CILS B1 flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Ascolto

The listening section of CILS B1. It contains two tasks: multiple-choice questions on short dialogues and true/false or matching items on longer monologues. Each recording is played twice.

Lettura

The reading section of CILS B1. It has three tasks: matching notices to situations, multiple-choice on informative texts, and a cloze or matching task on a longer article. Duration is 50 minutes.

Analisi delle strutture di comunicazione

The grammar and vocabulary section of CILS B1. Four tasks test cloze, verb forms, pronoun use, and sentence completion. It contains 20 items to be completed in 40 minutes.

Scrittura

The writing section of CILS B1. Candidates write a short message (60–80 words) and a letter or email (80–100 words). Assessment covers task completion, coherence, and grammatical accuracy.

Parlato

The speaking section of CILS B1. It includes a short monologue on a familiar topic (1.5–2 minutes) and an interaction with the examiner. Fluency, pronunciation, and communicative effectiveness are assessed.

Passing threshold

To pass CILS B1, a candidate must score at least 11/20 in each of the five sections and achieve an overall total of at least 55/100. Scores are not rounded up.

Passato prossimo

A compound past tense formed with avere or essere plus the past participle. It expresses completed actions. With essere, the participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.

Imperfetto

An Italian past tense used for habitual actions, descriptions, and ongoing background situations. It contrasts with passato prossimo, which marks completed events.

Futuro semplice

The simple future tense in Italian. It expresses future actions, predictions, and sometimes probability. Regular forms add -ò, -ai, -à, -emo, -ete, -anno to the infinitive stem.

Condizionale presente

The present conditional in Italian. It expresses polite requests, hypotheses, and wishes. Regular forms add -ei, -esti, -ebbe, -emmo, -este, -ebbero to the infinitive stem.

Congiuntivo presente

The present subjunctive in Italian. It appears in subordinate clauses after expressions of doubt, desire, or opinion (penso che, spero che). B1 candidates should recognize its basic forms.

Combined pronouns

Pronouns that merge an indirect object pronoun with a direct object pronoun, such as me lo, te la, glielo, ce ne. They precede the conjugated verb or attach to an infinitive.

Cloze test

A task in which words are removed from a text and the candidate must supply the missing items. In CILS B1, cloze items test grammar, prepositions, and vocabulary in context.

True/false task

A listening or reading item type where the candidate decides whether a statement matches the text. It tests detailed comprehension rather than general gist.

Matching task

An item type where the candidate pairs texts, notices, or statements with corresponding situations or headings. It appears in Lettura and in Analisi delle strutture di comunicazione.

Multiple-choice item

A question with three or four options, only one of which is correct. It is used in Ascolto and Lettura to test detailed understanding of written or spoken texts.

Informal letter

A writing task in Scrittura addressed to a friend or relative. It uses tu, informal greetings (Ciao, Caro/a), and everyday vocabulary. Length is typically 60–100 words.

Formal email

A writing task in Scrittura addressed to an institution or unknown recipient. It uses Lei, formal greetings (Gentile, Distinti saluti), and polite formulas. Length is typically 80–100 words.

Monologue task

A speaking task in Parlato where the candidate talks for 1.5–2 minutes on a familiar topic such as daily routine, holidays, or work. It tests fluency and coherence.

Interaction task

A speaking task in Parlato where the candidate converses with the examiner about everyday situations. It tests turn-taking, comprehension, and appropriate responses.

Pronunciation assessment

In Parlato, examiners evaluate pronunciation, including Italian vowel clarity, double consonants, and word stress. Intelligibility is more important than native-like accent.

Coherence

A writing assessment criterion in Scrittura. It refers to logical organization of ideas, use of connectors (però, quindi, inoltre), and clear paragraph structure.

Task completion

A writing assessment criterion in Scrittura. It checks whether the candidate addressed all parts of the prompt, used the required text type, and respected the word limit.

Word limit

The required length for Scrittura tasks: 60–80 words for the short message and 80–100 words for the letter or email. Significant deviation may affect the score.

Connectors

Words that link ideas in writing and speech, such as perché, quindi, però, inoltre, prima, dopo. At B1, appropriate use of connectors supports coherence.

Prepositions

Italian prepositions (di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra/fra) and their articulated forms (del, alla, nel, sul). They are frequently tested in cloze and completion tasks.

Articulated prepositions

Combinations of a preposition with a definite article, such as al, dello, nella, sugli. They are a core grammar point at B1 and appear in cloze items.

Reflexive verbs

Verbs whose action reflects on the subject, conjugated with reflexive pronouns (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si). Common examples: alzarsi, lavarsi, sentirsi. They often use essere in compound tenses.

Direct object pronouns

Pronouns that replace the direct object: mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, le. They precede the conjugated verb or attach to an infinitive (voglio vederlo).

Indirect object pronouns

Pronouns that replace the indirect object: mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi, gli. They often accompany verbs like parlare, telefonare, scrivere, and piacere constructions.

Ci and ne

Particles that replace a place (ci = there) or a quantity/partitive (ne = of it/them). At B1, candidates should recognize and use common expressions like c'è, ci sono, ne ho due.

Time expressions

Phrases that situate actions in time, such as ieri, domani, la settimana scorsa, fra due giorni, da tre anni. They help determine tense choice in reading and listening tasks.