BULATS Speaking - Phrases

BULATS Speaking Test useful phrases

With your partner, write at least two useful phrases for each of the things below, then compare them with the suggested answers on the next two pages.

BULATS Speaking Part One

Greetings

 

 

 

Handing something over

 

 

 

Explaining your name

 

 

 

Responding to the examiner’s request to ask you questions

 

 

 

Dealing with difficulties

When you don’t understand a spoken question

 

 

 

When you don’t understand a written question

 

 

 

Pausing for thought

 

 

 

Answering difficult questions

 

 

 

When you are unable to answer a question

 

 

 

BULATS Speaking Part Two

Starting your presentation

 

 

 

 

Getting your presentation back on track

 

 

 

Finishing your Part Two presentation

 

 

 

BULATS Speaking Part Three

Starting the Part Three roleplay meeting

 

 

 

Introducing each question

 

 

 

Asking extra questions

 

 

 

Responding to the answers

 

 

 

Ending the roleplay meeting

 

 

 

Giving your opinion on the Part Three discussion question

 

 

 

Agreeing with the examiner’s opinion

 

 

 

Disagreeing with the examiner’s opinion

 

 

 

Suggested answers

* = less common expression

Greetings

• Good morning/ afternoon.
• Nice to meet you./ Pleased to meet you./ How do you do?*
• / Hello.

Handing something over

• (Just a second.) (Where is it? Ah.) Here you are. / Here you go.*

Explaining your name

• (My name’s Mikiko/ Mikiko Suzuki, but) you can call me Miki/ everyone calls me Miki/ most people find it easier to call me Miki/ please call me Miki.
• Please use my nickname, which is…
• Please use my English name, which is…

Responding to the examiner’s request to ask you questions

• / That’s fine.
• (No problem./ Sure). Go ahead./ Please go ahead./ Please do.*

When you don’t understand a spoken question

• (Sorry). What does… mean?
• Can you repeat the question, please?
• I don’t really understand the question. (Could you explain it another way?)

When you don’t understand a written question

• Can I ask a question about the task?
• What does this word mean?

Pausing for thought

• (Hmm) (Interesting question.) Let me think./ Let me see.

Answering difficult questions

• I’m not really sure, but I guess/ I don’t know much about this, but I suppose/ I’m no expert, but I imagine…

When you are unable to answer a question

• (I’m) sorry,/ I’m afraid nothing is coming to mind./ I really can’t think of anything at the moment./ I really can’t remember (right now).

Starting your Part Two presentation

• I’d like to talk about…/ I’m going to speak about…
• I’m going to give a short presentation about…

Getting your presentation back on track

• Anyway,…
• What else did I have to speak about? Oh yes,…
• Moving on to…

Finishing your Part Two presentation

• I think that covers everything.
• … and that is all I can think of to say on the topic.

Starting the Part Three roleplay meeting

• Thanks for coming to see me today. I’m… I’d like to ask you some questions about…, if that’s okay.

Introducing your questions

• I (also) have a question about…/ Can I (also) ask you about…?
• Another thing I wanted to ask was…
• My final question…

 

Asking extra questions

• So, does that mean…?
• Can you give me an example?
• I’ve just thought of one more question.

Responding to the answers

• That sounds good.
• Really?
• Mmmm hmmm.

Ending the roleplay meeting

• Thank you for all the information.
• I’ll check with my boss and get back to you in the next couple of days./ I’m seeing some other companies this afternoon and I’ll make a choice then.

Giving your opinion on the Part Three discussion question

• I (really) think that…
• In my (honest) opinion…

Agreeing with the examiner’s opinion

• I think so too.
• That’s my opinion too.

Disagreeing with the examiner’s opinion

• That’s a good point, but…
• I know some people think that, but personally…
• You could be right but…