SPEAKING PART 1: PLACES OF RESIDENCE ‘Another common top in Part 1 of the Speaking testis personal circumstances ~ the place where you live, your family and your daly life. As with your occupations a good ‘des to prepare some dea to talk about, What can you say about ches topits tha is {interesting or unexpected? Can you give some opinions a well a the basic nformaton? Try it first! Try talking about the place where you live as if you were doing Speaking Part 1. Hf you are working with a partner, take it in turns to play the roles of examiner and ‘candidate. Here are some typical questions. Examiner: I'd like to talk about the place where you live I © Can you describe thebuilding you live In? ¢ Isitsimilar to other buildings in the area? Isita convenient location for you? © What do you lke about living ther © What changes would improve the area where you live? 4 Personal circumstances «15Useful language for talking about your place of residence Grammar: present perfect or present perfect continuous? ‘Your choice of grammar should reflect whether your living situation is permanent, fong erm or temporary. Present perfect (pecmanent or longterm) Te Fed nh yl fe | yoy bs Fie hae since my garda sed bin vt 1950 Te Fed nth ome ae for 15 are ih neo move | resent perfect continuous (temporary) ve been staying wth en forte lst fw wees ve oly been living here sine ls Tuesday, {ve Been looking for somewhere ive whic is clse work ‘However, with lie for longer-term but non-permanent sitions, offen both forms ate possible Ie Fved in university aeconmodaron forthe last oo years. | ve Been living in unrest accomadation fr the st 0 years | The cond vesion emphases tit she stuaton ino emanet, but thet wo vesont cou be interchangeable in many situations. [Natural English: be instead of live Ws common to use a form ofthe verb co io imply fe Tm treed accomadation athe momen Te been in college residence ince I sated ny course. We're on the seventh flor. 1 Look at these pairs of sentences. Which version is better? Cr are both good? 1 a Tvellived here since I was two years old bb Tvebeen living here since Iwas two years old a Tvelived here for quite along time. bb Tvebeen living here for quite along time. 8 T'velived with my parents since I graduated last year. bb T'vebeen living with my parents since I graduated last year. b > Ilive very near the city centre. Tm very near the city centre. I've lived in several diferent places. I've been living in several different places 2 Present perfect or present perfect continuous? Comalete each gap with the correct form of the verb in brackets. 1 Wsthe nicest place 've ever: (lve) 2 haven't nnn Wory many ether places. (se) 3 We VE eennnennee of moving for afew months now. (think 4 T'venever _----In rented accommodation. (ve) 5 Thaven't ‘anew place for very long. (look for) 6 T'veNEVEE nnn IM A University Fesidence before. (sta) 7 Tve ust svn € Fally nice apartment. (ind) ‘8 Westill haven't found the kind of place we've ..------t0 find, (hope) 16 > 1 Personal circumstances