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.
On the same page
Before work begins, everyone agrees about the goal, deadline, and responsibilities. Which phrase describes that shared understanding?
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One-off
A company pays a special bonus this month but will not repeat it. Which British English expression shows that the payment happens only once?
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Paranoid: Meaning and Better Alternatives
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Play safe
Traffic is unpredictable, so you take an earlier train to avoid missing your flight. Which expression describes this cautious choice?
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Procrastination meaning: Stop putting off tasks
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Procurement: Buying for an Organization
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Protagonist meaning: main character explained
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Reconciliation: Meanings and Practical Examples
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Relative adverbs: choose with confidence
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Rhetoric meaning: Persuasion or empty words?
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Sarcastic meaning: when words mean opposite
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Sentence Variety: Write Better Paragraphs
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Singing your praises
Have you ever chosen a course because several people could not stop talking about how good the teacher was?
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Take advantage of
Using a free course is sensible, but using a helpful colleague unfairly is not. How can one expression describe both situations?
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Take for granted
You assume the shop opens on Sunday without checking, and you rarely thank the friend who always helps. Which expression fits both mistakes?
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Take it out on someone
A difficult meeting makes someone angry, and later they shout at a family member who did nothing wrong. Which expression describes this unfair redirection?
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Tentative Meaning: Plans That Might Change
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The ball is in your court
You have sent the proposal and answered every question. Nothing else can happen until the client responds. Whose responsibility is the next move?
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The bottom line
A long meeting produces dozens of details, but everyone needs one clear conclusion. Which phrase brings the discussion back to what matters most?
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The elephant in the room
Everyone at dinner speaks politely, although two guests have stopped talking to each other. The problem is obvious, but nobody mentions it.
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The final straw
The train is repeatedly late, crowded, and unreliable. One more cancellation finally makes a commuter decide to drive instead.
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The upper hand
Two companies negotiate, but only one owns the technology both sides need. That advantage gives one side much greater control over the agreement.
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To bend over backwards
A colleague changes her schedule, calls three suppliers, and stays late to solve your problem. Saying she tried hard does not capture the extraordinary effort.
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To cut it fine
Your train leaves in twenty minutes, but the journey to the station normally takes eighteen. You might arrive, although almost nothing can go wrong.
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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.
