Buying Time While Speaking - Conversation Practice
Practise buying time while speaking through two model conversations at B2–C1 level. Key phrases are highlighted in the dialogues and collected below each example. Two prompts help learners create their own conversations.
What’s in the worksheet?
- Two model conversations
- Highlighted phrases in context
- Key phrases below each dialogue
- Two prompts for pair practice
Buy thinking time while clarifying a complex question or qualifying a view.
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A simple way to teach it
Before the lesson
Use the two model conversations and phrase lists on the learner page. The final dialogue prompts are open-ended, with no fixed answer key.
- Compare the interview's process problem with the question about a four-day working week.
- Identify clarification, provisional answers and the evidence needed before recommending change.
- Develop a final prompt with two phrases, a considered response and one clarifying question.
Support and extension
Use issue/evidence/response notes. Extend by distinguishing shorter hours from compressed hours and avoiding confident claims unsupported by the scenario.
Suggested approach. Adjust the pace and number of questions to suit your class.
