C1 SKILLS PACK

Speaking part 1, useful expressions:

To start off an answer:
well let’s see let me think for a second

that’s an interesting/difficult question I’ve never thought about that before I’d say that/ I guess I’d have to say
that...

to be (completely) honest/honestly actually I’m not quite sure but

To extend an answer (reason, addition, explain further):

because / since / as so / so as to / however / although / despite

another thing is that / in addition the main reason is that apart from that / other than that

for one thing I mean /what I’d like to say is.. in other words / in short

Expressions to talk about frequency:

once in a while /once in a blue moon from time to time / on occasion / whenever I find the time
here and there

as soon/often as I can a few times a week not as often as I’d like

Expressions to talk about the future:

I doubt I’ll... I expect I’ll... I hope I’ll...

be (un)likely to be bound to be about to

be on the point of be on the verge of be due to

Expressions to talk about interests:

be into be used to be keen on / interested in

be a (bit of) a can’t stand be fond of

bookworm/shopaholic/computer
geek

be an avid reader be a film/music/history/art buff be a (big/huge) fan of

Expressions to create emphasis:

Not since… have I... Not until… did I... Not only have/did I… but I also...

What I most enjoy is... It wasn’t until I… that I... All I really know is...

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SPEAKING Part 2, typical questions:
How might the people be feeling? Why have they chosen to … ?
What might they be thinking? What might they find challenging about this?
Why might they be doing what they’re doing? What has just happened?

Part 2, useful expressions:

Expressions to start out:
I’m going to compare I’ve chosen Let’s begin with I’ll start by

Expressions to describe similarities:

both pictures are similar in that what the photos share in common is they are quite alike in that

Expressions to describe differences:

the main difference between the what distinguishes one photo from the they differ in that
photos is other is

Expressions to express certainty:

In all likelihood / probability I have no doubt that I’d bet that / I’d wager that

I’m fairly certain that I wouldn’t be surprised if It’s quite likely / possible that

My guess is that There’s just a chance that Chances are

Expressions to express doubt:

I may be wrong but I’m guessing, but I’d say I highly doubt that

It’s not certain if I could be mistaken but It’s unlikely that

Expressions for comparative structures:

considerably / far / much / a lot / a no worse than not nearly / nowhere near as useful as
great deal more / less interesting than

by far / easily the best a bit / slightly / a little higher just / quite / easily as busy as

more and more difficult not any cheaper almost / not quite as crowded as

Developing the conversation / Making a decision

Considering / taking into consideration
Given what you said before
Given your opinion on
Going back to your point about
As you said previously

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SPEAKING Part 3 & 4, useful expressions:
Expressions to discuss:
how / what about I think we should why don’t we

shall we we could let’s

Expressions to give your opinion:

as far as I’m concerned in my experience personally, I’d say that

speaking for myself it seems to me that I tend to think that

Expressions to agree & disagree:

I agree to a large / certain extent I’m not sure about that I couldn’t (dis)agree more

I partly agree I totally (dis)agree I see what you mean (but)

Expressions to give balanced answers:

on balance, I’d say that on the whole, I believe that on the one hand… on the other hand

Although I think… I’d also In general, I have to say that Taking everything into account, I’d say
Expressions to reference back to your partner:
Considering/taking into consideration Given what you said before... Going back to your point about /
what you said about... Circling back to your point about

As you previously said/mentioned I’d like to comment on what you said Like you said earlier...
about...

Developing the conversation/Making a decision:

Moving on to Let’s have a look at / Why don’t we Shouldn’t we consider / What if we
take a look at.. consider

I think we both agree that / I think Shall we discard this option? Let’s agree to disagree about/on
we’ve decided that

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Writing, useful expressions:
Expressions to link:
contrast addition

While / whereas / in contrast what’s more, in addition, additionally, furthermore,

Nevertheless / nonetheless moreover, not only…but also, as well as, besides
In spite of + noun / gerund As well as / In addition to
Despite + noun / gerund Additionally, / In addition,
In spite of / Despite the fact that + clause Furthermore
Far from + gerund / adjective Moreover
There are those who believe that
In contrast with
Contrary to the above ideas
On the contrary
Others feel / argue that
As a consequence
Regardless of
As a matter of fact
In the meantime
Alternatively,

time example

first, next, eventually, suddenly, before long, when, while, For instance
meanwhile, as soon as In other words
Take… for example
Perhaps a better example would be

cause and effect condition

therefore, as a result, consequently, due to, thus, so that, in if, unless, only if, even if, even though, otherwise (negative
order to condition)
Have an impact / influence on As / So long as
To affect On condition that
To influence / to be influential Provided that
Implications In the event of
Lead to
Result in
Be responsible for
Bring about
Give rise to
Trigger
Contribute to
Another factor is

emphasis conclusion

in fact, as a matter of fact, that means, actually All in all

Given these points
On the whole

opinion Consequence
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The way I see it is As / Since
Personally, I feel that Thanks to
Just consider Due to / following + noun
As I see it Due to / owing to the fact that + clause
The reason is
It seems to me that
I would argue that for the following reasons
I am of the opinion that
I am very much in favour / against + gerund
I am completely opposed to + gerund
I doubt whether
It is questionable whether
While nobody can deny that… I would like to point out that
Despite all the arguments, I still feel that
Surely it is unacceptable that

Writing, essay outline:

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Title
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Opening sentence: paraphrase the exam task
Mention the different arguments you’re going to talk about Expressing general opinions
Paragraph 2-4: Body Some people think/claim/believe that…
First body paragraph - 1st bullet point It is often/sometimes said that…
include a topic sentence It could be argued that...
Add supporting ideas/examples
Second body paragraph - 2nd bullet point
include a topic sentence.
Add supporting ideas/examples
Third body paragraph - 3rd bullet point
include a topic sentence
supporting or contrasting idea
Paragraph 5: Conclusion
Summarize your essay in one sentence
Add some general thoughts

Essay Checklist
1. Title (optional, recommended) Think about…
2. Write 5 paragraphs
3. Introduce the topic giving the background What linkers will you use?
4. Expand on all 3 bullet points given in the task What grammar can you incl
5. Ensure points are well-developed: positives, What B2 expressions, colloc
negatives, backed up with reasons. verbs can you use?
6. Conclusion must include your final answer to the question (this should only be in the conclusion)
7. 4-5 different grammar points (present perfect, conditionals, modal perfect, passive, etc)
8. 4-5 different linkers, linking expressions between clauses, sentences and paragraphs
9. A variety of phrasal verbs, collocations, extreme adjectives, adverbs

USEFUL LANGUAGE FOR ESSAYS:

Language for introductions
● In this day and age…
● … is a hotly-debated topic that often divides opinion.
● … is a growing issue in today’s society
● We live in an age when many of us are…
● More and more families are choosing to have only one child.
● The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.
● Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of ...............
● Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.
● Hardly a week goes by without another report of ................. appearing in the media.
● Although most people would generally agree that ............... few would deny that ........

Second Paragraph TOPIC SENTENCE Third Paragraph TOPIC SENTENCE

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 ● …. clearly/undoubtedly has an impact ● Another factor to consider is…
on… ● On the other hand/In contrast…
● It is common knowledge that… plays a ● It is often claimed that…
crucial role in… ● All the evidence suggests that…
● It is undoubtedly the case that…
● There is little doubt that…
● … is widely believed to contribute to…
● It is generally considered that…
● Recent research suggests that…
● Studies have shown that… has an
impact/influence on…
● Few people would contest/dispute the
fact that…

Language for introducing supporting ideas: Language for conclusions:

● For example, ● In light of the above, / Taking all this into

● For instance, consideration/account,…
● An obvious example of this is… ● As far as I am concerned, / in my opinion, / as I
● A clear example of this is… see it, etc.
● This is illustrated by… ● … is the most effective way to… due to the fact
● As a case in point… that…

● In light of the above, / Taking all this into

consideration/account,…
● Despite the fact that… undoubtedly plays a
role in… I firmly believe that… is more effective
due to the fact that…

Paragraph Skeleton
It goes without saying that ______________________________________ A clear example of this is
___________________________________________ In addition,
_______________________________________________________________________ Nevertheless,
_____________________________________________________________

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Writing, review:
Personal anecdote to grab the reader’s attention Grammar to include:

Introduce name of book/film, restaurant + location, course, An inversion (not only/no sooner/seldom)
TV show etc. An inverted conditional (Were we to…)
Seldom do I find the time to…, however when I do take A participle clause (Being…/Having gone…)
time out of my hectic schedule, I like nothing more than…
A double comparative (The more we… the more)
Being a bit of a film buff/bookworm/foody, the news that
… had opened a new restaurant/released a new film/book A cleft sentence (What is most crucial is…)
had me itching to try/see/read it. So last week I popped Idioms
down with a friend to check it out. Phrasal verbs
Having never seen/read/tried… before I approached … Imperatives
with a sense of trepidation, not knowing what to expect.
Soon however, all my fears were allayed.

giving background information describing or narrating

I recently had the opportunity to read/see What happened (next/then) was

One of my favourite films/books has to be It was about
The last book/film that lived up to my expectations was It tells the story of
I decided to check out … to see if it was any good. The main character/supporting roles..
There’s a twist at the end

making recommendations Evaluating

Don’t bother reading/going to see Were I to sum up … in one word, it would be…
It is/isn’t definitely worth your time/money … left a lot to be desired (wasn’t good enough)
I’d certainly (not) recommend it to anyone looking for …more than lives up to the hype (is as good as everyone
Make sure you don’t miss it! says it is)
Give it a go, you won’t regret it! … is by far and away the best … you’re likely to … this year
...is a waste of time and money … really raises the bar (sets a higher standard)
Check it out! … sets the benchmark for other (others will be judges
against how good it is)
… ticks all the right boxes
...lives up to it’s name
...holds up in comparison to...

Review Checklist
1. Include a title
2. USE COLORFUL VOCABULARY!!
3. Use 4-5 paragraphs
4. Use a personal or more neutral/informal style
5. Say what you are reviewing in the introduction and give relevant information
6. Say briefly what happened in the book, film, etc.
7. Explain why you liked/disliked it so much and give examples to support your opinion when possible
8. Give a recommendation and a reason for you opinion in the conclusion

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Writing, report:
introduction useful phrases

The purpose/aim of this report is to…. In relation to …

This report sets out to… In contrast with …
The report will comment on… As far as … is concerned …
Below is an explanation of… In spite of …
The focus of this report is…
This report will offer an in depth critique of…

Presenting strengths Presenting weaknesses

The X undoubtedly has many strengths such as ….Not to Despite the strengths mentioned above, there are also
mention… some areas that require attention.
… is particularly effective due to the fact that… … is failing to live up to expectations because…
… has achieved impressive results owing to … Another clear weakness is…
Another clear strong point is… … leaves a lot to be desired
… is something the program can be proud of due to… … is not up to the required standard

present ideas conclusion or recommend

A survey was carried out which showed that In light of the above, we believe the following measures
A key challenge for this project is the limited time/money should be adopted…
It is clear that there are both advantages and My recommendations are as follows:…
disadvantages to Urgent improvement is needed in the field of…
….is considered/thought/said to be… I highly recommend + bring about change in the area of…
…is highly regarded in (place)…(good reputation) To improve the situation, we recommend…
There is widespread agreement that… It is recommended that…
Opinions are divided regarding… Having considered the options, …
It is common knowledge that… I would strongly recommend that…
Recent research indicates that… It would be advisable to...
Interviewees who had first-hand knowledge of the
situation stated…
There is considerable disagreement regarding…

Report Checklist
1. Include a title
2. Use 4-5 paragraphs
3. Use formal language (punctuation, linkers, and expressions)
4. Use headings for each paragraph
5. Start your introduction by saying the aim of the report
6. Express your opinion impersonally
7. Give a recommendation in your conclusion

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Writing, proposal:
Introduction Background information

The aim/purpose of this proposal is to… Comments made at the end of the questionnaire suggests…
The principal aims/objectives of this proposal are to…. as Following a survey done among families with young
well as comment on… children…
This proposal is intended to Concerned members of the community were invited to
describe/evaluate/suggest/present/assess.. attend…
A number of concerns have been raised by X regarding Y
Example: Given the results of a local survey...
The principle _____ of this proposal is to _____ forward
ideas in _______ to _______ improvements to the
appearance of …(town’s name). It will then go ____ to
describe the possible effects ______ changes will have on
the town.

Making recommendations Effects of changes

● I strongly recommend/suggest buying new chairs Installing new chairs would lead to/give rise to…
so that students are more comfortable. Building a new common room would provide students with
● I recommend/suggest that we buy new chairs so a place to unwind.
that students are more comfortable. Improving the metro service would enable more residents
to use public transport.
Use a gerund Investing in… would undoubtedly have a positive effect
on…
● Buying new chairs would be a great way to Refurbishing the library would be extremely beneficial for
increase students’ comfort. the whole school.
● Investing in new chairs would lead to an increase Having more… would do wonders for the school’s
in student comfort. reputation in the local area.
Use a passive Should the recommendations o_________ in this proposal
be c_______ o_______, I have no doubt that the
● New chairs should be bought so that students are improvement of the town will be a r___________
more comfortable. s______________.
● It is believed/obvious that investing in new chairs
would lead to an increase in student comfort.

Use an advanced conditional

● If we were to invest in new chairs, students would

be more comfortable.
● Were we to invest in new chairs, students would
be more comfortable.

It would be + adjective

● It would be advisable/practical to invest in new

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 chairs in order to increase student comfort.

Writing, informal letter:

beginnings giving news

Hi! How are the things? How are you? How’s it going? Oh, and another thing
Thanks for your (recent/last) letter. I wanted to let you know that
It was good/nice to hear from you recently. I thought you might be interested to hear about
I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch for such a long time. By the way, have you heard about/did you know that

referring to their news request

That’s great news about I was wondering if you could help me with/do me a favour
I’m glad to hear that I hope you don’t mind asking but could you
I’m sorry to hear about I’d be very grateful if you could

invitations making suggestions

would you like to why don’t you

I hope you’ll be able to come I’m sure you’ll enjoy
I was wondering if you’d like to/could Don’t forget to visit
thanks for inviting me to You can’t leave without seeing

endings signing off

hope to hear from you soon Love,

keep in touch Best wishes
see you soon Cheers!

Informal Letter Checklist

1. Use informal punctuation- ! ?
2. Use a mix of short and long sentences
3. Use an informal greeting and sign off
4. Mention some key information given in the letter to which you are replying to
5. Use 3-4 paragraphs- introduction, body paragraphs answering the questions, conclusion
6. Use fixed expressions for an informal letter: Thanks for your letter, I’m looking forward to, etc.
7. 4-5 different grammar points
● present perfect, conditionals, modal perfect, gerunds/infinitives, etc.
8. 4-5 different linkers, linking expressions between clauses, sentences and paragraphs
9. A variety of phrasal verbs and collocations

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