CAE Use of English Part 4 teachers notes

Description
In this activity students give three different meanings or three different uses of a word. The
activity develops students vocabulary and helps them prepare for a gapped-sentence task.
Students practise a gapped-sentence task.
Time required: 40 minutes
Additional
materials
required:
EnglishEnglish dictionaries if possible or if required
Aims: to raise students awareness of the fact that words can have
different or different but related meanings.
to prepare students for CAE Paper 3, Part 4

Procedure
1. Elicit from students what they have to do in a Part 4, gapped-sentence task see
Additional information below.
2. Divide students into small groups or pairs and give each student a copy of the
worksheet.
3. Go through the instructions and the example for exercise 1. Point out that a word can
be a noun, as in flat meaning apartment or an adjective as in flat meaning not hilly.
4. Refer students to Exercise 2. Ask students to complete the word forks for the words
mean, bar and needle and as they are thinking, to write the words in sentences.
5. Ask students in which situations they can use the words pass, bright, wear.
6. Check the answers. Accept all correct answers.
7. Hand out the sample task. Ask students to do the gapped sentence exercise.
8. Check the answers.

Additional information
Part 4 consists of five questions. Each question is made up of three discrete sentences.
Each sentence contains one gap and the gapped word is common to all sentences.
Candidates must write the one word which is appropriate in all three sentences. The focus of
the task is lexical and aims to test candidates knowledge of lexical patterns such as
collocation, phrasal verbs and other word combinations. It tests whether candidates know
items of vocabulary in a range of contexts and with a range of meanings.
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Answers can be written on the question paper but they must be transferred onto the answer
sheet. Answers on the answer sheet must be written in pencil and in capital letters. Each
correct answer in Part 4 receives 2 marks.
CAE Use of English Part 4 answer keys
Key to Students worksheet
Exercise 1
Suggested answers:

not generous, stingy
1. mean signify
average

Hes so mean he doesnt like buying himself new clothes.
What does this word mean?
The east of England has a low mean rainfall.

metal stick
2. bar forbid
except

She picked up a metal bar and waved it threateningly.
They decided to bar her from the club because she didnt observe the rules.
They are the very best songwriters of this century bar none.

thin, stiff leaf
3. needle something to sew with
annoy

The needles from the Christmas tree left a lot of mess on the carpet.
Can you thread this needle for me?
If you continue to needle me like that, youll never get a new bike.

Exercise 2
1. pass to get a successful result in an exam; go past; a way between/over
mountains; give someone something; an official document
2. bright shiny; sunny; light; strong in colour; clever
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3. wear have clothes/jewellery on your body; clothes; to become
weaker/thin/damaged

Key to Sample task
1 point
2 fair
3 engaged
4 working
5 charge




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CAE Use of English Part 4 Students Worksheet CAE Use of English Part 4 Students Worksheet

Exercise 1 Exercise 1
Many words in English have more than one meaning or they are used in different ways. For
example, the word flat can have the three different meanings. You can make a sort of fork
to show the three meanings.
Many words in English have more than one meaning or they are used in different ways. For
example, the word flat can have the three different meanings. You can make a sort of fork
to show the three meanings.

apartment apartment
flat level, not hilly
not working, empty
Example sentences:
He lives in a flat in New York.
Most of the countryside around here is very flat.
The car battery must be flat.

Make word forks to show three different meanings of these words and write three sentences
to illustrate the different meanings.
____________
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1. mean
____________
Example sentences
a)
b)
c)

____________
2. bar
____________

Example sentences
a)
b) ...
c)

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____________
3. needle
____________
Example sentences
a)
b)
c) .


Exercise 2
Sometimes words can have different but related meanings, e.g. party. It always means a
group of people but it can be people having a social event together, people can belong to a
political party, or each side in a legal disagreement is a party.
What different but related meanings can these words have?
1. pass = a)
b)
c)
2. bright = a)
b)
c)
3. wear = a)
b)
c)
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CAE Use of English Part 4 Sample Task

For questions 15, think of one word only which can be used appropriately in all three
sentences.
Here is an example (0).
Example:
They say the new minister is a lovely person and very to talk to.
My neighbours have not had a very life, but they always seem cheerful.
Its enough to see why the town is popular with tourists.
Example answer: E A S Y
1
I cant see the of all this paperwork, can you?
I was so frustrated that I was on the of giving up, but my piano teacher
persuaded me to keep on practising.
Now, lets move on to the final for discussion at this meeting.
2
I think its to say that not everyone in the boardroom agreed with the
decision about the site of the new factory.
Rita complained that it was not that she had a smaller company car
than her colleagues.
My husband looks nothing like his brothers and sisters because he is so .
3
The workers at the car factory are at present in negotiations to improve
their position.
As the business expanded and more staff were required, the company
the services of a recruitment agency.
When my brother and his new girlfriend announced that they were it
took the whole family by surprise.
4
The instructions were written in such a complicated way that J oe had to spend a long
time out how to set up the printer.
First results indicated that the new drug was and had no side effects.
J ohn was annoyed to find the drinks machine was not yet again.

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5
Lisa is in while Im away from the office, OK?
Theyve introduced a small for parking outside the station.
The protestors moved back quickly in reaction to a sudden by the
police.




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