exercises Archives - The Interpreting Coach

Neutralising a text about Trump

6th February 20266th February 2026 by theinterpretingcoach

The aim of this post is to get you thinking about register, emotive language, and ‘hedging’ when you’re interpreting.

I’ve chosen an extract from one of my simultaneous speeches as the basis for the exercises, because it contains quite a few idioms and some emotive language.

Here’s the extract:

‘Personally, I think the US is becoming a rogue nation under a rogue president. The one thing that used to perhaps influence Donald Trump, or keep him in check, was whether his electorate liked what he was doing, because he wants to be popular. But at the moment he’s engaged in many activities that voters on both the left and the right dislike: what’s happening in Minnesota, the threats to Greenland, the economic warfare. His own electorate was mostly interested in him cracking down on illegal migration and improving the economy and the cost of living. But it seems that Donald Trump just doesn’t care anymore what the electorate thinks. He goes his own way, with endless U-turns — enough to give you whiplash.

So my conclusion is this. In his first term, and even in his first year, people would say Donald Trump is unpredictable — that’s part of his negotiating tactics. He’s a dealmaker. He threatens dire consequences, keeps his opponents on their toes, and then backpedals at the last minute, so the other party thinks, “Goodness me, I got off lightly. It could have been so much worse.” That was how it was perceived.

Now, I don’t think that’s what we’re seeing. I think he’s increasingly erratic. He’s behaving like a cross between a toddler and a dictator. He goes wherever his whims and political urges take him, with no endgame and no long-term vision. And what has become abundantly clear is that any deal you make with Trump can be undone tomorrow. Nothing lasts. Nothing is permanent.

In the past year, we’ve had the rather unedifying spectacle of world leaders — and the NATO leader — falling over Donald Trump, flattering him, licking his boots, pandering to his desires, like the desire for a state visit to the UK. But there’s no point, because, as I’ve said, any deal can be broken tomorrow.

So what I would like to see now is European leaders not being so supine. I would like them to show some backbone, stand up to Donald Trump, and show their countries and their electorates that there are principles and values they believe in and will defend, rather than doing whatever Donald Trump wants.’

Exercise 1: from polemical to neutral

Let’s practise ‘neutralising’ some of the emotive language in the text. By the way, I’m not saying interpreters should systematically do this when interpreting! On the contrary. It’s just an exercise to help you focus on the differences between neutral, official language and emotionally loaded phrases.

Your task is to read the following text in your head, then tackle each sentence out loud, and see if you can use a more neutral, analytical register for the emotive phrases (suitable for an academic commentary, for instance).

To do this, you will need to remove emotive or judgemental language and possibly introduce some appropriate ‘hedging’ (for instance, introducing indirect constructions like it has been suggested that), while preserving the core argument.

Here’s the text:

I think he’s increasingly erratic. He’s behaving like a cross between a toddler and a dictator. He goes wherever his whims and political urges take him, with no endgame and no long-term vision. And what has become abundantly clear is that any deal you make with Trump can be undone tomorrow. Nothing lasts. Nothing is permanent.

This suggested version goes a LONG way towards neutralising the original, as it has removed the speaker’s opinion completely, so it has really taken this exercise to extremes! It may give you ideas for how to sound more formal, indirect, and neutral.

Recent developments suggest that President Trump’s decision-making has become increasingly inconsistent and difficult to predict. His actions often appear to be driven by short-term political considerations rather than by a clearly articulated long-term strategy. As a result, agreements reached with his administration may lack durability, as policy positions can change rapidly and with little warning.

Over the past year, a number of international leaders, including figures within NATO, have sought to maintain favourable relations with President Trump through diplomatic gestures and personal accommodation. However, the effectiveness of this approach is open to question, given the apparent fragility of commitments made and the ease with which previously agreed arrangements can be reconsidered or reversed.

In this context, some observers argue that European leaders could adopt a more assertive and coherent stance. By articulating and defending clearly defined principles and policy priorities, they may be better positioned to demonstrate consistency to their domestic audiences and to engage more effectively in transatlantic relations, rather than relying primarily on responsiveness to the preferences of the US administration.

Here are some of the techniques used:

Replace metaphors with descriptive phrasing

Avoid first-person opinion markers

Use modal verbs and evidential language (e.g. appears to, may suggest, can be interpreted as)

Here’s a less extreme version of para 1. The personal opinion is still present, but the language is more formal and there is some hedging (e.g. the word appearing to have).

To my mind, he is less predictable than in the past. He resembles a small child, but with authoritarian tendencies. He follows his political urges without appearing to have a long term strategy. And it is increasingly clear that any agreement struck with Donald Trump could be rescinded almost immediately.

Exercise 2: Idiom game

Reformulate the following expressions using either:

a more formal equivalent, or
a different idiomatic expression with the same meaning

Original expression	Reformulation
“rogue nation”
“keep him in check”
“enough to give you whiplash”
“keeps his opponents on their toes”
“licking his boots”
“show some backbone”
“being so supine”
endless U-turns
with no endgame and no long-term vision
pandering to his desires

Here are some possibilities. You will see that some of them are idioms, and others are more formal/neutral versions of the original. What did you come up with?

Original expression	Reformulation
“rogue nation”	renegade state; pariah state
“keep him in check”	rein him in; limit his worst excesses
“enough to give you whiplash”	enough to make you dizzy; observers never know where they stand; his constant backtracking creates uncertainty
“keeps his opponents on their toes”	keeps his opponents guessing
“licking his boots”	adopting a deferential tone; being sycophantic
“show some backbone”	demonstrate greater resolve; stand up to him
“being so supine”	being too passive; not being assertive enough; letting him walk all over them
endless U-turns	frequent policy reversals
with no endgame and no long-term vision	with no clearly defined long-term strategy
pandering to his desires	seeking to accommodate his requests

Exercise 3: toning down emotive language

Take a look at the following sentences:

“He goes his own way, with endless U-turns.”
“He threatens dire consequences.”
“World leaders falling over Donald Trump.”
“Doing whatever Donald Trump wants.”

They all contain imprecise or emotionally loaded wording. Reformulate each one to make it:

more precise
less emotive
more formal

Exercise 4: gap filling

To finish off, here’s a gap filling exercise.

Read the following passage and fill in the gaps (1-12) with the most appropriate words or phrases. These gaps focus on colourful, emotive, or idiomatic language.

“Personally, I think the US is becoming a (1)__________ nation under a (1)__________ president. The one thing that used to perhaps influence Donald Trump, or keep him (2)__________, was whether his electorate liked what he was doing, because he wants to be popular. But at the moment he’s engaged in many activities that voters on both the left and the right dislike: what’s happening in Minnesota, the threats to Greenland, the economic warfare. His own electorate was mostly interested in him (3)__________ on illegal migration and improving the economy and the cost of living. But it seems that Donald Trump just doesn’t care anymore what the electorate thinks. He goes his own way, with endless (4)__________ — enough to give you (5)__________.

So my conclusion is this. In his first term, and even in his first year, people would say Donald Trump is unpredictable — that’s part of his negotiating tactics. He’s a dealmaker. He threatens (6)__________ consequences, keeps his opponents (7)__________, and then (8)__________ at the last minute, so the other party thinks, “Goodness me, I got off lightly. It could have been so much worse.” That was how it was perceived.

Now, I don’t think that’s what we’re seeing. I think he’s increasingly (9)__________. He’s behaving like a cross between a toddler and a dictator. He goes wherever his (10)__________ and political urges take him, with no endgame and no long-term vision. And what has become abundantly clear is that any deal you make with Trump can be undone tomorrow. Nothing lasts. Nothing is permanent.

In the past year, we’ve had the rather (11)__________ spectacle of world leaders — and the NATO leader — falling over Donald Trump, flattering him, (12)__________, pandering to his desires, like the desire for a state visit to the UK. But there’s no point, because, as I’ve said, any deal can be broken tomorrow.

So what I would like to see now is European leaders not being so supine. I would like them to show some (13)__________, stand up to Donald Trump, and show their countries and their electorates that there are principles and values they believe in and will defend, rather than doing whatever Donald Trump wants.”

rogue nation: it’s difficult to replace this, as it is a set phrase.
in check. You could also use under control or accountable.
cracking down. Alternatives might be toughening his stance or clamping down.
U-turns. How about (policy) reversals, policy shifts, volte-face?
give you whiplash: this is difficult to replace if the verb ‘give’ is preserved. I suppose give you a headache would work.
dire: or catastrophic, terrible, disastrous, grim…A lot of adjectives meaning ‘awful’ would fit here. You will need to think about tone and nuance the pick an appropriate one.
on their toes: guessing would work, or off balance.
backpedals: retreats, climbs down, rows back, relents.
erratic: we obviously can’t use unpredictable because of the previous sentences, so how about volatile, unstable, or capricious? Be careful with whimsical, which has a different meaning from the noun ‘whim’.
whims: impulses, sudden desires.
unedifying: or distasteful, undignified, unpleasant, revolting.
licking his boots: many options here, including grovelling, kowtowing, being obsequious, toadying up to him, currying favour with him.
backbone: or courage, grit, resolve, strength of character.

Simultaneous reformulation

How could I forget… as well as working on a text, you can use the oral version of the speech to practise reformulation. Work from English into English, and try to paraphrase where possible (you will obviously have to keep key terms, names, numbers, etc. the same).

I hope you had fun with these exercises!

Weight loss jabs – Eng>Eng exercises

29th January 2026 by theinterpretingcoach

In this post, I’m using a speech about GLP-1 weight loss drugs as the basis for a few English enhancement exercises.

Here’s the speech. You could start by doing an English>English consecutive, or a simultaneous reformulation exercise (English>English), the idea being to keep key terms that can’t be changed (such as ‘GLP-1s’), but look for alternative constructions, synonyms, or different idioms where possible – without changing the register or message of the original speech.

1. Collocation & Register Check

Complete the following collocations based on the themes in the speech:

To exert _________ (the traditional view of weight loss).
A two-tier _________ (the divide between private and public access).
Vested _________ (why food companies are suddenly interested in health).
Chronic _________ (the clinical definition used to justify the drug).

2. Lexical Expansion: Sophisticated Synonyms

What alternatives can you come up with for the words in bold? Do they have the same register as the original? Feel free to change the sentence structure a little.

The food industry is trying to fix its image by offering “GLP-1 companion” products.
Obesity can ruin the quality of life of those with chronic conditions.
Companies are acting like opportunists in the face of this medical trend.

3. Speaking task

Scenario: You are participating in a high-level panel discussion at a health summit. Choose the right register for your role! Don’t forget to record your performance.

Role A (The Bio-Ethicist): argue that medicalising obesity via GLP-1s risks “pathologising” the human body and ignores environmental factors (the “obesogenic environment”).
Role B (The Pharma Spokesperson): argue that the “willpower” narrative is a vestige of Victorian morality and an ineffectual approach to the problem.
Role C (The ‘Victim’ of GLP-1s): argue that long-terms effects of taking GLP-1s are poorly understood, that the side-effects can be devastating, and that people such as yourself are spending your own money on illegal jabs that leave them with long-term health problems while lining the pockets of big pharma.

Here’s the sort of thing a quite formal speaker might say:

“Be that as it may…”
“The crux of the matter lies in…”
“At the risk of sounding pedantic…”
“There is a pervasive, albeit flawed, assumption that…”

Answer Key

2. Lexical Expansion (Suggested):

Improve
Compromise/affect/impact/blight the lives
Mercenary (or perhaps predatory)

1. Collocations:

To exert willpower.
A two-tier healthcare system.
Vested interests.
Chronic disease/condition.

Victory and defeat

29th January 202629th January 2026 by theinterpretingcoach

Victory and defeat can come up in many contexts: military conflicts, sports, competitions, etc, so I thought it was worth creating a few exercises for you.

The purpose of the exercises is to help you broaden your vocabulary around victory and defeat so you have more options when working into English.

Warning: there are quite a few idioms in today’s post!

Warm-up: gap filling

Fill in the blanks with the correct idioms.

If you want to make it easier, you can check the word bank below. You may need to change the form of the verb to fit the sentence correctly.

let slip through your fingers, defeat the purpose, admit defeat, snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, live to fight another day, win the day, by a nose

The underdog team was losing for most of the match but managed to __________ with a last-minute goal.
If you keep procrastinating, you’ll __________ a great opportunity to secure the promotion.
Our candidate won the election, but only __________, securing just 51% of the vote.
He refused to __________, even when it became clear that the project was doomed to fail.
We were trying to reduce costs, but buying expensive equipment would completely __________.
It was a hard-fought debate, but in the end, the opposition’s argument was stronger, and they managed to __________.
Although our company lost this contract, we learned valuable lessons and will __________ in future negotiations.

The underdog team was losing for most of the match but managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with a last-minute goal.
If you keep procrastinating, you’ll let a great opportunity to secure the promotion slip through your fingers.
Our candidate won the election, but only by a nose, securing just 51% of the vote.
He refused to admit defeat, even when it became clear that the project was doomed to fail.
We were trying to reduce costs, but buying expensive equipment would completely defeat the purpose.
It was a hard-fought debate, but in the end, the opposition’s argument was stronger, and they managed to win the day.
Although our company lost this contract, we learned valuable lessons and will live to fight another day in future negotiations.

Brainstorming: defeat

Now let’s brainstorm some adjectives to describe a defeat. Set a timer for 3 minutes and wrack your brains to come up with words that collocate well with defeat.

a catastrophic defeat
a comprehensive defeat
a crushing defeat (often used in a political context)
a decisive defeat
a resounding defeat
a stunning defeat (meaning that it’s a shock, and perhaps also that the scale of the victory is impressive)
a narrow defeat

Here are some adjectives that describe the feelings of the loser:

a devastating defeat
an ignominious defeat
a humiliating defeat
a disastrous defeat
a bitter defeat

Verbs to use with defeat include: to accept defeat, to admit defeat, to suffer (a crushing…) defeat, to avoid defeat, to inflict defeat

And one useful phrase: we talk about defeat at the hands of, e.g. defeat at the hands of their worst enemies.

Brainstorming: victory

Now let’s do the same with victory. Can you come up with a good list of adjectives and verbs?

For adjectives:

a glorious victory
a historic victory
an impressive victory
a remarkable victory
an outstanding victory
a clear victory
a comfortable victory
a convincing victory
a crushing victory
an emphatic victory
a landslide victory (often used during elections)
a massive victory (this is more informal)
an overwhelming victory
a sweeping victory
a comprehensive victory
an outright victory
a conclusive victory
a decisive victory
a hollow victory
a Pyrrhic victory (meaning one which comes at a huge cost)
a dramatic victory
a thrilling victory
a shock victory (note that this is not quite the same as ‘a shocking victory’)
a stunning victory
a surprise victory (again, note the use of ‘noun as adjective’, like ‘a shock victory’)
an unexpected victory
a well-deserved victory
a moral victory

I’ve put in bold a few options that you may not have thought of, but that are useful (and sound good!)

As for verbs, we can clinch a victory, ensure, notch up, pull off, score, secure, snatch, romp to, sweep to, storm to, or celebrate a victory.

A couple of useful phrases:

it was hailed as a victory

they were denied victory by their opponents

Vocab consolidation (gap filling)

Now let’s consolidate some of that vocabulary.

Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases. There are often several possible solutions!

If you want to make it easier, you can check the word bank below. You may need to change the form of the verb to fit the sentence correctly.

romp to victory, hail as a victory, notch up, outright victory, resounding defeat, narrow defeat, a shock victory, moral victory, pyrrhic victory, hollow victory, denied victory, inflict defeat

The team was expected to struggle, but they surprised everyone by pulling off __________ against the reigning champions.
The ruling party managed to secure an __________, winning over 60% of the votes.
After months of intense campaigning, the opposition suffered a __________ in the general election.
Although they lost the case in court, activists considered it __________ because it raised public awareness about the issue.
The military strategy succeeded, but the casualties were so high that many saw it as a __________ rather than a real success.
The young athlete continued her incredible streak, managing to __________ another record-breaking win.
The defending champions were expected to __________, and they did so with ease, dominating the entire competition.
Fans were furious when their team was controversially __________ after a last-minute goal was disallowed.
The government attempted to __________ its latest policy decision __________, but critics remained skeptical of its long-term impact.
The final match was incredibly close, with the home team suffering a __________ after a dramatic penalty shootout.
The chess grandmaster was able to __________ on his opponent, securing the tournament title.
His landslide victory in the debate was considered a __________ for his party, solidifying their chances in the upcoming election.

a shock victory → an unexpected win, a surprise triumph
outright victory → a decisive win, a clear-cut victory, an unchallenged success
resounding defeat → a crushing loss, a heavy defeat, a devastating setback
moral victory → a symbolic win
pyrrhic victory → a costly win, a victory at great expense
notch up → pull off, score, secure, rack up (these phrases are often used in the context of sports)
romp to victory → sweep to victory, cruise to a win, dominate the competition
denied victory → robbed of a win, prevented from winning, kept from victory
hail as a victory → celebrate as a success
narrow defeat → a close loss
inflict defeat → deal a loss to, overpower
hollow victory → an empty win, a meaningless victory, a bittersweet victory

One text, two gap filling exercises

You have two options at this point. If you want to do more work on consolidating idioms around victory and defeat, choose option 1.

If you’re bored of victory/defeat idioms, you can choose option 2. It’s based on the same text, but I’ve blanked out different words so it’s a different gap filling exercise.

You could of course do both, but maybe not in quick succession, since you’ll have read the text so the second gap filling exercise won’t work so well.

Remember there are usually several possible solutions!

Option 1: victory/defeat idioms

In the world of politics, sports, and warfare, the difference between __________ and suffering a __________ can often be razor-thin.
A leader may be __________ one day, only to be __________ by shifting circumstances the next.
Throughout history, many have learned that even an __________ can come at a cost, turning into nothing more than a __________—a triumph so costly it __________ of winning.
Take, for instance, the realm of elections. A candidate might __________ an impressive lead in the polls, only to suffer a __________ due to unforeseen scandals or last-minute shifts in public opinion.
Conversely, an underdog might secure __________, capitalising on their opponent’s missteps to __________.
Sports offer another compelling illustration. A team that loses a final match after a hard-fought battle may still claim __________, proving their worth and gaining the respect of fans and critics alike.
But for those who crave absolute dominance, anything less than first place feels like __________.
Ultimately, history remembers not just those who __________ on their opponents but also those who __________— resilient figures who turn setbacks into stepping stones.

romping to victory, resounding defeat
hailed as a victor, denied victory
outright victory, pyrrhic victory, defeats the purpose
notch up, narrow defeat
a shock victory, snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
a moral victory
a hollow victory
inflict defeat, live to fight another day

Option 2: other phrases/words

In the world of politics, sports, and warfare, the difference between romping to victory and suffering a resounding defeat can often be _____________. A leader may be hailed as a victor one day, only to be denied victory by ______________ the next. Throughout history, many have learned that even an outright victory can _________, turning into nothing more than a pyrrhic victory—a triumph so ________ it defeats the purpose of winning.

Take, for instance, the realm of elections. A candidate might notch up an impressive lead in the polls, only to suffer a narrow defeat due to ____________ or last-minute ___________. Conversely, an ________ might secure a shock victory, capitalising on their opponent’s _________ to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. In such cases, the perception of success can be just as important as the result itself.

Sports offer another compelling illustration. A team that loses a final match after a ________battle may still claim a moral victory, proving their worth and gaining the respect of fans and critics alike. But for those who _______ absolute dominance, anything less than first place feels like a hollow victory.

Ultimately, history remembers not just those who inflict defeat on their opponents but also those who live to fight another day—_______ figures who turn ________________. Victory and defeat are ________; what truly matters is the ability to ______________, adapt, and, when necessary, redefine what success means.

In the world of politics, sports, and warfare, the difference between romping to victory and suffering a resounding defeat can often be razor-thin. [you could choose something else, for example very narrow; tiny; almost nonexistent]

A leader may be hailed as a victor one day, only to be denied victory by shifting circumstances the next. [various things might fit here, e.g. unexpected developments, a change in fortunes,…]

Throughout history, many have learned that even an outright victory can come at a cost, turning into nothing more than a pyrrhic victory—a triumph so costly it defeats the purpose of winning. [you could use be costly for the first gap, but then you would have to use something else in the second gap, e.g. expensive]

Take, for instance, the realm of elections. A candidate might notch up an impressive lead in the polls, only to suffer a narrow defeat due to unforeseen scandals or last-minute shifts in public opinion. [developments, problems, surges in the polls by opponents,…]

Conversely, an underdog might secure a shock victory, capitalising on their opponent’s missteps to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. In such cases, the perception of success can be just as important as the result itself. [unpopular candidate; mistakes, errors]

Sports offer another compelling illustration. A team that loses a final match after a hard-fought battle may still claim a moral victory, proving their worth and gaining the respect of fans and critics alike. But for those who crave absolute dominance, anything less than first place feels like a hollow victory. [long battle, lengthy; seek, want, look for]

Ultimately, history remembers not just those who inflict defeat on their opponents but also those who live to fight another day—resilient figures who turn setbacks into stepping stones. [impressive, dynamic, strong; who turn setbacks into opportunities, who turn difficulties into a springboard for success,…]

Victory and defeat arefleeting; what truly matters is the ability to persevere, adapt, and, when necessary, redefine what success means. [transient, illusory; work hard, stay optimistic, be resilient]

Doing one’s best

11th February 20256th February 2025 by theinterpretingcoach

[This post was written a few years ago!]

The news today is all about the draft agreement at COP26. Apparently, our august leader Boris Johnson is urging world leaders to pull out all the stops to reach an ambitious agreement.

The phrase ‘to pull out all the stops’ comes from organ-playing. If you’ve seen an organ in church, you may have noticed all the pedals and knobs. By pulling out the ‘stops’ (knobs), you can make sure all the pipes are involved in making a richer sound.

To pull out all the stops means to make a great effort, to do everything possible.

Brainstorming exercise

Set a timer for two minutes, and write down as many equivalent phrases as you can think of.

Here are a few other options:

to do one’s utmost (this is the most formal expression)
to go to great lengths
to go all out
to spare no effort
to make every effort
to give it our/your all

More informal

How about:

to go for broke (this has a bit of an ‘all-or-nothing’ connotation)
to give it your best shot
to bust a gut (pretty informal!)

Finally, a couple of expressions that suggest that you are trying very hard to accommodate someone else’s needs (perhaps trying too hard):

to bend over backwards (e.g. We bent over backwards to make his stay pleasant, but nothing was good enough for him)
to jump through hoops (this means that someone is putting a lot of hurdles in the way!)

Improvisation exercise

Choose one of the following three scenarios, and prepare a short speech, using appropriate phrases to indicate you are ‘doing your best’. Deliver your speech out loud.

1. Business Scenario: Launching a Startup in a Competitive Market

Prompt: You are the founder of a new tech startup preparing to pitch your company to potential investors. Your industry (generative AI) is highly competitive, and success is far from guaranteed. In your speech, emphasise the effort, determination, and risks your team has taken to bring the company this far. Persuade investors that you will spare no effort to make the company a success and that your product can successfully compete with others such as ChatGPT or DeepSeek.

2. Political Scenario: Running for Office in Difficult Times

Prompt: You are a political candidate addressing voters at a campaign rally. Your country is facing economic and social challenges, and trust in leadership is low. Convince the audience that you will do your utmost to improve their lives, going above and beyond to enact real change. Use persuasive language to inspire confidence in your dedication.

3. Public Health Scenario: Leading a Crisis Response

Prompt: You are the head of a public health agency addressing the public during a major health crisis (e.g., a pandemic or a natural disaster). Resources are stretched thin, and the stakes are high. Reassure the public that your team is working tirelessly, pulling out all the stops to manage the crisis effectively and protect lives

1. Business Speech: Launching a Startup in a Competitive Market

Good afternoon, esteemed investors and industry leaders.

In a world where 90% of startups fail, why should you believe in us? Because we have spared no effort in turning our vision into reality. From day one, we knew that entering this market would be an uphill battle. The competition is fierce, the risks are high, and every decision counts. But we refused to let those challenges define us.

We have worked around the clock, pulled out all the stops, and left no stone unturned in refining our product. We have tested, failed, adapted, and improved—again and again—because we are committed to excellence. We have already secured key partnerships, proven our technology, and built a loyal customer base. Not by chance, but because we gave it everything we had.

We are not just another startup with a dream—we are a team that goes the extra mile, no matter what it takes. We are here today to invite you to be part of something transformative. Join us. Invest in us. And together, we will go for broke and redefine this industry.

2. Political Speech: Running for Office in Difficult Times

My fellow citizens, we stand at a crossroads. For too long, we have watched as promises were made and broken, as communities struggled, and as faith in leadership declined. I am here today not just to ask for your vote, but to make you a promise: I will give it my all.

We are facing economic turmoil, social unrest, and an uncertain future. But I refuse to accept that this is the best we can do. I will bend over backwards to fight for fair wages, better healthcare, and a safer society. I will spare no effort to ensure that every citizen’s voice is heard.

While others jump through hoops to protect the powerful, I will go to great lengths to protect you—the people who built this country. A better future is within our reach, but only if we make every effort to achieve it.

So I ask you to stand with me. Join me, and let’s give it our all to build the country we deserve.

3. Public Health Speech: Leading a Crisis Response

I know that fear and uncertainty are gripping our communities. As public health officials, we have one duty above all: to protect lives. And I assure you, we are doing our utmost.

Our teams are working around the clock, pulling out all the stops to ensure hospitals have the resources they need. We are coordinating emergency responses, expanding testing facilities, and securing vital medical supplies. Every single person in our department is giving this crisis their best shot.

This is not an easy fight. We face supply shortages, logistical hurdles, and ever-changing conditions. But we will not back down. We will not rest. And we need you to stand with us—to follow safety guidelines, to support one another, and to trust that we are leaving no stone unturned to keep you safe.

We will get through this together, because we will not falter, and we will not fail in our duty to you.

Gap filling exercise about UK elections

11th February 20256th February 2025 by theinterpretingcoach

This week’s exercise is a practice speech and a gap filling exercise OR reformulation exercise on the subject of the 2024 general election in the UK.

The source material is a section of a podcast I like called The NewsAgents.

The background is that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently made a pre-election speech, in which his basic premise was: the world is a dangerous place, so when it comes to elections, stick to what you know (i.e. the Tories, who have been in government for 14 years).

The problem with this is that plenty of things have gone wrong in the past 14 years (austerity, COVID, Partygate, the cost of living crisis, etc. etc.).

The three presenters of the podcast are analysing Sunak’s speech.

[By the way, I really like The NewsAgents as a podcast. The three presenters are on the ball, sometimes funny and irreverent, and they pull no punches in their analysis. There’s a US version if UK politics is too narrow for you.]

You can choose to do the gap filling exercise OR the reformulation exercise. They cover the same material, but the reformulation exercise offers a discussion of alternative phrasing that could be used.

If you want to make the reformulation exercise easier

Try interpreting the podcast from 0:00-6:00 before you tackle the reformulation exercise.

Obviously, if you do this BEFORE doing the gap filling exercise, you will have heard the answers, which defeats the purpose! 😉 But you could always interpret the podcast afterwards.

Gap filling

Here is a gap filling exercise for you, based on an edited transcript of the podcast. You can find the solutions underneath.

‘At some point in the second half of this year, we will all go to the polls and make a choice, not just about Conservatives versus Labour or Sunak versus Starmer, It will be a choice between the future and the past. Our country stands ________________. Over the next few years, from our democracy to our society to our economy to the hardest questions of war and peace, almost every aspect of our lives is going to change.’
Rishi Sunak is _______________ about the fact he is properly on the election war path right now, and he’s setting out the vision of a country which is a dangerous place. This dangerous world of Rishi means just one thing: you have to stick with what you know and vote Tory. But how do you make the argument that you are the future, when you have been the past 14 years? And Rishi Sunak is trying to navigate between the selective bits of the 14 years that went OK, and forgetting all the bits that went horribly wrong. Will that __________?
With everything that’s going on right now in the world, the protests in Tbilisi in Georgia or the circling of Kharkiv in Ukraine by Russia, it would have been very easy, I think, for Rishi Sunak to get up and make a speech about this dangerous world we’re in and why he was the ____________, but instead we got this very _____________, electioneering speech, which tried to encompass everything from defence to Ozempic to education.
The funny thing about this speech, given how important it was to Rishi Sunak, was just how much it was _______________ around various different topics, where every single government department said, ‘we’ve got to include a bit on this’, ‘ you’ve got to include a bit on that’, ‘you’ve got to include a bit on something else’, and all these topics kind of came and they went without a central argument. It was __________ stuff wasn’t it? I sort of feel a bit for him that he probably went out thinking or having said, ‘I’m going to make a speech about the dangerous world we live in’, and then so he goes ‘yeah, but don’t make it too dangerous, you know, have a positive spin on it, make people feel good about themselves’, and so actually people have given him a speech that doesn’t _________ in any shape or form. There is no policy announcement, there is no pledge, there is no promise to improve things for any one particular group of people. He just had a go at Keir Starmer, he basically said ‘stop blaming the Conservatives for the last 14 years’.
Well if you are going to say that, ‘look at our record, we are the people to guide Britain for the next five years, look at what we’ve done over the past 14 years’ Rishi Sunak has to be very careful in saying to people ‘oh look at what we’ve done over the past 14 years’ because if you ___________ you kind of think, ‘well, what were the great bits?’.

1. stands at a crossroads
2. making no bones about
3. will that wash?
4. safe pair of hands
5. freewheeling
6. scattergunning
7. whiplash
8. hang together
9. if you cherrypick

Reformulation exercise

Read the text, and see if you can come up with some alternatives for the phrases in bold.

‘At some point in the second half of this year, we will all go to the polls and make a choice, not just about Conservatives versus Labour or Sunak versus Starmer, It will be a choice between the future and the past. Our country stands at a crossroads. Over the next few years, from our democracy to our society to our economy to the hardest questions of war and peace, almost every aspect of our lives is going to change.’
Rishi Sunak is making no bones about the fact he is properly on the election war path right now, and he’s setting out the vision of a country which is a dangerous place. This dangerous world of Rishi means just one thing: you have to stick with what you know and vote Tory. But how do you make the argument that you are the future, when you have been the past 14 years? And Rishi Sunak is trying to navigate between the selective bits of the 14 years that went OK, and forgetting all the bits that went horribly wrong. Will that wash?
With everything that’s going on right now in the world, the protests in Tbilisi in Georgia or the circling of Kharkiv in Ukraine by Russia, it would have been very easy, I think, for Rishi Sunak to get up and make a speech about this dangerous world we’re in and why he was the safe pair of hands, but instead we got this very freewheeling, electioneering speech, which tried to encompass everything from defence to Ozempic to education.
The funny thing about this speech, given how important it was to Rishi Sunak, was just how much it was scattergunning around various different topics, where every single government department said, ‘we’ve got to include a bit on this’, ‘ you’ve got to include a bit on that’, ‘you’ve got to include a bit on something else’, and all these topics kind of came and they went without a central argument. It was whiplash stuff wasn’t it? I sort of feel a bit for him that he probably went out thinking or having said, ‘I’m going to make a speech about the dangerous world we live in’, and then so he goes ‘yeah, but don’t make it too dangerous, you know, have a positive spin on it, make people feel good about themselves’, and so actually people have given him a speech that doesn’t hang together in any shape or form. There is no policy announcement, there is no pledge, there is no promise to improve things for any one particular group of people. He just had a go at Keir Starmer, he basically said ‘stop blaming the Conservatives for the last 14 years’.
Well if you are going to say that, ‘look at our record, we are the people to guide Britain for the next five years, look at what we’ve done over the past 14 years’ Rishi Sunak has to be very careful in saying to people ‘oh look at what we’ve done over the past 14 years’ because if you cherrypick, you kind of think, ‘well, what were the great bits?’.

at a crossroads: you could say ‘at a turning point’, ‘at a crucial point in its history’, ‘at a critical juncture’, ‘at a decisive moment’
making no bones about: ‘is being absolutely clear’, ‘is stating directly’, ‘is being frank’, ‘is being open about the fact…’, ‘is not mincing words’, ‘is cutting to the chase’.
will that wash? is this convincing? Will people accept this version of events? Does this interpretation stand up to scrutiny/examination? Will people swallow it?
safe pair of hands: he is dependable/reliable/trustworthy/competent/experienced
freewheeling: loosely structured, loose, somewhat random, improvised
scattergunning: [this means the same as scattershot] random, haphazard, going in all directions
it was whiplash stuff: it gave you whiplash, you didn’t know what to think, you didn’t know what to expect, he kept wrongfooting us with his changes of direction, his line of argument was very unpredictable
hang together: it isn’t coherent, it doesn’t make logical sense
cherrypick: if you are selective, if you pick and choose from the Tories’ achievements, if you pick out highlights, if you don’t give the full picture

Next steps

You could use the podcast transcript as a basis for a summarising exercise, since it’s quite repetitive or long-winded in places.

You could also use the transcript as a basis for a register exercise. Since it’s quite colloquial, you could work on making it more formal.

Here’s an example of a version that is both more concise and more formal:

Later this year, voters face a choice beyond party lines—it’s a decision between progress and the status quo. The country stands at a crossroads, with major changes ahead in democracy, the economy, and global security.

Rishi Sunak is fully engaged in the election campaign, portraying a dangerous world that demands Conservative leadership. But after 14 years in power, can his party still claim to be the future? He highlights selective successes while distancing himself from failures, yet this strategy may not convince voters.

His latest speech, which could have focused on the Conservatives as a safe pair of hands, lacked focus. Instead of a clear policy vision, it jumped between topics—defence, healthcare, education—without coherence. There were no pledges, just attacks on Keir Starmer and a plea to stop blaming the Conservatives for the past 14 years.

If Sunak wants to campaign on his party’s record, he must be careful. Highlighting selective achievements only raises the question: what real successes stand out?

I hope you enjoyed this exercise!