1. Useful phrases for your oral test
Giving Opinion
1. I reckon...
2. I'd say...
3. Personally, I think...
4. What I reckon is...
5. If you ask me...
6. The way I see it...
7. As far as I'm concerned...
8. If you don't mind me saying...
9. I'm utterly convinced that...
10. In my humble opinion...
Apologising
1. Sorry.
2. I'm (so / very / terribly) sorry.
3. Ever so sorry.
4. How stupid / careless / thoughtless of me.
5. Pardon (me)
6. That's my fault.
7. Sorry. It was all my fault.
8. Please excuse my (ignorance)
9. Please don't be mad at me.
10. Please accept our (sincerest) apologies.
Disagreeing with people
1. I'm not sure about that!
2. You could be right, but...
3. (I'm afraid) I don't agree.
4. I agree up to a point, but..
5. That's an interesting idea, but..
6. Do you really think..?
7. Rubbish! / Nonsense!
8. You can't be serious!
9. Actually, as a matter of fact. I think..
10. That's not how I see it.
Refusing ideas
1. No way
2. Absolutely not
3. No Chance
4. Not if you paid me
5. Get lost

2. 6. No, full stop
7. Not likely
8. I don't want to
9. I'd rather not
10. No but thanks for asking
Asking for sb’s opinion
1. What do you think of...?
2. What do you think about...?
3. How d'you feel (about...)?
4. What d'you reckon (about...)?
5. What's your opinion of...?
6. (What do think about) that?
7. What are your views on...?
8. Where do you stand (on...)?
9. What would you say to... / if we...?
10. Are you aware of.....?
Asking for help
1. Can you give me a hand with this?
2. Could you help me for a second?
3. Can I ask a favour?
4. I wonder if you could help me with this?
5. I could do with some help, please.
6. I can't manage. Can you help?
7. Give me a hand with this, will you?
8. Lend me a hand with this, will you?
9. Could you spare a moment?
10. I need some help, please.
Dislikes
1. I'm not too keen on English food.
2. I'm not a big a fan of English food.
3. I can't work up any enthusiasm for it.
4. I'm not particularly fond of English food.
5. I can't stand it / I really hate it.
6. English food: I can take it or leave it.
7. English food leaves me cold.
8. I can't see what all the fuss is about.
9. I'm afraid it doesn't appeal to me.
10. I would rather cut off my right arm than..
Good ideas
1. That's a great idea.

3. 2. That's an idea.
3. Good idea!
4. What a great idea!
5. I think that's a fantastic idea.
6. I like that idea.
7. I like the idea of that.
8. That's not a bad idea.
9. You know what? That's a good idea.
10. Cool!
When working in pair it is important to work on the fllowing points:
It will help both yourself and your partner if you work together collaboratively on this
task.
1. Be prepared to ask your partner for his or her opinion rather than simply stating your
own. For example:
'What do you think?'
'How about you?'
'Do you think ...?'
2. Listen carefully' to what your partner says and respond to comments he or she makes
to help the discussion flow. For example:
'Do/Have/Are you?'
'Don't/Haven't/Aren't you?'
'Do you think so?
'Really?'
3. If you disagree try expressing this politely. For example:
'I see what you mean but ...'
'I can see your point but ...'
'But don't you think ...'
4. Use expressions to allow yourself time to think. For example:
'That's a good question.'
'Well, let me think ...'
'It's difficult to say ...'
5. You'll possibly find you don't understand something your partner has said. If this
happens, take control with simple questions like those below to help you deal positively
with the situation. This will also give you the chance to impress the examiner with your
communication skills.
A) If you didn't quite understand a word or phrase just say something like:
"Sorry but could you explain what you mean by ........" or
"I haven't come across that word/expression before. Could you explain what you
mean?"

4. B) If you didn't hear or didn't understand something your partner has said, ask them to
repeat it:
"Sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you say that again?"
"Excuse me. Could you repeat that?"
C) Alternatively, you might want to confirm what you think your partner said so you
could say something like:
"Do you mean ........"
"When you say ........, are you asking/do you mean ........?"