topic range
personal information
daily routines
things you did
things you own
your hobbies
other topics
Questions types
ability
conditionals
negatives
personal/place
resons
specifying
time
comparing
describing
options
preferences
rensons
superlative
yes or no
Can you ...
Are you able to ...
Do you know how to ...
Are you capable of ...
Are you good at cook
How good are you at ...
Position → State level of proficiency
high proficiency
I’m an expert/ a professional
I can
I have a knack for
I’m a bit of a know-it-all when it comes to
low proficiency
I don’t know the first thing about
I’m not much of a
I can't
Position → Identify the similarities/differences
What are the (main) differences/similarities between
How are state and public schools alike?
How is/are A different from/similar to B?
Total different
Some differences /similarities:.
Exactly the same:
They are like chalk and cheese
There’s a world of difference between A and B schools, especially ...
bear no relation to ...
One of the major contracts/distinguishing feature is
**What sets A and B apart is sth as ....
The most striking resemblance is ...
I can’t tell them apart. ..., ... and ... are all identical as far as I can tell
I can’t draw a distinction between A and B; as far as I know they are identical in .... and .....
Support → Provide an example
Support → State reasons
The reason why I can ... is
The most obvious explanation is
The chief/most compelling reason is
The reason behind this is the fact that....
coupled with the fact that
It's all thanks to my time in .... when I was ...
I’d attribute it to the fact that
It’s all thanks to
Every student in the interview will use “because”, so be careful not to overuse it. Show how wide your range of vocabulary and grammar is by not just learning one way to state a reason.
A classic/prime/fine/typical example of this is ...
Take .... for example
There’s no better example than ....
In one case,
In some instances
What do you do if you (have a headache)?
What will you do if (the weather’s fine this weekend)?
What would you do if (you lost your job)?
What would you have done if
Position → State result (try and avoid repeating “if”)
Support → Discuss the benefits
if expression
As long as the sun’s out, I’ll go to the beach.
Provided that there are no clouds about, I’ll head off to the beach.
Unless there’s rain, I’ll be making my way to the beach.
On condition that ... (it’s not overcast, the beach will be my destination.)
Say that .... (I no longer had a job, I’d probably bring forward my plans to study abroad.)
The good thing about this is I'll be able to ...
The major advantage is I may....
The beauty of this is I can
Support → Mention the drawbacks
The bad thing about this is I may
The main disadvantage is that I'll
One of the weaknesses/shortcomings is I may
On the downside ... will be (upset) that I'll
What’s your (hometown) like?
How’s .... How is the weather in your hometown in summer?
What does your ... look like? What does your best friend look like?
How do you like your ...(hometown)?
Can you describe your ... (hometown)?
Position → State the most striking feature
Positive
negative
terribly overcrowded
an absolute waste of space
one of the most backward places in the nation
incredibly interesting
an absolute hive of activity.
one of the most ... (picturesque views in the country)
Support → Touch on personal experiences
In my experience, I have never visited a city anywhere in the world which compares with mine.
Speaking from experience
One of my most unforgettable/memorable experiences was
If I remember rightly,
I distinctly/vividly/vaguely remember a time when ....
I distinctly/vividly/vaguely remember a time when my parents took me hiking to a spot high in the mountains over looking the ocean for sunrise.
Why don't you like/enjoy about your job?
Is there anything you don’t like/enjoy about your job
Why don’t you like/enjoy your job?
Position → State what you least like/enjoy
I am sickened/disgusted by ....
Support → Give a result
Every student in the interview will use “so”, so be careful not to overuse it. Show how wide your range of vocabulary and grammar is by not just learning give a result..
At the end of the day it’ll be their loss, as I’ll leave the company in search of greener pastures.
The implication of unfair work conditions is insecure employees.
A direct result of an unsatisfactory work environment is a decrease in productivity.
What do you think about/of overseas travel?
How do you feel about traveling abroad?
What do you think is the benefit of travel?
What problems do you think will happen in a long journey?
Position → State opinion immediately
In my opinion
Personally,
I strongly believe
I’m of the opinion that
If you ask me
To the best of my knowledge
As far as I’m concerned
To my mind
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Support → Explain a point more clearly
What I’m trying to say is
That is to say,
In other words,
By this I mean,
The thing is
To put it another way,
Let me explain/rephrase that
things you know
Environment
Wildlife
Nature
Recycling
Clean Environment
Hometown/Cities/Countries
Neighborhood
Cities
Countries
Lifestyle
How can you improve your quality of life?
What are the advantages of living in the country?
Where would you like to live when you retire?
What’s the standard of living like in your country?
What can you do to make the world a better place to live?
What are some social issues your country has?
What’s the area like where you live?
What kinds of jobs do people have in your neighborhood?
Do you get along with your neighbors?
Is your neighborhood a safe place to live?
What should a tourist do if they visit your city?
What would you like to change about your city?
What are the main industries in your city?
Why do people move to the city?
What can you recycle?
How is garbage collected in your neighbourhood?
Do you waste energy?
What types of pollution are there in your city?
Do you often take public transport?
Are you educated about protecting the environment at schools?
What do you do to protect the environment?
What animals can you see in the wild in your country?
Are you afraid of bugs?
Do you like watching animals in the wild?
How often do you enjoy nature?
What are some places tourists can visit to enjoy nature in your country?
Does your country often suffer from natural disasters? Which one(s)?
What do you do if there is a typhoon or an earthquake?
Enviroment
air quality
adj
good/bad/terrible/great
noun
smog
hazy
It can still get hazy in the winter
you'd often get thick smog covering the whole city
better
The air quality is better than it was ten years ago
Adj
Good
Bad
- ... is good
- ... is better than it was ten years ago
- ... is great for such a big city
What do you think the government, companies or individuals can do to minimize air pollution
Government
air pollution
verb
bring in new laws and regulations
introduce/impose restriction on ....
driving in the city center
make it illegal to use/buy ....
use wood or coal fires for heating
move ... away from city
move a lot of heavy industry away from the city
Traffi
traffic
banned vehicles with diesel engines
have created large pedestrian
Changing
Position → discribe the changes
Change a lot
I wasn't excepting it to be like this
Support → Provide an example
I/He/Sb came here a few years ago and I found / he said sth here was really bad
Times
Past
Future
Now
a few years ago
ajv
really
actually
absolutely
click to edit
It used to be terrible..... But it's improved greatly in the last decade or so
Support → State reasons
I think the reason is that ....
I think it was driven by people's attitudes.
Ten years ago, no one was interested in ....., but nowadays there's much more awareness of things like ...
wood or coal fires
impressive
- it's impressive that they can ....
It's impressive that they can make such a big change in a short time
adv
such a big change
Support --> feel about the changes
It's impressive
It's impressive that they can make such a big change in a short time
Long
... isn't long for these things
There's still more to do
invest in public transport infrastructure
I think it'll carry on getting better
This movie bears no relation to the book by the same title
recycling
noun
blue/green/red bin
bio-waste
food waste and stuff like that
black basket
the black basket is for glass and tins
verb
recycle a few things like glass
sort
we don't sort our garbage like that
feel about recycling
it seems very complicated
landfill
all of your garbage just go into landfill
Expression about feel/ think
feel
It seems very complicated/interesting/useful/funny
I
think
I don't know, I never thought about it
I guess
I just throw stuff away and forgot about it
It was the same here not so long ago, but now we've got used to sorting our rubbish and recycling as much as possible
It's much more environmental friendly
agree
I'm sure you're right
garbage / rubbish / trash
several different types of garbage
recyclable garbage
you can sort garbage into recyclables and non-recyclables
- glass
- paper
- tins
- cans
- plastic
- bio-waste
Waste which is not recycled is often sent to landfill
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farming
Verb
Book
How is the book
It's interesting
Farming produces the food you eat
Expression about relation
It not like it doesn't affect you
What is the book about
It's about ...
It's about farming and how we can make farming more sustainable
It's basically saying that + clause
Noun
farming methods
Support --> describe the details
It's about...
It's basically saying that ...
Expression about time
long
short
in a short time
immediately
rapidly
in a long time
slowly
in the long term
in the short term
modern farming methods
Expression about thing happend
end
start
end up doing
end up by doing sth
good e.g.
It can ... in the short term but in the long term it ... and end up doing sth
The modern farming methods can produce more in the short term, but they degrade the land and end up costing more
end up costing more
One thing it talks about is ...
Expression about describe
In my experience, I have never visited a city anywhere in the world which compares with mine.
Speaking from experience
One of my most unforgettable/memorable experiences was
If I remember rightly,
I distinctly/vividly/vaguely remember a time when ....
I distinctly/vividly/vaguely remember a time when my parents took me hiking to a spot high in the mountains over looking the ocean for sunrise.
One thing it talks about is ...
ecosystem
an ecosystem which depends on ....
artificial products
pesticide
pesticide use
herbicide
herbicide use
adj
harmful
They're / It's often harmful for the environment
Modern farming methods can produce more in the short term, but in the long term they degrade the land and end up costing more
traditional farming methods
grow food organically
You can produce the same amount of food without using pesticides at all
Expression about go
go back to ....
We should go back to mediaeval farming or something
It's not just theory btw
I read book about...
livestock farming
you definitely like this book
heavily machanized
depend heavily on:
- machinery
- automation
- chemical product, like pesticides and herbicides
adj
sustainable
bigger/ smalller
mechanized / using more traditional methods
climate change / global warming
greenhouse gases
carbon dioxide
- we need to cut carbon emissions significantly
rising sea levels
measures
carbon taxes
Holiday/Vacation
- where
- who with
- How long for
I wen to the country side with my family for a couple weeks
several days
for a long weekend
go for three or hour days
Noun
public holiday
I went to Thailand with my best friend last year.
What you did on your holiday
adj
went
We just hung out in the village
We did some sightseeing in somewhere
I went to somewhere with someone for some days
Hit:
- We just hit the beaches for some sun
- We hit the bars
went hiking in the hills and mountains nearby
went on a walking tour of the centre and somewhere
went to restaurants and cafes
sample
sampled as much of the local food/dishes as we can fit our stomachs
explore by myself
went sightseeing
Place/City/Hometown
adj
adj
- modern
- international
- worldly
- cosmopolitan
- overwhelming
- stunning
- fascinating
- peace
- small
- sleepy
- nice
- good
- dramatic mountains
- impressive
a very nice, sleepy village surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery
There is so much to take in that you don't know where to took!
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touristy
out of this world
What make the holiday so better
It's like no where I have ever been before
- It's a cool place but it's a bit big and noisy for my tastes
- It's a nice place but it's too developed and touristy for my tastes
walking around in the little streets in the centre felt like being in an old film
I like .... the most of all. I wish it had been less crowded
Two years ago, I went to Thailand with my friend for 9 days. We did some sightseeing in the Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is for nature-lovers and those who prefer the calm and slow lifestyle. There are a few wild attractions that let you connect to nature. We sampled a lot of local food such as rice noodles, salads, and many kinds of seafood. The fruits there were very delicious and cheap. I enjoyed eating mango, pine·apple, coconut. My favorite fruit is a kind of mini pineapple. It tastes really good. My friend liked durian but I couldn't stand its smell. We also did skyline adventure in the local hills and mountains. In the beginning, both of us were kind of afraid. While then, after some warming up practices, we started to get used to it. It was so exciting and we took many photos. That was a very impressive journey.
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