Matching exercise INDEX

Match each utterance with its conversational function

Utterances and their conversational functions

Select a theme from the list below:

  1. Alternative Beliefs
  2. Animal Welfare
  3. The Arts
  4. Crime & Punishment
  5. Cultural Differences
  6. Economics
  7. Education
  8. Environment
  9. Fashion
  10. Food
  11. Health
  12. Holidays
  13. Language learning
  14. Male & Female Roles
  1. Marriage
  2. The Media
  3. Political Systems
  4. Religion
  5. Rich World : Poor World
  6. Science & Technology
  7. Society
  8. Sport
  9. Traditions
  10. Transport
  11. Travel
  12. Violence
  13. Work
  14. Youth & Old Age


The matching exercises are similar to the tasks found in the appendix of Ted Power's Prepare for Discussion. Match each utterance taken from the 28 dialogues with its conversational function. Can you identify the topic being discussed? The purpose is to practise the colloquial formulae used in spoken English, especially during debates.

After completing each matching exercise, learners can be asked to create utterances of their own and to assign them to each of the ten categories.