← Back to level

General English · Speaking · B2

Speculating and discussing possibilities

Explore plausible explanations while separating evidence from inference.

Lesson 3 · About 22 minutes

Learn: your objectives

  • Signal degrees of uncertainty.
  • Identify information that could test a possibility.

Warm-up

Think about these questions. Say a short answer aloud.

  • Why might a normally busy café be empty?
  • What would you need to know before choosing an explanation?

Useful language

Possibilities, not facts

One possibility is that …

Introduce an explanation as tentative.

One possibility is that the opening hours have changed.

That would explain …

Connect an explanation to an observation.

That would explain why the door is still locked.

We'd need to check … before …

Identify missing evidence.

We'd need to check the notice before assuming it has closed permanently.

Notice: model speaking

Read aloud. Notice how the speakers use the phrases and respond to each other.

Elena: The community room has been empty the last two evenings. Do you think the class has stopped?

Dilshod: It might have changed rooms. That would explain why the lights are off here, but it doesn't prove the class has ended.

Elena: Or perhaps the teacher is away.

Dilshod: Possibly. We should check the timetable or ask reception before telling anyone it's cancelled.

Elena: Good point. We only know that this room wasn't being used when we passed.

Speaking strategy

State the observation first. Offer two plausible explanations, then say what information would distinguish them. Do not turn repeated guessing into evidence.

Pronunciation & fluency focus

Make uncertainty audible without mumbling: ‘It MIGHT have moved.’ Keep your pace steady when explaining what you know and what you do not.

Teaching guidance, not an analysis of your voice.

Use: controlled practice

Choose a useful response for each situation. Check when all questions are answered. These are phrase exercises, not a speaking assessment.

1. The room is dark. Which statement stays within that evidence?
2. Which phrase clearly marks a possibility?
3. What would best distinguish cancellation from a room change?
4. A new notice confirms the class moved upstairs. Update your account.
5. Which statement avoids confusing explanation with proof?

Build your answer

Write a few keywords. Then look away and speak. Notes stay on this page only.

Speak: your challenge

For two minutes, discuss why attendance at a fictional club might have fallen. Offer alternatives, identify what is unknown and suggest how to find out more.

Do not invent survey results or present a guess as an established cause.

Speak aloud. This page does not record, listen to or assess your speech. There is no automatic speaking score.

Self-check

Open to everyone. Answers, notes and checklists are not saved to an account. These original lessons use level labels to organize learning; completion is not official CEFR certification or proof of a level.