English Practice

Conversation Questions: TRAVEL and HOLIDAYS

I put together these conversation questions 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 don’t know the vocabulary you need, look it up!

🔹 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!

Let’s Talk about TRAVEL AND HOLIDAYS

1. Why do people travel?
2. Which countries have you been to?
3. Which is the most interesting city you have ever been to?
4. What’s the best holiday you’ve ever had (home or abroad)?
5. Which places in your country would you recommend people visit and why?
6. Do you like to just relax on holiday or do you prefer to be quite active?
7. Do you buy postcards or souvenirs when you are on holiday?
8. Do you always try the local cuisine when you travel?
9. Which countries’ cultures do you find the most appealing and why?
10. Do you think it is important to learn some of the local language before you go?
11. What different kinds of holidays are there?
12. Should people spend more time visiting their own countries?
13. What are the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by plane?
14. When it is hot would you rather spend time by the sea or up in the mountains?
15. What’s the most interesting museum or art gallery that you’ve visited?
16. What’s the strangest museum you’ve ever visited?
17. What’s your favourite memory from a trip or holiday?
18. Where did you see the best scenery?
19. Where were people the most welcoming?
20. What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you while travelling?
21. What positive things does travel bring people?
22. How can we more mindful about the environment when we travel?
23. What advantages and disadvantages does tourism bring?
24. What’s the best book about travel that you have read?
25. If money were no object, where would you like to live for month?
26. Which country or city would you recommend to someone who loves
….architecture
….animals and nature
….dance
….the mountains
….sport and being outdoors
… art
….food
….culture in general

(Photo: Ultrash Ricco, Unsplash)

Pronunciation

Quick Pronunciation Exercise (18) – CATS

 

If you find English pronunciation difficult, I suggest learning the phonetic symbols and the sounds they represent. These quick exercises are designed to help you learn the symbols in a fairly short time. Remember that you just need to recognise them, you don’t need to write them.

Can you decipher these 10 cat-related words? Scroll down to the bottom for the answers.

Screen Shot 2018-02-20 at 19.16.39

Main Quick Pronunciation Exercises page with the full list of exercises and links to useful pronunciation pages.

SPEAKING SKILLS: CONVERSATION QUESTIONS

 

Click on a topic for a list of conversation questions you can use in class or a language exchange.

Social Media

Music

Books and Reading

Films and Cinema

Football / Soccer

The Weather

Food, Cooking and Eating Out

Animals and Nature

Answers

1. purr
2. paws
3. fur
4. whiskers
5. hiss
6. claws
7. scratch
8. tiger
9. cheetah
10. leopard

Grammar Exercises

Grammar Exercise: No, None, Any, Anything, Nothing

B1 / B2 Level

Complete the sentences with no, none, any, anything or nothing

  1. Go away. This has _______ to do with you.
  2. If there is _______ I can do to help, just let me know.
  3. By the time I got to the greengrocer’s there were _______ avocados left, _______ at all.
  4. You can take _______ bus. They all go to the city centre.
  5. I have _______ idea how to fix this. Do you?
  6. _______ chance you could take me to the airport tomorrow?
  7. _______ on the menu was vegetarian.
  8. I tried on all the dresses but _______ of them fit me.
  9. Would you like some help? I’m not doing _______.
  10. _______ of her friends have met her new boyfriend yet.



Testing your English with my short grammar and vocabulary exercises is a very quick and effective way to find out where you have gaps in your English skills.

Grammar Exercises

Phrasal Verb Exercises

Idioms Exercises

More Vocabulary Exercises

ANSWERS

1. nothing
2. anything
3. no, none
4. any
5. no
6. any
7. nothing
8. none
9. anything
10. none