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A2 Flyers speaking: find the differences task practice

A1-A2A2 Flyers40 questionsUpdated

In the A2 Flyers speaking test the examiner shows two similar pictures and the child says what is different. It rewards full sentences, not single words, and it rewards a child who keeps talking. This page practises the phrases, the structures and the habits that make the task go smoothly.

What this task tests

  • Describing a difference in a full sentence, not a single word.
  • Using in my picture and in your picture to keep the two apart.
  • Comparatives and quantities: bigger, smaller, three instead of four.
  • Position words for where the difference is.
  • Colour, size, number and action as the four things that usually change.
  • Keeping going for several differences without stopping.
  • Polite phrases for when a word is missing.
  • Listening to the examiner's description and responding to it.
  • Speaking clearly enough to be understood, without worrying about a perfect accent.
  • Staying relaxed and looking at the picture rather than at the examiner.

How to do it

  1. Step 1:

    Use the two-picture frame

    In my picture the cat is black, but in your picture it is white. One frame carries every answer in the task.

  2. Step 2:

    Scan for the four things

    Colour, number, size, action. Children who check those four find differences fast.

  3. Step 3:

    Always a full sentence

    Black is not an answer. The cat is black is. Practise until the short version stops appearing.

  4. Step 4:

    Start with the easiest difference

    A colour change is the simplest sentence to build and it gets the child talking straight away.

  5. Step 5:

    Learn two rescue phrases

    I don't know the word, and it is like a... Both keep the conversation alive instead of stopping it.

  6. Step 6:

    Add a position

    In my picture there are two birds in the tree. Position makes the answer clearer and shows more language.

  7. Step 7:

    Practise with spot-the-difference puzzles

    Any children's puzzle page works. The language practice is identical and the activity is already familiar.

  8. Step 8:

    Do not repeat the examiner

    Listen to what has been said and add something new. Repetition wastes the child's turn.

  9. Step 9:

    Speak up

    A quiet answer that cannot be heard cannot be credited. A short breath before speaking helps more than it sounds like it should.

  10. Step 10:

    End with a smile, not an apology

    Children who apologise for their English lose fluency marks they had already earned. Teach them to finish and stop.

Mistakes that cost marks

  • Not thisBlue.

    ThisIn my picture the car is blue.

    Single-word answers show none of the language the child has. The frame must become automatic.

  • Not thisHere is a dog and here is a cat.

    ThisIn my picture there is a dog, but in your picture there is a cat.

    Here does not distinguish the two pictures. In my and in your do.

  • Not thisThere is three balls.

    ThisThere are three balls.

    Plural takes there are. It is a small slip but it is audible and easy to fix.

  • Not thisSilence while thinking of a word

    ThisI don't know the word. It's like a big bag.

    Silence scores nothing. A rescue phrase keeps the turn going and often gets help from the examiner.

  • Not thisThe boy is play football.

    ThisThe boy is playing football.

    The -ing form is essential in this task, since most differences are about what people are doing.

  • Not thisRepeating the examiner's difference

    ThisAdding a new one

    The turn is the child's chance to speak. Listening first prevents a wasted answer.

  • Not thisSorry, my English is bad.

    ThisFinishing the sentence and stopping

    Apologies take time and lower the impression. Confidence is part of what is being assessed.

Language this task keeps reusing

different
Not the same.
the same
Not different.
in my picture
The phrase for what you can see.
in your picture
The phrase for what the examiner can see.
but
The word that joins two different things.
instead of
In the place of something else.
there is
Used for one thing.
there are
Used for more than one thing.
wearing
Having clothes on.
holding
Having something in your hand.
next to
At the side of something.
looks like
A useful phrase when you do not know a word.
maybe
Perhaps; a safe word when you are unsure.
another
One more of the same kind.

Practice: speaking: picture differences

40 original questions. The first 10 are open to everyone. Answers are checked in your browser and never sent to us, so you can share this page with a class as it is.

1Complete the sentence.

In my picture the cat is black, in your picture it is white.
Which is the best answer in this task?

3Complete the sentence.

In my picture there three birds in the tree.
Right or wrong?
  • A full sentence is better than one word.
  • You should say the same difference as the examiner.
  • In my picture and in your picture keep the two apart.
3 to go

5Complete the sentence.

The boy is a red jacket in my picture.
Which four things usually change between two pictures?

7Complete the sentence.

In my picture there one dog under the table.

8Say one difference between two pictures of a kitchen.

You do not know a word. What is the best thing to say?

10Complete the sentence.

In your picture the ball is bigger in mine.

Keep going

30 more questions on this page

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Frequently asked questions

Does the child have to find every difference?

No. What is assessed is the language used to describe them, so three clear, full sentences are worth more than six one-word answers.

How do I practise this at home?

Any spot-the-difference puzzle from a children's magazine works. Insist on full sentences and on the in my picture frame.

What if the child freezes?

Teach two rescue phrases and practise them until they are automatic. A child who can say I don't know the word will almost never fall completely silent.

Do small grammar mistakes matter?

Far less than silence does. Fluency and communication carry the task; a wobbly plural will not sink it.

Should the child look at the examiner or the picture?

Mostly at the picture, glancing up now and then. Children who stare at the examiner tend to lose their thread.

How long does this part of the test last?

Only a few minutes. It is short, friendly and conversational, which is worth telling a nervous child in advance.