This set covers organising a short explanation, choosing concrete examples, answering follow-up questions, reviewing a recording and checking your entry route. The questions are original and ordered from easier to harder. Whether speaking applies to your route depends on your syllabus year and exam centre, so use this as practice for clear thinking either way.
Say each answer aloud or write a rough script before you open the worked answer. Compare the shape, not the exact words. Afterwards, note any slips in the mistake log and retest queue.
Questions
1. These four sentences make a short spoken answer to “Should students wear a uniform?” but they are in the wrong order. Put them in a workable order.
(a) So a uniform helps more than it restricts. (b) Yes, students should wear one.
(c) Second, it lowers pressure to compete on clothes. (d) First, it saves families money on daily outfits.
Show answer
The shape is answer, reason one, reason two, close: (b), (d), (c), (a).
(b) answers first. (d) and (c) are signposted by “First” and “Second”. (a) begins with “So” and returns to the answer.
2. Question: “Is it better to read on paper or on a screen?” Which opening sentence works, and why? (a) “Reading is something people have done for a long time.” (b) “Paper is better for long reading.” (c) “There are good points on both sides.”
Show answer
(b). It gives a view in the first sentence. (a) is background with no answer. (c) avoids committing, so the listener still has no answer after the first sentence.
3. You plan a 45-second talk: 8 seconds for the answer, 14 seconds for each of two reasons. How long is left for the close?
Show answer
8 + 14 + 14 = 36, so 45 − 36 = 9 seconds. That is one or two short sentences, enough for “So…” and a restated answer.
4. Which of these is a concrete example? (a) “Many teenagers feel tired.” (b) “My brother fell asleep in the bus on the way home on Monday.” (c) “Sleep matters for everybody.”
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(b). It has a who (my brother), a where (the bus) and a when (Monday), and something happened. (a) and (c) are general statements.
5. Claim: “Recycling succeeds when it is easy.” Turn this vague example into a concrete one: “For example, many places make recycling hard.”
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Model: “For example, in our flats the recycling bins were on the ground floor, so most neighbours threw paper away upstairs. When the bins moved next to the lift, the paper box filled up in a week.” It names a place, an action and a change. Then link back: “That shows easy access makes recycling happen.”
Any specific, honest example with who, where and what happened is acceptable.
6. Name the kind of follow-up question (clarify, justify or challenge): (a) “What exactly do you mean by ‘reasonable’?” (b) “Why do you think that?” (c) “But wouldn’t that cost too much?”
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(a) clarify, (b) justify, (c) challenge. Clarify needs a plain definition. Justify needs a reason plus a short example. Challenge needs acknowledge, answer and return.
7. You said, “Every student should learn to cook.” You are asked, “But some schools have no kitchen. Isn’t that unrealistic?” Write a four-sentence response.
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Model: “That is a fair point, and it is a real limit. Cooking lessons can start with simple demonstrations and no-heat recipes, such as salads or sandwiches. Some schools already do this in a classroom. So the idea still works without a full kitchen.”
The response acknowledges, answers directly, adds a short support and returns to the view. It does not repeat the original talk.
8. A student records a 96-word answer that lasts 60 seconds. A second recording has 150 words in 75 seconds. Find the pace of each in words per minute.
Show answer
First: 96 ÷ 60 × 60 = 96 words per minute.
Second: 150 ÷ 75 = 2 words per second, and 2 × 60 = 120 words per minute.
Check: 120 × 75 ÷ 60 = 150. The second recording is faster. Whether that is better depends on whether the answer is still clear.
9. After listening to a recording, a student ticks “no” for: answer first, concrete example, close, and too many fillers. She decides to fix all four next time. Comment on this plan and suggest a better one.
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Four changes at once cannot be checked and are hard to achieve together. A better plan is to pick one: “answer first” affects the listener most. Record the same task again and check that one criterion. Move to the next only when it is ticked.
Write the evidence for the choice too, such as “the view came at 0:20”.
10. A classmate says speaking is definitely on your exam. List the two sources you should check to be sure, and the question you would ask.
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Check the current Cambridge 0500 syllabus page for your exam year, and ask your school or exam centre. Question: “Which 0500 components and options am I entered for this year, and does my entry include a speaking or discussion element?”
A classmate’s claim is a prompt to check, not a confirmation.
11. You record a practice answer while your younger cousin talks in the background. What should you do with the recording?
Show answer
Ask your cousin’s permission before keeping it, or record again without them. If you do not have permission, delete it after your review. Keep all practice recordings on your own device and delete them when finished.
If you got these wrong
| Where you slipped | What it usually means | Lesson to revisit |
|---|---|---|
| Questions 1 to 3 | The shape of answer, reasons and close is not yet automatic | Organise a concise explanation |
| Questions 4 and 5 | Examples are general rather than specific | Support a view with a concrete example |
| Questions 6 and 7 | Follow-up questions are being answered with the prepared talk | Respond to a follow-up question |
| Questions 8, 9 and 11 | Reviewing is vague or tries to change too much | Review a local recording with a transparent checklist |
| Question 10 | Entry route is assumed rather than checked | Check whether speaking belongs to the learner’s actual entry route |
Return to the module overview for the study order. If you would like a teacher to listen to your answers live, see our online one-to-one English First Language tuition. The summary selection and paraphrase studio and the writing revision compare view are useful for preparing scripts.