Cambridge PET – Speaking Part 2 – Prepositions of place

Do you often find yourself speaking for extended periods of time alone? If you work for a company and give presentations frequently, the answer is likely yes. However, have you ever had to describe a picture to someone? Probably not. This is why so many people struggle with this part of the PET speaking exam. But don’t worry! There is a way to breeze through it, and in this post, I will show you how.

I don’t think the PET exam’s picture description section is too difficult unless your students have trouble with basic vocabulary. Recently, I faced this issue and decided to prepare a lesson that teaches students simple phrases and prepositions of place to describe pictures easily.

The blog post offers a download link for the presentation and the worksheet with the teacher’s notes, which can be found at the end of the post.

The activity begins by displaying a cluttered table image. To make students familiar with the objects in the picture, no people are included, and they are asked to write as many words as they can. Once the task is completed, the prepositions of place are introduced by asking students to locate the items in the photo, such as There is a camera in the picture. followed by Where is the camera? and The camera is in front of a white and orange mug and next to an orange.

After showing the picture, ask the students to take a second look and read a list of sentences. Students read the sentences by themselves and pick the best word in italics that matches the objects in the photo. Once everyone finishes, you can inform them that there are a few more prepositions of place and expressions used to describe where something is. Students read the sentences again and underline any other phrases. The purpose of this task is to encourage students to identify as many prepositions of place as possible and expand their vocabulary.

At the end of this part of the class, students are divided into pairs and tasked with describing the placement of furniture in a room. This activity is quick but effective. However, it is important to provide students with different worksheets to prevent unwanted cheating.

In my opinion, the best way to prepare for exams is by providing students with a model answer which they can use as a guide in the future. The exercise involves showing two pictures of people engaging in typical household activities. Read out the description of one of the pictures and ask students to match it to the corresponding image. Then, using the given extract, ask them to identify prepositions of place and expressions used to describe where things are. They should write them down in a table. Let them know that there are some other expressions worth memorising and using in the exam. Each student should work individually and underline phrases used to describe what you can see when you don’t know what something is called. They should also take note of speculation expressions and write them down in a separate table. These notes will come in handy in the future.

After introducing the vocabulary, you can ask your students to take a look at the second photo and write a description similar to the one provided earlier. This exercise can help them to organise their thoughts, and it may assist them in answering exam questions more efficiently.

I suggest wrapping up this class by focusing on the main inspiration behind our lesson, which is the speaking exam provided by Cambridge English. The exam can be found in the B1 Preliminary 2020 Sample Papers and involves describing pictures to a partner. The pictures depict students studying in the library and a family celebrating a special occasion. It’s important to remind the students that they will have about one minute to complete the task during the actual exam. While monitoring the activity, encourage them to provide feedback to each other, so they can reflect on their performances.

To make the class more personal and engaging, I concluded it by asking students to share their favourite photos with each other. They have the option to share their screens or show the pictures on their phones, but it’s not mandatory. If they prefer not to show the photos, they can simply describe what’s in the picture and why it holds a special place in their heart.

If you have students who are struggling with basic Speaking Part 2 phrases or need to review previously learned vocabulary, you can download the presentation and worksheet with the teacher’s notes below. Don’t hesitate to use these resources to help your students improve their language skills.

What is your favourite photo? Why is it so special?