English dictation exercises

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?

5-second sample
American, British, Australian

Paranoid: Meaning and Better Alternatives

4-second sample
American, British, Australian

Play safe

Traffic is unpredictable, so you take an earlier train to avoid missing your flight. Which expression describes this cautious choice?

3-second sample
American, British, Australian

Procrastination meaning: Stop putting off tasks

3-second sample
American, British, Australian

Procurement: Buying for an Organization

4-second sample
American, British, Australian

Protagonist meaning: main character explained

5-second sample
American, British, Australian

Reconciliation: Meanings and Practical Examples

5-second sample
American, British, Australian

Relative adverbs: choose with confidence

3-second sample
American, British, Australian

Rhetoric meaning: Persuasion or empty words?

3-second sample
American, British, Australian

Sarcastic meaning: when words mean opposite

4-second sample
American, British, Australian

Sentence Variety: Write Better Paragraphs

9-second sample
American, British, Australian

Singing your praises

Have you ever chosen a course because several people could not stop talking about how good the teacher was?

5-second sample
American, British, Australian

Take advantage of

Using a free course is sensible, but using a helpful colleague unfairly is not. How can one expression describe both situations?

4-second sample
American, British, Australian

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?

4-second sample
American, British, Australian

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?

3-second sample
American, British, Australian

Tentative Meaning: Plans That Might Change

4-second sample
American, British, Australian

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?

4-second sample
American, British, Australian

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?

5-second sample
American, British, Australian

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.

4-second sample
American, British, Australian

The final straw

The train is repeatedly late, crowded, and unreliable. One more cancellation finally makes a commuter decide to drive instead.

5-second sample
American, British, Australian

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.

5-second sample
American, British, Australian

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.

4-second sample
American, British, Australian

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.

3-second sample
American, British, Australian

To get a word in edgeways

One person has talked for ten uninterrupted minutes. You have something useful to add, but every pause disappears before you can begin.

3-second sample
American, British, Australian