Classroom Language

USEFUL PHRASES FOR THE CLASS

  • The start of the lesson 

Good morning everyone / Hi everybody

Good morning, how are you doing?

How are you today?

Did you have a good weekend?

Let’s start with the lesson now.

Is everybody ready to start?

  • Roll-call / attendance

Let’s take attendance, shall we?

I’m going to take attendance I’ll call the roll.

Who’s not here today?

Who’s absent today?

What’s wrong with …today?

  • Getting everyone´s attention

Listen to me, please.

Be quiet, please. Silence, please.

Can I have your attention, please?

, are you with us?

  • Simple commands

Come in. / Go out. /Stand up. /Sit down.

Come on, we haven’t got all day!

Wake up. / Be quiet, please.

Switch on/ Switch off the lights / the computers

Can you plug in the CD player for me, please?

The socket is behind you.

Settle down and let’s get started.

Let’s settle down and get started.

, Please, come to the front of the class.

Open your books at page /Turn to page…

  • Eliciting/reviewing information/previous knowledge

Who can remember what we were talking about at the end of last lesson?

Does anyone remember? /Who can tell me?

Could you tell me what you remember from last lesson?

Who would like to get extra «marks/credit today?

  • Setting up an activity / Giving instructions

I’d like you to get into pairs for this activity

I´d like you to work with a partner

I´d like you to work alone / in group of four

Please, get into pairs / groups of four

Can you 4 team up?

I want you to share a photocopy and work together

What I want you to do is to …

First, let’s go over the explanation on page 25 together.

Those of you that have finished exercise 5 can move on /go on to exercises 6 and 7.

What I want you to do is to …

Could you turn it (the volume) up/ down. We can’t hear it from here. / It’s too loud.

  • Giving out / taking in work / books / worksheets, etc

Do you mind collecting the compositions for me, please?

, Would you get/collect these essays for me, please?

, Can you hand out/give out these copies, please?

Take one and pass them on, please.

Would you pass the exams to the front / the back, please?

  • Checking understanding

Do you understand?

Are you with me? / OK so far? /Do you get it?

Do you have any questions?

Let’s check the answers.

  • Encouraging students and correcting errors

Very good. That’s very good. Well done.

That’s correct. / Excellent./ Yes, you’ve got it.

You’ve got the idea. /That’s correct.

You need more practice with this.

You’ll have to spend some more time with this.

Good, you’re getting better.

Your answer is very good / almost right.

Ok, that’s not the right answer, but let me help you with it.

Let me explain again.

Not exactly, have another try / try again./Have a guess.

  • Setting homework/assignments, setting deadlines and reacting to homework

This is your homework for tomorrow.

There is no homework today.

Don’t forget your homework.

Do exercise 10 on page 23 for your homework.

Prepare the next two pages for Monday.

Before next lesson, I want you to read the story on page..

  • Ending the lesson

It’s time to finish.

Have you finished yet?

Are you done? /Let’s stop now. /This is all for now

That’s all for now, see you Monday

Goodbye. See you tomorrow

That’s all for today, enjoy the weekend

OK, you can put away your things. See you next week.

  • Students talking to the teacher 

Excuse me. I’m sorry I’m late. May I come in?

Can I go to the toilet / bathroom, restroom (US), please?

I’m sorry, I left my book/ at home/ in the classroom

I didn’t have time to do my homework. I’m sorry.

Sorry, I don’t understand that.

Could you speak more slowly, please?

Can you repeat that please? I didn’t understand.

Can you explain that again, please?

How do you say tenedor in English?

How do you spell ‘wonderful’?

What’s the difference between «latitude» and «longitude»?

What does «pressure» mean?

What’s the meaning of «pressure»?

How do you pronounce «pressure»?

  • Student talking to another student

Have you done your homework? /Did you do it?

What’s for homework?

What page is it on? /What page are we on?

Can you help me do this exercise?

What do we have to do now?

Can I share your book with me?

Can you lend me a pen?

Can you pass me the rubber (GB)/eraser (US), please?

We have to work in pairs, Don’t we?

Who’s going to start? /Whose turn is it?/ It’s my turn now.

We have to compare our wor

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