In this lesson, you will learn how to say 'goodbye' when you are leaving a place and/or other people. 

There are many different phrases you can use in informal conversations. 

​
Phrases to use when you leave a place: 

• I've gotta go. (= I have to go.) 
• I should get going. (= when you are ready to leave a place) 
• I should probably get going. 
• I'd better get going. 
• I'd better go. 

           It's five o'clock. I'd better go now before the rush hour. 


Phrases to use when you leave people: 

• ​See you in a bit. (British English) (= see you soon) 
• See you in a while. (= see you soon) 
• See you. (= saying goodbye to someone you know when you expect to see them again soon) 

           Well, see you there. 

• See you soon. (= saying goodbye to someone you are going to meet again soon) 

           I'll see you soon. 

• See you later. | See ya later. (= saying goodbye to someone you know when you expect to see them again soon, especially later the same day) 
• Catch you later. (= the same as 'See you later.') (an informal way of saying goodbye) 
• See you tomorrow/at seven/on Monday/next week, etc. 
• See you at the airport at 6 o'clock. (place + time) 
• (I’ll) be seeing you! (= you're not sure when you will see this person again) 
• See yourself out. (= to leave a building or room by yourself after visiting someone there) 

           I'll see myself out. (= when the host doesn't have to walk you to the door) 

• I'll talk to you about it later. I gotta run. 
• Take care. (= saying goodbye to someone in a friendly way) 
• So nice to see you. I'll leave so you two can catch up. 
• It was nice seeing you. 

Other lessons:
Commonly Used Phrases in Spoken English 
Spoken English: How to Agree and Show Interest 
Travel Tips: How to Ask for Information and Make Recommendations ​

English conversation lessons: 
English Conversation: Saying Goodbye 
English Conversation: Travel experience 
English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia 
​English Conversation: Socialising with people and working in coffee shops 


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In this lesson, you will learn common phrases used in informal situations. They will help you sound more natural in English conversations. 

Read the examples to learn how you can use them in your everyday life.


I bet (that) 
You can use it when you are sure about something. 

Examples: 

• You're doing a wonderful job. I bet it's not always easy. 
• I bet the bus will be late. 

​
I owe you 
You can use this phrase to thank someone for something they have done for you. It is also a way of saying that you will do something for them in the future. 

Examples: 

• I owe you a treat. Can I treat you to coffee? 
• Thanks for your help. I owe you a favour. 
• Thanks for helping me out, John. I owe you one! 

up for something 
You can use this phrase to show that you are ready and willing to do something. 

Examples: 

• 'Do you wanna go grab some lunch?' - 'Sure, I'm up for it.' 
• Are you up for going to the cinema tomorrow evening? 
• (in a hospital) I know it’s after visiting hours, but are you up for some company? – Yes, come in. 

Note: You can also use the phrase in questions to ask other people if they would like to do something with you or to go to a place with you. 


off the table 
We use 'off the table' to talk about offers or proposals that are no longer considered or available. 

Examples: 

• (in a publishing company) Children's books are off the table. (= not going to publish them) 
• This offer will be off the table next month. (= it won't be available) 
• Don't wait too long to accept the job offer -- it might be off the table before you know it. 
• (football) His contract expires at the end of the season and the next one is off the table. 

go off the rails 
1. To start behaving in an inappropriate or socially unacceptable manner. 

Examples: 

• ​At 16, she suddenly went off the rails and started skipping school. (skip school = pretending to go to school but actually taking part in activities) 
• He was a promising student but he went off the rails after his parents got divorced. 
• My son started going off the rails in his late teens. (teens = the period of your life when you are between 13 and 19 years old.) [early/late teens] 

2. To no longer work as planned or intended. 

Examples: 

• If this goes off the rails, my dad's whole business could go under. (= become bankrupt) 

​
Note: OPPOSITE: back on the rails (behaving or functioning in a normal way) 

Examples: 

• If we succeed in raising money, the project will be back on the rails. 

learn (something) the hard way 
When you learn how to do something by trying and making a lot of mistakes. 

Examples: 

• Living abroad can be tough and lonely. I had to learn that the hard way. 
• I thought he was going to propose to me and then he broke my heart. I learned the hard way.  
• Being a parent is definitely challenging, but you never really know what it means until you learn about it the hard way. 

(just) for the record 
You can use this phrase when you give a piece of information that you want people to know. 
You make something clear and known publicly. 

Examples: 

• For the record, I'm doing this for the kids. 
• Just for the record, soft drinks are bad for your teeth. 

Note: It can be used to add something that isn't related to the conversation, but needs to be said. 

Synonyms: Let me make myself clear. | Let's get things straight. 


be big on something 
It is used to say that you are very interested in something, or like something a lot. 

Examples: 

• To be honest, I'm not very big on classical music. 
• I'm big on history. I really like reading historical books and learning more about ancient cities and civilizations. 

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Other lessons: 
English Conversation: Saying Goodbye 
Commonly Used Phrases in Spoken English 
Spoken English: How to Agree and Show Interest 
English Lesson: 10 Ways to Say that Something is Bad 
English Lesson: 10 Ways to Say that Something is Good 
​Travel Tips: How to Ask for Information and Make Recommendations 


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In this lesson, you will learn common phrases used in informal situations. They will help you sound more natural in English conversations. 

Read the examples to learn how you can use them in your everyday life. 


speaking of 
You can use this phrase to introduce something you are going to say that is related to what someone else has already mentioned. 

Examples: ​

• Speaking of Jane, where is she? 
• And speaking of gifts, I have one for you. 
• Speaking of holidays, we're planning to spend New Year in Sydney. 

not bother | not bother yourself 
When you tell someone that they do not need to do something for you. 

​Examples: 

• 'I'll get you a drink.' -- 'No, please don't bother.' 
• 'Are you sure you can do this by yourself?' -- 'Sure, I can manage. Don't bother yourself.' 
• 'Why didn't you ask me? I would come with you.' -- 'I didn't want to bother you.' 

off the top of one's head 
When you say something from memory or without much thinking or consideration. 

Examples: 

• 'That's a great idea!' -- 'Right off the top of my head.' 
• 'How many did we sell last month?' -- 'Off  the top of my head, I think around 50, but I'll check the figures again and let you know.' 
• 'How much does the ticket cost?' -- 'I don't know off the top of my head, but I can look it up online.' 

fall into place 
When events or details that you did not understand before fall into place, they suddenly make sense and become easy to understand. 

Examples: 

• Once they decided how to complete the project, things fell into place. 
• Party planners are coming tomorrow -- everything is falling into place. 
• Keep your options open and you'll see that everything will fall into place. 
• I was really jealous at first, but once I discovered that she was just a friend, everything fell into place. 

keep an eye on (something/someone) 
To look after something or someone or to watch carefully 

Examples: 

• Can you keep an eye on my bag while I'm buying some food for the trip? 
• Can you keep an eye on my cat for two days? I'll be away this weekend. 
• Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the baby while you go to the store. 

​

make (the) time 
To have some time when you are not busy in order to do something you think you should do 

Examples: 

• I'm busy now, but I'll try to make time to do it tomorrow. 
• I'm looking for a new job. I need to make time to work on my résumé this weekend. 
• His work keeps him so busy that he can't even make time for the kids. He should definitely re-evaluate his priorities. 

Other lessons: 
Commonly Used Phrases in Spoken English 
Spoken English: How to Agree and Show Interest 
​Discourse Markers for IELTS Speaking and Everyday English 

English collocation lessons: 
English Lesson: Collocations for Making Decisions 
English Lesson: Collocations for Describing a Conversation 

English conversation lessons: 
English Conversation: Saying Goodbye 
English Conversation: Socialising with people and working in coffee shops 


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Get access to 97+ Part 2 topics given between January and December 2019. Click here. 

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Let's start this lesson by explaining what a discourse marker is and why it is important to use it in spoken English. 

A discourse marker is a word or phrase we use to organise spoken language into different parts. 
Here are some examples of discourse markers: basically, apparently, actually, honestly, obviously, otherwise, besides, anyway, and many more. 

You already know and use discourse markers in your own native language. They help you connect and organise what you say as well as change or manage a topic. 

It is important to remember that discourse markers make you sound more natural in a language. 

Now, let's focus on why it is difficult to use them correctly in spoken English. 

Discourse markers are difficult to use accurately because: 

• they lack a specific meaning - they express attitudes and what the speaker is thinking 
• they may not translate easily between languages, and are not used in exactly the same way 
• they can go at the beginning, end or in the middle of a sentence 

In this lesson, we will focus on discourse markers which you can use in everyday English as well as in a speaking part of an exam (IELTS, for example). We have provided really good examples with vocabulary and structures used in C1 and C2 levels of English. 


Well 
We can use 'well' as a discourse marker at the beginning of what we say. By doing so, we show that we are thinking about the question that we have been asked. 

Examples: 

• ​'Can you tell me about your hometown?' 'My hometown, well, I grew up in a small town in the north part of China.' 
• 'Do you think that climate change is affecting the lives of local people in Brazil and how? 'Well, I think the main problem has been the effect of drought on food supplies. The majority of people there are farmers and they have already lost animals and crops. Farming is essential in an area like that.' 
• 'What do you think about Prague?' 'Well, I think it's a beautiful city. It's actually on my bucket list. I want to visit it one day because I'm interested in history and there are a lot of places there I would like to explore and learn more about.' 
• Well, I remember I didn't have a map of the city when I arrived there, so I didn't know where to go first. 
• Well, I've always been fascinated by plants and animals. 

Of course 
It is often used to show that what you are saying is obvious or already known. 

Example: 

• I'd never really thought about exercise and keeping fit until a couple of months ago. I was in a hurry and I had to run to catch an early morning bus - just a couple of hundred metres. By the time I got to the bus stop, I was completely exhausted. On the bus I started thinking that I didn't really do much with my free time - just reading magazines, watching movies and sitting at my computer for hours. I realised that it was time to take up an activity. I started running in the local park - just a few hundred metres at first, and gradually building up. Now I run more, a few kilometres a day. Of course, that takes up quite a lot of time, but I certainly feel a lot fitter than before. 

Actually 
​We use it to indicate a new topic of conversation or a change or contrast in what is being talked about. We also use actually to give more detail about a topic. 

Examples: 

• He was actually very helpful. 
• The restaurant itself is actually not that old, but what it's built on is over a century old. 
• I actually read a lot about food and health, and what I should be eating. 
• 'What are your plans for the future? What do you want to do after university?' 'Actually, I'd like to go into teaching.' (go into something = to join an organization, especially in order to have a career in it) [go into teaching / politics / journalism, etc.] 
• Some parents will actually discourage their children from taking up a sport on the basis that they might get distracted from their studies. 
• 'How much recycling do people in your country do?' 'I think that recycling is getting better in my country. Actually, in the town where I live we have a very strong recycling programme.' 

​

I mean 
As we talk, we listen to what we are saying. We often rephrase or change the information depending on our listener. We use discourse markers to make what we say clearer for the listener. 
We can use words and phrases such as well, I mean, in other words, the thing is, what I mean is, etc. 

Example: 

• 'Why do people like shopping during sales?' 'I think people tend to look for some kind of bargain because they can save some money, and get what they want at the same time. This is probably the main reason. To be honest, another reason could be the feeling of following the crowd. I mean, during promotion periods people usually head to the shops because they don't want to miss this opportunity and we immediately have an urge to do the same. It feels like a competition for a number of certain products at lower prices. I think those are the two main reasons. 

Besides 
It means 'in addition to', 'also' or 'apart from'.  
We use this word when we want to add more information to support what we are saying as well as give another reason or argument for something.  

Examples: 

• 'What are the main advantages of online shopping?' 'I think one big advantage is that shopping on the Internet tends to be cheaper and that's a huge attraction when it comes to prices and saving money. Besides that, using the Internet is more convenient, because online shopping stores are available 24/7, all year round. We don't need to travel or spend time in shopping centres, because online shopping is much quicker and saves us energy. Another advantage is the ability to compare products and prices. We can easily determine which online store offers the most affordable item as well as whether they have it in stock.' 
• My best friend and I have lots of things in common besides music. 
• Besides working as a TV host, he is also a model. 
• I don't have any other family members in the city besides my parents. 

Click below to read some of our IELTS related lessons: 
Causes and Effects of Migration from Rural Areas to Cities 
IELTS Speaking Test: Means of Transport (We give answers to five questions from Part 3 of the speaking test.) 
IELTS Speaking Test: Arriving Early and Being Patient (We give answers to six questions from Part 3 of the speaking test.) 
IELTS Speaking Test: Places That Tourists Visit and Being a Tourist (We give answers to six questions from Part 3 of the speaking test.) 
IELTS: Advantages and Disadvantages of Using the Internet 


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In this lesson, we are going to focus on some commonly used phrases in spoken English. 
These are typical expressions used by native English speakers. Read the examples to learn how you can use them in your everyday life. 

Some of these phrases are really advanced (C2 level of English).
For example: By all means. / Do your own thing. / Call it a day.  

​
You can say that again! (Informal) 
We use it when we strongly agree with what someone has said. 

Examples: 

• 'I think this film is boring.' 'You can say that again!' 
• 'I was so excited about coming to this city, but now that I'm here I realise there isn't much to do.' 'You can say that again!' 
• 'I still can't believe we won the competition.' 'Yeah, you can say that again.' 
• 'I thought the weather would be nice and sunny during our beach holiday. It's been raining for two days already.' 'You can say that again.' 

​Don't ask! (Informal) 
It is a way of saying that you don't want to talk or think about something because it was not good, pleasant, enjoyable, etc. 

Examples: 

• 'Hey, how was your exam today?' 'Don't ask!' (= The exam didn't go as expected. The person may pass the exam, but probably not with a high score.) 
• 'How was your first day at school?' 'Don't ask!' 
• 'How was your day at work?' 'Don't ask!' 

Synonyms: How long have you got? | Don't remind me. 


​Don't mention it! (Polite) 
You can use it as a polite answer to someone who has just thanked you for something.
It's a way to accept someone's thanks. 

Examples: 

• 'Thanks for your help.' 'Don't mention it!' 
• 'Thank you for inviting me to that event.' 'Don't mention it!' 

Synonyms: You're welcome. | No problem. | Not at all. | My pleasure. (Polite) 

So instead of saying 'You're welcome' all the time, you can use the expression above. 


Don't mind someone. (Don't mind me/him/her/them.) 
You can use it to tell someone to ignore someone else and to continue with what they are doing. 
It can also be used to say sorry for someone else's behaviour. 

Examples: 

• Please carry on with your conversation. Don't mind me. 
• Don't mind me. I'm just sorting out some files here. 
• Don't mind Sarah. She can be quite stubborn at times. 

​
Bear with me. (Phrasal verb) 
This phrase is a polite way of asking someone to be patient while you do or finish something. 

Examples: 

• 'Hey, Mike, is the presentation ready yet?' 'Bear with me. I have a few more slides to add.' 
• 'Is my car repaired yet?' 'Bear with me. I will have finished in an hour.' 
• My Internet connection is not so good at the moment. Bear with me. I'll change the Wi-Fi network. 

By all means. 
You can use this phrase to politely agree with someone, give permission or say 'Yes'. 

Examples: 

• 'Can I invite some friends too?' 'By all means.' 
• 'Can I open the window?' 'By all means.' 
• 'May I make a suggestion?' 'Yes, by all means.' 
• 'Could I have a glass of water, please?' 'By all means. I'll get it for you.' 

Synonyms: Of course. | Definitely. | Certainly. | Please do. 


I see what you mean. / I see your point. / I know what you mean. 
These phrases are used to tell someone that you understand what they are saying, even though you might not agree. 

Examples: 

• 'We need to promote the product in the summer. That's the peak season.' 'Yeah, I see what you mean.' 
• 'We lost that potential customer. We should have offered a discount at the beginning.' 'I see your point, but I don't think there's anything we can do at the moment.' 
• 'He's so hard to talk.' 'I know what you mean.' 

​

I know the feeling. 
It is used in spoken English to show that you understand how someone feels about something. You show sympathy. 

Examples: 

• 'I met an old friend today and I felt embarrassed because I couldn't remember her name.'  'Yeah, I know the feeling.' 
• 'She's texting me all day every day. It's driving me mad.' 'I know the feeling.' 
• 'Sometimes I feel like we shouldn't be together. He can be quite cold and distant. It's like he doesn't even care about me.' 'Yeah, I know the feeling. I hope you clear things up.' 

clear something <-> up (phrasal verb) - solve or explain something 


Do your own thing. (Informal) 
This phrase is used to tell someone to do what they want to do, without worrying what other people think or want. 

Examples: 

• Do your own thing and don't care what anyone else thinks. 
• Ignore them and do your own thing. 
• If that makes you happy then do your own thing. 

Call it a day. (Informal) 
You can say that when you decide to stop working, especially because you have done enough or you are tired. 

Examples: 

• You've been studying hard. I think you should call it a day. 
• I'm getting a bit tired now. Let's call it a day. 

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​

In this lesson, we're going to learn some key phrases with the verbs have and take. 


HAVE 

We use have when we talk about events, actions, experiences and activities. 

Examples: 

• I'm going to have a bath. 
• Let's have a party to celebrate your birthday. 
• We usually have a break at noon. 
• Did you have a nice holiday? 
• Did you have a nice time in London? 

We use have when we talk about eating food and meals. 

Examples: 

• We had a wonderful meal in the new Italian restaurant on New Oxford Street. 
• Shall we have lunch together sometime? (You don't know exactly when or you haven't decided yet.) 

We use have for days or parts of days. 

Examples: 

• Have a nice day! 
• I had a tough day. 
• Did you have a nice morning (afternoon / evening / birthday / holiday)? 

We use have for conversations and interactions. 

Examples: 

• I need to have a chat with my colleague about our working hours at the weekend. 
• My parents had an argument about money. 

We use have when we talk about sleeping. 

Examples: 

• She had a rest in the afternoon. 
• I used to have terrible dreams when I was young. 

We use have when we talk about accidents and problems with cars. 

Example: 

• She had an accident when she was young. She fell off a horse. 

We use have when we talk about travel. 

Examples: 

• We had a 12-hour flight from London to Hanoi. 
• Have a safe trip!

PHRASES WITH HAVE

• have breakfast / lunch / dinner (Don't use 'a' in this case!) 
• have fun 
• have a shower / bath 
• have a nap 
• have a rest 
• have a chat 
• have a baby 
• have a look 
• have a choice / an opportunity 
• have a problem 
• have a feeling 
• have a cold (When you are sick and you sneeze a lot.) 
• have an influence 
• have an operation 
• have a clue / idea 
• have a surprise
• have a (good) laugh (about something) (Informal) 

TAKE

Remember: 
We don't use take when we talk about having a meal or a drink. 

Examples: 

• After the cinema we usually go for a pizza. 
• Why don't we have a coffee together tomorrow morning? 

We use take to talk about time and duration. 

Examples: 

• take something to do something - It takes about half an hour to get to the airport. 
• take somebody something (to do something) - How much does it take you to get to work? 
• It takes me 20 minutes to get to work. 
• It took us a week to paint the house. 

The verb take can be used in other cases as well. These are the most common phrases that you need to learn. 


We use take in a lot of phrases, especially with nouns. In these cases, the meaning of take depends on the noun. 

PHRASES WITH TAKE 

• take notes (= to write something down) 
• take advantage (of something) 
• take a photograph / picture of somebody / something 
• take somebody's temperature 
• take a seat (a polite way of inviting somebody to sit down) 
• take bribes (= to give or offer money to somebody to persuade them to help you, especially by doing something dishonest or illegal) 
• take advice / take (someone's) advice (about something) 
• take criticism 
• take a step / walk / stroll / trip 
• take a bath / shower 
• take a look (at) (It's more casual and friendly.) (= to look) 
• take a deep breath 
• take a break / rest 
• take a risk 
• take a job (= to accept a job offer) 
• take a chance / an opportunity 
• take an action (= to do something in order to make something happen or to deal with a situation) 
• take time (to do something) (= to need a certain amount of time)  
• take part (in something) (= to participate; to be actively involved in something with other people) 
• take place (= to happen; used for organized events) 
• take responsibility (for something)
• take an exam / a course 
• take a taxi / bus / train / plane 

Exercise 

1. I just ................ a sandwich for lunch. 
2. My hair is too long. I really need to ................ a haircut. 
3. There is no need to hurry. ................ your time. 
4. Could you ................ a picture of us, please? 
5. This picture was ................ on my 25th birthday. 
6. I was angry at that time but we ................ a good laugh about it afterwards. 
7. They're ................ a surprise party for Kim on Saturday night. 
8. The menu ................ a good choice of desserts. 
9. My husband and I ................ turns to cook. 
10. He ................ what I said as a criticism. 
11. The dentist can't ................ any new patients today. 
12. If they offer me the job, I'll ................ it. 
13. I think you should ................ advantage of this discount. 
14. This festival ................ place every summer. 
15. The 2016 Summer Olympics ................ place in Brazil. 
16. All Members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) can ................ part in the European Song     Contest. Every year, the invitation to participate in the contest is sent out to all Members. While some of them choose not to ................ part, most of them do. 


Answers: 
1. had; 2. have; 3. Take; 4. take; 5. taken; 6. had; 7. having; 8. has; 9. take; 10. took; 11. take; 12. take;
13. take; 14. takes; 15. took; 16. take; take;