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Speak on the Spot

speak on the spot esl speaking practice for adults

Introduction

Today you will practise:

  • Responding naturally in everyday situations
  • Using different sentence structures
  • Connecting ideas smoothly
  • Correcting common grammar mistakes while speaking
  • Expressing yourself confidently without preparing every sentence in advance

Quick Reactions

Practise responding naturally to everyday situations using complete, appropriate sentences.

Read each situation and say how you would respond.

  1. A friend invites you to dinner tonight, but you’ve already made plans.
  2. Your manager asks you to finish a task today, but you need more time.
  3. Someone asks whether you’ve ever lived abroad.
  4. A friend suggests visiting a restaurant you’ve never heard of.
  5. Someone asks about your weekend plans, but you haven’t decided what to do.
Extra Rep

Choose two situations and give an alternative response to each.

Try changing your tone. For example, make one response more casual and the other more professional.

Finish the Thought

Practise using different sentence structures to express complete ideas.

Complete each sentence naturally.

  1. I wouldn’t accept the offer unless…
  2. I’ve been considering…
  3. I used to…, but these days…
  4. If I’d known earlier,…
  5. One thing I’ve never understood is…
Your Task

Choose three completed sentences.

Identify whether each sentence refers to the past, present, future, or a hypothetical situation.

Explain what helped you identify the time or meaning.

Connect the Events

Practise using linking expressions and different verb tenses to describe events in a logical order.

Use the three pieces of information to tell a short, connected story.

Story A: Last Friday • missed the bus • arrived late for work

Story B: Wanted a new phone • found a cheaper model • changed my mind

Story C: Received an unexpected call • hadn’t spoken for years • arranged to meet

Story D: Planned a holiday • unexpected problem • stayed at home

Extra Rep

Choose one story and tell it again, starting with the final event.

For example:

  • I arrived late for work last Friday because I’d missed the bus.

Notice how changing the order affects the sentence structure.

Fix It and Keep Going

Practise recognising common grammar mistakes and correcting them while speaking.

Each sentence contains one mistake. Identify it and say the corrected sentence aloud.

  1. I didn’t knew about the appointment.
  2. We’ve been waiting since two hours.
  3. If it will rain tomorrow, we’ll stay indoors.
  4. She’s been living here from 2022.
  5. We went to restaurant near the station.

Speaking Challenge

Choose three corrected sentences.

For each one, explain the grammar rule in simple English.

You don’t need to use complicated grammatical terminology.

The Unexpected Word

Practise using connecting words and time expressions naturally in spoken English.

Answer each prompt using the word provided.

PromptYour word
Describe your usual morning routine.unless
Talk about something you enjoy doing.although
Describe something you’ve completed recently.already
Talk about a recent purchase.because
Describe two activities you sometimes do together.while
Talk about something you’re planning.before

Spot the Difference

Practise recognising how small changes in sentence structure affect meaning.

Read each pair and explain the difference.

1.

A. I’ve worked here for five years.
B. I worked here for five years.

2.

A. I used to work from home.
B. I’m used to working from home.

3.

A. I remembered to call her.
B. I remember calling her.

4.

A. If I have time, I’ll visit.
B. If I had time, I’d visit.

5.

A. He stopped smoking.
B. He stopped to smoke.

Rapid-Fire Speaking

Bring together the skills you’ve practised by responding to different questions naturally and accurately.

Answer each question without writing or preparing your response.

  1. What did you do yesterday?
  2. What’s something you’ve enjoyed recently?
  3. What are you looking forward to?
  4. What’s something you used to do regularly?
  5. What would you do with an unexpected day off?

Final Workout — The Speaking Switch

Practise changing verb forms and sentence structures as you speak.

Read the starting sentence:

“I usually spend my evenings at home.”

For Rounds 1–4, return to this starting sentence each time. Change it according to the instruction for that round. You do not need to build on your previous answer.

Round 1 — Talk About the Past

Describe how you spent your evenings at a particular time in the past. Change the verb form and add a past time expression.

Round 2 — Make It Negative

Change the starting sentence to say that spending your evenings at home is not your usual routine.

Use don’t + the base form of the verb.

Round 3 — Add a Condition

Describe a situation that could change your usual evening routine. Use if to introduce the situation and explain what you will do.

Round 4 — Talk About Someone Else

Change the starting sentence so that it describes another person’s routine. Remember that with he or she, the present simple verb usually takes –s.