Cambridge First Certificate (FCE) Speaking Part Three Phrases

Cambridge First Speaking Part Three phrases presentation, practice and games

Follow the stages below while you do two B2 First Speaking Part Three collaborative speaking tasks. You should try to finish within the real time limits when you do the second of those two tasks, but the first time just concentrate on using phrases such as those given below (without worrying too much about timing).

Stage 1: Start by choosing one option and quickly discuss it

Starting the task/ Choosing the first one to talk about

“Shall we start with this one?”

“Which one do you want to start with?”
“(It doesn’t matter which one, so) how about this one first?”

“(We are supposed to discuss them all anyway, so) why don’t we start with this one?”

“May I (go first/ speak first)?”

 

Stage 2: Move onto other options and quickly move through them

Quickly agreeing

“I feel (basically) the same way, so…”

“That’s exactly what I think, so…”

“We seem to agree on that one, so…”

Quickly disagreeing

“I don’t feel the same way, but I see what you mean. Anyway,…”

“I don’t think we’ll ever agree on that, so…”

“I still think that…, but anyway…”

Skipping

“I’m not sure what I think about that one, so…

“Can we skip that one and…?”

Moving on and choosing the next one to discuss

“How about this one?”/ “What about this one?”

“Shall we move onto this one (next)?”
“Which one should we discuss next?”

“Have we discussed…?”

Hurrying the discussion up/ Trying to finish in two minutes

“We seem to be running out of time, so…”

“Shall we rush through the last few?”

“We still need to discuss these ones”

“There are still two left”

 

Stage 3: Listen to the examiner’s further instructions, then start the deciding stage

Starting the deciding stage

“As you said, I think…”

“I think we both agree that…”

“From what you said, I guess you’d choose…”/ “Personally, I’d choose…”

“I think we can eliminate/ ignore…”

“Well, definitely not…”

“How about…?”/ “What about…?”

Trying to finish the deciding stage

“Okay. If not that one, how do you feel about…?”

“What about the second one?”

“We still need to choose another one”

Summarizing/ Trying to remember what you have agreed in the deciding stage

“So, we’ve decided on…”

“In that case, I think we’ve agreed on…”/ “To recap/ sum up what we agreed,…”

“So, do we both agree on these two?”

 

Stage 4: If the examiner asks you to, summarise what you agreed on (or what stage you got to)

Reporting back to the examiner

“We have only decided on one, which is…”/ “We only had time to choose one, but…”

“We chose… because…”

“We haven’t agreed yet, but…”

“We couldn’t agree. I thought… but…”

 

Brainstorming stage

Try to remember or think of at least two phrases for each of the functions below, using language which is complex but natural if you can. Phrases which aren’t above are also fine, as long as they are suitable for this part of the exam.

Stage 1: Start by choosing one option and quickly discuss it

Starting the task/ Choosing the first one to talk about

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 2: Move onto other options and quickly move through them

Quickly agreeing

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quickly disagreeing

 

 

 

 

 

Skipping

 

 

 

 

 

Moving on and choosing the next one to talk about

 

 

 

 

 

Hurrying the discussion up/ trying to finish in two minutes

 

 

 

Stage 3: Listen to the examiner’s further instructions, then start the deciding stage

Starting the deciding stage

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trying to finish the deciding stage

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summarizing/ Trying to remember what you have agreed in the deciding stage

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 4: If the examiner asks you to, summarise what you agreed on (or what stage you got to)

Reporting back to the examiner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key words for Cambridge B2 First Speaking Part Three

Use these key words to help you with brainstorming. Phrases other than those above with the same key words and phrases without these key words are also possible.

Stage 1: Start by choosing one option and quickly discuss it

Starting the task/ Choosing the first one to talk about

shall

which

how

why

may

 

Stage 2: Move onto other options and quickly move through them

Quickly agreeing

same

exactly

seem

Quickly disagreeing

see

ever

still

Skipping

sure

skip

Moving on and choosing the next one to talk about

about

move

which

discussed

Hurrying the discussion up/ trying to finish in two minutes

running

rush

need

left

 

Stage 3: Listen to the examiner’s further instructions, then start the deciding stage

Starting the deciding stage

as

both

choose

can

not

about

Trying to finish the deciding stage

if

second

another

Summarizing/ Trying to remember what you have agreed in the deciding stage

decided

agreed

these

 

Stage 4: If the examiner asks you to, summarise what you agreed on (or what stage you got to)

Reporting back to the examiner

one

chose

yet

couldn’t

Compare with the first sheet with suggested sentences on it. Many more suitable phrases are possible, so please check your other ideas with your teacher.

Test each other on the phrases in groups of two or three:

1. Read out sentences with the key words missing from one section above, giving hints if your partners need to help them remember
2. Give key words and help your partners come up with suitable sentences for one sentence above, also giving other hints if you need to
3. Just say the name of a function and help your partner come up with at least two suitable phrases

Do the same thing as you did above with the real exam tasks that you are given, using just the key words and then just the categories to help you. Then, do the last exam task with no help at all, moving straight onto Speaking Part Four discussion questions on the same topic.

Brainstorm similar suitable phrases for these other useful functions for B2 First Speaking Part Three: 

Strong opinions

 

 

 

Weak opinions

 

 

 

Strong agreement

 

 

 

Weak agreement

 

 

 

Strong disagreement

 

 

 

Weak disagreement/ Polite disagreement

 

 

 

Speculating (when you don’t know something for sure)

 

 

 

(Politely) interrupting

 

 

 

Allowing the other person to speak/ Inviting the other person to speak

 

 

 

 

B2 First Speaking Part Three key words card game 

Teacher’s instructions

Cut up one pack of cards per group of two or three students. Students deal out the cards and look at their own. While doing an FCE Speaking Part Three speaking task, they try to use phrases including the words written on their cards in order to be able to discard them. They must use exactly the word on the card in exactly that form. If their partner thinks that the sentence using that word doesn’t make sense (in that situation), they can make them take the card back. Use more than one Part Three speaking task if students use few cards during the first speaking task. The person with fewest cards left at the end is the winner. They can then work together to brainstorm suitable phrases using those words. 

 

Photocopiable cards

about	agreed	another	as	both
can	choose	chose	couldn’t	decided
discussed	ever	exactly	how	if
left	may	move	need	not
one	running	rush	same	second
see	seem	shall	skip	still
still	sure	these	which	why
yet

 

B2 First Speaking Part Three functions card game

Teacher’s instructions

Cut up one pack of cards per group of two or three students. Students deal out the cards and look at their own. While doing an FCE Speaking Part Three speaking task, they try to do the things written on their cards to be able to discard them (face up on the table). If their partner thinks that they haven’t successfully done that thing, they can make them take the card back. Do more than one speaking task if students use few cards the first time. The person with fewest cards left at the end is the winner. They can then brainstorm suitable phrases for all those functions.

 

Photocopiable cards

Getting someone to speak	Getting someone to speak	(Politely) interrupting
(Politely) interrupting	Choosing which to discuss	Choosing which to discuss
Strong opinions	Weak opinions/ Speculating	Weak opinions/ Speculating
Strongly agreeing	Strongly agreeing	Weakly agreeing
Strongly disagreeing	Weakly/ Politely disagreeing	Weakly/ Politely disagreeing
Moving on	Moving on	Moving on
Hurrying up	Hurrying up	Summarizing