Keep the contrast
Listen for words such as but and although. Check how the words that follow change the message.
Focused listening library
B2 listening lesson library
Browse upper-intermediate lessons by topic, accent, and length. Practise connected speech, phrasal verbs, and implied meaning.
Hand in your notice
You have accepted another job, but your contract requires four more weeks of work. What do you give your employer to formally begin the leaving process?
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Hands full
You are caring for a sick child while finishing two urgent reports. A colleague asks whether you can lead another project. How can you explain that you are already too busy?
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Have a word
A mistake in a report needs discussing, but you do not want to raise it in front of the whole team. How can you ask the writer for a short private conversation?
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Head start
You receive the reading list a month before everyone else and finish two books before the course begins. What kind of advantage do you have?
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Hit and miss
A bus arrives exactly on time some mornings and twenty minutes late on others. You cannot plan around it with confidence. How can you describe the service?
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Holistic meaning: connect the parts
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How to Build Credibility: Practical Speech Tips
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In one go
A report usually takes you three short sessions, but today you read the entire document without stopping. How can you describe completing it as one continuous action?
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In the loop
A project changes while you are away, but your colleague sends every update. Which phrase shows that you remain informed and included?
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In the running
Three candidates remain after the final interview, and any one of them could get the job. How can you describe their continuing chance?
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In your element
Your quiet friend becomes lively and confident while organising a complex event. Which phrase shows that this activity suits her perfectly?
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Inevitable meaning: unavoidable results explained
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Insane Meaning: Choose the Right Word
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Irony meaning: what makes situations ironic
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It goes without saying
Everyone understands that a borrowed camera must be returned safely, but you still want to emphasise it politely. Which expression introduces that obvious expectation?
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Jerk Meaning: Movement and Slang
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Jump the gun
A company announces a product before the final safety test is complete. Which idiom criticises acting before the right moment?
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Keep an eye out
Your parcel could arrive at any moment while you are in another room. What can you ask a friend to do?
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Loquacious: Meaning and Daily Usage
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Might as well
The bus will not arrive for an hour, and walking takes twenty minutes. How can you casually suggest the most logical choice?
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Mixed conditionals
A decision you made years ago still shapes your life today. How can one conditional sentence move between those two times?
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Mundane Meaning: Ordinary Daily Tasks
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Non-Finite Verbs: Forms and Everyday Uses
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Obsolete meaning: no longer in use
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How this practice helps
Follow the main message and the details that change it: a contrast, a reason, or an expression that is not literal.
Use the examples to check meaning, then listen again for the exact wording.
Your level route
Practise with support, try a test, then review the words you missed.
Review exact wording
A missed word may change the grammar or only the detail. Compare your answer with the transcript to see which happened.
Compare available accents
Once the wording is familiar, choose another voice offered for that clip. Listen for what becomes harder or easier.
