Review Lab

Review Lab 02

B1+

Lesson 32

MediaLab

Review Lab · discussion & reporting

60 min · Review Lab Review

Your level · You are here

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

Teacher Notes

Review Lab

A friendly check-in — not a test.

Practise the language from the last few lessons through short tasks and longer speaking turns. Aim to speak naturally, not perfectly — replay anything, skip nothing.

Speaking practice

Skills challenges

Real conversation

Get Talking · Section 1

5 min

Start the conversation — no pressure

reflection

Quick check-in

Which lesson from 23–25 do you find most relevant to your own media habits?

discussion

One example

What's a piece of news you've read or heard recently that you could report back to a partner?

activity

Confidence scan

Which still feels shaky: Present Perfect Continuous, reported speech, or knowing how formal to be on social media?

Grammar review · Section 2

8–10 min

Mixed review — talking about media, habits and reported news

Open in Grammar Bank

Quick rule

Habit connected to now = Present Perfect Continuous. Retelling what was said = reported speech, tense shifted back.

How it works

This lab mixes structures from Lessons 23–25.
(1) Present Perfect Continuous describes an ongoing habit connected to the present — 'I've been watching a lot more news lately.' (2) Reported speech lets you retell what a news story or another person said, shifting the tense back — 'They said unemployment was falling.' (3) Social media register means adjusting formality depending on the platform and audience — a comment under a friend's photo is casual; a professional post is more formal.
The skill is combining all three: describing your habits, reporting something you read, and choosing the right register to talk about it.

When to use

Describing a recent, ongoing habit → Present Perfect Continuous.
Retelling a headline or something someone said → reported speech.
Commenting casually on social media → short, informal language.
Posting professionally → fuller, more formal sentences.

Compare

Direct quote	Reported speech
'Prices are rising.'	The report said that prices were rising.
'We'll launch next month.'	They said they would launch next month.

In action

I've been spending way more time on my phone recently.

The article said that streaming had overtaken television for the first time.

Great pic!! 😍 miss you guys

Delighted to share that our latest project has now launched.

Memory tip

PPC = habit that started in the past and is still relevant now. Reported speech = shift the tense one step back.

Natural English

In real conversation, people often blend reported speech with their own opinion in one breath: 'They said it was rising, but honestly I'm not convinced.'

Step 1 — Build the sentences yourself

Step 2 — Produce the form from memory

Sentence transformation

Say it naturally

There isn't one "right" answer — write a natural version, then compare with the model.

Q1.Which tense typically shifts back one step in reported speech? (answer in a few words)

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Step 3 — Check your choices

Challenge 1.Correct Present Perfect Continuous:

Challenge 2.Best reported version of 'The news is spreading fast.'

Challenge 3.Most appropriate for a casual comment under a friend's photo:

Challenge 4.Most appropriate for a professional post:

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Vocabulary review · Section 3

5–7 min

Bring back your words

Open in Vocabulary Bank

Go viral

to spread very quickly online

In context

"The video went viral within hours."

Now try it yourself

Name something you've seen go viral recently.

Breaking news

news that is happening right now and just reported

In context

"We interrupt this programme for breaking news."

Now try it yourself

Describe a piece of breaking news you remember.

Scroll through

to quickly look through content on a screen

In context

"I was scrolling through my feed for an hour."

Now try it yourself

Say how long you usually scroll through your phone each day.

Post/comment

content or a reaction shared online

In context

"She left a supportive comment on my post."

Now try it yourself

Describe the last comment you left online.

Fact-check

to verify whether information is true

In context

"Always fact-check before sharing a story."

Now try it yourself

Say why fact-checking matters to you.

Come across as

to give a particular impression

In context

"That comment came across as quite harsh."

Now try it yourself

Give an example of a post that came across in an unintended way.

Make it yours

Use the new words

Pick at least three words from above and use each one in a sentence about your real life. Say each one aloud before you write.

Quick exchange

Ask your teacher (or a partner) a question that uses one of today's words. They reply using a different word.

Ranking

Rank today's words from most to least useful for you this week. Defend your top choice.

Opinion

Finish: "Honestly, I'd say…" using one of today's words.

Your three personal sentences

Tip: aim to reuse at least two of these words later in the Speaking and Writing tasks.

Matching

Match each phrase to its meaning.

Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Pronunciation · Section 4

3–4 min

Stress on the auxiliary in Present Perfect Continuous, neutral tone for reported speech

In Present Perfect Continuous, the auxiliary often carries light stress to mark the ongoing habit: 'I've BEEN scrolling a LOT lately.' Reported speech usually sounds calm and even, without dramatic stress, because you're relaying information rather than reacting to it: 'They said it was RIsing.' Overstressing reported speech can make it sound like your own strong opinion rather than a neutral report.

• I've BEEN watching the NEWS a LOT lately.
• They SAID it was RIsing.
• The arTIcle said STREAMing had overTAKen TV.
• That comment came aCROSS as quite HARSH.

Reading challenge · Section 5

8–10 min

What three lessons leave behind

By the end of Lessons 23 to 25, your English should be quietly adjusting to talk about media the way people actually do. Describing your own habits, you should reach for the Present Perfect Continuous the moment the habit is ongoing and connected to now — 'I've been checking the news more than usual' — because it captures both the duration and the current relevance in a way a simple past tense can't.

Retelling news accurately is its own skill. Reported speech isn't just a grammar rule about shifting tenses backward; it's a signal to your listener that you're relaying someone else's words rather than stating a fact yourself. 'They said unemployment was falling' leaves room for doubt in a way that 'unemployment is falling' does not, and that distinction matters when the accuracy of information is in question.

Social media adds a further layer: register. The same piece of news might be shared as 'omg have you seen this??' among friends and as 'An important update on this issue' in a professional context. Neither version is more correct than the other — they're simply calibrated for different audiences, and choosing the wrong one is what makes a post feel out of place.

The real test, as with every review lab, is combining all three: describing an ongoing habit, reporting something accurately, and pitching the register correctly for wherever you're saying it.

Step 1 — Read for the overall picture: true or false?

True / False

Decide if each statement is True or False

Q1.The text says reported speech is only a grammar rule with no real communicative purpose.

Q2.The text says choosing the wrong register can make a post feel out of place.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Step 2 — Find the evidence and answer

Challenge 1.According to the text, what does Present Perfect Continuous capture that a simple past tense can't?

Challenge 2.What does the text say reported speech signals to a listener?

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Sentence transformation

Say it naturally

There isn't one "right" answer — write a natural version, then compare with the model.

Q1.Why does the text say neither casual nor professional social media register is 'more correct'? (answer in a few words)

Q2.What does the text imply is 'the real test' of this review lab? (answer in a few words)

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Listening challenge · Section 6

8–10 min

Two colleagues discussing the news

Listening audio

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

Show transcript

Tom:Have you seen the news this morning? Apparently there's been a big story about streaming.

Ria:Yeah, I read it. The article said that streaming had officially overtaken TV for the first time.

Tom:Interesting. I've been noticing that myself, actually — I've barely turned the TV on in weeks.

Ria:Same here. Did you see it go viral online too? Everyone's sharing it.

Tom:I did, though some of the comments were a bit much. One post just said 'TV is dead lol', which came across as a bit dramatic.

Ria:Ha, true. I saw a more professional version too, something like 'An important shift in how we consume media.'

Tom:Same story, completely different tone.

Ria:Exactly. Anyway, did you fact-check it, or just take it at face value?

Tom:I checked two sources actually — turns out it's accurate.

Step 1 — Listen and notice the language

Tick what you hear

Tick the phrases you hear in use.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Step 2 — Listen again and complete the notes

Challenge 1.According to the article Ria read, what has streaming done for the first time?

Challenge 2.What habit has Tom been noticing about himself?

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Sentence transformation

Say it naturally

There isn't one "right" answer — write a natural version, then compare with the model.

Q1.Why does Tom say the comment 'TV is dead lol' came across as a bit dramatic? (answer in a few words)

Q2.What can be inferred about Tom from the end of the conversation? (answer in a few words)

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Skills challenge · Section 7

5 min

Speaking — Cambridge B2 First Part 2 (comparing and reporting information)

Task

Speak for 60 seconds describing a media habit you've been developing recently, then report one thing you've read or heard in the news, using appropriate register.

Strategy

Structure your turn as: ongoing habit (PPC) → something reported (reported speech) → your own reaction, clearly separated from the reported fact. This keeps what's 'reported' distinct from what's your own opinion, which examiners reward as clarity.

Example

I've been reading a lot more news online recently, mostly because it's quicker than watching TV. One article I saw said that print newspaper sales were falling every year, which honestly didn't surprise me. I think the shift makes sense, but I do worry that headlines shared casually online sometimes lose important context.

Practice · Section 8

8–10 min

Quick-fire practice

Step 1 — Retrieve it from memory first

Step 2 — Now check your choices

Challenge 1.I ___ been spending a lot of time online lately.

Challenge 2.The article said that streaming ___ overtaken TV.

Challenge 3.That comment came ___ as a bit harsh.

Challenge 4.Always ___ -check before sharing a story.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Writing challenge · Section 9

5 min

Show what you can do

Your task

Write 100 words about a media habit you've been developing and something you recently read in the news. Include one Present Perfect Continuous sentence and one reported speech sentence.

Your answer

Your work saves automatically

0 words

Show model answer

I've been reading a lot more long-form journalism recently, instead of just scrolling through headlines. Last week an article I read said that attention spans were shrinking across most age groups, which made me think twice about my own habits. It's strange — I've also been noticing I concentrate better when I read from paper rather than a screen. On social media, the same story appeared as a short, casual post saying 'attention spans are basically gone lol', which felt like a completely different message from the original, more careful research.

Speaking · Section 10

10–15 min

Talk it out

Open in Useful Expressions

In pairs, discuss a real or invented news story. One partner describes their own ongoing media habit, the other reports something they 'read' about the story, and together decide how you'd phrase it for a casual post versus a professional one.

Useful phrases