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Forgot the word in Speaking... describe it?

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Speaking

TomaszW

· Edited

If you forget 'thermometer', can you just say 'the thing used to check temperature' and carry on? How much description is enough? Thinking of practising with objects without saying their names.
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Comments

Mia_ch

For a college object like a stapler, I could say 'the tool used to fasten sheets of paper together'. Would that be clear enough to carry on, or should I describe its appearance too?
2 Reply

zarina_u

I got 'stapler' from that, no shape or colour needed. Could make a game with school objects: 'the small thing you use to remove pencil marks', then the other person guesses.
3 Reply

Mia_ch

I'd let them finish. Then the listener can say what they understood and which phrase helped, before correcting anything unclear.
2 Reply

zarina_u

Only correct it if the description confused the listener. If it worked, the useful bit is naming the phrase that helped, not fixing grammar mid game.
1 Reply

AlexT

Could have the listener wait rather than supply the word. Gives the speaker a chance to finish describing it.
3 Reply

selin96

Would you do that for Part 2 too? In the object game the guess tells you it worked, but in the test how do you know when to move on?
5 Reply

yasmin_f

For Part 2 practice, maybe keep a timer running and move to another relevant detail once the object is clear. No need to keep describing the same thing.
1 Reply

ivan88

In the real Part 2 there is no guess to tell you it worked, so how do you decide the description was enough and move to the next detail?
1 Reply
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