Expressions
"Marcus told his team, 'Let’s not beat around the bush—our project is late.' What does 'beat around the bush' mean?"
It means to avoid directly addressing the issue or topic.
"Your friend says, 'I just got a puppy!' What could you ask to keep the conversation going?"
Examples: "What kind of puppy is it?" or "What’s its name?"
"You’re in a classroom during a quiet study period. You want to tell your classmate about a funny video you saw. Is this an appropriate topic?"
No, because it’s a quiet study period, and talking about a funny video would disrupt others.
Eli has been practicing for a big soccer game. He played well but missed the winning goal. He says, 'I’m glad we played hard, but I can’t stop thinking about my mistake.' How do you think Eli feels?"
He might feel discouraged or regretful.
"You accidentally bumped into someone in the hallway, and they dropped their books. Should you apologize?"
Yes, because it was an accident, and apologizing shows you care about their feelings.
Samantha said, 'I’m feeling under the weather, so I might skip the party.' What does 'under the weather' mean?"
It means Samantha isn’t feeling well or is sick.
"You’re talking to someone about school, but you want to talk about your weekend. How could you change the topic smoothly?
Example: "Speaking of school, I did something fun over the weekend—want to hear about it?"
"You’re at a family dinner, and everyone is talking about your cousin’s graduation. You want to bring up a movie you just watched. Is this an appropriate topic?"
Probably not, because the focus is on your cousin’s achievement, and switching topics might seem dismissive.
"After finishing a difficult art project, Mia’s teacher tells her it’s going to be displayed in the school hallway. Mia smiles but says, 'I didn’t think it was that good!' How do you think Mia feels?"
She might feel humbled or insecure.
"You didn’t finish your group project, and your team had to do extra work. Should you apologize?"
Yes, because your actions caused extra work for the team.
"Lena said, 'We need to play it by ear because we don’t know the schedule yet.' What does 'play it by ear' mean?"
It means to decide how to act in the moment without a fixed plan.
"Someone says, 'I love playing soccer.' What could you say to show interest?"
Examples: "That’s cool! How long have you been playing?" or "What’s your favorite position?"
"You’re at a school assembly about community service. You lean over to your friend to talk about your weekend plans. Is this an appropriate topic?"
No, because the assembly is focused on community service, and your conversation would distract from the purpose of the event.
"Jordan has been asked to give a speech in front of the whole school. He’s been practicing every day, but he says, 'What if I mess up?' How do you think Jordan feels?"
He might feel anxious or overwhelmed.
"You said something that hurt a friend’s feelings, but you didn’t mean to. Should you apologize?"
Yes, because even if it wasn’t intentional, it hurt their feelings.
"Jade told her friend, 'This math test is a piece of cake!' What does 'a piece of cake' mean?"
It means the test is very easy.
"Your friend is talking about a new video game they like, but you don’t know much about it. What could you say?"
Examples: "I don’t know that game—what’s it about?" or "What do you like most about it?"
"You’re at a friend’s birthday party, and everyone is taking turns sharing funny stories about the birthday person. You want to share a story about a time you had fun together. Is this an appropriate topic?"
Yes, because it fits the theme of celebrating your friend.
"Lila just found out her best friend is moving to another state. She hugs her friend and says, 'I’m happy for you, but I’m really going to miss you.' How do you think Lila feels?"
She might feel bittersweet or heartbroken.
"Your friend is upset because they got in trouble, but it wasn’t your fault. Should you apologize?"
No, because you didn’t cause the problem. Instead, you could show support by saying, 'That sounds really frustrating.'
"When asked about how his week went, Jake said, 'It was a rollercoaster of emotions!' What does 'rollercoaster of emotions' mean?"
It means Jake experienced many ups and downs in his feelings.
"You’re talking to a friend who says, 'I’m really nervous about my test tomorrow.' How could you respond in a meaningful way?"
Examples: "I get that—tests can be stressful. Want to talk about it?" or "Maybe I can help you study."
"At lunch, your group is talking about their favorite movies. You want to bring up a new movie you just watched. Is this an appropriate topic?"
Yes, because it matches what everyone else is talking about.
"After volunteering at the animal shelter, Sam says, 'I didn’t think I’d like it this much. It feels good to help out.' How do you think Sam feels?"
He might feel fulfilled or content.
"You missed a friend’s text because you were busy. Should you apologize?"
Not necessarily, but you could acknowledge it by saying, 'I didn’t see your text earlier—what’s up?'"