A1: Ordering at a café
You are in a small café in the morning. One person orders, the other works there.
Server: Good morning. What would you like?
Customer: Hello. Can I have a coffee, please?
Server: Of course. Small or large?
Customer: Small, please. With milk.
Server: Anything to eat?
Customer: Yes, a cheese sandwich, please.
Server: Here or to take away?
Customer: Here, please. How much is it?
Server: That is six pounds fifty.
Customer: Here you are. Thank you very much.
A1: Meeting someone new
It is the first day of an English class. Two students sit next to each other.
Sam: Hi, I am Sam. What is your name?
Lena: Hi Sam. My name is Lena. Nice to meet you.
Sam: Nice to meet you too. Where are you from?
Lena: I am from Poland. And you?
Sam: I am from Brazil. I live here with my sister.
Lena: Oh, nice. What do you do?
Sam: I am a nurse. I work at the hospital.
Lena: I am a student. I study art.
Sam: Do you want a coffee after class?
Lena: Yes, good idea. See you later.
A1: Asking the way
A visitor is lost in a town centre and stops someone in the street.
Visitor: Excuse me. Where is the train station, please?
Local: The train station? Go straight on and turn left at the bank.
Visitor: Straight on and left at the bank. Is it far?
Local: No, it is about five minutes on foot.
Visitor: Is there a café near the station?
Local: Yes, there is one opposite the station.
Visitor: Great. Thank you for your help.
Local: You are welcome. Have a nice day.
A1: Buying clothes
A customer wants a new jumper and asks a shop assistant for help.
Shop assistant: Hello. Can I help you?
Customer: Yes, please. I am looking for a jumper.
Shop assistant: What colour do you like?
Customer: Blue or green, please.
Shop assistant: What size are you?
Customer: Medium, I think. Can I try it on?
Shop assistant: Yes, the changing room is over there.
Customer: It is good. How much is it?
Shop assistant: It is twenty pounds.
Customer: OK, I will take it. Can I pay by card?
A2: Booking a doctor’s appointment
A patient phones the local doctor’s surgery because they feel ill.
Receptionist: Good morning, Park Road Surgery. How can I help?
Patient: Hello. I would like to see a doctor, please.
Receptionist: Of course. What is the problem?
Patient: I have had a sore throat and a temperature since Monday.
Receptionist: I see. Can you come in this afternoon at four?
Patient: Four is difficult. Is there anything earlier?
Receptionist: There is one at half past two with Doctor Lee.
Patient: Half past two is perfect. Thank you.
Receptionist: Can I have your name and date of birth?
Patient: Yes, it is Anna Silva, the third of May, nineteen ninety.
A2: Checking in at a hotel
A guest arrives at a hotel in the evening after a long journey.
Guest: Good evening. I have a booking for two nights.
Receptionist: Welcome. What name is the booking under?
Guest: It is under Martin. Paul Martin.
Receptionist: Thank you, Mr Martin. A double room with breakfast, is that right?
Guest: Yes, that is right. What time is breakfast?
Receptionist: Breakfast is from seven until ten in the restaurant.
Guest: Is there free wifi in the room?
Receptionist: Yes, the password is on your key card.
Guest: Great. Could I have a late checkout on Sunday?
Receptionist: Of course. You can stay until twelve.
A2: Making weekend plans
Two friends talk on Friday about what to do on Saturday.
Maya: Are you doing anything on Saturday?
Tom: Not really. I wanted to stay at home and relax.
Maya: Why don’t we go to the beach? The weather is going to be sunny.
Tom: That sounds fun. How are we going to get there?
Maya: We could take the train. It only takes an hour.
Tom: OK. What time shall we meet?
Maya: Let’s meet at the station at nine o’clock.
Tom: Nine is a bit early for me. What about ten?
Maya: Fine, ten o’clock. I will bring some sandwiches.
Tom: Great. I will bring drinks and a ball.
A2: Buying a train ticket
A passenger buys a ticket at the station ticket office.
Passenger: Hello. I would like a ticket to Oxford, please.
Ticket clerk: Single or return?
Passenger: A return, please. I am coming back tomorrow.
Ticket clerk: That is thirty-two pounds.
Passenger: When is the next train?
Ticket clerk: The next one leaves at ten fifteen from platform four.
Passenger: Do I need to change trains?
Ticket clerk: No, it is a direct train. It takes about an hour.
Passenger: Perfect. Thanks for your help.
B1: A first job interview
A candidate is being interviewed for a part-time job in a bookshop.
Manager: Thanks for coming in. Could you tell me a little about yourself?
Candidate: Sure. I am in my second year at college, and I have always loved reading.
Manager: Have you worked with customers before?
Candidate: Yes, I worked in a café last summer, so I am used to busy days.
Manager: What would you do if a customer was rude to you?
Candidate: I would stay calm, listen to the problem and try to find a solution.
Manager: Good. Which days are you available?
Candidate: I can work on Saturdays and on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Manager: Do you have any questions for me?
Candidate: Yes. When do you think you will make a decision?
B1: Complaining about a meal
A customer is unhappy with their food and speaks to the restaurant manager.
Manager: Good evening. I heard there was a problem with your meal.
Customer: Yes, I am afraid so. My steak is cold and it is not what I ordered.
Manager: I am really sorry about that. What did you order?
Customer: I asked for it medium, but this one is very well done.
Manager: I apologise. I will ask the chef to cook you a new one straight away.
Customer: Thank you, but we have already waited forty minutes.
Manager: I understand. We won’t charge you for the steak tonight.
Customer: That is kind of you. I appreciate it.
Manager: And can I offer you a free dessert while you wait?
Customer: That would be lovely, thanks.
B1: Viewing a flat to rent
Someone is looking round a flat and asking the landlord questions.
Landlord: So this is the living room. It gets a lot of light in the afternoon.
Renter: It is bigger than it looked in the photos. Is the furniture included?
Landlord: Yes, everything you can see stays, apart from the piano.
Renter: And are the bills included in the rent?
Landlord: Water is included, but you pay for gas and electricity yourself.
Renter: How long is the contract?
Landlord: It is for twelve months, and you need to pay one month’s deposit.
Renter: Are pets allowed? I have a small cat.
Landlord: A cat is fine, as long as the flat is kept clean.
Renter: Great. Can I think about it and call you tomorrow?
B1: Returning something to a shop
A customer brings back headphones that stopped working.
Customer: Hi. I bought these headphones last week, but the left side has stopped working.
Assistant: Oh no. Have you got the receipt with you?
Customer: Yes, here it is. I paid by card.
Assistant: Thanks. Would you like a replacement or your money back?
Customer: I think I would prefer a refund, to be honest.
Assistant: No problem. I just need to check them first.
Customer: Of course. They were fine for the first two days.
Assistant: Yes, I can see the problem. The refund will be on your card in three days.
Customer: That is great. Thanks for sorting it out so quickly.
B2: Negotiating a job offer
A candidate has been offered a job and calls HR to discuss the salary.
HR manager: We were really impressed with your interview. Have you had a chance to look at the offer?
Candidate: I have, thank you. I am excited about the role, but I was hoping the salary might be a little higher.
HR manager: I see. What figure did you have in mind?
Candidate: Given my experience with similar projects, I think around forty-five thousand would be fair.
HR manager: That is above our budget for this position, I am afraid.
Candidate: I understand. Would there be any flexibility on other things, like working from home?
HR manager: We could offer two days a week at home and a review after six months.
Candidate: That would make a real difference. Could we put the review date in the contract?
HR manager: I don’t see why not. I will send you an updated offer this afternoon.
Candidate: Thank you. I am looking forward to receiving it.
B2: Disagreeing politely in a meeting
Two colleagues plan a product launch and don’t agree on the date.
Daniel: I think we should launch the app in March, before our competitors do.
Priya: I see your point, but I am not sure we will be ready by then.
Daniel: Why not? The design is almost finished.
Priya: The design is, but we still haven’t tested it with real users.
Daniel: Couldn’t we fix any problems after the launch?
Priya: We could, but first impressions matter. A bad review could cost us a lot.
Daniel: Fair enough. So what would you suggest?
Priya: How about a small test in March and the full launch in April?
Daniel: That sounds like a reasonable compromise. Let’s put it to the team.
B2: Sorting out a billing problem
A customer calls their phone company about a bill that is too high.
Agent: Thank you for holding. How can I help you today?
Customer: Hi. My bill this month is nearly double what I normally pay, and I can’t work out why.
Agent: Let me have a look. It seems you were charged for international calls.
Customer: That can’t be right. I haven’t called anyone abroad.
Agent: The calls were made on the fourteenth, to a number in Spain.
Customer: I was in Spain that week, but my plan is supposed to include calls in Europe.
Agent: You are right. It looks like the roaming option wasn’t switched on.
Customer: So will I get the money back?
Agent: Yes. I have removed the charges, and you will see a credit on your next bill.
Customer: Thanks. Could you send me an email confirming that, please?
B2: Giving feedback to a colleague
A team leader talks to a colleague whose reports keep arriving late.
Team leader: Have you got a minute? I wanted to talk about the weekly reports.
Colleague: Sure. Is something wrong?
Team leader: Your analysis is excellent, but the last three reports came in a day late.
Colleague: I know. I have been waiting for the sales figures, and they keep arriving late.
Team leader: That is useful to know. I didn’t realise that was the reason.
Colleague: I should have mentioned it sooner, to be honest.
Team leader: Why don’t I ask the sales team to send their figures by Wednesday?
Colleague: That would help a lot. Then I could finish the report on Thursday.
Team leader: Great. Let’s try that for a month and see how it goes.
C1: Pitching an idea to your boss
An employee wants funding for a four-day working week trial.
Employee: Thanks for making time. I would like to propose a three-month trial of a four-day week.
Director: That is a bold idea. What makes you think it would work here?
Employee: Companies that have tried it report higher productivity and far fewer sick days.
Director: But our clients expect us to be available five days a week.
Employee: Absolutely, which is why the team would take different days off, so we are always covered.
Director: And how would we know whether it is actually working?
Employee: We would measure output, response times and staff turnover against the same period last year.
Director: I am not entirely convinced, but I am willing to look at a written proposal.
Employee: That is all I am asking for. I can have it on your desk by Friday.
C1: Raising a problem with a flatmate
One flatmate is fed up with doing most of the cleaning and brings it up tactfully.
Alex: Can we have a chat about the flat? There is something that has been bothering me.
Jordan: Sure. That sounds serious, though.
Alex: It is nothing dramatic. I just feel I have been doing most of the cleaning lately.
Jordan: Really? I didn’t think it was that uneven.
Alex: I may be exaggerating slightly, but the kitchen has been my job for weeks now.
Jordan: Fair point. My shifts have been all over the place, so I have let things slide.
Alex: I completely understand. Maybe a rota would take the guesswork out of it.
Jordan: That makes sense. I will take the kitchen and the bins this week to make up for it.
Alex: Thanks for being so understanding about it. I was dreading this conversation.
C1: Debating remote work
Two friends argue about whether offices still have a future.
Chris: Honestly, I think the office is finished. Most people work better from home.
Nadia: That is a sweeping statement. It depends entirely on the job and the person.
Chris: Granted, but think of the hours people waste commuting every week.
Nadia: True, although young employees learn an enormous amount just by sitting near experienced colleagues.
Chris: Can’t they get that through video calls and mentoring?
Nadia: To some extent, but you rarely overhear a useful conversation on a scheduled call.
Chris: So you would make everyone go back full time?
Nadia: Not at all. I would argue a hybrid model gives you the best of both worlds.
Chris: I suppose that is hard to argue with, as long as it is genuinely flexible.
C1: Defending your essay in a tutorial
A university tutor questions a student about the argument in their essay.
Tutor: Your essay argues that social media has damaged democracy. That is quite a strong claim.
Student: It is, but I tried to support it with evidence from several recent elections.
Tutor: You did, although most of your sources come from the same country.
Student: That is a fair criticism. I could broaden it with some comparative studies.
Tutor: I would also like to see you address the counter-argument more directly.
Student: You mean the idea that social media has also given a voice to people who were excluded?
Tutor: Exactly. At the moment, it is mentioned in one sentence and then dismissed.
Student: I see. I will give it its own section and explain why I still find my position more convincing.
Tutor: Good. That would turn a solid essay into a genuinely persuasive one.
C2: A tough media interview
A journalist presses a company spokesperson about a data breach.
Journalist: Your company waited nine days before telling customers their data had been stolen. Why?
Spokesperson: We had to establish the full scale of the breach before making any public statement.
Journalist: Surely customers had a right to know straight away, so they could protect themselves?
Spokesperson: With hindsight, I accept that we should have issued an initial warning far sooner.
Journalist: So you admit the company got it wrong?
Spokesperson: I admit our communication fell short, and I would not dream of pretending otherwise.
Journalist: What is to stop this happening again?
Spokesperson: We have commissioned an independent audit and will publish its findings in full, unedited.
Journalist: Many of your customers will say that is too little, too late.
Spokesperson: That is entirely understandable. Our job now is to earn back their trust, not to demand it.
C2: Mediating between two teams
A senior manager tries to resolve a long-running clash between sales and engineering.
Mediator: I would like to get to the root of this, rather than paper over the cracks again.
Head of engineering: The root is simple. Sales keep promising features we haven’t even scoped.
Mediator: I hear that. From their side, though, they feel engineering is reluctant to commit to anything.
Head of engineering: We are reluctant because every rushed deadline ends up costing us twice the time later.
Mediator: So neither side is acting in bad faith. You are optimising for different things.
Head of engineering: I suppose that is a more charitable way of putting it.
Mediator: What if no feature could be promised to a client until an engineer had signed off on an estimate?
Head of engineering: That would go a long way, provided sales leadership actually enforced it.
Mediator: Then let’s draft it together and present it as a joint proposal, not a concession.
C2: Discussing AI in schools
A radio host interviews an education researcher about AI and homework.
Host: Some schools have banned AI tools outright. Is that a sensible response?
Researcher: It is understandable, but I suspect it is ultimately unenforceable and rather short-sighted.
Host: Short-sighted in what sense?
Researcher: Students will graduate into workplaces where these tools are ubiquitous, so ignoring them leaves them unprepared.
Host: Yet teachers worry that pupils will simply stop thinking for themselves.
Researcher: That risk is real, which is precisely why assessment has to evolve rather than stand still.
Host: What would that look like in practice?
Researcher: More work done in class, more spoken explanation, and tasks that ask students to critique what the machine produces.
Host: So the essay written at home is on its way out?
Researcher: Not entirely, but it can no longer be the sole measure of what a student understands.
C2: Negotiating a contract renewal
A supplier and a long-standing client renegotiate prices for next year.
Supplier: Given the rise in raw material costs, we need to revise our prices upwards by eight percent.
Buyer: Eight percent is considerably more than we had anticipated, particularly after twelve years together.
Supplier: We value that relationship enormously, which is why we absorbed the increases for as long as we could.
Buyer: I appreciate that, but a rise of that size would be very difficult to justify to our board.
Supplier: What if we phased it in, with four percent now and the remainder in six months?
Buyer: That is more palatable. Would you also be prepared to commit to fixed prices for the following year?
Supplier: In exchange for a three-year agreement, I think we could accommodate that.
Buyer: Then I think we have the basis of a deal. I will take it to the board on Monday.
