Presentation and Conversation Skills: Question 9
Syllabus SL5
In the follow-up conversation after an individual talk about starting a podcast reviewing local wildlife sightings, the examiner asks an unexpected question the candidate has not specifically prepared for:
"If you were starting the podcast again from scratch, what would you do differently?"
The candidate genuinely needs a moment to think before answering properly.
(a) Write a short spoken phrase (no more than one sentence) the candidate could use to buy a brief, natural moment of thinking time before answering, without resorting to a long silent pause or a string of "um"s. [2]
(b) Explain, in your own words, why the phrase you wrote in part (a) is more effective for a listening examiner than either staying completely silent for several seconds or repeatedly saying "um, um, um" while thinking. [2]
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Worked solution
Assessment focus
This question tests fluency in the follow-up conversation: the ability to handle a genuinely unexpected question without losing the flow of the conversation, by using a natural spoken strategy to gain thinking time rather than falling silent or filling the gap with meaningless repetition.
Model thinking-time phrase (part a)
“That’s a really good question. I haven’t thought about it that way before, so give me just a second.”
This phrase is short enough to say in one breath, sounds like a genuine, considered reaction rather than a stalling tactic, and buys a real moment to think without the conversation stalling into silence or filler.
Why this works (part b)
Staying completely silent for several seconds can make an examiner unsure whether the candidate has understood the question at all, and it breaks the natural rhythm of a conversation. Repeating “um, um, um” fills the silence with sound but no content, which reads as a loss of fluency and control. A brief, natural bridge phrase avoids both problems: it is fluent, meaningful speech that shows the candidate is actively engaging with the question, while still buying the few seconds of genuine thinking time needed to give a properly developed answer.
Common pitfalls specific to this task
- Writing a phrase that just restates the question back word for word, which fills time but shows no genuine engagement or reflection.
- Writing multiple sentences of throat-clearing before getting to the point, defeating the purpose of a brief bridge.
- In part (b), treating any hesitation at all as a flaw, rather than recognising that a short natural pause after a bridge phrase is normal and expected in real conversation.