Recovery Lines
(Mind Freeze)

Instead of saying "Ummm..." for 10 seconds, smoothly use one of these filler sentences to keep the microphone active while you think.

• "That is a very interesting point to consider..."
• "If I really think about it, I would have to say..."
• "There are several ways to look at this situation, but primarily..."
• "I haven't thought about this much before, but off the top of my head..."

Never apologize to the examiner. Native speakers misspeak all the time. Just self-correct using one of these pivot phrases.

• "Actually, what I meant to say was..."
• "Let me rephrase that entirely..."
• "Or rather, I should say..."
• "To be more precise, it was actually..."

Examiners actually give bonus points for "circumlocution" (talking around a word you don't know). Don't freeze up—describe it instead!

• "I cannot recall the exact term, but it is similar to a..."
• "It is essentially a device used for..."
• "It looks roughly like a [Shape], but it is made of..."
• "The word escapes me right now, but the function is to..."

Dead air destroys your score. If you finish your main point too early, pivot to a personal anecdote or a hypothetical scenario to easily burn the remaining time.

• "For example, in my own personal life..."
• "A similar situation actually happened to my friend recently..."
• "On the other hand, if we look at the opposite perspective..."
• "Looking toward the future, this could mean that..."