All About Me

Talking about your life, experiences, and opinions

Quick Chat

Speak
If someone says "Tell me about yourself" — what do you usually say? Try it now — speak for 30 seconds.
Speak
What's the hardest question someone can ask you in English? Why?

Most people freeze when asked to talk about themselves for more than 20 seconds. The trick is having a structure — and the right vocabulary ready.

Today: building the language you need to talk about your life, your experiences, and your opinions — fluently and confidently.

Three Ways to Talk About You

1. Your Life Now (Present Simple)

I live in... / I work as a... / I'm studying... / I spend my free time...

Present simple for facts and routines. Present continuous for things happening now or temporarily.

"I work in marketing" vs "I'm working on a big project" — what's the difference?

"I work in marketing" = your job in general (present simple — permanent).

"I'm working on a big project" = right now, temporarily (present continuous).

Both are useful when introducing yourself — one for the big picture, one for what's happening now.

2. Your Past Experiences (Past Simple)

I grew up in... / I studied... / I moved to... / I started working...

Past simple for completed events in your life. Time markers help: "three years ago", "when I was younger", "in 2019".

How do you connect past and present when telling your story?

"I studied law at university, but now I work in sales."

"I used to live in a small town, but I moved to the city five years ago."

The connectors "but", "and then", "so" help link your past to your present.

3. Your Opinions (I think... / I believe... / In my view...)

I think... because... / In my opinion,... / I believe that... / For me, the most important thing is...

Always give a reason with "because" or "since". An opinion without a reason sounds weak.

Try it
Introduce yourself using all three: one sentence about now, one about the past, and one opinion about something you care about.

Word Power

Tap to reveal. Guess first!

Life Story Verbs

grow up
spend your childhood somewhere — "I grew up in a small town"
move to
go to live in a new place — "I moved to Berlin in 2020"
graduate
finish university or school — "I graduated in 2018"
get a job
start working somewhere new
settle down
start living a stable life in one place

Experience Phrases

change my mind
think differently about something — "That trip changed my mind about travel"
open my eyes
make you see things in a new way
make a difference
have an important effect — "That teacher really made a difference"
learn a lesson
understand something important from an experience
look back on
think about something in the past — "When I look back on that time..."

Opinion Connectors

because / since
gives the reason — "I think this because..."
for example
gives a specific case — "For example, in my country..."
on the other hand
shows the opposite view
that's why
shows the result — "That's why I decided to change"
the main reason is
highlights the most important point
Challenge
Close all the cards. Can you use at least 8 of these 15 phrases in sentences about your own life?

The Interview Challenge

Three rounds, getting harder. The timer counts UP — see how long you can keep talking fluently!

0:00
Round 1 — The Introduction (aim: 1 minute)
"Tell me about yourself."

Cover: where you're from, what you do, one thing you enjoy. Don't just list facts — connect them!

Must include: present simple + present continuous + one connector (because/so/but)

Round 2 — The Story (aim: 2 minutes)
"Tell me about an experience that was important to you."

A trip, a decision, a person you met, a mistake you made. Tell the story AND explain why it mattered.

Must include: past simple + "it changed..." or "I learned..." + time markers

Round 3 — The Opinion (aim: 2 minutes)
"What would you change about the education system?"

Give your opinion, explain why, give an example from your own experience, and acknowledge the other side.

Must include: "I think... because..." + "for example..." + "on the other hand..."

Bonus — The Wildcard
"What are you most proud of?"

This mixes everything: your story (past), how you feel about it (opinion), and what it means for you now (present).

Aim for 2+ minutes. Use everything you've practised today.

Recall Zone

From Lesson 18: Agreeing & Disagreeing
What's a polite way to disagree with someone's opinion?

"I see what you mean, but..." / "That's true, however..." / "I'm not sure I agree because..."

Useful for the opinion round — you can disagree with yourself! "Some people think... but I believe..."

From Lesson 13: Describing Experiences
How do you describe a travel experience using past tenses? Give a 2-sentence example.

"I went to Japan three years ago. It was completely different from what I expected."

Past simple for the event + past simple for your reaction. Keep it concrete.

From CT-19: How Things Work
What does "you need to" add to an instruction that the imperative alone doesn't?

"You need to" emphasises that a step is essential — you can't skip it.

"Save the file" = instruction. "You need to save the file" = this step is really important.

What did you learn?

Final challenge
Without any notes — talk about yourself for 2 minutes. Cover your life now, one past experience, and one opinion. Go!

What's easier now than at the start of the lesson — talking about facts, telling stories, or giving opinions?

← CT-19