Fantastic Phrases for your B2 Exam!

Getting ready for your B2 English exam can feel difficult, especially when you need to speak clearly and naturally. A good way to prepare is by learning useful phrases that you can use in many speaking tasks. In this article, you will find fantastic phrases to help you: ask for and give opinions, agree and disagree, talk about advantages and disadvantages, give advice, and talk about possibilities. At the end, there is an example conversation to show you how these phrases can be used in real life.

1. Asking for and giving opinions

Asking for opinions:

• What’s your take on…? - What's your take on nuclear energy?

• How do you feel about…? - How do you feel about using public transport?

• Would you agree that…? - Would you agree that making eye contact is important?

• What’s your perspective on…? - What's your perspective on globalisation?

• Do you reckon…? (informal) - Do you rekon it's a good idea?

Giving opinions:

• In my view, it seems that…

• As far as I'm concerned…

• I tend to think that…

• From where I stand…

• If you ask me… (informal and conversational)

• Speaking personally, I’d say that…

• Having weighed up all the options, I think that... (Having + past participle) - Hmmmmmm [pause and think] Well, having weighed up all the options, I think that... would be best because...

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2. Agreeing and disagreeing

Agreeing:

• Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more.

• That’s a fair point.

• You’ve hit the nail on the head. (idiom)

• Yeah, we’re on the same page i think. (idiom)

• I’m with you on that one.

Disagreeing:

• I see where you’re coming from, but…

• That’s one way of looking at it, however…

• I’m not entirely convinced by that.

• You’ve got a point, but I’d argue that…

• With all due respect, I think… (v.formal)

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3. Talking about advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• One major advantage of ... is that…

• It has the added benefit of + gerund

• What’s great about ... is that... (cleft sentence)

• A further benefit of... is that...

• Another consideration might be that...

Disadvantages:

• A downside is that…

• One point of contention might be that...

• The main drawback is that...

• The key disadvantage of... is that...

• On the flipside... (informal)

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4. Giving advice

• You might want to consider that...

• Have you thought about…? - Have you thought about changing jobs?

• If I were you, I’d… (2nd conditional) - If I were you, I'd look for a new career.

• What you could do is… (cleft sentence) - What you could do is eat more healthily.

• I think he/she should...

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5. Expressing possibilities

• There’s a chance that…

• It’s not out of the question that…

• There’s a real possibility that…

• It might end up being… (phrasal verb)

• Who’s to say that...will / won’t…?

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Here's an example conversation between 2 students discussing

part 3 of the cambridge exam

Question:

How can people help protect the environment?

Options:

1. Recycle

2. Use less water at home

3. Replace old electronics and appliances

4. Buy organic products

5. Use public transport

Student 1: So, how can we help protect the environment? What’s your take on recycling?

Student 2: Well, in my view, it seems that recycling is essential. It helps reduce waste and saves resources. One major advantage of it is that it lowers pollution levels.

Student 1: Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more. But do you reckon it’s enough on its own?

Student 2: Hmm, I’m not entirely convinced by that. I think we need to do more than just recycle. How do you feel about using less water at home?

Student 1: From where I stand, that’s a really effective habit. It’s simple and makes a big difference over time. What’s great about using less water is that it saves energy too, especially when it comes to heating.

Student 2: That’s a fair point. Another consideration might be that saving water could reduce bills, which is a bonus.

Student 1: True! Now, what’s your perspective on replacing old electronics and appliances?

Student 2: It’s a good idea if you ask me, especially if the new ones are a lot more energy-efficient.

Student 1: Yeah, but a downside is that it can be quite expensive as not everyone can afford to upgrade.

Student 2: I see where you’re coming from. What's your view on encouraging people to buy organic products instead?

Student 1: I tend to think that buying organic is good for the planet, but also for health. The main drawback is that it usually costs more.

Student 2: Exactly. Personally, I think people might prioritise price over the environment in that case.

Student 1: Fair enough. So, what do you think about public transport?

Student 2: I’d say that’s one of the best options. It has the added benefit of reducing traffic and pollution. Would you agree that it's one of the better ways to protect the environment?

Student 1: Yeah,I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there.