Lesson 21

Module 06 · Linking & Detail

Reading Part 4:Gapped Text

Sentence completion & linking across a text

60 min Reading

PET

Teacher Notes

PET parts in this lesson · mixed-skill spiral

Reading 4Listening 4Writing 2 articleSpeaking 3Grammar

Why this lesson now? Introduces Reading 4; recycles Listening 4 and Writing 2 article.

CEFR Pathway · You are here

A0/A1Beginner
A1/A2Elementary
A2/B1Pre-Intermediate
B1/B1+Intermediate
B2Upper-Intermediate
C1Advanced
C2Proficiency

Get ready · 01

5 min

Get talking

discussion

Hidden glue

What words show that one sentence follows another (e.g. 'however', 'then')?

reflection

Pronoun spy

Why does 'she', 'this', 'they' help you find the right sentence?

activity

Test the gap

How can you tell a sentence DOESN'T fit?

Grammar for the Exam · 02

8–10 min

Linking: the words that hold a text together

Grammar Bank: Linking: the words that hold a text togetherJumps straight to this rule — full explanation, examples & practice

Quick rule

Pronouns + linkers + time markers tell you which sentence fits which gap.

Examples

Part 4 tests linking. Look BEFORE the gap (what's the topic?) and AFTER the gap (what does 'this/then/she' refer to?). The right sentence connects both.

→ Reference: 'this' / 'these' / 'such' point back to something already mentioned.
→ Time: 'later', 'meanwhile', 'finally' fix sentences in order.
→ Logic: 'however', 'as a result', 'for example' show the relationship.

Question 1.If the sentence after the gap starts with 'This was a huge problem', the gap must…

Question 2.'However' at the start of the missing sentence signals…

Question 3.'They were exhausted' as the missing sentence needs the BEFORE-gap to mention…

Question 4.Best clue word for matching:

Answer all items, then check.

Quick check 1.First place to look when choosing a missing sentence:

Answer all items, then check.

Exam Vocabulary · 03

5–7 min

Words & phrases to own

Open Vocabulary BankTap any word below to jump straight to its entry

however

shows a contrast

Use it

Finish: 'I love coffee. However…'

as a result

shows a consequence

Use it

Finish: 'It rained all day. As a result…'

meanwhile

at the same time, elsewhere

Use it

Use 'meanwhile' about two friends doing different things.

in addition

adds more information

Use it

Add a fact about your town with 'In addition…'

for instance

introduces an example

Use it

Give an example with 'For instance…'

such (a problem)

refers back to something already named

Use it

What is 'such a problem' referring to in your life right now?

Use it now

Activation · Personalise · Recycle

Use the linkers in real sentences immediately.

Ask your partner

Task 1

Ask your partner

Tell your partner something positive — and follow with 'However…'.
Describe a small problem and add 'As a result…'
Say what you're doing and what your best friend is probably doing — use 'meanwhile'.

Usehoweveras a resultmeanwhile

Complete it

Task 2

"I'd like to learn Italian. In addition,…"in addition

Your opinion

Task 3

Which app saves you time? Give an example with 'for instance'.

Give your answer + one reason.

Usefor instance

Quick write

Task 4

Write 3 linked sentences about your week using all three linkers.

Usehoweveras a resultin addition

Pronunciation for Speaking · 04

3–4 min

Pausing around linking phrases

Say it like this

Drop your pitch and pause briefly before 'however', 'as a result', 'meanwhile'.

• I really wanted to go… / however, / I was too tired.
• It rained all morning. / As a result, / the match was cancelled.
• Meanwhile, / her brother was preparing dinner.

Reading Skills · 05

8–10 min

PET Reading Part 4 — A surprising new hobby

Six months ago, my grandmother decided to learn how to skateboard. She is sixty-eight. [[1]] Most of the family thought she'd give up after a week.

She found a beginners' class at the local park, run by two teenagers. [[2]] Then, one Saturday, she fell. Her wrist was bruised but not broken.

[[3]] Instead, she bought wrist guards and went back the next weekend. Within a month she could roll across the park without holding onto anything.

My grandmother now says skateboarding is the best decision she's made in years. [[4]] Her doctor says her balance has actually improved. [[5]] And the teenagers at the park have, surprisingly, become some of her closest friends.

Question 1.How old is the grandmother?

Question 2.Who teaches the class?

Question 3.What happened on the Saturday?

Answer all items, then check.

PET Reading Part 4

PET Reading Part 4 — Choose the sentence that fits each gap. There are THREE extra sentences.

Use the passage above. Five sentences are missing; eight options are listed.

(see READING_PASSAGE above for the full text with – markers)

Sentence options

Answer all items, then check.

Listening Skills · 06

8–10 min

PET Listening Part 4 — Interview: starting a new hobby at any age

Listening audio

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Show transcript

Interviewer:Dr Reyes, is there really no age limit to learning a sport?

Dr Reyes:Honestly, no. Balance, coordination, even reaction time — they all improve with practice, at any age.

Interviewer:What about injuries?

Dr Reyes:Risk goes up slightly, but a beginners' class and basic protection — wrist guards, a helmet — make a huge difference.

Interviewer:And the social side?

Dr Reyes:That's the biggest surprise. Most older beginners I work with say new friends were the unexpected bonus.

Question 1.Dr Reyes says balance and coordination…

Question 2.What reduces injury risk?

Question 3.What's the biggest surprise for older beginners?

Answer all items, then check.

PET Listening Part 3

PET Listening Part 3 — Complete the notes. Use ONE or TWO words for each gap.

Part 3 audio

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Beginners' Skate Club — Information

Registration form

Ref: BSC-2026

Club name: Beginners'
Meets on: mornings
Equipment provided: helmet and
Cost per session: £
Minimum age:
Contact name:

Answer all items, then check.

Exam Strategy · 07

5 min

PET Reading Part 4 — checking your sentence choices

Strategy

After you fill all 5 gaps, re-read the whole text aloud (silently). Any bumps = wrong sentence.

Task

Fit each sentence by checking BOTH sides of the gap. Then re-read the full text to spot pronouns or time markers that don't match.

Example

If option says 'They were patient' but the BEFORE-sentence mentions only one teacher, it's wrong. Look for 'two teenagers' nearby instead.

Writing Task · 08

5 min

Put it in writing

Sentence transformation

Type a short answer (1–3 words)

Q1.PET Reading Part 6 — type ONE word: 'She had never done ____ sport in her life.'

Q2.Type ONE word: 'Her wrist was bruised ____ not broken.'

Q3.Type ONE word: 'Within a month she ____ roll across the park.'

Answer all items, then check.

Writing Part 2Write a story

≈100 words

PET Writing Part 2 (story, ≈100 words). Begin your story with this sentence: 'I never expected my grandmother to do something so brave.' Use 'however', 'meanwhile' and 'as a result' once each.

Your writing draft

0 words Saved

Show model answer & examiner comment

I never expected my grandmother to do something so brave. She had always been the quiet one in the family, the one who stayed home with a book. However, last summer she signed up for a charity skydive. Meanwhile, the rest of us were nervously refreshing the website to follow her flight. As a result of her jump, she raised over £3,000 for the local hospital and inspired three cousins to try the same thing this year. Now nobody calls her 'the quiet one' anymore.

Examiner comment

Reward range, organisation and style. Penalise lists, off-topic or under-length answers.

Mark scheme extract

5	All content points covered; consistent style; range of structures; minor errors only.
3	Content mostly covered; mostly suitable style; some range; errors don't stop the reader understanding.
1	Limited content; intrusive errors; very basic structures; under-length.

Speaking Task · 09

10–15 min

Make it a real conversation

Open Expressions BankConversation phrases and functional language from across the course

PET Speaking Part 4 — Discuss: Is it ever too late to start something new? Give reasons and examples from your family.

Useful phrases

PET Speaking Part 2 · Photo description

PET Speaking Part 2 — 1 minute per candidate.

Candidate A Photograph 1

Candidate A — Meeting new people

Need help? Show prompts (try describing with no help first)

• What can you see?
• How do they feel?
• Why are they there?

Candidate B Photograph 2

Candidate B — Friends together

Need help? Show prompts (try describing with no help first)

• What are they doing?
• How do they look?
• What might they be saying?

Useful phrases

• In the photo I can see…
• It looks like…
• They appear to be…

Optional · Teacher-led

Teacher Activities

Make linking visible. ~30 min total

Homework · 10

Take-home

Take it home

Self-study — everything you need is included below. All four skills are covered so you keep the spiral going between lessons; pick the order that suits you.

ReadingReceptive

PET Reading Part 4 mock — re-do the gapped-text task from Section 5 without looking at answers. Then explain WHY each tempting wrong answer is wrong.

Your response

0 words Saved

Materials included

Text + task

Use the PET Reading Part 4 (gapped-text) task already provided in Section 5 of this lesson. Cover the answers first.

Tempting wrong answer log

For each gap 1–5, write: • The option I chose: ___ • The correct option: ___ • Why the wrong option was tempting (usually a repeated word or the wrong reference).

Rule of thumb

PET Part 4 tempting wrong answers almost always contain a word from the sentence BEFORE or AFTER the gap. Underline that word — it's the trap, not the clue.

WritingProductive

PET Writing Part 2 mock — write a 100-word story starting with the sentence below. Use 3 different linkers.

Your response

0 words Saved

Materials included

Story prompt

Begin your story with this sentence exactly: *** 'As soon as I opened the door, I knew something was different.' ***

Linkers to use (pick at least 3)

at first · then · suddenly · however · in the end · although · as soon as · while

Attempt the task first, then check your answers.

ReadingReceptive

Linking drill — read the paragraph below and circle every linking word (however, then, this, so, because…).

Your response

0 words Saved

Materials included

Paragraph

Maya wanted to run a marathon. However, she had never run more than 5km. So she made a 16-week plan and stuck it to the fridge. At first the runs felt impossible. Then, after about a month, something changed — her legs stopped complaining and her head started enjoying it. This didn't mean the marathon was easy, but on race day she knew she could finish, because she had already done the hardest 20 miles alone in the rain.

Attempt the task first, then check your answers.

Recap · 11

2–3 min

What you've learned

Part 4 = 5 gaps, 8 sentence options (3 tempting wrong answers).
Look at the sentence BEFORE and AFTER each gap.
Track pronouns (this/they/she) and linkers (however/then).
Re-read the whole text aloud silently to check flow.
Eliminate impossible options first.

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