Go deep into the reasoning
This lesson will focus on adding as many effects as possible to a piece of evidence. Doing this will help you make a logical link between evidence and outcomes.
During your speaking test, you can be creative when it comes to the effects of your evidence.
Imagine a young student asks, "Why should I study hard?" You might respond by saying:
If you study hard now, then you'll do well on your tests, and you'll likely get into a good university. A good education will lead to a good job, and a good job will help you lead a rich, happy life. That's why you should study hard!
This is an example of roll-on reasoning.
If A, then B and C. Then D and E. That's why A!
This lesson builds on STS 4 Adding reasoning and STS 13 Layering reasoning. One way of thinking about it is that adding reasoning is basic, and layering reasoning is linear or easily expected. This final roll-on reasoning is more lateral or beyond what's expected.
Tests
TOEFL:
- This is not recommended in TOEFL's speaking section, but students can use it in the writing section.
Discuss this question with your teacher:
Describe a moment when your life changed forever.
This lesson is about adding layers of roll-on effects. The Warm Up question will be used again in the Language section, so right now just get the student to go a little deeper with their answer.
You can say something like, "Tell me more about that", to encourage the student to add to their answer, if necessary.
Example answer:
We moved to another place when I was 8 years old.
↪Moving meant I had to change schools.
↪Changing schools meant I had to make new friends.
↪Having to make new friends taught me social skills.
↪Better social skills helped me get good jobs when I was an adult.
↪So moving to a new place was hard, but it ultimately helped me be more successful in life.
Of course, these if-chains may not be factually accurate, but factual accuracy is not part of the speaking test.
A. Start with a quick practice making sentences using "if… then…". Your instructor will guide you through a short exercise called, "What will happen if..."
B. Now that you are comfortable using "if", add as many roll-on effects as possible to answer the question from the Warm Up.
A. "If" practice
The grammatical structure is: "If [simple SVO], then [SVO using 'will' or 'can']."
- What'll happen if you study English for an hour every day?
- If I study English every day, then I will…
- What'll happen if you drink beer every night?
- If I drink every night, then I will…
- What'll happen if you're really good at your job?
- If I'm really good at my job, then I will…
- What'll happen if you don't exercise at all?
- If I don't exercise at all, then I will…
- What'll happen if more people in your country are able to speak English fluently?
- If more people in my country are able to speak English fluently, then…[will]…
The effects do not have to be definite, and your student does not need to be sure of them actually happening. Remember, the facts don't have to be true; they just need to be logical and plausible.
Intonation
Your student's tone should have a list intonation pattern (rising tone at the end of each roll-on effect), and then descend at the end of the sentence. You can copy and use the arrows ↗ and ↘ in your chat to help with this.
- If you study hard now↗, then you'll do well on your tests↗, and you'll likely get into a good university↘. Then a good education will lead to a good job↗, and a good job will help you lead a rich, happy life ↘. That's why you should study hard!
Don't push the intonation pattern (it's dealt with more in STS 23), but you can mention it and work on it a bit, if necessary.
B. Return to Warm Up
Ask your student to answer the Warm Up question again, this time adding as many if-chains as possible.
For students who need an extra challenge
If your student is good at this so far, encourage them to use more transition phrases, like "lead to" or "cause".
- If A, then B.
- B will lead to C, and
- C will cause D,
- (optional) which leads back to/proves/(etc.) A; or "So all in all/Therefore/(etc.)" A.
NOTE: Optionally, in the conclusion to a full argument, the last roll-on effect can be connected to the initial claim.
More examples
Q, Would you rather work for a big corporation or in a small company? Give reasons and examples to support your answer.
I'd personally rather work in a small company. Big companies might pay more, I suppose, but in a small company there are fewer employees so you can get to know everyone. Knowing everyone leads to working better together and enjoying it more. Also, your ideas and concerns are heard and taken more seriously. In a big company, the chief executives don't even know who you are! So all in all, I like small companies better.
Q. What are some of the disadvantages to working too hard?
That's easy; there are so many! Working too hard means you don't have time to spend with your family and friends, and not spending time with people causes them to feel like you don't care. That makes them not want to spend time with you, so even if you have time, say, on a Saturday, no one will want to spend it with you. So you'll end up alone and bored on Saturday nights!
Answer these abstract questions, using "if" at least twice in every question.
- Where do you think it's better for children to grow up: in a city, or in a more rural area?
- What makes someone a good driver?
- How important do you think folklore is in defining cultural identity?