ULU ONLINE
Basics
Everyday English conversation sheets, level by level, to work through with a tutor.
350 lessons
Set phrases and short sentences about yourself and your day.
Where this level sits on the CEFR scale, A1 to C2. This course covers A1 through B2.
Saying helloThe set phrases that open and close a conversation.4 lessons
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Lesson 1 — Good morning (opens in a new tab)
The greeting that fits the time of day, and the one word that softens it.
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Lesson 2 — How are you? (opens in a new tab)
Asking after someone, and answering with more than one word.
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Lesson 3 — Nice to meet you (opens in a new tab)
The first three sentences of a first meeting, in order.
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Lesson 4 — It's cold, isn't it? (opens in a new tab)
The little tag on the end that turns a remark into a question.
About yourselfYour name, your work, your family, where you live.4 lessons
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Lesson 5 — I'm a nurse (opens in a new tab)
The verb be, and the three forms you need before anything else.
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Lesson 6 — Where are you from? (opens in a new tab)
Country, city, and the difference between from and in.
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Lesson 7 — My birthday is in May (opens in a new tab)
Saying a date out loud, which is not how it is written.
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Lesson 8 — I have two brothers (opens in a new tab)
The verb have, and the words for the people in a family.
Thank you and sorryThanking someone, and apologising, in fixed phrases.2 lessons
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Lesson 9 — Thank you so much (opens in a new tab)
Thanking someone, saying what for, and what to say back.
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Lesson 10 — I'm sorry I'm late (opens in a new tab)
Apologising, giving the reason, and the two sorries that are not apologies.
What you likeWhat you like, what you don't, and what you'd rather do.4 lessons
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Lesson 11 — I really like it (opens in a new tab)
A scale from love to can't stand, and where to stand on it.
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Lesson 12 — Do you like sports? (opens in a new tab)
The question word that is not a word: do.
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Lesson 13 — I like watching films (opens in a new tab)
Putting an activity after like, and the two ways it can go.
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Lesson 14 — I'd rather stay in (opens in a new tab)
Choosing between two things, politely.
Can and can'tSaying what you are and aren't able to do.1 lesson
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Lesson 15 — I can drive (opens in a new tab)
One word that never changes, and the verb that follows it.
Saying what you wantAsking for what you want, in a few dependable ways.2 lessons
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Lesson 16 — I'd like a coffee (opens in a new tab)
Ordering, and the nouns you cannot put a number in front of.
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Lesson 17 — I want that one (opens in a new tab)
This, that, these, those — near and far, one and many.
Other peopleIntroducing someone and describing what they're like.8 lessons
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Lesson 18 — This is my friend Sam (opens in a new tab)
Introducing two people to each other, and what each of them says.
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Lesson 19 — She wears glasses (opens in a new tab)
Describing how someone looks, with has and wears.
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Lesson 20 — He's cooking right now (opens in a new tab)
The tense for what is happening as you speak.
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Lesson 21 — A long blue coat (opens in a new tab)
When two adjectives meet, one of them goes first.
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Lesson 22 — What are you doing? (opens in a new tab)
Asking what someone is up to, and hearing the answer.
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Lesson 23 — Who's that? (opens in a new tab)
Asking about a person you can see but do not know.
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Lesson 24 — What does she look like? (opens in a new tab)
Asking for a description, and the trap in the word like.
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Lesson 25 — She's very kind (opens in a new tab)
Describing what a person is like, not what they look like.
Asking questionsWhere, how much, whose — the questions that get answers.6 lessons
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Lesson 26 — There are two chairs (opens in a new tab)
Saying that something exists, before saying anything about it.
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Lesson 27 — Is this yours? (opens in a new tab)
My and mine, your and yours — and which one stands alone.
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Lesson 28 — That view is beautiful (opens in a new tab)
Two places an adjective can sit, and one word that strengthens it.
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Lesson 29 — Where are my keys? (opens in a new tab)
Asking where something is, and the small words that answer.
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Lesson 30 — Where's the lift? (opens in a new tab)
Asking directions inside a building, and following them.
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Lesson 31 — How much is this? (opens in a new tab)
Asking a price, and the difference between much and many.
Your dayWhat you do each day, and how often you do it.6 lessons
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Lesson 32 — What time does it start? (opens in a new tab)
Asking a time, and saying one out loud.
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Lesson 33 — I get up at six (opens in a new tab)
The tense for what you do every day, and the -s that catches everyone.
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Lesson 34 — I don't drink coffee (opens in a new tab)
Saying you don't, and where the -s goes when you do.
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Lesson 35 — I go by train (opens in a new tab)
How you travel, how long it takes, and the one exception.
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Lesson 36 — I usually study at night (opens in a new tab)
How often, and where the word for it goes in the sentence.
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Lesson 37 — How often do you eat out? (opens in a new tab)
Asking about a habit, and answering with a number of times.
Asking if it's okayChecking that something is all right to do.4 lessons
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Lesson 38 — Let me take your coat (opens in a new tab)
The short phrases that welcome someone into a room.
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Lesson 39 — Can I leave a message? (opens in a new tab)
The phone call where the person you want is not there.
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Lesson 40 — May I use your Wi-Fi? (opens in a new tab)
Three ways to ask permission, from friendly to formal.
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Lesson 41 — Is it okay if I sit here? (opens in a new tab)
A gentler way to ask, and how to say no without saying no.
Telling someone howTelling someone what to do, and how to do it.2 lessons
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Lesson 42 — Please don't touch that (opens in a new tab)
The verb with no subject, and how to keep it from sounding rude.
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Lesson 43 — First, press the button (opens in a new tab)
Explaining how something works, one step at a time.
Offering and invitingSuggesting, offering a hand, and inviting someone along.4 lessons
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Lesson 44 — You should rest (opens in a new tab)
Giving advice without telling anyone what to do.
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Lesson 45 — How about a picnic? (opens in a new tab)
Suggesting something, and the form that follows each opener.
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Lesson 46 — Shall I help you? (opens in a new tab)
Offering a hand, and letting someone turn it down comfortably.
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Lesson 47 — Would you like to come? (opens in a new tab)
Inviting someone, and turning an invitation down kindly.
Asking politelyCould you, would you — asking without imposing.3 lessons
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Lesson 48 — Could you pass the salt? (opens in a new tab)
Asking for a small thing without it sounding like an order.
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Lesson 49 — Could you say that again? (opens in a new tab)
The phrases that save a conversation you have lost.
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Lesson 50 — Would you like some water? (opens in a new tab)
Offering something, and the some that appears in questions.
Checking someone's plansFinding out whether someone is free.2 lessons
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Lesson 51 — Are you free this afternoon? (opens in a new tab)
Finding out whether someone has time, and offering to fit around them.
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Lesson 52 — I'm going to visit my parents (opens in a new tab)
The form for a plan you already made.
What might happenSaying what may happen and what you hope for.2 lessons
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Lesson 53 — It might rain (opens in a new tab)
Saying something is possible without claiming to know.
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Lesson 54 — I want to be a teacher (opens in a new tab)
Talking about what you hope for, one day.
Talking about the pastWhat happened, what you did, and where you've been.17 lessons
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Lesson 55 — She was at home (opens in a new tab)
The past of be, which is where the past tense starts.
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Lesson 56 — There was a fire (opens in a new tab)
Reporting something that happened, and where you heard it.
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Lesson 57 — I played football (opens in a new tab)
The -ed ending, and the verbs that refuse it.
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Lesson 58 — I went swimming (opens in a new tab)
The activities that take go, and the ones that take play or do.
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Lesson 59 — I was sleeping (opens in a new tab)
The tense for what was already going on.
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Lesson 60 — I was cooking when it happened (opens in a new tab)
Two things in the past, and which tense each of them takes.
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Lesson 61 — I was born in Osaka (opens in a new tab)
Sentences where the subject had it done to them.
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Lesson 62 — I went by myself (opens in a new tab)
The -self words, and the two jobs they do.
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Lesson 63 — It happened suddenly (opens in a new tab)
The words that say how, and where they go.
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Lesson 64 — Why did you go? (opens in a new tab)
Asking for a reason, and the three ways to give one.
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Lesson 65 — I've been here since Monday (opens in a new tab)
Something that started before now and has not stopped.
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Lesson 66 — Have you ever been abroad? (opens in a new tab)
Asking about a life so far, with no date attached.
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Lesson 67 — Have you seen it yet? (opens in a new tab)
Already, yet and just — the three small words of finished news.
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Lesson 68 — How was your weekend? (opens in a new tab)
The Monday question, and how to answer it without stopping the conversation.
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Lesson 69 — I lived there two years ago (opens in a new tab)
Putting a past event at a distance from now.
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Lesson 70 — My father gave me a watch (opens in a new tab)
Verbs that carry two objects, and the two orders they allow.
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Lesson 71 — Then I missed the train (opens in a new tab)
Putting several past actions in order, so they become a story.
Comparing thingsBigger, better, best — putting two things side by side.4 lessons
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Lesson 72 — Mine is bigger than yours (opens in a new tab)
Comparing two things with -er, and the than that must follow.
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Lesson 73 — It's more interesting (opens in a new tab)
The long adjectives, which take more instead of -er.
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Lesson 74 — It's the cheapest one (opens in a new tab)
Picking one out of all of them, with -est and the.
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Lesson 75 — The most beautiful place (opens in a new tab)
The long adjectives again, at the top of the scale.
At the airportCheck-in, boarding, immigration, changing money.4 lessons
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Lesson 76 — An aisle seat, please (opens in a new tab)
Checking in for a flight, in the order the questions come.
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Lesson 77 — Where's my seat? (opens in a new tab)
Getting on the plane, finding your row, and asking for what you need.
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Lesson 78 — I'm here on holiday (opens in a new tab)
Immigration: four questions, four short answers.
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Lesson 79 — I'd like to change some money (opens in a new tab)
Changing currency, and checking what it actually costs.
At the hotelChecking in, asking for things, and reporting a problem.7 lessons
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Lesson 80 — I'd like to check in (opens in a new tab)
Arriving at a hotel, and the three things worth asking straight away.
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Lesson 81 — I'd like to order room service (opens in a new tab)
Ordering food to your room, over the phone.
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Lesson 82 — The shower isn't working (opens in a new tab)
Reporting a problem with your room, clearly and without apology.
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Lesson 83 — I've lost my key card (opens in a new tab)
Losing something, and getting help without a long story.
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Lesson 84 — Could you call a taxi? (opens in a new tab)
The things a front desk can do for you, and how to ask for them.
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Lesson 85 — I'd like to check out (opens in a new tab)
Leaving, checking the bill, and querying something on it.
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Lesson 86 — I'd like to book a table (opens in a new tab)
Reserving something, and the three details every booking needs.
Getting around a cityDirections, buses, trains, the post office, the pharmacy.6 lessons
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Lesson 87 — Two tickets for the tour (opens in a new tab)
Buying tickets, and asking the questions that decide whether you want them.
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Lesson 88 — How do I get there? (opens in a new tab)
Asking a stranger for directions, and understanding the answer.
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Lesson 89 — I'd like to send this to Japan (opens in a new tab)
At the post office: how fast, how much, how long.
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Lesson 90 — Does this bus go to the station? (opens in a new tab)
Checking you are on the right bus before it leaves.
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Lesson 91 — Which line do I take? (opens in a new tab)
The underground: lines, changes, and which way you are going.
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Lesson 92 — Something for a headache (opens in a new tab)
At the pharmacy: naming the problem rather than the medicine.
Eating outGetting a table, ordering, and asking what's good.4 lessons
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Lesson 93 — A table for two, please (opens in a new tab)
Getting a table, and saying where you would rather sit.
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Lesson 94 — I'll have the fish (opens in a new tab)
Ordering a meal, and asking for it the way you want it.
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Lesson 95 — What do you recommend? (opens in a new tab)
Asking the staff what is good, and asking what a dish actually is.
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Lesson 96 — To take away, please (opens in a new tab)
Fast food, the question you will always be asked, and paying.
Shopping abroadBrowsing, sizes, trying things on, and paying.4 lessons
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Lesson 97 — I'm just looking (opens in a new tab)
The phrase that lets you browse in peace.
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Lesson 98 — I'm looking for a scarf (opens in a new tab)
Saying what you want, and describing it when they have none.
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Lesson 99 — Can I try this on? (opens in a new tab)
Trying something on, and saying what is wrong with the fit.
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Lesson 100 — Do you take cards? (opens in a new tab)
Paying, checking the change, and the last words of the course.
GreetingsOpening a conversation, and closing one without seeming abrupt.6 lessons
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Lesson 1 — Greeting someone you know (opens in a new tab)
The casual greetings that open almost every conversation, and the replies that keep it going.
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Lesson 2 — Ending a conversation (opens in a new tab)
How to leave without seeming abrupt, and which goodbye fits which person.
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Lesson 3 — Saying thank you (opens in a new tab)
Thanking someone for a specific thing, and replying when you are thanked.
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Lesson 4 — Small talk with someone new (opens in a new tab)
Safe topics, and the question shape that stops a conversation from dying.
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Lesson 5 — Someone, anyone, nobody (opens in a new tab)
Talking about people and things without naming them, and which word each sentence needs.
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Lesson 6 — Checking that someone is all right (opens in a new tab)
Asking whether someone needs help, a break, or a moment of your time.
Habits and routinesYour routine, how often you do things, and why.7 lessons
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Lesson 7 — Talking about your routine (opens in a new tab)
Saying what you do, how often you do it, and enough detail to keep the other person talking.
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Lesson 8 — Asking what someone is into (opens in a new tab)
The one question pattern that gets a real answer instead of a yes or a no.
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Lesson 9 — Questions that start with How (opens in a new tab)
One word, three jobs: asking a method, a condition, and an amount.
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Lesson 10 — Talking about your plans (opens in a new tab)
Saying what you have arranged, what you are only considering, and how to react to someone else's news.
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Lesson 11 — Asking what someone is doing right now (opens in a new tab)
The question form of the present continuous, and why it is not the same as the present simple.
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Lesson 12 — Arrangements you have already made (opens in a new tab)
Why English uses the present continuous for a settled plan, and how that differs from an intention.
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Lesson 13 — Saying what is happening around you (opens in a new tab)
Narrating the moment you are in, including the verbs English does not put in the continuous.
InterestsTalking about what you enjoy, and asking about theirs.2 lessons
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Lesson 14 — Asking about free time (opens in a new tab)
Present-simple questions about what someone enjoys, and answers that give the other person something to ask about.
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Lesson 15 — Joining your sentences together (opens in a new tab)
And, but, so and because — the four words that turn short answers into speech.
FeelingsSaying how you feel, and asking how someone else does.2 lessons
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Lesson 16 — Saying how you feel (opens in a new tab)
Short sentences for your own feelings, and the question that asks for someone else's.
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Lesson 17 — What you are interested in (opens in a new tab)
The preposition + -ing pattern, and why interested in to do is the commonest slip at this level.
What you can doExplaining what you are able to do and good at.1 lesson
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Lesson 18 — Saying what you can do (opens in a new tab)
Can for ability, its short answers, and how to accept a compliment about it.
PlansArrangements you have made and plans still taking shape.7 lessons
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Lesson 19 — Deciding as you speak (opens in a new tab)
Will for a decision made in the moment, an offer, and a prediction.
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Lesson 20 — What you are going to do (opens in a new tab)
Be going to for an intention you already hold, and how it differs from will.
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Lesson 21 — Saying you have decided (opens in a new tab)
Marking a decision as settled, and accepting or turning down an invitation on the strength of it.
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Lesson 22 — A plan still taking shape (opens in a new tab)
Be planning to, for something you are working towards but have not finalised.
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Lesson 23 — What you will be doing (opens in a new tab)
The future progressive, for an action already underway at a point in the future.
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Lesson 24 — Checking what you heard (opens in a new tab)
Would you say ~?, and the other ways to confirm something without calling it into question.
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Lesson 25 — At, on and in for time (opens in a new tab)
Three prepositions, one rule each, and the fixed phrases that ignore all three.
PredictionsWhat you expect to happen, and how sure you are.3 lessons
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Lesson 26 — Finished by a future point (opens in a new tab)
The future perfect, for something that will already be over by a time you name.
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Lesson 27 — It depends on (opens in a new tab)
Answering honestly when the answer is genuinely conditional.
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Lesson 28 — Saying what you expect to happen (opens in a new tab)
Predictions, and the words that show how sure you are.
Suggestions and adviceInviting, suggesting, and giving advice that lands.6 lessons
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Lesson 29 — Inviting someone along (opens in a new tab)
Let's and Shall we, and the difference between including someone and asking them.
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Lesson 30 — Suggesting what to do (opens in a new tab)
Why don't we and How about, and what follows each of them grammatically.
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Lesson 31 — Suggesting a way out of a problem (opens in a new tab)
You could, Have you tried, and the difference between a suggestion and an instruction.
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Lesson 32 — Saying what you want to do (opens in a new tab)
Want to, would like to, and feel like — how direct each one sounds.
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Lesson 33 — Giving someone advice (opens in a new tab)
Should and shouldn't, and how to give advice that will actually be heard.
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Lesson 34 — Asking someone who knows the place (opens in a new tab)
Getting a real recommendation out of a tourist desk, a hotel, or a local.
Saying noTurning something down while keeping the door open.2 lessons
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Lesson 35 — Saying what you have to do (opens in a new tab)
Have to and need to for obligation, and why don't have to does not mean mustn't.
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Lesson 36 — Turning something down kindly (opens in a new tab)
The three-part refusal: regret, reason, and something offered back.
Requests and permissionAsking for things and granting permission politely.7 lessons
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Lesson 37 — Asking if you may (opens in a new tab)
Can I, Could I and May I — the same request at three levels of formality.
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Lesson 38 — Asking for something plainly (opens in a new tab)
Where please goes, and why the imperative alone is not rude in the right situation.
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Lesson 39 — Explaining the rules (opens in a new tab)
Must, have to and should, and which of them belongs in a rule you are only relaying.
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Lesson 40 — Asking someone a favour (opens in a new tab)
Could you and Would you, softeners, and how to make refusing easy for them.
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Lesson 41 — Would you mind? (opens in a new tab)
The politest request form in everyday English, and why its answers run backwards.
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Lesson 42 — Saying how something is done (opens in a new tab)
Adverbs of manner, where they sit in a sentence, and the ones that are not formed with -ly.
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Lesson 43 — Asking more politely with a longer question (opens in a new tab)
Indirect questions, and the word order that trips almost everyone at this level.
Saying what you thinkReacting to events and saying what you make of them.3 lessons
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Lesson 44 — Saying what you wish for (opens in a new tab)
Hope, wish and want — three ways to express a desire, and which is possible.
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Lesson 45 — Reacting to news (opens in a new tab)
What to say in the two seconds after someone tells you something good or bad.
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Lesson 46 — Interested or interesting? (opens in a new tab)
The -ed and -ing adjective pair: one describes you, the other describes the thing.
Agreeing and disagreeingAgreeing, disagreeing, and comparing points of view.4 lessons
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Lesson 47 — Backing an idea, or not (opens in a new tab)
Encouraging someone to go ahead, and raising a doubt without shutting them down.
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Lesson 48 — The short words that carry feeling (opens in a new tab)
Interjections, and why leaving them out makes fluent English sound flat.
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Lesson 49 — Agreeing and disagreeing (opens in a new tab)
Saying yes and no to an opinion, including the partial agreement that does most of the work.
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Lesson 50 — Comparing what you prefer (opens in a new tab)
Prefer, would rather, and saying which of two things you like more.
Talking about the pastEvents, experiences, and other people's stories.11 lessons
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Lesson 51 — Saying where you were (opens in a new tab)
Was and were, the two past forms that carry half of everyday storytelling.
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Lesson 52 — Was it, or wasn't it? (opens in a new tab)
Questions and negatives with was and were, and the short answers that follow.
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Lesson 53 — What was happening at the time (opens in a new tab)
The past continuous, for the action already under way when something else happened.
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Lesson 54 — Verbs that do not follow the rule (opens in a new tab)
The irregular past forms you cannot avoid, grouped so they are learnable.
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Lesson 55 — Asking why, and answering it (opens in a new tab)
Why questions, and the three different ways English answers them.
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Lesson 56 — Have you ever? (opens in a new tab)
The present perfect for experience, and why the time is never stated.
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Lesson 57 — Already, just and not yet (opens in a new tab)
The present perfect for something finished whose result still matters now.
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Lesson 58 — How long you have been doing something (opens in a new tab)
The present perfect progressive, for something that started in the past and is still going.
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Lesson 59 — What you would have done (opens in a new tab)
Talking about a past that did not happen, and the regret or relief that goes with it.
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Lesson 60 — Passing on what someone said (opens in a new tab)
Reported speech, and the one step back every tense takes.
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Lesson 61 — Telling a short story (opens in a new tab)
Putting the past tenses together, with the words that hold a story in sequence.
Describing people and placesWhat people and things are like, and where places are.10 lessons
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Lesson 62 — On the other hand (opens in a new tab)
Although, however and whereas — three ways to hold two facts against each other.
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Lesson 63 — Both, either and neither (opens in a new tab)
Pairs of things, and the three ways English joins them.
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Lesson 64 — Saying what something is for (opens in a new tab)
For plus a noun, to plus a verb, and the mistake between them.
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Lesson 65 — Telling someone not to (opens in a new tab)
Where not goes in an infinitive, and how to warn without ordering.
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Lesson 66 — It's hard to say (opens in a new tab)
The It is + adjective + to pattern, and why English needs the empty it.
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Lesson 67 — It looks good, it sounds fine (opens in a new tab)
Sense verbs with an adjective, and why they take no -ly.
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Lesson 68 — Finding your way (opens in a new tab)
Asking for directions, and following them without losing the thread.
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Lesson 69 — It looks like, it tastes like (opens in a new tab)
Comparing with the senses, and the like that changes everything.
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Lesson 70 — The person who, the thing which (opens in a new tab)
Relative clauses, for saying which one you mean without starting a new sentence.
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Lesson 71 — The one whose (opens in a new tab)
Whose for possession inside a relative clause, for people and things alike.
Comparing and quantityHow things differ, and by how much.4 lessons
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Lesson 72 — Bigger, and more useful (opens in a new tab)
Comparatives: when to add -er, when to use more, and the handful that do neither.
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Lesson 73 — As good as (opens in a new tab)
Saying two things are equal, and saying they are not, without a comparative.
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Lesson 74 — How much, how many (opens in a new tab)
Quantity words, and the countable-uncountable split that decides all of them.
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Lesson 75 — All, most and almost (opens in a new tab)
Three words that look interchangeable and are not, plus the of that is often wrong.
Travel and the airportChecking in, connecting, flying, and clearing customs.6 lessons
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Lesson 76 — At the check-in desk (opens in a new tab)
Saying what you need to airport staff, and asking the questions that save trouble later.
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Lesson 77 — Checking a flight (opens in a new tab)
Times, delays and gates — asking about a schedule and understanding the answer.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 78 — Making a connection (opens in a new tab)
Finding a connecting flight, and saying you are short of time.
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Lesson 79 — On board (opens in a new tab)
Asking a flight attendant for what you need, in the register cabin crew expect.
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Lesson 80 — At customs (opens in a new tab)
Answering an official clearly, and why short true answers are the right ones.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 81 — At the baggage claim (opens in a new tab)
Reporting a bag that has not arrived, and giving the details that get it found.
Getting aroundTaxis, buses and trains, and what the journey costs.4 lessons
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Lesson 82 — Taking a taxi (opens in a new tab)
Giving a destination, asking the fare, and stopping where you actually want to stop.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 83 — Taking a bus (opens in a new tab)
Finding the right bus, paying, and knowing when to get off.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 84 — How far is it? (opens in a new tab)
Distance, duration and cost — the three questions before any journey.
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Lesson 85 — Finding the right train (opens in a new tab)
Platforms, changes and the questions that stop you boarding the wrong one.
At the hotelAsking for what you need, and reporting a problem.4 lessons
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Lesson 86 — Asking at the front desk (opens in a new tab)
Requests a hotel expects, and the phrasing that gets them done quickly.
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Lesson 87 — Asking whether you may (opens in a new tab)
Permission at a hotel: what is included, what costs extra, and what is not allowed.
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Lesson 88 — A problem with the room (opens in a new tab)
Reporting what is wrong, plainly and without apologising for it.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 89 — Checking out (opens in a new tab)
Settling the bill, querying a charge, and leaving your bags for the day.
At the restaurantOrdering, checking the menu, and paying.4 lessons
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Lesson 90 — Ordering a meal (opens in a new tab)
Ordering clearly, asking what something is, and saying what you cannot eat.
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Lesson 91 — Asking about the menu (opens in a new tab)
Getting a recommendation, checking portions, and asking how a dish is cooked.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 92 — During the meal (opens in a new tab)
Asking for what you need mid-meal, and saying something is wrong without a scene.
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Lesson 93 — Paying the bill (opens in a new tab)
Asking for the bill, splitting it, and offering to pay for someone.
ShoppingDealing with shop staff and checking the price.5 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 94 — Asking the price, and asking for less (opens in a new tab)
Prices, and the polite way to ask whether one can move.
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Lesson 95 — In a shop (opens in a new tab)
Browsing, asking for help, and the answer that keeps an assistant from hovering.
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Lesson 96 — Returns and exchanges (opens in a new tab)
Taking something back, and the two things a shop will ask for.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 97 — Helping a friend choose (opens in a new tab)
Giving an honest opinion in a shop without ending the friendship.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 98 — At the till (opens in a new tab)
Paying: the short exchange that ends every purchase, and the questions inside it.
When something goes wrongFalling ill, losing something, and asking for help.2 lessons
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Lesson 99 — At the doctor (opens in a new tab)
Describing a symptom, how long you have had it, and answering what you are asked.
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Lesson 100 — When you lose something (opens in a new tab)
Reporting a loss, describing what is gone, and asking what happens next.
Opening a conversationStarting naturally, with a feeling and a topic attached.7 lessons
- Free plan
Lesson 1 — Saying how it feels to be here (opens in a new tab)
Opening with a feeling rather than a fact, using It plus an adjective.
- Free plan
Lesson 2 — Handing over a small gift (opens in a new tab)
Giving something without ceremony, and receiving it without awkwardness.
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Lesson 3 — Asking for someone's time (opens in a new tab)
Can and could in a request, and which of the two the situation is asking for.
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Lesson 4 — Finding your way (opens in a new tab)
Asking for directions, and the one move that catches a mistake while you can still ask.
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Lesson 5 — Passing on what you heard (opens in a new tab)
Reporting what someone said or wrote, and reporting what they told you to do.
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Lesson 6 — Putting the important part first (opens in a new tab)
What I liked was... — holding the point back one beat so it lands harder.
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Lesson 7 — Talking about what you have heard (opens in a new tab)
Repeating something unconfirmed, and marking clearly how sure you are.
Asking with careSaying what you want and asking what you need to know.5 lessons
- Free plan
Lesson 8 — Asking for the detail you need (opens in a new tab)
WH-questions, and why a yes/no question leaves you no better off.
- Free plan
Lesson 9 — Reporting a problem in your flat (opens in a new tab)
Saying what is wrong without saying whose fault it is, and settling what happens next.
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Lesson 10 — Finding out what is on (opens in a new tab)
Asking what is happening locally, and the four follow-ups worth asking every time.
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Lesson 11 — Asking a favour warmly (opens in a new tab)
Putting the thanks before the request, so the ask arrives already softened.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 12 — Saying what you have to do (opens in a new tab)
Have to, need to, and supposed to — three ways to say an obligation, and who it comes from.
Routines and plansWhat you do and what you will do, in the order it happens.5 lessons
- Free plan
Lesson 13 — Talking through your week (opens in a new tab)
A routine told in order, with the words that carry a listener from one part to the next.
- Free plan
Lesson 14 — What is happening right now (opens in a new tab)
The present continuous for what is going on, and the verbs that refuse it.
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Lesson 15 — What you are going to do (opens in a new tab)
Will, going to, and the present continuous — three futures, and which one a sentence wants.
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Lesson 16 — What you have been doing (opens in a new tab)
The present perfect continuous, for a stretch that runs up to now and shows.
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Lesson 17 — Where things will stand (opens in a new tab)
Looking forward to a point in the future and saying how long something will have been going on.
Past experiencesExperiences and events, with the background and the point.8 lessons
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Lesson 18 — Saying what it was like (opens in a new tab)
Adjectives that carry an experience, and the ones worn out from overuse.
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Lesson 19 — What you were doing when (opens in a new tab)
The past continuous for the scene, and the past simple for what interrupts it.
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Lesson 20 — When and while (opens in a new tab)
Two words for two things happening together, and the one rule that separates them.
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Lesson 21 — How things used to be (opens in a new tab)
Used to for a past that has stopped, and the trap of used to doing.
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Lesson 22 — Someone, anyone, no one (opens in a new tab)
Talking about people, things and places without naming them.
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Lesson 23 — Joining two ideas (opens in a new tab)
Although, even though, because and since — contrast and reason in one sentence.
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Lesson 24 — Verbs that take to (opens in a new tab)
Decided to, managed to, offered to — the verbs a story leans on.
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Lesson 25 — Buying yourself a moment (opens in a new tab)
What to say while you think, so a pause sounds like thinking rather than stopping.
Describing what you sawA person, a thing or a scene, and how it struck you.12 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 26 — Turning adjectives into nouns (opens in a new tab)
The quiet, the size of it, its warmth — naming a quality instead of attaching it.
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Lesson 27 — Interested, or interesting (opens in a new tab)
The -ed ending is how you feel; the -ing ending is what caused it.
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Lesson 28 — Saying how much there was (opens in a new tab)
Quantities when you did not count, and the words that go with what you are counting.
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Lesson 29 — Describing a thing precisely (opens in a new tab)
Enough detail that someone could pick it out of a pile, and the order the adjectives go in.
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Lesson 30 — Describing someone you met (opens in a new tab)
Character rather than appearance, and how to say what someone was like without judging them.
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Lesson 31 — Saying it is a bit like something (opens in a new tab)
The endings -ish, -like and -esque, for when the exact word will not come.
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Lesson 32 — As if, as though (opens in a new tab)
Describing an impression by saying what it resembles, not what it is.
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Lesson 33 — As quiet as anything (opens in a new tab)
Comparing yourself to something, with as…as and like.
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Lesson 34 — Paying someone a compliment (opens in a new tab)
Praise that names what the person did, and how to take a compliment back.
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Lesson 35 — Quite, pretty, fairly (opens in a new tab)
The words that turn a flat adjective into a measured one.
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Lesson 36 — Around the house (opens in a new tab)
Naming what is in a room, and saying where it is in relation to everything else.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 37 — Showing someone a landmark (opens in a new tab)
Introducing a well-known place: what it is, why it matters, and what to look for.
Signs and noticesReading a sign and explaining what it is for.2 lessons
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Lesson 38 — Reading a sign aloud (opens in a new tab)
Reporting what a notice says, and what it means for the person listening.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 39 — Going through a job advert (opens in a new tab)
Reading a listing out loud: the hours, the pay, the duties, and what it leaves out.
Explaining a procedureIn order, and clear to someone hearing it for the first time.8 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 40 — Talking someone through a recipe (opens in a new tab)
Steps in order, with the timing words that stop a cook getting ahead.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 41 — Explaining how a machine works (opens in a new tab)
Buttons, settings and the order to press them, for someone standing in front of it.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 42 — Explaining a change of train (opens in a new tab)
A route with a connection in it, given so the traveller can follow it without a map.
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Lesson 43 — What the experience taught you (opens in a new tab)
Telling what happened and then what you took from it, without a moral.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 44 — Describing how symptoms developed (opens in a new tab)
Not just what hurts, but in what order it started and how it has changed.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 45 — Explaining a custom (opens in a new tab)
Describing how something is done where you are from, without ranking it.
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Lesson 46 — Where you want to get to (opens in a new tab)
A goal, the step you are on, and the next one — stated without overclaiming.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 47 — Running through the plan (opens in a new tab)
Briefing a group on what happens when, and who is doing what.
Checking what was meantWorking out what was meant and checking it back.3 lessons
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Lesson 48 — Making sure you have it right (opens in a new tab)
Checking a detail without making the other person repeat everything.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 49 — Asking for a bit more (opens in a new tab)
Getting a fuller answer from a teacher or a friend, without seeming to doubt them.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 50 — Saying it another way (opens in a new tab)
Putting someone's point back in your own words, to check it or to press it.
Advice, favours and suggestionsOffered with the other person's situation in mind.7 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 51 — Just in case (opens in a new tab)
In case is for preparing; if is for reacting. They are not the same advice.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 52 — What always happens (opens in a new tab)
If plus the present, for the things that are simply true every time.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 53 — Asking someone to do something (opens in a new tab)
Requests at three levels of distance, and how to read which one a situation wants.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 54 — Advice tied to a moment (opens in a new tab)
When, while and in — pinning a piece of advice to the point it applies.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 55 — Should, need to, must (opens in a new tab)
Three strengths of advice, and what each one says about who decides.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 56 — What you should have done (opens in a new tab)
Advice about the past, which always carries criticism — and how to soften it.
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Lesson 57 — Raising something awkward (opens in a new tab)
Criticism that names the behaviour, not the person, and asks rather than tells.
Certainty and toneHow sure you sound, and how strongly you put it.8 lessons
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Lesson 58 — I'm sure, and I'm not sure (opens in a new tab)
Two fixed frames that carry most of what you need to say about confidence.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 59 — Questions inside sentences (opens in a new tab)
Do you know where it is? — why the inner question loses its question shape.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 60 — Putting it strongly (opens in a new tab)
Stating an opinion firmly, and keeping the strength for when it counts.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 61 — It must be, it can't be (opens in a new tab)
Working something out from evidence, and saying how firm the conclusion is.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 62 — Agreeing, and meaning it (opens in a new tab)
Agreement at several strengths, and why adding a reason keeps it from sounding polite.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 63 — Disagreeing without a row (opens in a new tab)
Saying no to the idea while leaving the person's standing intact.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 64 — When you simply do not know (opens in a new tab)
Saying so without guessing, and without sounding unhelpful.
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Lesson 65 — Recommending that something be done (opens in a new tab)
Suggest, insist and recommend, with the bare verb that follows them.
Disagreeing and persuadingHearing them out, then disagreeing without hardening it.7 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 66 — No, or not (opens in a new tab)
No goes with a noun, not goes with a verb — and they do not weigh the same.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 67 — Bringing someone round (opens in a new tab)
Persuasion built on what the other person wants, not on what you want.
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Lesson 68 — Asking what they think (opens in a new tab)
Questions that get an opinion rather than a polite agreement.
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Lesson 69 — Getting a yes (opens in a new tab)
Checking for agreement as you go, so the yes at the end is not a surprise.
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Lesson 70 — Which would you rather? (opens in a new tab)
Asking someone to choose, and reading what the choice tells you.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 71 — Granting the point, then differing (opens in a new tab)
The concession that has to be real before the word but arrives.
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Lesson 72 — Choosing how far to concede (opens in a new tab)
A second concession frame, and choosing between them by how close you are.
What ifTalking through something that has not happened.3 lessons
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Lesson 73 — When the choice is hard (opens in a new tab)
Weighing two options aloud, and saying what would tip it.
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Lesson 74 — If it actually happens (opens in a new tab)
The first conditional, for things that may well happen and what you will do then.
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Lesson 75 — If things were different (opens in a new tab)
The second conditional, for what is not the case — and what you would do if it were.
Problems living abroadExplaining what went wrong and finding a way through.12 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 76 — Asking a stranger for a favour (opens in a new tab)
The most distant request there is, for when you are asking a stranger for a favour.
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Lesson 77 — Pointing at a better route (opens in a new tab)
Proposing a different way round without saying the first one was wrong.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 78 — Changing a shift (opens in a new tab)
Asking to swap or move a shift, with the cover already worked out.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 79 — Changing the terms (opens in a new tab)
Asking to alter something already agreed, and what makes that reasonable.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 80 — Moving a time or a date (opens in a new tab)
Offering alternatives rather than asking an open question.
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Lesson 81 — Asking for a change to an order (opens in a new tab)
Substitutions, omissions and allergies, said clearly enough to be acted on.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 82 — Taking the answer and moving (opens in a new tab)
Taking what you have just been told and building your next move on it.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 83 — Getting something repaired (opens in a new tab)
Reporting a fault, asking who pays, and pinning down when.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 84 — Changing or cancelling a plan (opens in a new tab)
Leaving a contract, pausing one, and the notice period nobody mentions.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 85 — Proposing a middle way (opens in a new tab)
Proposing a middle way, framed so it is easy to consider.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 86 — Knowing when to stop (opens in a new tab)
Accepting a limit you cannot move, and leaving the relationship intact.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 87 — Offering a second way round (opens in a new tab)
When the first compromise is refused, the shape of the second one.
Reasons and evidenceThe why behind what you think, with the evidence.8 lessons
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Lesson 88 — So, such, enough, very (opens in a new tab)
Four small words that grade a description, and the shapes they each take.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 89 — Explaining why not (opens in a new tab)
Giving the reason something did not happen, without it sounding like an excuse.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 90 — Confirming what was agreed (opens in a new tab)
Saying the arrangement back, so two people leave with the same plan.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 91 — Not only, but also (opens in a new tab)
Adding weight to an account by front-loading it, and the inversion that follows.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 92 — Conditions without if (opens in a new tab)
Had, should and were at the front of a clause, doing the job if usually does.
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Lesson 93 — What the rules allow (opens in a new tab)
Allow, permit, advise and discourage — reporting a rule and who made it.
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Lesson 94 — Why you applied (opens in a new tab)
A motivation built on evidence, not on adjectives about yourself.
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Lesson 95 — How it came about (opens in a new tab)
The background behind an event, told so a listener sees why it was likely.
In a discussionYour view with reasons, and room for a different one.5 lessons
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Lesson 96 — Putting an idea into the room (opens in a new tab)
Putting a suggestion into a discussion so it is considered rather than defended.
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Lesson 97 — The good and the bad (opens in a new tab)
Setting out both sides of a proposal, including the side you favour.
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Lesson 98 — Granting the fact, refusing the conclusion (opens in a new tab)
Separating a fact you accept from a conclusion you do not.
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Lesson 99 — Saying it while unsure (opens in a new tab)
Raising a difficult read on a situation while leaving room to be corrected.
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Lesson 100 — Where you stand, and why (opens in a new tab)
Stating your view with the reason attached, and owning it as yours.
Value and moneyWhat things are worth, and what we are sold.3 lessons
- Free plan
Lesson 1 — The power of advertisements (opens in a new tab)
Where persuasion ends and misleading begins, and who is supposed to notice.
- Free plan
Lesson 2 — Money choices (opens in a new tab)
Spending now against saving for later, and why the answer keeps moving.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 3 — The ideal lifespan (opens in a new tab)
How long is long enough, and whether the question is really about years.
Travel and transportPlaces to live and ways of getting about.3 lessons
- Free plan
Lesson 4 — City or countryside (opens in a new tab)
Two ways of living, and the stage of life that decides between them.
- Free plan
Lesson 5 — Ways of travelling (opens in a new tab)
Speed, cost and what the journey does to you.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 6 — Airport security (opens in a new tab)
What the queue is actually for, and how much inconvenience is worth it.
Manners and cultureHow behaviour differs, and why it grates.3 lessons
- Free plan
Lesson 7 — Conversation manners (opens in a new tab)
Interrupting, silence, and the rules nobody writes down.
- Free plan
Lesson 8 — Cultural understanding (opens in a new tab)
Why the same behaviour reads as polite in one place and cold in another.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 9 — Manners at home (opens in a new tab)
Explaining your own customs to somebody who has never met them.
Work and commutingHow work is arranged and what it costs to get there.3 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 10 — The commute (opens in a new tab)
The hours nobody counts as work, and what they cost.
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Lesson 11 — Remote work (opens in a new tab)
What working from home gave people, and what it quietly took.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 12 — Moving a city (opens in a new tab)
Who a street is for, and what happens when that changes.
Speaking upComplaining well, and where it stops being fair.2 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 13 — Complaints and harassment (opens in a new tab)
Where a fair complaint ends and something else begins.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 14 — Complaining around the world (opens in a new tab)
Why the same complaint gets a different reception in a different country.
Life and what you want from itDreams, family, free time and what keeps you going.5 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 15 — Future dreams (opens in a new tab)
What we say we want, and what the wanting is actually about.
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Lesson 16 — Family bonds (opens in a new tab)
Obligation, choice, and the relationships nobody picked.
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Lesson 17 — Free time (opens in a new tab)
Rest, hobbies, and why an empty evening is harder than it looks.
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Lesson 18 — Things to do before you die (opens in a new tab)
The list, what it says about us, and whether it helps.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 19 — Cheering yourself up (opens in a new tab)
What actually works when the day has gone badly.
Home and hometownWhat makes a house a home and a place your own.4 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 20 — The ideal home (opens in a new tab)
What people say they want in a house, and what they actually use.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 21 — Living small (opens in a new tab)
Less space by choice, and whether it is a virtue or a necessity dressed up.
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Lesson 22 — Hometown (opens in a new tab)
The place you are from, and what it keeps claiming from you.
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Lesson 23 — Cities worth living in (opens in a new tab)
What the rankings measure, and what living somewhere is actually like.
Fears and beliefsWhat frightens people, online and otherwise.6 lessons
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Lesson 24 — What frightens people (opens in a new tab)
Why the things we fear and the things that harm us are different lists.
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Lesson 25 — Horoscopes (opens in a new tab)
Why a description that fits everybody feels written for you.
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Lesson 26 — What you give away online (opens in a new tab)
How ordinary posts add up to something you never meant to publish.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 27 — Scams and how they work (opens in a new tab)
Why the successful ones target a state of mind rather than ignorance.
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Lesson 28 — Ghost stories (opens in a new tab)
What people report, what explains it, and why the stories persist anyway.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 29 — Superstitions (opens in a new tab)
The small rituals people keep, including the ones they say they do not believe in.
Chance and riskGambling, luck, and what people will risk.3 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 30 — Gambling (opens in a new tab)
A business built on a misunderstanding of chance.
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Lesson 31 — The lottery (opens in a new tab)
What a ticket actually buys, and what happens to the people who win.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 32 — Taking real risks (opens in a new tab)
Why some people seek out danger, and what they say they get from it.
Health and habitsSleep, temper, and staying well.3 lessons
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Lesson 33 — Staying healthy (opens in a new tab)
Why the advice is simple, unchanging, and so rarely followed.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 34 — Sleep (opens in a new tab)
The one habit everything else depends on, and the one most often sacrificed.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 35 — Anger (opens in a new tab)
What it is for, what venting actually does, and what helps instead.
Everyday choicesPets, packing, and the small preferences.3 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 36 — Pets (opens in a new tab)
Animals moved indoors, and what that changed for both sides.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 37 — What you carry (opens in a new tab)
The small inventory that says more about a life than a biography would.
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Lesson 38 — Mountains or the sea (opens in a new tab)
An old question about preference, and what the answer is really about.
Growing upChildhood then and now, and raising children.3 lessons
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Lesson 39 — Childhood, then and now (opens in a new tab)
What children have gained, what they have lost, and how to tell nostalgia from evidence.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 40 — Guiding children (opens in a new tab)
Discipline, freedom, and what actually gets learned.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 41 — Siblings, or not (opens in a new tab)
What growing up with other children does, and what the stereotypes get wrong.
Close to homeWhat is worth seeing where you already are.1 lesson
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Lesson 42 — Close to home (opens in a new tab)
The places nearby that residents never visit, and what recommending one requires.
Life on a screenAttention, phones, and keeping in touch.2 lessons
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Lesson 43 — Phones and attention (opens in a new tab)
Not a weakness of character, but a contest you were never meant to win.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 44 — Talking without meeting (opens in a new tab)
What a message carries, what it drops, and why so much goes wrong.
Leaving the familiarPreparing, going abroad, and unfamiliar food.3 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 45 — Being prepared (opens in a new tab)
Why people who know the risk still do nothing about it.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 46 — Studying abroad (opens in a new tab)
What actually changes, and why it is rarely the thing on the brochure.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 47 — Food from elsewhere (opens in a new tab)
What travels, what changes on the way, and who gets to call it authentic.
What comes nextWork, transport and age, as they are about to change.3 lessons
- Paid or Member
Lesson 48 — Machines and work (opens in a new tab)
Which parts of a job go first, and why that is not the same as the job going.
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Lesson 49 — Cars that drive themselves (opens in a new tab)
The hard part was never the driving. It is what we will accept.
- Paid or Member
Lesson 50 — An older society (opens in a new tab)
The change already decided, and the choices still open inside it.
More from the library
A few lessons from elsewhere, in case they are closer to what you need.
- Paid or MemberCategory: For business
Speaking up in a meeting (opens in a new tab)
Offering an opinion, disagreeing without friction, and asking for time — the language that makes you a participant rather than an observer.
- Free planCategory: For parents
Talking to your child's teacher (opens in a new tab)
The handful of phrases that carry most parent–teacher conversations, and what the school expects you to ask.
- Free planCategory: For students
Asking a question in class (opens in a new tab)
How to interrupt politely, ask for repetition, and check you have understood.