How to Talk About Anything in English Using BECAUSE, BUT, AND and SO

In this guide, I want to show you how to talk about anything in English using BECAUSE, BUT, AND and SO.

Let’s get into it…

Talking About One Topic Is Hard

If you are like most other students, you simply don’t know what to say about any one topic.

You start to panic and just grab at random ideas in your mind as you try to speak.

Or you might reel off a list of things that you think are about the main topic, but in the end, just sounds like a list.

For example, you might want to talk about your father. In order to speak at length, you just provide a bullet-point list of ideas… Like this.

• My father is tall
• My father wears glasses
• My father is an engineer
• My father likes to watch old movies
• My father is a little fat

You are talking about your father.

But is it interesting? Probably not…

There is a much better way. Let me show you.

Using the Word Because

You can use the word BECAUSE to add some details to what you are saying.

This adds reasons why you like something or why you do something.

I Like Football Because…

For example, you might say:

I like football

This is a great opening sentence but on its own, it is not very interesting. You need to add why you like football.

Then you can talk for a little longer and what you say about football becomes more interesting.

So you could say:

I like football because it is good fun

I like football because I think it is a great game

I like football because I can watch a game with all my friends

I like football because it helps me stay fit and healthy

I Like Reading Because…

Maybe your interest is reading.

You could introduce your interest by saying

I like reading

But it’s not enough. So let’s add because.

I like reading, because I find it relaxing.

I like reading, because I like to lose myself in stories.

I like reading, because I can learn some new things.

I Go To School By Bus Because…

Let’s try a different verb and topic.

If you are talking about how you go to school, it could be a good idea to talk about why you use that form of transport.

I go to school by bus, because I get a free bus pass and I can chat with my friends.

I go to school by bus, because I live a long way from school.

I go to school by bus, because I can just sit and rest before my lessons.

I Play Chess With My Dad, Because…

Or we can try this topic.

I play chess with my dad, because we are both big chess fans.

I play chess with my dad, because we can play chess and talk together at the same time.

I play chess with my dad, because it’s nice to sit in a quiet room at the end of the day.

Now You Try!

What do you like?

What things do you do?

Talk about your daily life.

Now add the word BECAUSE and add one more detail.

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Using the Word But

You can also use the word but. This will add some contrast to the first part of the statement and it will sound more interesting.

Let’s look at some ideas.

I Live In London, But…

Remember: when you say BUT the following phrase must be in contrast to the first phrase.

So you could say:

I live in London, but to be honest, I don’t really like it.

I live in London, but only because my work is here.

I live in London, but I would prefer to live in a smaller town.

I Am Studying Economics, But…

Maybe you are studying something that you dislike or have no interest in.

What could you say?

I am studying economics, but I don’t really like it.

I am studying economics, but I wish I were studying English literature.

I am studying economics, but only so I can find a good job when I graduate.

I Drink Coffee In The Morning, But…

You could talk about habits too.

I drink coffee in the morning, but in the afternoon I only drink tea.

I drink coffee in the morning, but I don’t think it is very healthy.

I drink coffee in the morning, but at the weekend I like to drink orange juice.

Now You Try!

Same as you did in the previous exercise using BECAUSE.

But this time add BUT.

Just talk about your daily life and the things you do.

Using The Word And

Just as you use the words BECAUSE and BUT you can also use the word AND to add flavour to what you talk about.

When you use the word AND you are adding some additional information.

Let’s take a look…

In The Morning I Shower And…

Using AND is somewhat easier than using BECAUSE or BUT.

In the morning, I shower and brush my teeth.

In the morning, I shower and then I go downstairs to make breakfast.

In the morning, I shower and then get dressed.

I Like Cooking And…

You can add more details to your interests.

I like cooking and sometimes I cook Sunday Lunch for all my family.

I like cooking and baking cakes.

I like cooking and preparing delicious meals for people.

Now You Try!

Using AND should be quite easy for you…

Just talk about your life — then use the word AND to add more details.

Using The Word So

Finally, we have the word SO. SO is a simpler way of saying therefore or in order to.

Let’s look at some ways you can use the word SO.

I Like To Play Football, So…

SO can be used to explain reasons for doing something.

I like to play football, so I try to play at least twice a week.

I like to play football, so me and my friends play a game every Sunday.

I like to play football, so I joined an amateur team.

I Want To Lose Weight, So…

Maybe you have a goal in your life. How to talk about it? You can use the word SO.

I want to lose weight, so I am avoiding fast food and any food with added sugar.

I want to lose weight, so I am watching what I eat and doing more exercise.

I want to lose weight, so I can buy some new clothes later this year.

I Am Studying Engineering, So…

You could give the reasons why you are studying something. Or what the studying entails for you in your life.

I am studying engineering, so I can find a good job when I graduate.

I am studying engineering, so I have a lot of homework to do.

I am studying engineering, so I have to brush up on my maths skills.

Now You Try!

What things do you like to do in your life?

What are some of your life goals?

You can add more information by using the word SO.

Make up your own sentences and use the word SO to provide more information.

Using Because and But

You can use two of the words together.

Let’s look at ways how to use BECAUSE and BUT in one sentence.

I Play Chess With My Dad, Because…

I like to play chess with my dad, because we both love to play, but my dad usually wins.

This is much more interesting than just saying I like to play chess. Now you almost have an entire story about playing chess.

I Like Reading, Because…

I like reading, because I am a bit of a loner, but I’m a member of a reading club and we all like reading together.

Again, this is much better than only saying I like reading. Another story. You could go on to explain why you are a loner, what books you like to read, and what happens at the reading club.

I Live In London, Because…

I live in London, because all my family is there and it is where I grew up, but I plan to go to university in Manchester in September.

I Go Jogging In The Morning, Because…

I go jogging in the morning, because I think it’s a good start to the day, but at the weekend I don’t do any exercise.

Now You Try!

You can use BECAUSE followed by BUT in one long sentence. It will make your original sentence much more interesting and create a small kind of story.

Write some sentences of your own using BECAUSE and BUT.

Using And and So

You can use both AND and SO in one long sentence too.

This will create something more interesting for the listener.

Let’s have a look…

I Like Cooking And…

I like cooking and I often cook meals for my family, so most of the time I make Sunday Lunch.

I like cooking and I want to study cooking, so I am planning to go to university to do this.

Both of these sentences provide much more information about your love of cooking here.

I Want To Leave London And…

I want to leave London and live in a smaller town, so I am looking at places like Bath and Brighton.

I want to leave London and start a new life, so I have quit my job.

In these two sentences, you are telling more of a story about your life. This is more engaging than simply saying I want to leave London.

Now You Try!

Take some of the sentences you wrote before and try to adapt them using the words AND and SO.

Keep trying and you will find that you can come up with much more interesting and engaging things to say.

Putting It All Into Practice

The more you practice using the words BECAUSE, BUT, AND and SO, the more interesting your sentences and speech will become.

These words can work like magic to make anything you say turn into a story.

You will find that by simply adding BECAUSE, BUT, AND or SO, you can add a small piece to your first sentence.

Let’s look at things you could say using all of the words — BECAUSE, BUT, AND, SO — in one paragraph.

Talking About Walking

I love walking, SO my wife bought me a nice pair of walking shoes. I got into walking, BECAUSE I thought it is good exercise AND a great way to lose weight. BUT I have become a little too obsessed with it. I downloaded an app to check how far I have walked AND how many steps, BUT it never seems enough. I have become very competitive with it, SO I am always checking the app AND feeling like I need to go outside AND walk some more.

Can you see how much detail there is in the speech above?

You are not just talking about walking, but how important it is in your life.

This is a complete story!

Talking About Drawing

When I was younger, I loved drawing. SO my parents bought me some nice pencils and drawing paper. I was always drawing things. BUT when I got older, I stopped. I don’t know why, maybe BECAUSE I grew out of it or got bored with it. BUT I wish I had kept it up AND continued improving my drawing skills.

And in this speech, you can also see a story unfolding.

Conclusion

If you practice using the words BECAUSE, BUT, AND and SO, you will find that you can talk at length about almost any topic.

And if you are doing the IELTS speaking test, this can really help you speak for a longer time in clear and interesting sentences.

Keep trying and good luck!