Expressions by Topic
Science & Technology
1. State-of-the-art technology
2. Cutting-edge technology
3. User-friendly
4. A handy gadget
5. Recent technological advances
6. A game-changer
7. A quantum leap forward
8. A scientific breakthrough
9. Household appliances
10. The house has all mod-cons
11. Big data
12. Social media giants
13. The system goes down
14. My computer is playing up/on the blink
15. A computer whizzkid
16. Upload/download
17. Post photos on social media
18. Live in a social media bubble
19. Live in an echo chamber
The Future
1. With any luck, I will probably…
2. I have a burning ambition to…
3. I’ve always dreamed of… so I expect I will…
4. I haven’t made up my mind yet but I’m leaning towards studying…
5. I’m torn between studying… and ….
6. In all likelihood I’ll study…/work in…
7. I see myself working in the field of…
8. If everything goes to plan in 5 years, I’ll be…
9. I’ve got it all mapped out; first I’m going to… then…
10. I have absolutely no clue what I’m going to do tomorrow let alone in 5 years.
11. I have always had aspirations to go into the field of…
12. I expect I’ll follow in my Mum/Dad’s footsteps.
Friends & Relationships
1. My best friend and I have been through thick and thin together.
2. My best friend is such a good laugh.
3. My best friend and I are like brothers/sisters from another mother.
4. I can always turn to my friend for advice or help.
5. My best friend always stands up for me in an argument or fight.
6. I know that my best friend has got my back if there’s any trouble.
7. If I tell my friend a secret, I know that their lips are sealed. They would never spill the beans.
8. My best friend is definitely not a fair-weather friend.
9. My best friend and I are lifelong friends.
10. My best friend from primary school and I have drifted apart.
11. My best friend and I are joined at the hip.
12. I often crash at my friend’s house at the weekend.
13. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
14. I’m always falling out with my best friend but we usually make up.
Family
1. I’m the youngest of 4 siblings.
2. I squabble with my sister sometimes.
3. You know what they say, blood is thicker than water.
4. It’s like they always say, you can’t choose your family.
5. My sister and I are like chalk and cheese, we couldn’t be more different.
6. My brother on the other hand, we’re like two peas in a pod.
7. My uncle is the black sheep of the family.
8. People always tell me that I’m the spitting image of my grandma when she was my age.
9. I’m actually named after my great-great grandad.
10. Ginger hair runs in my family.
11. My mum is the main breadwinner in our family. She’s the one who brings home the bacon.
12. Personality-wise I definitely take after my mum but my looks are all my dad.
The Environment
1. Factory farming
2. GM crops
3. Cut fossil fuel emissions
4. Emit harmful greenhouse gases
5. Smog
6. The hole in the ozone layer
7. Reduce one’s carbon footprint
8. Do our bit to save the planet.
9. Raise awareness of the effects of climate change.
10. Cut down on meat.
11. Have a detrimental effect on the planet
12. Take urgent action to
13. Switch to renewable energy sources
14. Stand up for endangered species
15. Take responsibility for our actions
16. Strive to be more energy-efficient/greener
17. Reduce, reuse, recycle
Free Time & Hobbies
1. I’m keen on/fond of ...ing
2. I’m a big fan of ...ing
3. I’m really into ...ing
4. I’m hooked on (Netflix series)
5. I’m a keen/avid:
a. Runner
b. Gamer
c. Swimmer
d. etc.
6. I’m a bit of a/an:
a. Film buff
b. Art buff
c. Geek
d. Foodie
e. Bookworm
f. Gym bunny
g. Couch potato
h. Adrenaline junkie
7. I’m quite sporty.
8. Take up a new hobby
9. There’s nothing I like more than to…
10. I tend to spend my free time ....ing
11. Be at one with nature
12. Get some fresh air
13. Escape the hustle and bustle of the city
14. Escape the daily grind/rat-race
15. To unwind/let off some steam
16. Get out of the house at the weekend
17. One of my guilty pleasures is to….
18. Go out with my friends and let my hair down
Fame & Celebrities
1. Be in the spotlight/limelight
2. Be in the public eye
3. Be a role model
4. Set a good/bad example
5. Look up to someone
6. Use their platform
7. Have a positive influence on
8. Lead a glamorous lifestyle
9. It’s not all a bed of roses
10. A double-edged sword
11. Be under constant scrutiny
12. Claim to fame
13. Get a big break
14. Make a name for yourself
15. Let the fame go to your head
16. Rise to fame
17. Your 15 minutes of fame
18. Fall from grace
19. Keep your feet on the ground
20. Go off the rails
Jobs & Professions
1. Work a 9-5 job.
2. A desk job
3. A dead-end job
4. Have good career prospects
5. Get promoted
6. Get sacked/fired
7. Be laid off/made redundant
8. Make a good first impression
9. Work one’s fingers to the bone
10. A well-paid job
11. Climb the career ladder
12. Get a foot in the door
13. Be stuck in a rut
14. An up-and-coming (photographer/actor/etc.) promising
15. Have one’s hands full/have a lot on one’s plate/be snowed under
16. Talk shop
17. Be unemployed/out of work/on the dole/on benefits/be between jobs
18. Be an intern/do an internship
19. maternity/paternity leave
20. The perks of the job
21. The glass ceiling
22. The gender pay gap
23. In charge of/responsible for
24. Be self-employed/freelance
25. Make/earn a living/make ends meet
Holidays & Travel
1. Mouth-watering food
2. Get the travel bug
3. Get itchy feet
4. Sit and watch the world go by
5. Get up at the crack of dawn
6. Catch some rays/soak up the sun/work on my suntan
7. Chill by the pool
8. Pack a lot in/have a full plate
9. See how the mood takes me/play it by ear
10. Live it up
11. Rough it
12. Travel light
13. Travel on a shoestring
14. Off the beaten track
15. Watch one’s back
16. Feel right at home
17. Savour local delicacies
18. Really get a feel for a place
Emotions
● Confused: Be/feel perplexed/puzzled/baffled/bewildered | bɪˈwɪldÉ™d |
● Sad: Be/feel blue/down/down in the dumps/down in the mouth
● Tired/ill: Be/feel under the weather/run down/out of sorts
● Fit & healthy: Be/feel in tip-top condition/on top of one’s game/in the pink/full of beans
● Stressed: Be fed up/at the end of one’s tether/stressed out/sick and tired of
● Happy: be elated/over the moon/on cloud nine/on top of the world/jumping for joy
● Angry: be spitting feathers/enraged/furious/irate/cross/in a huff
● Nervous: be on edge/edgy/agitated/apprehensive/tense
Things that annoy you:
1. A pet peeve/bugbear of mine is…
2. It really gets on my nerves when people….
3. It drives me up the wall when people….
4. It drives me round the bend when people….
5. It really gets my goat when people….
6. It really pisses me off when people….
7. I can’t stand it when people….
8. It really rubs me up the wrong way when people…
9. It really stresses me out when people…
10. When people…. it’s like a red rag to a bull for me.
11. When people…. it makes me tear my hair out.
Sample Questions
Science & Technology
1. What do you think has been the most important invention of the last 50 years?
2. Do you think that modern technology has changed the world for the better or the worse?
3. What are the pros and cons of the internet?
4. How has technology made our lives easier?
5. What will life be like in 20 years time? What new tech will we have? What scientific breakthroughs do you think will have been made?
6. How important is it for you to have the latest technology in your house?
7. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?
The Future
1. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
2. What ambitions do you have for the future?
3. What are the most common ambitions young people have these days?
4. What should people bear in mind when deciding what career path to choose?
5. Would you like to do the same job as your parents? Why/why not?
6. What skills do you think will be important in the future?
Friends & Relationships
1. Tell us about your best friend.
2. What makes a good friend?
3. Do you have to have things in common with someone to become friends?
4. Are you still friends with all the people you went to school with?
5. How have your relationships with your friends changed throughout your life?
Family
1. Tell me about your family and where you fit in.
2. How important are family activities to you?
3. What can families do to support each other?
4. What are some traits you’ve inherited from your parents?
5. How important are family traditions to you?
The Environment
1. What can individuals do to try to save the planet?
2. Who is responsible for the current state of the environment?
3. What big changes would you like to see in the next 5 years to make society greener?
4. What personal sacrifices would you be willing to make for the environment?
5. What can we do to encourage people to be greener?
Free Time & Hobbies
1. What do you like to do in your free time?
2. What’s your favourite hobby/pastime and how did you get into it?
3. How do you relax when you’re stressed?
4. How important is it for you to be physically active in your free time?
5. What would be your perfect weekend?
6. How important do you think hobbies and free time activities are for society in general?
7. Are there any hobbies or activities that you’d like to try?
Fame & Celebrities
1. What are the pros and cons of fame?
2. Would you like to be famous?
3. How well do you think you would cope with being famous?
4. Overall, do you think celebrities have a positive or a negative impact on society?
5. Can you think of any famous people that you think have a positive impact?
6. Can you think of any famous people that you think have a negative impact?
7. Why do you think so many celebrities tend to suffer from addiction problems or poor mental health?
Jobs & Professions
1. What type of job do you have/would you like to have in the future?
2. Would you be happy working in an office?
3. What changes would you make in your country to improve the situation for workers?
4. How can we tackle problems like the gender pay gap and the glass ceiling?
5. How does the unemployment system work in your country? How could it be improved?
Holidays & Travel
1. What’s the most memorable holiday you’ve ever been on?
2. What would be your ideal holiday? Describe a typical day in your ideal holiday.
3. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?
4. What’s more important for you on a holiday, experiencing a different culture or relaxing?
5. How important is it for you to travel in comfort and luxury?
a. Would you consider backpacking?
6. Who would be your ideal holiday companion?
Emotions
1. What things that other people do annoy you the most?
