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AI image: A woman and a man talk while holding mugs in an office kitchen – coffee and tea.
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Simmonds · live on simmonds.onlineA25 min · English

Coffee and tea in English: vocabulary, dialogue and conversation questions

Editorially responsible: James Simmondspublished 15 Nov 2026AI-generated text (learn more – how we use AI on these pages)

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Allow the microphone – Theo asks the first question.

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Question of the day

What does Sarah want to drink?

  1. Strong coffee
  2. A cup of tea
  3. Cold water
Show the answer – Open the answer to the question of the day

Correct answer: A cup of tea

You can find the answer in the English introduction.

Listen to the introduction

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Transcript

It is ten o'clock in the morning at a busy office in London. Sarah walks into the kitchen. She wants to make a nice cup of tea – Jump to the vocabulary entry for cup of tea. She needs to boil the kettle – Jump to the vocabulary entry for boil the kettle first. Her colleague Mark is already there. He stands next to the new coffee machine – Jump to the vocabulary entry for coffee machine. Mark always drinks strong coffee – Jump to the vocabulary entry for strong coffee to wake up. He takes it black with sugar – Jump to the vocabulary entry for black with sugar. Sarah does not like caffeine in the morning. She prefers a hot herbal tea – Jump to the vocabulary entry for herbal tea. They chat for a few minutes. Then, they go back to their desks with their warm drinks.

Vocabulary

cup of tea/ˌkʌp əv ˈtiː/
Meaning: A hot drink made with tea leaves and water.
Example: Would you like a cup of tea?
boil the kettle/ˌbɔɪl ðə ˈket.əl/
Meaning: To heat water in a kettle until it is very hot.
Example: I will boil the kettle for our drinks.
coffee machine/ˈkɒf.i məˌʃiːn/
Meaning: A machine that makes coffee.
Example: The coffee machine in our office is broken.
strong coffee/ˌstrɒŋ ˈkɒf.i/
Meaning: Coffee with a strong flavour.
Example: I need a strong coffee after a bad night.
black with sugar/ˌblæk wɪð ˈʃʊɡ.ə/
Meaning: Coffee or tea without milk but with sweet sugar.
Example: He drinks his coffee black with sugar.
herbal tea/ˌhɜː.bəl ˈtiː/
Meaning: A hot drink made from plants or flowers, not tea leaves.
Example: She drinks herbal tea before bed.

Dialogue

  1. AnnaHi Tom. Are you using the coffee machine?
  2. TomYes, I am. Do you want a strong coffee too?
  3. AnnaNo, thank you. I want to boil the kettle.
  4. TomAre you making a cup of tea?
  5. AnnaYes, I want a herbal tea today.
  6. TomThat sounds nice. I need caffeine to stay awake!
  7. AnnaDo you still drink it black with sugar?
  8. TomExactly. Two sugars, please!

Questions for your conversation

Partner A

Easier: Do you drink coffee every day? Why or why not?

How do you take your coffee?

More challenging: Why do you think coffee breaks are important in a workplace?

Partner B

Easier: Do you like tea? Why or why not?

When do you usually drink tea?

More challenging: How does the tea culture in the UK compare to the culture in your country?

Partner A

Easier: Do you have a coffee machine at home? Why or why not?

Who makes the best coffee in your family or office?

More challenging: What are the benefits of providing free hot drinks for employees?

Useful phrases

  • How do you take your coffee?
  • I would like a cup of tea, please.
  • I will boil the kettle.
  • Do you drink it black or with milk?
  • The coffee machine is broken.
  • Let's take a quick coffee break.

Topic quiz

Five quick questions check vocabulary and listening comprehension.

All conversations – Back to all English conversations

Questions

Who is Theo?

Theo is an AI conversation partner for warming up, not a teacher. The voice is synthetic. In the live rounds, a trainer talks with you.

Is my conversation stored?

We store neither audio nor a transcript. During the conversation, your voice is sent to Google (Gemini) for processing. The conversation ends after no more than five minutes.

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