FUNCTIONS:

Agreeing

Disagreeing

Hesitating

Introducing your opinion

Asking for opinions

Expressing preferences

Asking for clarification

Expressing likelihood

Speculating, guessing

Advice and recommendations

Describing a picture

Agreeing

I think you’re right

I would go along with the idea

I completely agree with you

That makes perfect sense

You have a point there

Absolutely, that’s spot on!

I couldn’t agree more

Disagreeing

That’s not how I see it

I couldn’t agree less

You must be kidding

That’s a ridiculous idea, don’t you think?

With all due respect, I must disagree

I’m afraid I can’t see it that way

No way, that’s nonsense!

Hesitating

I’m in two minds about it

I have some reservations regarding that

I’m not entirely convinced

There’s something that gives me pause

While I’m not entirely opposed, I do have some doubts

Introducing your opinion

To my mind

I reckon

In my opinion

As I see it

It seems to me

I would argue

From my point of view

Asking for opinions

Don’t you think …?

What’s your attitude to …?

What’s your opinion of …?

Are you in favour of …?

What’s your position as regards …?

You don’t support …, do you?

Expressing preferences

I prefer…

I would rather…

My preference would be…

I tend to favour…

If I had to choose, I would…

I lean towards…

I am inclined to…

Giving reasons

Asking for clarification

Could you please elaborate on that?

Would you mind explaining that further?

I’m not quite sure I understand. Could you clarify?

Could you provide more details?

Can you expand on that point?

Expressing likelihood

“It’s a foregone conclusion that…”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that…”

“I am almost certain that…”

“It’s highly likely that…”

“Chances are that…”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if…”

“It’s possible that…”

“There’s a chance that…”

“It’s unlikely that…”

“I doubt that…”

Speculating, guessing

“It seems to me that…”

“My gut feeling is that…”

“From what I gather…”

“If I were to guess…”

“It would appear that…”

“I reckon that…”

“I suspect that…”

“In all likelihood…”

“There’s a distinct possibility that…”

“It’s plausible that…”

Advice and recommendations

“You might want to consider…”

“Perhaps you could try…”

“If I were you, I would…”

“One thing you could do is…”

“Have you thought of…”

“May I suggest…”

“It might be beneficial to…”

“Consider this approach…”

“Why not give this a go…”

“If it were up to me, I’d…”

Describing a picture

“In the foreground…”

“In the background…”

“In the center of the image…”

“On the left side of the picture…”

“On the right side of the picture…”

“At the top of the picture…”

“At the bottom of the picture…”

“The picture depicts…”

“The image illustrates…”

“The photograph shows…”

“One can see…”

“Notice how…”

“This scene captures…”

“This photograph highlights…”

DICTIONARY

Add new and interesting words from this lesson to your English dictionary.

Store your words and expressions in this handy dictionary. You can create groups and play games based on your entries. There is also a practical importing feature.

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Sorry, but lessons on The Blue Tree work only on a computer or a tablet.

Bardzo mi przykro, ale lekcje na platformie The Blue Tree działają jedynie na komputerze lub tablecie.

Do zobaczenia na większym ekranie 🙂

Zespół The Blue Tree

DUNE by Frank Herbert
Learn more words

THE BLUE TREE

Entertainment

CEF B1

CEFR B1

Intermediate

warm up

Answer these questions. Listen to Alita offer her answers to these questions. Report what you heard.

What kind of books do you like reading? Has it changed over time?

TRANSCRIPT

Well, I’m totally into self-help books. Learning new stuff about myself, figuring out how to be the best version of me, it’s all super interesting. Those books can be a real eye-opener! But I’m also a sucker for a good science fiction story. Spaceships, other worlds, all that futuristic stuff – it just gets my imagination going wild.

My all-time favorite has to be “Dune” by Frank Herbert. It’s such a crazy, epic story with politics, a totally weird desert planet, and those giant sandworms… It’s just the coolest!

I guess my taste in books has kind of changed over time. When I was younger, I was more into adventure stuff, things with nonstop action. But now I find I like those deeper books, ones that make me think, you know?

What impact do books have on you and people in general?
TRANSCRIPT

Books have this amazing power, you know? With self-help books, it’s like… you get this whole toolbox of ideas for improving yourself. They give you a chance to step back, see things differently, and figure out what really matters to you. It’s pretty inspiring!

And with sci-fi books like “Dune,” they can totally blow your mind. They open up your imagination to all these crazy possibilities, different ways of living, and questions about the future. They make you wonder, ‘What if…?‘ It’s kind of like mental exploration.

I think books are important for everyone. They help you grow, they spark your imagination, and they make you think about the bigger picture. Plus, reading is just plain relaxing and fun, which is always a bonus!

What is your favourite film adaptation of a book?
TRANSCRIPT

Ooh, that’s a tough one! There are some good ones out there… But I might have to go with the newer “Dune” movie – the one by Denis Villeneuve. I know a lot of people were big fans of the older version, but I think the new one is incredible.

They did such a great job with the visuals. The world of Arrakis feels so real and alien at the same time. Plus, the acting is awesome, and they nailed the whole epic feeling of the book. It really takes you on this wild ride through the story. I loved it!

part one

KEY LANGUAGE

Study these words.

VIDEO

Watch the first part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions.

  • When was DUNE published and by whom?
  • When is the story set?
  • Why aren’t there any computers or robots in this universe?
  • What special powers do humans possess?
  • What is the most essential resource?
  • Where can it be found?

part two

KEY LANGUAGE

Study these words.

VIDEO

Watch the second part of the video.

COMPREHENSION

Answer these questions.

  • Who is the key figure in the DUNE story?
  • What happens when Paul arrives on Arrakis?
  • What did Frank Herbert spent five years on?
  • Who is Jessica and why is she important?
  • Who are the Fremen?
  • How did Frank Herbert incorporate a sense of scale in the book?
  • Can this book’s message be relevant in today’s world?
  • Would you like to read it or watch the film (if you haven’t already laughing)?

PRACTICE

FROM SCIENCE FICTION TO REALITY

Read this dialogue. Alita is talking to Kat about the impact science fiction books have on our daily lives. Who do you agree with?

Alita: So, what do you think about all this sci-fi stuff anyway? I know you’re not as into it as I am.

Kat: Honestly, it all just seems so unrealistic to me. Cool lasers and spaceships are fun for a movie, but come on, it’s not like we’re actually gonna be zooming around in flying cars anytime soon.

Alita: True, maybe not the flying cars, not yet, anyway. But sci-fi has a way of inspiring stuff that seems crazy until it…well, isn’t. Think about video calls! Remember how that felt like some futuristic thing out of “Star Trek”? Now we’re zooming each other every day.

Kat: Okay, okay, you got me there. One example doesn’t change my mind.

Alita: Alright, how about this – remember those old sci-fi movies where robots walk around and talk? Now we’ve got Boston Dynamics robots doing backflips and Alexa telling us the weather.

Kat: I suppose… but those are still kind of gimmicky, right? I mean, we’re not exactly living on Mars yet!

Alita: Gimmicks are the first step! And don’t forget about medical stuff. Remember those sci-fi books where they heal people with lasers and weird machines? Now we have robotic surgeries and 3D-printed organs – that stuff used to sound nuts! Sci-fi shows us the ‘what if’ and then scientists start working on making it real.

Kat:Alright, maybe you’re onto something. Maybe sci-fi isn’t just about entertainment.

Alita: Exactly! It’s like this massive brainstorming session for the whole world. It pushes the boundaries and makes us ask, ‘Hey, why can’t we do that?

Kat: Hmm, I might need to borrow one of your crazy sci-fi books sometime. You’re starting to make me curious.

Alita: Anytime! And hey, I’m telling you, you’ll want to start with “Dune”!

COLLOCATIONS

Play this game about some of the collocations used in the film.

POLL

Cast your vote in the poll.

Coming Soon
Science-fiction books and films are great
Total Votes : 2

lesson glossary

Learn the language from this lesson using this practical glossary.

COMMENTS

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MY ENGLISH DICTIONARY

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THE END OF THE LESSON

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