Speaking Success: Trinity GESE Grade 5

Elementary stage · CEFR B1.1 — the tasks, themes and language of Grade 5, practised by Philo and Sophia.

•Grade 5, at a glance

Elementary stageCEFR B1.110 minutesOne-to-one with the examiner

1. Topic discussion

up to 5 min

2. Conversation

up to 5 min

At the Elementary stage you bring a topic of your own choice, with a topic form listing your discussion points. The examiner discusses at least four of them with you. Then the examiner chooses two subject areas from the list below for a conversation.

1What you need to do (communicative skills)

Topic: talk about your five discussion points in linked turns, explain and give reasons, and ask the examiner one question
Conversation: respond, explain, give reasons, and ask the examiner at least one question

2Themes and topics (subject areas)

Conversation subject areas (the examiner chooses two)

Topics

Festivals
Means of transport
Special occasions, eg birthday celebrations
Entertainment, eg cinema, television, clubs
Music
Recent personal experiences

Your own topic must not be taken from this list: choose something personal, which you know well and enjoy talking about.

3Language functions and grammar (what the examiner listens for)

Functions

Talking about the future: informing and predicting
Expressing preferences
Talking about events in the recent and indefinite past
Giving reasons
Saying how long things have lasted
Quantifying

Grammar and language

Present perfect with for, since, ever, never, just
because
will for predictions: I think it will rain.
a lot of, not very much, many
I prefer…, I’d rather…
Time: two days ago, in the future; weak forms: I’ve been to…

Worked example — the Conversation phase: festivals

ExaminerLet’s talk about festivals. Have you ever been to a big festival?

SophiaYes, I’ve been to the festival of the Nile flood many times. I’ve just come back from this year’s, actually!

ExaminerWhat do you prefer, the music or the food?

SophiaI’d rather listen to the music, because the food is always too sweet for me. And there are so many people that you wait for ages to eat.

ExaminerDo you think festivals will change in the future?

SophiaI think they’ll get bigger and louder! Have you ever been to a festival here?

Tips for Grade 5

Topic: prepare a topic form with five discussion points, and enough to talk for five minutes, no more.
Show off your present perfect: I’ve been…, I’ve never…, I’ve just…
Remember to ask the examiner a question in each phase.

•How Grade 5 is assessed

The examiner gives a letter grade for each phase, for task fulfilment: how well you use the communicative skills, functions, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation of this grade and all the grades before it, with good fluency.

A · Distinction

An excellent performance.

B · Merit

A good performance.

C · Pass

A satisfactory performance.

D · Fail

Not yet satisfactory: the report shows what to work on.

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Based on Trinity College London’s GESE specifications (from January 2026). Always check trinitycollege.com/GESE for the current version.