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…

I’m a big fan of…

I really enjoy…

I’m into…

I absolutely love…

I’m crazy about…

I’m fond of…

It’s right up my alley

It’s my thing

I can’t get enough of…

It appeals to me

It’s growing on me

I wouldn’t miss it for the world

I’m not a big fan of…

I don’t really enjoy…

I’m not into…

I can’t stand…

I’m not fond of…

It’s not my cup of tea

It doesn’t do anything for me

I’m sick of…

It gets on my nerves

It puts me off

I’d rather not…

It leaves me cold…

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

Idioms with parts of the body
Learn more words

THE BLUE TREE

Learn Words

CEF B1

CEFR B2

Upper
Intermediate

Practise English by describing this image

warm up

Answer the questions below. Listen to same people answering these questions. Report back or read the transcript to practise speaking.

TRANSCRIPT

Oh yes, when I tried investing in cryptocurrencies a couple of years ago. At first, it looked like I was making money, but then the market crashed, and I lost hand over fist. It felt like money was just slipping through my fingers. It taught me to be more cautious with risky investments and to do proper research before jumping into something just because everyone else is doing it.

TRANSCRIPT

That was during a hiking trip in the mountains last summer. I hadn’t trained properly, and the climb turned out to be much tougher than I expected. By the time I reached the final stretch, I was completely on my last legs. My body ached, and I could hardly breathe. Still, I pushed through, and the view at the top made the effort worthwhile. It was exhausting but also strangely rewarding.

TRANSCRIPT

Absolutely. I’ve set my heart on starting my own design studio one day. I’ve worked for agencies for years, and while it’s been good experience, I’d love to create a space where I can follow my own creative vision. It won’t be easy, but I’m motivated to gain the skills and build the network I need. Having such a clear goal makes me more focused and helps me stay disciplined with my choices.

part one

KEY LANGUAGE

There are many expressions and idioms with parts of the body. 

Study these flashcards. Flip the card to see a definition of each of the idioms.

DIVE DEEPER

Let’s dive deeper into the meaning of these idioms. Go through these flachacards. Check out the phonetic script, a Polish translation and an English example for each of these body idioms.

part two

TALKING POINTS

Discuss the questions below. 

Make sure you use the newly learnt idioms with parts of the body.

Category 1: Relationships and Social Situations

BulletDescribe a time when someone was “a pain in the neck” to you. How did you handle the situation, and what did you learn from it?
BulletHave you ever “fallen head over heels in love“? What was that experience like, and how did it change your perspective on relationships?
BulletWhen was the last time you had to “give someone a hand“? Why do you think helping others is important in building strong relationships?
BulletCan you think of a situation where someone “stuck their nose into your business“? How did you feel, and what’s the difference between being helpful and being intrusive?
BulletDescribe a moment when you had to “keep a straight face” in a serious situation. Why is it sometimes challenging to control our facial expressions?

Category 2: Personal Growth and Independence

BulletWhat does it mean to “learn to stand on your own two feet“? Share an example from your life when you had to become more independent.
BulletThink about a time when you had to “put your foot down” about something important. What was at stake, and how did people react to your firmness?
BulletDescribe a situation where you had to “think on your feet.” What skills do you think are most important when facing unexpected challenges?
BulletHave you ever “gotten cold feet” about a major decision? What caused your hesitation, and how did you overcome it or decide not to proceed?
BulletWhen have you needed to “get something off your chest“? Why is it important to share our worries and concerns with others?

Category 3: Money, Value, and Priorities

BulletTell us about something that “cost an arm and a leg.” Was it worth the expense? How do you decide when something expensive is justified?
BulletHave you ever had to “foot the bill” for others unexpectedly? How did that make you feel, and what did you learn about generosity and financial responsibility?
BulletWhat’s something you’ve “set your heart on” that seemed out of reach? How do you balance wanting something badly with being realistic about your goals?
BulletDescribe something you’ve “had your eye on” for a while. What makes you want it, and how do you decide when to make a purchase?
BulletThink about a time when someone was “making money hand over fist.” What do you think about rapid financial success, and how should it be handled responsibly?

Category 4: Awareness and Observation

BulletShare an experience where something important happened “under your nose” without you noticing. What does this teach us about paying attention to our surroundings?
BulletDescribe a place you “know like the back of your hand.” What makes a location become so familiar, and why do we form strong connections to certain places?
BulletWhen have you had to “keep an eye on” someone or something? What are the challenges and responsibilities that come with watching over others?
BulletTell us about a time when you couldn’t “put your finger on” what was wrong in a situation. How do you handle uncertainty when you sense something isn’t right?
BulletThink of someone you “set eyes on” and immediately knew would be important in your life. Do you believe in first impressions, and how reliable do you think they are?

MODEL ANSWERS

Complete five model answers to some of the questions from the previous exercise.

COMMENTS

Which of the idioms do you like the most?

Share your views and opinions below.

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