Oral Examination Skills - Group Interaction

Group Interaction 1

How To Get Started 2

Opinion + Give Reason(s) 4

Opinion + Give Example(s) 6

Agreeing 7

Disagreeing 8

Giving Suggestions 9

Ask For Clarification/Repetition 10

Responding 12

Other Useful Skills 14

Glossary 1 – Question Types 17

Situation 1: Identifying a problem and providing solutions: 17
Situation 2: Organizing an activity 19
Situation 3 : Making and explaining a choice 21

Glossary 2 – Vocabulary and expressions 23

Time and Deadline (When?) 23
Location (Where?) 24
Activities and People 24
Benefits and Difficulties 25
Positive and negative adjectives to describe things / people / activity 26
English Vocabulary Card 29

August, 2017
 Group Interaction

1. Part A of the oral examination is called Group Interaction. At the beginning of the Group Interaction, you will
be given an instruction form like the one below. Sometimes, it may contain pictures, posters, or comics. There
are two things on the form. First, there is the situation which gives you some brief background information about
the discussion topic you need to talk about. Second, there is a short list of sub-topics to help you think of things
to say.

English Oral Examination

Part A
Situation Your principal is thinking about opening an Internet snack bar in the school. Your
group has been asked to discuss this.

Sub-topics You may want to talk about: - opening time

- who should be allowed to use it
- what food and drink should be sold
- what equipment will be needed

2. If you want to think of good ideas and points, you need to understand the situation and the topic. The topic types
fall into five main categories.

Topic type Example situation and topic

Discussing a social issue
Discussing a problem
Making suggestions
Planning or organizing an event
Comparing and contrasting two or three ideas Your school is planning to have a study tour in the
Your teacher has asked your group to discuss the
good and bad things about public transport in Hong
Kong. You are discussing the issue.
Your principal is concerned that many students at
your school are not eating healthily. Your group has
been asked to discuss the problem.
A company is planning to open a restaurant near your
school. The company has asked your group to suggest
ways to make it appealing to students.
Your school is planning a mini-Olympics and your
group has been asked to help plan the event.
following three places. Your group is asked to decide
which tour to join…

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 HOW TO GET STARTED

3. As soon as your five minutes of preparation time is up, you will be given six minutes for the discussion. Exam-
iner 2 will say, “You have six minutes for the discussion. You can start now”. This is the sign for someone in the
group to begin the discussion. When you begin the discussion, it is a good idea to follow these four steps.

Step What you should say

Get started
Introduce the topic
Introduce the first point
Invite someone else to contribute
a. Shall we start the discussion?
b. Let’s start, shall we?
c. Let’s begin.
a. Today we are going to discuss …
b. We need to discuss / plan / make suggestions about …
a. The first sub-topic we have to discuss is …
b. The first sub-topic is …
a. What does everybody think?
b. Does anybody have any ideas?

4. Read the following discussion topics and write out suitable introductions. When you have finished, practise them
with a partner.

Your group is doing a social studies project on elderly people in Hong Kong. You are discussing
points to include in the project.

You may want to talk about: - the role of the elderly in society.

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In many Hong Kong families, both parents go out to work and have little time for housework.
Your group is discussing how to solve this problem.

You may want to talk about: - the advantages of employment a domestic helper.

A new convenience store is opening near your school. The manager has asked your group to make
suggestions about the store.

You may want to talk about: - what kind of food students like to buy.

Your school is going to have a Teachers’ Day next month. Your principal has asked your group to
organize the event.

You may want to talk about: where you will hold the event.

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 OPINION + GIVE REASON(S)

5. Expressing your ideas and opinions is what good communication is all about. In the Group Interaction, you must
be prepared to express your ideas and opinions, and give reasons for them.
For example:

Who can use it? When should it be open? What food should it sell?
In my opinion, only Form 6 and I think it should be open after In my opinion, it should sell only
7 students should be able to use school. sushi and health drinks.
it.

What colour should we paint How many computers should What type of TV should we get?
the walls? we get?
I feel the walls should be black. I think we should get just one I really think we should get a
computer. small black and white TV.

6. When you express your opinions, you should provide reasons for them. This helps others understand not only
what you think but also why you think it.

7. Read the following opinions. Think of reasons to support these opinions. Write them in the spaces provided.

Opinion Reason
Soft drinks are bad for your health.

Hong Kong is a really unhealthy place to

live

In my opinion, many students in Hong Kong

do not get enough sleep.

Chinese New Year is not a good time to go

on holiday.

I think fish are the best kind of pet.

I feel that smoking in restaurants should be

banned

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8. Phrases for introducing reasons:

Clause Connectors Clause

because
since
I like swimming it is healthy
as
for

Clause Connector Noun Phrase

I like taking bus because of the low price

Phrase Connectors Phrase

(be) due to
The hot weather the deforestation.
(be) result from

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 OPINION + GIVE EXAMPLE(S)

9. Another way to support and strengthen your ideas and opinions is by giving examples. If you can give relevant
supporting examples, you can make your ideas and opinions easier to understand, which will help the discussion
go smoothly.

Opinion Supporting examples

Japanese food is very healthy. For example, it contains very low fat.

Fast food is very unhealthy. For instance, a small portion of French fries contains
10g of fat.
Many activities can be done at the campsite such as fishing and cycling.

Hong Kong has many famous tourist spots like The Peak and Ocean Park.

10. Read the opinions below. Brainstorm for example to support each opinion. Use different expressions to
introduce your examples.

Opinion Supporting examples

Many students in Hong Kong have part-time
jobs.
Hong Kong has many cheap forms of
transport.
Smoking is bad for your health.

You can improve your English in many

different ways.
The colour red is used for many things in
Chinese culture.

11. When someone says something in the group discussion, you need to listen carefully and think quickly about
whether you agree or disagree. Then you need to respond appropriately by adding something relevant to
the discussion. This could be a supporting reason (and example) or new point. This is called “interaction”.
Interaction can benefit all the members of the group because it allows everyone to think of more things to say.

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 AGREEING

12. It is more natural to use different expressions when agreeing with others. Candidate should not just say “I
agree” all the time. We can use any of the following.

Of course.
That’s right.
I think we should study hard so that we can pass our exams.
Yes, you’re right.
Certainly.

13. Expressions for agreeing with others

I agree with you.

I take your point. True.
That’s great / wonderful / excellent! True enough.
Yes. (We are on the same line)

It should be noted that whether you agree or disagree is also your opinion. Thus, you should follow
the rule “Opinion + reason(s)”. In other words, you should add reasons when you agree with oth-
ers’ view. If your reason has already been taught by other candidates, you may act like that:

A: I like rearing cockroaches because they are lovely and active.

You: Yes, I also like rearing cockroaches. They are lovely. How about you?

14. Read the opinions below, using the expressions above, write a sentence agreeing with each opinion and give a
reason explaining why you agree.

(a) I think teenagers in Hong Kong should learn about the dangers of taking drugs.
__________________________________________________________________________________
(b) I feel beaches in Hong Kong are very polluted.
__________________________________________________________________________________
(c) In my opinion, October is the best month to visit Hong Kong.
__________________________________________________________________________________
(d) I think many teenagers are becoming unhealthy.
__________________________________________________________________________________
(e) I believe Lamma is a great place to go for a picnic.
__________________________________________________________________________________

15. We often disagree with other people if we have a different idea or opinion. We should not be scared to disagree
with others as long as we do so politely and give a reason why. Disagreeing with others does not stop the
discussion. It gives us more things to talk about and can help us think of other useful points and things to
include in the discussion.

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 DISAGREEING

16. It is more natural to use different expressions when disagreeing and not just say “I disagree” all the time. We
can use any of the following.

I disagree.
I don’t agree.
I’m sorry
I don’t agree with you. Reason(s) / new opinion / explanation / etc
I’m afraid
I don’t know about that.
I’m not so sure about that.

Other expressions for disagreeing:

I’m afraid it’s not the picture.

Sorry! It’s not true.
I can’t go along with you here.
It’s absolutely wrong.
I’m not happy with it.

17. Read the opinions below. Using the expressions above, write a sentence disagreeing with each opinion. Give a
reason explaining why you disagree.

(a) People who always do their homework must have very boring lives.
__________________________________________________________________________________
(b) Learning English is a waste of time because you don’t need it to get a good job.
__________________________________________________________________________________
(c) Hong Kong is not really as polluted as people say.
__________________________________________________________________________________
(d) Most teenagers in Hong Kong are selfish and they never help anyone else.
__________________________________________________________________________________
(e) There’s nothing to do in Hong Kong but go shopping.
__________________________________________________________________________________

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 GIVING SUGGESTIONS

18. We can use different expressions to give suggestions. We can use any of the following. As with opinions, it is
often appropriate to support our suggestions with reasons or examples, or both.

Why don’t we …?
Let’s …
Perhaps we should …
Does anyone have any ideas on where to hold the concert?
I suggest …
How / What about …
We could …

19. Read the students’ requests for suggestions and ideas below. Make appropriate suggestions.
Use different expressions for giving suggestions each time.

(a) We’re having some friends over at the weekend to watch DVDs. Do you have any suggestions about what
films we could watch?
___________________________________________________________________________________
(b) It’s our teacher’s last day tomorrow. Does anyone have any suggestions for what present we could buy him?
___________________________________________________________________________________
(c) We have to decide where to hold the school disco. Does anyone have any good suggestions?
___________________________________________________________________________________
(d) We have to meet the foreign students at the airport. Can anyone suggest the fastest way to go there?
___________________________________________________________________________________
(e) So, how can we attract more tourists to Hong Kong? Does anybody have any ideas?
___________________________________________________________________________________

To make suggestions, we can also use the structure “Conditional sentence Type II”.
I suggest you have dinner in McDonald.
If I were you, I would have dinner in McDonald.

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 ASK FOR CLARIFICATION / REPETITION

20. We don’t always understand each other’s point of view. We may not understand a key word or perhaps we
don’t understand their point. It is natural to ask for clarification at that time. Don’t be afraid to do this. You
will not be marked down by the examiners.

When we ask for clarification, we can use any of the following expressions.

but I don’t understand what you mean.

I don’t understand.
Sorry,
can you explain what you mean?
what do you mean by …?

Advanced statements

Praise Ask for clarification

Your idea / view is very good. Can you explain more on it?
It sounds good Can you give me the whole picture on it?

Sometimes, we simply just can’t hear what a person says. When this happens, we can use any of the following
expressions.

could you repeat that please? I don’t hear you properly.

Sorry, can you repeat that?
but I didn’t catch that. Could you say that again?

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21. Read the dialogue below. Then complete the dialogue using the hints in the brackets. Use different expressions
for asking for clarification and repetition each time.

A : I suggest we go to the new Thai restaurant.

B : ______________________________________________________________________________________
(ask for repetition – could not hear student A)
A : I said let’s go to the new Thai restaurant.
B : Oh, I don’t really like Thai food.
A. Well, what about the Italian restaurant at Pacific Place then?
B : No, it’s too trendy.
A : ______________________________________________________________________________________
(ask for clarification – don’t understand the word “trendy”)
B : Well, I mean it’s not a traditional Italian restaurant and I like traditional Italian restaurants.
A : Oh, I see what you mean. Well, do you fancy French food?
B : Ummm, yes and no.
A : ______________________________________________________________________________________
(ask for clarification – don’t understand Student B’s statement)
B : Let me explain what I mean. I like French food but I’m on a diet and I’d like something less fattening.
A : Oh, I see.

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 RESPONDING

22. When we are asked to clarify something, we should try to explain or rephrase a word or a point in a different
way.

What I mean is …
Sorry,
I’m trying to say …
Well,
Let me explain what I mean …

23. Read the dialogue below. Then complete the dialogue using the hints in the brackets. Use different expressions
for giving clarification each time.

A : I think our class should organize a “green” cooking competition.

B : I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what you mean by a “green cooking competition”.

A : ___________________________________________________________________________________
(Competition using only fresh and natural food)

B : I see. Yes, that sounds like a good idea for the school fair.

A : You didn’t think we should use GM food.

B : Sorry, what do you mean by “GM food”?

A : ___________________________________________________________________________________
(Genetically modified food is food changed by man through science)

B : Ok. So, what about cooking pies, cakes and things like that?

A : That’s Ok as long as the ingredients are natural and fresh.

B : Sorry, I didn’t catch that.

A : ___________________________________________________________________________________
(repeat suggestion)

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24. Sometimes, you may need to encourage other members to contribute their ideas and suggestions to the
discussion. You can involve others in discussion in different ways.

We can also encourage others to contribute to the discussion by asking them to respond to what you or another
group member has just said. You can use any of the following expressions.

Do you think that’s a good suggestion?

What do you think of that?
We could go to McDonald’s for the class lunch.
Do you agree?
How / What about that idea?

You can encourage group members to contribute further by asking them for additional or alternative ideas and
suggestions. You can use any of the following expressions.

Does anyone have other ideas?

I suggest we go by minibus because it’s cheap. Are there any other suggestions?
Can we think of anything else?

If some of the students in your group are very quiet, you can try to involve them in the discussion by asking
them what they think.

For example,
(a) We could have a Chinese banquet, what do you think, Mr. Wu?

(b) Mr. Chan (Candidate B), Mr. Wong’s suggestion seems attractive. What is your comment?

(c) _______________________________________________________________________________

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 OTHER USEFUL SKILLS

25. When we are discussing something, it is easy for the discussion to get off track. That is, for people to start
talking about irrelevant things.

When the discussion has gone off track, you can use any of the following expressions to get the discussion back
on track.

but let’s not get off the topic …

I think we’ve wandered off the topic …
I’m sorry,
let’s return to the topic …
Excuse me,
but that point isn’t related to the topic …
but we should be talking about …

Another common problem is for the discussion to become stuck on a single point or sub-topic. On these
occasions, when nothing new is really being discussed, you can use any of the following expressions to move
the discussion on.

I think we should move on to the next point / sub-topic.

Well, I think we’ve covered that point / sub-topic. The next point / sub-topic is…
I don’t think there is anything more on that point / sub-topic, let’s move on.

26. Read the following discussion topics and dialogues. Underline the point at which the discussions go whether off
track or get stuck. Write down what you could say to get the discussion back on track in the spaces provided.
Use different expressions for getting back on track and moving the discussion on each time.

Your teacher has asked your group to discuss the following topic: “TV is not good for younger
teenagers”.

You may want to talk about: - types of films that might not be good for younger teenagers to watch
- types of advertisements which may influence younger teenagers

A : I believe it’s unhealthy for teenagers to watch films that are violent because it may turn them into violent
adults later in life.

B : I agree. My younger brother always gets excited when he watches war films. He always tries to fight with me
after them.

D : That’s a good point. Many violent criminals watched violent films when they were younger.

A : Some American serials can be violent – even programmes like ER and Dark Angel.
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B : ________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Do you think that overseas domestic helpers enjoy their lives in Hong Kong? The members of your
group are discussing this.

You may want to talk about: - the difficulties they face

- why they come to Hong Kong

A : I don’t think domestic helpers face many difficulties. Life is easy for them.

B : I’m sorry, but I don’t agree with you. In the newspapers, I often read about maids who have been mistreated
and beaten by their employers.

C : Some employers are really rich and they have many domestic helpers.

A : ________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Your group has been asked to organize a pop concert to raise money for a local charity. Discuss
what you will do.

You may want to talk about : - where to hold the concert

- who to invite

A : Well, I’m not sure if the school hall is large enough for a pop concert. What about the Hong Kong Stadium?
It’s really spacious.

B : You’re right. It’s quite a big stadium.

C : Yes, I agree. It’s really large, isn‘t it?

D : Yes, I agree. It looks really large too. It’s like a giant cave.

A : Umm, it’s big enough for everyone.

A : ________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________
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27. Sometimes, you may find some candidates who do not give any response. To cope with this, you act like this:

When asking for their opinion …

You : What’s your opinion?

A: …
You: Where should we go?
A: …
You: Do you think Tokyo is a good place to go?
A: …
You: Alright, how about you, Candidate C? (Examiner discovered you make all efforts to help A so you may not
lose any marks.)

When asking him / her whether he / she agrees or not …

You : Do you have any comment?
A: …
You: If you don’t give any response / say anything, I suppose you agree with me.
A: (smile) (It’s a joke. But usually, A will say “Yes”.)

28. It is natural in discussions to summarize what has been talked about. Summarizing helps to remind everyone
what points have been covered, and what has been agreed and decided on. This is particularly important for
the group discussion because you are not allowed to take notes. We can sum up at the end of the discussion or
we can sum up at the end of each sub-topic, as a way of moving the discussion on to the next point or sub-topic.

We can use any of the following expressions when summing up as we move along in a discussion. When you
have one minute left of the Group Interaction, the examiner will display a sign with one minute written on it.
This is a good opportunity to start concluding your discussion and to sum up. We can use any of the following
expressions when summing up at the end of the discussion.

Right, so far, To sum up,

We have decided to / spoken about / mentioned / agreed on …
To summarize

When the time is running short, you can say:

The time is running short. Let’s discuss it later.
Oh, no. The bell is about to ring. Let’s talk about it later.
It’s lunch time. Talk about it at lunch, Okay?

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Glossary 1 – Question Types

In your HKCEE oral examination, there are different questions types. Generally you need to learn how to
• identity problems and solutions,
• choose between different options,
• organize an activity, a project or a campaign
• discuss the pros and cons of a proposal,
• plan both sides of a debate,
• plan a survey,
• argue for or against a position,
• make and explaining a choice
• handle a crisis,
• plan the content of a school magazine
• analyze situations and make recommendations

Situation 1: Identifying a problem and providing solutions:

Individual presentation:
(a) Does noise pollution bother you? Explain.
(b) What kind of noise bothers you the most?
(c) What is the most effective way to reduce noise pollution – education or laws?
(d) Do you ever worry about making too much noise?
(e) Should people be allowed to talk quietly in libraries?

Group Discussion:
As part of an environmental project, your Geography teacher has asked your group to suggest ways to reduce noise
pollution in Hong Kong. You may want to talk about:
• The causes of noise pollution
• Sources of noise that cannot be avoided
• Ways to reduce noise pollution
• How to educate people to make less noise pollution
• Anything else you think is important.

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 Sample Dialogue
Student A: Good morning everyone, our teacher has asked us to embark on an
environmental project to think of ways to reduce noise pollution in Hong
Kong. We need to first define the causes for noise pollution followed by ways
to reduce noise pollution.
Student B: That’s a good idea indeed. Human noise includes loud music, karaoke,
television and loud voices in restaurants. They are damaging to our ears.
Can you think of any other noise?
Student C: Apart from man made noise, we witness other types of noise. Vehicles
produce lots of disturbance to us because of their constant honking. Those
cars with faulty mufflers damage our ears and hurt our mental health. I find
it hard to concentrate when loud noise is concerned.
Student D: I know exactly how you feel. Speaking of (talking of/on the subject of ) the
concentration problem caused by noise pollution, the barking dogs problem
in the school neighbour is getting more serious. After tracing the causes
of the problems, we might as well come up with ways to reduce the noise
pollution. Could anyone think of ways of solving the existing problems?
Student C: There are many ways to reduce noise pollution. Laws should be enforced
to prohibit honking of cars except in emergencies and barking that disturbs
neighbours. The most important thing is to educate people to respect the
privacy of their neighbours.
Student A: Exactly. Following from C’s proposal, I suggest we need to use posters or
TV commercials to get people to be more considerate about their neighbours
especially during late at night.
Student D: True indeed. We could ask pop stars to help us promote how to prevent noise
pollution and make sure people make more music not noise!
Student A: That’s an interesting idea. It seems like we all agree on one point, that is to
hire celebrities (famous movie stars) to help us raise the awareness (learn
more) about noise pollution prevention.
All Students: That’s right.

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Situation 2: Organizing an activity

Individual presentation:
(a) where would you suggest having dinner?
(b) What kind of food do you think would be best?
(c) Whom would you ask to give a speech?
(d) What kinds of gifts would you suggest for people who already have everything they want?

Group Discussion:
The members of your group are planning a farewell dinner for your teacher, who is retiring. You may want to talk
about:
• Where to go
• Who should be invited
• Food and drink
• Activities
• Farewell gift
• Anything else you think is important

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 Sample Dialogue
Student A: Good morning everyone. Today we need to decide on planning a farewell dinner
for our Maths teacher who is about to retire soon. Perhaps it’s best for us to start
planning ahead. We need to choose between a hotel and a restaurant. In my opinion, a
hotel sounds like a better idea as it is large enough to hold hundreds of schoolmates.
Student B: You have suggested a good idea but we need to consider some major issues such as
our budget. I think it’s more feasible for us to find a roomy restaurant because of
economic reasons.
Student C: Exactly, I agree with student B’s view because it doesn’t matter where the place is, the
more important thing is that we need a place to express our gratitude to our teacher.
Student D: Yes indeed. Let’s move on to discuss who to invite. Do you want to make it a formal or
informal meeting? I think it’s better to keep it simple.
Student A: You have a point but I think we need to plan a formal meeting to show our respect
to our teacher. I think we don’t need to invite junior form classmates because our
teacher only teaches senior forms. In that case we will have only about 200 students.
Student C: Yeah, it’s an excellent idea to include just the senior students. Regarding activities on
that day, should we organize a speech followed by a gift exchange session?
Student A: Yeah, we need to deliver a welcoming speech and a speech tailor-made to our teacher.
Maybe we could invite our monitor to welcome the teacher and ask people who know
our teacher best to give a 10 minute presentation.
Student D: For the gift giving session, we could have three choices, an engraved pen, a watch
or a book. I find a good book and it’s called tipping point. Since you don’t have
objections, let’s decide on who should buy the book. Any volunteers?
Student A: The book you just suggested is a great book and affordable too. I could help you out
on that.
Student D: Thank you so much for helping out. Finally we need to determine what kind of drinks
are we providing for the dinner. Coffee and tea are a must. Should we include wine?
Student B: Wine? You must be kidding me. Let’s just include soft drinks, fruit juices as well as
coffee and tea.
Student C: Sorry to interrupt, I think we have forgotten to include food in our discussion!
Student A: We could have a variety of choices. They include Western food, Chinese food or a
mixture; set meal, menu choice or buffet.
Student B: A buffet sounds like a better option because everyone will pick their favourites
accordingly and there will be less complaints later.
Student D: Right. So the buffet will include international cuisines, namely Japanese, Western and
Asian food. Since you are all nodding, I guess we have a consensus on this decision.
Student B: Does anyone want to add anything about this point? All right, I guess we’ve covered
everything. Thanks everybody for your contributions. I think the dinner will be a great
success.

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Situation 3 : Making and explaining a choice

Individual presentation:
(a) what kind of job do you think would be most suitable for you and your classmates? Why
(b) Do you think you would make a good salesperson? Why/why not?
(c) Do you like working with children? Why/Why not?
(d) What would be your ideal summer job?
(e) Would your main reason for taking a summer job to be to make money or get some job experience?

Group Discussion:
You and a group of classmates have been asked to discuss suitable part-time summer jobs for Form 5 graduates,
and the benefits and problems associated with different jobs. You may consider any jobs, including the following:
• Salesperson in a clothing store
• Counter salesperson in a fast-food restaurant
• Counselor for a primary school children’s camp
• Office clerk
• Anything else you think is important

Sample Dialogue
Student A: Today we need to think of what kind of summer jobs are suitable for us to take. We
need to discuss the pros and cons of taking up different working positions. Let’s figure
out what kind of job best suits Form 5 students. Personally speaking, I want to be an
office clerk because I’d like to work in offices since I would like to have a chance to see
how things work.
Student B: Being a clerk is good in the sense that you could learn a wide range of experience by
working at several different jobs but the disadvantage is that your work may be tiring,
repetitive and boring. Normally Form 5 students are asked to do filing.
Student C: When you talk about clerk job being repetitive, do you mean you are required to do
exactly the same thing day after day?
Student B: Exactly. Another thing I want to add is that it is difficult to mix socially with co-
workers because you are young and temporary.
Student A: Should we move on to the next job? I suggest being a camp counselor. It sounds like an
exciting job because it requires leadership and teaching experience. You can work with
young kids and have lots of fun.
Student C: That sounds like a good alternative to being a clerk as you can develop communication
skills along the way. But the downside is that you may have no time for yourself and
the children may be too naughty for inexperienced kids to handle.
Student A: True, that’s why we need to take up the challenge. But if you find that too hard to
control, you may as well try being a clothing sales. In this case you can still develop
communication skills and meet lots of people.
Student D: That’s a fascinating idea. Not only can you learn something about the clothing
business, but also you may get employee discounts.
Student B: Right, but consider the disadvantages of being a salesperson. You may have to stand
on your feet all day. The hours are long and you may be underpaid.
Student A: Not to mention you have to deal with rude and demanding customers sometimes.

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Student B: Absolutely. In the worst scenario/case, your boss may force you to use high-pressure
sales techniques. You may end up being scolded by all sorts of difficult people.
Student C: Having considered the pros and cons of being a sales, let’s widen our options to the
food industry. Being a fast food counter sales sounds like a better choice as you don’t
need to force other into buying things they don’t need.
Student A: Also you may have free meals.
Student D: I’m afraid there is no free meals on earth. Everything has a price to pay. For instance,
you may end up on your feet all the time, endure low salary/pay and have to skip lunch
at lunch hours!
Student A: That’s not a sound working condition. I think it’s best not to work at McDonald’s and
the KFC.
Student B: Hmmm, should we focus on our topic please. It’s best for us to list the advantages and
disadvantages of working different jobs. So far we’ve covered four different types of
jobs. Does anymore want to add something?
Student A: That’s about it. Maybe we could consider being a part time model. What do you think?
Student C: Really?
Please continue the discussion …

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Glossary 2 – Vocabulary and expressions

In this part, some of the sample questions and ideas will be introduced. Students can view this part as examples in
their group interaction.

Time and Deadline (When?)

Asking questions
a. When (do you think) is a good time for the
activity / function? (Ask about time)
b. Shall we set a deadline for the application / Sure! I believe the deadline should be the day before
selling the tickets? (Ask about deadline)
c. Shall we make Monday the last day for
people to sign up for the function / activity / last day for signing up because it is school holiday.
competition? (Ask about deadline)
d. Should we allow people two weeks to buy
the tickets? (Ask about deadline)
Responses
1. We should have it at recess because most students
may stay in their classroom.
2. We should have it during lunch time. First, we can
have more time to prepare. More importantly, more
time can be given to students to join the activity.
3. We should have it after school since most students
can be free after school.
4. We should have it on Saturday morning as we can
invite more guests, such as parents, friends, or
locals to come.
5. Others: Summer holiday, Chinese New Year, in
assembly, after the exam, etc.
Christmas. A reason is that we can do preparation
during the Christmas holiday. (Suggestion + reason)
It seems not suitable (for us) to make Monday the
(Instead / As an alternative), I would prefer next
Friday as we can have more time for promotion.
(Disagreement + counter suggestion)
That’s great. People can have sufficient time to buy
tickets if we give them two-week time.

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Location (Where?)
Asking questions
a. Where should we have the competition?
b. Will the library be appropriate / suitable?
c. Will the covered playground be a suitable / an
appropriate place / location (for the show)?
d. Should we put / place the boards in the hall?
Responses
1. We can hold it at school hall because it is big
enough to occupy many people / many people
can go there. (Suggestion + reason)
2. We can hold it in classroom because it has
equipment inside. (suggestion + reason)
1. Library is a good place because it is highly
accessible to students / easy to go there. But I
believe cover playground is better as it is big
enough to occupy many people. (compromise +
counter suggestion)
2. That’s fine. Let’s do it. (Response)
3. Others: playground – the size is big
restaurant – provide tasty food and
comfortable environment
stadium – hold plenty of audience
school canteen – provide snacks

Activities and People

Asking questions
a. What activities should we hold? 1. We can hold an inter-house/class/school (singing competition).
b. Would it be a good idea to hold
an inter-school singing contest?
c. Who should we invite to take part 1. It should be opened to the public because we can promote the
in the competition? (ask about
participants)
Responses
First, we can give an opportunity for students to show off.
Second, students can know more about other competitors in
other school. (suggestion + reasons)
2. We can do it. But I’m afraid we don’t have a venue to hold it.
(agreeing + doubt)
3. Others: Quiz – test students’ knowledge
A debate – train their skill in critical thinking
Board / photo display – to show students great work,
easy to prepare, provide information to audience in a
direct way
Fund raising activity – help people in need
Carnival – have fun together
Variety show – show talent, more varieties
Singing performance – show talent
school through this opportunity.
2. We should invite senior students to take part as they are more
mature.
3. We should invite parents because they can help take care of the
junior form students.

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 d. Who should be the judge / 1. We can invite our English / music / Mathematics teacher
speaker? (ask for a judge) because they are experts in that field.
2. We can invite a professor from _____ university because he /
she is an authority of this area.
3. We can invite a judge / speaker from other school / company
because it will be more fair to all students.
4. We can invite an old student of our school because he knows
our school.

Benefits and Difficulties

Benefits Difficulties
a. learn how to get along with others / improve the 1. Financial problems / not enough money /
communication skills funding to hold
b. improve the problem solving skills 2. Cannot get sponsorship / no one can offer
c. develop their critical thinking sponsorship
d. develop their language skills 3. Not enough manpower
e. help them make perfect decision 4. Do not have good relationship with _____
f. broaden horizons 5. Not enough equipment
6. Transport problem / too difficult to go there /
traffic jam
7. Examination is coming / busy doing homework

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Positive and negative adjectives to describe things / people / activity
Appearance Appearance Condition Condition Feelings (Bad) Feelings (Bad)
Cont’d. Cont’d. Cont’d.
adorable glamorous alive impossible angry grumpy
adventurous gleaming annoying inexpensive annoyed helpless
aggressive gorgeous bad innocent anxious homeless
alert graceful better inquisitive arrogant hungry
attractive grotesque beautiful modern ashamed hurt
average handsome brainy mushy awful ill
beautiful homely breakable odd bad itchy
blue-eyed light busy open black jealous
bloody long careful outstanding blue lazy
blushing magnificent cautious poor bored lonely
bright misty clever powerful clumsy nasty
clean motionless clumsy prickly condemned naughty
clear muddy concerned puzzled confused nervous
cloudy old-fashioned crazy real crazy, flipped- nutty
colorful plain curious rich out panicky
crowded poised dead shy creepy repulsive
cute precious different sleepy cruel scary
dark quaint difficult stupid dangerous selfish
drab shiny doubtful super defeated sore
distinct smoggy easy talented depressed tense
dull sparkling expensive tame disgusted terrible
elegant spotless famous tender disturbed testy
excited stormy fragile tough dizzy thoughtless
fancy strange frail uninterested dull tired
filthy ugly gifted vast embarrassed troubled
ugliest helpful wandering evil upset
unsightly helpless wild fierce uptight
unusual horrible wrong foolish weary
wide-eyed important frantic wicked
frightened worried

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 Feelings Feelings Shape Size Sound Time
(Good) (Good)
Cont’d.
agreeable happy broad big cooing ancient
amused healthy chubby colossal deafening brief
brave helpful crooked fat faint Early
calm hilarious curved gigantic harsh fast
charming jolly deep great high-pitched late
cheerful joyous flat huge hissing long
comfortable kind high immense hushed modern
cooperative lively hollow large husky old
courageous lovely low little loud old-fashioned
delightful lucky narrow mammoth melodic quick
determined nice round massive moaning rapid
eager obedient shallow miniature mute short
elated perfect skinny petite noisy slow
enchanting pleasant square puny purring swift
encouraging proud steep scrawny quiet young
energetic relieved straight short raspy
enthusiastic silly wide small resonant
excited smiling tall screeching
exuberant splendid teeny shrill
fair successful teeny-tiny silent
faithful thankful tiny soft
fantastic thoughtful squealing
fine victorious thundering
friendly vivacious voiceless
funny witty whispering
gentle wonderful
glorious zealous
good zany

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 Taste/Touch Taste/Touch Cont’d. Touch Quantity
bitter melted boiling abundant
delicious nutritious breezy empty
fresh plastic broken few
juicy prickly bumpy heavy
ripe rainy chilly light
rotten rough cold many
salty scattered cool numerous
sour shaggy creepy substantial
spicy shaky crooked
stale sharp cuddly
sticky shivering curly
strong silky damaged
sweet slimy damp
tart slippery dirty
tasteless smooth dry
tasty soft dusty
thirsty solid filthy
fluttering steady flaky
fuzzy sticky fluffy
greasy tender freezing
grubby tight hot
hard uneven warm
hot weak wet
icy wet
loose wooden
yummy

Other kinds of adjectives

1. Opinion adjective
polite, fun, cute, difficult, hard-working
2. Age
new, young, adolescent, teenage, middle-aged, old, ancient
3. Colour
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, grey, black, black and white, light blue, dark red, pale blue,
reddish brown, off-white, bright green, warm yellow
4. Nationality
Hong Kong, Chinese, English, American, Canadian, Japanese, Korean
5. Religion
Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, Moslem, pagan, atheist
6. Material
wood, plastic, metal, ceramic, paper, silk
7. Noun used as an adjective
campus (campus building)

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 English Vocabulary Card
1 引起關注 arouse concern
2 咁啱得咁橋 As chance would have it, …
3 惹起對…的爭議 arouse controversy over…
4 衣著暴露 wear scanty clothes
5 援交 compensated dating
6 靚模 budding/teen/pseudo-models
7 令人想入非非 leave little to the imagination
8 不遺餘力、千方百計 leave no stone unturned (+ inf.)
9 不遺餘力 spare no pains (+ inf.)
10 極希望引人注意 hunger(v) for attention
11 扭轉形勢 reverse a trend
12 事情的關鍵 the crux of the matter
13 加強努力 step up effort
14 模仿某人的行為舉止 take a leaf out of somebody's book
15 用盡方法去 go to great lengths (+ inf.)
16 不擇手段 by fair means or foul
17 不擇手段 by hook or by crook
18 關注某事 throw a spolight on (something)
19 成為矚目的人 in the limelight
20 除了…外 apart from (+ noun)
21 對…構成壓力 put a strain on …
22 對…構成傷害 pose a danger to (+ noun)
23 對…構成挑戰 pose a challenge to (+ noun)
24 直言不諱 make no bones about …
25 對…有渴望 have a hunger for …
26 對…有渴求 have a thirst for …
27 對…有懷疑 cast doubt on …
28 有成果 …bear(s) fruit
29 徒勞無功 … is in vain
30 進退兩難 to be caught in a dilemma
31 進退維谷 on the horns of a dilemma
32 一輩子 from the cradle to the grave
33 大煞風景 go from the sublime to the ridiculous
34 削弱某人的意志 weaken one’s mind
35 挫某人的銳氣 chasten one’s pride
36 迅速增長的需求 burgeoning demand
37 好的境況 well-being
38 堅決地做(某事) press ahead with (something)
39 扮演一個重要角色 play a vital role in …
40 小覷(某人) look down upon (somebody)
41 侵害他人人權 infringe on one’s human rights
42 經常 all the while
43 晚年 twilight years
44 再進一步 take a step further
45 替他們解悶 relieve their boredom
46 增加生果金 increase the old-age allowance

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47 對…是一個負擔 is a burden to (somebody)
48 用盡某人的血汗錢來供養他們 live off of their hard-earned money
49 生活得好些 to be better off
50 挑撥(朋友、同事等) drive a wedge between … and …
51 運用知識 apply knowledge
52 達到目標 achieve a goal
53 日以繼夜地工作 work around the clock
54 發表意見 voice/air one’s opinion
55 減輕一個問題的嚴重性 alleviate a problem
56 群眾壓力上升 Pressure mounts
57 憤怒的情緒高漲 Anger mounts
58 怒不可遏 flush crimson with indignation
59 解決一個問題 fix/solve/tackle a problem
60 尋求解決之道 seek solutions
61 問題癥結所在 the crux of the problem
62 引出很多的問題 open Pandora’s box
63 惹起爭議 fuel controversy
64 勢如破竹 carry all before one
65 無可匹敵 (be) second to none
66 達到某人的期望 come up to somebody's expectations
67 作一個投訴 lodge a complaint
68 責罵某人 give somebody a reprimand
69 想出一個意念 come up with an idea
70 設法解決一個問題 address a problem
71 道德標準腐化 Moral standard deteriorate
72 減少其影響 lessen the influence
73 自找麻煩 borrow trouble for oneself
74 徵收附加費 place a levy on (something)
75 經常流連於某地方 frequent a place
76 策動一個計劃 initiate a programme
77 惹起懷疑 raise suspicion
78 戒除一個習慣 kick a habit
79 制定一個政策 formulate a policy
80 謀生 make/earn a living
81 運用某人的權益 exercise one’s rights
82 享有一項權益 enjoy a right
83 孝道 filial duty
84 盡某人的孝道 perform one’s filial duty
85 對…有正面的影響 have a positive impact on (something)
86 令(人)驚訝 raise one’s eyebrows
87 增廣見聞 broaden one’s horizons
88 自尋煩惱 beg for trouble
89 替天行道、濫用私刑 take the law into one’s own hands
90 制訂法例 enact a law
91 執行法紀 enforce the law
92 守法 observe the law / abide by the law
93 重過新生 turn over a new leaf

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94 逃學 plat truant/hooky
95 成為…的害者 fall victim to (+ noun)
96 心懷不軌 harbor(verb) malice(noun)
97 無可否認 There is no denying that
98 無可否認 It is arguable that
99 毋庸置疑 It is indisputable that
100 …是不容爭辯的 … is beyond dispute.
101 …是不好的 It is no good (+ gerund)
102 …是無用的 It is no use (+ gerund)
103 毫無疑問 There is no doubt that
104 不足為奇 I comes as no surprise that
105 得悉…，令人震驚。 It is surprising to know that
106 令我們驚訝。 …raise our eyebrows
107 但這還不止。 And that is not all.
108 … 的重要性是不容置疑的。 You cannot put … too strongly.
109 …是責無旁貸的。 The onus is on (somebody to do something)
110 …是必要的。 … is a sine qua non.
111 (某人)有責任做起(某事) It is incumbent upon (somebody to do something)
112 對於…，有三個理由。 The reasons for … are three-fold.
113 主因是… The major reason is …
114 首先，… To begin with,
115 首要的是… First and foremost,
116 對於…，另一個理由是… Another reason for … is …
117 更值得關注的是… The broader concern is (+ noun)
118 最後一點，… Last but not least,
119 儘管如此，… Be that as it may,
120 沒有人知道 There is no knowing (+ who/which/where…)
121 對…存在很大爭議 A bone of contention exists over…
122 …已引起許多爭論 …has aroused a lot of controversy.
123 …是無意義的 There is no point in (+ gerund)
124 不用多說，… Needless to say, …
125 不用多說，… Suffice it to say , …
126 更不用說…了 …, not to mention (+ phrase)
127 更不用說…了 ..., let alone (+ phrase)
128 更不用說…了 …, still less (+ phrase)
129 …是可想而知的 It can easily be conceived that …
130 …是可輕易察覺的 It can easily be perceived that …
131 毫無疑問 , … Undoubtedly / Doubtless, …
132 很可能… Chances are that …
133 儘管如此, … In spite of this, …
134 必定要… No doubt …
135 當談到(某物/事)時, … When it comes to (+ noun), …
136 在…方面而言, … As regards (+ noun), …
137 關於(某物/事)，… With respect to (+ noun),…
138 關於(某物/事)，… In relation to (+ noun), …
139 剛…，便…了。 Hardly (+ aux. v. + S) when …
140 剛…，便…了。 Scarcely/Barely (+ aux. v. +S) when …

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141 不到…時，還不…。 No sooner (+ aux. v. +S) than …
142 不到…，也不…。 Not until …
143 只要… So long as …,
144 更糟的是，… Worse until, …
145 更糟的是，… To make matters worse, …
146 有人建議…。 It is recommended / suggested that …
147 . …是很重要的。 It is essential that …
148 …是必要的。 It is imperative that …
149 我認為… I opine that …
150 為這點爭辯到底，… To press this point home.
151 為了達到這目的，… To that end, …
152 …令我驚訝。 To my surprise, …
153 …令他驚訝。 To his astonishment, …
154 …令他們不滿。 To their dissatisfaction, …
155 據她所知，… To her best knowledge, …
156 …令你失望。 To your disappointment, …
157 …令我們滿意。 To our satisfaction, …
158 …令他們沮喪。 To their dismay, …
159 現在是…的時候了。 It is time (+ infinitive with ‘to’)
160 早便該…了。 It is high time …
161 如果…便好了！ If only …
162 坦白地說，… Frankly speaking, …
163 粗略地說，… Roughly speaking, …
164 廣義地說，… Broadly speaking, …
165 正如…一樣，… Just as ..., so ... too.
166 …強差人意。 …leaves much to be desired.
167 …乏善可陳。 …has nothing to write home about.
168 我們不應對…妄下判斷。 We should not jump to conclusions that …
169 我們不得不作…的結論。 It is hard to resist the conclusion that …
170 顯而易見，… It goes without saying that …
171 以此推論，…。 It follows that …
172 顧名思義，…。 As the name implies, …
173 …已大受打擊。 …has been hard hit / has been hit hard.
174 …是沒有可能的。 …is out of the question.
175 …是非常重要的。 … is of the utmost importance.
176 人們認為… It is thought that …
177 據說… It is said that …
178 人們普遍認為… It is generally believed that …
179 人們聲稱… It is claimed that …
180 常有人提到… It has often been remarked that …
181 很多人習慣了… It is taken for granted that …
182 …也不出奇。 It is no wonder that …
183 說…，並無誇言。 It is no exaggeration to say that …
184 除了…外，還有… In addition to (+ noun), …
185 除了…外，還有… Besides (+ noun), …
186 儘管…，… Despite the fact that …
187 儘管…，… In spite of the fact that ..., …

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188 另一方面，… On the other hand, …
189 常言道… Often is it said that …
190 在任何情況下，你也不應…。 Under no circumstances should you …
191 我從不… Never have I (+ past parti. + O)
192 我們絕不應… By no means should we (+ basic verb + O)
193 在任何情況下，你也不應…。 On no account can/should you (+ basic verb + O)

33