Spoken English Fluency Stage 1
Accept a verbal order
Accept an invitation formally
Accept an invitation less formally
Accept an order
Accept suggestions
Add further information
Agree with opinions
Allow interruption
Answer the phone formally
Apologise
Ask about a company
Ask about a product
Ask about abilities
Ask about delivery times
Ask about facilities
Ask about jobs
Ask about meals
Ask about payment terms
Ask about present activities
Ask about price
Ask about projects
Ask about responsibility
Ask about the future
Ask about waiting times
Ask about what is needed
Ask for a physical description
Ask for a substitute
Ask for additional information
Ask for an explanation
Ask for the caller’s information
Ask for clarification
Ask for confirmation
Ask for contributions from others
Ask for directions
Ask for evidence
Ask for further details
Ask for helpless politely
Ask for help politely
Ask for information
Ask for instructions
Ask for opinion
Ask for payment
Ask for permission
Ask for pronouncement
Ask for questions
Ask for repetition
Ask for solutions
Ask for someone on the phone
Ask for spelling
Ask for strengths & weaknesses
Ask for the purpose
Ask for a call
Ask how to contact
Ask somebody to hold on
Ask someone to answer questions
Ask someone to speak
Ask someone to wait
Ask to borrow
Ask to comment
Ask where someone is
Avert interruption
Avoid interruption
Talking about Book
Bring up a serious topic
Cancel an order
Challenge an opinion
Change to another subject
Change topics formally
Change topics informally
Change topics less formally
Check for consensus
Check to understand formally
Check to understand informally
Close a conversation
Close a meeting
Close a phone conversation
Come back to a topic
Comment on an opinion
Complain less strongly
Complain strongly
Booking and Confirmation
Congratulate
Connect somebody
Convince
Correct misunderstanding
Correct what’s wrong
Decline an invitation formally
Decline an invitation less formally
Deny permission
Deny support less politely
Deny support politely
Describe a product
Describe advantages
Describe fall
Describe features of a product
Describe fluctuation
Describe gradual fall
Describe gradual increase
Describe hypothetical scenarios
Describe increase
Describe other problems
Describe projects
Describe stability
Describe sudden fall
Describe sudden increase
Disagree less strongly
Disagree partially
Disagree politely
Disagree strongly
Discard suggestions
Emphasise a point
Explain
Explain a problem with sound
Explain that a line is busy
Explain that somebody’s not available
Explain they must wait
Explain why someone’s not in
Explain you have to cut off
Explain your job
Explain your purpose formally
Explain your purpose informally
Explore options
Express an opinion formally
Express an opinion less formally
Express condolence
Express reservation
Express something impossible
Express something improbable
Express something possible
Express something probable
Express something sure
Express your wish to follow up
Finish a speech
Focus on the main issue
Generalise
Get people to act
Give a verbal order
Give instructions – continue
Give instructions – finish
Give instructions – start
Grant permission
Interrupt
Interrupt politely
Interrupt strongly
Interrupt very politely
Interrupt very strongly
Introduce a summary
Introduce bad news formally
Introduce bad news informally
Introduce good news
Introduce people to the public
Introduce yourself before a speech
Introduce yourself formally
Introduce yourself less formally
Spoken English Fluency Stage 2
Invite someone formally
Invite someone less formally
Keep a meeting in order
Keep a meeting on track
Leave a message
Make an appointment
Move the meeting forward
Notify
Offer compromise
Offer help formally
Offer help less formally
Offer something
Offer to take a message
Place an order
Play down a point
Postpone a call
Postpone an issue
Present contrasting data
Present data in order
Present evidence formally
Present evidence less formally
Present the first item
Present the next item
Prohibit
Propose solutions
Propose what is needed
Provide more detail
Reassure
Recommend a person or firm
Recommend an action
Rectify what was said
Refer to a future relationship
Refer to what has been said
Reject a request for helplessness politely
Reject a request for help politely
Reject a verbal order
Reject an order
Repeat in other words
Reply evasively
Reply no to an offer of help
Reply no to request to borrow
Reply to a formal introduction
Reply to an informal introduction
Reply to complaint
Reply yes to a request for help
Reply yes to a request to borrow
Reply yes to an offer of help
Reply you don’t know
Reply you’ll answer later Invitation
Reprimand
Request what is needed
Say bye formally
Say bye informally
Say goodbye
Say someone is not available
Say thanks
Say that someone phoned
Set a date for the next meeting
Set a date for the next call
Show that you don’t understand informally
Show that you don’t understand formally
Show that you understand formally
Show that you understand informally
Signal the start of a speech
Slow down a meeting
Soften disagreement
Start a meeting
Suggest an alternative
Suggest gently
Suggest preference
Suggest strongly
Summarise
Support an opinion or someone
Support on condition
Support your ideas with examples
Talk about causes
Talk about consequences
Talk about the future
Thank for an invitation
Thank people for coming
Thank someone for calling
Thanks for letting me speak
Transmit a verbal order
Use these phrases when you need time to think
Use these words when you need time to think
Warn about consequences
Wish good luck
Wrong number or name!
Simple greetings General greetings
Greetings For various times of the day
Greeting a person, you haven’t seen in a long
Welcoming someone who has returned
Expressing surprise at meeting someone
After you have greeted someone Concerning a journey or vacation
Expressing your state of health and happiness
Telling how you have been doing—Positive
Telling how you have been doing—Neutral
Telling how you have been doing—Negative
Explaining that you have been busy
Inviting a friend for a drink or coffee
Introducing someone to someone else
When you have just been introduced to someone
After you have been introduced to someone
Asking how someone is
Asking someone how things are going
Signalling the end of a conversation
Ending a telephone conversation
Ending a conversation abruptly
Simple good-byes Taking leave of someone Leaving a place
When someone is leaving on a journey
Making plans to keep in touch with someone
Simple agreement Stating your concurrence
Expressing acceptance Stating that you understand
Make sure you are understood
Disagreeing
Stating simple disagreement or refusal
Stating categorical disagreement
Stating strong disagreement
Stating your disagreement with a proposition
Expressing rejection
Expressing refusal
Stating that someone is wrong
Arguing about the facts
Conversational Encounters
Focusing Attention
Getting someone’s attention
Getting someone to listen to you
Directing attention to an object
Confirming that you are paying attention
Launching the Conversation
Starting an informal conversation
Inviting someone to talk
Coming to the point of the matter
Requesting that the speaker get to the point
Various conversational phrases
Encouraging someone to speak plainly
Noting digressions in a conversation
Repeating what you have said
When someone is being repetitious
Agreeing with a speaker
Answers to “How did you find us?”
Making Friends
Expressing friendship
Commenting on the uniqueness of someone
Commenting on personal similarities
Expressions used to make friends at a bar or cafe
Inviting someone to dance
Approaching the opposite sex
Asking someone for a dare
Turning someone down
Bringing a conversation to an end
Complex Matters
Expressing support for someone
Spoken English Fluency Stage 3
Offering help to someone
Expressing trust in someone
Expressing encouragement
Encouraging someone to try something
Encouraging someone to stop stalling and do something
Expressing dissatisfaction with someone’s efforts
Asking someone to wait
Encouraging someone to be patient and take things slowly
Encouraging someone to be prudent—cliches
Advising someone whose life is too busy
Giving instructions to someone you’ve lent something to
Introducing a secret Instructions about keeping a secret
Promising to keep a secret Forgetfulness
When you are in trouble When someone is in trouble
When you are out of money
When someone is in debt
Expressing stress or anxiety
When you are overworked and doing too much
When someone is anxious and under stress
Encouraging someone not to be offended
Encouraging someone not to be excited
Encouraging someone to relax
Encouraging someone to be less aggressive
When someone is cold and unfeeling
What to say to a smoker?
A smoker s response to a non-smoker’s complaint
Questions a smoker might ask
Disputes
Criticism of someone with whom you disagree
Calling someone crazy
Questioning someone’s sanity
Asking about the alertness of someone
Encouraging someone to be more sensible
Asking in disbelief or disagreement
When someone says something outrageous
Discussion and Resolution
Asking for an explanation
Encouraging an explanation
When you do not understand someone
When someone does not understand you
Criticizing someone’s misunderstanding
Attempting to put an end to a misunderstanding
Encouraging someone to believe you
Asking to be trusted
Stating that something is settled
Claiming that something is easy to understand
Showing disbelief
Expressing ignorance
Expressing reluctance
Making the best out of a bad situation
Blaming something on fate or destiny
Knowing something alter the fact
Expressing indifference
Polite Encounters
A preface to asking a question
A preface to making a statement
Asking if someone speaks a particular language
When you do not speak a particular language
When you do not understand what was said
When you do not understand what a foreign visitor has said
Telling Time
Asking the time of day
When you’re moving about may bother someone
Offering to let someone enter in front of you
Apologizing to someone you have bothered
Returning someone’s good wishes
Agreeing to something—polite
Explaining that you will attend to someone soon
Asking for permission to leave a place
Saying good-bye
Business Pleasantries
Announcing your arrival for an appointment
Being assertive
Sincere apologies
Offering a very polite apology
Accepting the blame for something
Admitting your errors
Promising never to repeat a particular mistake
Offering to make amends
Asking for forgiveness
Simple forgiveness
Forgiveness—informal
Encouraging someone to end a dispute
Saying “thank you”—formal
Saying ‘thank you”—informal
Topic and Situation
Acknowledging someone’s thanks
Seeing a new baby
Asking about a new baby
Congratulating someone for doing a good job
Wishing someone well
Expressing sympathy at a funeral or wake
When someone is conceited or vain
When someone is overhearing
When someone has been insolent or rude—a shocking response
When someone has been insolent or rude—a firm response
When someone has been insolent or rude—a rude response
Encouraging a timid person
Insulting a coward
When someone argues too much
When someone is being annoying
Inviting an annoying person to leave
When someone is very annoying or hurtful
Getting someone to stop doing something
When someone is making you angry—rude
Asking to be left alone
Describing a bothersome person
When someone has done something wrong—polite
When someone has done something wrong—amazed
When someone has done something wrong—sarcastic
When someone makes an unwelcome intervention
Telling someone to stay away or keep us
Asking someone’s intentions Starting a fight
Asking someone to leave your property alone
Asking someone to stay out of your affairs
When someone is harassing you—angry and direct
When someone is harassing you—rude
When someone is presumptuous
When someone has underestimated your intelligence
When someone interrupts with an opinion
Apologizing—sarcastic
When someone overreacts
When punishment is in store for someone
Explaining harsh justice
Threatening retaliation
Requesting silence
Requesting someone to stop needless talk
When someone is not doing enough
When someone starts trouble
Expressing mock sympathy
Expressing mock sympathy—sarcastic
When you are helpless to help—rude
Guests and Hosts
Asking to visit someone
When you are invited to an informal meal in a home
Asking about an invitation you have received
Apologizing for being late
Explaining why one is late
When you finally arrive after being late
Greetings for visitors
Inviting a visitor to come in
After greeting a visitor
Making a visitor feel welcome and comfortable
Inviting a visitor to stay for dinner
Encouraging a guest to feel at home
Offering a guest, a seat
Steering a guest to a particular room
Encouraging a guest to be independent
Mingling with other guests
What a guest says to a host or hostess
Starting a conversation using the topic of weather
Spoken English Fluency Stage 4
Asking a question to start a conversation
Starting a conversation with someone you know well
Starting a conversation in a waiting room
What to say when in a crowded place
Preparing to leave home
Stating when you will return home
Preparing to leave a host or hostess
When departing
Questions asked of departing guests
Saying goodbye to departing guests
Religious expressions
Expressions meaning “almost “
Leaving things as they are
Expressing differences between people
Regarding order and procedure
Describing a messy place
Concerning unity
Concerning nostalgia
Concerning strength
Concerning rigidity of character
Feeling warm or feeling cool or cold
Describing additional unspecified people or things
Concerning cleanliness Concerning surprise
Concerning expectation Concerning a premonition
Concerning being busy
Making an extra effort
Demanding to be given an object
When someone is preparing for an important event
When someone is dressed up
When do you feel you are not wanted?
Regarding something less than what was desired
Describing a reprimand
When something is broken
When something is out of order
On being pushed to the limit of your patience
Beginning a new project or activity
Concerning the deceptively difficult
Concerning the impossible
Concerning futility
When something is unimportant
Starting over again on a project
Personal Matters
Asking if someone is all right
Asking why someone looks so unhappy
Offering someone help and advice
Encouraging someone unhappy
When you are depressed
Expressing despair and emptiness
When someone looks very happy
When someone is very happy—idioms
Expressing enthusiasm for life
When someone is content
When someone is carefree
When someone is resigned to life as it is
Expressing displeasure with something
Asking someone to stop being unpleasant
Dullness and boredom
Dullness in people
Excitement in people
When you feel out of place
Expressing anger
Expressing fright
When you do not know what to say
Difficulty in hearing a car for music
Hearing loud and soft sounds
Concerning ears or hearing the taste of foods
Offering someone a small portion of food
Expressing hunger
Identifying smells
Physical responses
The sense of touch
Difficulties with seeing
Concerning good vision
Concerning vision and belief
Health and Appearance
When someone is in good health
Observing that someone looks disorderly
When someone looks very bad
Inquiring about someone’s health or well-being
When someone does not look well
Concerning allergies
Allergic problems with the nose and breathing
When someone sneezes
Allergic problems with the eyes
Allergic problems with the skin
Expressing general feelings of illness
Expressing mild discomfort owing to illness
When you feel like vomiting
Describing a pain in the head
Describing dizziness
Describing being exhausted or worn out
Offering care to a sick person
Concerning catching a disease
Questions for the hospital patient
Explaining that your health is improving
Explaining that you are receiving medical care
Explaining that you are cured of a health problem
Family Matters Home Life
Describing family relationships
Family solidarity Asking about a meal Announcing a meal
Instructions were given to children in the kitchen
Blessing the food Second servings
Instructing children on good table manners
Asking to leave the dinner table early
Instructing children to finish eating
Concerning a radio or stereo
Concerning furniture or carpeting
Concerning television
Changing the television channel
Managing a television set
Concerning computers
Managing a computer
Taking a nap Going to bed and sleep
Saying good night,
Commands for a dog Caring for pets
Getting ready to study or do homework
Talking to a child’s teacher
Returning to school after an absence
Questioning a college professor
Asking for clarification in a college classroom
Asking about classroom examinations
Asking about a classroom assignment
Asking about grades
Meeting children
Concerning a child’s growth and development
Posing questions to children
Praising a small child
Scolding a child
Encouraging a child to be quiet
Asking a child to stop some behaviour
Asking a child to leave things alone
Asking a child to leave people alone
Making sure a child understands
Concerning a child’s use of good manners
Asking for a table at a restaurant
Concerning seating in a restaurant
Concerning smoking in a restaurant
Explaining that someone else will join you at a restaurant
Greetings from a waiter or waitress
Questions a waiter or waitress might ask
Reciting special meal offers for the day
When a restaurant is out of some item
Questions asked of a restaurant customer
Requesting something to drink at a restaurant
Requesting attention from a waiter or waitress
Explaining to a waiter or waitress that you are not ready to order
Indicating readiness to order a meal at a restaurant
Asking about specific items on a restaurant menu
Requesting those certain foods not be served to you in a restaurant
Concerning food allergies when ordering at a restaurant
Spoken English Fluency Stage 5
Telling how a steak is to be cooked in a restaurant
Requesting additional servings in a restaurant
Ordering wine in a restaurant
Making a complaint in a restaurant
Asking about the location of a restroom in a public building
Ordering food to be taken out
Requests to have uneaten food wrapped so it can be taken home
When your food is brought to the table in a restaurant
Asking for a diner’s opinion of a meal
A waiter or waitress seeking to be of further service
A waiter or waitress offering dessert
Asking for the bill in a restaurant
About payment for a meal in a restaurant
Concerning the payment of a bill in a restaurant
A bartender asking what you want
Asking what’s available at a bar
Requesting a glass or bottle of beer
Various requests for drinks from a bartender
Special instruction to a bartender
Buying drinks with friends
Charges for drinks at a bar
Expressions used with friends at a bar asking about drinks
Expressions about drinking additional drinks
Asking for a small drink of beverage alcohol
Encouraging someone to drink
Asking about the time chat a bar closes
Encouraging someone to finish a drink
Drinking coasts
When someone drinks too much
Stating that someone is drunk
Stating that you are hungry Asking when a meal will be ready
Asking what is for dinner Stating when food will be ready
Offering someone a bit of food Blessing the food
Concerning passing food at the table
Concerning additional servings of food
Enforcing good table manners
Cleaning up after a meal
Excusing oneself from the table
Encouraging children to eat
Asking about store hours
A salesperson greeting a customer
A salesperson offering help to a customer
Questions a salesperson might ask a customer
Offering merchandise to a customer
Offering additional help to a customer
Finding things in a department store
Shopping for something at a department store
When you are just looking and not buying
Choosing merchandise in a store
Questions a customer might ask in a store
When a customer wants to try on clothing
Encouraging remarks, a salesperson might make to a customer
Asking how a purchase will be paid for
When a salesperson cannot supply exactly what is wanted
When merchandise is not satisfactory
Asking about payment plans in a store
Getting a purchase gilt wrapped in a store
Telephones and Mobile Devices
Answering the Telephone
Receiving communications on your mobile device
Answering the telephone—residential
Answering the telephone—business
Asking whom a telephone caller wants to talk to
Screening someone’s telephone calls
Connecting or transferring a telephone caller
Putting a telephone caller on hold
Interrupting a telephone call with another business
Taking a call off hold
Offering to take a message from a telephone caller
Offering to help a telephone caller
Bringing a telephone call to an end
And the future
And the planets
Arts and literature
Asking about activities
Asking and answering questions
Asking for and giving information
Asking for and giving reasons
Asking for permission
Asking politely
Asking politely and responding
Asking questions
Business and economic
Cinema
Communication
Comparing and contrasting the
Comparing places
Counting
Crime and punishment
Culture and tradition
Days of the week
Describing a journey
Describing a picture
Describing a process
Describing a town
Describing actions
Describing activities
Describing activities in the past
Describing animals
Describing daily activities
Describing dinosaurs
Describing events in the past
Describing feelings
Describing frequency
Describing illness
Describing location
Describing objects
Describing occurrences
Describing people and objects
Describing pictures
Describing places
Describing possession
Describing rules of sports
Describing special things
Describing the weather
Describing what people are wearing
Discussing health
Discussing the environment
Education and languages
Education in language
Expressing ability
Expressing frequency
Expressing intention
Expressing likes
Expressing likes and dislikes
Expressing location
Expressing obligation
Expressing opinions
Expressing possibility
Expressing preferences
Expressing prices
Following directions
Following instructions
Geography
Giving advice
Giving information about
Giving instructions
Giving reasons
Giving suggestions
Going shopping
Greetings
Health and environment
Health And Environment
History
Incomplete actions
Interesting jobs
Interests
Introducing yourself
Leisure
Letters
Letters And Speeches
Life in the city and the country
Linking the past to the present
Making apologies
Making comparisons
Making invitations
Making offers
Making plans
Making polite requests
Making predictions
Making requests
Making suggestions
Media
Media and communication
Meeting relatives
Ordering a meal in a restaurant
Politics and international relations
Politics And International Relations
Present and in the past
Programmes of daily life
Putting vocabulary into speech
Revision of previous vocabulary and structures
Science
Society and social issues
Society and social problems
Sports and Leisure
Stories
Talking about ability
Talking about actions in the past
Talking about activities
Talking about animals
Talking about books
Talking about completed and
Talking about computers
Talking about daily activities
Talking about daily routines
Talking about events in the
Talking about films and the
Talking about plans
Talking about hobbies
Talking about hobbies and
Talking about holidays
Talking about indefinite times
Talking about jobs
Talking about location
Talking about methods of
Talking about musical instruments
Talking about obligations in the past
Talking about people
Talking about personal details
Spoken English Fluency Stage 6
Talking about places
Talking about places to eat
Talking about plans for the future
Talking about possessions
Talking about present actions
Talking about probability
Talking about quantities
Talking about quantity
Talking about rooms in a school
Talking about routines
Talking about school subjects
Talking about seasons
Talking about shopping
Talking about special days
Talking about sports
Talking about television
Talking about the future
Talking about the home
Talking about the past
Talking about the past and
Talking about the past, present
Talking about the rainforests.
Talking about the sun, moon
Talking about the sun, moon and
Talking about the weather
Talking about time
Talking about your family
Technology and development
Technology And Development
Telling the time
The planets
The present
Visiting a nature reserve
Visiting the post museum
Visiting the Silk Road Festival