Key takeaways
- Emma and Jack talk about tomorrow’s English exam. Jack is worried about the speaking part.
- A piece of cake = very easy. A no-brainer = a very easy decision. Sleep on it = wait until tomorrow before you decide.
- Emma’s exam tip: when you can choose a topic, choose the one you know better.
- The video is about 24 minutes, with movie clips in the vocabulary part and plenty of speaking practice.
Do you get nervous before speaking exams? Even students who write very good English often feel their heart beating faster when the examiner says, “Now, tell me about…”. If that sounds familiar, Jack is going to feel like an old friend.
In today’s lesson, Jack and Emma talk the night before their English exam. It’s a short, calming conversation, and it’s full of three idioms you will hear all the time in real life. They are simple, they are fun, and once you know them you’ll notice them in films and series everywhere.
Watch the Lesson
Listen once without stopping. Is Emma worried, or calm? What does she tell Jack to do tonight?
The Conversation: The Night Before the Exam
- Emma: Are you ready for the English exam tomorrow?
- Jack: Almost. We already know the topics, but I’m still worried about the speaking part.
- Emma: Don’t worry. The first part is a piece of cake. We just need to answer some easy questions.
- Jack: That’s good to hear. What about the second part?
- Emma: We have to choose between the two topics we studied and talk about one of them.
- Jack: That sounds a little harder.
- Emma: Actually, choosing the easier topic is a no-brainer. Just choose the topic you know better.
- Jack: Good idea. I know both topics, but I’m not sure which one will be easier tomorrow.
- Emma: You can review both topics tonight and sleep on it.
- Jack: That sounds smart. I’ll think about my choice before I go to bed.
- Emma: Exactly. Don’t stress too much. You’ve practised a lot and you know the topics.
- Jack: Thanks. I feel much better now.
Three Idioms, Three Pictures
Idioms are easier to remember when you see the picture behind them.
A piece of cake
Eating a piece of cake is easy and pleasant. So a piece of cake means something very easy to do. The test was a piece of cake. This homework is a piece of cake. You can also just say Piece of cake! as a short answer: “Can you fix it?” – “Piece of cake.”
A no-brainer
A decision so easy that you don’t need your brain to make it. Choosing the cheaper one was a no-brainer. This book is a no-brainer for me. Notice the difference: a piece of cake is an easy task; a no-brainer is an easy choice.
Sleep on it
Wait until tomorrow before making a decision, so you can think with a fresh mind. She wants to sleep on it before she decides. Let me sleep on it and I’ll tell you tomorrow. It’s a very polite way to say “I need time to think” in shops, at work, or when someone offers you something.
Your turn: write a sentence in the comments with one of the idioms. For example: For me, English grammar is a piece of cake, but speaking is hard!
Tips for Your Speaking Exam (From Emma and From Us)
Emma gives Jack two great pieces of advice. Here they are, plus a few more:
- Choose what you know. If you can pick a topic, pick the one where you have more words and ideas, not the one that sounds more impressive.
- Prepare openings. Have two or three ways to start: “That’s an interesting question. I think…”, “Let me think for a second…”.
- Answer in full sentences. The listen-and-answer part of this video trains exactly that: short answer, then full answer.
- Speak out loud the night before, not just read your notes. Your mouth needs practice as much as your brain.
- Sleep. Seriously. A tired brain finds words more slowly.
Many surprise moments in an exam are like a quiz “at a moment’s notice.” We wrote about how to prepare for those in “At a Moment’s Notice”: a study conversation. And “Let me think” is one of the useful phrases in 10 real English phrases native speakers use every day.
How to Practise With This Video
Go through all the parts in order. In the vocabulary section, listen carefully to the movie clips with “sleep on it”. Each speaker says it a little differently, which trains your ear for real speech.
In the listen-and-answer part, you’ll hear questions like “Which part worries Jack?” and “What is a no-brainer for Emma?” Try to answer using the idiom itself: “Choosing the easier topic is a no-brainer.” Using new words in your own answers is how they move from your notebook into your speaking.
Idioms stick better as complete phrases. If you want to know why, read Learn Phrases, Not Words.
Ready for More?
Getting regular speaking practice before an exam is a no-brainer. The Shadowing English Speaking Course gives you 60 conversation lessons as MP3 and PDF, with questions to answer out loud. Try a free sample lesson first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “a piece of cake” mean?
It means something is very easy to do. “The first part of the exam was a piece of cake.”
What does “no-brainer” mean?
A no-brainer is a very easy or obvious decision. “Taking the free upgrade was a no-brainer.”
What does “sleep on it” mean?
It means waiting until the next day before you make a decision. “It’s a big decision. Let me sleep on it.”
Can I use these idioms in an English speaking exam?
Yes. Using one or two natural idioms correctly can make your speaking sound more fluent. Don’t force too many into one answer.
