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C O M M U N I C AT I O N I N E N G L I S H A Modern Approach to Facilitating the Acquisition of English as a Foreign Language

Real Talk Developing and Using English for Conversation

William M Tweedie

Practical

Pragmatics Predictability Performance Perception

Resources

Relevant

Recognition Realia Resolve

Imagination Investigation

Integrated

Inclusion Insight

Mystery Motivation Multiple

Intelligences

Meaningful

Media

Energy Enthusiasm Extension Engagement

Enriching

PRIME Talk: Developing and Using English for Conversation

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PRIME

Communication in

English

PRIME Real Talk Developing and Using English for Conversation

Student’s Guide and Workbook

For Young Adult and Adult Beginner and Low Intermediate Students of English as a Second and as a Foreign Language

William Tweedie

© 2002-2009 Kenmac Educan International and William M Tweedie All rights reserved


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Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................ 6

Unit 1 ........................................................................................................................ 10

Special topic 1: Greetings and Good-byes ............................................................ 10

Conversation Gambits 1 ........................................................................................ 12

Politeness, Introductions, Responses, Linking ................................................... 12

The Content of Conversation 1 ............................................................................. 17

Making New Friends ........................................................................................... 17


Hesitation, Illustrating Meaning, Interest, Confirming ......................................... 24


Report about New Friends ................................................................................. 28


Questioning, Clarifying, Complimenting, Responding ........................................ 36


Your Friend Revisited ......................................................................................... 40

Special topic 2: Numbers ...................................................................................... 46

Special Topic 3: Asking for and Telling time .......................................................... 46


Time and Numbers ............................................................................................. 47


Agreeing and Disagreeing .................................................................................. 53


Special Activity: Interests and Hobbies .............................................................. 55



Throwing a party for your new friend! – Part 1.................................................... 66

Throwing a party for your new friend! – Part 2.................................................... 69


Saying Good-bye to Your Friend ........................................................................ 71

Extended List of Gambits ...................................................................................... 75

Openers ............................................................................................................. 75

Linkers ................................................................................................................ 82

Responders ........................................................................................................ 89


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Introduction

In this course, you wi l l begin developing and using English for everyday conversation. The language you wi l l learn to use wi l l be your language. It wi l l be Practical , that is, you wi ll need to use i t to get things done. It wi l l be Relevant because you wi l l ul timately decide the content of your conversations, the language you need that is important to you. It wi l l Integrate all the skil ls used for communication by anyone who speaks, which are observing, l istening, reading, wri t ing and speaking. There wi ll be an overall concern with the Meaning of lexis and your intentions in communicating. You wi l l not study grammar in a linear, sequential manner as you have in the past. Instead, you wi ll learn about the structure of the Engl ish language and how i t works as the need arises. Grammar and spel l ing are simply means of making your communication, your messages, clearly understood by your l istener or reader. You wi l l learn to use Engl ish to Enr ich your l i fe. This is the PRIME Approach to language learning.

At the beginning of the course, your faci l i tator wi ll introduce or review some important information with you. This information wi l l include:

1. Setting your Goals and Objectives (GO) for the course

2. Organizing your t ime and course work

3. How the timeframe for each activi ty wi ll be determined

4. Introducing you to some of the resources you wi l l have available to you to help in your language learning process

5. Setting the rules for your class

6. Recognizing the di fferent styles of learning there are in your class

7. Understanding the need everyone has for individual attention

8. How common language mistakes you and your classmates make wi l l be addressed (PRIME Language Point Times – PLPT).

9. Homework and preparing in advance for the class

Speaking is real communication when i t is authentic , relevant to your l i fe, and purposeful in satisfying your needs or wants. You must use your existing knowledge, experience, and especially your imagination to develop and use real communication in English. The general objective of th is course is for you to begin communicating in English through observing, l istening, speaking, and wri t ing as wel l by using your imagination.


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In the PRIME Strategies course, you are becoming famil iar with some of the tools available to help you to remember and use Engl ish lexis. In the next sixteen weeks, you wi l l have the opportuni ty to put those tools to work. In this course, you wi l l learn, practice, and acquire English lexis (words, phrases, expressions, and whole sentences) for real communication. The English lexis wi ll be language that you want and agree you need to know. Therefore, you wi l l develop most of the content for this course. In the fi rst uni t we wi l l concentrate on some of the basic formal i t ies of conversations, some commonly used words or expressions that help develop fluency (gambits), and the basic lexis you need in order to engage in “smal l talk” with others about yoursel f - your background, interests, and goals. We wi ll also focus on questions , asking them and responding to them. If you do not have a question on your l ips or in your mind, your chances of learning are not very good. Questions are the keys that unlock the doors of knowledge and understanding. They are extremely important so work hard to learn how to formulate, ask, and respond to questions. Record your experiences, thoughts, feel ings and especial ly your successes in your dai ly journal wri t ing and be proud of them. Record your mistakes as wel l , because you wi l l improve your abi li ty to use the Engl ish language by being aware of your errors and working to correct them. The journal, this guidebook, and the assessments your faci l i tator wi l l make of your effort and progress, are the factors that wi l l consti tute your f inal grade. There are six sections in this uni t and two main parts to each section:

Conversation Gambits and

The Content of Conversation

Most of the time, in the fi rst hour of each section, your faci l i tator wi ll introduce and help you practice some common and important Conversation Gambits or expressions that you should use in your conversations whenever possible. A Gambit is any lexis (word, phrase, expression, or sentence) that has i ts own special meaning and use in helping to express more fluently and effectively what we want and mean to say. Like so much of Engl ish, gambits often cannot be broken down or understood through their individual parts or through grammatical analysis. The words make sense only when they are used together. Learn and use this lexis as whole uni ts with special meaning. You wi l l find they are quickly


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acquired. Do not expect to learn to use all the gambits, but to choose two or three in each section that you are comfortable with and, with practice, can eventually use in your natural conversations. You are learning some very important gambits in Language Learning Strategies and Lexis. They are essential for the ini tiation, controll ing and directing of your process of acquiring English. Use them when you need to and you wi l l f ind out just how effective they can be. There is an extended l ist of Gambits beginning on page 55. Refer to these as wel l as the ones you practice in class when you are developing your conversations. In The Content of Conversation part of each section, you wi l l work with your classmates and faci l i tator to develop the content topics of your conversations and some of the language you need to learn to be able to engage in conversations about the topics. Then you wi l l develop the conversations in drafts that your faci l i tator wi ll correct for your final draft. As you progress in the process of acquiring Engl ish, come back to these conversations and continue to revise them. This is a good way to see just how much you are improving. The unit is designed for you to work in a team or with a partner because most of us learn faster i f we have the help of our friends. If you are an intradependent learner, that is, someone who prefers to work alone, explain this to your facil i tator and your team-mates and they wi l l adapt the process to accommodate you as much as possible. Working on the activi ties in this uni t in advance and at home wi l l probably make you a very productive contributor to your team. Every member of your team is unique. You must respect their individuali ty in order for you to be effective in working together. Three special topics are included in this uni t for you to learn about and practice. They are 1. Greetings and goodbyes, 2. Asking for and tel l ing time, and 3. Using numbers. These topics require some special class time to learn and practice. In this uni t, you should not be concerned with perfectly correct spel ling, structure, or grammar. These are important only i f they keep you fr om expressing what you real ly want to say. The most important thing is getting your ideas across. Remember there are many means of communication other than speaking (pictographic, sensory, etc .) as you wi ll learn and practice in the PRIME Strategies course. Try to use these other means with your faci l i tator or classmates to learn the lexis you need to know in creating the drafts of the conversations you wi l l develop. Once your f i rst draft is finished, hand in your workbook to your faci l i tator who wi l l refine the lexis, structure, and grammar in your


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conversations and make the corrections necessary to make your meaning clear. Finally, you wi l l continue to refine and practice your conversations whi le your faci l i tator helps with the aspects of intonation, stress, and pronunciation i f you need i t. Do not let the elements of style interfere with your attempt to communicate! You are not here to analyse Engl ish but to use i t for effective, real communication . Have fun!


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Unit 1

Special topic 1: Greetings and Good-byes

Before people engage in conversations, they must come together. When they come together, they usual ly greet each other and when they leave, they say good-bye. The forms of the expressions vary widely (there are hundreds) and depend on the context. The contexts are generally classi f ied as formal or informal and publ ic or private. Write as many greetings and good-byes that are used in your native language as you can under the headings in the form below. Wri te as many of the translations of these greetings and good -byes as you can. Compare your work to other students, and then put al l the expressions you came up with as a class together on your l ists.

Greetings in your Mother Tongue

Context Formal Informal

Translation in English

1 √ √ Good Day

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

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Goodbyes in Your Mother

Tongue

C o n t e x t Formal Informal

New Goodbyes in English

Translation in English

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

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Your faci l i tator wi ll give you a handout of some greetings and goodbyes commonly used in Engl ish and then conduct some activi t ies for you to practice them. Add the expressions you don‟t already have to your l ist. You may be surprised to know that “Hel lo” accounts for less than 30% of the greetings used by Americans every day according to a recent study! Remember that language is a creative tool , so be free to create! Practice using di fferent greetings everyday when you greet your faci l i tator and classmates.


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Conversation Gambits 1

Politeness, Introductions, Responses, Linking

In this uni t, you wi ll f ind many types of gambits to help you become a more fluent speaker of Engl ish. They wi ll help you to sound natural in conversation. Your faci l i tator wi ll bring to class some activi t ies for you to understand the meaning and use of the gambits. The following are some useful expressions that wi ll help you begin a conversation. First, always be polite . Use these gambits together with those in other gambit sections. Excuse me … …, please Please …………………….. Sorry… / I ‟m sorry... Pardon me... May I...

Write some examples of how you would use these gambits


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Thank you (very much) You‟re welcome You‟re very kind (That‟s kind of you) Any time Don‟t worry It ‟s no trouble



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Introductions Let me introduce myself Al low me to introduce my fr iend(s) This is ... [name – Mr. (family name) is formal, (First name) is informal ] I ‟d l ike you to meet... Have you met. ..?



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Responses It ‟s a pleasure to meet you Nice to meet you Hi Welcome Good to see you

Write some examples of how you would use these gambits .


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Linking (within a conversation) By the way, ... ...... Actual ly, ........ In fact, ........ Generally, ......



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The Content of Conversation 1

Making New Friends

Now, armed with your gambits, greetings, and goodbyes, i t ‟s t ime to think about a conversation that you might have when you fi rst meet a stranger who doesn‟t speak your native language but who speaks Engl ish. Alone or in teams, decide who this person is, what country s/he is from, where and when you are meeting, and what the circumstances are. This person might not be from an Engl ish speaking country and could be from any country in the world, where English is the language of international communication, business, and travel , such as Korea, France, Russia, Iran, Austria, Oman, etc. Choose a formal or informal context and then decide how you would greet this person. (Whether the person is male or female might influence your choices. ) You wi l l meet this person (in your imaginations) a few times over the next seven or eight weeks so you wi l l have the opportuni ty to explain many things about yoursel f and your l i fe and also to learn about (or imagine what you might learn about) the stranger and his or her l i fe. Your faci l i tator wi ll give you his or her own model of a conversation. However, this is only a model. Use i t to learn about the structure of conversations but remember you must make up your own topics and content of your conversation. First, wri te what you would say when you fi rst meet someone in your native country and in your naïve language. Then work with your classmates and faci l i tator to find the right words and expressions in Engl ish. Once you have finished your draft , hand in your workbook to your faci l i tator who wi l l make general corrections so your meaning is clear. Write, as you would speak. In the next class, review these corrections and ask your faci l i tator any questions you may have about them. Then practice your conversation with a partner or in a smal l group. When you do this, do not read your conversations. Try to be as natural as possible, remembering the lexis you have learned and practiced. However, you may refer to your wri tte n text when you absolutely need to remember some lexis you or your classmates can‟t remember…but, try to work i t out with your team fi rst. For now, l imit your introductory conversation to three or four minutes. Use the fol lowing pages for your original , translation and corrected drafts of the dialogue.


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Introductory dialogue (in your native language)

Whom are you meeting? _________________________________________________________ Where is s/he from? _________________________________________________________ Where are you meeting? _________________________________________________________ Why are you meeting? _________________________________________________________ When are you meeting? _________________________________________________________ What wi ll your conversation be? (In your native language) Use the space below to wri te your draft of the conversation.

Making a new friend – in your native language


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What wi ll your conversation be? English - Draft

Making a new friend – in English


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What wi ll your conversation be? In Engl ish - Corrected Draft

Making a new friend – corrected draft


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Hesitation, Illustrating Meaning, Interest, Confirming

Hesitation Well , um... Well , let‟s see... Mmm, I‟ l l have to think about that... I ‟m not qui te sure I understand So you mean...



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Illustrating what you mean or understand (Take _______) for example, (Take _______) for instance, Let me give you an idea... Let me show you I ‟ l l draw you a picture You mean i t ‟s l ike....



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Showing Interest I see. Real ly? OK! Yes? And? That‟s interesting. What happened?



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Confirming Do you understand? OK so far? Have you got i t? Is i t clear? Are you fol lowing me?



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Report about New Friends

You are exci ted to have met someone new from another country so you want to tel l your family and fr iends all about him. How wi l l you describe your new fr iend? Where and how did you meet? With your team-mates, develop a brief description of your friend.

Description of your friend - Draft


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Description of your friend - Corrected


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Now develop some questions you want to know about another team‟s fr iend. Check i t wi th your facil i tator before you move to another group. Then change places with someone on another team in your class. Share your information about your fr iend and ask y our questions of the others in your group. Use the space below to develop your lexis.


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Questions about another team’s new friend - Draft


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Questions about another team’s new friend - Corrected


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Questioning, Clarifying, Complimenting, Responding

Questioning May I ask a question? May I ask you something? Could you tell me...? Where do you...? What‟s your favouri te...? Who‟s your favouri te? When did you...? And you? And what about you?



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Clarifying What I mean is... What I meant was... Let me put it another way... What I‟m trying to say is... Could you put it another way...? I didn‟t get your point.

Write some examples of how you would use these gambits.


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Compliments That‟s great. You‟re very... You look... That‟s a great idea. What a beauti ful ... What a great...



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Responding to compliments Oh, thank you very much. That‟s very kind of you. Do you real ly think so? Real ly? Thanks, I needed that You‟ve made my day!



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Your Friend Revisited

Now it‟s time to meet your friend again. Perhaps you call him/her to arrange the meeting first. Include this conversation on the telephone if this is the case. In this meeting, (remember to think about where and when you are meeting and what the circumstances are) you will probably want to know more about your friend. So prepare lots of questions and try to imagine what your friend‟s answers would be. Moreover, be prepared for his questions too as s/he will want to know more about you.

Meeting your friend again - Your native language


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Meeting your friend again – English Draft


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Meeting your friend again – Corrected Draft


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Special topic 2: Numbers

Special Topic 3: Asking for and Telling time

Your faci l i tator wi ll bring to class some special worksheets for you to learn, practice, and acquire the abil i ty to use numbers in counting, using the telephone, addresses, sequencing, etc. S/he wi ll also have some special practice sheets to help you learn how to ask for and tel l the time in Engl ish. Use your preferred learning strat egies and practice these expressions of numbers and time often outside of class with your fr iends and classmates.


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Time and Numbers

Time – asking for Do you know what t ime i t is? Do you know what t ime the.. . Would you tell me the time? What t ime is i t? Do you have the time? May I trouble you for the time?



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Time – responding Yes, i t ‟s... Yes, i t... Sure, i t ‟s... No problem, i t ‟s... I ‟m sorry , I don‟t...try asking...



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Time to go Oh! Look at the time. How time fl ies! I ‟ve got to make up for lost t ime. I ‟m late! I ‟m late for my.. .



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Numbers - telephone What‟s your number? Cal l me... Could you give me your number? My number is... I ‟ l l cal l you....



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Numbers – address What‟s the house number? What‟s your building number? What‟s the street number? What‟s your apartment number?



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Numbers – age How old...? When were you born? When is your birthday? You look about „X‟ years old. Am I close?



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Agreeing and Disagreeing

Agreeing S/He‟s r ight! That‟s correct! I agree. There‟s no doubt about i t. OK. Yes.



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Disagreeing I don‟t agree (with...) I don‟t think that‟s r ight. Oh, come on! That‟s not r ight. That‟s not true. No.



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Special Activity: Interests and Hobbies

Now it‟s time for you to begin engaging in real talk with your fellow classmates. With your team, in the first period, develop a list of as many topics of interest as you can. (Space for nine is included here. Use your notebooks if you need more space.) For example, music, sports, food, etc. Under each topic, develop five questions (Q1-Q5) for that topic. An example is included in the form on the next page. Ask your facilitator if you have any questions about how to form or pronounce the questions. Once you have all your questions developed, write your answers to the questions (A1-A5) and again check with your facilitator or teammates about spelling, pronunciation, or grammar. Begin practicing how to say them with your teammates. Practice well because you will be in a competition in the next period. At the beginning of the second period, review any problems you might have with your teammates and the facilitator and spend a few minutes practicing. Next, each member of each team will ask a member of another team a question. Your facilitator will give each team a point for each correct question and answer. You will get bonus points for using the gambits you have learned so far in this unit. Remember the important gambits you learned in the first course because they can keep you from losing points!

Example Topic: Music

Q1. What‟s your favourite kind of music?

Q2. Who„s your favourite singer?

Q3. What‟s your favourite band/group?

A1. Jazz

A2. Joe Cocker

A3. I like the Beatles


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Topic:

Q1.

Q2.

Q3.

Q4.

Q5.

A1.

A2.

A3.

A4.

A5.

Topic:

Q1.

Q2.

Q3.

Q4.

Q5.

A1.

A2.

A3.

A4.

A5.


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Topic:

Q1.

Q2.

Q3.

Q4.

Q5.

A1.

A2.

A3.

A4.

A5.

Topic:

Q1.

Q2.

Q3.

Q4.

Q5.

A1.

A2.

A3.

A4.

A5.


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Topic:

Q1.

Q2.

Q3.

Q4.

Q5.

A1.

A2.

A3.

A4.

A5.

Topic:

Q1.

Q2.

Q3.

Q4.

Q5.

A1.

A2.

A3.

A4.

A5.


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Topic:

Q1.

Q2.

Q3.

Q4.

Q5.

A1.

A2.

A3.

A4.

A5.

Topic:

Q1.

Q2.

Q3.

Q4.

Q5.

A1.

A2.

A3.

A4.

A5.


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Topic:

Q1.

Q2.

Q3.

Q4.

Q5.

A1.

A2.

A3.

A4.

A5.

Topic:

Q1.

Q2.

Q3.

Q4.

Q5.

A1.

A2.

A3.

A4.

A5.


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Suggesting I have an idea. Why don‟t we... Why don‟t you... How about... Let‟s...



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Guessing I guess... Could we... I think we should... Maybe i ts... It looks like... It ‟s hard to say, but...



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Opinions In my opinion... Well , I think... In my case.. . I bel ieve...



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Reasons Because... That‟s the reason... For that reason... The reason is...



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In the future If... If I ever... If you ever... Whenever... As soon as...



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Throwing a party for your new friend! – Part 1

Now that you have a handle on the language of greetings, goodbyes, interests and hobbies, you and your classmates are ready to invite your new friends to a party so everyone can meet, talk and have a good time. You‟re going to introduce your friend to everyone else in the class, tell them a little about your friend and then everyone can get to know each other better. In the space below, prepare your introduction and the things you will tell everyone about your friend.

Introducing your friend

Now you can prepare some questions for your friends‟ new friends!


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Questions for your classmates ’ new friends.


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Throwing a party for your new friend! – Part 2

Now it‟s time to prepare for the party. With your classmates, decide where and when you will have the party. Next, you will have to decide what kind of party it will be and then prepare a list of things that need to be done and who will be responsible for each task. Plan a budget for the party as well and how it will be funded.

Your Party Notes


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Saying Good-bye to Your Friend

It‟s time to revisit your new friend. You have learned that your new friend will be returning to his home country. You probably won‟t see him/her for a long time. With your teammates, decide where you are going to meet and develop this last conversation. Follow the same procedure you did in developing this last conversation except this time try to develop your conversation in English from the beginning.

Meeting your friend again – English Draft


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Meeting your friend again – Corrected Draft


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Extended List of Gambits

To repeat from the Introduction of the book , a Gambit is any lexis

(word, phrase, expression, or sentence) that has i ts own special meaning and use in helping to express more fluently and effectively what we want and mean to say. Like so much of Engl ish, gambits often cannot be broken down or understood through their individual parts or through grammatical analysis. The words make sense only when they are used together. Learn and use this lexis as whole uni ts with special meaning. You wi l l find they are quickly acquired. Do not expect to learn to use all the gambits, but to choose two or three in each section that you are comfortable with and, with practice, can eventually use in your natural conversations. For example, the opener for this sentence "To repeat" is a Gambit. Gambits help us get our meaning across by giving important cues and clues to our l istener, getting his attention, keeping a conversation going or often by setting the tone for our words. In Engl ish, this can greatly affect the meaning of our words.

There are three main categories of Gambits.

1. Openers 2. Linkers 3. Responders

This is a list of the main Gambits under each category . Space is provided for you to wri te and practice how you might use some of them each day of the course.

Openers

Asking for Information……………………Your Example of Usage

I 'd l ike to know…

I 'm interested in…

Could you tell me…?

Do you know…?

Could you find out…?

Could I ask…?

Do you happen to know…?


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Interrupting…………………………………Your Example of Usage

Sorry, but…

Excuse (Pardon) me…

May I interrupt for a moment?

I 'd l ike to add (comment)…

May I add (comment)…?

May I ask a question?

May I say something?

Can you spare a minute?

Are you free?

Putting things in Order……………………Your Example of Usage

First of al l ,

Then,

Next,

After that,

Finally,

The main thing is…

The most important thing is…


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Problems……………………………………Your Example of Usage

The trouble is…

The problem is….

The real problem is…

The point is…

Don't forget that…

Surprises……………………………………Your Example of Usage

Bel ieve i t or not

You may no t bel ieve i t, but…

It may sound strange, but…

The surprising thing is…

Surprisingly,

Oddly enough,

Funnily enough,

Guess what!

Surprise!

Have I got news for you!

You'd better si t down.

You won't bel ieve this, but…


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The Unpleasant………………..……………Your Example of Usage

Actual ly,

The only thing is …

To tell you the truth,

To be honest,

Frankly,

To be perfectly blunt,

Do you real ly think…?

Let's face i t

Now come on, be real .

The Hidden truth……………………………Your Example of Usage

Frankly, I doubt…

Let's face i t

The catch is…

The truth of the matter is...

The real question is…

Come on now!

Let's be realistic.


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Changing the Subject………………………Your Example of Usage

Speaking of…

That reminds me….

By the way,

Oh, be fore I forget…

It's Your Idea……………..…………………Your Example of Usage

I think….

I suppose…

I suspect that…

I 'm pretty sure that…

It 's my opinion that…

I 'm convinced that…

Guessing………………………………………Your Example of Usage

I'd say…

Could it be…?

Perhaps it 's…

I think it 's…

It looks/feels/tastes/sounds/smells l ike…

It 's dif f icult (hard) to say, but I guess…


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Beliefs…………………………………………Your Example of Usage

I honestly feel that…

I strongly believe…

I 'm convinced…

There's no doubt in my mind…

Without a doubt,

I 'm posi tive…

I 'm sure (certain)…

Secrets

I 've heard that…

They say…

Just between you and me…

I heard through the grapevine…

Have you heard?

Maybe I shouldn't say this but…


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Suggestions…………………………………Your Examp le of Usage

Why don't you…

Why not

Perhaps you could/might…

I have an idea…

Let's

How /what about try ____ing…

Planning…………………….…………………Your Example of Usage

Our/My plan is…

We're/I 'm thinking of…

What we/I have in mind is...

I ' l l tell you what…

Why don't we/you…

You/we could always…

If I were you I 'd…


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Needs…………….……………………………Your Example of Usage

All I real ly need is…

I could do with…

I could use…

If only I had…

Linkers

Situations……………………………………Your Example of Usage

In a case l ike this,

In this/that case,

In a si tuation like this/that,

In this type of si tuation,

In such a case/si tuation,

Emphasizing…………………………………Your Example of Usage

That's just the point.

But the question/point is…

But the real question/point is…

This raises the problem/question of…

But don't you see…


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Adding………………………………………Your Example of Usag.

Also,

And another thing,

What's more…

In other ways/respects,

I might add…

Oh! I almost forgot.

In addition,

Good reasons…………..……………………Your Example of Usage

The reason why…

The main reason is…

Due to…

Because of

Since

Seeing as how…

That's why…


84

Explaining……………….…………………Your Example of Usage

Therefore,

So,

As a result,

Consequently,

Planning……………………….………………Your Example of Usage

If…

If ever…

When…

Whenever…

As soon as…

Unless…

Clarifying Others' words……………………Your Example of Usage

What you're saying is…

What you're really saying is…

In other words…

If I understand you correctly…

If I read you right…

I think I know what you mean.


85

Clarifying your own words…………………Your Example of Usage

What I mean/meant is/was…

Let me put i t another way.

What I 'm trying to say is….

Don't get me wrong.

Let me rephrase what I said.

Rejecting………………………………………Your Example of Usage

I don't care for…

I don't need…

I don't l ike…

I 'm not interested in…

I 'm not worried about…

I 'm satisfied with…

Requesting Explanations……………………Your Example of Usage

Can you tel l me why…

Can you explain why…

I don't understand why…


86

Why is i t…

Why do you think…

How come…

Does this mean…

Hesitating……………………………………Your Example of Usage

I 'm not sure…

I doubt…

I don't know…

Yes/maybe/sure, but…

I 'd love to, but…

That's a good idea, but

Reconsidering………………….……………Your Example of Usage

In that case…

Come to think of i t…

When you put i t that way…

Now that I think about i t…

On second thought…

Well , i f that's so…


87

Giving in………………………………………Your Example of Usage

Well , I guess you're right

Well , you've talked me into

i t.

Well , maybe just this one

time.

Well , i f you insist.

Since you put i t that way.

Well , twist my arm.

If I absolutely have to.

Generalizing…………………..………………Your Example of Usage

Generally

In general

As a rule

Mostly

Ordinarily

Usual ly

Most of the time

Time and again


88

Again and again

Once in a whi le

Every so often

From time to time

Every now and then

Illustrating……………………………………Your Example of Usage

For example,

For instance,

Take the way…

Take for example…

For one thing,

To give you an idea,

Just as an example,

Endings ……………………….………………Your Example of Usage

To make a long story short,

So in the end…

So, in short,…

So,…


89

To sum up,..

All in all ,…

To pu t i t in a nutshell ,…

To conclude,

So you see…

Responders

Yes or No……………….……………………Your Example of Usage

That's r ight

Right

OK

Yes

Exactly!

Wrong

No, I 'm afraid not

Not qui te

You're close

I 'm not sure.

I don't know


90

Agreements and Disagreements……………Your Example of Usage

Hear! Hear!

You're so right.

You can say that again!

You said i t!

I agree.

I think so.

That's not so/true.

Oh, come on!

Rubbish!

Don't give me that!

That's very true.

I agree with you there.

Yes I know what you mean.

I don't agree…

Never.

Not on your l i fe.

Not in a mi l l ion years.


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Not even i f you paid me.

Not for al l the tea in China.

Uncertainty……………….…………………Your Example of Usage

I' l l have to think about it

Well , let 's see.

Where should I start?

Let me think (about i t).

How can I put i t?

Let me put i t this way.

I don't know.

I can't decide.

I can't make up my mind.

I 'm not sure.

I don't think so.

I doubt i t.

Probably not.


92

Accepting/Rejecting……………………………Your Example of Usage

I 'm not surprised.

I knew i t.

I thought so.

Right on!

You're kidding!

I don't believe i t.

No, defini tely not.

Are you pul ling my leg?

Aw, Come on!

You're joking!

Disbelief………………………………………Your Example of Usage

Real ly?

Are you kidding?

Oh?

Is that r ight?

I don't get i t!


93

Consensus ……………..………………………Your Example of Usage

Me too

So do I

That's what I thought too.

That's what I was going to say.

I ‟m with you.

Bad news…………………………………….…Your Examp le of Usage

Oh no!

What a pi ty!

What a shame!

What a nuisance!

Poor_____!

How awful!

How terrible!

I 'm real ly sorry to hear i t.

That must have been terrible!

That's too bad.

Oh my god!


94

Showing interest ……………………………Your Example of Usage

Real ly!

Right.

Okay

Yeah

And?

Well?

So?

Mh-hmmm

Uh-huh

Did you?

Have you?

Are you?

Were you/they?

Was i t? /he? /she?

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