TOPICS

ORAL EXAM

EOI VILAGARCÍA

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 TALKING ABOUT HOBBIES

1. Free Time and Hobbies Vocabulary

What words or phrases for free time activities do you know in English?

Some people like things you can do at home, like:

• Watching TV
• Reading books
• Cooking

Other people like sports, such as:

• Playing football/tennis/basketball
• Going swimming/jogging/climbing
• Doing boxing/judo/yoga

Of course, many people enjoy more social activities. For example:

• Hanging out with friends
• Relaxing with (your) family
• Going shopping

Or maybe you prefer to do something more creative, like:

• Taking photos
• Painting
• Writing stories/a blog

What about you? What kind of free time activities do you prefer?
Let’s see how you can talk about activities you like.

2. What Do You Like Doing?

• In my free time, I like ________
What could you say here?
• In my free time, I like playing basketball.
• In my free time, I like relaxing with my family.
• In my free time, I like reading books.

Can you see a pattern? In every sentence, we use a verb + -ing after like.
Can you make a sentence? What do you like doing in your free time?
• In my free time, I like ________

But, just using like can be repetitive. What else can you use?
You can use other verbs like love, enjoy, or hate.
• I love watching TV.
• I enjoy going swimming.
• I hate going shopping.

Can you see the same pattern? After all of these verbs, you need to use a verb with –ing.
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You can also add words like really, sometimes or absolutely to make your meaning stronger or
weaker. For example:
• I really like taking photos.
• Sometimes, I enjoy going jogging.
• I absolutely hate playing football.

Now it’s your turn. What can you say?

• In my free time, I really like _________.
• Sometimes, I enjoy _________.
• I absolutely hate _________.

OK, so now you can say something about what you like or don’t like doing. Let’s see how you can
add more details to your idea.

3. Adding Details: How Often Do You…?

First, let’s say how often you do your hobby or free time activity. For example:
• I like playing sport. I play football every Tuesday evening.
• I absolutely hate going shopping. I only go shopping once or twice a year.
• I really like taking photos, but I don’t get the chance to do it often.

What about you? Can you say how often you do your hobbies? You can use these phrases to help
you:
• …every _________ –> For example: every weekend; every Saturday afternoon; every day.
• …once/twice a _________ –> For example: once a week, twice a month, three times a year.

Can you make some sentences like this about your free time and hobbies?

4. Adding Details: Where Do You…?

Next, let’s add some details about where you do your hobby or free time activity. For example:
• I like playing football. I play every Tuesday evening at the park near my house.
• I enjoy having coffee with my friends. We go to a café in the city centre once or twice a
week.
• I really like taking wildlife photos in the forest, but I don’t get the chance to do it often.

You can see that our answers are getting more detailed. Whenever you speak, you should try to add
details to your ideas like this. It will make your English sound more natural and more interesting.
What about you? Can you add some details like these to your ideas? Pause the video and make
some sentences to practise.

5. Giving Background to Your Hobbies

If you have an interesting hobby, you could say more about when and why you started doing it.
• I started playing tennis when I was ten.
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 • I’ve been learning to paint for six months now.
• I decided to do yoga because I wanted to get healthy.
• My friend got me into climbing.

In the last sentence, my friend got me into… means that your friend introduced an activity to you,
and now you like it.

What can you say about your hobby? Can you use some of these phrases to talk about yourself?
• I started ________ when I was ________.
• I’ve been ________ for ________.
• I decided to ________ because I wanted to ________.
• ________ got me into ________.

6. Describing Your Hobbies

Finally, let’s look at how you can add some descriptive words to say why you do or don’t enjoy
something. For example:
• I like climbing because it’s really exciting.
• I love doing yoga because it’s relaxing.
• I really like writing stories, because it’s creative and I like using my imagination.

You can also use negative adjectives to talk about things you don’t like. For example:
• I don’t like going jogging because it’s tiring.
• I hate watching TV. I find it boring.
• I’ve been trying to learn to paint, but it’s too hard.

Why do you like your hobbies? What do you dislike doing in your free time, and why? Try to find
some adjectives to describe your hobbies.

7. Your Turn to Speak!

Now, let’s try using everything we’ve learned to make a longer answer.
For example:
I really like playing tennis. I play every weekend at the park near my house. Sometimes I play with
my brother, or sometimes with a friend. My brother got me into it, because he loves sports and he
needed someone to play with. I didn’t like it at first, because it was hard and I lost all the time, but
now I enjoy it, especially when I beat my brother!

Let’s look at one more sample answer:

I love taking photos. Once or twice a month, I go to different areas of the city and look for
interesting pictures to take. I’ve been interested in photography since I was young, when my dad got
me a camera for my birthday. I like it because it’s creative and I can express myself through my
pictures. Anyone can use a camera, but you need to use your imagination to find good pictures.

Now, can you talk about your free time?

• What do you like?
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 • Where do you go, and how often?
• When and why did you start doing your hobby?
• Why do you like it?

Try to talk for at least 30 seconds, and give lots of details!

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 HOLIDAY

1. How to Give Basic Information About Your Vacation

Begin your answer by saying where you went, who with and how long for.

For example:
• I went to the countryside with my family for a couple of weeks.
• I went to Thailand with a group of friends for ten days.
• My girlfriend and I went to Rome for a long weekend.

A long weekend means you go for three or four days, usually Friday-Monday or Saturday-Monday,
maybe because there’s a public holiday on the Monday.
What about you? Where did you go for your last vacation? Who did you go with, and how long for?
Next, let’s see how you can talk about what you did on your holiday.

2. How to Describe What You Did On Vacation

What do you like doing on holiday? Do you prefer a more active holiday, maybe with lots of
adventure sports and activities, or would you rather do something more cultural?

Or, maybe you just like relaxing on the beach. Whatever you prefer, it’s good if you can say
something about how you spent your time on holiday.

Let’s look at some examples and some good vocabulary for you to use:
• I went to the countryside with my family for a couple of weeks. Mostly, we went hiking in
the hills and mountains nearby. We also just hung out in the village, playing cards and eating.

Do you like hiking? Hiking means going for longer walks, often in the hills or the mountains.

If you hang out, you spend time without having any particular goal. If you say we just hung out in
the village, you mean that you spent time there in a relaxed way.

Let’s look at our second example:

• I went to Thailand with a group of friends for ten days. We did some sightseeing in
Bangkok: the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and so on. Then we hit the beaches in Krabi for some
sun, swimming and cocktails!

Sightseeing means visiting the famous places in a city. You can go sightseeing or do sightseeing.

For example, if you go sightseeing in Paris, you’d probably visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre
Dame and so on.
Saying we hit the beaches is a very informal way of saying we went to the beaches.

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You could also say we hit the bars or we hit the clubs. Using hit suggests you’re going somewhere
to party and have a good time, so you probably wouldn’t use it with other places.

Let’s do one more example together:

• My boyfriend and I went to Rome for a long weekend. We went on a walking tour of the
centre and the Vatican. Mostly, we went to restaurants and cafes and sampled as much of the
local cuisine as we could fit in our stomachs!

If you go on a tour, for example a walking tour, you pay for a guide. Often, tours are in big groups.
Do you prefer to go on a tour with a guide, or do you like to explore by yourself?
Sample means to try many different things. We sampled as much of the local cuisine as we could
means that we tried many different dishes.

Alright, over to you! What did you do on your last holiday? Did you go hiking in the mountains, go
sightseeing, or sample lots of delicious food?

Try to make two or three sentences. Use the language from this section if you can.
Pause the video now and make your answer.

Next in talking about your vacation in English, let’s see how you can describe the place you visited
in more detail.

3. How to Describe Where You Went on Vacation

Can you think of three adjectives to describe where you went for your last vacation?

Here, try to avoid general adjectives like nice or good. Try to find specific adjectives. Your answer
will be more interesting!

Let’s look at an example:

• I went to the countryside with my family for a couple of weeks. We stayed in a very nice
village surrounded by nice mountain scenery.

Do you see what we mean? Saying nice doesn’t say much. This isn’t a very good example. How
could you make it better?

Here’s one way to improve it:

• I went to the countryside with my family for a couple of weeks. We stayed in a very
picturesque, sleepy village surrounded by some dramatic mountain scenery.

What do you think dramatic scenery means?

It means the mountains were very impressive and beautiful.

Picturesque is another way to say ‘beautiful’. If something is picturesque, it’s beautiful like a
painting. You can use picturesque to talk about scenery and places.

Sleepy means that the village was very quiet and peaceful.
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You can see that using more specific adjectives like picturesque, sleepy or dramatic makes your
answer more interesting and expressive.

Of course, you’ll need different language to talk about different places. Let’s look at another
example:
• I went to Thailand with a group of friends for ten days. Bangkok is a very cosmopolitan
place but it could be a little overwhelming because there was so much going on! Then we
went to Krabi, which has some stunning beaches.

Do you know the meaning of the key words in this answer?

Cosmopolitan describes a city which has many different people and cultures mixed together.

Overwhelming describes something which is very intense. For example, a city can be overwhelming
if there are lots of people, noises, sights and smells all around you. There’s so much to take in that
you don’t know where to look!

Stunning means ‘very beautiful’.

Let’s do one more example together:

• My girlfriend and I went to Rome for a long weekend. It’s a fascinating place but it’s quite
touristy, too. The best thing was the food, which was out of this world.

Here, we used the adjectives fascinating, touristy and out of this world. Could you explain what
these mean?

Fascinating means ‘very interesting’.

Touristy describes a place where tourism has grown too much. Often, if you describe a place as
touristy, you mean that it’s lost some of its original atmosphere.

Finally, if you describe something as out of this world, you mean it’s really good and you enjoyed it
very much.

Now, it’s your turn. Can you describe the place you visited on your last vacation?
You can use the adjectives and language from this section, or you can find your own words and
phrases. Try to use at least three interesting adjectives in your answer. Pause the video and do it
now, either speaking or writing.

How was that? Remember that you can always review a section if you found something difficult.

Next, how can you talk about what you liked or disliked on your vacation?

4. How to Describe What You Liked or Disliked

What’s the best vacation you’ve ever had? What about the worst vacation you’ve ever been on?

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What made these holidays so good or so bad?

Let’s see how you can talk about the positives and negatives of your holiday. Here’s our first
example:
• I went to the countryside with my family for a couple of weeks. It was relaxing but by the
end I was getting quite bored.

This is good, but it’s always better to add a reason if you can:
• I went to the countryside with my family for a couple of weeks. It was relaxing but by the
end I was getting quite bored, because each day was pretty similar.

What does that mean, each day was pretty similar? Do you know?

It means that you did the same kind of things each day, so there wasn’t much variety from one day
to the next.

Let’s look at our next example:

• I went to Thailand with a group of friends for ten days. I loved Krabi, because it was like
nowhere I’d ever been before. I wasn’t so keen on Bangkok. It’s a cool place but it’s a bit big
and noisy for my tastes.

Saying it was like nowhere I’d ever been before means that the place you went to was really unique.

You can use I wasn’t so keen on… to talk about something you didn’t like very much in the past. For
example:
• I wasn’t so keen on the food in the hotel.
• I wasn’t so keen on the museums—I didn’t think they were very interesting.

Adding for my tastes after you give your opinion shows that this is just your perspective. You would
use it after you give a negative opinion, to soften your idea slightly. For example:
• It’s a nice area, but it’s too developed and touristy for my tastes.

Adding for my tastes makes this sound slightly softer and less direct.

Okay, let’s do one more example together:

• My girlfriend and I went to Rome for a long weekend. I think I liked the general atmosphere
most of all. Walking around the little streets in the centre felt like being in an old film. I wish
it had been less crowded, though.

Here, you can use the phrase I liked … most of all to talk about your favourite thing from your
vacation.

Use I wish plus the past perfect (had done) to talk about something in the past which you would
change if you could. For example:
• I wish we’d had more time to explore the city.
• I wish we hadn’t stayed in that awful hotel.

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Okay, your turn again! What did you like and dislike about your last holiday? Make at least two or
three sentences, and say them out loud. Remember to give reasons to support your ideas.

Now, you should be ready to put everything together into a longer answer.

5. Making a Longer Answer

To make a longer answer, you need to:
• Say where you went, who with, and for how long.
• Say what you did.
• Describe the place.
• Talk about what you liked and disliked.

Let’s do an example using language from the lesson:

• I went to Thailand with a group of friends for ten days. We did some
sightseeing in Bangkok: the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and so on. Then we hit the
beaches in Krabi for some sun, swimming and cocktails! Bangkok is a very
cosmopolitan place but it could be a little overwhelming because there was so
much going on! Krabi has some stunning beaches, and I loved it there, because
it was like nowhere I’d ever been before. On the other hand, I wasn’t so keen
on Bangkok. It’s a cool place but it’s a bit big and noisy for my tastes.

Do you see how using simple phrases and ideas, you can build a full, clear, detailed answer? We’ve
added some linking words, but otherwise this is only using language you’ve seen in this lesson.

Let’s do one more example. This time, we’ll use original ideas:
• I went to Siberia by myself for three weeks. I travelled around, did some
hiking and camping, and explored the countryside. I was near Lake Baikal,
which is a huge lake with mountains and villages dotted around the sides. It
was beautiful in a wild way, and the emptiness gave me a real feeling of
isolation and solitude. I liked the people I met—everyone was so open and
welcoming. On the other hand, even though it was summer, the nights were so
cold! I wish I’d taken a warmer sleeping bag.

This time, I’m using different ideas and some different language, but I’m still following the same
structure.

Now, can you make a longer answer like these?

Try it! If it’s difficult, review the video or use a dictionary to get the vocabulary you need.

Practise your answer several times, until you can do it fluently and comfortably. You could also talk
about other vacations you had, not just the last one. Being comfortable speaking about topics like
this can help you in conversation and in tests like the IELTS Speaking Exam!

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 JOBS

1. Introducing Your Job

• I’m a ________
• I work in ________
• I work for _________

How would you complete these sentences?

You could say something like:

• I’m a writer. I work in online education. I work for a publishing company.
I work in… is used with a field, meaning a type of work. So, you can say things like:
• I work in finance.
• I work in digital marketing.

You can also use work in with a place or a department of a company. For example:
• I work in the HR department of a financial firm.
• I work in a school, teaching modern languages.

Confused? You can see that if you use work in to talk about the type of work you do, you don’t use
an article like a or the.

If you use an article a or the after work in, it means you’re talking about the place or department
where you work.

I work for… is used with a company.

So, you could say:

• I’m a salesman. I work for a mobile phone company.
• I work for a law firm based in Frankfurt.
• I run my own business, so I work for myself.

What can you say? Can you make sentences like this to say something about your job?

Pause the video and try to make a sentence. Say it aloud!

Next, let’s add more details to your answer:

2. Describing Your Company

• I work for a _________ company which __________

Look at this sentence. We need one adjective, and the end of the sentence after which. Any ideas?

For the adjectives, think about these ideas: is your company big or small? Local or multinational?

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For the part after which, ask yourself: what does your company do? Does it make things, sell things,
organise things? Does it provide products, services, or both?

So, you could say:

• I work for an international electronics company which makes tablet computers
• I work for a German company which does market research for other companies.
• I work for Unilever. It’s a multinational company which has brands and offices all around
the world.

What if you don’t work for a company? Here are some things you could say:
• I’m a freelancer. –> I work independently, for different people and companies.
• I’m self-employed. –> I work for myself, either freelance or I have my own business.
• I’m a business owner.

If you don’t work, and people ask you what you do, what can you say?

Here are some useful phrases:

• I’m between jobs at the moment.
• I’m taking some time out to travel/spend time with my kids/write a book/recover from an
illness/etc.
• I’m retired.

I’m between jobs means that I’ve left one job, and haven’t found another yet. This sounds nicer than
saying, “I’m unemployed.”

I’m taking some time out means I’m not working at the moment because I want to focus on
something else.

What about you? Do you work for a company? What can you say about it? If you don’t work for a
company, how would you describe your work situation?

3. How to Describe Your Job in More Detail

Okay, so what do you actually do all day? Let’s see how you can describe your job in more detail.

Look at these sentences:

• I have to _________
• I’m responsible for _________
• Most of my time is spent _________

Let’s do some examples together. We’ll start with a simple example.

• I’m a nurse. I have to look after patients, give them medicine and make sure they’re
comfortable. I’m responsible for about 20-30 patients. Most of my time is spent talking to
patients and checking that everything is okay.

Next, let’s do a more detailed example.

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 • I have to design websites to the client’s specifications. I’m responsible for the whole design
process, so I have to take the client’s ideas and turn them into a finished product. Most of my
time is spent experimenting with different designs and ideas and seeing what looks good,
because attention to detail is important in this kind of work.

Can you say something like this about your job and what you do? Try to add details if you can.

4. Saying How You Feel about Your Job

Now, you can hopefully say something about your job and where you work.

But here’s another question: do you like your job? Why or why not?

Hopefully, you enjoy your job! How could you describe a job which you like?

Of course, you could use general adjectives like good or interesting, but here are some specific
adjectives you could use:
• Stimulating –> Something which is stimulating is exciting and gives you energy.
• Satisfying –> Means that your job gives you a sense of achievement.
• Creative –> You can use your imagination when you work.
• Rewarding –> This means your job gives you very positive feelings. It’s often used to talk
about jobs in which you help other people. For example, teachers or nurses might describe
their jobs as rewarding.
• Challenging –> Challenging can be positive or negative, but if you use it to talk about your
job, it would have a positive meaning. It means that your job is difficult, but in an interesting
way which makes you think and learn.

What if you don’t like your job? Again, you can use general words like boring or difficult, which
are fine but very basic.

If you want to be more creative with your vocabulary, here are some things you could say:
• Exhausting –> Describes work which makes you feel very tired, either physically or
mentally.
• Thankless –> If your work is thankless, no one notices or appreciates what you do.
• Mind-numbing –> Extremely boring.
• Dead-end –> Describes a job which has no prospects for the future. If you have a dead-end
job, you will never get promoted and the job will always be the same.
• Soul-destroying –> Describes a job which is extremely unpleasant and boring, and which
you really, really hate.

5. How to Make a Longer Answer

At this point, you should be able to introduce your work, say where you work, give details about
what you do and say how you feel about your work.

Let’s make some longer sample answers together.

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First one:
• I’m a pharmacist. I started my own small pharmacy, so I’m also a business owner. I have to
work as a pharmacist, of course, giving advice to patients and making sure they have the right
medicine. However, I’m also responsible for the pharmacy, so I have to manage my staff, do
the accounts, and so on. It’s stimulating work because I have to do many different things
every day, so I never get bored.
Clear? Could you make an answer like this? Let’s do one more:
• I’m a writer. I work in online education. I work for a big publishing company, which
produces different educational materials that are used all around the world. I have to write
lesson plans and materials for teachers to use in the classroom. I spend most of my time
thinking about how I can make different things fit together into a lesson. It’s very challenging
work and it can be exhausting, but it’s also very creative and satisfying, because I know
people all around the world are using lessons which I wrote.

Answers like these are helpful for situations such as job interviews or other types of interviews in
English.

Want more practice? Watch this Oxford Online English lesson on job interviews.

Okay, now it’s your turn! Try to make a longer answer like this talking about your job. Use the
vocabulary and structure from this lesson to help you.

If you want, you can post your answer in the video comments. We’ll give you some feedback on
your answer.

Thanks very much for watching!

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 EMOTIONS
1. Happiness/Fear

Liam: You look pleased! What’s going on?

Stephanie: I finally passed my driving test! I’m so happy!
L: Wow! Congratulations!
S: Thanks… It was my sixth attempt!
L: Sixth?
S: Yeah. I was really stressed beforehand. I’ve been feeling nervous for days, and I haven’t been
sleeping well, but in the end it went well.
L: That sounds stressful. What made you so scared? I mean, it’s not the end of the world to fail your
driving test.
S: I don’t know. I just built it up in my head, and it became this huge thing. I honestly can’t
remember feeling so worried about anything in my life before.
L: You must be relieved to get it over with.
S: For sure. If I’d failed again, I think I’d have just given up.
L: Well, no need to think about that now!

Look at six words to talk about emotions in English which you heard in the dialogue.
• pleased
• stressed
• nervous
• scared
• worried
• relieved

First, a question: three of these words relate to feeling fear. Which three?

‘Nervous’, ‘worried’ and ‘scared’ are all feelings of fear. Do you know how they’re different?

‘Nervous’ and ‘worried’ are both low-level fear. ‘Scared’ describes a more intense feeling. To
describe extreme levels of fear, for example if you’re in a life-threatening situation, you could use
adjectives like ‘terrified’ or ‘petrified’.

What about the other three adjectives – ‘pleased’, ‘stressed’ and ‘relieved’? One is different from
the other two – which one?

‘Stressed’ is different, because it’s an unpleasant emotion. ‘Pleased’ is similar to ‘happy’, but
‘pleased’ is a reaction to a situation.

What does this mean?

In English, there are many pairs of words with a similar meaning, but one is used to describe a
general state, while the other is used to describe a reaction to a specific situation. ‘Happy’ and
‘pleased’ are an example of this.

So, you can be ‘happy’ generally, or for long periods of time. You could say: ‘She was happy
throughout her retirement.’ However, ‘pleased’ can’t be used like this.
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You feel pleased at one specific time. For example: ‘I was pleased with how my painting turned
out.’

Here, you could also use ‘happy’. ‘Happy’ can replace ‘pleased’, but not the other way round.

There are other pairs like this; for example: ‘sad – upset’ or ‘angry – cross’. The first word has a
general meaning, and the second describes your reaction to something specific.

Finally, what about ‘relieved’? What does that mean?

You feel relieved when you’re free from pressure or stress. If you have a problem, and the problem
is solved, you might feel relieved. Or, if you have an exam, and you think you might fail, you’ll feel
relieved when you pass.

Learn more about exam vocabulary in this Oxford Online English lesson: Talking About Exams –
Listening.

Let’s look at our next section to talk about Emotions in English.

2. Sadness/Confusion
In this section, we have a challenge for you. You’ll hear a dialogue, as usual. There are six words
talking about emotions in the dialogue. Listen and try to write them down.

Stephanie: How’s work going?

Liam: Urgh… Don’t ask.
S: Going well, then?
L: Don’t even joke about it. I feel miserable. I dread going in every morning, and every day feels
like an eternity.
S: Yeah, you seem a bit down. But, a couple of months ago you said things were going OK?
L: They were. Or, I thought they were. That’s the problem – I’m so mixed up! Working in the
fashion industry was always my dream, and I worked so hard to get an opportunity. But then, reality
started to bite.
S: What do you think went wrong?
L: I’m supposed to be an event manager, but they don’t actually let me make any decisions. I spend
all day doing menial work. We had a team meeting last week, and they asked me to go out and get
coffee! I felt so humiliated.
S: So, what are you going to do? You can’t stay there, surely…
L: I don’t know. I’m torn. On the one hand, you’re right – I can’t stay there. But on the other hand,
what am I going to do? I was out of work for three months, and I need the money right now.
S: It’s a tricky situation.
L: The worst thing is that it’s affecting everything else in my life, too. I don’t go out or do anything
after work or at weekends. I just feel kind of apathetic; I don’t have the energy to go anywhere.
S: Well, I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound like you can go on like this.

Did you get the six words? If you want, you can go back and listen again.
Here are the six words you heard.
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 • miserable
• down
• mixed up
• humiliated
• torn
• apathetic

These words relate to feelings of sadness, shame and confusion. Can you put the words into three
groups?

‘Miserable’ and ‘down’ are both feelings of sadness. ‘Miserable’ is a strong word, which describes a
deep unhappiness. ‘Down’ is often used when you’re going through a difficult time in your life, and
you feel unhappy generally.

‘Apathetic’ is also a feeling of sadness, although it’s a little different. If you feel apathetic, you don’t
care about anything or have any interest in things. Feeling apathetic means you don’t have much
energy, and it’s difficult to motivate yourself to do anything.

Be careful not to mix up ‘apathetic’ and ‘pathetic’ – they sound similar, but the meanings are not
related.

Next, ‘mixed up’ and ‘torn’ are both feelings of confusion. They both mean that you’re caught
between different possibilities, and you don’t know what to do. To remember the word ‘torn’, think
about the verb ‘tear’. If you tear a piece of paper, you rip it into pieces. If you feel ‘torn’, it’s as if
you’re being pulled in two different directions.

‘Humiliated’ is a strong form of ‘embarrassed’, meaning a deep feeling of shame. It has a strong
meaning, so you wouldn’t use it often.

3. Shame/Nervousness

Liam: Any plans for this weekend?

Stephanie: No, not really. I had something, but it didn’t work out.
L: ‘Something?’
S: Well… I’m a little embarrassed to say… OK, fine, I had a blind date arranged.
L: Nothing wrong with that! But now it’s not happening?
S: No, I cancelled it. I was feeling quite anxious. I’ve never been on a blind date, and I imagine it
would be really awkward, so I called it off.
L: Sure, I guess it could be, but it could be fun, too. I think you should go! It’s normal to feel
apprehensive before you go on a first date. You shouldn’t let it stop you.
S: Hmm… Too late now, though. I already cancelled it. Now I kind of regret it.
L: Well, maybe you can still make it happen. Why not make a call?
S: Ehh… I can’t. I feel guilty for cancelling.
L: You can’t win, it seems!

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Learn more about dating and relationship vocabulary with our lesson on Talking About Love and
Relationships.

You heard five words related to feelings. Can you remember them? Try to complete the words!
• e—r–s—
• -nx—-
• –kw—
• a—–en–v-
• -ui–y

Pause the video if you want more time. Remember that you can also go back and review the
dialogue if you want to.

Ready? Let’s see the answers.

• embarrassed
• anxious
• awkward
• apprehensive
• guilty

These words relate to shame and nervousness. Can you put them into two groups?

‘Anxious’ and ‘apprehensive’ describe fear. Like the words ‘nervous’ and ‘worried’, which you saw
earlier, they express a low-level fear, like you might feel before a first date or an important exam.

‘Awkward’, ‘embarrassed’ and ‘guilty’ relate to shame, but they don’t have the same meaning.
Could you explain the difference between them?

‘Awkward’ means you feel socially uncomfortable. For example, if you’re trying to start a
conversation with someone, but you don’t know what to say, you might feel awkward.

‘Embarrassed’ is the feeling when you blush – your face turns red.

You feel ‘guilty’ when you think you’ve done something bad. For example, imagine that your friend
asks you for some help, and you say: “Sorry, I can’t, I’m too busy.” Later, you learn that your friend
really needed help; you might feel guilty for not helping.

Let’s look at our last section to talk about emotions in English.

4. Anger/Frustration

Stephanie: Whoa, where are you going?

Liam: I’m going to walk into his office and tell him exactly what I think of him.
S: That’s not a good idea. I know you’re annoyed…
L: Annoyed? I’m seething! I’m fed up with this place. Let him sack me if he wants.
S: Let’s just take a minute. Why don’t you tell me what happened?
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L: What happened? This isn’t something new. I’ve been overwhelmed for weeks. I ask for help, and
he doesn’t even answer my emails or my messages. He’s supposed to be in charge of this
department, and he’s not even doing his job.
S: Sure, I can understand that you’re frustrated, but…
L: It’s more than that. He still hasn’t bought the design software we need. The deadline is next
week. I’ve never seen such incompetence.
S: Look, I would be upset too, in your position, but getting into a shouting match with him is not
going to solve anything. How about this: we go and have a cup of tea for ten minutes, and then you
decide what to do? If you still want to march into his office and scream at him, I won’t stop you, but
just take ten minutes with me first.
L: OK, fine.

Here, you heard six words related to anger, frustration and sadness when we talk about emotions in
English.

Here’s a question: what does ‘frustration’ mean?

Frustration is a kind of anger, but it relates to situations where you can’t get what you want.

For example, imagine you have to catch a train, and you’re late. You’re driving to the station, and
someone in front of you is driving *really* slowly. You can’t overtake, so you’re stuck driving
behind them. You might feel frustrated in this situation.

Apart from ‘frustrated’, you heard these words in the dialogue.

• annoyed
• seething
• fed up
• overwhelmed
• upset

Do you know which emotions these words express? And, could you explain their meanings in
detail? Think about it, and pause the video if you need some time!

‘Annoyed’ and ‘seething’ both express anger, but at different levels. ‘Annoyed’ is low-level anger.

For example, if you have some mosquito bites, and they’re itchy, you might feel a little annoyed,
but you wouldn’t – probably – be fully angry. You could also say ‘irritated’, which has the same
meaning.

‘Seething’ means extremely angry. You could also say ‘furious’, which is similar.

‘Fed up’ expresses frustration. If you’re fed up with something, a bad situation has gone on for a
long time, and you can’t take it any more. For example, if your neighbour plays loud music one
evening, you might be annoyed, but maybe it wouldn’t be a big problem.

However, if your neighbour plays loud music *every* evening, you’ll feel angry and frustrated, and
after a few days you’ll probably feel fed up; you’ve had enough of the situation and you can’t take
any more.
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‘Overwhelmed’ is hard to classify. Overwhelmed means something like ‘defeated’ or ‘buried’. If
you’re overwhelmed, you have so many problems and negative feelings that you can’t cope any
more.

In the dialogue, we were talking about work, but you can be overwhelmed with other emotions and
situations, too. For example, you can be overwhelmed with anger, overwhelmed with sadness,
overwhelmed with stress, and so on.

It can even, sometimes, be positive; for example you can be overwhelmed with happiness. In this
case, it means that you’re so happy that you don’t know what to do with yourself.

See more examples with this page explaining the meaning of ‘overwhelmed’.

Finally, ‘upset’ is a feeling of sadness in response to a specific situation. If something bad happens
to you, or someone says something unpleasant to you, you might feel upset.

We’ve mentioned many different words to talk about emotions in English in this video, but there are
also many that we didn’t talk about. Can you think of any? Share your ideas in the comments!

Thanks for watching and we hope you got some useful phrases to use when talking about emotions
in English!

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 SALUD

1.Talking About Exercise and Activity

Stephanie: What’s in this box? It’s so heavy!
Daniel: I ordered some kettlebells.
S: Kettlebells? What for?
D: I’ve decided to start working out.
S: You? I never imagined you being a fitness enthusiast.
D: I’m not, but I realised the other day that I’m incredibly out of shape. I was running to catch the
bus, and I was so out of breath. I didn’t even run that far! I think my lifestyle has got more and more
sedentary, plus I’m getting a bit flabby.
S: Well, good for you! So, what’s your workout routine going to be?
D: I’m not sure. I want to do a little bit of weight training, and maybe some running, and just get a
bit fitter generally. It’s difficult at the moment, though. I tried to run 1k yesterday, and I just
couldn’t.
S: Don’t give up! Doing anything is better than doing nothing. If you keep trying, it’ll get easier.
D: You think?
S: Sure. When I started running, it was really difficult, but after a month, I could do 5k. Not fast,
but still, I could do it.
D: Oh? 5k? That seems impossible right now. I guess it’s something to aim for, though.
S: Go for it!

In the dialogue, you heard some words relating to fitness and exercise.

We have a challenge for you. Look at definitions of three words.

• Do physical training (verb)
• Describes a lifestyle without much physical activity (adj.)
• Describes a person who is unfit (adj. phrase)

Can you remember the words and phrases which match these definitions? If you want, you can go
back and review the dialogue, and try to find them.

Here are the answers.

• Do physical training (verb) = work out
• Describes a lifestyle without much physical activity (adj.) = sedentary
• Describes a person who is unfit (adj. phrase) = out of shape

‘Work out’ can include many different types of exercise, but it’s mostly used for focused training,
for example using weights or doing aerobics. Generally, when you use the verb ‘work out’, you
mean that you follow a routine of different exercises.

Nowadays, many of us have sedentary lifestyles. ‘Sedentary’ is in the same word family as the verb
‘sit’. If you’re sedentary, you spend most of your time sitting down.

If someone doesn’t do much exercise, you can describe them as ‘unfit’, ‘out of shape’ or ‘in bad
shape’. Be careful: you can use these to describe yourself, but they could be rude if you use them to
describe someone else.

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All these words have direct opposites: unfit, fit; out of shape, in shape; in bad shape, in good shape.

What about you? Do you work out? What do you do? What can you do to avoid being sedentary if
you have an office job? What’s the best exercise for someone who’s out of shape? Think about how
to answer these questions. Pause the video and try to answer them out loud.

Want more practice? Watch this Oxford Online English lesson on describing people’s appearance in
English.

Ready? Let’s look at our next point to help you talk about health and lifestyle in English.

2. Talking About Diet

Daniel: I’m hungry. Shall we order? Pizza?
Stephanie: No, not for me. I’m on a diet.
D: Really? How come?
S: I’ve just been eating really badly lately. I’m not trying to lose weight; I just want to eat more
healthily. It’s nothing drastic; I’m just trying to stay off junk food, fried food, get my five a day, and
so on.
D: Yeah, I should probably think about that, too. I eat a lot of takeaways and packaged food, and I
definitely don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables. I doubt it’s good for me. I can never stick to a diet,
though.
S: I know what you mean. I think it’s better to make small changes. That way, you don’t have to
think about it too much.
D: True, but I have such a sweet tooth. I find it really hard to resist anything sweet: cakes,
chocolate, biscuits… If someone offers something like that to me, I can’t say no.
S: Another tip that someone told me which works well: plan your meals in advance. It works for
me, at least.
D: That’s a good idea.

Let’s look at some sentences you heard.

• I’m not trying to —- weight.
• I’m just trying to —- off junk food.
• I’m trying to get my —- a day.
• I can never —– to a diet.
• I have such a —– tooth.

Can you remember or guess the missing words? Think about it for a moment!

Could you do it? Let’s check.

• I’m not trying to lose weight.
• I’m just trying to stay off junk food.
• I’m trying to get my five a day.
• I can never stick to a diet.
• I have such a sweet tooth.

Next, what do these key words and phrases mean?

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If you’re overweight, you might try to lose weight. The opposite is ‘put on weight’, meaning to get
heavier or fatter. You can also say ‘gain weight’.

‘Stay off’ means something like ‘avoid’. It’s often used to talk about bad habits that you’re trying to
give up.

So, you might say ‘I’m trying to stay off sweet food’, or ‘I’m trying to stay off cigarettes’, or ‘I’m
trying to stay off Netflix’.

‘Five a day’ refers to eating fruit and vegetables. In many countries, health advice is to eat at least
five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. It’s often used with the verb ‘get’, as in ‘I don’t always
get my five a day’, meaning that I don’t always eat enough fruit and vegetables.

If you stick to something, you continue doing it. It’s often used to talk about good habits. So, if you
stick to a diet or an exercise routine, then you do it regularly and don’t give up.

Finally, if you have a sweet tooth, you… Wait, can you guess? What do you think this means?

It means you like sweet food very much.

There are many other useful words and phrases in the dialogue, so we recommend watching it again
and finding vocabulary you could use. Can you use the language from the dialogue to talk about
your diet and eating habits? Try it!

Next in talking about health and lifestyle in English…

3. Talking About Bad Habits

Stephanie: Beer?
Daniel: Oh, no thanks. I’m trying to cut down.
S: Really? I didn’t think you were a big drinker.
D: I’m not, but I’m trying to quit smoking. I’ve tried five times, and this time I’m determined to
make it stick. I associate smoking with drinking, so I feel like it’s easier not to drink, too.
S: That makes sense. I’ve heard a lot of people say similar things. So, how’s it going?
D: It’s been two weeks, which is pretty good. I still get cravings but they’re not as strong as they
were. I feel much better already, though.
S: I guess I’m lucky that I’ve never been tempted by smoking. Coffee is my vice. I’ve tried to cut
down, but I could never give it up completely.
D: Well, coffee’s not so bad, in moderation.
S: Yeah… Does six cups a day count as ‘moderation’?
D: Hmm…

In the dialogue, we were talking about bad habits. Let’s look at some key language which you
heard.
• I’m trying to cut down.
• I didn’t think you were a big drinker.
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 • I still get cravings.
• Coffee is my vice.
• Coffee’s not so bad, in moderation.

Imagine you want to explain these words to someone who doesn’t know them. Could you do it?

What would you say? Pause the video and try it now. Explain these words in English, and give
examples.

Could you do it? Let’s check together.

‘Cut down’ means to do something less than before. For example, if you cut down on sugar, then
you try to eat less. It doesn’t mean you give it up completely.

‘A big drinker’ means someone who drinks a lot of alcohol. You can use ‘big’ in this way with other
things, too. For example: ‘a big smoker’ or ‘a big eater’.

A ‘craving’ is a very strong desire for something. It’s often used to talk about addictions. For
example, if you smoke, and then you stop, you’ll probably feel cravings – a strong urge to smoke.

A ‘vice’ is a bad habit. If you say ‘coffee is my vice’, you mean that you probably drink too much
coffee. ‘Vice’ literally means something immoral, so it has a strong meaning, but it’s often used
ironically or in a slightly joking way.

Finally, when you use ‘in moderation’ to talk about health and lifestyle, you don’t do something too
much. For example, if you drink coffee in moderation, maybe you drink one or two cups a day.

Could you use this language to talk about your life? Do you have any bad habits? Are you trying to
cut down on anything at the moment? Pause the video and try to make two or three sentences – or
more if you can! – and say them out loud.

When you’re making an answer like this, don’t forget to repeat it several times, until you can speak
fluently.

OK? Let’s look at one more topic.

4. Talking About Work-Life Balance

Daniel: You seem a bit down. Everything OK?
Stephanie: Urgh… I have too much work!
D: You always say that.
S: Yes, but I’m really under a lot of pressure right now. I feel stressed all the time, and I have no
time for myself.
D: That doesn’t sound healthy. You can’t just work all day every day. You’ll burn out eventually.
S: I know, but what can I do? Every week there are deadlines, calls, meetings, problems… It never
stops.

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D: I don’t know, but I think work-life balance is really important. Since I moved companies two
years ago, I make a lot less money, but I’m much happier. I don’t regret it. You only get one life;
you can’t spend it all in the office.
S: You think I need to change jobs?
D: I don’t know, but I think you need to have time and energy for your personal life. Otherwise, it’s
difficult to feel good about life.

Let’s start with an important point which English learners often make mistakes with; look at one of
the first phrases from the dialogue.
• I have too much work!

Now, look at another sentence.

• I have too much work!
• I have a lot of work!

What’s the difference?

‘A lot’ is just a fact. If you have a lot of work, you have a large quantity of work. Pretty simple.

‘Too much’ is different, because it also expresses an opinion. If you have too much work, then you
have a lot of work, *and* you aren’t happy about it. Maybe it’s making you stressed, or you don’t
have time for anything else…

This is true generally. Whenever you use the word ‘too’, you’re expressing a negative opinion about
something. Remember this; although it might seem like a small difference, it’s important.

So, let’s think about some questions.

• Do you have a good work-life balance?
• What happens if you work too hard?
• What can you do to make your work-life balance healthier?

Think about how you could answer these. Pause the video if you need some time to think.

Of course, there are many possible answers, but let’s see one example for each.

Do you have a good work-life balance? Yes, pretty good in general. I work hard, but I make sure I
stop at six o’clock at the latest, and I don’t take work home with me or work at the weekends.

If you work too hard, you’ll feel stressed and miserable, and you won’t have time or energy for
other important parts of your life.

I think it’s good to have a fixed routine, so you start and finish, and take breaks, at the same time
every day. Also, it’s important to say ‘no’ to other people sometimes, so that you don’t have too
much to do.

What about you? Were your answers similar? If you want, you can share your answers to these
questions in the comments.

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 TRANSPORT

1. Getting Around
Daniel: How do you usually get around?
Lori: I mostly use public transport, so I’ll take the metro, or sometimes buses. I have a car but I
don’t use it much in the city. What about you?
D: I don’t have a car, so I either cycle or walk most places. Sometimes I take the metro or a taxi if
I’m going further, or if I’m out in the evening.
L: You cycle? Here? That’s brave! There’s so much traffic.
D: It’s not that bad. Once you know the best routes, you can get anywhere in the city centre quite
fast. Often, it’s faster than driving, because you can take small streets and you don’t get stuck in
traffic jams.
L: I guess… I still wouldn’t do it, though. The metro works well for me. I can always get where I
need, and I know how long it’s going to take.
D: Yeah, the metro is good, but I hate taking it during rush hour. It’s so crowded.
L: Do you cycle to work every day, then?
D: Most days. My office is actually very close, so I can walk in about 20 minutes. I walk in once or
twice a week, and cycle on the other days.
L: Wow! That’s lucky. It takes me at least 40 minutes to get to work.
D: By metro?
L: Yeah. I have to change lines, which adds a lot of time.

Do you remember the question you heard at the beginning of the dialogue?
• How do you usually get around?

Do you know what this means? This question is asking about how you usually travel around the
place where you live. How could you answer? In the dialogue, you heard these phrases:
• I mostly use public transport.
• I either cycle or walk most places.
• Sometimes I take the metro or a taxi.

You could change these sentences to talk about your own situation. For example:
• I mostly use the subway.
• I drive most places.
• Sometimes I use trams.

With public transport, you can use the verbs ‘use’ or ‘take’, as in:
• use the metro = take the metro
• use buses = take buses

The meaning is the same. If you’re talking about getting around by car, bicycle, or on foot, then you
can use the specific verbs: ‘drive’, ‘cycle’ and ‘walk’. For example:
• I don’t drive often.
• I used to cycle, but I don’t have a bike any more.
• I walk if I’m going somewhere in my neighbourhood.

Let’s continue to talk about transport and driving. Next, let’s see how you can talk about public
transport where you live.
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2. Talking About Public Transport
Lori: So, what’s the best way to get to your place?
Daniel: Are you driving, or taking the metro?
L: I’ll come by metro, so I don’t have to worry about parking.
D: You live on the green line, right?
L: Yeah.
D: So, you can take the green line to Victoria in the centre. From there, you can either change to the
blue line for two stops, or you can get a bus.
L: Which is better?
D: I’d take the bus. It leaves you closer to my house. Take bus number 27 and get off at October
Square. It’s easy to find; it’s the first stop after you cross the river.
L: Where does it leave from?
D: The bus stop is right outside the metro station. You can’t miss it!
L: How often do the buses go?
D: They’re very regular. I don’t know exactly, but I never wait more than 10 minutes, and normally
much less.
L: OK, I’ll do that then. What time do the buses run until? I’m just thinking about getting back.
D: The buses run until midnight, so you should be fine. The green line stops at one, right?
L: It’s a Friday, so it’ll run until two o’clock. I don’t think it’ll be a problem.
D: Great, so, see you tomorrow!

Here’s a question for you: what public transport do you have in your hometown? What do you use
to get around? Most cities have buses. Big cities might have a metro or subway. There are different
words for this, because many cities have their own name. In New York and Tokyo, it’s the subway;
in Moscow and Paris, it’s the metro; in London, it’s the Tube or the Underground; in Berlin, it’s the
U-Bahn, and so on. All these words have the same meaning. If you aren’t sure which to use, say
‘metro’ or ‘subway’. Some cities have other kinds of public transport, like trams, light rail, or
shared taxis. In many cities, you refer to metro lines by their colour. So, you might say:
• I live on the green line.
• Change to the blue line at Victoria.

Buses have numbers, so you can say things like:

• Take bus number 27 and get off at October Square.
• You can catch the number two bus from just outside the metro station.

If it’s clear what you’re talking about, you might just use the number, and not say the word ‘bus’ at
all. For example: ‘Take the number three for five stops.’ In the dialogue, you heard these questions
about public transport:
• Where does it leave from?
• How often do the buses go?
• What time do the buses run until?

Of course, you can use these questions for other forms of transport, as in:
• How often do the trains go?
• What time does the subway run until?
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Do you remember how to answer these questions? What could you say? You might say:
• It leaves from opposite the shopping centre.
• There are trains every five minutes or so.
• The metro stops at midnight.

Now, it’s your turn! Here’s a task for you. Imagine that someone is coming to visit you. Pick a place
in your hometown, for example the airport, train station or bus station. Could you give directions
clearly in English so that your friend can get to your home using public transport? Think about it.

Pause the video, and try saying your directions out loud. If you want to get really good, practise
several times, until you can say everything fluently, without hesitation.

What’s next in how to talk about transport and driving? Let’s see how you can talk about driving
and car journeys with Oxford Online English.

3. Talking About Driving

Lori: Good to see you! How was the drive?
Daniel: It wasn’t too bad. We got stuck in traffic near Birmingham, so it was slow for a while, but
everything else was smooth.
L: It’s always bad around there. How long did it take?
D: It was a bit over four hours.
L: That’s about average. Your car looks very futuristic. Is it electric or something?
D: No, it’s a hybrid.
L: Huh… What’s it like to drive?
D: It’s nice! It uses the battery at low speeds, so it’s really quiet to drive in the city. It’s also
extremely efficient, which is good for longer trips.
L: I’m thinking of getting a new car soon. I’m still driving my old Subaru, but it was second-hand
when I bought it, and it’s got over 200,000 kilometres on the clock, so it’s starting to show its age.
It’s broken down three times this year already.
D: What are you thinking of getting?
L: I’m not sure. Part of me wants to get a bigger car, like an SUV or something, but then I know
it’ll be a nightmare to find parking, or driving around the small streets in the centre.
D: Yeah, plus those things go through fuel. They’re expensive to run.
L: Anyway, I’ll give it some thought.

Do you drive? What kind of car do you have? In the dialogue, you heard these sentences. But,
there’s a word missing in each sentence. Can you remember the missing words?
• We got ________ in traffic near Birmingham.
• It was ________ when I bought it.
• It’s also extremely ________, which is good for longer trips.
• It’s ________ down three times this year already.

Here are the answers.

• We got stuck in traffic near Birmingham.
• It was second-hand when I bought it.
• It’s also extremely efficient, which is good for longer trips.
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 • It’s broken down three times this year already.

Do you know what these phrases mean? If you get stuck in traffic, you get in a traffic jam. ‘Second-
hand’ means the same as ‘used’. If you’re buying a car, you can buy a new car, or you can buy a
second-hand car, which has already been used. Second-hand cars are generally much cheaper than
new cars.

If a car is efficient, it doesn’t use so much petrol, so it’s cheaper to run. Smaller cars and hybrids are
generally more efficient, while bigger cars, like SUVs, use more petrol, so they’re less efficient.

If your car breaks down, it stops working. Maybe there’s a problem with the engine, and you can’t
drive it. Also, in the dialogue, you heard these questions.
• How was the drive?
• What’s it like to drive?
• What are you thinking of getting?

We’re going to show you four answers. You have a job; match the question to the answer. There’s
one extra answer, which you don’t need. Take a look!
• I’d like to get a hybrid.
• It was smooth.
• It’s a nightmare to park in the centre.
• It’s nice, but it goes through fuel.

Pause the video if you want more time to think about your answers! Ready? Here are the answers.
• How was the drive? → It was smooth.
• What’s it like to drive? → It’s nice, but it goes through fuel.
• What are you thinking of getting? → I’d like to get a hybrid.

Let’s look at one or two useful words here. ‘Smooth’ means ‘without problems’. If you say ‘the
journey was smooth’, you mean that everything happened as you expected, and you didn’t have any
problems.

If a car goes through fuel, it uses a lot of petrol, so it’s inefficient and probably expensive to run. A
‘hybrid’ is a car which uses electrical power at low speeds, and a petrol engine—like a regular car—
at higher speeds. Hybrids are quieter and can be more environmentally-friendly.

What about you? If you drive, can you make two to three sentences talking about your car, what
kind of car it is, and what you like or don’t like about it. If you don’t drive, make two to three
sentences about what car you’d like to have. Use the language from the dialogue and this section.

Remember: you can always go back and review a section if you need to! Pause the video, and make
your answer now.

How was that? Could you make a fluent answer? If so, great! Let’s look at one more point about
transport and driving.

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4. Talking About Air Travel
Lori: Are you doing anything? We need to book flights for our trip.
Daniel: Yeah… about that… I had a look the other day. They’re really expensive.
L: Actually, I was looking, too. Direct flights are expensive, but I found a couple of cheaper
options. The first choice is that we fly through Madrid. We can also go through Oslo, which is much
cheaper, but there’s a seven-hour layover.
D: Seven hours? What time would we get there?
L: About four in the morning the following day.
D: Eurgh… What about the Madrid one? Which airline is it?
L: We’d fly Greenjet into Madrid, and then Prince Air for the second leg.
D: Greenjet? No way! I flew with them last year. They charge you for everything, and the seats are
tiny. Besides, we need to take at least one checked bag, right?
L: I guess.
D: They charge 55 Euro if your bag is over 10kg. Plus, they don’t serve food or drinks, not even
water. You have to buy it.
L: Really? That’s ridiculous! Shall we take the Oslo route, then?
D: I suppose. Why don’t we have one last look, to see if we can find anything better?
L: Sure. When was the last time you flew somewhere? Where did you go?

In the dialogue, you heard these words and phrases to talk about air travel. Could you explain what
they mean?
• Direct flights are expensive.
• There’s a seven-hour layover.
• We need to take at least one checked bag.

A direct flight means you take one flight to your destination. You don’t stop or change planes in
another city. If you don’t fly direct, and you change planes, you might have to wait in the airport.
This waiting time is called a layover. A ‘checked bag’ is a bag or suitcase that you check in, so that
it flies in the hold of the plane. The opposite is hand baggage, meaning bags which you carry with
you.

In the dialogue, we talked about some of the disadvantages of flying with a specific airline. Do you
remember what you heard? You heard:
• They charge you for everything.
• The seats are tiny.
• They don’t serve food or drinks.

What do you think that first sentence means? Many budget airlines offer cheap tickets, but you have
to pay for extras. For example, you might have to pay to check in a bag, or you might have to buy
food and drink on the plane. ‘They charge you for everything’ suggests that this airline has a lot of
extra charges, which could make your ticket more expensive! Of course, not all airlines are like this.

You could also talk about the advantages of a certain airline. For example, you could say:
• The seats have lots of legroom.
• Their staff are very helpful and polite.
• The food is pretty good.

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Can you guess what ‘legroom’ means? It’s how much space you have for your legs and feet. If
you’re tall, you need a seat with lots of legroom.

Here’s a question: which airlines do you think are the best or worst? Can you think of two to three
advantages or disadvantages of the airline you chose? Try to make two or three sentences, and say
them out loud. Pause the video and do it now!

For more practice on this topic, don’t forget to watch our lesson on Airport English.
Thanks for watching and hopefully you learned some useful phrases to talk about transport and
driving in English!

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 FOOD

1.Talking About Cuisines and Dishes

Marie: What kind of food do you like?
Oli: I like a bit of everything, really. I grew up in the UK, and you can get food from all over the
world there. My mum’s cooking is a combination of different cuisines: a bit of French, a bit of
Italian, a bit of Indian, and so on.
M: What’s British cuisine like? I know about fish and chips, but there must be more…
O: There is, but not that much. There are a few famous dishes like shepherd’s pie or Sunday roast,
but most people eat a mix of things. What about you? What food do you like?
M: I’m half Spanish, so when I was young we ate a lot of Mediterranean food at home. Now, I live
in Berlin, and it’s a pretty cosmopolitan place, so you can get all kinds of food, like the UK, I
suppose.
O: I’ve never really had much Spanish food. Is it similar to Italian?
M: In some ways, yes. They both use a lot of fresh ingredients, and there’s a lot of seafood, salads,
and so on. Pasta isn’t so common in Spanish cooking, though.
O: What are some typical Spanish dishes? I’d be interested to try some.
M: I guess paella is quite well-known. My personal favourite is a dish called albondigas, which is
meatballs in a tomato sauce. It’s simple, but so tasty.
O: Sounds good!

Here’s a question: do you know the difference between the words ‘cuisine’, ‘dish’ and ‘meal’?

‘Cuisine’ means the kind of food you find in a specific country or culture. For example, you have
Chinese cuisine, French cuisine, local cuisine, and so on. ‘Cuisine’ means something like ‘cooking
style’.

You can use the word ‘food’ or ‘cooking’ in the same way. So, you can say ‘Chinese cuisine’,
‘Chinese cooking’ or ‘Chinese food’. The meaning is very close.

A ‘dish’ means something which is cooked or prepared. Usually, a dish is made from different kinds
of food.

A ‘meal’ is food eaten at a specific time. Most people eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and
dinner. Learn more about routines with this Oxford Online English lesson on daily routines.

We often hear English learners make mistakes with these three words, so be careful with them!
In the dialogue, you heard how to talk about different cuisines and dishes which you like.

Look at some questions you heard.

• What kind of food do you like?
• What’s (your country’s) cuisine like?
• What are some typical dishes in your country?

Think about how you could answer these.

When you answer these questions, try to be detailed.

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For example, don’t just say ‘Vietnamese food is delicious.’ Give some more details! Say what kind
of dishes are the best, or try to explain why you like it.

For example, you could say ‘Vietnamese food is delicious, because it uses fresh ingredients and it’s
a little bit spicy, which I like.’

OK? Pause the video and try to answer the questions now.
Could you do it? If not, go back and listen to the dialogue again.

Next, let’s look at how to talk about food you like – or don’t!

2. Adjectives to Describe Food

Oli: So, what do you think?
Marie: Oh no! This is terrible!
O: Really?
M: First, you haven’t cooked the meat long enough. It’s tough and really chewy. You need to keep
cooking it until it’s tender.
O: I cooked it for two hours, just like you said!
M: Yes, but you also have to check that it’s done! Also, these vegetables are awful. They’re mushy
because you’ve overcooked them. They should be fresh and crunchy.
O: Right… What about the sauce?
M: It’s not bad, but it’s a little bland. A dish like this should be rich, spicy and a little sour. While
you’re cooking, don’t forget to taste it, and add more spices, or more vinegar, or whatever it needs.
O: Hmm… OK… I’m a little scared to show you my dessert, now.
M: Wow! This is amazing!
O: Oh? You mean it?
M: Yes! It’s a perfect tart. It’s crumbly, but not dry, which is a difficult balance to get right. The
fruit gives it a nice, tangy flavour. Very tasty!
O: Thank you!

To describe something you ate, you could start with the flavour. For example, you can use words
like ‘spicy’, ‘sour’, ‘sweet’, ‘bitter’, or ‘rich’. ‘Rich’ can be used to describe heavier foods.

You also heard ‘bland’ in the dialogue. ‘Bland’ describes something which has little or no flavour.

Then, you could also describe the texture. In the dialogue, you heard the word ‘mushy’. Do you
know what this means?

‘Mushy’ means that something is soft, but in an unpleasant way. If you cook vegetables too long,
they’ll get mushy.

In the dialogue, you also heard ‘tough’, ‘chewy’, ‘tender’, ‘crunchy’ and ‘crumbly’. Can you think
of foods which these words could describe?

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‘Tough’ and ‘chewy’ are similar. Both describe foods which are difficult to eat because you have to
chew them for a long time. Meat can be tough or chewy, especially if it’s cooked too long and it
gets dry.

‘Tender’ means something like ‘soft’, but it’s mostly used to describe meat which is cooked well, so
it’s soft and juicy.

Crunchy foods make a lot of noise when you’re eating them. Dry food – like potato chips, or hard
cookies – can be crunchy.

Crumbly food is soft and easily breaks into pieces. ‘Crumbly’ can be good or bad – for a cake, it
might be a good thing, but crumbly bread might be a bad thing, because it will fall apart when you
try to do anything with it.

If you like the taste of something, you can use general adjectives like ‘great’, ‘amazing’ or
‘fantastic’. You can also use ‘tasty’ or ‘delicious’.

Be careful: ‘delicious’ is a strong adjective. That means you can’t say ‘very delicious’; if you want
to add emphasis, say ‘really delicious’ or ‘absolutely delicious’.

To talk about food you don’t like, use general adjectives like ‘awful’, ‘terrible’ or ‘disgusting’.
Learn more with our lesson on talking about likes and dislikes in English.

Now, a challenge for you: think about the last thing you ate.

Could you describe it? Talk about the flavour, the texture, and whether you liked it or not. For a
bonus, try to explain why you did or didn’t like it! For example: ‘The last thing I ate was a lentil
soup. It was quite spicy, but a little bit mushy, because I overcooked the lentils. I didn’t like it so
much, because it was a little bland. Lentils don’t have much flavour.’

Now it’s your turn. Pause the video and make your answer.

Next, let’s see how you can talk about cooking habits.

3. Talking About Cooking

Marie: Do you cook much?
Oli: Sometimes. I cook maybe twice a week, but I’m too busy to do more than that.
M: What do you do the rest of the time?
O: For lunch, I eat in the canteen at work. In the evening, I generally get something from the
supermarket, or get a takeaway. I don’t like it, because I know it’s more expensive and less healthy
than cooking for myself, but I just don’t have the time. What about you?
M: I make most of my meals. I don’t cook every day, though. I normally do a lot of cooking on
Sunday, and then I have food for the week. I take a packed lunch to work, and then eat leftovers in
the evening.
O: That’s a good system! I wish I could be so organised…

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M: It helps that I have a market very close to my house. They have great fresh produce, fish,
meat… everything you need. That means I don’t need to spend much time shopping. Plus, I prefer
eating home-cooked, fresh food. If I don’t have food with me, I end up eating greasy fast food, and
then I feel bloated and gross.
O: Yeah, I’m the same way… Maybe I’ll start cooking more.

Think about the first question you heard in the dialogue: ‘Do you cook much?’ How would you
answer this?

You could say something like:

• I cook every day.
• I don’t cook much – maybe once or twice a week.
• I don’t cook. I’ve never learned how!

If you don’t cook, what can you do for food? You heard some phrases in the dialogue. Do you
remember any?

Look at some sentences that you heard.

• I eat in the canteen at work.
• I generally get something from the supermarket, or get a takeaway.
• I take a packed lunch to work.
• I eat leftovers in the evening.

Imagine you’re an English teacher, and you want to explain the meanings of the words in bold text.
How would you do it?

A canteen is a bit like a restaurant, but it’s run by a company for its staff, or by a university for its
students. Canteens are usually cheap, or the food might even be free.

A takeaway means you buy or order the food from a restaurant, and then eat it somewhere else,
usually at home.

A packed lunch means you take food from home and eat it at work or school.

If you cook more than you can eat, the extra food is called ‘leftovers’. You can eat the leftovers on
another day.

What about you? Do you cook much? If not, what do you do for food? Pause the video now, and try
to make a few sentences to describe your cooking and eating habits.

Done? Great! Let’s look at our last point on how to talk about food in English.

4. Describing How to Make a Dish

Marie: So, what do we do first?
Oli: First, we need to fry the aubergine and the potato. While you do that, I’ll prepare the meat.
M: How are you going to do it?
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O: O: It’s easy: you sauté onion and garlic, then add the meat to brown it. Then you add the
tomatoes and simmer it for fifteen minutes or so until the sauce thickens.
M: OK, what now?
O: Now we need to make the white sauce. You know how to make white sauce?
M: I think so, though I’ve never tried it. It’s butter, flour and milk, right?
O: Yes, but you need to be careful. Add the milk very slowly, and stir the sauce continuously.
Otherwise, it can get lumpy.
M: Should I use a low heat?
O: Yes, as low as possible.
M: So, is that it?
O: Pretty much! We just need to layer all the parts, sprinkle some grated cheese on top, and then
bake it for half an hour.
M: What should I do, then?
O: Get a baking dish. Put the potatoes in the bottom, then the aubergine, then the meat. Add another
layer of aubergine on top, then pour in the white sauce.
M: Is it ready?
O: Yeah, I think so. It should be lightly brown on top. Nice work – you made your first moussaka!

By the way, do you know what ‘moussaka’ is? It’s a famous Greek dish. It’s easy to find recipes
online if you want to try making it.

In the dialogue, you heard several different verbs related to food preparation. Do you remember
any?

Look at some pairs of words.

• sauté/fry
• boil/simmer
• pour/sprinkle

Could you explain the difference in meaning between these words pairs? Pause the video to think
about it if you need time.

‘Sauté’ and ‘fry’ both mean to cook something in hot fat – usually hot oil. ‘Sauté’ means that you
cook something at high temperature for a short time. In everyday language, people mostly say ‘fry’,
but if you’re reading a recipe or watching cookery shows on TV, you might see ‘sauté’.

‘Boil’ and ‘simmer’ both mean to heat a liquid until it bubbles; ‘simmer’ suggests you keep the heat
as low as possible. ‘Boil’ means you use a higher heat.

‘Pour’ is only for liquids. ‘Sprinkle’ means to spread a small amount of something over something
else. ‘Sprinkle’ is mostly used for powders or things made of small particles, like salt, herbs, grated
cheese, and so on.

Now, it’s your turn. Think about a dish you know how to make. Your job is to give detailed
instructions for how to make it. Imagine you’re teaching someone, and you want to describe every
step of the process.

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 SPORTS

1. Do You Like Sport?

Liam: Do you like sport?
Kasia: Yeah, I’ve always been really sporty. I played basketball and tennis at school and university,
and recently I’ve got into cycling. What about you?
L: I’m not that into sport, to be honest. I’m not that athletic, and I find most sports boring to watch.
I go to the gym occasionally.
K: It’s hard to motivate yourself if you don’t enjoy it.
L: Do you like watching sport, too?
K: Sometimes, though I’m not a fanatic. Football or tennis can be fun to watch, I think, but it’s not
a big part of my life.
L: I like watching tennis, too! It’s one of the only sports I’ll make an effort to see.

Do you like sport?

Think about how you could answer.

You could say something like:

• I’ve always been really sporty.
• I enjoy watching sport sometimes, though I’m not a fanatic.
• I’m not that into sport, to be honest.

Do you know what the words ‘sporty’ and ‘fanatic’ mean?

‘Sporty’ describes someone who’s really interested in sport, and who plays sport often.

A ‘fanatic’ literally means someone who only cares about one thing. You can use it with an indirect
meaning to describe someone who’s really interested in something.

So if you say, ‘I enjoy some sports, though I’m not a fanatic’, you mean that you like sport, but it’s
not the most important thing for you.

Okay, you have three sentences. Which is closest to your opinion?

These are good sentences to start talking, but remember that you should always add more detail if
possible!

Let’s add some reasons or details to the three sentences you saw:
• I’ve always been really sporty. I played basketball and tennis at school and university, and
recently I’ve got into cycling.
• I enjoy some sports, though I’m not a fanatic. Playing football or something like that can be
fun, but I don’t want to take it too seriously.
• I’m not that into sport, to be honest. I’m not very athletic and I find watching sport quite
boring.

These are already much better. If you can add reasons or details when you speak, your speaking will
sound better, too!

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Let’s look at some useful words here:

‘Athletic’ describes someone who’s in good shape and who enjoys exercise and sport. If you say
‘I’m not very athletic’ you mean that you aren’t very good at sport, and probably you don’t really
enjoy it, either.

Another very useful phrase is ‘I find…’, as in ‘I find watching sport quite boring’. This is a very
good way to give your opinion about something. For example:
• I find watching snooker weirdly fascinating.
• I find swimming very relaxing.
• I found volleyball much more difficult to play than I was expecting.

So, what about you? Do you like sport?

Pause the video and make at least two sentences. Remember to add reasons and details. Learn more
about this topic in this Oxford Online English lesson: Talking About Likes and Dislikes.
Okay? Next, we’re going to look at how to talk in more detail about different kinds of sport that you
do.

2. Talking About Sports You Do

Kasia: So, what are you up to this weekend?
Liam: We have a match on Saturday; no plans for Sunday yet.
K: A match? You mean you’re playing?
L: Yeah, have I not told you before? I play 5-a-side football in a local league. We play most
Saturdays.
K: Where do you play?
L: Indoors, actually, in a sports hall.
K: That sounds fun. How did you get into that?
L: I do it with some old friends from university. We played when we were students, and we’ve kept
it going since then. Anyway, what about you? Any plans?
K: I also have a big sporting weekend! It’s the marathon.
L: You’re doing the marathon?!
K: Not exactly – I’m doing a half.
L: That’s what, 21 kilometres?
K: Yup.
L: I didn’t know you were so into running.
K: I wasn’t. I used to go jogging once a week or so, just around the park or whatever. Then, I
decided I needed a challenge, so on impulse I signed up for the half marathon.
L: So, you must have been training a lot?
K: Quite a lot, yes. I’ve been running three or four times a week for the last two months.
L: Are you confident?
K: Yeah, I think it’ll be fine. I’ve done training runs that are around 20K, so I don’t think finishing
will be a problem.

Look at three sentences:

• I play 5-a-side football in a local league.
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 • I used to go jogging once a week.
• I do boxing at my gym.

Which two did you hear in the dialogue?

You heard these two.

• I play 5-a-side football in a local league.
• I used to go jogging once a week.

Another question: here you have different sports with the verbs ‘play’, ‘go’, and ‘do’. Can you think
of three more sports you can use with each verb? Pause the video and think about your answers!

You use ‘play’ with most ball sports. That means you play tennis, play cricket, play golf, play
basketball, and play volleyball; you can also play badminton, which is not a ball sport.

Use ‘go’ with activities ending in -ing. Most of these are individual sports; you can go swimming,
go cycling, go surfing, go climbing, or go hiking.

You might be thinking: “what about ‘boxing’?” Even though it ends with -ing, you say ‘do boxing’
– it’s an exception.

Use ‘do’ with other activities, mostly individual sports. You do yoga, do gymnastics, do judo, or do
Pilates.

There’s one more question you heard in the dialogue: ‘how did you get into that?’ What does this
mean?

This question is asking how or why you started something.

Now, think about some questions: what sports do you do? How did you get into it? Where and how
often do you do them?

Think about how you could answer these questions. Before you try, let’s look at three examples.
• I really enjoy playing cricket. I joined an online group and we meet in the park once a week
for a game.
• I started doing judo about a year ago. I go to classes twice a week at a sport centre near my
office. At first, I just wanted a new hobby, but I really like it and I think I’ll start training
more regularly.
• I like playing basketball. I’ve been playing since I was a kid, and now I play for a local
team. We train three times a week and have matches once or twice a week, sometimes in our
town, and sometimes in other cities.

OK, now it’s your turn! Think about a sport or physical activity you do. Try to make a few
sentences talking about it; say where you do it, how often, and how you started. Pause the video and
do it now!

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3. Talking About Why You Do Sport
Liam: How was the game?
Kasia: Amazing! We crushed them!
L: ‘Crushed them’? That sounds dramatic!
K: It was great. There’s no better feeling than winning.
L: Wow… You’re so competitive.
K: Yes, true! I love it. Some people say that sport’s about taking part, not winning, but I don’t
agree.
L: That sounds a bit intense. I play a lot of tennis and badminton, but for me, it’s more about the
social side. Also, I just like the feeling of getting some physical activity after sitting in an office all
day.
K: Fair enough. Personally, I can’t motivate myself to do any sport unless it’s competitive. That’s
why I mostly just do team sports. I can’t go jogging, or go to the gym, or anything like that. I just
don’t see the point.
L: I don’t know… I think if it gets too competitive, then it stops being fun. Personally, I play sport
to hang out with my friends and relax. It’s nice to win, but I don’t care that much.

Why do people do sport? How many different reasons can you think of?

Some people do sport to socialize. Others love to compete. For some people, sport is just a way to
get fit and stay healthy. What about you? Why do you do sport?

In the dialogue, you heard some possible answers to this question.

• I love competing. There’s no better feeling than winning.
• For me, it’s more about the social side.
• I just like the feeling of getting some physical activity after sitting in an office all day.
• Personally, I play sport to hang out with my friends and relax.

You can see some useful language here for giving your opinion about things.
• There’s no better feeling than…
• For me…
• I just like…
• Personally…

You can use these phrases to give your opinion about many different things. For example:
• There’s no better feeling than when you’re tired after a good game.
• For me, the most important thing is just spending time outdoors in the fresh air.
• I just like the feeling of pushing myself to the limit.
• Personally, I’ve always loved being in the water.

What about you? Can you describe why you do sport, and why you like the sports you like?
Pause the video, and try to make two or three sentences. Use the language from this section if you
can.

Alright, so now you can say quite a lot about sport. Let’s put everything together.

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4. Making a Longer Answer

To make a longer answer, you need to talk about your general attitude towards sport, talk about
which sports you like, say where and how often you do sport, and who you do them with, and talk
about why you do sport.

Here’s one example:

• I enjoy some sports, though I’m not a fanatic. Playing football or something like that can be
fun, but I don’t want to take it too seriously. I play 5-a-side football with some friends every
Sunday. We rent a sports hall and play a 60-minute match. For me, the most important thing
is the social side. I don’t really care about the game, or who wins. I just like having a laugh
with some good friends and getting a beer afterwards.

This example only uses language from the lesson. You can see how you can build an interesting,
detailed answer using simple ideas.

Let’s do one more example, using original language and ideas:

• I don’t really like sport that much, but fitness and staying healthy are important to me. That’s
why I go swimming and do some weight training regularly. I mostly just exercise by myself
at the sports centre. Personally, I just do it because I feel I have to. I don’t really enjoy it,
although I don’t mind it, either. I do like feeling healthy and fit, but exercising always feels
more like work than something fun.

Okay, now it’s your turn.

Make a longer answer like the two you’ve just seen. Follow the same structure, and use the
language from the lesson if you can.

Don’t forget that you can write your answer down if you want extra practice.

Also, it’s a good idea to practise your answer several times, until it’s really fluent and comfortable.

Then, if you’re really serious, don’t just make one answer! Make several answers, talking about
different sports. Even better, make an answer from someone else’s point of view. If you practise like
this, your English will get better very fast!

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 RELATIONSHIPS
1.Talking About Dating

Oli: So, your friend Claire…

Lori: Yeah?
O: She seems nice…
L: Oh, you like her?
O: Yeah, I do.
L: Aren’t you going out with that charity worker. What’s her name again?
O: Georgia? No, that’s over.
L: What happened? I liked her.
O: Sometimes things just don’t work out.
L: Let me guess, she was too clingy?
O: Yeah, how’d you know?
L: Everyone’s ‘too clingy’ for you.
O: Anyway, what about Claire? Can you put me in touch?
L: Why don’t you just ask her out yourself?
O: I don’t have her number, or any way to get in contact.
L: I think she’ll be at Sam’s housewarming party on Saturday. Maybe you should go.
O: Maybe I will!

If you’re single and you meet someone you like, what’s the next step? Of course, this is quite
different in different parts of the world!

However, in many places, you can ask the other person on a date. British and American English use
different words here. In British English, you say ‘ask someone out’ and ‘go out with someone’; in
American English, you say ‘ask someone on a date’ and ‘go on a date with someone.’ The meanings
are the same. ‘Go out with’ and ‘date’—both verbs—can also have the meaning that you’re seeing
someone regularly, as girlfriend or boyfriend. However, it could also mean something less serious.

For example, in the dialogue, you heard: ‘Aren’t you going out with that charity worker?’ Here, ‘go
out’ doesn’t clearly mean that they’re in a couple. It could also refer to a situation where two people
are meeting each other regularly, but they aren’t a serious couple.

You could use this language in other ways; for example:

• They’ve been going out for about a year now.
• She’s dating a guy I used to work with.

As you heard before, ‘go out with’ is more common in UK English, while ‘date’ is more common in
US English. In these examples, the context tells you that you’re talking about more serious
relationships. However, in many cases you would use these words—go out with someone, date
someone—to talk about couples in the early stages of a relationship. If two people have been in a
relationship for some time, you can use the term ‘be together’. For example:
• How long have you and your boyfriend been together?
• They were together for about four years, but then they broke up.

You can also use the verb ‘see’ to mean ‘have a relationship with someone’. For example:
• Are you seeing anyone at the moment?
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 • I’m sure he’s seeing someone, but he won’t tell me who it is.

Like ‘go out with’ or ‘date’, these sentences probably refer to the early stages of a relationship. If
you’re going out with someone and everything’s going well, what next to talk about love and
relationships in English?

2. Getting Engaged
Oli: Did you hear Jen’s news?
Lori: No, what?
O: She’s engaged.
L: Really? That’s great! When did it happen?
O: A couple of weeks ago. Phil proposed to her while they were on holiday in Rome.
L: How romantic! When’s the wedding?
O: I don’t think they’ve decided yet.
L: I’ll have to call her to say congratulations. Did she have a ring?
O: Maybe. I didn’t notice.
L: You’re useless!

Here’s a question: can you complete this missing word from the dialogue? It means: the situation
before two people get married.
• get e—–d

The word is ‘engaged’. Be careful with ‘get engaged’ and ‘be engaged’. Do you know the
difference? ‘Get engaged’ is an action. When you first agree to get married, you get engaged. After
you get engaged, you *are* engaged. ‘Be engaged’ is a state. For example:
• They got engaged in June, and got married in July.
• They’ve been engaged for two years now. They say they’re too busy to plan a wedding!

There’s a similar difference between ‘get married’ and ‘be married’. Learn more about ‘get’ with
this lesson from Oxford Online English on how to use have and get.

Next question! Before you get engaged, one person has to ask the other to get married. Can you
complete this sentence from the dialogue?
• Phil p——d to her while they were on holiday.

Do you remember? The verb is ‘propose’. Colloquially, you can also say ‘pop the question’ which
has the same meaning. For example:
• He popped the question while they were on holiday.

These are conversational responses and phrases, so if you’re not sure, use ‘propose’. Let’s do two
more. Can you complete the sentences from the dialogue?
• I’ll have to call her to say —————-
• Did she have a —-?

Do you remember the answers?

• I’ll have to call her to say congratulations.
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 • Did she have a ring?

The full term is ‘engagement ring’. However, in this context, it’s clear what she meant.
Now, do you know any couples that have a really good marriage? That’s our next topic!

3. Talking About Good Relationships

Oli: How long have you been married now?
Lori: Ooh… Almost ten years.
O: That’s a long time! No regrets?
L: No! There are ups and downs, of course, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.
O: You two seem like a really good couple.
L: Yeah, it works well. Of course, part of being a good couple is knowing when to give each other
some space.
O: That’s true.
L: I see a lot of couples who move in together, and they give up all of the things which make them
individuals. We spend a lot of time together, but we have our own friends, our own hobbies, and so
on.
O: Sure, I mean, you don’t want to be *too* dependent on each other.
L: Absolutely. Although, you need to strike a balance. You need to make time for each other, too.
O: Of course. I imagine that it can be easy to let things slip when you’ve been together so long.
L: Yeah, it’s dangerous, actually.

You can’t take things for granted, otherwise your relationship will suffer. If two people go well
together, you can say they’re a good couple. You could also say ‘a great couple’, or ‘a perfect
couple’. What do you think makes two people a good couple?

In the dialogue, you heard these:

• Part of being a good couple is knowing when to give each other some space.
• You need to make time for each other.
• You can’t take things for granted, otherwise your relationship will suffer.

Do you know what ‘take things for granted’ means? If you take something for granted, you’ve had
something for a long time and you get used to it. Then, you don’t appreciate it any more. For
example, imagine you eat in an amazing restaurant. The food is incredible, and you have a great
time. Now, imagine you eat in the same restaurant every night for a year. Will you still appreciate
it? Probably not. You’ll get bored of it, and it won’t be special any more. You’ll take it for granted.

What do you think? Do you agree with these ideas? Could you add any more suggestions for a
successful relationship? Of course, there are many ideas! Here are three more:
• The most important thing is to listen to each other.
• Accept that you’ll have ups and downs; don’t expect everything to be perfect.
• If you’re unhappy about something, deal with it quickly. Don’t let things fester.

‘Fester’ here means that you don’t deal with a problem, so it becomes bigger and more serious as
time goes by.

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Of course, not all relationships go perfectly. Next, let’s see how you can talk about relationship
problems with love and relationships in English.

4. Relationship Problems
Lori: Have you seen Sasha lately?
Oli: Yeah, we met for a beer the other evening.
L: How’s he doing? I haven’t seen him for ages.
O: Not so well. It seems like he and Maria are having a difficult time.
L: Really? I remember seeing them together in the summer, and they seemed like the perfect match.
O: I guess things have gone a bit sour since then. From what he said, they aren’t getting on well at
all, so they’re fighting all the time. He didn’t seem happy.
L: What’s he going to do?
O: He wasn’t sure.
L: Do they live together?
O: Yeah.
L: That complicates things…
O: It does. Maybe they’ll work things out. You should call him. He’d be glad to hear from you.
L: Mmm… I’ll give him a call tonight.

Look at three sentences from the dialogue. Can you explain what they mean?
• He and Maria are having a difficult time.
• I guess things have gone a bit sour since then.
• They aren’t getting on well at all.

If a couple are having a difficult time, it means they’re having some relationship problems. You can
also say ‘have problems’. For example: ‘He and Maria are having problems.’

‘Go sour’ is an idiom. Here, it means that things were fine in the past, but now they’re not. Literally,
‘go sour’ is used with milk and other dairy products. If you keep milk for too long, it’ll go sour, and
then it smells bad and you shouldn’t drink it. Here, you’re using ‘go sour’ metaphorically.

Lastly, ‘they aren’t getting on well at all’ means that they have a lot of conflict. You might also say
something like:
• They’re fighting all the time.
• They’re arguing a lot.
• They just aren’t seeing eye-to-eye at the moment.

‘Seeing eye-to-eye’ is another idiom. If you see eye-to-eye with someone, you understand each
other and you have a good relationship. You can use this in other contexts, not just to talk about
romantic relationships.

Finally, let’s talk about what happens when relationships end.

5. Divorces and Break-Ups

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Lori: Are we still doing movie night at yours tonight?
Oli: Ah… Maybe not. My friend Jon is staying. It’s a bit of a messy situation—he left his wife, and
I think it’s for good.
L: Poor guy! That must be tough.
O: Well… don’t feel too sorry for him. He was cheating all over the place, and it was his decision to
walk out.
L: OK then, poor wife! Soon to be ex-wife, I suppose…
O: Probably. They’re that kind of couple, though: they break up, get back together, break up
again… This time, though, I don’t see how they can patch things up.
L: Yeah… I don’t know them, but I don’t think I could stay with someone who cheated on me. It’s
too big a betrayal.
O: I agree. I guess it’s for them to deal with. Anyway, I was going to ask: can we do the movie
night at yours instead? Please say yes; I’ve already told everyone that it’s at your house.
L: Yeah, sure!

When you’re talking about the end of a relationship, you need different words depending on
whether the couple you’re talking about is married or not. For an unmarried couple, you mostly use
‘break up’. ‘Break up’ can be an intransitive verb—used without an object—or you can break up
*with* someone. For example:
• They broke up about six months ago.
• She broke up with him because he didn’t seem serious enough about their relationship.

For a married couple, you can use the verb ‘separate’, meaning that the two people are still legally
married, but they aren’t in a relationship any more. Then, you can use the phrases ‘get divorced’ and
‘be divorced’, in the same way as you can use ‘get married’ and ‘be married’. For example:
• They’ve been living apart for ages, and they finally got divorced last year.
• She’s divorced. She left her husband last year.

You can also use the verb phrase ‘leave someone’. This is more common with married couples, but
you could use it for unmarried couples, too. Look at three more sentences which you heard in this
dialogue, and one from the last section.
• Maybe they’ll work things out.
• I don’t see how they can patch things up.
• They break up, get back together, break up again…

Do you know what these sentences mean?

‘Work things out’ is a general phrase, but if you’re talking about a relationship, it means that two
people find a way to solve their problems, or at least to accept them.

‘Patch things up’ is a has the idea of repairing or fixing something. If a couple have a big fight, or if
one person does something bad to the other, they might need to patch things up, meaning they try to
make things better again.

Some couples might break up, and then get back together again. You can use ‘get together’ to talk
about a couple starting a relationship, but ‘get back together’ has a different meaning; it means that
two people are going back to a relationship which ended previously.

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 HOUSEHOLD OBJECTS

1.Introducing Where You Live—Types of Home

Let’s start with a simple sentence:
• I live in a _________.

What could you put there? You could say:

• I live in a house/apartment.

In Britain, sometimes people say flat. Flat and apartment have the same meaning.

Next, let’s add a bit more detail. What kind of house or apartment is it?

For example:
• I live in a small, two-storey house in the suburbs.

When we say how many floors a building has, we normally use the word storey. For example, you
can live in a two-storey house, a four-storey apartment building, etc.
• I live in an apartment, on the third floor of a four-storey building.

There are many different kinds of house and apartment. For example, do you live in a terraced
house, a semi-detached house, or a detached house? Terraced houses have other houses on both
sides. A semi-detached-house has another house on one side, and a detached house stands by itself.

Detached houses are normally larger and cost more…

…while terraced houses are normally smaller and cheaper.

What kind of house is most common in your country?

What about apartments? Many apartments are in apartment buildings—easy enough, right?

If you live in a very tall apartment building with many floors, you can say you live in a high-rise (in
the US), or a tower block (in the UK).

Sometimes, a house is divided into apartments. These are called converted apartments.

Apartments come in many different sizes. If an apartment just has one room, which is a bedroom
and a living room together, it’s called a studio. Of course, you can get bigger apartments: two-
bedroom apartments, three-bedroom apartments, etc.

Large apartments might be duplex apartments. This means the apartment has more than one floor.

What about you? Where do you live—in a house, or in an apartment? Can you make a sentence
with the vocabulary from this section? For example:
• I live in a two-storey terraced house.
• I live in an apartment, on the 28th floor of a high-rise building.
• I live in a converted studio apartment.

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Next, let’s continue talking about your home and see how you can describe the inside of your home
in more detail.

2. Describing Your Home

If you want to describe your home, what can you talk about? Well, you could start by talking about
what rooms it has.

For example:
• My house has two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a garden.

It’s always better to add adjectives or details to make your speaking more interesting! Let’s try:
• My house has two small bedrooms, a kitchen with a dining table, a living room with big
windows and a small garden.

What other rooms might you have in your home? You might have a dining room where people can
sit and eat together. Maybe you have a study or an office where you can work. If you live in a
warmer country, you might have a balcony or even a terrace where you can sit outside.

What about your home? What rooms does it have? Does your home have a garden, a balcony, or
another outside area? Try to make one or two sentences about your home. For example:
• I live in a two-bedroom apartment. The bedrooms are quite small, but there’s a big living
room with a dining area, a modern kitchen, and also a small balcony where we can sit outside
in the summer.

What can you say about your home?

3. Saying what You Like and Dislike

OK, now you can hopefully give some facts about where you live. But what about your opinion:
what do you like about your home, and what would you change if you could? Let’s look at some
words you can use to describe buildings or rooms.

Positive words you can use to describe your home include:

• Spacious –> large and with lots of room
• Cosy –> comfortable in a warm way
• Light –> describes a home which gets lots of natural light
• Warm/cool –> comfortable in winter/summer
• Convenient –> close to shops, transport, your job, etc.

You can use convenient + for. For example:

• It’s convenient for the subway.
• It’s convenient for my office.

Could you use any of these words when talking about your home?

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What if you don’t like where you live? Here are some words you could use:
• Cramped –> too small, so you don’t have enough space
• Dark –> doesn’t get enough light, so that it’s dark inside even when it’s sunny outside
• Draughty –> cold air comes in in the winter
• Stuffy –> there’s not enough air, so it’s uncomfortable in hot weather
• Noisy –> if your home is near a main road, it might be noisy, even at night

Can you make a sentence about your home using some of these words? For example:
• My house is light and spacious, but it’s also very draughty in winter.
• I like my apartment because it’s cosy, although it can be noisy because there’s a restaurant
just downstairs.

OK, now you can say something about your home and what you think of it. What else can you talk
about on this topic?

4. Saying Who You Live With

Who do you live with? Do you live with your parents, your husband/wife, or your family? Or do
you live with flatmates (people you share a rented apartment with) or friends?

Let’s look at examples of what you could say here:

• I live with my parents.
• I live in a shared house. I have four flatmates.
• I live by myself.

What about you? Learn more with this Oxford Online English lesson on talking about your family.
OK, that was easy! There’s one more thing we can talk about—let’s look:

5. Describing Your Neighbourhood

First, be careful with the word neighbourhood. A neighbourhood is not a person! Your
neighbourhood is the area near your home.

So, where is your home? Is it in the city centre, the suburbs, or is it outside the city? If you live
outside the city, do you live on the outskirts of the city, in a village, or in the middle of nowhere?

How could you describe your neighbourhood? Is it quiet or lively? Trendy or boring? Are there
many cafés, bars, restaurants, or other things to do? Are there shops, parks, or sports facilities?

For example, you could say:

• I live in a very lively area just south of the city centre. There are lots of cafes, shops, and
places to go.

Or:
• I live in a quiet neighbourhood in the suburbs, in the north of the city. It’s a new area, and
it’s nice but also quite boring. There isn’t really anything to do.
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What about you? Can you say something about your neighbourhood?

6. Review
Now, let’s try to put everything together. If you use everything we’ve looked at, you should be able
to produce a clear, detailed paragraph talking about your home. For example:
• I live in a two-storey terraced house. It has two bedrooms, a living room, a small kitchen and
a garden. It’s cosy and convenient for getting to work, but it’s a bit cramped, especially when
we have guests. I live with my wife and daughter. Our house is near the city centre, in a quiet
neighbourhood. There isn’t much to do, but there are some small shops and a park where we
go if the weather’s nice.

Here’s one more:

• I live by myself in a studio apartment. It just has one main room, with a tiny kitchen. It’s
very warm in winter, but it can get a bit stuffy in summer. I live in the city centre, very close
to everything. It’s very lively, with lots of bars and restaurants. It’s a good place for young
people to live, but not many families choose to live here.

What about you? Can you make an answer like this to talk about where you live? Try to use some
of the language from the lesson. We hope you got some useful vocabulary to use when talking about
your home in English!

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