Thirty seconds to plan a helpful ninety-second response
Task 1 gives a practical problem faced by a friend, coworker, neighbour, classmate, or family member. You have 30 seconds to prepare and 90 seconds to speak. The response is recorded automatically, so your notes must help you begin promptly and continue without reading a script.
Current official preparation guidance expects you to speak directly to the person, give at least three suggestions, support each with a practical reason or example, signal new suggestions with transitions, and maintain a helpful, thoughtful tone.
Organized support, suitable language, and listener awareness
Speaking is reported through Content/Coherence, Vocabulary, Listenability, and Task Fulfillment. In this task, Content/Coherence includes enough distinct advice, logical order, and developed support. Vocabulary includes precise action verbs and phrases suited to the situation. Listenability includes understandable pronunciation, rhythm, grammar, and a flow that does not collapse under hesitation.
Task Fulfillment includes speaking to the right person, actually giving advice, maintaining an appropriate relationship and tone, covering the problem, and using enough of the response time. A lecture about time management may contain good English but miss the task if it never tells the named listener what to do.
Prepare three S → R pairs
- Identify person, problem, and constraint.Circle who you are addressing, what decision or difficulty they face, and any limit such as time, money, confidence, or unfamiliarity.
- Write three suggestion labels.Use verbs, not sentences: ASK PRIORITIES, BOOK PRACTICE, FIND BUDDY. Choose actions that are distinct and realistic.
- Add one reason to each.Beside every suggestion, note a benefit, consequence, or example. Your page should look like S1 → R1, S2 → R2, S3 → R3.
- Address the listener immediately.Use their name or relationship and acknowledge the difficulty in one sentence before moving to the first suggestion.
- Signal and close.Use natural transitions such as First, Another thing you could do, and Finally. End by prioritizing the first step or offering brief encouragement.
Do not spend the 30 seconds writing an opening. The opening can be produced from the prompt. Spend your notes on the ideas most likely to disappear under pressure: three actions and why each action helps.
Turn a worried coworker's problem into three actions
Original practice prompt: Your coworker Priya has started a new job. The team uses project software she has never used, and she is worried that asking basic questions will make her look unprepared. Give Priya advice about what she should do.
30-second notes: Priya / new software / shy; 1 ASK manager priorities → learn right features; 2 tutorial + sandbox → safe practice; 3 teammate check-in → quick questions; close: start with manager today.
Model response:
Priya, I understand why you feel uncomfortable, but learning a new system is a normal part of starting a job. First, I would ask your manager which two or three features you need this week. That will help you focus on the important tools instead of trying to learn the entire program at once.
Second, see whether the company has a short tutorial or a practice workspace. You could repeat one common task there, such as updating a deadline, without worrying about changing a real project.
Another good step would be to ask an experienced teammate for a fifteen-minute check-in near the end of the day. Keep a small list of questions and ask them together, so you are not interrupting the person every few minutes. You can also write down the answers and avoid asking the same question twice.
I would start by speaking to your manager today. Asking for priorities shows that you want to work accurately; it does not make you look unprepared. After a week of focused practice, I think you will feel much more confident.
Why it works: The speaker addresses Priya, gives three different actions, explains a practical benefit for each, manages the relationship supportively, and ends with a prioritized first step.
What makes advice sound thin or misplaced
- Discussing instead of advising. The response explains that new jobs are challenging but offers no actions.
- Giving one idea three times. “Practise,” “use it more,” and “gain experience” all repeat the same suggestion.
- Skipping reasons. Commands accumulate without showing how they solve the listener's problem.
- Speaking to an examiner. “People in this situation should...” ignores the named person and weakens the social context.
- Using an unsuitable tone. The speaker sounds judgmental, dismissive, or overly forceful with a worried friend or coworker.
- Overwriting notes. Full sentences consume preparation time and tempt the speaker to read with flat delivery.
Record three supported suggestions
Prompt: Your neighbour Luis wants to join a weekend community activity but does not know anyone in the area. Give him advice.
Set 30 seconds. Write only three S → R pairs. Then record for up to 90 seconds without restarting.
Reveal the self-check
Listen once. Count distinct suggestions, not transitions. For each, identify the reason or example that made it practical. Check that you said you to Luis, used a supportive tone, and reached a clear final recommendation.
Review the recording through the listener's experience
- Did I address the named person directly?
- Did I show that I understood the exact problem and constraint?
- Did I give at least three distinct, practical suggestions?
- Did every suggestion include a reason, benefit, consequence, or example?
- Did transitions make the advice easy to follow?
- Was my tone helpful and appropriate for the relationship?
- Could a listener understand my pronunciation, grammar, and references without a transcript?
- Did the ending prioritize a useful next step rather than stop abruptly?