English lessons and practice games are intended for people aged 13 and over.
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Lesson 17 / Communication
5 phrases · 12 minutes · Look, listen and try.
State the problem, explain it clearly and respond to a suggestion.
Match words to pictures →Play What is She/He doing? →
A randomly assigned, fixed male or female synthetic voice for each phrase or sentence · Slow playback at 0.7× preserves pitch.
I want to bring up one question before we finish.
I want to bring up one question before we finish.
She brought up the travel budget at the meeting.
She brought up the travel budget at the meeting.
The meaning here is to mention the topic, different from "bring up a child" which is to raise.
Cambridge Dictionary · bring up
Can you talk me through the first step?
Can you talk me through the first step?
The teacher talked us through the exercise.
The teacher talked us through the exercise.
Put the person being instructed after “talk”, then “through” and what needs to be explained.
Cambridge Dictionary · talk through
Let us clear up this misunderstanding before we leave.
Let us clear up this misunderstanding before we leave.
Your message cleared up my confusion about the date.
Your message cleared up my confusion about the date.
In this lesson, it means to explain and resolve a misunderstanding, rather than tidy up or describe improving weather.
Do not leave out the date when you write the invitation.
Do not leave out the date when you write the invitation.
I left her name out by mistake.
I left her name out by mistake.
May be accidentally omitted or intentionally not included. The past tense of “leave” is “left”.
I had to turn down the invitation because I was busy.
I had to turn down the invitation because I was busy.
It is a good offer, but I may turn it down.
It is a good offer, but I may turn it down.
Here is refusal, different from turning down the volume in “turn the music down”.
The examples were written for this course. Usage was checked against Matt Errey’s book, pages 15, 130, 22, 77, 133. A2–B1 is the course’s intended level.
One step forward every day
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Sentences using suggestions are counted as needing more practice. Review schedule based on each phrase's meaning.
OBSERVE · UNDERSTAND · MATCH
Drag a wire from the dot beside a phrase to the dot beside its matching picture. You can also tap a phrase, then a picture. Drag again to change a pair before checking.
Read the picture descriptions for more context. Similar expressions are accepted when they fit the particular scene.
Nhi raised her hand to bring up a new topic in the meeting.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
Nhi explains each step of assembling an object to you.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
The two friends talked calmly and then shook hands after understanding the problem.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
Nhi scanned the invitation list and left a position blank that was not included.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
Nhi politely declined the invitation with a gentle gesture.
The picture could not load. Try loading it again before matching.
Choose a phrase to begin.
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Read the conversation and find the expressions you have learned.
May I bring up a concern about the timetable?
May I bring up a concern about the timetable?
Of course. Let us talk it through before deciding.
Of course. Let us talk it through before deciding.
That should clear up the misunderstanding about Friday.
That should clear up the misunderstanding about Friday.
“Bring up” introduces a topic; “talk through” involves discussing or explaining its parts. Introducing a problem is only the start of the conversation.
Try answering before revealing the suggested answer. This practice is not scored.
The answers below are models. Other answers can also work if they preserve the facts, meaning and structure requested in the task.
A team has not discussed wheelchair access yet. The organiser wants to introduce it before choosing a venue.
Introduce the topic using bring up.
Could I bring up the question of wheelchair access?
Wheelchair access has not been discussed, so “bring up” introduces it to the meeting.
Replace “the plan” with “it”: Talk the plan through.
Talk it through.
Replacing “the plan” with “it” gives “talk it through”, with the pronoun before “through”.
Request a detailed discussion rather than a quick mention.
Please talk the access arrangements through with the whole team.
“Talk the arrangements through” requests detailed discussion, beyond simply mentioning the topic.
The usage comparisons are checked against the Cambridge Dictionary entries linked beside the compared expressions. The additional conversations and exercises are written for this course.
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