Starting, adding to and summarising a discussion
35 min · Intermediate
A GD has three moments where one person can lift the whole group: the opening, which sets the direction, the additions, which move the talk forward, and the summary, which ties it together. Each has a few simple patterns you can practise.
Topics in this lesson
- Ways to start: definition, fact, question, quote
- Adding value: a new point, an example, data
- Bringing in quiet members
- Summarising at the end in 30 seconds
- Annotated model GD transcript
Interview questions this lesson answers
- How would you start a GD on a topic you know well?
- Someone has already made your point. What do you do?
- Why is a summary valued so much in a GD?
- Should the summary include your own opinion?
- How do you bring in a quiet member without embarrassing them?
- What if two people start summarising at the same time?
- What are the main ways to open a GD?
- Which opening is safest when you are nervous?
- What is the risk of opening with a famous quote?
- Two people start speaking at the same time as you. What do you do?
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