESTION ON TO YOUR PARTNER

6 USE AS MUCH VARIETY AS POSSIBLE

7 USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

8 USE SPECULATION WHEN POSSIBLE

9 USE GOOD GRAMMAR ELEMENTS WHEN POSSIBLE

  10 CONTRAST

  11 RELATIVE CLAUSE

  12 PARTICIPLE CLAUSE

  13 CONCESSION

  14 CONDITIONAL

  15 COMPARISON

Let's apply these ideas to answer some typical exam questions:


1) Do you think it's easy to find good friends?


Well,(7) that depends on what you mean by good friends. (1)

You could (8) find friends in many ways, however, (10) not all the friends you find may be (8) what you call good friends. (2)

What I mean to say is that (7) there is a difference between the friends you have known for a long time, and those you just meet occasionally. (3)

Whereas (13) normal friends, like those you see occasionally, are easy to find, finding friends whom you have known for a long time, and who you trust, (11) is difficult to do. (4)

How do you see it? Do you know what I mean? (5)



ANALYSIS

1 GIVE AN OPINION ON THE QUESTION

2 GIVE AN OPINION ON THE SUBJECT OF THE QUESTION

3 JUSTIFY YOUR OPINION

4 GIVE EXAMPLES FOR YOUR OPINION

5 PASS THE QUESTION ON TO YOUR PARTNER

6 USE AS MUCH VARIETY AS POSSIBLE

7 USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

8 USE SPECULATION WHEN POSSIBLE

9 USE GOOD GRAMMAR ELEMENTS WHEN POSSIBLE

  10 CONTRAST

  11 RELATIVE CLAUSE

  12 PARTICIPLE CLAUSE

  13 CONCESSION

  14 CONDITIONAL

  15 COMPARISON

2) Do you think friends can cause problems with your family?


Well, (7) I'm not sure we can say they cause problems with our families. (1)

I think a better way to look at this could be (8) that our families may not (8) like our friends and that could become a problem. (3)

For example (4) spending too much time with friends (12) when we should (8) be studying could (8) lead to problems.

If (14) we are careful to handle friends correctly, and we choose our friends intelligently, there shouldn't be (8) any need for conflict.

What's your take on that? Do you think I have a point? (5)



ANALYSIS

1 GIVE AN OPINION ON THE QUESTION

2 GIVE AN OPINION ON THE SUBJECT OF THE QUESTION

3 JUSTIFY YOUR OPINION

4 GIVE EXAMPLES FOR YOUR OPINION

5 PASS THE QUESTION ON TO YOUR PARTNER

6 USE AS MUCH VARIETY AS POSSIBLE

7 USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

8 USE SPECULATION WHEN POSSIBLE

9 USE GOOD GRAMMAR ELEMENTS WHEN POSSIBLE

  10 CONTRAST

  11 RELATIVE CLAUSE

  12 PARTICIPLE CLAUSE

  13 CONCESSION

  14 CONDITIONAL

  15 COMPARISON

3) Do you think it's wise to lend money to friends?


Now, (7) that's a difficult question (1) to give a general answer to, because it depends on the circumstances.

As I see it, (2) lending money (12) under any circumstances may not be (8) a very clever thing to do. You are always taking a risk that you will lose your money.(3)

Having said that, Although (10) there is this risk,(13) if (14) your friend needs help, it would be wrong to ignore that.

Consider the situation (4) that you both need to catch a bus home, and your friend doesn't have enough money. Could you (8) justify not lending him what he or she needed?

I feel strongly that (2) if (14) you choose your friends with care, lending them money should not (8) become a problem.

I'd like to know what you think. Do you share my opinions? (5)



ANALYSIS

1 GIVE AN OPINION ON THE QUESTION

2 GIVE AN OPINION ON THE SUBJECT OF THE QUESTION

3 JUSTIFY YOUR OPINION

4 GIVE EXAMPLES FOR YOUR OPINION

5 PASS THE QUESTION ON TO YOUR PARTNER

6 USE AS MUCH VARIETY AS POSSIBLE

7 USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

8 USE SPECULATION WHEN POSSIBLE

9 USE GOOD GRAMMAR ELEMENTS WHEN POSSIBLE

  10 CONTRAST

  11 RELATIVE CLAUSE

  12 PARTICIPLE CLAUSE

  13 CONCESSION

  14 CONDITIONAL

  15 COMPARISON

4) At what age is it easiest to make good friends?


That's a hard question. (1) Making friends (12) is not an exact science, so that is very difficult to be exact about.

What I think we could say is (2) that, generally, the younger you are, the easier it is (15) to make quick friends, and the older you get, the harder It becomes. (3)

We could probably (8) also say that making good friends (12) happens during early adult life because that's when you have a lot of things in common with people. (4)

For that reason, (7) making good frineds becomes more difficult once you get married, as (3) you focus on your family, and have less in common with the people you meet.

But, as I said before, (7) it is difficult to generalise.

Would you like to add anything to that? (5)



ANALYSIS

1 GIVE AN OPINION ON THE QUESTION

2 GIVE AN OPINION ON THE SUBJECT OF THE QUESTION

3 JUSTIFY YOUR OPINION

4 GIVE EXAMPLES FOR YOUR OPINION

5 PASS THE QUESTION ON TO YOUR PARTNER

6 USE AS MUCH VARIETY AS POSSIBLE

7 USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

8 USE SPECULATION WHEN POSSIBLE

9 USE GOOD GRAMMAR ELEMENTS WHEN POSSIBLE

  10 CONTRAST

  11 RELATIVE CLAUSE

  12 PARTICIPLE CLAUSE

  13 CONCESSION

  14 CONDITIONAL

  15 COMPARISON

Then, whether the question was asked by the examiner or by your partner, the method of answering is the same.

Putting these individual pieces together to form a complete conversation, we get the following:


The examiner is speaking to David and Linda.


Examiner: David, do you think it's easy to find good friends?


David: Well, that depends on what you mean by good friends.

You could find friends in many ways, however, not all the friends you find may be what you call good friends.

What I mean to say is that there is a difference between the friends you have known for a long time, and those you just meet occasionally.

Whereas normal friends, like those you see occasionally, are easy to find, finding friends whom you have known for a long time, and who you trust, is difficult to do.

How do you see it Linda? Do you know what I mean?


Linda: Yes, I understand what you are saying, and I think you are right.

Really good friends are not that easy to find, but normal friends, the kind you work with or meet in the gym are very easy.


Examiner: Linda do you think friends can cause problems with your family?


Linda: Well, I'm not sure we can say they cause problems with our families.

I think a better way to look at this could be that our families may not like our friends and that could become a problem.

For example spending too much time with friends when we should be studying could lead to problems.

If we are careful to handle friends correctly, and we choose our friends intelligently, there shouldn't be any need for conflict.

What's your take on that David? Do you think I have a point?


David: I share your thoughts completely.

There is no need for there to be problems with your family if you handle things correctly. It's all about doing the right things at the right time in the right way.


Examiner: David, do you think it's wise to lend money to friends?


David: Now, that's a difficult question to give a general answer to, because it depends on the circumstances.

As I see it, lending money under any circumstances may not be a very clever thing to do. You are always taking a risk that you will lose your money.

Having said that, Although there is this risk, if your friend needs help, it would be wrong to ignore that.

Consider the situation that you both need to catch a bus home, and your friend doesn't have enough money. Could you justify not lending him what he or she needed?

I feel strongly that if you choose your friends with care, lending them money should not become a problem.

I'd like to know what you think Linda. Do you share my opinions?


Linda: Well I agree with you up to a point, but I also see things differently.

I don't like lending money because friends often forget to give it back, so you lose the money and the friend.

Maybe I chose my friends badly.


Examiner: Linda, at what age is it easiest to make good friends?


Linda: That's a hard question. Making friends not an exact science, so that is very difficult to be exact about.

What I think we could say is that, generally, the younger you are, the easier it is to make quick friends, and the older you get, the harder It becomes.

We could probably also say that making good friends happens during early adult life because that's when you have a lot of things in common with people.

For that reason, making good frineds becomes more difficult once you get married, as you focus on your family, and have less in common with the people you meet.

But, as I said before, it is difficult to generalise.

David, Would you like to add anything to that?


David: I think you explained your thoughts very well and I agree with what you said.

Kids seem to have no problems making friends, but adults find it much more difficult.

Maybe that's because they are both looking for different things.

Kids just want someone to play with, whereas adults need much more, like loyalty and shared values.


Examiner: Thank you both.