3.3. Buying Thinking Time
Give yourself a moment to think without going silent.
The short version
A short natural phrase buys you a second to think.
Native speakers do this constantly.
Memorised filler used every time sounds rehearsed.
Silence is what costs you, not the pause phrase.
A short pause is normal
Some Part 3 questions land on a topic you have never thought about. A pause of a second or two while you choose an idea costs nothing.
Long silence is not
Past about three seconds, the examiner cannot tell whether you are searching for an idea or for the words. Only the first is forgiven.
The fix
Use a short phrase that fills those seconds with English while you decide. It buys two or three seconds, not ten, and only works if a real answer follows.
Four phrases that sound like thinking, not stalling
Restate the question in one clause, in your own words. So the question is whether cities should limit tourists. It shows you understood a long or two-part question. It also gives you the shape of your first sentence.
Honest, and the but promises a view. Use it once, on a topic that really is new to you. It sounds odd on a question about your own daily life.
Only if you say what it depends on and then answer for each case. It depends on the size of the city. In a capital, yes. In a small town that lives off visitors, no. On its own, it depends is not an answer.
Signals that a figure or an example is approximate. Off the top of my head, I'd say fewer than half of my friends own a car.
Phrase, then answer
- 1Thinking phrase
About two seconds. One phrase, not two in a row.
- 2View
The answer in one clause, in the same breath as the phrase.
- 3Reason
Why that view is true.
- 4Example
A person, a place, or a number you know.
Will fewer people own cars in future? Two openings
That's a very interesting question. Well, let me think about it for a moment. Actually, I think it depends on the person. Some people think yes and some people think no. Ten seconds or more, and nothing the examiner can mark as a view.
Off the top of my head, I'd say fewer people will own a car in city centres. Parking already costs more than the petrol, and my cousin sold hers last year and hires one twice a month instead. Two seconds of thinking, then view, reason, example.
Do you think people will still learn foreign languages once translation apps get better?
Do you think people will still learn foreign languages once translation apps get better?
That's not something I've thought about much, but I don't think an app will replace learning a language, at least not for people who move abroad. A translation on a phone is fine for a menu, but you cannot make a friend through it. My neighbour uses one for forms and appointments, and she still goes to an English class twice a week because she wants to talk to the other parents at the school gate.
One thinking phrase, then a view with a limit (at least not for people who move abroad). Then a reason and a concrete example (the neighbour and her English class). The phrase takes about two seconds and is not repeated.
Quiz time4 questions
Match the phrase to the moment
Pick the situation each phrase is built for.
Time bought, or time wasted?
The question was: Should children be given pocket money?
It depends on the family, really. Some families think yes and some families think no.
Find the stalling habit
The question was: Should governments pay for public art? One sentence is a stalling habit rather than thinking time.
Which sentence contains the error?
Buy two seconds, then answer
Start with one thinking phrase from this lesson, then give a view, a reason, and an example. Do not use a second phrase, and do not stop at it depends.
Should museums and galleries be free to enter?
Record your answer (75s maximum)
0:00 / 1:15
Set up your learning path at the top of this lesson to get band-specific feedback.
Recap
A natural phrase is better than a silence.
Vary what you use, or it starts to sound learned.
Buy a second, then answer properly.
Next: what to do when a sentence goes wrong halfway through.