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Aptis General · Speaking · Part 4 · C1

Speaking Part 4 at C1: an explained model answer

C1 model answer for Part 4 of the Aptis General Speaking and the 4 structures that lift it a level, with a chaptered video and mini-quizzes.

5 min video (Spanish narration)6 mini-quizzesC1

1/6The three questions

In Part 4 of the Aptis General Speaking you answer three questions in a row on one topic. According to the official guide, you have one minute to prepare and two minutes to answer them all.

In the video example, the screen shows an image, but the questions do not ask you to describe it: the first asks for a personal experience, the second for a feeling and the third for general reasons. These are the three:

  • 1. Tell me about a time when you tried to learn a foreign language.
  • 2. How did you feel about it?
  • 3. What are some of the reasons people decide to learn another language?

Check what you have learnt

You need 2 out of 3
1.How much time do you have in Part 4 to prepare and to answer the three questions?
2.In the video example, what do you do with the image on screen?
3.How are the three questions answered?

2/6C1 model answer

The model answer responds to the three questions in order, one per block. First it tells a specific experience: they started studying French at 19, on starting university. Then it explains how they felt, and finally it gives general reasons why people learn languages.

It closes with a sentence that sums up what has been said. Listen to it once all the way through and notice how each block answers just one question.

  • Well, the first time I seriously tried to learn a foreign language was when I was nineteen.
  • All in all, it's an investment that pays off in many different ways.

Check what you have learnt

You need 2 out of 3
1.What does the model answer say in answer to the first question?
2.Looking back, which feeling stands out most?
3.According to the model, what is the main reason people learn another language?

·Why it works

From here on, the video explains four structures of the model answer. It is our reading of which structures help show your level, not a list the exam requires.

3/6Inverted conditional

It is an inverted conditional: you drop the if and invert the order. The form is had + subject + been for, and then would have + participle.

It raises the score because it shows control of complex grammar. The Spanish calque is saying if it wouldn't be for, which does not exist in English.

  • Had it not been for my teacher, who kept insisting that making mistakes was part of the process, I would probably have quit.

Check what you have learnt

You need 2 out of 3
1.What is the correct form of the inverted conditional in the example?
2.What is dropped when you invert the conditional?
3.What is the typical calque from Spanish in this structure?

4/6Inversion after “not only”

When the sentence starts with not only, the auxiliary goes before the subject: does + speaking another language. Then you complete it with it also.

The typical mistake is not inverting the order: not only speaking another language makes you….

  • Not only does speaking another language make you stand out in a competitive job market, it also opens doors abroad.

Check what you have learnt

You need 2 out of 3
1.Choose the correct sentence:
2.If the sentence starts with “not only”, what goes before the subject?
3.What typical mistake does the video point out with this structure?

5/6Parallel comparatives

The structure is the + comparative, comma, the + comparative. It links two ideas that grow together.

A very common mistake is forgetting the second the. In addition, in a sense qualifies the statement.

  • The more languages people speak, the better they understand other cultures and, in a sense, themselves.

Check what you have learnt

You need 2 out of 3
1.Choose the correct sentence:
2.What does this structure express?
3.What is “in a sense” for in the example?

6/6Connectors to organise

Since you answer three questions in a row, connectors mark which one you are on: As for… for the second and Turning to… for the third.

That way your answer sounds organised and the examiner follows it without getting lost.

  • As for how I felt, I'd say it was a roller coaster.
  • Turning to why people decide to learn another language, I think the main reason is career prospects.

Check what you have learnt

You need 2 out of 3
1.Which question does “As for how I felt…” introduce?
2.Which connector opens the answer to the third question in the model?
3.What are these connectors for when you answer three questions in a row?
Put it all together

Now, practise

Answer the three questions in the example in your own voice and use at least two of the four structures: inverted conditional, inversion after not only, parallel comparatives or connectors to organise.

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