SPEAKING PRACTICE 1ºESO

Complete the bubbles with what you think these people are saying in English in the classroom. Use expressions from these previous posts:

- SPEAKING ENGLISH IN THE ENGLISH CLASS

- SPEAKING ENGLISH IN THE ENGLISH CLASS (&2)

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BEING POLITE

Sometimes when speaking, British people don't like to be very direct, so they use different ways to sound more polite. In red what would sound more informal, in green how to sound more polite.

AGREEING: 'ALSO', 'AS WELL', 'SO' & 'TOO'

Take a look on how to use these different ways of agreeing which can be confusing.

+ about 'SO' & 'TOO' @ a previous post HERE.

GIVING OPINIONS, AGREEING & DISAGREEING (2)

Some typical expressions to use when giving opinion and when you agree or disagree with some opinion.
Previous posts on the same topics here on this blog:
- FIRST, EXPRESSING AN OPINION...

- ...AFTER COMES AGREEING OR DISAGREEING

ALL ABOUT VALENTINE'S DAY

It's that day once again... Some say it's romantic and cheesy... Others that it's only a commercial invention...

But it's here, and it's celebrated.

We've devoted many posts to it throughout the years, you can link to all of them HERE.

Another link to HOW TO FLIRT IN ENGLISH.

But if you really want to know everything about it, click to The Telegraph's article below:

Valentine's Day: Stay in or go out? A guide to the day itself and how to celebrate it

Below we also include some charts with idioms/expressions with the word of the day: HEART:

And different ways to say you're in love:

And whatever, enjoy!

SORRY vs EXCUSE ME vs PARDON

Trying to clarify in this post different expressions used to apologize with some examples:

Excuse me and pardon me are polite expressions that you use when you do something that could be slightly embarrassing or rude.

You usually use sorry to apologize after you have done something wrong.

According to Macmillan Dictionary,excuse me is used fo:

1. politely getting someone's attention
2. showing you are sorry for interrupting someone
3. asking someone to move so that you can get past them
4. politely telling someone you are leaving

Sorry is used for : 

1. emphasizing how bad,stupid,or embarrassing something is
2. feeling sadness or sympathy because something bad has happened to them
3. disappointed about a situation,and wishing you could change it

1. We usually say excuse me before we interrupt or disturb somebody;
we say sorry after we disturb or trouble somebody.

Compare:

• Excuse me, could I get past?… Oh, sorry, did I step on your foot?
• Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the station?

I beg your pardon is a more formal way of saying sorry.

• I beg your pardon. I’m afraid I didn’t realize this was your

2. If we do not hear or understand what people say, we usually say Sorry?What? (informal) or (I beg your) pardon?
Americans also say Pardon me?

• “Mike’s on the phone.” ” Sorry?” I said “Mike’s on the phone”
• “See you tomorrow”. “What?” I said “See you tomorrow”.
• “You’re going deaf”.” I beg your pardon?”

HOW ARE YOU?

The typical obvious question you can be asked at any time:

HOW ARE YOU?

Can be answered in many ways depending on how you really feel. On the infographic above you can see the possibilities.

MAKING & ANSWERING INVITATIONS

Bringing an infographic and some charts so that you can see different expressions and structures to make invitations and also to anser them either accepting or refusing.

TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER

Today's topic is the weather. Here are expressions and structures used to ask about the weather and give explanation of what's it like.

Questions about the weather:

• What's it like out(side)?
• How's the weather?
• What's the weather like?
• What's the temperature?
• What's the weather forecast?  (What is the weather expected to be like?)
• Is it hot or cold?
• Is it sunny?
• Is it raining?
• Beautiful day, isn’t it?

Some answers to describe weather:

• Today it is warm and sunny out.
• It’s so cold out there!
• The sun is very bright today, you might want to take sunglasses.
• It’s not raining, but it is cloudy.
• It is! I’m so happy the sun is shining.
• They’re saying blue skies and hot!  
• It's freezing outside!
• It's a bit chilly. Wrap up warm.
• It's Arctic out there.
• It's quite fresh - take a jumper.
• You can see your breath in the air.
• It's below zero.
• It must be minus five or more.
• It's pretty frosty today.

Structures for talking about weather:

One common mistake learners make when talking about the weather is mixing up the noun, adjective and verb forms of weather words.

Example: 

What's the weather like?
It is sun. Incorrect
It is sunny. Correct
The sun is shining. Correct

HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY

Just a few tips to improve your speaking:

SPEAKING ON THE PHONE

Here are a list of expressions formal & informal of speaking on the phone.

Link: 

Telephone English

AT A RESTAURANT

Here's vocabulary and functions to be used when going to a restaurant.

- The waiter/waitress says:

- The customer says:

INTERJECTIONS: MEANING & USE

Here are two charts with interjections, above their meanings, below examples of them in use.

INFORMAL CONTRACTIONS

These are contractions mostly heard when speaking, but not usually seen in written speech (unless it's a transcription of spoken speech). Here are a collection of informal contractions, that is, contractions used in colloquial speech, never in formal or written situations. Informal use of English, when speaking with family and friends or texting/chatting on the internet.

- Phonetical contractions: heard when speaking

 Watch the video for more detailed information.

Video:

APOLOGIZING

In the following chart, you can see the different ways to apologize and say sorry depending on the situation (formal, informal or slang) and the way (spoken or written).

AT THE AIRPORT

Here you have list of useful expressions to use at an airport.