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These EFL conversation questions are for both English teachers and students. They can be used in class, or with a study buddy, or with somebody you do a language exchange with.
Tips for learners
In those in-between times when you can’t find somebody to practise with I recommending trying to write down your answers, or even talking out loud to yourself!
Ensure you make notes of useful words and phrases that you either couldn’t remember or didn’t know when you were trying to explain something. This will really help you to move forward with your English.
I also highly recommend going through the questions a second or third time at a later date with somebody else, as a way of revision, and you are sure to notice that you are able to explain things faster and more effectively.
Where possible, expand on your answers, give more details.
If you’re asking the questions, remember to use follow-up questions too. If the conversation goes off on a tangent that’s totally fine – as long as you’re practising, you’re learning! 😊
Which social media platform is your favourite and why?
How long do you spend on social media every day? Do you think it’s a reasonable amount of time or too much time?
What can social media be used for?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of social media? Try to think of at least two for each.
Why can social media be addictive?
What is something you learnt this week, thanks to social media?
Are you a ‘lurker’ on social media? (someone who consumes content but rarely or never comments or posts content)
How would you define an influencer?
Have you ever done a social media detox? (stopped using social media for a week, a month, etc, in order to help your mental health, be more productive etc).
What tips would you give to someone who wanted to reduce their time on social media?
Do you use a social media account to promote yourself or a business? If so, what advice would you give to someone who wanted to grow their business using social media?
Have you made friends on social media that you have later met in person?
Whose social media accounts do you recommend and why?
(Photo by Alexander Shatov, Unsplash)
Has a famous person ever replied to one of your posts on social media, or followed you?
Do you ever use social media to practise English or another language? And how have you used it?
What are the dangers of social media for young people?
What changes would you make to social media?
Do you think people should be allowed to post or comment anonymously on social media?
When do you think someone should be banned from using a social media platform?
😻 Hey there! If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be SO grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners, or tell others to come and visit my website.
1. to be caught with your HAND in the cookie jar (to be caught stealing or doing something else dishonest) 2. to have egg on your FACE (look foolish because of something you did or said) 3. to wait on someone hand and FOOT (to tend to someone’s every need. Often used ironically) 4. to rack your BRAIN (to try very hard to remember something or to come up with an idea)
😻 Hey there! If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be SO grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners, or tell others to come and visit my website.
Despite my best efforts, I am struggling to get my English content and my website seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚🐝
1. to JUMP down someone’s throat = speak very angrily to someone 2. to RUN like clockwork = happen or function exactly as planned 3. to be RUN off your feet = to be extremely busy) 4. to RUN / JUMP a light = continue driving when there is a red traffic light) 5. to JUMP out of your skin (jump/move because something has suddenly really frightened you)
Did you know that sharks are older than trees! They have been on our planet for around 450 million years and have a)_______________ several mass extinctions.
Unlike most fish, sharks have a skeleton made of cartilage and not bone. Cartilage is lighter than bone and much more b)_______________, which allows sharks to be more efficient swimmers.
Whale sharks, which are the largest fish on earth, have huge mouths and about 300 c)_______________ of teeth, but these majestic creatures are docile and feed mostly on plankton.
Not all sharks are massive though. In fact they come in all sizes – the dwarf lanternshark is about the d)_______________ of a pencil!
Sharks have small tooth-shaped ‘scales’ on their skin known as dermal denticles. This is why their skin feels e)_______________ like sandpaper if you were to stroke them from tail to head. These ‘scales’ reduce friction allowing them to swim faster and in fact have inspired f) _______________ for Olympic swimsuits!
Sharks never run out of teeth. When they lose a tooth, it is replaced by a tooth from the row behind. They can go through thousands of teeth in a lifetime.
Sharks have a phenomenal sense of smell, one of the most powerful in the animal g) _______________. They can smell blood from hundreds of metres away.
They are also equipped with special sensory organs which allow them to detect electrical currents and vibrations in the water. This gives them several advantages as hunters. For instance, it can help them detect the heartbeat of h)__________________ hiding under sand.
Not only are sharks fascinating creatures, but they have been a vital part of i)_______________ ecosystems for millions of years. One very important role they play is keeping other animal populations in check (= preventing them from expanding too much). This helps to ensure j)_______________ oceanic life.
Sharks have a k)_______________ reputation thanks in part to movies such as “Jaws” but most shark species are harmless, to humans at least. You are far more likely to be killed by a lightning strike, a bee or even a cow!
Not so fun fact
Alarmingly, shark populations have plummeted by 70% in just the last fifty years, mostly as a result of overfishing, bycatch* and shark finning. 100 million sharks are killed every year.
*Bycatch: the marine creatures caught unintentionally in commercial fishing operations
B) FISH IDIOMS
1. Karla is very nervous about her first public concert. It’s one thing to sing in front of friends and family but singing in front of a big crowd is a different __________ (bucket, kettle, pan) of fish
2. People were packed like __________ (cod, sardines, tuna) in the train so we decided not to get on and to wait for the next train.
3. I wouldn’t talk to the boss today about organising the office party. He’s got __________ (bigger, busier, grander) fish to fry (= more important things to do)
4. Harold needed money fast so he went to a loan __________ (leech, shark, squid) and now he has to pay it all back in a week with 400% interest!
Answers
A) a) survived b) flexible c) rows d) length e) rough f) fabrics g) kingdom h) prey i) marine j) diverse k) fearsome
B) 1. kettle 2. sardines 3. bigger 4. shark
a different kettle of fish – a completely different situation
If people are packed (in) like sardines there are so many people in a space that it is difficult for them to move
If someone has bigger fish to fry, they have more important things to do
a loan shark is an illegal and sometimes dangerous lender
😻 Hey there! If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be SO grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners, or tell others to come and visit my website.
Despite my best efforts, I am struggling to get my English content and my website seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚🐝
Unscramble the words to find 5 words related to football or soccer. Go down to the bottom for the answers 😊👇🏼
🐝💚 If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be so grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners.
Despite my efforts, I am struggling to get my English content and my website seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚🐝
What is the missing word? The same word fits all 3 gaps. Scroll down for the answer 😊👇🏼
🐝💚 If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be so grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners.
Despite my efforts, I am struggling to get my English content and my website seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚🐝
Each giraffe has a unique a) ____________ of spots just like humans have distinct fingerprints.
The second part of their scientific name ‘giraffa camelopardalis’ originated from their b) ____________ to a camel crossed with a leopard.
Just the neck of a giraffe is taller than most humans at about 2m. In order for the blood to be pumped all the way up to the c) ____________ , the giraffe has very high blood pressure, double that of humans.
Giraffes can comfortably walk at 15km/h and when they run they can reach speeds of up to 55km/h.
Giraffes have a rather curious way of walking: both legs on one side of the body move forward together and then the legs on the other side. This is a d) ____________ shared by cats and camels.
Since they are such large animals giraffes need a lot of fuel so they spend most of the day eating. They eat around 30kg of food a day – acacia leaves, e) ____________, fruits and flowers.
Like cows they are ruminants – their stomach has four compartments. They chew their food, f) ____________ it and then they regurgitate it (= bring the food back up into the mouth) to chew it again.
Giraffes produce a sticky g) ____________ which helps protect them from any thorns they might swallow when eating.
Despite their size, giraffes only need to drink water every few days which is fortunate as drinking from a watering hole is quite tricky because they have to h) ____________ out their front legs so that they can reach down to the water. Giraffes are also able to get water from the vegetation they eat.
Not only do giraffes have extremely long necks and legs but they also have a seriously long tongue – around 50cm. Their tongue is prehensile which means it is able to dexterously i) ____________ leaves and buds and pull them off.
Giraffes get by on very little sleep, just a couple of hours a day. They tend to sleep standing up as lying down makes them very vulnerable to j) ____________. They take short naps, sometimes lasting only 5 minutes!
Giraffes have a gestation period of about 15 months and they give birth standing up. The k) ____________ are already around 1.8m tall and are able to stand within an hour of being born!
Not known for being aggressive creatures they can defend themselves, however, with an extremely powerful kick which can be l) ____________.
B) Idioms with NECK
Underline the correct word to complete the expression.
Sorry, I can’t meet you for a coffee, I’m down / up to my neck in housework as we have guests coming to stay tonight.
I need to buy a better pillow. It’s too high and I have a crack / crick in my neck every morning.
Can you pick your toys up off the floor please! I’m going to break / stick my neck one of these days.
I’m going to be in your neck of thehoods / woods this weekend. Do you fancy meeting up for lunch?
I’m not going to the party if Jeff is going to be there. That guy is a pain / sore in the neck.
Answers
A) a) pattern b) resemblance c) brain d) trait e) twigs f) swallow g) saliva h) spread i) grasp j) predators k) calves l) lethal
B) 1) up to my neck (with a huge amount) 2) a crick in my neck (a stiff or painful neck) 3) break my neck (=hurt myself badly) 4) in your neck of the woods (in your area, where you live/work) 5) a pain in the neck (= really annoying)
What is the missing word? The same word fits all 3 gaps. Scroll down for the answer 😊👇🏼
🐝💚 If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be so grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners.
Despite my efforts, I am struggling to get my English content and my website seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚🐝
Bees are fascinating creatures and hugely important pollinators. Next time you nibble on an almond or bite into an apple, you might want to say a quiet thank you to these industrious little marvels of nature. Bees are one of nature’s finest examples of teamwork.
There are around 20,000 a) ____________ of bee in the world but only eight are honey bees.
The queen bee’s sole job is to b) ____________ and c) ____________ eggs. She can produce as many as 1,500 to 2,000 eggs a day.
The worker bees are female and make up most of the colony. They have many d) ____________, such as keeping the hive clean, feeding the young and the queen, e) ____________ pollen and nectar from flowering plants, and they help to make honey.
Worker bees have another duty: to guard the hive or colony from f) ____________ like wasps, bears or g) ____________. They position themselves at the entrance, a bit like bouncers!
The drones are the male bees – their life is a little more leisurely – they have one h) ____________ role and that is to breed with a queen.
Only the female bees, the workers and the queen, are armed with a stinger.
When the hive gets too hot, the worker bees bring water and they’ll use their wings as i) ____________ to cool things down.
Once a bee has finished foraging (=collecting food) it takes a direct route back to the colony, hence the expression ‘to make a beeline’.
In her lifetime a honey bee will only make about a twelfth of a j) ____________ of honey.
It’s k) ____________ that just to make half a kilo of honey, bees have to visit around two million flowers, totalling about 90,000 air miles!
Now, go look online and find another interesting piece of trivia about bees and share it with your fellow students or a friend or study buddy (or you can tell me on my EnglishSmarts Twitter).
Oh no! These idioms have got mixed up! Can you BEE a dear 😜, and put the words in italics in the right place?
1. As soon as we asked for volunteers to help clean up after the party, everyone made a buzz for the door.
2. Alice has a bee in her beeline about cars driving too fast down her street. She keeps phoning the council about it but she says they haven’t done a thing about it.
3. That guy at the bar was really annoying me. I told him to beeswax off.
4. “Sam says you kissed someone at the party. Who was it? Come on, tell me!” – “No, it’s none of your bonnet.”
Photo by Andy Holmes at Unsplash.com
ANSWERS
A)
a) species b) mate c) lay d) duties e) gathering f) intruders g) raccoons h) key i) fans j) teaspoon k) estimated
B)
1. As soon as we asked for volunteers to help clean up after the party, everyone made a beeline (=went directly) for the door.
2. Alice has a bee in her bonnet (= she’s obsessed) about cars driving too fast down her street. She keeps phoning the council about it but she says they haven’t done a thing about it.
3. That guy at the bar was really annoying me. I told him to buzz off (= go away (impolite))
4. “Sam says you kissed someone at the party. Who was it? Come on, tell me!” – “No, it’s none of your beeswax.” (= it’s none of your business, it’s not your concern (impolite))
💚💜💛 If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be so grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners.
Despite my efforts, I am struggling to get my English content seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other students or teachers can find my free resources.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💚💜💛
💜💛 If you enjoy my vocabulary quizzes I would be so grateful if you could share them on social media and with other English learners.
Despite my efforts, I am struggling to get my English content seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other learners can find my free resources for learning English.
Moreover, it helps keep me motivated to creating more resources for you! Sharing is caring! 💜💛
💜💛 If you enjoy my quizzes I would really appreciate you sharing them on social media and with other English-learning students. Despite my efforts I am struggling to get my English content seen these days with all the competition out there. By sharing them other learners can find my content. It also helps keep me motivated to creating more content for you! Sharing is caring! 💜💛
Complete the second sentence so that the meaning is very similar to the first, using the key word in bold. Use between two and five words, including the key word. Contractions (I’m, can’t, etc, count as two words)
1. I’m not in the mood to cook tonight. FEEL
I ______________________________ tonight.
2. They say the hotel is haunted. BELIEVED
The hotel ______________________________ haunted.
3. “Where are you going?” he asked her. ASKED
He ______________________________ going.
4. Naomi has a good relationship with her in-laws. ALONG
Naomi ______________________________ her in-laws.
5. Lexie started learning Portuguese six months ago. FOR
Lexie ______________________________ six months.
6. Can you fetch the children from school today? PICK
Can you ___________________________ the children from school today?
7. We moved to Valencia a year ago today. TIME
We moved to Valencia ______________________________ year.
8. A nurse won the lottery. WHO
It ______________________________ won the lottery.
.
.
.
.
.
Answers
1. I’m not in the mood to cook tonight. FEEL
I don’t feel like cooking tonight.
2. They say the hotel is haunted. BELIEVED
The hotel is believed to be haunted.
3. “Where are you going?” he asked her. ASKED
He asked her where she was going.
4. Naomi has a good relationship with her in-laws. ALONG
Naomi gets along (well) with her in-laws.
5. Lexie started learning Portuguese six months ago. FOR
Lexie has been learning Portuguese for six months.
6. Can you fetch the children from school today? PICK
There are lots more free resources here on my website for learning or teaching English, so please have a look around! My content is aimed at a B1 / B2 level of English.
Complete the second sentence so that the meaning is very similar to the first, using the key word in bold. Use between two and five words, including the key word. Contractions (I’m, can’t, etc, count as two words)
1. I can’t wait to go back to Costa Rica. FORWARD
I’m ______________________________ to Costa Rica.
2. It was the funniest thing I’d ever seen. SUCH
I’d ______________________________ thing.
3. George doesn’t like rugby. KEEN
George ______________________________ rugby.
4. Perhaps Sara already went home. MIGHT
Sara ______________________________ home.
5. It’s warmer in Rome than in Paris. AS
Paris ______________________________ Rome.
6. I think you should tell Isabel. WERE
If ______________________________ tell Isabel.
7. I’m going to remove my makeup. TAKE
I’m ______________________________ my makeup.
8. Can you do the dishes for me? MIND
Do ______________________________ the dishes for me?
There are lots more free resources here on my website for learning or teaching English, so please have a look around! My content is aimed at a B1 / B2 level of English.
Fill in the gaps. All the words begin with the letters MA– and an extra letter has also been given.
1. Jack lives in Los Angeles ma_ _ _ y. (= mostly)
2. Cats and humans are ma_ _ _ l _, whereas snakes and crocodiles are reptiles.
3. Wearing a seatbelt is ma_ d _ _ _ _ _. It’s the law.
4. Thank you so much for all your help. I don’t know how I would have ma_ _ g _ _ without you.
5. It’s ma_ _ _ l _ _ _ _ what technology can do these days. (=amazing)
B.Idioms: Parts of the body
Choose the correct word to complete the idiom.
1. When you do an online class, make sure you have everything you need at _____ (= nearby) so you don’t have to get up. (chest, finger, hand)
2. I’m sorry I bit your _____ off earlier. I was a bit stressed about my job interview. (hand, head, heart)
3. Julian decided to set up his own business because he was tired of working his _____ to the bone for someone else for so little pay. (fingers, shoulders, teeth)
4. We caught the train by the _____ of our teeth. If we’d arrived a minute later we would have missed it. (hair, gum, skin)
C. Practical English
Choose the right response.
1. “I can’t make the party on Friday night. I have to work the whole weekend.” – “__________”
a) Oh, poor you!
b) Oh, what pity!
2. “Somebody’s just rung the doorbell. Can you answer it?” – “__________”
a) Yes, I go.
b) Yes, I’ll go.
3. “There you go. I’ve fixed your computer.” – “__________”
It can really help your pronunciation if you know the phonetic symbols and the sounds they represent. You don’t need to worry about learning to write them just to recognise them. Do my quickie Improve Your Accent exercises and you’ll pick them up in no time, plus you’ll improve your pronunciation and your listening skills too.
