Shadowing Practice: TOEIC Speaking: Useful Phrases for Describe Picture - Learn English Speaking with Video
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In part two of the TOEIC speaking test, you'll have to describe a picture for 45 seconds.
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But what do you say?
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How can you prepare?
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Let's find out.
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In this part of the speaking test, you'll be shown an image.
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Then you'll have 45 seconds to prepare what you're going to say.
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You'll want to use this time to think and make notes.
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Next, you'll have 45 seconds to speak and describe what you see.
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It's pretty straightforward, but what do you say?
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Have a look at this picture.
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What do you see?
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A lot of things, right?
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So, what do you need to do, and how can you maximize your score?
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First, during that 45 seconds, look and make notes.
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Here are a few things to focus on.
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First, the big picture.
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What is happening here generally?
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In this image you can see a group of people are cooking or learning to cook.
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Next, notice individual activities.
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I can see people cutting what might be vegetables or meat with knives.
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They're all wearing aprons.
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In this photo we can see their faces quite clearly as well.
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In this case, they're smiling.
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And remember, you have 45 seconds to prepare.
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Once those 45 seconds are over, you will start speaking, describing the general scene.
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Think of a few simple quick phrases to start the description.
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I can see.
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This appears to be.
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It looks like this is.
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Or it looks like they are.
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Then, be a bit more specific about one or two of the people.
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I can see a man wearing.
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I can see a woman cutting.
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It looks as if.
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It looks as though.
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There might be.
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It could be. Which is possibly. Which could be.
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and make comparisons where possible.
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While the chef looks like he knows what he's doing, the others look like they are only learning how to cook.
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So let's listen to a sample answer.
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Now, remember, it's not just what I say, it's how I say it.
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Listen to the rhythm and stress when I speak.
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You do not want your answer to sound flat and without rhythm, like this.
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This appears to be a group of people learning how to cook.
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In the middle of the group, there is a man in a chef's hat and chef's uniform.
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It looks as though...
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It should sound like this.
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This appears to be a group of people learning how to cook.
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In the middle of the group, there is a man in a chef's hat and chef's uniform.
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it looks as though he may be teaching the others to cook.
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On either side of him are young people doing a number of typical activities.
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The man and woman to his right are both chopping vegetables on a chopping board,
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while the woman to the left of the chef is stirring the contents of the frying pan as another woman adds pepper.
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They are all smiling and it looks like they're having fun. And that's it.
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Don't forget to subscribe to this YouTube channel and I'll see you in the next video.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “TOEIC Speaking: Useful Phrases for Describe Picture”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: seconds, cook, learning, prepare, appears. This video has 55 sentences and 512 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:39. The speaker talks at a steady 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 89% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 13 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| chop verb | /t͡ʃɑp/ | To cut into pieces with short, vigorous cutting motions. |
| vegetable noun | /ˈvɛd͡ʒ.tə.bəl/ | A plant raised for some edible part of it, such as the leaves, roots, fruit or flowers, but excluding any plant considered to be a fruit, grain, herb, or spice… |
| rhythm noun | /ˈɹɪð.əm/ | The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter. |
| chef noun | /ʃɛf/ | The presiding cook in the kitchen of a large household. |
| uniform noun | /ˈjunɪˌfɔɹm/ | A distinctive outfit that serves to identify members of a group, company, prison inmates, etc. |
| maximize verb | /ˈmæksəmaɪz/ | To make as large as possible. |
| straightforward adjective | /ˌstɹeɪtˈfɔː(ɹ)wə(ɹ)d/ | Proceeding in a straight course or manner; not deviating. |
| fry verb | /fɹaɪ/ | To cook (something) in hot fat. |
| distress noun | /dɪˈstɹɛs/ | Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature. |
| stir verb | /stɝ/ | To disturb the relative position of the particles (of a liquid or similar) by passing an object through it. |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
| pepper noun | /ˈpɛp.ə/ | A plant of the family Piperaceae. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How can you prepare?
- It's pretty straightforward, but what do you say?
- What do you see?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might be · may be |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | you'll have · you'll be · You'll want |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | is happening · are cooking · they're smiling |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 11 contractions and reduced forms, such as you'll, they're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like chop, vegetable, rhythm.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.