Have you ever stopped to truly question why…?
What I’m going to tell you about today could completely change/transform the way you perceive/think about…
What I’m going to do is to delve into/ shed light onto/ provide a comprehensive account of…
In this talk I intend to outline…
In my talk I will discuss the features of…
I am going to examine three benefits/ advantages of…
I will structure this talk into three distinct sections. To begin with, I will explore… Following that, I will delve into/ analyse/ critically examine… Lastly, I will conclude by addressing…
I have to say at the outset/ Let me say at the outset that… (=from the very start)
At this stage, I’d like to concentrate on/ shift focus to another/ the second key advantage of…
What you essential to understand about ______ is
Now I’d like to turn to…
Let’s proceed to…
Moving on to the next/ last benefit…
This leads me/ transitions us to my next point.
Having considered/ thoroughly examined…, let’s move on to…
Having said that, …/ That being said, …
At time’s moving on, I’ll now guide you brief overview of…
It seems to me (that)…
I have the impression that…
Personally,
To my mind,
I feel (strongly) that…
I very firmly feel…/ I’m a firm believer that…
I (strongly) believe that…
Speaking from personal experience,
In all honesty,
To tell the truth/ Truth to be told,
It is generally accepted/believed that…
(I think) it’s fair to say that…
It is evident that…
Studies suggest that.../ The evidence suggests that…
It has been proven that…
By and large, …
In general terms, …
Broadly/ Generally speaking, …
In overarching terms,
By way of example,
… is a case in point.
Let me give you an example …, to mention but a few.
Namely, … and …
The point I’m trying to make is…
In other words,
Obviously,
It goes without saying (that)…
Needless to say,
What I’m trying to say is…
To put it another way,
Similarly,
Likewise,
Both X and Y …
By the same token,
While...
...whereas...
In (stark) contrast,
Unlike...
Contrary to X,
As opposed to X,
On the contrary,
Let me make this point clear:
The most important factor/ aspect is...
What is really significant is...
What is important to remember...
I'd like to emphasise the fact that...
I'd like to stress the importance of...
I'd like to underline/ highlight/ stress...
It's important to bear in mind/ keep in mind/ remember
It's worth noticing that...
This is (largely) due to the fact that...
I consider/ believe... to be a crucial factor --
The main reason behind this is…
It's mainly/ mostly down to.../ on account of...
As I previously mentioned, ...
This ties back to my earlier point about...
This circles back to what I highlighted before...
Nevertheless,
In contrast,
On the flip side,
On the other hand,
By way of summary…
In essence, there are three key takeaways regarding...
To distill it down, ...
In a nutshell,
All things considered,
At the end of the day,
To conclude,
All in all,
Bearing all that in mind,
I'd like to conclude by saying...
What's your perspective on...?
What's your take on...?
What are your thoughts about...?
Where do you stand on...?
Would you say you lean towards X or Y on this issue?
If you ask me, I would…
Personally, I believe/feel/reckon…
As I see it,…
It seems to me that…
If I had to give my view, I would say…
From where I stand…
As far as I can tell…
To my mind / To my way of thinking…
To the best of my knowledge…
I’m inclined to believe that…
I hold the view that…
My standpoint on this matter is that…
It is my firm belief/conviction that…
Having weighed the evidence, I would contend/state…
I get what you’re saying, but have you considered…?
That’s true to some extent, but…
I see where you’re coming from, though…
But look at it like this…
I see your point, but let’s reframe it this way…
I see your point, but look at it from another angle…
Hold on a moment, what if we approached it differently?
Another way to look at it is…
The way I see it, the advantages of… outweigh the disadvantages.
If you think about it, it actually makes more sense to…
You might be right, but doesn’t it seem more effective to…?
That may be true, but the fact remains that…
At the end of the day, wouldn’t you agree that…?
Don’t you think so?
Wouldn’t you say so?
…don’t you think?
You’d agree with that, wouldn’t you?
Isn’t that right?
Would you be of a similar opinion?
Would you agree with that?
Does that resonate with you?
Do you share that view?
Do you go along with…?
Can we find common ground on this?
How does that sound to you?
Are we on the same page here?
Shall we agree on that?
I couldn’t agree more!
You’re absolutely right – there’s no denying that.
Without a shadow of a doubt, that’s the case.
That’s beyond question.
Exactly! / Absolutely!
That’s just what I was thinking.
That’s exactly how I see it.
You’re spot on.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
You’ve hit the nail right on the head.
Too right! (informal, British)
I fully share your point of view.
I completely concur with that.
I’d go along with that argument.
I’m in full agreement with you on this.
I endorse that perspective.
I beg to differ.
I see things a bit differently.
I’m not so sure about that.
I’m afraid I can’t quite agree with you there.
I wouldn’t put it that way myself.
We don’t see eye to eye.
We’ll have to agree to disagree.
I can’t buy that idea.
That argument doesn’t really hold water.
I find that hard to swallow.
I strongly disagree with that.
I totally disagree.
That’s not how I see it at all.
I completely reject that point.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Were I in your position, I’d…
If I were in your shoes,…
If I were you, I would…
My advice would be to…
You might want to consider…
Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Better safe than sorry.
Look before you leap.
Don’t cross that bridge until you come to it.
Don’t burn the candle at both ends.
Cover all your bases.
Strike while the iron is hot.
The ball is in your court.
Make the most of the opportunity.
Go for it!
• Hey! This cartoon is full of/ packed with irony/ cultural references. Let me walk you through it so it makes more sense!
• Hey, mate! This cartoon uses humour to comment on/ make a point about... Let me break it down far you so you can catch the message.
• Hey, dude! This cartoon plays with irony. Let me explain it to you so you can grasp its meaning!
• The left/ right side of the image shows/ presents …
• The background of the image shows/ displays..., while the foreground highlights...
• On the left/ right side of the image, you can see..., with the background providing context far/ offering a deeper perspective on...
• In the background... is clearly depicted and contrasts with the foreground, where...
• The foreground illustrates…, while the background contributes to...
• This image gives a subtle message about ...
• The contrast between ... and ... reinforces the irony of ...
• The cartoon uses symbolism to get across...
• The difference / contrast between ... and ... makes the satire stronger.
• The cartoon's exaggerated parts bring out...
• This cartoon smartly points out the contradictions in...
• The humour in the cartoon comes/ arises from ... (an unexpected twist, an absurd exaggeration, a contradiction, ...)
• This image humorously contrasts/ compares ... with ...
• This drawing is a visual critique of...
• This cartoon uses satire to challenge how we see...
• The overall tone critiques... through...
• The cartoon makes a bold statement on/ strong point about...
• The artwork critiques... by showing...
• ... is used to highlight/ point out how ridiculous ... is.
• This image draws attention to ... through ...
• The message underscores/highlights... by exaggerating...
• The cartoon gives a sharp take on ...
• Does that make sense now? Take care and talk to you soon!
• I hope the explanation helped clarify the meaning. Have a wonderful day!
• If you want to discuss it further, we can meet for a coffee tomorrow!
• I hope that clears things up! Take care and catch you later!
• Does everything make sense now? Take good care, my friend!
• Feel free to reach out if you have more questions. Take care!
• If anything's still unclear, just let me know! Have a great day!
• Please, let me know if you want to go over it again. Talk to you soon!
• If you need any more details, just let me know. Bye for now!
From farm to table, millions of euros in food are wasted every year. Use the following questions as a help to prepare your monologue, but do not answer them directly:
- What can consumers do to limit the amount of food that go into trash?
- Is food waste mainly a problem in rich countries?
- What might be the benefits of reducing food waste?
Today, I would like to discuss a pressing issue that affects all of us, regardless of where we come from or our socioeconomic status. I am referring to the issue of food waste.
To put it into perspective, did you know that more than 1 billion tons of food produced for human consumption is wasted every year? That's almost one-third of all food produced globally. In developed countries, like the United States, Europe, and Japan, nearly half of all food waste comes from households. Meanwhile, in developing countries, food waste mainly occurs during the production and distribution stages.
So, what can we do as consumers to limit the amount of food that goes into the trash? First, it is worth bearing in mind that we can start by planning our meals buying what we need as, when we buy too much, it often leads to food spoilage and waste. Secondly, we can use our freezer to store leftover food and prevent it from going bad. Besides that, we can get creative with our leftovers and turn them into new dishes. Lastly, we can donate any excess food to food banks or community organisations.
It is essential to point out that should we continue to waste food at the current rate, it will become increasingly difficult to feed the world's growing population. While it may seem like food waste is mainly a problem in rich countries, it is imperative to note that developing countries also face this issue. In those countries, almost 20% of the food which is produced is wasted due to poor storage and transportation infrastructure.
Now, let's consider the positives. It is worth mentioning that reducing food waste has several benefits. First and foremost, it helps to conserve our planet's resources. When we throw away food, we also waste the energy, water, and labour that went into producing it. Additionally, reducing food waste can help to combat hunger and food insecurity. By donating excess food, we can help to feed those in need. Finally, reducing food waste can also save us money.
As a final point, I’d like to add that we must take action to reduce food waste in our daily lives. As I have already mentioned, by planning our meals, using our freezer and donating excess food, we can make a significant impact on this global issue. It is up to each and every one of us to take responsibility for our food consumption habits and work towards a more sustainable future. Thank you for listening.
Let’s see some negative inversions which can be added so as to improve the level of the monologue:
Not until we start taking food waste seriously can we hope to make a significant impact on our environment and resources.
Rarely do we consider the true cost of throwing away food, from the wasted money and resources to the environmental and ethical implications.
Only by acknowledging the severity of the food waste problem can we begin to work towards a more sustainable and responsible food system.
Here are some idioms/sayings which you can also use in this context:
"A penny saved is a penny earned."
This idiom means that any money saved is the same as money earned. In the context of food waste, it reminds us that by reducing our food waste, we can save money on groceries and other household expenses.
"Eat to live, not live to eat."
This saying means that food should be seen as a means of sustenance rather than an end in itself. In the context of food waste, it encourages us to consume only what we need to sustain ourselves and avoid excessive or wasteful consumption.
Synonyms of key words in the presentation:
· Sustainability: Environmentalism, eco-friendliness, conservation
· Expiration date: Sell-by date, best-before date, use-by date
· Composting: Mulching, recycling, decomposing
· Donations: Contributions, offerings
· Planning: Organization, preparation, arrangement
· Groceries: Provisions, supplies
· Opportunity: Chance, occasion
· Innovation: Creativity, originality, novelty
· Community: Society, area