Lesson 20 · Speaking
Speaking — transactional role-play (Cambridge B1 Preliminary Part 2 style)
Your task
Role-play arriving at a hotel two hours before check-in time. You have a connecting flight tomorrow evening and need a late check-out. Make THREE polite requests using three DIFFERENT indirect-question or polite-request structures.
How to do it
OPEN with 'Hi, sorry to bother you…' to set a polite tone. USE indirect openers — never start with 'Give me…' or bare 'Can…'. CHAIN requests with 'One more thing — would it be possible to…?' so you don't sound demanding. CLOSE with 'Thank you so much — really appreciate it.' Examiners specifically reward indirect-question structures over direct ones.
Use these phrases
Talk about
- • What was the last thing you booked for a trip — flight, room, restaurant? In English or your language?
- • Tell me about a small travel problem you sorted out in another language.
- • Where's the line between politely complaining and being pushy?
Model answer
Hi, sorry to bother you — could you tell me if early check-in is possible? Our flight got in really early. … Brilliant, thank you. One more thing — I was wondering if we could have a late check-out tomorrow, around two? We've got a connecting flight in the evening. … Perfect. And finally — is there any way you could recommend a quiet café for breakfast nearby? Thank you so much, really appreciate it.
Pair / class extension: Role-play with your teacher (or a partner): a hotel reception scene. Student is the guest, teacher is the receptionist (then swap). Guest must make at least FOUR polite requests using FOUR different indirect/polite structures, and handle ONE problem (noisy room, missing booking, broken hairdryer). No starting a sentence with 'Give me…' or 'I want…'.
Giving opinions
Share what you think clearly and naturally.
- On the whole, I think…“On the whole, I think remote work suits me better.”
- In my view, …“In my view, schools should teach financial literacy.”
- If you ask me, …“If you ask me, it's not worth the money.”
- To be honest, …“To be honest, I wasn't a fan of the film.”
- I'd say (that)…“I'd say that's the best one.”
Speak out loud: use three of these phrases in a one-minute answer.
Agreeing & disagreeing
Respond to opinions without sounding aggressive or weak.
- Absolutely / Definitely.“Absolutely — that's exactly what I meant.”
- I see your point, but…“I see your point, but I'd look at it differently.”
- I'm not so sure about that.“I'm not so sure about that — it depends on the price.”
- Yes and no.“Yes and no — partly true, but it's more complicated.”
- I'd have to disagree.“I'd have to disagree there — I had a great experience.”
Speak out loud: use three of these phrases in a one-minute answer.
Asking questions politely
Soften questions for strangers, customer service, formal contexts.
- Could you tell me…?“Could you tell me where platform 4 is?”
- Do you know…?“Do you know what time it closes?”
- Would you mind + -ing?“Would you mind repeating that?”
- I was wondering if…“I was wondering if you had a moment.”
Speak out loud: use three of these phrases in a one-minute answer.
Clarifying & checking
Make sure you've understood — without saying 'What?'.
- Sorry, do you mean…?“Sorry, do you mean Monday next week or this week?”
- Just to check, …“Just to check, that's £40 each, right?”
- So what you're saying is…“So what you're saying is we should leave earlier.”
- Could you say that again?“Could you say that again — I missed the last part.”
Speak out loud: use three of these phrases in a one-minute answer.
Reactions & follow-ups
Keep conversations alive instead of letting them die.
- Oh really? / No way!“A: I quit my job. — B: No way! When?”
- Have you? / Did you? / Are you?“A: I've moved to Lisbon. — B: Have you?! How is it?”
- How come?“How come you decided to do that?”
- What's that like?“What's that like — working remotely full-time?”
- How about you?“I love thrillers. How about you?”
Speak out loud: use three of these phrases in a one-minute answer.
Suggesting & negotiating
Make plans, propose solutions, find middle ground.
- Why don't we…?“Why don't we meet halfway?”
- How about + -ing?“How about going to the Thai place?”
- Shall we…?“Shall we say 7pm then?”
- Would it work if…?“Would it work if we pushed it to Friday?”
- I'm easy / I don't mind.“I'm easy — whatever suits you.”
Speak out loud: use three of these phrases in a one-minute answer.
Storytelling & anecdotes
Hold attention when you tell a story or share news.
- You'll never guess what happened.“You'll never guess what happened on the way here.”
- So basically, …“So basically, we missed the train by 30 seconds.”
- All of a sudden, …“All of a sudden, the lights went out.”
- Long story short, …“Long story short, we ended up driving instead.”
- Anyway, …“Anyway, that's how I met your dad.”
Speak out loud: use three of these phrases in a one-minute answer.
Hedging & diplomacy
Soften strong opinions, disagree politely, sound less abrupt.
- It might be worth + -ing“It might be worth checking the schedule first.”
- I'd probably…“I'd probably go for the smaller one.”
- I'm not entirely sure, but…“I'm not entirely sure, but I think it closes at 6.”
- That's a fair point, although…“That's a fair point, although there's another side to it.”
Speak out loud: use three of these phrases in a one-minute answer.