the Whiteboard

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Agreeing and disagreeing - cars

Image result for uncool car

What do you like or dislike about this car?

1. It's too...

2. It's absolutely...

3. It's very...

4. It's a bit...

5. You can't ..... in it

6. You can ... with it

7. It's really great for ...ing

8. It's not very...

9. It's a good car for a ..... kind of person

10. It's extremely...

Positive or negative comments?

It’s too small for long trips.

It’s absolutely gorgeous and gets a lot of attention.

It’s very good on gas, perfect for everyday use.

It’s a bit tight if you have a lot of things.

You can’t fit a whole family in it easily.

You can park it easily in small spaces.

It’s really great for driving around the city.

It’s not very fast, so don’t expect speed.

It’s a good car for someone who lives in the city and likes style.

It’s extremely fun to drive because it handles well.

Try creating a dialogue between two or three people about this car. Imagine you're considering buying it.

A) I think it's absolutely gorgeous and gets a lot of attention.

B) Do you? I'd say it's a bit tight if you have a lot of things.

A) I suppose so, but you can park it easily in small spaces.

B) That's true, but...

Put these adjectives for a bambina into the best category...

Fun

Italian

Classic

Vintage

Modern

City-friendly

Daily-use

Compact

Small

Retro

Sleek

Adorable

Lightweight

Durable

Colorful

Opinion	Size	Other	Age	Shape

Colour	Pattern	Origin	Material	Purpose

What do you like or dislike about this car?

1. It's too...

2. It's absolutely...

3. It's very...

4. It's a bit...

5. You can't ..... with it

6. You can ... with it

7. It's really great for ...ing

8. It's not very...

9. It's a good car for a ..... kind of person

10. It's extremely...

Opinion	Size	Other	Age	Shape

Colour	Pattern	Origin	Material	Purpose

Adjective types practice

Sort these phrases into "agreeing" (A) or "disagreeing" (D):

I agree with you 100 percent. ( )
(strong) I'd say the exact opposite. ( )
Not necessarily. ( )
That's not always true. ( )
That's not always the case. ( )
(weak) I suppose so./I guess so. ( )
You have a point there. ( )
I couldn't agree with you more. ( )
That's so true. ( )
That's for sure. ( )
(Colloquial) Tell me about it! ( )
You're absolutely right. ( )
Absolutely. ( )
I don't think so. ( )
(strong) No way. ( )
I'm afraid I disagree. ( )
(strong) I totally disagree. ( )
Absolute rubbish. ( )
No, I'm not so sure about that. ( )
That's exactly how I feel. ( )
Exactly. ( )
I'm afraid I agree with James. ( )
I have to side with Dad on this one. ( )
No doubt about it. ( )
Me neither. ( )
I was just going to say that. ( )

Strongest Agreement to Weakest Agreement:

I agree with you ____ percent.
I couldn't agree with you m_____.
You're a________ly right.
A________ly.
No doubt a_____ it.
That's e_____ly how I feel.
That's so t_____.
That's for s_____.
You have a p______ there.
I s________ so./I g_____ so.
Tell me a______ it!
I was j_____ going to s___ that.

Weakest Disagreement to Strongest Disagreement:

Not n_______ly.
That's not a______s true.
That's not always t___ c_____.
No, I'm not s___ s____ about that.
I'm af______ I agree with James.
I have to side w____ Dad on this one.
I'm afraid I d________.
I beg t__ differ.
I don't t______ so.
(strong) I'd s___ the exact opposite.
(strong) No w___.
(strong) I t_______ly disagree.

Strongest Agreement to Weakest Agreement:

I agree with you 100 percent.
I couldn't agree with you more.
You're absolutely right.
Absolutely.
No doubt about it.
That's exactly how I feel.
That's so true.
That's for sure.
You have a point there.
I suppose so./I guess so.
Tell me about it!
I was just going to say that.

Weakest Disagreement to Strongest Disagreement:

Not necessarily.
That's not always true.
That's not always the case.
No, I'm not so sure about that.
I'm afraid I agree with James.
I have to side with Dad on this one.
I'm afraid I disagree.
I beg to differ.
I don't think so.
(strong) I'd say the exact opposite.
(strong) No way.
(strong) I totally disagree.

Let's look again at those positive and negative comments....

It’s too small for long trips.

It’s absolutely gorgeous and gets a lot of attention.

It’s very good on gas, perfect for everyday use.

It’s a bit tight if you have a lot of things.

You can’t fit a whole family in it easily.

You can park it easily in small spaces.

It’s really great for driving around the city.

It’s not very fast, so don’t expect speed.

It’s a good car for someone who lives in the city and likes style.

It’s extremely fun to drive because it handles well.

Try creating a dialogue between two or three people about this car. Imagine you're considering buying it. Use phrases to agree and disagree. Add a few of these phrases in as well

However

But

And

Plus

As well

All the same

On the other hand

Mind you

Furthermore

A) I think it's absolutely gorgeous and gets a lot of attention.

B) Do you? I'd say it's a bit tight if you have a lot of things.

A) I suppose so, but you can park it easily in small spaces.

B) That's true, but...

Put these adjectives in the boxes and try to guess the car....

Iconic

Retro

Beloved

Charming

Versatile

Family-friendly

Sturdy

Lightweight

German

Classic

Vintage

Timeless

Spacious

Roomy

Opinion	Size	Other	Age	Shape

Colour	Pattern	Origin	Material	Purpose

What do you like or dislike about this car?

1. It's too...

2. It's absolutely...

3. It's very...

4. It's a bit...

5. You can't ..... with it

6. You can ... with it

7. It's really great for ...ing

8. It's not very...

9. It's a good car for a ..... kind of person

10. It's extremely...

Add some phrases for agreement and disagreement into your conversation.

What do you like or dislike about this car?

1. It's too...

2. It's absolutely...

3. It's very...

4. It's a bit...

5. You can't ..... with it

6. You can ... with it

7. It's really great for ...ing

8. It's not very...

9. It's a good car for a ..... kind of person

10. It's extremely...

Add some phrases for agreement and disagreement into your conversation.

Opinion	Size	Other	Age	Shape

Colour	Pattern	Origin	Material	Purpose

great Let’s Definitely see x 2 flashy still unique rough roads just True practical

carry someone

Alex: I think it’s too ______ for everyday driving.

Jordan: (__________________________). I think t’s absolutely _______! You won’t see many like it.

Alex: It’s very low to the ground, which can be a problem on _______.

Jordan: I agree, but (_______________________) it’s a bit of a show car, so it’s not _____ for driving.

Alex: (________________________)You can’t ______ a lot of passengers with it, right?

Jordan: ____, but (___________________________) you can have a lot of fun cruising around town with friends.

Alex: (_______________________________). It’s really _____ for making a statement and showing off in style.

Jordan: Yes, (_____________________________) but it’s not very ______ for long trips.

Alex: It’s a good car for _______ who loves cars and customization.

Jordan: ________! (__________________________________) And it’s extremely popular in car culture.

Alex: I _____ your point, but I’m _____ not sure if it’s a smart choice for me.

Jordan: (___________________________________) Maybe we should test drive one to ___ how it feels!

Alex: That sounds like a good idea. ____ do it!

Add some phrases for agreement and disagreement into the yellow bits.

Opinion	Size	Other	Age	Shape

Colour	Pattern	Origin	Material	Purpose

Have an in-depth conversation about cars – use the images to help you cover different aspects (positive and negative) of the topic. Take your time.

Take notes about things you discussed here – we will use this in feedback

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Picture 5

Picture 6

Picture 7

General conclusions:

1. Agreeing (from soft to strong)

Casual Agreement

Yeah, I see what you ______.
That’s a fair ______.
True, ______.
I was thinking the same ______.

Words: mean · point · actually · thing

Strong Agreement

I completely ______ with you on that.
Absolutely — especially when you ______…
That’s exactly my ______!
You’ve taken the words right out of my ______.

Words: mouth · point · consider · agree

Building on Someone’s Idea

I agree, and I’d ______ that…
That’s true, and it also ______ that…
Exactly — and another ______ is…
I couldn’t agree more, particularly ______…

Words: add · thing · means · because

2. Disagreeing (politely but confidently)

Soft Disagreement

I’m not totally ______.
I see your point, but I’m not ______.
That might be true in some ______, but…
I get what you’re saying, ______…

Words: cases · convinced · however · sure

Clear Disagreement

I have to ______ there.
I don’t really see it that ______.
I think the ______ is true.
I strongly disagree ______…

Words: because · opposite · way · disagree

Challenging an Idea

But isn’t it also ______ that…?
Have you ______ that…?
What about the ______ that…?
I’d ______ that…

Words: argue · considered · true · fact

3. Changing the Picture or Topic

Moving to Another Picture

Let’s take a look at the next ______.
Turning to this ______…
Now, if we ______ on this one…
Moving on from accidents to something more ______…

Words: image · focus · picture · positive

Shifting Perspective

Looking at it from another ______…
On the other ______…
That brings us to a different ______…
But we haven’t talked ______…

Words: issue · angle · about · hand

Refocusing the Discussion

The bigger ______ is…
What really ______ here is…
Instead of focusing on that, we should ______…
Let’s not forget ______…

Words: about · matters · consider · question

4. Making Positive Points

General Positives

One clear ______ is…
This highlights the ______ of…
It gives people the ______ to…
It makes life far more ______.

Words: convenient · opportunity · advantage · benefits

5. Making Negative Points

Problems & Risks

One major ______ is…
This raises serious ______ about…
It can result ______…
This creates more problems than it ______.

Words: concerns · drawback · solves · in

Speaking Phrases Checklist - Tick ✔ each phrase you successfully use.

Agreeing (from soft to strong)

Casual Agreement

☐ Yeah, I see what you mean.
☐ That’s a fair point.
☐ True, actually.
☐ I was thinking the same thing.

Strong Agreement

☐ I completely agree with you on that.
☐ Absolutely — especially when you consider…
☐ That’s exactly my point!
☐ You’ve taken the words right out of my mouth.

Building on Someone’s Idea

☐ I agree, and I’d add that…
☐ That’s true, and it also means that…
☐ Exactly — and another thing is…
☐ I couldn’t agree more, particularly because…

Disagreeing (politely but confidently)

Soft Disagreement

☐ I’m not totally sure.
☐ I see your point, but I’m not convinced.
☐ That might be true in some cases, but…
☐ I get what you’re saying, however…

Clear Disagreement

☐ I have to disagree there.
☐ I don’t really see it that way.
☐ I think the opposite is true.
☐ I strongly disagree because…

Challenging an Idea

☐ But isn’t it also true that…?
☐ Have you considered that…?
☐ What about the fact that…?
☐ I’d argue that…

Changing the Picture or Topic

Moving to Another Picture

☐ Let’s take a look at the next picture.
☐ Turning to this image…
☐ Now, if we focus on this one…
☐ Moving on from accidents to something more positive…

Shifting Perspective

☐ Looking at it from another angle…
☐ On the other hand…
☐ That brings us to a different issue…
☐ But we haven’t talked about…

Agreeing and disagreeing Brit Council B1

Paul: So?

Emir: I'm _____ convinced by that idea.

Paul: Why?

Emir: Well, this design is just ____ simple.

Paul: It's ____ simple, it's minimal. _____, it's what the client ______ for.

Emir: I'm not ____ sure. Look … Look at these designs here. I think _____ is the style that the client wants.

Paul: Hmmm … I think I _________. They said they wanted it clean and minimal.

Emir: These designs ______ clean and minimal.

Paul: Look, ______ get me ________, Emir. I like them, but I don't think they _____ the _______. For example, here, there's just a bit too much going _____.

Emir: OK, I _____ what you mean, ______ without all the colour, it would look a bit … empty.

Paul: _____. OK, _____ about taking that and that away? So it ______ looks interesting, but less busy.

Emir: OK … maybe you've ______ a point there. Actually, that has _______ me an idea.

…

Emir: So we remove the blue. I think that creates a ______ balance.

Paul: Yeah, yeah. I think you're right. Changing the circles helped _____.

Emir: I agree. So we're _______ with this now?

Paul: Yes, __________.

Emir: So it looks like we ______ agree!

Paul: ____________.

The McGurk Effect

Which sense do you think is more dominant....

taste or smell?

seeing or hearing?

touch or taste?

Watch:

The McGurk Effect

The McGurk Effect

Watch video

1. What do you think this video is mainly about?

2. What surprised you the most while watching?

3. What is one key idea you took away from it?

Watch again, fill the gaps:

At any ___ moment we are being ____________ by sensory information.

Our brains do a ____________ job of making sense of it ___.

It seems easy _________ to separate the sounds we hear from the ______ we see, but there is one illusion that reveals this ____ always the _____.

In the illusion, _____ we see ___________ what we hear.

If we close our eyes we actually hear the sound ___ it ___.

If we open our eyes, we actually see how the mouth movements can influence _____ we’re hearing.

What’s remarkable about this illusion ___ even knowing how it’s _______ doesn’t seem to ____ a difference.

The speech brain just takes in that information. It doesn't care what _______ knowledge you bring to _____.

Language Comprehension

1. What does “bombarded by sensory information” suggest about how much we see and hear?
A. We receive a large amount of sensory input all the time
B. We experience very little at once
C. Only one sense works at a time

2. What does it mean that the brain “makes sense of it all”?
A. The brain organises and interprets sensory input
B. The brain ignores most information
C. The brain only focuses on sound

3. In this illusion, what does “overrides” mean?
A. One sense dominates or replaces another
B. All senses work equally
C. One sense stops working

4. Why is the effect described as “bizarre”?
A. It is confusing and unexpected
B. It is normal and easy to understand
C. It only affects some people

5. What do “conflicting information” and “salient information” mean here?
A. Information that disagrees / the most noticeable sense
B. Information that matches / the weakest sense
C. Information that repeats / the quietest sense

Reflection

6. Do you notice times in daily life when your senses compete? Give an example.

7. Does this illusion make you trust your brain more or less? Why?

8. How does “what we see overrides what we hear” change how you think about your senses?

9. Why do you think the illusion still works even when you understand it?

Would you rather your brain be ‘truthful’ or ‘efficient’? Why?

_______________

Check

At any one moment we are being bombarded by sensory information.

Our brains do a remarkable job of making sense of it all.

It seems easy enough to separate the sounds we hear from the sights we see, but there is one illusion that reveals this isn't always the case.

In the illusion, what we see overrides what we hear.

If we close our eyes we actually hear the sound as it is.

If we open our eyes, we actually see how the mouth movements can influence what we’re hearing.

What’s remarkable about this illusion is even knowing how it’s done doesn’t seem to make a difference.

The speech brain just takes in that information. It doesn't care what outside knowledge you bring to bear.

Kahoot quiz

Seeing is Believing

Monday, April 27, 2026

The Senses

Think of a taste. Any taste. What taste comes into your mind?

Think of a sound. Any sound. What sound is it?

Think of a sight. Any sight. What is it?

Think of a smell. Any smell. What is it?

Think of a texture or surface you are touching. What is it?

Now discuss with others.

I’m going to read out a list of things. For each thing decide which sense it most strongly connects to for you. Write the thing after each sense:

Sight:

Sound:

Touch:

Taste:

Smell:

Discuss your responses together. Are you similar or different? Explain your responses and try to understand the differences.

1. flowers

Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

Think of a taste. Any taste. What taste comes into your mind?

Think of a sound. Any sound. What sound is it?

Think of a sight. Any sight. What is it?

Think of a smell. Any smell. What is it?

Think of a texture or surface you are touching. What is it?

Now discuss with others.

1. 1. Associations

I’m going to read out a list of things. For each thing decide which sense it most strongly connects to for you. Write the thing after each sense:

Sight:

Sound:

Touch:

Taste:

Smell:

Discuss your responses together.

1. Did you choose the same sense as your partner? Why/why not?

2. Why did you choose that sense?

3. Did it make you remember something specific? What was it?

1. Earthquake

1. Have you ever been in an earthquake? Was it scary? What exactly happened?

2. Does your city or country often have earthquakes? Do you have to practice for emergencies like this a lot?

2. Coins

What do coins taste like?

3. Garden

Do you have a garden back at home?
Does it have walls, a fountain, a pond, birds, tall trees, grapes, flowers, a barbeque, statues, bricks, a vine, bushes, grass, insects, a compost bin, or outdoor chairs?

4. Cheese

Is cheese popular in your country?
What do you eat cheese with?

5. Snakes

Have you ever seen a real snake in the wild (not at the zoo)?
Have you ever touched a living snake? What did it feel like?

6. Fire

Do you know how to light a campfire?
What can you cook in or on a fire?
Have you ever been in a fire?

7. Rain

How often does it rain in your country?
Do you love or hate rain?
Have you ever walked home in the rain with no raincoat or umbrella?

8. Keys

How often do you lose your keys?
How many hours of your life have you wasted looking for keys?

9. Cigarette

Do you smoke?
Do or did your parents smoke?

10. Xmas Tree

Does your family ever have a real Xmas tree for Xmas?
Do you give gifts at Xmas ?
What did you get last Xmas?

11. Storm

Do you enjoy storms?

12. Sand

What does sand taste like?
Can sand be annoying?
What can sand be used for?

13. Bread

What is your favourite kind of bread?
Could you live without bread?

14. Shower

How long are your showers?
Is there a nice shower where you're currently living?

15. Dogs

What animal is most similar to a dog?
What’s a good name for a dog?
What kind of dog is your personality like?

16. Coffee

How do you like to have your coffee?

Is coffee bad or good for you?

What is the most beautiful flower?

1. Which ones would be good to give your girlfriend?

2. Which ones would be good to give you mother?

3. Do they look more beautiful in a vase or in a garden?

4. Which ones are orchids, which ones are irises, and which ones are peonies?

Do you have a good sense of smell?

What are some of your favourite smells?

Think of three natural smells and three artificial smells.

Go out for a walk and find 10 different smells. Take a photo of each smell source and write about them.

Smell source Pleasant or unpleasant? adjectives / description

10.

Pleasant Smells

fresh — clean air, like after rain or near trees
sweet — like flowers, fruit, or candy
flowery — like roses, lavender, or other flowers
fruity — like apples, oranges, or berries
delicious — food that smells very good
clean — like soap or freshly washed clothes

Unpleasant Smells

bad — general word for smells you don't like
terrible — very bad smell
strong — a powerful smell (can be good or bad)
smoky — like cigarettes, fire, or exhaust from cars
dirty — like garbage or unwashed things
rotten — like old food that has gone bad

Neutral or Descriptive

earthy — like soil, mud, or wet ground
woody — like trees or a forest
salty — like the sea or ocean air
warm — like bread from an oven or coffee

Useful Phrases

"It smells like..." — It smells like coffee.
"It smells good/bad/strange."
"There's a smell of..." — There's a smell of flowers here.
"I can smell..." — I can smell something burning.
"It has a strong/nice/terrible smell."

Discussion

1. What was the most pleasant smell you found?

2. What was the most unpleasant smell you found?

3. What was the most unusual smell you found?

4. Did you disagree about whether any of the smells were pleasant or unpleasant?

5. What was the strongest smell (pleasant or unpleasant)?

How many words are there for "sweet" in your first language?

Can you think of any synonyms for "sweet" in English?

What is "umami"?

Dictionary

Definitions from Oxford LanguagesLearn more

umami

noun

a category of taste in food (besides sweet, sour, salt, and bitter), corresponding to the flavour of glutamates, especially monosodium glutamate.

basic taste/smell vocab

sweet

sour

fragrant

acidic

fumy

smoky

salty

spicy

musty

earthy

metalic

woody

grassy

off

rancid

soapy

In English we also might describe sweet smells and tastes with these words:

try putting appropriate nouns with these

E.g. Tangy + orange juice

Fruity
Caramel
Nutty
Gingery
Floral
Chocolate-y
syrupy
Buttery
Butterscotch
citrus-y
Banana-ry
Aniseed
Liquorish
Malty
Vanilla
Berry
Rich
Biscuity
Minty
Tangy
Tropical
Zingy
Sugary
Cinnamon-y
Honeyish
Milky

We use these adjectives to describe colours...

cool
warm
hot
bright
pale
florescent
dark
deep
light
fiery
mellow
pure
vivid

How do our adjectives for smell differ from our adjectives for colours in English?

We tend to describe tastes and smells by comparing them to similar tastes and smells, whereas with colour we can focus on their degree of intensity.

But we also compare colours with other things

ocean

forest

lemon

royal

emerald

sapphire

sky

pitch

dirt

fire-engine

battleship

eggshell

snowy