Comprehensive Study Guide: Complete First for Schools B2 Student Book

B2 First for Schools Exam Content and Overview

• Reading and Use of English: Timing is $1$ hour $15$ minutes. Consists of $7$ parts:
  • Part $1$: Modified cloze with $8$ multiple-choice items.
  • Part $2$: Open cloze with $8$ gaps.
  • Part $3$: Word formation with $8$ gaps using word stems.
  • Part $4$: Key word transformations ($2$ to $5$ words).
  • Part $5$: Text with $6$ multiple-choice questions.
  • Part $6$: Gapped text with $6$ sentences removed.
  • Part $7$: Multiple matching with $10$ questions.
• Writing: Timing is $1$ hour $20$ minutes. Consists of $2$ parts:
  • Part $1$: One compulsory essay based on a rubric and notes.
  • Part $2$: One task chosen from four options (essay, article, letter/email, review, story, or set text task).
• Listening: Approximately $40$ minutes. Consists of $4$ parts:
  • Part $1$: $8$ short extracts with three-option multiple-choice questions.
  • Part $2$: Talk/lecture with a $10$-item sentence completion task.
  • Part $3$: $5$ short monologues with $5$ multiple-matching questions.
  • Part $4$: Interview/conversation with $7$ multiple-choice questions.
• Speaking: Timing is $14$ minutes. Consists of $4$ parts:
  • Part $1$: Interview/conversation with the examiner.
  • Part $2$: Individual $1$-minute long turn with photo comparison and a brief response to the partner's photos.
  • Part $3$: Collaborative task/discussion with a partner based on written prompts ($2$ minutes discussion + $1$ minute decision).
  • Part $4$: Discussion on topics related to Part $3$.

Unit 1: A Family Affair

• Listening Part 1 Focus: Identifying main ideas in conversations and monologues regarding family and spending habits.
• Vocabulary: Phrasal Verbs describing relationships:
  • chill out: relax and rest.
  • come up with: think of (an idea or plan).
  • set off: start a journey.
  • work (something) out: find an answer to something.
  • rely/depend on (someone): be able to trust someone.
  • fall out with (someone): have an argument with someone.
  • try (something) out: experiment with an idea to do something.
  • hit it off: immediately like each other and become friendly.
  • look out for (someone/something): try to notice.
  • take after (someone): be like a parent or older sibling.
  • look up to (someone): respect or admire an older person.
  • look back at (something): think about something in the past.
• Reading Part 6: Getting on with Siblings:
  • Adjectives for personality: caring, cheeky, childish, cooperative, critical, energetic, enthusiastic, hardworking, irritating, mature, organised, patient, reliable, responsible, self-confident, sensitive, sympathetic, thoughtful.
  • Opposites can be formed using prefixes: un- (uncooperative, unorganised, unreliable, unsympathetic, unenthusiastic), im- (immature, impatient), in- (insensitive), ir- (irresponsible).
• Grammar: Present Perfect Simple and Continuous:
  • Present Perfect Simple: Focuses on the result of an activity, how many times something occurred, or permanent situations. Structurally: subject + have/has + past participle.
  • Present Perfect Continuous: Focuses on the length/duration of an activity, changes that are not finished, or temporary situations. Structurally: subject + have/has been + verb + -ing.
• Vocabulary: Collocations with Make and Do:
  • make: an appointment, an arrangement, a change, a choice, a decision, an effort, an excuse, friends, an impression, a mistake, money, a noise, a phone call, a plan, progress, a promise.
  • do: an activity, the bed, business, the cleaning, a course, (an) exercise, a favour, homework, housework, a job, the shopping, (a) sport, work.
• Writing Part 1: Essay on Pocket Money:
  • Benefit: Teenagers learn to manage money and independence.
  • Drawback: Risk of wasting money on non-essential items.
  • Plan: Introduction ($1$), Argument for ($2$), Argument against ($3$), Conclusion ($4$).

Unit 2: Leisure and Pleasure

• Listening Part 2: Professional Footballer:
  • Clare Jackson played in the park as a child. She utilized speed and skills because she lacked height/strength. She realized she could turn it into a career upon joining an academy.
• Grammar: Making Comparisons:
  • One-syllable adjectives: add -er/-est.
  • Adjectives ending in consonant-vowel-consonant: double the final consonant (e.g., fat $\rightarrow$ fatter).
  • Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y: replace -y with -i (e.g., easy $\rightarrow$ easier).
  • Three or more syllables: use more/most.
  • Irregular forms: good/better/best, bad/worse/worst, little/less/least, far/further/furthest.
  • Equal comparison: as + adjective + as.
• Vocabulary: Phrasal Verbs for Skills and Hobbies:
  • take up: start doing an activity for the first time.
  • have a go: try something.
  • turn up: arrive.
  • get used to: feel more comfortable in a new situation.
  • pick something up: learn how to do something.
  • take risks: do something risky even if bad things might happen.
  • take part in: be part of an event.
  • keep a promise: do what you said you would do.
• Grammar: Adjectives with -ed and -ing:
  • -ed: describes how people feel (e.g., bored, terrified).
  • -ing: describes the thing that produces the feeling (e.g., boring, terrifying).
• Writing Part 2: Articles:
  • Use compound sentences with and, but, because.
  • Use complex sentences with when, who, which, that.
  • Descriptive adjectives: astonishing, competitive, delightful, demanding, economical, entertaining, superb, time-consuming.

Unit 3: Happy Holidays?

• Grammar: Past Tenses:
  • Past Simple: Finished actions at a specific time in the past.
  • Past Continuous: Activities in progress at a time in the past; interrupted actions.
  • Used to: Situations or habits in the past that are no longer true.
• Vocabulary: Travel, Journey, Trip, and Way:
  • travel: Noun (U) - the activity of travelling; Verb - to move from place to place.
  • journey: Noun (C) - the specific route taken to get from A to B (usually by vehicle).
  • trip: Noun (C) - visiting a place for a short time and returning.
  • way: Noun (C) - the route taken or a direction.
• Grammar: Time Prepositions:
  • at: times ($5$ o'clock), night, the weekend, mealtimes, holiday periods (Easter).
  • in: months, years, seasons, parts of the day (morning, afternoon), centuries, time durations.
  • on: days of the week, dates ($14$ September), specific parts of days (Monday morning).
• Grammar: Past Perfect Simple and Continuous:
  • Past Perfect Simple: had + past participle. Describes an action before another action in the past.
  • Past Perfect Continuous: had been + verb + -ing. Focuses on the duration of an activity before another past event.

Unit 4: Food, Glorious Food

• Vocabulary: Food, Dish, and Meal:
  • food: General substance people/animals eat.
  • dish: Food prepared in a particular way (e.g., moussaka).
  • meal: An occasion when food is eaten (e.g., breakfast, lunch).
• Collocations:
  • food: source, supply, shortage, organic, convenience.
  • dish: elaborate, simple, traditional.
  • meal: balanced, filling, light, heavy.
• Grammar: So vs. Such:
  • so: so + adjective/adverb (e.g., so hot).
  • such: such + a/an + (adjective) + singular countable noun OR such + plural/uncountable noun (e.g., such a good time, such fun).
• Grammar: Too and Enough:
  • too: too + adjective/adverb OR too much + uncountable / too many + countable. Means more than needed.
  • enough: enough + noun OR adjective/adverb + enough. Means the required amount.

Unit 5: Study Time

• Vocabulary: Studying:
  • tutor: University teacher for small groups.
  • research: Detailed study to discover info.
  • mark: Check/grade work.
  • sit (an exam): Take a test.
  • job prospects: Possibility of successful employment.
• Vocabulary: Phrasal Verbs:
  • drop out: stop attending class before finishing.
  • live up to: be as good as expected.
  • hand back: return work to the giver.
  • get away with: avoid punishment.
  • point out: highlight information.
  • put off: delay an activity.
  • get through: manage to pass or finish.
  • get out of: avoid doing something.
  • take on: accept a challenge/job.
  • catch up with: do delayed work.
• Grammar: Conditionals:
  • Zero Conditional: General truths/facts. Structure: If + present simple, present simple.
  • First Conditional: Possible future situations. Structure: If + present simple, will + infinitive.
  • Second Conditional: Imaginary or improbable situations. Structure: If + past simple, would + infinitive.

Unit 6: My First Job

• Grammar: Countable and Uncountable Nouns:
  • Countable nouns take singular or plural verbs; use a/an, many, few, some, any.
  • Uncountable nouns take singular verbs; do not take a/an; use much, little, some, any.
  • Common uncountables: information, advice, news, luck, furniture, luggage, transport, work, homework, research.
• Vocabulary: Work/Job and Fun/Funny:
  • work: Uncountable; the general activity.
  • job: Countable; a specific position/role.
  • fun: Enjoyable activity.
  • funny: Makes you laugh.
• Articles:
  • a/an: first mention of singular countables; jobs.
  • the: specific/known things; unique things (the sun); groups (the wealthy); superlatives.
  • no article: plural/uncountable nouns in general.

Unit 7: High Adventure

• Vocabulary: Sport Collocations:
  • go: activities ending in -ing (running, skiing, hiking).
  • play: ball games or competitive games (football, golf, chess).
  • do: other sports/exercises (athletics, gymnastics, judo).
• Grammar: Infinitive and Verb + -ing:
  • Infinitive with to: to show purpose; after too/enough; after verbs like agree, decide, hope, promise, want.
  • Verb + -ing: after prepositions; as the subject/object of a verb; after verbs like admit, enjoy, involve, mind, stop, suggest.
• Grammar: Adverb/Verb pairs for protection/avoidance:
  • narrowly avoid, strictly control, heavily protect, closely supervise.

Unit 8: Dream of the Stars

• Vocabulary: Career and Ambition:
  • gain/get experience; apply for/offer/turn down a job; build/pursue a career; achieve/fulfill an ambition.
• Grammar: Prepositions of Location:
  • at: specific point (at the door), events (at a party), school/home/work.
  • in: area/space (in the city), inside vehicles (except bus/train/plane), the world.
  • on: surface (on the wall), transport (on a train), technology (on the phone), border/coast/outskirts.
• Grammar: Reported Speech:
  • Present simple $\rightarrow$ Past simple.
  • Present continuous $\rightarrow$ Past continuous.
  • Present perfect $\rightarrow$ Past perfect.
  • Past simple $\rightarrow$ Past perfect.
  • Will $\rightarrow$ Would; Can $\rightarrow$ Could; May $\rightarrow$ Might; Must $\rightarrow$ Had to.
  • Time: tomorrow $\rightarrow$ the next day; yesterday $\rightarrow$ the day before.

Unit 9: Secrets of the Mind

• Vocabulary: Achievement and Causation:
  • Collocations: achieve an aim/ambition; carry out research/instructions/research; devote time/energy.
  • Collocations: have an accident, have a change, have an effect/impact, give/have the impression, have a problem, cause a problem/trouble.
• Grammar: Modals of Certainty and Possibility:
  • Certainty (Present): must (positive), can't (negative).
  • Possibility (Present/Future): may, might, could.
  • Certainty (Past): must have + past participle (positive), can't/couldn't have + past participle (negative).
  • Possibility (Past): may/might/could have + past participle.

Unit 10: On the Money

• Grammar: As and Like:
  • as: Used for jobs/functions (as a waiter); meaning 'because'; with the same … as; in phrases like as expected.
  • like: Meaning 'similar to'; giving examples.
• Vocabulary: Arrive, Get, and Reach:
  • arrive: arrive in (cities/countries), arrive at (buildings/stations).
  • get: get to a place.
  • reach: reach a destination/decision (no preposition).
• Grammar: Modals of Ability:
  • Present: can, am/is/are able to.
  • Past: could (general ability), was/were able to or managed to (specific occasion), couldn't (both).
  • Future/Perfect: will be able to, have been able to.

Unit 11: Medical Matters

• Medical Vocabulary:
  • cure: make someone healthy again.
  • bruise: dark mark on skin from injury.
  • symptom: characteristic of a disease.
  • examination: thorough check by a doctor.
  • dose: amount of medicine taken at once.
  • surgery: an operation.
  • treat: give medical care.
  • scar: permanent mark after a cut heals.
  • injury: damage to the body.
• Idioms:
  • taken aback: shocked/surprised.
  • over the moon: delighted.
  • lost track of time: unaware of time.
  • coming down with: starting to get ill.
  • off-colour: feeling slightly ill.
  • get to the bottom of: discover the real reason.
• Grammar: Relative Clauses:
  • Defining: identifies the specific person/thing. No commas. That can replace who/which.
  • Non-defining: adds extra info. Uses commas. That cannot be used; pronouns cannot be omitted.

Unit 12: Animal Kingdom

• Vocabulary: Control and Prevention:
  • avoid: stay away from.
  • prevent: stop something from happening.
  • protect: keep something safe from harm.
  • check: look at something to see if it is correct.
  • supervise: watch someone to ensure safety/correctness.
• Grammar: Third Conditional:
  • Used for imaginary past situations. Structure: If + past perfect, would have + past participle.
• Grammar: Mixed Conditionals:
  • Combines past cause with present result: If + past perfect, would + infinitive.
  • Combines present state with past result: If + past simple, would have + past participle.
• Grammar: Wish, If Only, and Hope:
  • Present regret: wish/if only + past simple (I wish I had a car).
  • Future desire/annoyance: wish/if only + would + infinitive (I wish you would stop shouting).
  • Past regret: wish/if only + past perfect (I wish I had studied harder).
  • Hope: Used for things that are likely or possible in the future (I hope you pass).

Unit 13: House Space

• Vocabulary: Space and Location:
  • space: empty area available for use.
  • place: building, town, or specific area.
  • room: empty part of a building/object for a purpose (e.g., leg room).
  • area: part of a town/land.
  • location: where something is situated (formal).
  • square: open area in a town with buildings around it.
• Grammar: Causative Have and Get:
  • Used when someone else does a job for us: have/get + object + past participle.
  • Example: I had my hair cut. I got my car serviced.
• Grammar: Obligation and Permission:
  • have to: obligation from others.
  • must: self-obligation.
  • be supposed to: expected obligation (often not done).
  • should/ought to: advice/correct thing to do.
  • let/allowed to/can: permission.
  • don't have to/needn't: no obligation.

Unit 14: Fiesta!

• Vocabulary: Festivals:
  • celebrate: acknowledge a special day.
  • commemorate: remember a past event/person.
  • dress up: wear costumes.
  • march: walk in a formal group.
  • perform: act/dance/play music.
  • let off: launch (fireworks).
• Grammar: The Passive:
  • Structure: be + past participle.
  • Used when the object is more important than the subject, or the subject is unknown.
  • Passive with reporting verbs: Subject + is said/thought/reported + to (have) + past participle.
• Vocabulary: People nouns:
  • designer, novelist, researcher, collector, survivor, consultant, guitarist, comedian, specialist, assistant.