CAE Speaking Phrases

Likes/dislikes I’m into… I’m a keen/avid (surfer) I’m keen on/fond of (surfing) I (go surfing) to unwind, to escape the stresses and strains of my day to day life. I like nothing more than (to go surfing) I’m itching to try/go…. (I really want to)	Opinion As far as I’m concerned, As I see it, From my point of view, In my humble opinion, I’d say that…
Comparing/contrasting Both pictures show… In this picture they look as though they are…. Whereas/while in this picture… In contrast On the other hand	Describing pictures The first thing that strikes me about this picture is… The thing that really jumps out of this picture is… In this picture it looks as if/though they are… They could/might/may be… They could/might/may have just… I’m pretty sure that they’re feeling… I’d guess that they are…
Agreeing We see eye to eye. Yeah, I’d go along with that. Absolutely! You took the words right out of my mouth. I couldn’t agree more. You have a point there. I’m with you 100% on this one.	Disagreeing We don’t see eye to eye. I take your point but… I tend to disagree with you there. That’s not always the case I beg to differ Isn’t it more a case of…
Starting to make a conclusion Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. The bottom line is we have to choose one… It’s a tough one, I’m torn between … and …. Shall we go with ….?	Asking for opinion What’s your take on….? Where do you stand on….? In my opinion…., would you go along with that? What are your thoughts on this?
Personalising Speaking from personal experience,… For me personally,.. This is a topic that is particularly close to my heart… It’s funny I was just thinking about this the other day. My gut/initial reaction is… If I were to choose one of these situations (part 2 pictures), I’d go with… because…	Impressive structures Another point I’d like to add about … is… It’s also worth bearing in mind that… Coming back to what (Javi) was saying about …. I’d also like to point out that… I think it’s important not to forget that… The vast majority of people tend to think that… At the end of the day… When all’s said and done…
Tips Eye-contact Active listening Open body language Speak up Don’t dominate	Asking for repetition I beg your pardon, I didn’t catch that. Sorry would you mind repeating that? Could you repeat the question please?

Source: Robbio Dobbio

7 Day Diet Plan

The Secret to this diet is the FOOD EATEN TAKES MORE CALORIES TO BURN than it gives to the body in calorie value.

It will flush your system of impurities.

Doctors recommend taking a multivitamin, Vitamin B and C as supplements during this diet.

Speak or Talk?

When do we use "speak" versus "talk"? Check out this American English at State graphic to see some of the slight differences in use between the verbs "speak" and "talk." Have something else you'd like to learn?

Source: American English At State 

Phrasal Verbs Using "Take"

In English, there are a lot of frequently-used phrasal verbs. Check out this graphic with some phrasal verbs that use the word "take." What other phrasal verbs with "take" can you think of?

Source: American English at State

Phrasal Verbs Using "Come"

A phrasal verb is a group of words that functions as a verb and is made up of a verb plus a preposition or an adverb (or both). It creates a meaning different from the original verb. There are a lot of phrasal verbs in English! Check out this  graphic to learn six phrasal verbs that all use the verb "come." Can you "come up with" sentences that use these phrasal verbs?

Source: American English At State

Fewer/Less

Why does one use "less" with money but "fewer" with dollars? Check out this graphic that explains it simply: "less" is for uncountable nouns (such as money), and "fewer" is for countable nouns (such as dollars). Can you make a sentence using one of these words?

 source: American English At State

IN, At, and ON

Sometimes it can be difficult to know which preposition to use when talking about time and dates. Check out this easy chart to help you remember when to use the prepositions IN, At, and ON. Notice that there are a few exceptions to the rules at the bottom of the chart!

 

Source: American English At State