1.2. Writing about a classmate

Consolidation Exercise: Write an eight-question interview for a classmate about one of the following context topics related to transportation.

🎤 Personal Interview Contexts – Transportation

🚶 Everyday Life Contexts

• Interviewing a classmate about how transportation fits into their daily routine today.
• Talking to someone about how they commute now compared to earlier in their life.
• Interviewing a person about how transportation affects their work–life balance.

 

🕰️ Biographical / Life Story Contexts

• Interviewing someone about how they traveled during their childhood or teenage years.
• Talking to a person about transportation in their childhood versus today.
• Interviewing a person about the first time transportation gave them independence (first bike, bus pass, car).

 

🔄 Past vs Present Comparison Contexts

• Interviewing someone about how transportation has changed over their lifetime.
• Discussing personal adaptations to changes in transport systems over time.
• Comparing past travel habits with current ones in a personal interview.

 

🏙️ Place-Based Contexts

• Interviewing someone who moved from a rural area to a city about transport differences.
• Talking to a person who has lived in different countries or cities about transport changes.
• Interviewing someone about transportation before and after moving for work or study.

 

🚆 Experience-Based Contexts

• Interviewing someone about a memorable journey in the past.
• Talking about positive or negative experiences with public transportation.
• Interviewing someone about how transportation has shaped important life moments.

 

🌱 Attitude & Lifestyle Contexts

• Interviewing someone about how their attitude toward transportation has changed over time.
• Discussing whether convenience or sustainability matters more to them now.
• Interviewing someone about habits they kept from the past or abandoned.

 

🎓 Perfect for:

• Personal interviews
• Biographical articles
• C1 speaking exams
• Class projects and videos

If you want, I can:

• Match these contexts to Cambridge C1 speaking tasks
• Turn one context into a full interview scenario
• Adapt them for students, adults, or seniors

Just tell me 😊

Consider that all the students are part of the urban context.

Perfect, that helps a lot 👍
Here are urban-focused personal interview contexts about transportation, clearly framed for students living in a city, and suitable for C1 level work.

 

🏙️ Urban Personal Interview Contexts – Transportation

🚇 Daily Urban Mobility

• Interviewing a classmate about how they move around the city on a daily basis.
• Talking about how urban transportation affects their schedule, stress levels, and punctuality.
• Interviewing someone about peak hours and daily commuting in the city.

🕰️ Urban Transportation: Past Experiences

• Interviewing a student about how they used to travel in the city a few years ago.
• Talking about changes in urban transport they have personally experienced.
• Interviewing someone about how city transportation was less developed in the past.

🔄 Urban Past vs Present

• Interviewing a classmate about how urban transportation has evolved during their lifetime.
• Comparing how easy it was to move around the city in the past versus today.
• Discussing whether urban mobility has genuinely improved or simply become more complex.

 

🚌 Public Transport in the City

• Interviewing a student about their reliance on buses, metro, or trams.
• Talking about personal experiences with overcrowding and delays.
• Interviewing someone about their level of satisfaction with the city’s transport system.

 

🚲 Urban Lifestyle & Choices

• Interviewing a classmate about choosing between public transport, cycling, or walking.
• Discussing how city infrastructure influences transportation choices.
• Talking about habits they have changed to adapt to city traffic.

 

🚦 Urban Challenges & Adaptation

• Interviewing a student about how traffic congestion affects their daily life.
• Talking about coping strategies for long commutes or transport disruptions.
• Interviewing someone about how urban transport impacts their sense of independence.

 

🎓 Ideal for:

• Personal interviews
• Urban-life articles
• C1 speaking tasks
• Classroom interview projects

 

Consolidation Exercise 2: Write an article about your classmate interview.

Title

Introduction

Body (2 or 3 paragraphs)

Conclusion

Word range between 220 and 260 words

📝 Cambridge C1 Article Writing Rubric

✨ Scale: 0–5 per criterion (Total: 20 points)

1. Content

Score	Descriptor
5	All parts of the task are fully addressed. The article is relevant, informative, and shows insight into the topic.
4	All parts of the task are addressed, though some ideas could be more fully developed.
3	The task is generally addressed, but some points are underdeveloped or slightly irrelevant.
2	The task is only partially addressed; key points may be missing or unclear.
1	The task is largely not addressed; content is mostly irrelevant.
0	No relevant content.

2. Communicative Achievement

(Appropriacy of register, tone, and genre for an article)

Score	Descriptor
5	Uses the conventions of an article effectively. Register is consistently appropriate; engages the reader well.
4	Generally appropriate register and tone, with minor inconsistencies.
3	Register is sometimes appropriate but uneven; limited awareness of article conventions.
2	Inappropriate or inconsistent register; article conventions are weak.
1	Register is inappropriate; reader engagement is minimal.
0	No evidence of communicative purpose.

3. Organisation

Score	Descriptor
5	Text is well organised and coherent, with clear paragraphing and effective use of cohesive devices.
4	Generally well organised, though cohesion may occasionally be mechanical or repetitive.
3	Some organisation present, but ideas may not always flow logically.
2	Weak organisation; limited or inappropriate use of linking devices.
1	Very little organisation; ideas are difficult to follow.
0	No organisation.

4. Language

(Range and accuracy of grammar and vocabulary)

Score	Descriptor
5	Uses a wide range of sophisticated vocabulary and structures accurately. Errors are rare and non-impeding.
4	Good range of language with occasional errors that do not hinder communication.
3	Adequate range of language; errors are noticeable but meaning is generally clear.
2	Limited range of vocabulary and structures; frequent errors affect clarity.
1	Very limited control of language; errors seriously impede understanding.
0	No assessable language.

📊 Overall Score Interpretation

Total Score	Cambridge-Style Interpretation
18–20	Strong C1 performance
14–17	Secure C1
10–13	Borderline C1 / High B2
Below 10	Below C1 level

✅ Notes for Teachers & Examiners

• Weighting reflects official Cambridge marking
• Article should be semi-formal, engaging, and reader-oriented
• Minor errors are acceptable at C1 if ambition and control are evident

 

Exercise 2.1 on page 186

Exercise 2.2 on page 186

Exercise 2.3 on page 186