Complete FCE Speaking Guide

Updated January 2024

Part 2

The photographs!

Objective

To speak for about a minute comparing two photographs and answering a question about the photographs. You will also be asked a question about your partner's photographs and your answer should last 20 to 30 seconds.

How it works

You will be given something like this:

The examiner will then say:

Here are your photographs. They show people talking in different situations. I'd like you to compare the photos and say why the people have chosen these methods to speak to people.

Remember that the examiner is following a script? Well, that's exactly what she's doing here. She will always say the words in red above. The words in black give a brief description of what's in the photos and the words in blue are the question for you to answer.

The point is that as soon as you see the photos you can forget about what the examiner is saying. You know you have to compare the photos and you know what question to answer because it's printed above the photos. So when you see the photos immediately focus on them.

There's no real right or wrong way to do this but if you have a structure to follow, it will make things much easier.

Here's our recommended structure:

1 Buy a little time

2 Answer the question with reasons

3 Talk about similarities and/or differences

4 If there is still time keep talking until the examiner says thank you

So how do you do this?

TIP! DO NOT describe the photos. This is a very common mistake. You are asked to compare the photos NOT describe them. When candidates try to describe they often find they don't have the vocabulary to do this because they are unfamiliar with what is shown in the photo. This causes them to get stuck and lose valuable time.

1 Buy a little time

You need to start speaking quickly as soon the examiner stops speaking. You've already had a few seconds to look at the photos but if you need more time you could start with:

Well, let me have a quick look

OK, let's see what we have

Just give me a moment to have a look

These are all natural expressions that native speakers use to organise their thoughts.

2 Answer the question

Why should you answer the question first?

TIP! It's important to answer the question so we recommend doing this first so you don't run out of time!

The key here is speculation. Using the photos above as an example, obviously we don't know why the people have chosen these methods so here are some options to speculate:

I reckon the women prefer to speak face to face because...

The women might prefer to speak face to face because...

I suppose the women prefer to speak face to face because...

I guess the women prefer to speak face to face because...

It's possible the women prefer to speak face to face because...

It looks like the women prefer to speak face to face because...

Maybe the women prefer to speak face to face because...

I'd say the women prefer to speak face to face because...

You can also use these verbs to speculate:

The women on the right seem relaxed and look as if they're enjoying the chat.

They look like lifelong friends.

Based on what they're wearing, the weather appears to be a bit chilly.

The woman on the left seems to be talking to her grandchild.

Modals can be used for speculating too:

The women on the right must be enjoying the chat.

The woman on the left may/might/could be talking to her grandchild.

3 Talk about similarities and/or differences

Let's have a look at a few more examples first:

Notice anything? PEOPLE! It's not guaranteed but it is very likely that the photos will have people in them. So, you can talk about:

Their age, alone or in a group, their clothes, their emotions, what they are doing, the environment

(e.g. urban or rural), the weather, indoors or outdoors, the landscape.

Some expressions we can use to begin comparing:

A similarity/difference that stands out is...

A similarity/difference that catches my eye is...

Something that both photos have in common...

A similarity between both photos is...

A striking/obvious difference...

Andrea writes: These expressions include great vocabulary that is much better than These two photos have similarities and differences that we hear all the time! Another useful idea is to avoid saying In

the first picture I can see...and in the second I can see... Instead you could refer to what is happening

in each situation and use the magic words whereas/while to introduce a difference.

Comparing

The magic words are whereas/while to talk about differences:

The woman on the left is speaking on Skype whereas/while the other women are speaking face to face.

Another great way to compare is using comparatives.

The woman on the left is probably speaking more louder/more loudly than the two women.

The women in the park look more relaxed.

The woman on the left doesn't look as young as the women in the park.

To talk about similarities you could say:

Something that both pictures have in common is...

A similarity that they share is...

A common theme in the two pictures is...

Organising ideas

Remember it's important to have a structure and a great way to do this is to use connectors and sequencers:

To begin with.../On top of that.../Also...

Secondly.../Additionally...

Finally...

On the one hand...on the other hand...

...while/whereas...

4 Keep talking

You might not need to do this but if there is still time, you could say something like:

Let's see what else there is to talk about...

Let's have another look...

Ah! I've just noticed that...

Ah! I've just seen something else...

If you are really stuck, you could give your own opinion about the photos:

If I had to choose, I'd prefer to speak face to face.

Personally speaking, I would rather speak face to face.

If you put everything together you have something like this:

1 So, let’s have a quick look then. Well, to begin with...

2 I guess that the woman on the left is speaking using a computer because she is a long way from

the other person. These women here could be colleagues on their lunch break.

3 An obvious difference that stands out is that this woman is talking by video, maybe on Skype whereas the women on the right are speaking face to face. It looks like they are in a park. Something that is common to both photos is that all of the women look relaxed and happy.

4 So, what else can I see? Ahh, I’ve just noticed that the woman on the left is older than the others. Maybe the boy she is talking to is her grandson and he lives in another country.

TIP! DO NOT MEMORISE THIS! This is just a guide to help you be organised. Choose the vocabulary that you feel more comfortable with and you'll also have to adapt what you say according to the photographs of course.

Once your partner has spoken for a minute about their photos, the examiner will ask you a question related to them and you should give a 20 to 30 seconds answer. Pay attention to your partner's photographs, try to think of some vocabulary related to them and anticipate the question you might

be asked. In the photos that we've been looking at in this part the question might be:

Which way of communicating do you prefer?

That's a good question! Personally speaking I usually prefer face to face because I can see and understand the other person better. Sometimes when I use Zoom, for example, the quality of the sound and picture isn't very good.