Organise your thoughts quickly!

When sitting for an English speaking test, candidates often expect to respond to general questions or questions that are commonly asked in every day situation such as hobbies, job, education, and so on. However, almost all of them still find it hard to organise their thoughts properly because of many factors. Luckily, there are some patterns that I can suggest to help you express yourself in a coherent way.

One of them is the "KISS" pattern. It stands for "Keep It Short and Simple". This pattern can help you mention your idea directly. The only downside for this pattern is that it only provides a brief and somewhat vague explanation of what you really think. For those who are still beginning to improve on their grammar and vocabulary, this pattern is a useful guide for you.

Another is the PREP pattern that stands for "Point, Reason, Example/Experience, Point". This guide helps you provide a more-detailed explanation of your viewpoint. This can be a bit intimidating to follow at first because it asks you to give examples or tell stories from your experience. Don't fret though. It isn't necessary to talk about an example or experience for all questions.

To help you understand the two patterns above, allow me to give an example.

Question: What is your favorite food?

KISS pattern answer:
I like hamburgers because it is delicious.
(a direct but very vague answer)

PREP pattern answer:
(Point) I love eating hamburgers (Reason) because it's easy to eat and is readily available. (Example/Experience) For instance, when I feel hungry after a hard day's work, I can just go to my favorite fast food chain. It is affordable and is quite easy to prepare. I also don't need to stay in the restaurant for a long time. I could just grab my burger and eat it on my way home. (Point) That's why I like to eat hamburgers.

Try using it on your next practice! This can be used not only in speaking but also in writing. You only have to change your words from casual to formal vocabulary. (In writing, there are a lot more things to consider but this pattern, PREP, can help you take down notes fast.)

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