Practicing speaking is one of the most fun and rewarding parts of learning English. Once you can speak even a little English, there are loads of ways to improve your skills quickly while having tons of fun. We hope Learning Bee will definitely help you to improve your skills in spoken English. It’s enjoyable, fun and free. Good luck!
I’m is an abbreviation for I am. I’m can be used to tell someone about yourself or to describe something you are doing. And also you can add descriptive words with I’m.
This expresses an action or occurrence about yourself.
I’m good at describes what you excel at and what you are comfortable doing.
I’m trying is used to point out exactly what you are attempting to do either physically, mentally or spiritually.
Native speakers use ‘gonna’ instead of going to when it comes to speaking. Going to is used to tell someone that what you are planning to do at that moment or in near future
I have is used to express something you have possession of or have acquired.
have shows possession or something acquired. By adding the past participle you are expressing a past or completed action done by you.
Have to describe something that needs to take place soon.
Used to express something that was done in past and not usually done now.
Native speakers use ‘wanna ’ instead of want to when it comes to speaking. Want to describe something you want to do. Want to is the correct form when it comes to grammar.
Native speakers use ‘gotta’ instead of got to when it comes to speaking. When have is added with got to it express something that needs to be done in near future. Got to is the correct form when it comes to grammar.
There are many ways to greet someone. Let’s see some of those through this lesson.
When it comes to someone you have never met.
A: “Hello! My name is Alex.It’s nice to meet you.”
B: “It’s pleasure to meet you.I’m John”
B can also respond like,
B:” Hi, Alex! I’m John.It’s nice to meet you as well.”
B: “It’s a pleasure to meet you Alex! I’m John.”
What if you don’t hear and if you would like for him to repeat, you can simply say;
“Excuse me?”
“Pardon me?”
When it comes to someone you know.
“Hello, Mike! How are you?”
“ Hi, Ann! How have you been?”
“ Hello, Bob! It’s been a long time, how are you man? “
When you meet someone unexpectedly.
“Hello, Bob! It’s good to see you. What are you doing here?”
“What a surprise. I haven’t seen you in a long time. How have you been?”
You can respond like,
“Hi, Andrew! Same as usual.”
“Hello, Michel! I’m doing very well.”
“Hello, Julia! I’m pretty busy at work these days, but otherwise everything is great.”
Some example conversations to practice:
A: “Hi! My name is John. It’s nice to meet you.”
B: “I’m Jack. It’s a pleasure to meet you ,John”
A: “Pardon me?”
B: “I’m Jack.”
A: “Hello, Jack! I don’t think we’ve met.”
B: “It’s the first time meeting you, John.”
A: “Do you come to this restaurant often?”
B: “ I come pretty often. This is my favorite restaurant”
A: “Hello, Julia! It’s been a long time, how are you man?”
B: “What a surprise! I haven’t seen you in a long time. How have you been?”
A: “ I’m doing very well. How about you?”
B: “ Finally I have some free time. I just finished taking a big examination, and I’m so relieved I’m done with that.”
A: “ It’s nice to meet you. My name is Ann.”
B: “ I’m Melisa. It’s s pleasure to meet you.”
A: “What was your name again?”
B: “Melisa”
A: “So Melisa, What do you do for living?”
B: “I’m a University Student.”
A: “That’s great. It was nice to meet you.”
B: “Yeah, It’s a pleasure meeting you too.”
When compared to speaking in the future and past, speaking in the present is not a common thing. But there are instances that you have to speak the in the present tense. It is common to have a conversation using present tense when you run into somebody or when you make or receive a phone call. So it is important to know how to communicate in present tense.
the most common questions you will run into are
“How are you doing?”
“How is your day going?”
“What are you doing now?”
When it comes to these types of questions you have to remember that you are talking about what is currently going on. So, you have to use the present tense.
I’m watching a movie on my computer because I have nothing to do.”
“I’m at the gym working out.”
“I’m pretty busy right now. I’m doing my homework.”
“My project deadline is around the corner. So, I’m currently in the process of finishing my task.”
Some example conversations to practice.
A: “What are you doing now?”
B: “I’m playing tennis with my friends at the gymnasium.”
A: “I didn’t know you play tennis. Are you having fun?”
B: “I’m having a great time. How about you? What are you doing?”
A: “I’m taking a break from my homework. There seems to be no end to the amount of work I have to do.”
B: “I’m glad I’m not in your shoes.”
A: “Hello Mike! What are you doing here?”
B: “I’m meeting a friend here for dinner. How about you?”
A: “I’m on my way home but I needed to stop by the bookshop to buy a book.”
B: “Didn’t you finish school yet?”
A: “I have one more year, and then I’m done.”
B: “What are you majoring in?”
A: “ I’m majoring in physiology.”
B: “ Do you like your major?”
A: “Yeah ,I really find the subjects very interesting. I’m enjoying all my classes.”
B: “That’s great.”
A: “I’d better go now. I don’t want to miss the bus.”
B: “Alright, I’ll talk to you later then.”
A: “Okay, see you later.”
Talking about the future is something that is done very frequently. Whenever we are talking about our dreams or simply telling someone what we will do is spoken in the future tense.
“I’m going to see John tomorrow.”
“I’m going to go home next week.”
“I will meet you there at five.”
When we are using going to it is better to indicate a future indicator like tomorrow, next week, tonight etc. Otherwise, this can come under the present tense.
“What are you going to do tonight?”
“I plan on meeting Mike after dinner. We’re going to watch a movie.”
“What are you doing next week?”
“Next week I have to go shopping to buy new year presents.”
Some example conversations to practice.
A: I’m going to go home now, do you want to head out together?”
B: “No Thanks. I’m going to go home about in an hour.”
A: “Didn’t you need to buy a present for your sister’s birthday?”
B: “ I’m going to do that tomorrow.”
A: “Do you have any plans tonight?”
B: “I have a class until 5 O’clock, I’m free after that.”
A: “Do you want to grab dinner?”
B: “ I don’t have any dinner plans. So that sounds great.”
A: “what time should we meet?”
B: “I need to go to the book store first, so let’s meet at 6 O’clock.”
Taking about past is done very frequently in our daily conversations. Following are some questions asking about the past.
“How was the party?”
“ It was amazing.”
“What did you do last weekend?”
“I stayed home and watched the TV all weekend long.”
“Last week, I visited my grand parents.”
“What time did you get home last night?”
“ I made it home at midnight.”
“I didn’t make it home until eleven last night.”
Example conversation to practice.
A: “Why didn’t you come to my party last night?”
B: “ I’m sorry I couldn’t make it. I had to go visit my grandmother at the hospital.”
A: “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Is she okay now?”
B: “They just completed a small operation and the doctors said she should recover.”
A: “What did you do last weekend?”
B: “I went on a trip with my friends.”
A: “Really? How was that?”
B: “Superb.”
Most of the time you want to express your happiness and share how you feel with your close people. Let’s see what are the ways you can express yourself when you are happy. Following are some general statements.
“I’m very happy right now.”
“I’m happy.”
“I haven’t been this happy in a long time.”
“I’m so happy I got a job offer.”
“I’m so happy for you. That’s a piece wonderful news.”
“My parents won’t be happy if I drop out of school.”
“Congratulations on your engagement, I’m so happy for you.”
“This semester is such a headache. I’ll be so happy when it’s over.”
“I’m feeling pretty good right now.”
“ I feel great!”
“This is so awesome. I can’t believe this happened.”
“I got everything I ever wanted. I feel so blessed.”
“I’m on cloud nine right now.”
Some example conversations to practice.
A: “Hey Andrew! I have some great news.”
B: “What happened?”
A: “ I got a job offer from Virtusa.”
B: “ That’s great. I thought you said you will not get the job.”
A: “I thought I did bad on the interview, but I guess I was wrong. I’m so happy right now.”
B: “I bet. That’s a great news. I’m very happy for you.”
A: “Thanks. I feel like celebrating. Let’s go have a beer.”
B: “Sounds good.”
A: “John, Did you win a lottery or something? Why the big smile?”
B: “I’m so relieved. I just passed the bar exam.”
A: “You did? That’s great! You must be very happy now?”
B: “That’s an understatement. I’m on cloud nine. I couldn’t be any happier.”
The following statements are some statements that can be used to express your anger.
“I can’t believe that happened. I’d be so pissed.”
“ I know how you feel. I was so angry when that happened to me.”
When you are talking to a person that made you angry, it is common to lose control and say a lot of things. Here are some common sentences.
“ What are you thinking when you stabbed me in the back. Did it feel good?”
“Why’d you do it?”
“ I thought you were a friend. I had so much trust in you. I can’t believe you did this to me.”
Sentences you can ask or say, if you feel a friend is angry with you.
“Are you mad at me?”
“Are you angry?”
“You’re not disappointed are you?”
“Don’t be angry with me. I really didn’t mean it.”
“ I really didn’t know it was going to make you upset.”
There are a couple of emotions that are similar to being angry. Following are some of them.
“I’m so frustrated.”
“I’m so frustrated, I stopped caring about the outcome.”
“I’m not really mad, just a little disappointed.”
“That really hurt me. I’m so disappointed.”
I’m sure everyone will know what it feels like to be excited. Being excited is another positive emotion. A day before a big event people get excited.
Following are some sentences that can be used to express your excitement.
“I’m excited to be here.”
“Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day.”
“I have an interview tomorrow. Although I am scared, it’s an exciting opportunity.”
“I’m getting excited about the tennis tournament tomorrow.”
“I’m excited about my trip to Europe. It’s going to be so fun.”
Being thrilled about something is another way to say you are excited.
“I’m thrilled thinking about buying a new car.”
“It’s so thrilling skiing down the mountains so fast.”
When you are referring to an exciting person, the word enthusiastic is used.
“He’s a very enthusiastic person.”
Conversation to practice.
A: “ I can’t wait to go camping tomorrow.”
B: “I know it’s going to be so much fun.”
A: “I always get excited the day before.”
B: “I used to be like that. But I go camping so often that I don’t get excited anymore.”
A: “I only go camping twice a year, so it’s a real treat for me.”
B: “That makes sense.”
A: “ What things make you excited?”
B: “Whenever I go skiing, I really get excited.”
A: “ Oh! That makes me excited too.”
B: “Looks like anything fun makes you excited.”
Some people tell worrying is useless, but it is an emotion that everyone has. Let’s look at some sentences that are commonly used.
“I’m worried about my brother.”
“I’m worried about the situation.”
“I’m so worried.”
You can express that you are worried even without telling I’m worried. Following are some examples.
“ So many people are counting on me. What if I let them down.”
“I don’t know how I’m going to pay medical bills.”
“I just had my interview. I don’t know if I got it or not.”
Talking to a worried person.
“You should try to think positive. Worrying is not going to help you.”
“Stop worrying. It’s only making you feel worse.”
“You are overreacting. The situation is not that bad. I don’t think you should be worried at all.”
“Don’t worry about the planning. I’ll take care of it.”
“ Worrying is not going to help your situation. Let’s think of a step by step plan.”
Unfortunately, stress is a common emotion that we all experience. Most the of time, stress is caused by pressure placed on us. Let’s look at some sentences that are commonly used.
“I’m stressing out. I have a mid-term exam tomorrow and I haven’t studied yet.”
“I have a lot of trouble in my chemistry lecture. It’s stressing me out.”
“I get a lot of stress from work.”
“I’m sick of all the stress I have to deal with.”
“I get so much stress before interviews.”
“I get stress every time I think about speaking English.”
Conversation to practice.
A: “Hi John! You don’t look too well. What’s going on?”
B: “It’s nothing. I’m just a little stressed out.”
A: “Why? What’s stressing you out?”
B: “School. Since I was working part-time, I had a difficult time keeping up with the class. Now I have examinations coming up, I’m totally freaking out.”
A: “The best thing to do is study as much as you can. I’m sure you’ll do alright.”
B: “I hope so.”
A: “I have to study for an exam too. Why don’t we study together.”
B: “That will be great.”
Being sad or depressed is also a common emotion that we have to deal with. Let’s look at some common ways that can be used to express sadness. There are different ways to express you are sad by using different words. Some of them are gloomy, down, depressed, and feeling blue.
“I’m feeling a little down.”
“I got a bad grade in my final. I’m just a little down.”
“I feel so gloomy all the time.”
“ I’m really sad.”
Conversation to practice.
A : “Ann. You look terrible. What’s wrong?”
B: “My grandmother just passed away.”
A: “I’m so sorry to hear that. When did this happen?”
B: “A couple of days ago. I just got back from the funeral.”
A: “Is there anything I can do?”
B: “ No.. not really. The sad thing is I wasn’t there when she died. I really wanted to be there one last time.”
A: “I’m sure she knew you loved her. Did she pass away in the hospital?”
B: “ Yeah. She died in her sleep.”
A: “I’m really sorry for you.”
Here are some phrases and sentences you can use when speaking the on telephone. The informal phrases are mostly for family and friends. Formal phrases are for business and office calls and calls to an important person.
Answering the phone (informal)
“Hello, John here.” (caller unknown)
“Hi, Matt. How are you?
“Hey, Melisa. What’s up?
Answering phone (formal)
“Hello, Jane speaking” (caller unknown)
“John Sayles speaking. Who’s calling please? (caller unknown)
“Doctor Martin’s office. May I know who’s speaking?” (caller unknown)
“City Library, Andrew speaking. What can I do for you Robert?”
“Hello Dr. Jones. How can I help you?”
Introducing yourself
“Hey, Mark. It’s Jane calling.” (informal)
“Hello, this is Melisa Madison calling.”
“Hello, George. This is Alan from ABC company.”
Asking to speak with someone
“Hi, Is Angelina there?” (informal)
“Can you put Michael on?” (informal)
“May I speak to Mr. Martin in the accounting department, please?”
“Good Morning. Is Dr. John available, please?”
Connecting someone
“Just a second. I’ll get him.” (informal)
“Hang on a moment. I’ll see if she is in.” (informal)
“Hold the line, please. I’ll put you through in a moment.”
Making a request
“Could you repeat that?”
“Could you speak up a little please?”
“Would you mind calling back in an hour? I’m in a meeting just now.”
“Please hold for just a minute. I have another phone call.”
Taking a message
“Can I take a message?”
“Would you like to leave a message?”
“Fine. I’ll let him know you called.”
“I’ll make sure she gets your message.”
“He’s in a meeting at the moment. Can he call you back when he’s free?”
Leaving a message
“Can I leave a message?”
“Would you mind giving her a message?”
“Could you tell her John called?”
“Could you ask him to call Andrew when he gets in?”
Ending a conversation
“Well, I guess I’d better get going. Talk again soon, Ok?” (informal)
“Thanks for calling. Bye for now.”
“I have to let you go now.”
“I’ll talk to you again soon. Bye Jane.”
Let’s go through some interview questions in this section.
You should take this opportunity to show your communication skills by speaking clearly and concisely in an organized manner. Following are some ways that you can take the approach.
“I’m a graduate from the University of Westminster, majored in Electrical Engineering. I’m an easy going person who works well with everyone. I enjoy being around different types of people and I like to always challenge myself to improve everything I do.”
“I’m a hard worker and I like to take on a variety of challenges. I like pets and in my spare time I like to relax and read the newspaper.”
This is a popular interview question. They want to know what you think of yourself. You have to answer this question based on the type of job you are applying for. Following are some examples.
“I’ve always been a great team player. I’m good at keeping a team together and producing quality work in a team environment.”
“My strongest trait is in customer service. I listen and pay close attention to my customer’s needs and I make sure they are more than satisfied.”
For this answer, you should display a weakness that can be seen as a strength. There are many types of answers that will work.
“I feel that my English ability is my weakest trait. I know this is only a temporary problem. I’m definitely studying hard to communicate more effectively.”
“I feel my weakness is not being detail oriented enough. I’m a person that wants to accomplish as much as possible. I realized that this hurts the quality and I’m currently working on finding a balance between quality and quantity.”
This question is asked to see how serious a candidate is about his or her career. Following are some examples.
“I’ve always loved to teach. I like to grow newer employees and help co-workers where ever I can. So in the future I would love to be an instructor.”
“I would like to become a director or higher. This might be little ambitious, but I know I’m smart and willing to work hard.”
Following are some answers to the question.
“I know I manage my time well because I’m never late to work, and I’ve never missed a deadline.”
“I manage my time well by planning out what I have to do for the whole week. It keeps me track and even helps me to become more efficient.
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