Personal and social life
Talk about people, home, interests and plans while giving reasons and responding to others.
Section Paper 1 · Listening
Exam scope and assessment notes
Mapped to Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) English (as an Additional Language) 0772. The 2029–2030 syllabus states there are no significant changes affecting teaching; revised specimen questions support bilingual learners. All four skills carry equal weight. Spoken prompts use browser text-to-speech, not Cambridge recordings; speaking recordings stay in the page and are not automatically scored. Check the exam-year syllabus, June series and centre availability.
Before you begin
- The syllabus is designed for learners whose first language is not English. Use familiar everyday situations, and practise asking for repetition or clarification when you need it.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
What should you do first when a question asks for a specific detail?
What you will learn
- Understand main ideas and relevant details in familiar spoken and written material
- Communicate simply and clearly in everyday situations
- Use topic vocabulary and common language structures accurately enough for the purpose
Topic vocabulary
Build a small, reusable word bank for family and friends · rooms and furniture · clothes and colours · hobbies and sport. Learn each word in a phrase or situation, not as an isolated translation.
Notice which words name a person, place, action or quality. A context sentence helps you remember the word and select the right form later.
Language and communication focus
Use possessives for relationships and belongings, past forms for experiences, and because to give a reason.
When you do not know a word, keep listening or reading for context. Use a simpler expression, ask a polite question or check your understanding rather than stopping the conversation.
Practise all four skills
Read the original short text and identify its main point and a supporting detail. Then answer the questions in your own words where appropriate.
Listen to the original spoken prompt, answer before opening the transcript, then use the speaking recorder only if you want a private playback. The browser voice and checklist are practice aids, not Cambridge audio or official assessment.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
What makes a short spoken or written answer clear?
Worked example
What do Mina and her sister share, and what activity do they both enjoy?
Show the worked solution
- They share a room.
- Their books are kept on separate shelves.
- Both sisters enjoy painting and joined a weekend art group.
Answer They share a room and both enjoy painting.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Read: 'I borrow my cousin's camera because mine is being repaired.' Whose camera is being used, and why?
Give me a hint
Track the possessive and the reason clause.
Compare my reasoning
- The possessive 'my cousin's' identifies the owner.
- The word 'because' introduces the reason.
- The narrator's own camera is being repaired.
The narrator is using their cousin's camera because their own is being repaired.
Look for these in your work
- Owner identified
- Reason identified
- Pronouns interpreted correctly
Write three connected sentences about an activity you enjoyed with a friend or relative. Include when it happened, what you did and one reason you enjoyed it.
Give me a hint
Use a past-tense verb and connect the reason with because.
Compare my reasoning
- Set the time in the past.
- Describe one activity with a clear verb.
- Add a reason for your opinion.
An original three-sentence response that covers the time, activity and reason.
Look for these in your work
- Past event described
- All prompts answered
- Reason linked clearly
Your friend prefers quiet activities, while you prefer team sports. Suggest one activity you could both enjoy and explain why it suits both of you.
Give me a hint
Acknowledge both preferences before suggesting a compromise.
Compare my reasoning
- State what your friend prefers.
- State your own preference without dismissing theirs.
- Suggest a shared option and give a reason.
A considerate suggestion that connects both people's interests with a reason.
Look for these in your work
- Both views recognised
- Suggestion is practical
- Reason supports the choice
Hear an original prompt, then review your own response
The spoken clips use browser speech synthesis in English when a matching voice is available. Voices, accents and pacing vary; these are not Cambridge recordings. Microphone recordings stay in this page and are not uploaded or graded.
Listening practice
An invitation to a sports club
Listen for the day, location and reason for the change.
Transcript unlocks after you check each answer.
Speaking rehearsal
Tell a new classmate about a hobby you enjoy. Say how you started, what you like about it and whether you would recommend it.
Use about 1 minute to plan your practice response, then speak for about 45 seconds. This practice timer does not reproduce exam preparation rules.
The recording is not transcribed. This optional text and the audio both stay in the open page.
Review your recording
- Did I answer each part of the prompt?
- Did I give one relevant detail or reason?
- Did I link my ideas with a clear connector?
- Could my partner understand my key words?
This self-review is not an official speaking mark. A teacher or examination centre must assess the speaking endorsement.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a detail that is true but does not answer the question
- Translating word for word instead of checking meaning and sentence order
- Giving an opinion without a reason or relevant detail
- Speaking or writing in long sentences that make the main point unclear
What can you explain now?
What is a useful response when one unfamiliar word does not stop you understanding the whole message?
Compare with the explanation
Use surrounding words and the situation to infer a likely meaning
Context helps you keep the overall message while avoiding an unsupported guess.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
Your review choice appears on Today. Sign in to sync it across devices.
Make it stick
Name two useful words or expressions from personal and social life and use one in a new sentence.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.