There have been many occasions where my students have no time to learn the correct B2 essay structure for a Cambridge B2 First exam. Course books often do a great job of providing model answers, useful phrases and much more. However, sometimes people just want to be spoon-fed the correct way to write an essay. Well, are you hungry? What is an essay skeleton? An essay skeleton provides you with the base for an essay, without including any of the content. It includes all the necessary linkers, transitions and placeholders to emulate the ideal B2 essay structure. However, it is incomplete. In a ..read more

Are you struggling to make essay writing more engaging for B2 and C1 exam students with fun writing activities? Often, the challenge with teaching writing lies in making learning these skills enjoyable. That’s where creative writing activities like this one come into play. We’ve developed a dynamic activity called the consequences essay-writing game, designed to spark creativity and improve writing skills in a collaborative way. This game makes essay writing enjoyable and helps students construct well-linked arguments using common linking words. Why should you do fun writing activities? In b ..read more

The IELTS Reading section tests comprehension and analytical skills, especially in the IELTS True, False, Not Given questions, a key component of both the Academic and General Training modules. These questions demand a deep understanding of the text. You have to detect explicit content, implications, and unstated information. These skills are essential for academic and professional success. In this task, candidates must classify statements as true, false, or not given based on the text. Mastering these questions can significantly affect your overall IELTS score, as it involves understanding no ..read more

When mastering the art of completing B2 First (FCE) transformations, relative clauses are essential. These clauses are not just a part of the English language; they’re a tool that can significantly enhance the clarity and sophistication of your writing and speaking. In this post, we’ll look into the different types of relative clauses, their functions, and how they can be used effectively in the FCE context. Then, we’ve got 10 First (FCE) transformations with relative clauses to test your knowledge. Whether it’s defining, non-defining, or relative clauses with prepositions, understanding these ..read more

Often the difference between a pass and a fail in B1 exams is the minor details such as choosing the right words in B1 fixed phrases, dependent prepositions and collocations. These can be challenging because you have to notice the individual words. You may understand the phrase perfectly when reading or listening, but when it comes to a challenging B1 Reading Part 5 or 6 exercise, the details can cause problems. This is especially true in Cambridge exams, and it won’t stop as you advance in levels. Cambridge specifically includes this type of vocabulary in their B1 exams because it prepares st ..read more

I have long suspected that students may not have ever learnt the correct uses of punctuation marks in their 1st languages. If they don’t know it in one language, why would they be able to transfer this skill to English? I recently asked a teenage student if they ever wrote essays or long writings in their 1st language, and they answered, “not really.” Turns out my suspicions were correct. If you, like me, want to work on this in class, there is a free downloadable uses of punctuation marks pdf below. Use of punctuation marks in English When you’re learning a new language, you often focus on ..read more

Are you gearing up for the Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET) writing part 1 and feeling a bit overwhelmed by writing an email? In the PET exam, you’re required to respond to an email from an English-speaking friend or relative in Writing Part 1. Your task is to write a coherent and engaging reply in about 100 words. The good news is that these emails typically revolve around everyday topics you’re familiar with such as travel, hobbies, or spending time with friends. PET email structure All successful emails follow a particular format, and B1 PET email writing is no exception. Here’s the breakdo ..read more

If you can pass the B2 Key Word Transformations (Use of English Part 4) task, then you can probably pass the entire Cambridge B2 First exam. This task will test your skills of grammar and vocabulary at the B2 level, but they won’t make it easy on you. There will be challenging sentences, confusing collocations and almost certainly phrasal verbs. Breakout English has been working to help you pass this part of the exam by creating a comprehensive practice book of 250 Key Word Transformations based on commonly seen grammar and vocabulary at B2 level. There are 25 units of Key Word Transformation ..read more

Comparatives and superlatives exercises are common in English courses, but can be tricky, yet they play a crucial role in exams such as the Cambridge B2 First. While these exercises may appear simple at first glance, they can pose challenges for students. In this post, we will explore the rules for comparatives and superlatives, and you can download a comparatives and superlatives exercise based on the Key Word Transformations task in the Cambridge B2 First exam. We’ve put the key word transformations from this page and loads more in a book that’s available for digital download and as a paperb ..read more

Comparatives and superlatives exercises are common in English courses, but can be tricky, yet they play a crucial role in exams such as the Cambridge B2 First. While these exercises may appear simple at first glance, they can pose challenges for students. In this post, we will explore the rules for comparatives and superlatives, and you can download a comparatives and superlatives exercise based on the Key Word Transformations task in the Cambridge B2 First exam. Rules for comparatives and superlatives Comparative adjectives are used to compare two things. They indicate a higher or lower degre ..read more