Skills for English B2 cheat sheet

B2 reading tasks typically require locating specific information, understanding main ideas, inferring meaning, and recognising the writer's opinion or purpose across notices, articles, emails, and short reports.

Skimming means reading headings, first sentences, and topic sentences to map the text before answering; scanning means moving the eyes quickly for names, numbers, dates, or keywords without reading every word.

Question order usually follows text order in sequential tasks; if an answer seems to belong much earlier or later, re-check the paragraph reference before committing.

Distractors often reuse exact words from the text but change one element - negation (not, never), quantity (all, some), time (before, after), or agent (who did it) - so match meaning, not vocabulary.

For gapped texts, decide the missing word's grammatical role first (noun, verb, adjective, connector), then check collocation and whether the sentence still makes sense with the chosen option.

Matching headings to paragraphs depends on the paragraph's main idea, not its most striking detail; a heading that fits one sentence but not the whole paragraph is a distractor.

Inference questions ask what is implied, not stated; the correct answer must be supported by textual evidence, while an answer that is merely plausible in real life is not sufficient.

True/False/Not Given: 'False' means the text contradicts the statement; 'Not Given' means the text neither confirms nor contradicts it - absence of evidence is not contradiction.

Timing rule for B2: budget roughly one minute per question; if a question blocks progress for more than two minutes, mark a provisional answer and return after completing the passage.

B2 listening covers announcements, telephone messages, conversations, interviews, and short talks; tasks include multiple choice, matching, gap-fill, and note completion.

Use the pause before each recording to read the questions and underline the key word (who, when, where, why, how much) so you know what information to listen for.

Answers usually appear in the same order as the questions; if you hear the answer to question 4, you have probably missed question 3 - mark a guess and rejoin at question 5.

Speakers frequently self-correct ('Tuesday - no, sorry, Wednesday'), so the final stated detail is normally the correct one; treat the first mention as provisional.

Distractors are built from words heard in the recording but attached to the wrong item, time, or person; the correct option is usually a paraphrase, not a verbatim repetition.

Numbers, times, prices, and spellings are common gap-fill targets; write the figure as heard, then check singular/plural and units (pounds vs pence, a.m. vs p.m.) after the recording.

Signposting phrases reveal structure: 'firstly', 'however', 'on the other hand', 'to sum up' signal a change of topic or a contrast, which often precedes the answer.

For matching tasks, note each speaker's attitude or reason in a few words while listening; matching by topic alone fails when two speakers discuss the same subject differently.

In note-completion, respect the word limit stated in the instructions and keep the grammar of the surrounding notes: a plural noun or past-tense verb may be required.

B2 speaking is assessed on fluency, coherence, lexical range, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation; a few errors are acceptable if meaning stays clear and the flow is maintained.

The B2 descriptor for fluency allows some hesitation while searching for patterns and words, but not long silences; use fillers such as 'well', 'let me think', or a rephrasing instead of stopping.

Answer-plus-reason-plus-example is a reliable structure for opinion questions: state a position, justify it, then add a short personal example to extend the turn beyond one sentence.

For picture or prompt comparison, cover similarities ('both show…'), differences ('whereas', 'unlike'), and speculation ('they might be…', 'it looks as if…') to demonstrate range.

Use a range of tenses deliberately: present perfect for experience ('I've never tried…'), conditional for hypotheses ('If I had the chance, I would…'), and future forms for plans.

Paraphrase when a word is missing: describe it ('the thing you use to…') rather than switching to another language or falling silent.

Discourse markers ('to be honest', 'on the whole', 'another thing is', 'that said') signal organisation and help the examiner follow the argument.

Pronunciation: stress the key content words in a sentence and keep final consonants audible; intelligibility matters more than accent, but unclear word endings cost marks.

In interactive tasks, respond to the partner or examiner before adding your own point ('That's a good point - I'd add that…'); a monologue that ignores the prompt loses interaction marks.

B2 writing tasks include formal and informal emails or letters, short articles, reports, and opinion essays; each has a required purpose, audience, and register that the response must match.

Register rule: contractions, phrasal verbs, and exclamation marks suit informal messages; formal writing uses full forms, passive where appropriate, and neutral vocabulary ('I am writing to enquire' not 'Just wondering').

Cover every bullet point in the task prompt; an omitted content point caps the content score regardless of language quality, so tick each point after drafting.

Paragraphing is assessed: use a clear opening, one paragraph per idea or bullet point, and a closing line that matches the purpose (request, apology, thanks, recommendation).

Common B2 email openings: 'I am writing to…', 'I would like to…', 'Thank you for your email regarding…'; closings: 'I look forward to hearing from you', 'Please do not hesitate to contact me'.

Essays need a thesis in the introduction, one central idea per body paragraph with a supporting example, and a conclusion that restates the position without introducing new arguments.

Cohesion comes from a limited set of accurate linkers ('however', 'therefore', 'in addition', 'although'); overusing them or misplacing 'however' after a comma splice weakens the text.

Word count is part of the task: too short usually means underdeveloped content, while a long response with irrelevant material wastes time and risks losing focus - aim for the stated range.

Leave two to three minutes to proofread for the errors B2 candidates most often make: subject–verb agreement, articles, prepositions after verbs, and tense consistency within a paragraph.