Module 5 · Lesson 7 of 8
Vocabulary and grammar for speaking
Sound precise and natural: topic collocations, going round missing words, idioms used safely, the tenses Speaking questions ask for, and fixes for the most common spoken slips.
In this lesson
- Understand what the examiner listens for in your vocabulary and grammar, and why precise, natural words beat rare ones.
- Use topic collocations, precise adjectives and phrasal verbs for the themes that come up most in Speaking.
- Describe your way round a missing word, avoid echoing the question, and use idioms only when you know their meaning, form and situation.
- Choose the right tense for experiences, stories and imaginary situations, and add a few natural structures for range.
- Find and fix the spoken grammar slips you make most, using your own recordings.
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Inside this lesson
- What the examiner is listening for
- Speak like a person, not like an essay
- Collocations: learn words in pairs and chunks
- Topic vocabulary for everyday questions (Parts 1 and 2)
- Topic vocabulary for bigger questions (Part 3)
- Word partners that often go wrong
- Go beyond good, nice and interesting
- Phrasal verbs: the backbone of natural speech
- Paraphrasing: when the word will not come
- Idioms: only the ones you truly know
- Tenses that do the heavy lifting
- Experiences: present perfect first, past simple for the details
- Stories: three past tenses working together
- Imaginary situations: if, would and wish
- Range without risk: six natural structures
- The spoken grammar slips that come up most
- Putting it together: one answer, upgraded
- Final practice: a mini interview with a language audit