Spoken English Cheatsheet

Cheatsheet Content

### Greetings & Introductions #### 1. Basic Greetings - **Formal:** - "Good morning/afternoon/evening." - "Hello. How are you?" - "It's a pleasure to meet you." - **Informal:** - "Hi!" / "Hey!" - "What's up?" (Very informal) - "How's it going?" / "How are you doing?" - "Long time no see!" (When you haven't seen someone in a while) #### 2. Introducing Yourself - "My name is [Your Name]." - "I'm [Your Name]." - "Nice to meet you." / "Pleased to meet you." - **Adding context:** - "I'm from [Country/City]." - "I work as a [Your Profession]." - "I'm studying [Your Major]." #### 3. Introducing Others - "This is [Name]." - "I'd like to introduce you to [Name]." - "[Name], meet [Other Name]." - **Adding context:** - "He/She is a [Profession]." - "He/She is my colleague/friend/family member." #### 4. Responding to Introductions - "Nice to meet you too." - "It's a pleasure." - "I've heard a lot about you." ### Everyday Conversations #### 1. Asking About Well-being - "How are you?" - "How have you been?" - "Are you doing well?" - "What's new?" (Informal) #### 2. Responding to Well-being Questions - "I'm fine, thank you. And you?" - "I'm doing great, thanks!" - "Not bad, thanks." - "I'm a little tired, but okay." - "Same old, same old." (Informal, nothing new) #### 3. Small Talk Topics - **Weather:** "Lovely weather, isn't it?" / "It's freezing today!" - **Weekend plans:** "Any plans for the weekend?" / "What did you do last weekend?" - **Work/Study:** "How's work/study going?" - **Current events:** (Be careful with sensitive topics) "Did you hear about...?" #### 4. Expressing Interest & Encouragement - "That's interesting!" - "Tell me more." - "Go on." - "Really?" / "Oh, wow!" - "That's great/terrible!" #### 5. Asking for Clarification - "Could you repeat that, please?" - "Could you say that again?" - "What do you mean by that?" - "Sorry, I didn't catch that." - "Can you explain that in simpler terms?" #### 6. Expressing Opinions - "I think that..." - "In my opinion..." - "I believe that..." - "From my perspective..." - "It seems to me that..." #### 7. Agreeing & Disagreeing - **Agreeing:** - "I agree." - "That's true." - "Exactly!" - "You're right." - "I couldn't agree more." - **Disagreeing (politely):** - "I see your point, but..." - "I'm not sure I agree." - "I understand what you're saying, however..." - "I have a different opinion." - "Perhaps, but..." ### Asking & Giving Directions #### 1. Asking for Directions - "Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to [Place]?" - "Excuse me, I'm looking for [Place]." - "Is [Place] far from here?" - "What's the best way to get to [Place]?" #### 2. Giving Directions (Key Phrases) - **Starting point:** "Go straight ahead." / "Turn left/right at the next corner." - **Distance/Time:** "It's about 5 minutes walk." / "It's a 10-minute drive." - **Landmarks:** "You'll see a [Landmark] on your left." / "It's next to the [Building]." - **Prepositions:** - "across from" - "next to" - "behind" - "in front of" - "between" - "on the corner of" #### 3. Common Direction Vocabulary - **Turn:** Left, right - **Go:** Straight, past, through - **At the:** Corner, traffic light, roundabout - **Road types:** Street, avenue, road, highway - **Buildings:** Shop, bank, post office, library, school, hospital ### Ordering Food & Drink #### 1. At a Restaurant/Cafe - **Greeting:** "Hi, a table for two, please." / "Just myself today." - **Ordering:** - "I'd like to order [Dish], please." - "Can I have [Drink], please?" - "What do you recommend?" - "I'll have the same." - "Could I see the menu, please?" - **Special requests:** - "Can I have it without [Ingredient]?" - "Is this [Dish] vegetarian/vegan?" - "I have an allergy to [Allergen]." - **During the meal:** - "Excuse me, could we get some more water?" - "Everything is delicious!" - **Finishing:** - "Could we have the bill, please?" / "Check, please." - "Can I pay by card?" - "Thank you, it was lovely." #### 2. At a Bar/Pub - "Can I get a [Drink], please?" - "Two beers, please." - "What kind of [Drink] do you have?" - "A pint of [Beer Type], please." - "Cheers!" (When toasting) #### 3. Offering Food/Drink - "Would you like some [Food/Drink]?" - "Can I get you anything?" - "Help yourself." - "Are you hungry/thirsty?" #### 4. Accepting/Declining Offers - **Accepting:** - "Yes, please, that would be great." - "Thank you, I'd love some." - "Just a small amount, please." - **Declining:** - "No, thank you, I'm fine." - "I'm good, thanks." - "No, really, I couldn't." ### Shopping & Transactions #### 1. Asking for Help - "Excuse me, do you work here?" - "Could you help me, please?" - "I'm looking for [Item]." - "Where can I find [Item]?" #### 2. Asking About Products - "How much is this?" / "What's the price of this?" - "Do you have this in a different size/color?" - "Can I try this on?" (For clothes) - "Is this on sale?" - "What's this made of?" #### 3. Making a Purchase - "I'll take this, please." - "I'd like to buy this." - "Can I pay with credit card?" / "Do you accept cash?" - "Could I have a receipt, please?" - "Do you offer a discount?" #### 4. Returns & Exchanges - "I'd like to return this, please." - "Can I exchange this for a different size?" - "I have the receipt here." - "The item is faulty." #### 5. Common Phrases in Shops - "Next, please!" (At the checkout) - "That'll be [Amount], please." - "Cash or card?" - "Would you like a bag?" - "Here's your change." - "Thank you for your purchase." ### Making Requests & Offers #### 1. Making Polite Requests - "Could you please [Action]?" - "Would you mind [Verb-ing]?" - "Can you [Action], please?" (Less formal) - "I was wondering if you could [Action]." - "Would it be possible to [Action]?" #### 2. Responding to Requests - **Accepting:** - "Certainly." / "Of course." - "No problem." - "I'd be happy to." - "Sure." - **Declining (politely):** - "I'm afraid I can't." - "I'd love to, but..." - "Unfortunately, I'm unable to." - "I'm sorry, but I'm busy." #### 3. Making Offers - "Can I help you?" - "Would you like me to [Action]?" - "Let me [Action]." - "How can I assist you?" - "Is there anything I can do?" #### 4. Responding to Offers - **Accepting:** - "Yes, please, that would be great." - "Thank you, that's very kind of you." - "I'd appreciate that." - **Declining:** - "No, thank you, I'm fine." - "That's okay, I can manage." - "Don't worry about it." ### Apologies & Thanks #### 1. Apologizing - "I'm sorry." - "I apologize for [Reason]." - "I'm so sorry about that." - "My apologies." - "Excuse me." (For minor things like bumping into someone) - "Forgive me." #### 2. Responding to Apologies - "That's okay." - "No worries." - "Don't worry about it." - "It happens." - "I accept your apology." #### 3. Expressing Thanks - "Thank you." - "Thanks a lot." / "Thanks so much." - "I really appreciate it." - "I'm very grateful." - "That's very kind of you." #### 4. Responding to Thanks - "You're welcome." - "No problem." - "My pleasure." - "Anytime." - "Don't mention it." ### Telephoning #### 1. Answering the Phone - "Hello?" - "[Your Name] speaking." - "[Company Name], [Your Name] speaking, how may I help you?" (Formal) #### 2. Making a Call - "Hello, is [Person's Name] there, please?" - "May I speak to [Person's Name]?" - "I'd like to speak to someone about [Topic]." #### 3. During the Call - "Who's calling, please?" - "Could you spell that for me?" - "Just a moment, please." - "Please hold." - "I'll connect you now." - "The line's busy." - "Can I take a message?" - "Could you call back later?" - "I think you have the wrong number." - "My battery is low." / "I'm losing signal." #### 4. Ending a Call - "Thank you for calling." - "It was nice talking to you." - "I'll talk to you soon." - "Goodbye." / "Bye." ### Common Idioms & Phrases #### 1. Time-Related - "Beat the clock" - finish before the deadline - "Kill time" - do something to pass the time - "In the nick of time" - at the last possible moment - "Around the clock" - all day and all night #### 2. Feeling & Emotion - "Over the moon" - very happy - "Down in the dumps" - sad, depressed - "Get cold feet" - become nervous about something you planned - "Have mixed feelings" - feel both good and bad about something #### 3. Work & Study - "Burn the midnight oil" - work late into the night - "Learn the ropes" - learn how to do a particular job or task - "Pull your weight" - do your fair share of the work - "Hit the books" - study hard #### 4. General - "Break a leg!" - good luck! - "Bite the bullet" - face a difficult situation with courage - "Cost an arm and a leg" - very expensive - "Piece of cake" - very easy - "Spill the beans" - reveal a secret - "Hit the road" - leave - "Under the weather" - feeling sick - "The ball is in your court" - it's your turn to act - "Keep an eye on" - watch carefully - "Take it easy" - relax; don't work too hard ### Pronunciation Tips #### 1. Vowel Sounds - **Long vs. Short Vowels:** - `i:` as in 'sheep' vs. `ɪ` as in 'ship' - `u:` as in 'boot' vs. `ʊ` as in 'book' - `ɑ:` as in 'car' vs. `ʌ` as in 'cup' - **Diphthongs (Gliding Vowels):** - `eɪ` as in 'day' - `aɪ` as in 'my' - `oʊ` as in 'go' #### 2. Consonant Sounds - **Voiced vs. Unvoiced Pairs:** - `p` (unvoiced) vs. `b` (voiced) - 'pat' vs. 'bat' - `t` (unvoiced) vs. `d` (voiced) - 'ten' vs. 'den' - `f` (unvoiced) vs. `v` (voiced) - 'fan' vs. 'van' - `θ` (unvoiced 'th' as in 'think') vs. `ð` (voiced 'th' as in 'this') - **Silent Letters:** - `k` in 'know' - `w` in 'write' - `b` in 'debt' - `h` in 'hour' #### 3. Word Stress - In English, stress is crucial. It changes the meaning of words or makes them hard to understand. - **Examples:** - `PRE-sent` (noun, gift) vs. `pre-SENT` (verb, to give) - `DE-sert` (dry land) vs. `de-SERT` (to abandon) - **Rules of thumb:** - Two-syllable nouns/adjectives: stress on the first syllable (e.g., `TA-ble`, `HAP-py`). - Two-syllable verbs/prepositions: stress on the second syllable (e.g., `be-GIN`, `a-BOUT`). #### 4. Sentence Stress & Intonation - **Content words** (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) are usually stressed. - **Function words** (prepositions, articles, conjunctions) are usually unstressed. - **Intonation:** - **Rising intonation:** For yes/no questions ("Are you ready? ↗") - **Falling intonation:** For statements and Wh-questions ("What's your name? ↘") - **Rise-fall intonation:** For choices or lists ("Do you want coffee ↗ or tea ↘?") #### 5. Linking Sounds (Connected Speech) - **Consonant to Vowel:** A consonant at the end of a word links to a vowel at the start of the next word. - "pick up" sounds like "pi-kup" - "an apple" sounds like "a-napple" - **Vowel to Vowel (with `y` or `w` sound):** - "go away" sounds like "go-waway" - "I am" sounds like "I-yam" - **Consonant to Consonant:** Two identical consonants or similar sounds blend. - "big girl" sounds like "bi-ggirl" - "good day" sounds like "goo-dday" ### Filling Pauses & Hesitation Markers #### 1. Common Fillers - "Um..." / "Uh..." (Most common, used unconsciously) - "Like..." (Often used by younger speakers, can be overused) - "You know..." (Used to check understanding or imply shared knowledge) - "Well..." (To introduce a thought or mild disagreement) - "So..." (To transition or summarize) - "I mean..." (To clarify or correct yourself) - "Actually..." (To introduce a slightly surprising or corrected fact) #### 2. Strategies for Pausing - **Rephrasing:** "I want to... I mean, I'd like to go to the park." - **Repeating:** "It was a very, very interesting day." - **Using Discourse Markers:** "Okay, so, first I went..." - **Taking a breath:** A natural pause for thought. #### 3. Why We Use Fillers - **Thinking time:** To formulate the next thought. - **Holding the floor:** To signal you haven't finished speaking yet. - **Softening a statement:** Making it less direct. - **Connecting ideas:** Bridging gaps in conversation. #### 4. When to Use (and Not Use) - **Use sparingly:** A few fillers are natural; too many can make you sound hesitant or unconfident. - **Avoid in formal settings:** Try to minimize fillers in presentations or professional interviews. - **Listen to native speakers:** Notice how and when they use fillers naturally. ### Cultural Nuances in English Speaking #### 1. Politeness & Indirectness - English speakers often use indirect language to be polite. - **Instead of:** "Give me water." - **Use:** "Could I have some water, please?" / "Would you mind getting me some water?" - **Instead of:** "No." - **Use:** "I'm afraid I can't." / "That's not really possible." #### 2. Small Talk Importance - Small talk is crucial for building rapport, even in professional settings. - Avoid immediately diving into serious topics. - **Appropriate topics:** Weather, weekend, current non-controversial news, hobbies. - **Inappropriate topics (usually):** Politics, religion, salary, age, weight, personal health issues (unless volunteered). #### 3. Eye Contact - **General:** Maintain moderate eye contact to show engagement and sincerity. - **Too little:** Can be seen as shy, dishonest, or uninterested. - **Too much:** Can be seen as aggressive or staring. - **Cultural variations:** Be aware that direct eye contact norms vary widely across cultures. #### 4. Personal Space - **General:** Maintain a comfortable distance (arm's length) when conversing. - **Closer:** Can be seen as aggressive or too intimate. - **Further:** Can be seen as distant or uninterested. #### 5. Turn-Taking - **Listen actively:** Allow others to finish their thoughts. - **Avoid interrupting:** Unless it's for a quick clarification or enthusiastic agreement in an informal setting. - **Signals for taking turns:** - **Falling intonation:** Indicates the speaker is finishing. - **Pauses:** An opportunity to speak. - **Body language:** Eye contact, hand gestures. #### 6. Humour - English humour can be diverse (sarcasm, irony, puns). - It can be difficult for non-native speakers to grasp. - Be cautious when using humour if you're unsure of the context or the audience's understanding. - Self-deprecating humour (making fun of yourself) is common and often well-received.