Lily asks
What is something you are good at that not many people know?
How to build your answer
Opinion: four moves, about a minute.
- 1Your viewAnswer straight away. “Honestly, I think…”
- 2One reasonYour main reason, not five.
- 3An exampleFrom your own life.
- 4The other sideShow you see it. “That said…”
Lily's answer, three ways
The same story, from easy to advanced. Tap a highlighted phrase to learn it.
Easy
Lily's voice note
Ha, okay. I'm weirdly good at fixing other people's writing. If a friend sends me an email or a message they're nervous about, I can usually tell what's wrong straight away. A word that sounds a bit off, or a sentence that's way too long. I don't change much. I just tidy it up and send it back. My flatmate Mia sends me all her work emails now, before she sends them to her boss. It's become a bit of a joke between us.
Phrases to borrow
sound a bit off
/ˈsaʊnd ə ˈbɪt ɒf/
seem slightly wrong or strange
Something about his story sounds a bit off.
tidy something up
/ˈtaɪdi ˈsʌmθɪŋ ʌp/
make something neater or better organised
Can you tidy up your room before dinner?
Natural
Lily's voice note
I'm surprisingly good at fixing other people's writing. If a friend's nervous about an email or a message, they send it to me first. I can usually see what's wrong straight away, a word that's not quite right, or a sentence that's way too long. That's when I step in. I cut out the extra bits and send it back. Sometimes people just need a fresh pair of eyes. My flatmate Mia sends me all her work emails now, before they go to her boss. It's a bit of a joke between us.
Phrases to borrow
step in
/ˈstep ɪn/
get involved to help or take control of a situation
When the kids started fighting, their dad stepped in.
cut something out
/ˈkʌt ˈsʌmθɪŋ ˈaʊt/
remove something you don't need
I've cut out sugar from my tea.
a fresh pair of eyes
/ə freʃ peə əv aɪz/
a new person who can see problems you've missed
Can you read my CV? I need a fresh pair of eyes.
Advanced
Lily's voice note
Weirdly, I'm brilliant at fixing other people's writing. Friends send me emails and messages they're nervous about, and I can spot the problem straight away: a clunky word, or a sentence that goes on forever. I'm also good at reading between the lines, so if an email sounds cross when they don't mean it, I'll soften it and smooth things over. I barely change anything, I just tidy it up. My flatmate Mia runs all her work emails past me before her boss sees them. It's become a running joke between us. Not exactly something you'd put on your CV, but I'm secretly proud of it.
Phrases to borrow
read between the lines
/ˈriːd bɪˈtwiːn ðə ˈlaɪnz/
understand what someone really means but doesn't say
Reading between the lines, I think she's unhappy at work.
smooth things over
/ˈsmuːð ˈθɪŋz ˈəʊvə/
make an argument or problem less serious
I called her to smooth things over.
a running joke
/ə ˈrʌnɪŋ ˈdʒəʊk/
a joke that people keep repeating over a long time
My bad cooking is a running joke in our family.
put something on your CV
list a skill or experience on your job application
You should put your volunteering on your CV.
Your turn: answer Lily
What is something you are good at that not many people know?
Answer out loud, in your own words. Try one phrase you just borrowed.
Daily life
step in
get involved to help or take control of a situation
“When the kids started fighting, their dad stepped in.”
heytardy