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Conversational / EVERYDAY ENGLISH
Lesson 32
Talking About Personal Preferences
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. Describe your personal likes, dislikes, and hobbies.
2. Ask others about their preferences using polite questions.
3. Use adjectives and phrasal verbs to express opinions clearly.
Exercise 1
Vocabulary
Direction: Listen and repeat after your teacher
noun
Preference
Similar:
similarvocab1.1
similarvocab1.2
similarvocab1.3
similarvocab1.4
/ˈprɛf.ər.əns/
Meaning:
A choice or liking for one thing over another
- My preference is to travel by train rather than by bus.
Real Life Tip:
Americans often discuss preferences in casual conversations about food, music, or activities.
noun
Opinion
Similar:
sentiment
judgment
view
thought
/əˈpɪn.jən/
Meaning:
What someone thinks or believes about something
- In my opinion, the movie was really exciting.
Real Life Tip:
Expressing opinions politely is considered important in American culture.
Go for
phrasal verb
Similar:
similarvocab3.1
similarvocab3.2
similarvocab3.3
similarvocab3.4
/ɡoʊ fɔr/
Meaning:
To choose or like something
- I usually go for Italian food when I eat out.
Real Life Tip:
Commonly used in everyday American English when choosing food, activities, or styles.
Put off
phrasal verb
Similar:
similarvocab4.1
similarvocab4.2
similarvocab4.3
similarvocab4.4
/pʊt ɔf/
Meaning:
To delay or avoid doing something
- I always put off doing my homework until the last minute.
Real Life Tip:
Often used in daily conversations about tasks, chores, or responsibilities.
Exercise 2
Conversation
Direction: First, read the conversation aloud. Then, practice by role-playing it with your tutor.
Situation: Two coworkers are talking about their personal preferences during lunch at an American office cafeteria.
Hey Tom, what’s your favorite way to spend the weekend?
Sarah
I usually go for hiking or watching movies. How about you?
Tom
I love reading books and trying out new recipes.
Sarah
Sounds fun! Do you prefer cooking at home or eating out?
Tom
I usually go for home cooking. It’s relaxing.
Sarah
I understand. I put off cooking sometimes, so I end up eating out a lot.
Tom
What kind of movies do you like most?
Sarah
I enjoy comedies the most, but I’ll watch anything interesting.
Tom
Exercise 2.1
Questions.
1. What activities does Tom like on weekends?
2. Does Sarah prefer eating out or cooking at home?
3. What type of movies does Tom enjoy?
Exercise 3
Practice Time
Direction: Complete the exercise by choosing the correct answer.
1. I _______ reading books in my free time.
a) enjoys
b) enjoy
c) enjoying
2. She _______ put off doing the dishes yesterday.
a) always
b) always puts
c) always put
3. Do you _______ cooking or eating out?
a) prefers
b) prefer
c) preferring
4. They _______ go for Italian food when they eat out.
a) usually
b) usually goes
c) usually going
5. In my _______, hiking is the best weekend activity.
a) opinion
b) preferences
c) hobby
Exercise 4
Ask Your Tutor
Direction: Ask your tutor these questions. Listen carefully and learn
1. What is your favorite weekend activity and why?
2. Do you usually go for relaxing or exciting hobbies?
3. Have you ever put off doing something important? How did it feel?
Exercise 5
Discussion
Direction: Use the new words and expression you learnt in this lesson to have a conversation with your tutor.
1. What’s your favorite type of music, and why?
2. Do you prefer reading books or watching movies?
3. What hobbies do you enjoy most during holidays?
4. Do you like spending weekends alone or with friends?
5. Which food do you usually go for when eating out?
6. Do you often put off tasks, or finish them immediately?
7. Have you ever tried a hobby you didn’t like?
8. What’s your favorite indoor activity?
9. How often do you change your personal preferences?
10. If you could try a new hobby this year, what would it be?
