Try free

🇬🇧 English

30 real-life English speaking situations

Short scenes from everyday life: cafés, markets, work, travel, friends. Four connected sentences each, from simple to richer. Read them aloud: speaking practice beats silent reading for getting words out when you need them.

Practise speaking freeNatural English expressions

Ordering at the café

You walk into your neighbourhood café and order breakfast.

  1. Good morning, I would like a coffee with milk, please.
  2. I will also have a croissant, because I am really hungry.
  3. I prefer to sit by the window so I can watch the street.
  4. This café is my favourite place because the waiter always remembers my order.

At the market

You are shopping for dinner at the local market.

  1. I need tomatoes and onions for dinner.
  2. How much is a kilo of tomatoes, please?
  3. They are a bit expensive, but they look very fresh.
  4. In the end I buy strawberries too, because my family loves them for dessert.

Weekend plans with a friend

A friend calls you to make plans for Saturday.

  1. On Saturday I want to go to the cinema with you.
  2. The film starts at seven in the evening.
  3. Before that, we can have dinner at the new restaurant downtown.
  4. If we leave early, we will get a table without booking, which is much easier.

Asking for directions

You are lost in a new city and ask a passer-by for help.

  1. Excuse me, where is the train station?
  2. I am a little lost because it is my first day here.
  3. Ah, so I go straight ahead and turn right at the square.
  4. Thank you so much for your help — people in this city are very kind.

Talking about your day

A colleague asks how your day is going.

  1. Today I have a lot of work at the office.
  2. In the morning I write emails, and in the afternoon I have two meetings.
  3. After work I go to the gym to relax a little.
  4. Even though the day is long, I like my routine because I learn something new every week.

Telling a friend about a trip

You just came back from a short trip and tell a friend about it.

  1. Last weekend I visited Edinburgh with my sister.
  2. We walked along the Royal Mile and tried shortbread.
  3. What I liked most was the view from the castle at sunset.
  4. I want to go back in August, because the festival is supposed to be amazing.

Checking in at a hotel

You arrive at your hotel after a long journey and check in at reception.

  1. Hello, I have a reservation for two nights.
  2. My name is on the booking, and I paid online last week.
  3. Could I have a quiet room, away from the lift, please?
  4. If breakfast is included, could you tell me what time it starts, because I have an early meeting tomorrow?

At the pharmacy

You go to the chemist because you have caught a cold.

  1. Hello, I have a cold and a sore throat.
  2. Do you have something for a cough as well?
  3. I would prefer tablets, because syrup always tastes horrible to me.
  4. Could you tell me how often I should take them, since I have never used this brand before?

Seeing the doctor

You are at a GP appointment describing what is wrong.

  1. Good morning, doctor. My back hurts.
  2. The pain started three days ago, after I moved some heavy boxes.
  3. It gets worse when I sit at my desk for a long time.
  4. I came in today because I want to make sure it is nothing serious before it gets any worse.

Taking the bus

You are catching a bus to the city centre for the first time.

  1. Excuse me, does this bus go to the city centre?
  2. Great, one ticket, please — I am getting off at the main square.
  3. Could you let me know when we are close to my stop?
  4. I usually cycle everywhere, but I am taking the bus today because it is raining so hard.

Opening a bank account

You visit a bank branch to open your first account in a new country.

  1. Hello, I would like to open a bank account.
  2. I just moved here, and I start a new job next month.
  3. I have brought my passport and a letter from my employer.
  4. Could you explain the monthly fees, because I want to compare this account with the one my colleague recommended?

Viewing a flat

A letting agent is showing you around a flat you might rent.

  1. Thank you for showing me the flat today.
  2. I really like the kitchen, and the living room is nice and bright.
  3. Is the rent the same in winter, or do the bills go up a lot?
  4. If the landlord agrees to include the parking space, I would be happy to sign the contract this week.

A job interview

You are answering questions in an interview for a job you really want.

  1. Thank you for inviting me to this interview.
  2. I have worked in customer service for four years.
  3. In my last job, I trained the new members of our team.
  4. I applied for this position because your company gives people real chances to grow, which matters a lot to me.

Booking an appointment

You phone a dental clinic to arrange a check-up.

  1. Hello, I would like to book an appointment, please.
  2. It is just a check-up — nothing hurts at the moment.
  3. Do you have anything on Thursday afternoon, after four o’clock?
  4. Thursday works perfectly, because I finish work early that day and the clinic is on my way home.

Talking about the weather

You chat with a neighbour at the bus stop about the strange weather.

  1. It is so cold this morning!
  2. Yesterday it was sunny, and today it is almost freezing.
  3. I forgot my gloves, so my hands are like ice.
  4. They say it will snow at the weekend, which would be lovely as long as the buses keep running.

Cooking dinner together

You are in the kitchen making dinner with a friend.

  1. Tonight I am making pasta with vegetables.
  2. Can you cut the peppers while I boil the water?
  3. My grandmother taught me this recipe when I was a child.
  4. I always add the garlic at the end, because it burns easily if the pan is too hot.

A Sunday with family

You describe your regular Sunday lunch with your relatives.

  1. Every Sunday I have lunch at my parents’ house.
  2. My brother brings his kids, and the house gets very noisy.
  3. After lunch we all play cards in the garden.
  4. Even when I am tired, I never miss these Sundays, because they are the only day the whole family is together.

Studying for an exam

You tell a classmate how you are preparing for a big exam.

  1. I have a big exam next Friday.
  2. Every evening I study for two hours at the library.
  3. My friend and I test each other with little quizzes.
  4. I feel more confident this time, because we started preparing a month ago instead of the night before.

Returning a faulty kettle

You bring a broken kettle back to the shop where you bought it.

  1. Hello, I bought this kettle here last week.
  2. It stopped working after only two days.
  3. Here is my receipt — I would like a refund, please.
  4. I am a regular customer here, so I hope we can sort this out quickly without any trouble.

Sharing an opinion about a film

A friend asks what you thought of the film you saw last night.

  1. I watched that new film last night.
  2. Honestly, I liked the first half more than the ending.
  3. The actors were brilliant, but the story felt too slow.
  4. I would still recommend it, though, because the music alone is worth the price of the ticket.

A difficult phone call

You call your internet provider because your connection keeps dropping.

  1. Hello, I am calling about my internet connection.
  2. It stops working every evening at around eight o’clock.
  3. I already restarted the router twice, but nothing changed.
  4. I work from home most days, so I really need this fixed before Monday if possible.

Volunteering in the park

You join a neighbourhood clean-up event on Saturday morning.

  1. Hi, I am here for the park clean-up.
  2. This is my first time, so please tell me where to start.
  3. I brought my own gloves and a big bag for the rubbish.
  4. I saw the poster at the supermarket, and I thought it was a nice way to meet people from the area.

At a street festival

You wander through a lively street festival with music and food stalls.

  1. This festival happens once a year in our town.
  2. There are food stalls, music, and dancing everywhere.
  3. I just tried a sweet pastry from the stall on the corner.
  4. My favourite part is the lantern parade at night, when the whole street glows with little lights.

Cheering up a friend

Your friend had a bad day, and you talk to them on the way home.

  1. You look a little sad today.
  2. Do you want to talk about what happened?
  3. Everyone has bad days — it does not mean anything is wrong with you.
  4. Let’s get some ice cream on the way home, because small things like that always make me feel better.

Tracking an online order

You chat with customer support about a parcel that has not arrived.

  1. Hello, I ordered a jacket from your website.
  2. The app says it was delivered yesterday, but I have nothing.
  3. I checked with my neighbours, and nobody has seen the parcel.
  4. Could you send a replacement, or refund me, since the tracking clearly shows something went wrong?

Dinner at a restaurant

You order dinner at a restaurant for a special evening out.

  1. Good evening, we have a table for two.
  2. I will start with the soup, and then the grilled fish.
  3. Could you make it without nuts? My partner is allergic.
  4. We are celebrating our anniversary tonight, so we might look at the dessert menu later as well.

First day at the gym

You sign up at a gym and ask the trainer for advice.

  1. Hi, today is my first day at this gym.
  2. I want to get stronger and have more energy.
  3. Could you show me how to use the rowing machine safely?
  4. I plan to come three times a week, because my doctor said regular exercise would help my back.

Meeting the new neighbours

New people have moved in next door, and you knock to say hello.

  1. Hi, welcome to the building!
  2. I live next door, in flat number five.
  3. If you need anything while you unpack, just knock on my door.
  4. There is a little café around the corner that I can show you sometime, because the owner makes the best cakes in the neighbourhood.

Reporting a lost wallet

You go to the station’s lost property office about your missing wallet.

  1. Excuse me, I lost my wallet this morning.
  2. I think I left it on the train from the airport.
  3. It is brown leather, with my bank cards and a photo of my dog inside.
  4. Could you call me if someone hands it in, because my driving licence is in there and I need it for work?

Planning a birthday surprise

You organise a surprise party for your best friend’s birthday.

  1. It is my best friend’s birthday on Saturday.
  2. I am planning a surprise party at my place.
  3. Her sister will bring her over at eight, and we will all hide in the dark.
  4. I ordered a chocolate cake from her favourite bakery, because she has talked about it all year.

Questions

How should I practise these English scenes?

Read a scene aloud once slowly, once at natural speed, then cover the text and say each line from its meaning. The sentences in each scene go from simple to richer, so stop at the line that feels hard and repeat it tomorrow.

Can I get feedback on my speaking?

Yes. In WordSlick each scene is a speaking exercise: you record yourself, get feedback, and the AI tutor AskSlick can role-play the situation with you.

From WordSlick’s speaking-scenario bank. Updated 2026-10-14.