Finish strongly!
The final thing you say should be the most memorable, so this lesson returns to the topic of finishing strongly. You will get a chance to practice new phrases and some points of intonation.
The conclusion of your answer will leave an impression on the listener. This lesson will look closely at strategies to help you end with impact.
Recall the fourth lesson in this course. It was about starting and finishing strongly. What are some key points for a strong finish?
Here are some guidelines to end strongly. Discuss each one with your instructor:
- Use a descending tone.
- Use a conclusion phrase.
- Repeat only your claims.
- Add a "so what?"
A. Give a strong conclusion to these questions.
Question 1: Should city centres be closed to traffic? Why or why not?
By "city centres", you mean downtown? Okay. That's a big question where I live. Downtown Boston is a mess! Traffic is always bumper-to-bumper, so it can take an hour to get from one side of the city to the other. It also makes it hard for pedestrians to get around safely. And there's never anywhere to park! On the other hand, it makes it harder for people to get there. Everyone would have to park outside the city centre and take some kind of public transportation from there. That might discourage some people from going, which would cut into businesses' profits.
How would you conclude this answer?
Question 2: Which is better: being an only child, or having siblings?
Wow! That's a tough question. We can only know the answer based on what our own experience has been. If you're an only child, you don't know what it's like to have siblings. And vice versa. But we often imagine what it would be like, and we tend to think that whatever we don't have would be better. An only child might think having siblings would be fun, and it would take the pressure off them having to meet all of their parents' expectations. But those with siblings could feel that it would be better to be an only child and have no one to be compared with. There's no sibling rivalry when there are no siblings!
How would you conclude this answer?
B. Now, give full answers to a few more speaking test questions.