CAE Speaking Phrases

Likes/dislikes Opinion
I’m into… As far as I’m concerned,
I’m a keen/avid (surfer) As I see it,
I’m keen on/fond of (surfing) From my point of view,
I (go surfing) to unwind, to escape the In my humble opinion,
stresses and strains of my day to day life. I’d say that…
I like nothing more than (to go surfing) I believe...
I’m itching to try/go…. (I really want to) I reckon...
I suppose...
I imagine...
Comparing/contrasting Describing pictures
Both pictures show… The first thing that strikes me about this
In this picture they look as though they picture is…
are…. Whereas/while in this picture… The thing that really jumps out of this
In contrast picture is…
On the other hand In this picture it looks as if/though they
are…
They could/might/may be…
They could/might/may have just…
I’m pretty sure that they’re feeling…
I’d guess that they are…
Agreeing Disagreeing
We see eye to eye. We don’t see eye to eye.
Yeah, I’d go along with that. I take your point but…
Absolutely! I tend to disagree with you there.
You took the words right out of my That’s not always the case
mouth. I beg to differ
I couldn’t agree more. Isn’t it more a case of…
You have a point there.
I’m with you 100% on this one.
Starting to make a conclusion Asking for opinion
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. What’s your take on….?
The bottom line is we have to choose Where do you stand on….?
one… In my opinion…., would you go along
It’s a tough one, I’m torn between … and with that?
…. What are your thoughts on this?
Shall we go with ….?
Personalising Impressive structures
Speaking from personal experience,… Another point I’d like to add about …
For me personally,.. is…
This is a topic that is particularly close to It’s also worth bearing in mind that…
my heart… Coming back to what (Javi) was saying
It’s funny I was just thinking about this about …. I’d also like to point out that…
the other day. I think it’s important not to forget that…
My gut/initial reaction is… The vast majority of people tend to think
If I were to choose one of these situations that…
(part 2 pictures), I’d go with… because… At the end of the day…
When all’s said and done…
Tips Asking for repetition
Eye-contact I beg your pardon, I didn’t catch that.
Active listening Sorry would you mind repeating that?
Open body language Could you repeat the question please?
Speak up
Don’t dominate