Lesson 46 · Speaking
Speaking — Cambridge B1 Preliminary Part 2 (describing a photo / person)
Your task
Describe a person you know well for 90 seconds: appearance, personality, and your relationship with them. Use at least 4 personality adjectives, correct adjective order at least twice, and one -ed/-ing pair correctly.
How to do it
Examiners at this level reward RANGE and ACCURACY over speed. (1) Structure: appearance first, then personality, then relationship — this mirrors natural description order. (2) Stack adjectives correctly: opinion before physical fact ('a kind, elderly woman', not 'an elderly, kind woman'). (3) Use a comparison or resemblance phrase ('she takes after her mother') to add natural range. (4) Include one clear -ed/-ing contrast to show grammatical control ('she's never boring, and I'm never bored around her'). (5) Finish with 'We get on really well because…' to link back to relationship.
Use these phrases
Talk about
- • Do you take after your mum, your dad, or neither? In what ways?
- • Describe a close friend's appearance and personality to your partner without naming them. Can they guess who?
- • What's the personality trait you admire most in others, and which one annoys you most?
Model answer
I'd like to describe my aunt, Carol. She's a tall, grey-haired woman in her sixties, quite broad-shouldered — she used to play basketball. Personality-wise, she's incredibly easy-going and down-to-earth, even though she's quite successful in her job. She's also very reliable — if she says she'll help, she always does. She can be a little stubborn occasionally, but never in a way that causes real problems. I take after her more than I take after my own mum, actually — same sense of humour, same terrible driving. She's never boring to be around, and I'm honestly never bored in her company. We get on incredibly well, probably because we both say exactly what we think.
Pair / class extension: Role-play 'New flatmate interview'. One partner is looking for a flatmate; the other is describing a possible candidate they know. Discuss appearance, personality, reliability and whether you'd get on with them. Use at least 5 lesson phrases and correct adjective order twice.
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.