Speakout Upper Intermediate - Comprehensive Course Notes

Vocabulary: Personality - People person: Someone who is sociable and enjoys being around others. - Keep yourself to yourself: To be reserved and prefer privacy. - Morning person: Someone at their best/most cheerful early in the day. - Witty: Quick-minded, good with words, and funny. - Down-to-earth: Practical and uncomplicated. - Spontaneous: Doing things without planning; acting on ideas immediately. - Computer geek: Someone obsessed with computer technology. - Non-judgmental: Trying not to form opinions about people until knowing them well.
Grammar: Direct and Indirect Questions - Indirect Questions: Used for politeness or personal topics. The word order is the same as a positive statement ( $Subject + Verb$ ). - Rule 1: Do not use the auxiliaries do or did in indirect questions. - Rule 2: Add if or whether for yes/no questions. - Structure Examples: - Direct: "Why are you studying English?" - Indirect: "Can you tell me why you are studying English?" - Direct: "Is there a good café near here?" - Indirect: "Do you know if there is a good café near here?"

Feelings Vocabulary - Frustrated: Disappointed and angry. - Frustrating: Making you feel disappointed or angry. - Embarrassed: Feeling self-conscious or awkward. - Over the moon: Thrilled and extremely happy. - Shaking like a leaf: Feeling very nervous or scared. - Wished the earth would swallow me up: Desired to disappear due to embarrassment.
Grammar: Present Perfect Simple - Rule 1: Completed actions at an unspecified time (life experience). - Rule 2: Recent completed actions with a present result (often with just, already, yet). - Rule 3: States/actions starting in the past and continuing now (often with for or since).

Phrases for Enquiring: - "I was wondering if it would be possible to…" - "Can you tell me why I have to…" - "Would you mind putting that in an email?" - "I'd be really grateful if you could…"
Managing Enquiries: - "Bear with me a minute." (Please be patient) - "Sorry to keep you." (Acknowledging a delay) - "I've got one more question, if I'm not keeping you."

Global and Domestic Issues: - Domestic: Within one's own country. - Ethical: Relating to right and wrong. - Rural: Relating to the countryside. - Urban: Relating to the city. - Global: Affecting the whole world.
Grammar: Present Perfect Simple vs. Continuous - Continuous: used to emphasize the duration of a long-lasting or repeated action ( $Subject + have/has + been + V-ing$ ). - Example: "We've been dancing since 5 o'clock!" - Simple: used for results or how many times/how much was achieved. - Example: "We've already raised $\pounds4,000$ ."

Terminology: - CCTV: Closed-circuit television cameras. - Deterrent: Something that stops people from doing something illegal. - Invasion of privacy: Getting info about someone's life in a way they dislike. - Identify: Finding out who someone is.
Grammar: The Passive - Use the passive ( $be + past participle$ ) to focus on the person/thing affected by an action rather than the doer. - Formal usage: Often found in academic or official writing to maintain an impersonal tone.

Past Simple: Completed actions that move a story forward.
Past Continuous: Actions in progress or background scene-setting.
Past Perfect Simple: To link the past to a point further back (actions before the main event).
Past Perfect Continuous: Long actions that started before other past events and continued up to them.
Common Sayings: - Every cloud has a silver lining: Every bad situation has something good. - Once bitten, twice shy: Getting hurt makes you nervous to try again. - Nothing ventured, nothing gained: You must take risks to achieve things.

Wishes about the Present: - $I + wish + past simple$ : Wishes for impossible changes (e.g., "I wish I were taller"). - $I + wish + would$ : To express annoyance about someone else's behavior (e.g., "I wish you would listen").
Regrets about the Past: - $I + wish/If only + past perfect$ : Regrets regarding things that did or didn't happen (e.g., "If only I hadn't become a doctor").

Present Habits: Use Present Simple or will + infinitive for regular routines.
Past Habits: Use used to (actions and states) or would (actions only, never states).
Always + Continuous: Used for annoying habits (e.g., "They are always talking on their mobiles").

Articles (a/an, the, -): - The: Used for unique things, mentioned before, or specific geographic regions (US, UK). - No Article: General plurals, most street names, and continents (Asia, Europe).

Zero Conditional: General truths ( $If + present, present$ ).
First Conditional: Real future possibilities ( $If + present, will + infinitive$ ).
Second Conditional: Hypothetical situations ( $If + past, would + infinitive$ ).
Alternatives: Provided, as long as, unless (if not), supposing.