TESOL/Changing the subject
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If I could just say something...
Key sentences
| Person talking | Person changing the subject |
|---|---|
| I saw a great basketball game on TV last night. | Speaking of (topic,) ... |
| Person talking | Person changing the subject |
|---|---|
| To get back to (topic,) ... | Yes, you were saying... |
Drills
Say these sentences without looking.
| topic, | sentence |
|---|---|
| sports, | Speaking of sports, ... |
| basketball, | Speaking of basketball, ... |
| last night, | Speaking of last night, ... |
| TV, | Speaking of TV, ... |
| topic, | sentence |
|---|---|
| what I was saying, | To get back to what I was saying, ... |
| the basketball game, | To get back to the basketball game, ... |
| the game I was talking about, | To get back to the game I was talking about, ... |
| what I was talking about, | To get back to what I was talking about, ... |
Example
Practice this conversation.
| Person talking | Person changing the subject |
|---|---|
| I saw a great basketball game on TV last night. | Speaking of (sports,) ... |
| Person talking | Person changing the subject |
|---|---|
| To get back to (what I was saying,) ... | Yes, you were saying... |
Change partners. Use your imagination and change the sentences.
Exercise
Use your imagination. Make your own conversation.
| Person talking | Person changing the subject |
|---|---|
|
I saw a great basketball game on TV last night. |
Speaking of ... ... |
| Person talking | Person changing the subject |
|---|---|
| To get back to ... ... | Yes, you were saying... |
Change partners. Use your imagination and make another conversation.
Practice
| Person talking | Person changing the subject |
|---|---|
| Choose a topic. Try to keep the conversation about your topic. | Choose a different topic. Try to keep the conversation about your topic instead. |
Further study
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Resource type: this resource is a lesson in English as a second language. |