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Placement Speaking Assessment Tasks

Four Corners, Level 1
TASK # TASK TYPE EXAMPLES LANGUAGE FOCUS
1 Greetings and • Good morning. How are you? • Simple present of be
introductions • What’s your name? How do you spell it? • What’s . . . ? It’s . . .
• What’s your phone number (email • How old . . . ?
address)?
• How old are you?
2 Talk about • What do you usually do on weekdays • Simple present verbs
routines and (weekends)? • Wh- questions
free time • How do you get to school (work)? • Frequency adverbs
• Do you ever cook dinner?
• When do you go to bed?
• What do you do for fun?
• How often do you go shopping (go
dancing)? Where do you usually go?
3 Talk about past • How was your weekend? Did you do • Simple past tense
events anything fun? (regular verbs)
• What did you do on your last vacation? • Simple past of be
Where did you go? Was it interesting? • Wh- questions
• Where were you on your last birthday?
What did you do? Was it fun?
Four Corners, Level 2
TASK # TASK TYPE EXAMPLES LANGUAGE FOCUS
4 Talk about • What is your mother (father / sister / • What . . . like? What
a person’s brother) like? Is she (he) friendly? . . . look like?
personality, • What does your mother (father / sister / • Would like
appearance, brother) look like? Is she (he) tall?
and interests • It’s a cold, rainy day on a weekend. What
would you like to do? Would you like to
play a game?
5 Talk about • What are you doing this weekend? • Present continuous
future plans • I am going to Paris (New York / Mexico) for future plans
next summer. What would you recommend • Should for
doing there? recommendations
• I am going downtown this Saturday. What • Will for predictions
would you suggest doing there? • Can, may, or might
• What do you think you will do on your for possibilities
next vacation?
6 Talk about • Do you like to shop online or at a mall? • Comparative
shopping and Which one is better? Why? adjectives
entertainment • How much time do you spend shopping? • How many / much
• How many movies do you watch every • Enough, too
month? • So, too, either, and
• I love dramas (musicals). What about you? neither
• I’m a fan of pop music. What about you?

Placement Speaking Assessment

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Four Corners, Level 3

TASK # TASK TYPE EXAMPLES LANGUAGE FOCUS
7 Talk about • Describe an experience that really • Past continuous vs.
memorable frightened (surprised / embarrassed) you. simple past
moments What were you doing when it happened? • Participial adjectives
Why was it frightening? • Defining relative
• Describe a situation that challenged clauses
you. What happened? Why was it very
challenging?
8 Talk about life • Have you tried a new activity recently? • Present perfect vs.
experiences What was the most exciting part of the simple past
experience? • Superlatives
• What extreme sport have you ever tried or
seen on TV? What was it like?
• Have you ever done something dangerous?
• What are some of the most exotic (unusual)
foods you have tried? What was the best
(worst)?
9 Talk about • What do you think will happen if more • First and second
the future, people start taking public transportation? conditionals
including hopes • If more people grow their own food, what
and wishes will happen?
• If you had your own plane, where would
you travel? Why?
• What would you do if you had a lot of
money?
Four Corners, Level 4
TASK # TASK TYPE EXAMPLES LANGUAGE FOCUS
10 Talk about your • What made you decide to study English? • Simple, continuous,
life • Have you ever studied another language and perfect tenses
besides English? When? • Verb + object + verb
• Are you also working right now? • Time clauses
• What will English help you do?
• What will you do after you study English?
11 Talk about • What invention has changed • Passive
inventions communication? Why was it invented? • Infinitive passive
and modern When was it developed? • Present continuous
communication • In what ways is modern communication passive
being improved by technology?
• What other area(s) of communication need
to be improved? What kind of product
needs to be designed?
12 Talk about • Think of a mistake you or someone you • Third conditionals
cultural know made in a social situation. What did • Past modals for
differences and you or the other person do? What should hypothetical
mistakes you (they) have done? situations
• Has anyone ever told you a story about • Past modals for
a cultural mistake they made? What did speculating
they tell you? • Embedded questions
• Reported statements

Placement Speaking Assessment

9781139026536_p01-71.indd 10 5/24/11 3:56 PM