To expand a spoken answer, add a reason, an example and a link back to the main point. Three short questions to yourself supply all of these.
This lesson follows planning a short response in the individual speaking section.
Which questions make an answer longer?
After your main sentence, ask yourself three questions and answer each in one sentence.
- Kenapa? Give the reason.
- Contohnya? Give one example from life, school or news.
- Jadi apa? Say what follows from it, or what you would do.
You do not need all three every time. Two are enough for a short answer, and all three make a fuller one.
Worked example: the prompt “Apakah aktiviti yang anda suka di sekolah?”
Start with the main sentence: “Saya suka aktiviti kelab bahas.”
Now ask the questions.
| Question | Spoken sentence |
|---|---|
| Kenapa? | Saya suka kerana kelab itu melatih saya berfikir dengan cepat. |
| Contohnya? | Minggu lalu saya mempertahankan pendapat tentang penggunaan telefon di sekolah. |
| Jadi apa? | Latihan itu menjadikan saya lebih yakin bercakap di hadapan kelas. |
Put together, the answer is four sentences that build a clear picture. Each sentence adds something, so no sentence only repeats the first one.
Why do listeners find this clearer?
The answer has a direction. The listener hears a claim, then evidence, then a consequence, which matches how people expect an explanation to go.
Short answers leave the listener to guess your reason. Expanded answers do the guessing for them.
The mistake that costs marks
A frequent slip is to expand by repeating: “Saya suka bahas. Bahas itu seronok. Saya memang suka bahas.” The answer is longer but says the same thing three times.
Test each new sentence by asking whether it gives a reason, an example or a result. If it gives none of these, it is filler.
Check yourself
Expand this answer with two sentences: “Saya suka menonton dokumentari.”
Answer
A possible expansion: “Saya suka menonton dokumentari kerana saya dapat belajar tentang haiwan dan tempat yang jauh. Contohnya, dokumentari tentang hutan hujan membuat saya tahu bahawa banyak spesies hidup di sana.”
The first added sentence gives a reason, and the second gives an example. Any reason and example that fit your own viewing are valid. Avoid simply saying that documentaries are interesting again.
What to study next
Even with a plan, a word may vanish mid-sentence. Continue with recovering when a word is forgotten, then use the practice set.
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