Exercises to Prepare B1 (B1.2-That's English!)

As you can see from the previous posts, I've found Idiomium, which has a lot of information about exams. But what I like most is that it's well organised in skills so it's easier to use it. You can choose exercises and practise according to your necessities and your available time. The only problem is that they take PET exams as models and in EEOOII the exams are different.
Have a look and use this link to practise: B1 / PET exams
In the same site you can find exercises to prepare it in skills:

• reading
• listening
• writing and this other one about "tipos de writing"
• speaking
• PET exams

So most of the samples are taken from previous exams and maybe you've already seen them so it's just a good way of having the possible practice organised by skills to get to what you need faster.

Hope this is useful.

Exercises to Prepare B2

I've found by chance this blog to prepare exams of B2. Although it's suppose to be a higher level I think it might be useful to work with; if you find it too difficult, look for the posts of B1. The purpose of this post is to give you exercises to practise English using the format of exam in order to get familiar with it, as it's just practice.
On the other hand, if you feel challenging to have a try with C1, go ahead; but remember there are many differences among CCAA in Spain and also in other institutions which provide exams. As an example, notice that B2 is considered "inglés avanzado" while in Comunidad de Madrid it's the end of intermediate leve.
The examples shown here are taken from previous exams so you might have already done them but the way they are presented is very useful, that is, by skills, although mediation is not included.
The link I´m talking about is this: B2
in Idiomium they also have other links for more practice also by skills:

• listening B2
• reading B2
• writing B2 but also it's useful this entry "tipos de writing"
• speaking B2
• B2 / FCE exams

As usual, let me tell you you should use this practice in chunks, that is, in little portions and paying attention to your weaknesses.

Exercises to prepare C1 at EEOOII

This is a very interesting link to practise with the parts of the exam. I haven't checked all the models suggested but what it is  helpful is the fact that it's a summary of your level and it's divided in skills so you have several different samples of each skill.
This is the link: C1 exams
Maybe it's a repetition of what you already have but it's shorter, more clearly organised and faster to find or yo work with.
In the same site of Idiomium you have these links as well:

• Writing C1 and as a revision you could use this entry "tipos de writing"
• Listening C1 
• Reading C1
• Speaking C1 and also this link with advice for the oral exam
• CAE exam

Hope you'll find it helpful!

B2.1 - B1.2 (That's English!)

While correcting your compositions, I've realised you've got plenty of problems with prepositions. This post is a summary of the one you've got in Google Classroom but just in case you've got problems to see it there, I'll give you this summary.
I know it's really difficult to use prepositions properly but the best way to get familiar with them is by doing exercises and practising. But once you've done it writing, make the exercise "personal"; let me give you an example: if you go to this link, you'll see how to use IN, ON and AT for place and time. Once you've seen it, think of sentences you can say about yourself such as:

• I was born IN Madrid
• My birthday is ON the 23rd of August
• My husband's birthday is IN May
• I always have dinner AT home ON Christmas Day
• I didn't go away AT Christmas

So you should practise with these exercises and then revise them ORALLY and try to say sentences as the ones given above. But instead of giving you just isolated exercises, I think it's better if you go to these links and you'll find a variety of examples of preposition exercises, that is, after verbs, after adjectives, before gerunds, etc.

• Perfect English
• Hilfen

Hope it'll be useful!

C1 - Inversion

This grammar point is shown in our Google Classroom but I'l give you this post just in case you can't see it there.

We’ve already seen inversions in English, especially when making questions and with short comments such as so do I / neither do I. But we also use them for these main purposes:

• To emphasize what we’re saying or writing: Nowhere did I find such a thing
• For using a very formal style, especially for writing: Towards the enemy went the soldiers
• For dramatic/aesthetic reasons: In Xanadu did Kubla Khan,...

The most common inversions are these:

• After starting a sentence with negative adverbs or negative adverbial phrase:
• Never had I been so embarrassed in my life (emphatic) but I’d never been so embarrassed (neutral)
• No sooner had she finished cooking than the first guest rang the bell (notice that sooner is a comparative form so we use than)
• Not only does she paint well but she also sings beautifully
• To replace “IF” conditionals: “SHOULD” for the 1st conditional, “WERE” for the 2nd conditional and “HAD” for the 3rd one:
• Should he be more polite, he’ll be invited to the party
• Were Trump to be re-elected, we’d get shocked (notice the use of infinitive)
• Had I known you were going to be so upset, I would have said nothing
• After adverbial expressions of place, especially after HERE and THERE:
• Here comes the bus!
• In front of the altar was the groom, waiting for the bride
• After SO + adjective ... + THAT … like in this sentence:
• So lovely was the afternoon that they went for a walk (very formal)

If you want a summary of this grammar point you can use these videos or links that may help you with inversions:

• BBC English Masterclass: focused on grammar issues
• Inversions 1
• Inversions 2
• Inversions in ordinary spoken English: watch this video
• Inversions in conditional sentences: go to this link or this simpler one with an exercise

Once you’ve seen the grammar point, let's practise with some exercises:

• exercises 1     exercise 2     exercise 3     exercise 4     

Practising with Exams (3)

This is the "last chapter" although there are still some more but I think you've got more than enough with these:

• Extremadura: click here and choose your level; be careful with mediation because it's very fifferent from the one in Madrid
• Comunidad Valenciana: click here
• Galicia: this is the link to look for the level you need
• Comunidad de Castilla-León: go to this link

There are plenty of links with samples of exams as you can see in this padlet  or in this entry of this blog (very exhaustive but not updated) but don't try to do all of them as you'll feel overwhelmed; just take it as a recurrent exercise to practise for the exam and focus on your weaknesses to feel more and more confident.

Practising with Exams. All levels (2)

These are some more examples of EEOOII exams. It takes a long time to do all of them so I recommend not doing all the parts but those that you don't feel confident enough. If you want me to correct one of the compositions suggested, feel free to do it but remember to copy the task from the sample exam and paste it in the same document you send (Word, Openoffice or Google docs in Google Clasroom or as an attached document in your email) to see if you've followed the instructions correctly.

The exams suggested this time are:

• Comunidad de Aragón: this is the link 
• Comunidad de Cataluña: you can use this link for finding your level (be careful because the instructions and mediation exams are in Catalan)
• Asturias: the exams taken in 2019 and these are the previous ones
• Cantabria: this is the link for the exams and this is for examples done by students
• Canarias: this link is for all the levels so look for yours but intermedio is B1 and avanzado is B2; C1 is named the same.

Easter is Coming

Not everything is grammar, exams and that stuff; let's learn something about Easter and what to do during these "peculiar" holidays.

What's Easter?
In Catholic countries we commemorate the Holy Week, starting on Maundry Thursday, follwed by Good Friday (in UK and many other countries it's also a holiday and everything is close)  and it ends on Resurrection Sunday; however, many other Christians commemorate Easter, starting on that Sunday but they continue with the following week.
But Easter is also atraditional time in Anglosaxson countries. Have a look at these videos about Easter and try to enjoy them, especially with your family:

• History:
• this video is quite educational
• this is a bit more based on History: click here
• Traditions:
• In the UK: you have this video and this one as well
• in America: this is the video or you also have this one
• Activities: just in case you fancy doing some of the traditions with your family
• Egg hunt: why don't you organise one at home? It might be really funny. If you want to see an example, go to this video although you can do it simpler.
• Decorqting eggs: this video is for practising your creativity, not your English! This other video is simpler but with explanations
• Making chocolate eggs: this video is very simple and this one is quite sofisticated; but this one is to practise your English as the cook is speaking while making the eggs.
• Colouring Easter pictures: bunnies and eggs

Hope you enjoy these days with your families at home. Remember there's time for everything, even for doing some homework in English and sending it to me!

Practising with Exams (1) - All levels

This entry is just to help you to get more practice with the EEOOII exams so today we will work with just some of them given as samples by other Comunidades in Spain. These are the first ones and the following days I'll give you the others. Sorry if you are familiar with these links or you've already done them; I've decided to do it in this way because some students didn't know how to find these examples of exams and they wanted to practise. So let's start with these ones:

• Comunidad de Navarra: go to this link and choose your level
• Comunidad de Castilla-La Mancha: this is the link for all levels
• Andalucía: exams of 2018
• EEOOII de Euskadi: click here