Speaking Situations

Respuesta correcta: A) Good evening, Mr Salas. It is a pleasure to see you again.

• A) Good evening, Mr Salas. It is a pleasure to see you again.Correct. A time-based greeting with the title and surname is the conventional formal address for a school event.
• B) Yo, how is it going, teacher?Wrong. 'Yo' is conversational and the greeting gives no title or surname.
• C) Hey, teacher, what is up?Wrong. 'Hey' and the contracted question are far too casual for a formal occasion.
• D) Hiya, Salas! Great to see you, mate.Wrong. 'Hiya' and 'mate' are informal and inappropriate when addressing a teacher.

Respuesta correcta: B) I am sorry I arrived late; the bus broke down on the way.

• A) Sorry, my bad, the bus broke down.Wrong. 'My bad' is informal slang and does not suit addressing a teacher.
• B) I am sorry I arrived late; the bus broke down on the way.Correct. This apologises, gives a brief reason and stays in an appropriately polite register for a teacher.
• C) Apologies, I dunno, the bus was broken I think.Wrong. 'I dunno' and 'I think' make the excuse uncertain and informal at once.
• D) I apologise for the lateness of my arrival on this occasion, if you would permit me to explain.Wrong. 'If you would permit me to explain' is stiff to the point of being unnatural in speech.

Respuesta correcta: C) Sorry, could you repeat the last part, please?

• A) What did you say at the end?Wrong. This asks for repetition in a slightly accusatory tone rather than politely.
• B) Repeat the last part.Wrong. The bare imperative is abrupt and does not account for the teacher's need to understand the situation.
• C) Sorry, could you repeat the last part, please?Correct. The apology plus the modal plus please softens the request while making its purpose clear.
• D) You lost me after the second point.Wrong. 'You lost me' blames the teacher for the difficulty rather than asking for help.

Respuesta correcta: D) Excuse me, do you have this in a smaller size?

• A) Give me the small version of this thing.Wrong. 'Give me' is a direct order and is inappropriate when asking a member of staff.
• B) I want this small one, obviously.Wrong. 'Obviously' is rude and the sentence gives no reason for the request.
• C) Hey, you got this in small?Wrong. 'Hey, you got' is informal and abrupt with someone who is serving the customer.
• D) Excuse me, do you have this in a smaller size?Correct. 'Excuse me' and the full question form are polite and clear when speaking to a member of staff.

Respuesta correcta: A) I see what you mean, though I would read that figure a different way.

• A) I see what you mean, though I would read that figure a different way.Correct. The sentence acknowledges the speaker's view before offering a different reading of the evidence.
• B) I think you are wrong, but that is fine because opinions differ.Wrong. The final clause accepts the disagreement as irrelevant rather than answering it.
• C) No. I disagree.Wrong. 'No' alone closes the discussion without any engagement with the point made.
• D) That is completely wrong and you have not understood it.Wrong. 'Completely wrong' dismisses the speaker and the second clause is personally offensive.

Respuesta correcta: B) Would you like me to send you my notes from yesterday?

• A) You will want my notes from yesterday, I am sure.Wrong. 'You will want' assumes what the listener needs instead of offering a choice.
• B) Would you like me to send you my notes from yesterday?Correct. The offer is phrased as a conditional question that leaves the listener free to accept or decline.
• C) I give notes, if you want notes, notes are mine.Wrong. The repetition of 'notes' makes the offer unintelligible and unnatural.
• D) Here, notes, yesterday, for you.Wrong. The word-by-word delivery contains no grammatical sentence and cannot be a real offer.

Respuesta correcta: C) Sorry, may I add something to what Rosa said?

• A) I want to talk now.Wrong. 'I want to talk now' asserts a right rather than requesting permission.
• B) Wait. Stop talking.Wrong. 'Wait' and 'Stop talking' are imperatives that are rude in a meeting.
• C) Sorry, may I add something to what Rosa said?Correct. The apology and the request for permission interrupt without implying that the current speaker is at fault.
• D) Could I perhaps just say one more thing before you finish?Wrong. 'Could I perhaps just' stacks three softeners and loses the directness a meeting requires.

Respuesta correcta: D) I was wondering whether it might be possible to hand it in on Thursday instead.

• A) Can I have Thursday, I need it, I am very busy, please.Wrong. The repeated demands give no reason and the sentence runs on without clear structure.
• B) It is Thursday, obviously, and the work is ready.Wrong. 'Obviously' is rude and the sentence explains nothing about why the request is made.
• C) Give me until Thursday.Wrong. 'Give me until Thursday' is a direct order and is inappropriate as a request.
• D) I was wondering whether it might be possible to hand it in on Thursday instead.Correct. The conditional structure presents the request as a possibility and leaves the decision to the reader.

Respuesta correcta: A) Good morning, could I speak to the person who deals with appointments, please?

• A) Good morning, could I speak to the person who deals with appointments, please?Correct. A greeting plus a request to speak to the relevant person is the correct form for such a call.
• B) Tell me about appointments now.Wrong. 'Tell me' is a command and does not identify who the caller wishes to reach.
• C) Hello, is appointments there?Wrong. 'Is appointments there' treats a department as a person and is not grammatical.
• D) Yeah, appointments. Who is that?Wrong. The opening is conversational and never identifies the purpose of the call.

Respuesta correcta: B) Thank you very much, that is very kind of you.

• A) Oh, do not be silly, it was nothing.Wrong. Dismissing the compliment as 'nothing' reads as false modesty rather than as grace.
• B) Thank you very much, that is very kind of you.Correct. This thanks the speaker and acknowledges the kindness directly, which is the conventional graceful response.
• C) What? Me?Wrong. 'What?' is a demand for repetition rather than a response to the compliment.
• D) Yes, I am good at that.Wrong. The response turns the compliment back on the speaker without any thanks.

Respuesta correcta: C) It was really good talking with you, but I have to go now.

• A) Right, I am off, you coming or not?Wrong. The final question imposes on the other person and shows no courtesy about leaving.
• B) OK, bye.Wrong. 'OK, bye' is abrupt and gives no indication that the conversation was valued.
• C) It was really good talking with you, but I have to go now.Correct. The phrase values the exchange and states the reason for leaving in the same sentence.
• D) So that is that then.Wrong. 'So that is that then' dismisses the exchange without warmth.

Respuesta correcta: D) I think the longer timetable is better, mainly because it reduces the number of free periods.

• A) Maybe someone else should say something first.Wrong. The speaker declines to participate and gives no view at all.
• B) Everyone knows what they think, so.Wrong. The sentence says nothing and does not contribute to the discussion.
• C) I have an opinion about that, but it is complicated.Wrong. The speaker announces that an opinion exists without stating it.
• D) I think the longer timetable is better, mainly because it reduces the number of free periods.Correct. The sentence states the opinion and then gives the main reason, which invites further discussion.

Respuesta correcta: A) Could you explain that again, please? / Can you say that again?

• A) Could you explain that again, please? / Can you say that again?Correct. The first version is formal, with a modal and please, while the second is the contracted form used with a friend.
• B) I do not understand. / I do not understand.Wrong. Both versions are identical, and the first is blunt enough to be unsuitable with a teacher.
• C) Could you explain that again, please? / Could you explain that again, please?Wrong. There is no register shift at all in this option.
• D) Can you explain that again, please? / Could you explain that again, please?Wrong. This reverses the order and would make the informal version the one used with the teacher.

Respuesta correcta: B) Number each step, use a short sentence for each, and pause between them.

• A) Connect every step with 'and then' so the list runs together.Wrong. Repeated 'and then' removes the boundaries between steps and makes the list harder to follow.
• B) Number each step, use a short sentence for each, and pause between them.Correct. Numbered steps with short sentences and pauses give the listener a clear structure to follow.
• C) Give the overall aim first and leave the individual steps until the end.Wrong. Stating the aim first is fine, but the individual steps must still be given and not deferred to the end.
• D) Describe each step at length, including the reason behind it.Wrong. Explaining the reason behind each step adds length without aiding the sequence of actions.

Respuesta correcta: C) I am afraid I cannot take that on at the moment, but I could help you with something else.

• A) I cannot, and I do not want to.Wrong. 'I do not want to' restates the refusal on personal grounds and adds nothing to it.
• B) No.Wrong. A bare 'No' gives no explanation and no alternative.
• C) I am afraid I cannot take that on at the moment, but I could help you with something else.Correct. The refusal is softened and the speaker offers an alternative, so the request is not simply rejected.
• D) If I cannot do it then maybe you should ask someone who can.Wrong. Suggesting the requester ask someone else passes the problem back without offering any help.

Respuesta correcta: D) Anticipating likely questions and deciding the main point of the answer before the presentation.

• A) Avoiding the question by repeating the presentation from the beginning.Wrong. Repeating the presentation does not answer the question and appears evasive to the audience.
• B) Memorising the exact wording of every sentence so nothing can go wrong.Wrong. Exact memorisation is abandoned the moment a question the presenter did not predict arrives.
• C) Reading the presentation aloud alone at full speed to check fluency.Wrong. Reading aloud alone does not prepare the content for questions that were not scripted.
• D) Anticipating likely questions and deciding the main point of the answer before the presentation.Correct. Anticipation gives the presenter a decided main point to return to, which makes an unscripted answer manageable.

Respuesta correcta: A) Your second slide had four points, so the audience had no time to take any of them in.

• A) Your second slide had four points, so the audience had no time to take any of them in.Correct. This identifies a specific point in the presentation and states its effect, so the classmate can act on it.
• B) Try to be more interesting next time.Wrong. The advice is vague and offers no particular action to take.
• C) You speak too fast.Wrong. 'Too fast' gives no reference point, so the classmate cannot tell how much to slow down.
• D) Your presentation was not very good.Wrong. The judgement is general and gives the classmate nothing to change.

Respuesta correcta: B) Good morning. I have had a pain in my throat for about three days.

• A) Morning. Pain. Throat. Three days.Wrong. Single words form no grammatical sentences, so the clinician learns almost nothing.
• B) Good morning. I have had a pain in my throat for about three days.Correct. The greeting is polite and the sentence reports the symptom and how long it has lasted.
• C) Hello doctor, come and see this sore throat of mine quickly.Wrong. 'Quickly' presses the clinician and 'of mine' is unnecessarily informal here.
• D) You need to look at my throat, which has hurt me since Monday for three days now.Wrong. 'You need to' is an instruction to the clinician and reverses the roles in a consultation.

Respuesta correcta: C) Neither speaker commits clearly, so the interaction achieves very little.

• A) Speaker A is being rude, because hedging is always inappropriate in English.Wrong. Hedging is a normal way to soften a request and is not inherently rude.
• B) Speaker B refuses the request politely and definitively.Wrong. 'Perhaps' and 'maybe' signal hesitation rather than a definite refusal.
• C) Neither speaker commits clearly, so the interaction achieves very little.Correct. The hedged request and the hedged reply leave both parties without a clear commitment.
• D) Speaker B agrees enthusiastically and promises to answer by Friday.Wrong. The reply is far too tentative to count as enthusiasm or a promise.

Respuesta correcta: D) It opens a point that the group can answer with evidence or a reason, rather than inviting only agreement.

• A) It asks the group to decide immediately, because decisions should be made without further information.Wrong. Demanding an immediate decision discourages exactly the evidence a discussion should produce.
• B) It is short and closed, because a narrow answer keeps the discussion under control.Wrong. A narrow question limits the discussion rather than opening it up.
• C) It invites everyone to agree, because agreement keeps a discussion moving smoothly.Wrong. A question that only seeks agreement contributes nothing to the substance of a discussion.
• D) It opens a point that the group can answer with evidence or a reason, rather than inviting only agreement.Correct. This describes a question that generates substance, unlike one that only seeks agreement.