Lesson 22: Theme: Technology & Gadgets (2026)
a strong technology vocabulary bank + present perfect continuous to talk about gadgets you use daily.
Why this matters
"A piece of technology you use daily" is a flagged 2026 Window-3 cue card, and tech runs through Part 3 too. Strong, natural tech vocabulary pays off across the whole test.
The Tip/Trick
Describe a gadget by what it does for you, not its specs. Examiners want natural language, not a product brochure.
- Before: "My phone has 256GB and good camera and fast chip."
- After: "My phone has basically become my external brain — it keeps me organised, connected, and entertained all in one."
Grammar Focus — Present perfect continuous (have been + -ing)
Rule: have/has been + -ing emphasises the duration of an ongoing activity. Reference: the "Present perfect continuous (have been + -ing)" section.
- "I've been using this laptop for about three years."
- "I've been relying on it more and more lately."
- "They've been improving the software constantly."
Vocabulary Cluster — Technology & gadgets (2026)
Add to under "Technology & gadgets (2026)".
- a game-changer — something revolutionary — "Wireless earbuds were a game-changer for me."
- user-friendly / intuitive — easy to use — "The app is really intuitive."
- to streamline (a task) — make it efficient — "It streamlines my whole workflow."
- cutting-edge — most advanced — "It's cutting-edge technology."
- to be indispensable — can't do without — "My phone is indispensable."
- battery life — how long it lasts — "The battery life is impressive."
- to sync across devices — share data automatically — "My notes sync across devices."
- a learning curve — time to learn it — "There was a bit of a learning curve."
Drill these as flashcards — flip, then grade yourself.
Answer Outline
- What + role: "The gadget I rely on most is ____."
- How long (perfect continuous): "I've been using it for ____."
- What it does for me: "It basically ____."
- Life without it: "Honestly, I'd be lost without it because ____."
Model Answers: 5.0 vs 7.0
Cue card: Describe a piece of technology you use every day.
Band 5.0: "I use my phone every day. It is good. I call, I chat, I watch video. It has good camera. I like it."
Band 7.0: "The gadget I genuinely couldn't live without is my smartphone — I've been relying on it more and more over the past few years. It's become completely indispensable: it streamlines everything from my calendar to my banking, and the fact that my notes sync across devices is a real game-changer. It's incredibly intuitive, so there was barely any learning curve. Honestly, I'd be a bit lost without it, mainly because it keeps my whole life organised in one place."
What changed:
- Present perfect continuous: "I've been relying on it…".
- Tech collocations: "indispensable", "streamlines", "sync across devices", "a game-changer", "intuitive".
- Function over specs: describes what it does, not gigabytes.
- Listing specs instead of usefulness.
- "since three years" → "for three years" / "since 2023".
- Dropped -s on 3rd person: "it sync" → "it syncs".
Your Turn (Record)
Task: Cue card "Describe a piece of technology that has made your life easier." 2-min talk. Use present perfect continuous once and 4 tech collocations. ⏱ 1 + 2 min.
Your turn — record & get scored
Part 2- Describe a piece of technology that has made your life easier.
Self-Check + Spaced Review
Done when:
- I used present perfect continuous correctly.
- I used ≥4 tech collocations.
- I focused on what the gadget does for me.
Spaced review:
- From Lesson 14: use a relative clause to add detail about the gadget.
- From Lesson 18: swap "very good" for a precise intensifier.