Singing your praises
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B2 English listening practice
Work on expressions whose meaning is not obvious from the individual words. Listen for the situation, then check the exact wording and the speaker's attitude.
Try a short recording
The first dictation is free to try without an account. Choose an available accent, listen and type the words you hear.
Choose a starting lesson
Start with Singing your praises for approval, Play safe for cautious decisions, or Backlog for work that has built up. Each lesson gives you a different situation to listen for.
Singing your praisesHave you ever chosen a course because several people could not stop talking about how good the teacher was?Play safeTraffic is unpredictable, so you take an earlier train to avoid missing your flight. Which expression describes this cautious choice?BacklogYou answer five old emails, but twelve more are still waiting. What do you call the work that has built up behind you?
What to focus on at B2
Separate what happened from how the speaker feels about it. Praise may be enthusiastic, caution may be sensible or excessive, and a backlog may explain pressure at work. Use the surrounding sentence to decide.
After you check your answer
When the exact words are clear, ask what would change if one phrase were replaced. Compare the lesson's examples, then replay without reading. Being able to explain the difference is more useful than remembering one score.
Elusive: Meaning and Everyday Use
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Empathy meaning: how to use it
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Epiphany meaning: sudden clear realization
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Expressions with get
Get in touch means start communicating with someone. Get rid of means remove or throw away something unwanted. Get used to means become familiar and comfortable with a new situation.
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Eye to eye
Two team members have different working styles, but both want to delay the launch until the product is safer. How can you describe the opinion they share?
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Facetious: Meaning, Tone, and Use
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Finite and non-finite verbs: find what changes
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For the time being
Your office is being repaired, so you are working from a library until another arrangement is ready. The plan is temporary, but there is no exact end date. What phrase fits?
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Foreign Phrases in English: Clear Everyday Guide
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Free TOEFL preparation: A daily study plan
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From scratch
A damaged spreadsheet cannot be repaired, and there is no clean copy. You open a blank file and recreate every part. How did you start?
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From the ground up
A company does not make a few changes to its service. It redesigns the basic rules, the technology, and every customer step. How can you emphasise the complete rebuild?
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Future perfect continuous: measuring ongoing time
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Gerund or Participle: Tell Them Apart
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Get it out of your system
You keep thinking about an unfair decision. After telling a friend exactly how you feel, the frustration becomes easier to leave behind. What have you done?
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Give it a miss
Your friends invite you to a late film, but you are tired and have an early start. How can you casually say that you will not go this time?
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Give it your best shot
You are not sure you can answer every interview question, but you have prepared carefully and intend to do your best. How can you describe that effort?
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Go hand in hand
A growing shop receives more orders, but it also needs more customer support. The two changes repeatedly appear together. How can you describe their connection?
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Go off the rails
A previously reliable manager starts hiding expenses, ignoring every warning, and breaking company rules. How can you describe this serious change in behaviour?
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Go to your head
A colleague wins one award and immediately starts acting as if nobody else's advice matters. What can you say about the effect of that success?
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Go with the flow
Your friends change the plan several times, but none of the options matters much to you. You decide to accept their choice and enjoy the day. What are you doing?
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Grammatical Case in English: Types and Everyday Use
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Grammatical number: singular and plural forms
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Grey area
A company policy explains business travel but says nothing about combining a work trip with one personal day. The rule is not clearly allowed or forbidden. What is this situation?
Start listeningBefore you begin
Is this a CEFR level test?
No. These lessons are grouped by their catalogue level. Use the examples and recordings to judge what you need to practice; completing a lesson does not certify your level.
Can I slow down the recording?
Yes. Use the slower playback control when you need another listen, then return to normal speed when you can follow the sentence.
Is every activity free?
The first guided dictation in each lesson is available as a free sample. Other activities may require membership. The lesson shows what is available before you start.
