B2 English sentences
Short English sentences at B2 (Upper-intermediate) level, in sets from the newest lessons. Press play to hear a sentence, then practise the whole set as a dictation.
10 B2 sentences: A Receiver at Supper
- The film A Receiver at Supper follows an inventor whose kettle alarm becomes entangled in family life.
- Her first prototype mistakes a washing machine's vibrations for a boiling kettle, ruining Sunday soup.
- Her father, a night baker, sleeps through ordinary alarms after his shifts, giving her invention personal stakes.
- The device sends a light to a receiver, so it cannot help if either part is misplaced.
- Bright daylight can also hide the flash, a practical weakness the film does not conceal.
- Instead of presenting a polished success story, the director lets failed tests reshape their relationship.
- During one late test, her father covers the receiver with a tea towel, expecting a louder warning.
- That small gesture shows how easily a thoughtful design can fail to match someone's habits.
- The middle section occasionally overexplains the circuitry, although its domestic humor keeps the pace warm.
- Viewers drawn to intimate family dramas and inventive everyday details will enjoy its understated payoff.
10 B2 sentences: The Map Behind the Wall
- By the time the repair crew reached the archive, rain had darkened the lowest shelves.
- Water ran from a loose joint in the upstairs drainpipe, then seeped through a crack in the brickwork.
- At first, the clerk assumed the damp had ruined only a stack of obsolete forms.
- Years earlier, a caretaker had painted over that same stain whenever winter storms returned.
- When the crew removed a warped panel, they uncovered a tin case wedged behind it.
- Inside lay a survey map showing a passage sealed during renovations decades before.
- The crack traced the old passage, which connected the archive to a forgotten street entrance.
- Because the map recorded a public right of way, the town could not simply close it.
- The clerk had been preparing to discard those forms, which documented the passage's closure.
- After the pipe was repaired, she filed the map among records that could reopen the dispute.
10 B2 sentences: Shade That Travels
- On hot afternoons, a shaded pavement can feel several degrees cooler than nearby asphalt.
- The difference comes partly from trees blocking sunlight before it heats roofs, walls, and roads.
- Leaves also release water vapour, which absorbs energy as it evaporates into the air.
- This process, called transpiration, cools the surrounding area, although its strength depends on available water.
- In tightly built districts, heat stored by concrete lingers after sunset, raising indoor temperatures overnight.
- Trees can soften that effect, but planting them is not a simple universal remedy.
- Where roots lack space, young trees may struggle, while dense canopies can obstruct airflow.
- Careful placement matters because shade is most useful where people walk, wait, and gather.
- As heat waves become more frequent, street trees are increasingly treated as public infrastructure.
- Their benefits are unevenly distributed, however, unless planting plans prioritize the hottest, least shaded neighbourhoods.
How to practise with English sentences
Listening to one short sentence at a time is the easiest way to start with dictation. Play a sentence, write it down without looking, then compare. The small words you missed, such as articles, endings and contractions, show you what to listen for next time.
Every set here comes from a real lesson at that level, read in natural English. When a set feels easy, practise it as a full dictation: you type each sentence and every word is checked for you.
Where can I find short English sentences with audio?
Here, grouped by level from A1 to C1. Every sentence has its own recording, and new sentences are added every day with the new lessons.
What is a sentence dictation?
You listen to a sentence and write down exactly what you hear. It trains listening and spelling together, because you can’t skip a word you didn’t catch.
Which level of sentences should I start with?
Start where you can write down most of a sentence after two or three listens. If you are not sure, the free 5-minute level test suggests a level.