PET SPEAKING

PART 1. PERSONAL QUESTIONS

HOMETOWN 1. Where are you from? Can you tell me something/ some
information about your hometown?
2. What is the most interesting part of your town?
FAMILY AND HOME1. Can you tell me something about your family?
2. Can you describe your house or flat?
3. Do you have a favorite relative? What is she/ he like?
WORK AND STUDY 1. Can you tell me something about your school?
2. What subject do you teach at school?
3. How long have you taught English at school?
LEISURE 1. What do you often do in your free time/ at the weekend?/ How
do you usually spend your holiday?
2. What are your favorite hobbies?
3. Do you like listening music/ sports in your free time?
4. What kind of sports/ music do you like?
1. Question Type 1“ Liking/ Disliking” questions
- Do you like animals?  Yes, I like animal because they are lovely.
AREA: A: Answer, R: Reason, E: Example, A: Alternative
*Answer: Starting phrases
- Well in general I would say that…
- Actually I suppose that………
- Well, to be honest I should really say that……….
- I would certainly/ definitely say that………..
“Liking/ disliking phrases”
I am absolutely keen on listening to music.
fairly in to going shopping
really a big fan of watching TV
quite enthusiastic about going out with my friends
simply fond of going jogging
generally mad about cooking/ running
totally passionate about doing the morning exercises
not so keen on
Not much of a fan of
I really can’t stand
 Off the top of my head, I would say I’m absolutely a big fan of dancing.
 Of course I think I’d have to say that I’m not so keen on the weather.
 Introducing a specific type:
- …..but in particular….
- ………particularly………
- ………..especially………….
- ………specifically…………
- ……….to be more precise/ specific/ exact/ accurate……….
 Off the top of my head, I would say I’m absolutely a big fan of dancing; however, to be
more precise, I should say that I’m deeply into hip hop dancing.
 Of course I think I’d have to say that I’m not so keen on the weather. To be more precise, I
really can’t stand the summer months.
*Reason
Giving reason to your answer
- And I guess this is that…………..
- This could be because…………
- This is due to the fact that………….
- I suppose the reason has to do something to do with the fact that……….
Reason: I think that because I’m also a music lover and I love the way I can truly identify
myself with dance.
Reason: This due to the fact that the temperatures can get as 40 degrees so it can be quite
uncomfortable if you don’t have air conditioning in your house.
Giving the second point
- As well as this………
- To add to this………….
- In addition to this………….
As well as this, I’m quite partial to contemporary dance because it stressed versatility and
improvisation.
EXAMPLE
1. Do you like reading books?
Yes, I read the newspaper everyday to keep up to date with the latest news and see what
the hottest topic of the day is. I’ve been in the habit of doing this for a long time.
Keep up to date (expression): Cập nhật to provide the latest information to someone
or for something
Ex: I keep up to date with world events by watching the news on CNN.
Be in the habit of (expression): to do something regularly and almost without
needing to think about it
Ex: My grandfather is in the habit of taking a walk in the park every morning.
2. Do you like watching video in your free time?
 To be honest, I’m I would say I’m absolutely a big fan of watching video. I started
building up my huge collection of videos when I was in secondary school. Now,
whenever I have spare time, I often go to the cinema with my husband/ friends.
3. Do you like playing basketball/ to do daily exercise/ walking?
Well, I would say that there’s quite a variety of sports on my favorites list but to be
honest, I’m particularly keen on basketball. I guess the reason for this could be that
basketball helps me burn up lots of calories and keep myself in shape. Besides, it is a group
activity that gives me the chance to meet up with new friends and build up strong
relationships with others.
Yes, I do. Walking is a good way for exercise and relaxing. Walking for an hour after
supper can keep my body fit, without worrying about eating too much. Besides, I can walk
without thinking about anything, and relax my eyes to see the plants and people doing
exercise along the path I'm walking on.
Burn up lots of calories: getting rid of energy in order to keep fit / đốt cháy nhiều
năng lượng
Example: A good laugh can burn up as many calories per hour as brisk walking.
3. Do you prefer to play indoor games/ outdoor games?
 As a matter of fact, I prefer to engage in outdoor activities rather than staying inside.
Playing outdoor games keeps me physically active, which might prevent me from suffering
from diseases like obesity or diabetes later in life. In addition, participating in strenuous
games such as tennis and basketball is an effective way to get myself into shape and build up
my muscles and strength.
4. Do you like your major?
 Yes, I do. I actually chose my major by myself because I deeply love the language. When
I was a child, I always wanted to be an English teacher. The reason why I want to become an
English teacher in Vietnam. In our country, English education is only the beginning of our
society. Because I would help people to learn English well. Now, I feel I'm closer and closer
to my dream.
5. Do you like your school?
- My school is called the Tay Mo primary/ secondary school/ My Dinh high school…. It was the most
famous school in my hometown/ It has had long history that many excellent students learned there.
- The teachers are very close to the students….They often keep in touch with students to help them to handle
with problems/ solve the problems.
- The teachers are very proffessional.They often think how to teach and give the best teaching method for
their lessons.
6. Do you like painting/ drawing? Why?
Yes, I do. I used to be fancy of drawing when I was in primary school. I just enjoyed
copying the figure in my drawing book and making use of any color as I like. I felt proud of
being praised by my relatives when they saw my drawing pasted on the wall of my house.
7. Do you like going outside on weekends on sunny days?
Yes, I do. Sometimes, I'd like to invite my friends to go for a picnic on spring and autumn
sunny days. Lying in the sun, we'd like to share the interesting things in our life. Or we can
talk a walk while talking. More often, I'd like to play badminton with my brother in the
playground of our community for an hour when it's sunny.
2. Questions type 2 “Basic Description”: Tell me/ Can you tell me….?
Example: Tell me about your hometown.
 I come from Hanoi. Hanoi is the capital of VN.
*Lead-in phrases:
- Ok then…………/ Alright…………. / Well, you know……………/
Actually…………./ Well, first of all,………….
st
*1 point phrases:
. ...the first thing I should mention is that...
...the point I'd like to begin with is that...
...I could start off by saying that...
...my initial point would be that...
...I need to start off by pointing out that...
...the main thing you need to know is that...
*2nd pointing phrases:
Another point which I could add is that...
A second feature which I should mention is that...
As well as that, I could say that...
*3rd pointing phrases:
And I shouldn't forget to mention that...
In addition to what I've just said, I can add that...
Something else that I need to comment on is that...
So a complete response might look something like this:
Well first of all, the main thing you need to know is that...(point 1)...In fact...(detail
1)...On top of that I can also add that...(point 2)...which means...(detail 2)...Something else
that I need to comment on is that...(point 3)...So actually (detail 3)....
3. Question type 3 “Types of” Questions
For example:
― Tell me about the different types of public transport in your country.
 In my city there are many types of public transport, for example, buses, taxis motorcycle
taxis, trains, planes, ferries and mini-buses.
*Begin with an opening phrase:
Well actually... Of course, you know...
Sure, obviously... Of course, it goes without saying...
Ok, certainly...
Then use one of the following:
... there’s quite a mixed variety of...
... there’s quite a wide range of...
... there’s quite an extensive diversity of...
 Of course, it goes without saying that there’s quite a mixed variety of public
transport in my city.
*1st point phrases:
However, I suppose the most+ adj( popular, famous, well-known, best selling, important) ...
could possibly be...
Though I think the most + adj ... would potentially be...
Still, I suspect that the most+ adj ... could perhaps be...
 Of course, it goes without saying that there’s quite a mixed variety of public
transportin my city. Though I think the most commonly- used would potentially be buses.
For example (phrase to add a detail):
The thing with (buses) is that...
The point I want to add about buses is that...
And the basis of this is that...
*2nd point phrases:
Now use a linking phrase to introduce a second type:
Besides (buses), ...
As well as (buses), ...
In addition to (buses), ...
Another kind of (public transport) would be...
Another form of (public transport) worth mentioning could be...
A second variety of (public transport) would be something like...
For example:
And the main characteristic of (taxis) is that ...
And the unique aspect of (taxis) is that ...
And the exceptional aspect with (taxis) is that ...
3. Question type 4 “WH/ How often” Questions
How often do you go to the cinema?
Where do you usually buy your clothes?
Maybe once a week
In New World Department store.
*Opening phrases:
Well to be honest, I think I would have to say that it is really depends.
Actually to be fair, I imagine that it would depend on the situation.
Well in truth, I guess my answer would be determined by different conditions.
*Linking phrases:
Like for instance …
Like more specifically …
Like, to be more direct …
If (I’ve got free time/ I’m with my friend/ I’m busy) … then I will/ won’t most likely …
If (That day is good weather) … then it’s quite possible that I will …
Well in all fairness, I imagine that it would depend on the situation. Like for instance, if
(situation A) … then I will most likely … so/because/in fact …
4. Question type 5” Yes/ No Questions.
Do people wear special clothes at weddings in your country?
Is watching TV a popular activity in your country?
 Yes/ No.
*Opening phrases:
Well in actual fact, if I think about it, I guess that in many ways …
OK, well in reality, I suppose that to some extent …
Alright, I guess that on the one hand …
Well certainly in some ways …
*The reason why, give example
6. Question Type 6: ―Would Questions
Would you like to move to another city, in the future?
Would you like to change your job?
The form of the second conditional is quite simple:
If + past simple, would / could / might + infinitive verb.
If I lived near the sea, I would be able to eat fresh seafood.
Reason and detail: "I would like to change cities if I had the chance, because if I lived in a
different city I would make lots of new friends and I could try lots of new kinds of food. Also
I might be able to find a well-paid job.
PART 2. COMMUCATION ACTIVITY CANDIDATE INTERACT WITH EACH
OTHER

USEFUL LANGUAGE
GETTING STARTED
- Well, we have to choose/ talk about…….
- Why don’t we first talk about each……..before we decide.
- What should we do first?
- Ok, we need to decide what to buy/ get/ do/ where to go (What we should take objects
on a journey?)
- So, which of these are the most important/ are the best/ are the most useful?
- What do you think about……..?
SAYING WHAT YOU THINK
- Let’s start with ………….Is it Ok with you?
- I think we should ……
- In my opinion, we should……………
- It would be a good idea to + infinitive because…………
- I think it would be better to +infinitive than to + infinitive
- I definitely think we need…..
- In my opinion,……………
- Personally, I don’t like…………..
MAKING SUGGESTIONS/ ASKING YOUR PARTNER THINKS
- Why don’t we + V………..
- How about + Ving……….?
- What about the………….? What do you think about that?
- I’d like to + V. What about you?
- ……….would be useful/ the best. How about you?/ Do you agree?
AGREEING
- That’s absolutely true.
- That’s a good/ great idea.
- It’s a good idea provided …………
- It’s a good idea if you take into account that………….
- That sounds good.
DISAGREEING
- Well, I don’t think……….because………
- I’m not sure I agree with you. I think……….
- That’s a not bad idea but…………
- That’s not how I see it. I think that……
- Well, I hadn’t thought about that. We could………
- I’m sorry. I don’t agree.
- In my opinion it would be better to V…….
- Personally, I think that is a terrible idea because …….
CONCLUDING
- So, we think ………….and………….are the most important/ best things.
- So, we are going to take/ get/ buy/ go to/………..and………….

Example: A friend of yours is organizing an end of year party for her class. Talk together
about the different ideas, and decide which one is the best. Here is a picture with some ideas
to help you.

A B
- What do you think about this idea- - Well, I’m not sure. I think a bit
going for a picnic? boring. I think barbecue on the beach
- What should we do first- Going for would be more fun.
a picnic? - That’s a not bad idea but I think
barbecue on the beach would be more

- Yes. That’s a good idea, but it’s
quite a lot of work. Someone has to
stand her to cook all night. And it
might rain/ is very tired. I think we
should go to a restaurant instead.
They will have a great meal with
roast chicken, steak…
- Well, what about having a DVD
party at someone’s house. We will
order pizza and some snack. That’s
wouldn’t be expensive.
- Yes, you are right. I think that is
the best idea, too.
fun.
- That’s true, but it’s quite expensive
to go to a restaurant. Some people
may not have enough money.
- I suppose so. But it’s not exciting.
In my opinion, it would be better to
have a fashionable dress party. They
could have a competition and decide
who is wearing the best. And for
food, everyone could bring different
dish
- So we are going to have a
fashionable dress party.