Lesson 30 · Speaking
Speaking — Cambridge B1 Preliminary Part 3/4 / FCE Part 4 (present wishes and frustrations)
Your task
Speak for 2 minutes responding to: 'What's something about your daily life you wish were different?' Use 'I wish' + past simple, 'wish + would' for someone else's behaviour, and 'if only' at least once each, plus 4 lesson vocabulary items.
How to do it
Wish-based questions reward learners who name a real, specific frustration instead of a vague one. (1) Open with a clear wish ('Honestly, I wish I had…'). (2) Distinguish wishes about yourself from wishes about others — use 'wish + would' only for someone else's behaviour. (3) Use 'if only' once, alone, for emotional emphasis. (4) Ask yourself the follow-up question out loud: 'and what's actually stopping me?' (5) Close with one small, realistic action. Avoid mixing in 'if I would have…', which is not standard for present wishes.
Use these phrases
Talk about
- • If you could live in any city in the world for a year (rent free), where would you go and why?
- • If you could swap careers tomorrow with anyone you know, whose would you take? What would you do first?
- • If you had one extra hour in every day, what would you actually do with it? (Not what you SHOULD do.)
Model answer
Honestly, I wish I had more time in the evenings — my commute eats up three hours a day, and by the time I'm home I'm too tired to do anything I actually enjoy. If only I could work from home even two days a week. There's also a smaller, more annoying wish: I wish my downstairs neighbour wouldn't play music until midnight — that one's not about me, it's about someone else's behaviour, which is exactly the kind of thing 'wish plus would' is for. In your shoes, I imagine you'd have second thoughts about even mentioning it, but honestly, what's stopping me is mostly nerves, not anything real. So here's the plan: I'm asking my manager about home working on Monday, in a heartbeat, no more thinking twice. The neighbour conversation I'll have this weekend. If only wishing alone solved things — but at least naming them clearly is a start.
Pair / class extension: Role-play with your teacher (or a partner): an honest 'wish check-in' conversation. Each person names one thing they wish were different about their life right now (aimed at themselves) and one thing they wish someone else would do differently. Ask each other 'what's actually stopping you?' and end with each person committing to ONE specific action this month.
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.