65 real-world English scenarios, ready to practice

Pick up a prescription and ask questions about your medication.

Visit a bank teller to open a new account.

Stop a local to ask how to get somewhere.

Describe symptoms to your primary care physician.

Mail a package at the post office — domestic or international.

Report a maintenance issue to your landlord in person.

Submit documents at the visa or immigration office and answer the officer's questions.

Return or exchange a product at a store — explain the reason and handle store policy.

Pay for snacks and drinks at a convenience-store counter — handle the cashier's quick checkout questions.

Order food and drinks from your server at a restaurant — ask about the menu, make special requests, and handle the bill.

Check in for your flight, drop a bag, and ask about your seat.

Check in at your hotel and ask about the room and amenities.

Tell a taxi driver where you're going and confirm the fare.

Buy a ticket and ask which train or bus to take.

Ask a tourist desk about attractions, hours, and tickets.

Buy a local SIM or data plan and get it working.

Report a lost passport or bag and ask what to do next.

Report a problem with your room and ask for it to be fixed.

Call customer support to request a refund for an order you're not satisfied with.

Call your internet provider to book a technician visit.

Call a restaurant to book a table.

Call customer support to escalate a persistent complaint.

Call to cancel a recurring subscription — the rep will try to retain you.

Call about a defective product and file a warranty claim.

Call your ISP to report that your internet is down.

Call a clinic to book a doctor's appointment — describe symptoms briefly and find a slot.

Call a friend to figure out when and where to meet up.

Call to say you can't make it, apologize, and reschedule.

Make small talk with a fellow attendee at a professional networking event.

First time meeting a friend's parents or siblings. Make a warm impression.

Chat with someone you've just met at a party — keep it light and flowing.

First date conversation — show interest, share about yourself, keep things light and warm.

Navigate a culturally awkward moment — tipping confusion, an over-personal question, an unexpected compliment.

Offer sincere condolences to a friend or colleague who has experienced a loss.

Congratulate a friend or colleague on a promotion, milestone, or personal achievement.

Decline an invitation, offer, or request without damaging the relationship.

Ask someone you've grown close to out for dinner.

Someone has just moved in nearby, and this is the doorstep conversation that sets the tone.

Someone went out of their way for you recently, and a quick thanks was not enough.

A doorway exchange with your child's teacher, with other parents waiting behind you.

Neither of you is quite sure where you met, and both of you are too polite to say so.

They have heard about you, you have heard about them, and your friend is watching.

Someone is here for the first time, curious about how things work — and you are the one who knows.

Give a brief status update to your team.

Discuss progress, blockers, and growth with your direct manager.

First-round phone interview with HR, covering background and fit.

Present your slides to a senior executive who will grill you on impact and risk.

Second-round interview with the hiring manager — deeper on role-specific fit.

Work through a disagreement with a teammate during a planning or design discussion.

Final round with a panel of executives — strategic, leadership, and culture-fit questions.

Present your slides to a client — sell value, handle skeptical questions.

Meeting the teammate who happens to be free on your first morning.

The meeting has wrapped, and you are walking out beside someone senior.

You need a hand from a coworker who is visibly in the middle of something.

A 1:1 you asked for, where you make the case for a salary adjustment.

An offer is on the table, and the number is not the only thing on it.

Visit your professor to clarify a concept from class.

Field questions from classmates and the professor after your presentation.

Defend your thesis before a committee of professors.

Visit your professor during office hours to request a deadline extension.

Visit your professor to ask for a recommendation letter — for grad school, a job, or a fellowship.

Field tough questions from peers and senior researchers after your conference talk.

Discuss reading or problem sets with a small study group — explain, listen, and build on others' ideas.

Raise your hand mid-lecture to ask a clarifying or challenging question.

Catch your professor in the corridor after class and ask, in a couple of minutes, what you should be doing next about your career.