StrategyLab
Review Lab · 'explain anything' game · clarifying, paraphrasing, hedging
Your level · You are here
Review Lab
A friendly check-in — not a test.
Practise the language from the last few lessons through short tasks and longer speaking turns. Aim to speak naturally, not perfectly — replay anything, skip nothing.
Get Talking · Section 1
5 minStart the conversation — no pressure
When was the last time you didn't know an English word mid-conversation? What did you do?
What's your favourite phrase for 'I don't know the word for it'?
Explain 'colander' without using the word — give it 30 seconds.
Grammar review · Section 2
8–10 minStrategy language — clarifying, paraphrasing, hedging
Don't have the word? Describe it. Don't understand? Check. Not sure? Hedge — don't stop.
- Fluent speakers don't have bigger vocabularies than learners — they have better fallbacks.
- Three families to combine.
- (1) CLARIFYING checks understanding: 'Sorry, do you mean…?' / 'Just to check, are you saying…?' / 'Could you say that again?' (2) PARAPHRASING explains a word you don't have: 'It's a kind of…' / 'It's like… but…' / 'You use it for…' / 'It's the thing that…'.
- (3) HEDGING signals uncertainty so you keep talking: 'sort of', 'a bit', 'kind of', 'I'd say', 'I'm not entirely sure but…'.
- These three together mean you never have to stop.
- The point isn't elegant English — it's the ability to keep the conversation moving.
- Mid-sentence when a word disappears.
- When you hear something you might have misunderstood.
- When stating something you're not 100% sure of.
- In exam speaking — examiners reward strategy, not silence.
e.g. It's a kind of bowl with holes — you use it for draining water.
| Problem | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Word missing | It's a kind of… / It's the thing that… |
| Didn't understand | Sorry, do you mean…? |
| Not sure | I'd say… / sort of… / kind of… |
Sorry, do you mean the small one or the big one?
It's a kind of pasta — flat, with a sauce.
It's the thing you use for draining pasta. A colander.
I'd say it's a bit like a marathon, but shorter.
I'm not entirely sure of the word, but it's sort of round and made of metal.
Memory tip
Three families: CLARIFY, PARAPHRASE, HEDGE. One of them works in every gap.
Natural English
Native speakers paraphrase constantly — even when they DO know the word — because it's friendlier than sounding like a dictionary.
Challenge 1.Best paraphrase opener:
Challenge 2.Best clarifying question:
Challenge 3.Best hedge:
Challenge 4.Which is INCORRECT?
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Quick check 1.Mid-sentence and the word vanishes — what do you do FIRST?
Vocabulary review · Section 3
5–7 minBring back your words
A kind of / a sort of
describes by category
In context
"It's a kind of vegetable, sort of like a carrot."
Now try it yourself
Describe one food using both phrases.
The thing that…
describes by function
In context
"It's the thing that holds papers together. A stapler."
Now try it yourself
Describe an everyday object this way.
Whatchamacallit / thingy
informal placeholder for a forgotten word
In context
"Pass me the… thingy. The plug."
Now try it yourself
Describe something and force yourself to use 'thingy' once.
I mean
rephrasing your own point
In context
"It's hard. I mean, it takes practice."
Now try it yourself
Say a sentence, then restart with 'I mean…'
What I'm trying to say is…
summarising your own point
In context
"What I'm trying to say is, it's worth it."
Now try it yourself
Finish: 'What I'm trying to say is…'
Bear with me
ask for patience while you finish
In context
"Bear with me, I'm getting there."
Now try it yourself
Use it when you stumble mid-sentence.
Off the top of my head
without preparation / a quick guess
In context
"Off the top of my head, I'd say five."
Now try it yourself
Answer a quick fact with this phrase.
I'm not entirely sure but…
polite hedge for uncertainty
In context
"I'm not entirely sure but I think it opens at 9."
Now try it yourself
Use it to answer one question you're genuinely unsure of.
Pick at least three words from above and use each one in a sentence about your real life. Say each one aloud before you write.
Ask your teacher (or a partner) a question that uses one of today's words. They reply using a different word.
Rank today's words from most to least useful for you this week. Defend your top choice.
Finish: "Honestly, I'd say…" using one of today's words.
Tip: aim to reuse at least two of these words later in the Speaking and Writing tasks.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minFiller intonation — keeping the floor
Strategy phrases work only if your voice doesn't drop. Dropping pitch on 'I mean…' or 'sort of…' tells the listener you've finished. Keep a level or slightly rising tone to signal 'still talking'. Practise: 'It's a KIND of…→ ' (level), then continue. Also: connected speech — 'kind of' → /ˈkaɪndə/, 'sort of' → /ˈsɔːtə/, 'a bit of a' → /əˈbɪdəvə/.
- • It's a KINDə BOWL → with HOLES
- • I'd SAY it's SORTə LIKE → a MARathon
- • BEAR with me → I'm GETting THERE
- • Off the TOP of my HEAD → I'd say FIVE
Reading challenge · Section 5
8–10 minThe fluent speaker's secret
Ask any fluent non-native English speaker what changed when they stopped sounding like a learner, and you'll get a surprisingly consistent answer. It wasn't more vocabulary. It wasn't more grammar. It was the moment they stopped panicking when a word disappeared and started routing around it.
The difference between an intermediate and an upper-intermediate speaker is rarely the size of the dictionary in their head. It's the speed of the detour. A learner who can't find the word for 'colander' stops. A fluent speaker says 'it's the thing you use for draining pasta — bowl with holes' and keeps moving. By the time the listener is picturing the object, the conversation has already moved on. The word might come back; it might not. It doesn't matter.
The same is true for the moments when you don't quite understand what someone has said. The learner instinct is to nod and hope. The fluent instinct is to clarify: 'Sorry, do you mean…?' Asking a checking question doesn't make you look weak; it makes you look engaged. In real adult conversation, the people asking clarifying questions are usually the ones in charge.
And then there's hedging. Strong opinions don't need to be packaged in strong language. 'I'd say…', 'sort of…', 'on the whole…' — these don't dilute your view, they protect it. They give you room to soften, qualify, or backtrack without losing face. They keep you talking when a more confident phrasing would have committed you to a position you can't defend yet.
Clarify, paraphrase, hedge. Three families, one effect: you never have to stop.
Challenge 1.What does the text say is the real difference between intermediate and upper-intermediate speakers?
Challenge 2.According to the text, what does asking a clarifying question signal to others?
Challenge 3.Why does the text say hedging 'protects' your view rather than diluting it?
Challenge 4.What does the text imply about vocabulary size as a measure of fluency?
Q1.The text says hedging dilutes your opinion.
Q2.The text says fluent speakers route around missing words instead of stopping.
Listening challenge · Section 6
8–10 minTwo friends playing 'explain anything'
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Anna:OK, your word is — colander.
Freddie:Colander. Right. So it's a kind of bowl, but with holes. You use it for — when you've cooked pasta and you want to get rid of the water. The thing you tip the pasta into.
Anna:Got it. Next: serendipity.
Freddie:Oh, hard. It's, um — bear with me — it's sort of when something good happens by accident. You weren't looking for it, but it turned out brilliantly. I'd say it's a bit like luck, but specifically lucky timing.
Anna:Nice. My turn. Give me one.
Freddie:Ladle.
Anna:A ladle is — sorry, do you mean the big spoon for soup?
Freddie:You can't ask for clarification on your own word!
Anna:Fine, fine. It's the thing you use for serving soup. Deep, with a long handle. Off the top of my head, I'd say every kitchen has one.
Freddie:Solid. Last one: ambivalent.
Anna:Ambivalent. I'm not entirely sure of the exact definition, but I'd say it's when you have two feelings about something at the same time. Like, you sort of want to go, but you also sort of don't. What I'm trying to say is, you can't decide because both options feel true.
Freddie:Beautiful. You didn't use the word once and I still know what it means.
Challenge 1.How does Freddie describe a colander in the game?
Challenge 2.How does Anna explain 'ambivalent' without using the word?
Challenge 3.Why does Freddie say Anna's explanation of 'ambivalent' is 'beautiful'?
Challenge 4.What does Freddie's use of 'bear with me' when explaining 'serendipity' suggest about strategy language?
Skills challenge · Section 7
5 minSpeaking — Cambridge B1/B2 Speaking Part 2 / IELTS Part 2 (long turn under pressure)
Task
Pick a word at random ('serendipity', 'eyebrow', 'commute', 'hedge', 'borrow'). Explain it for 45 seconds WITHOUT using the word. Use at least one of: clarify, paraphrase, hedge.
Strategy
Examiners explicitly reward strategic competence — your ability to keep going when language fails. A learner who stops loses marks. A learner who says 'it's a kind of… you use it for… I'd say it's a bit like…' demonstrates exactly the skill being assessed. Don't apologise for not knowing the word — use the detour confidently.
Example
It's a kind of feeling — bear with me — when something good happens completely by accident. You weren't looking for it. I'd say it's a bit like luck, but specifically the kind of luck where timing is everything. Off the top of my head, the classic example is meeting your partner because you missed a train. What I'm trying to say is, it's good fortune that happens at exactly the right moment.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minQuick-fire practice
Challenge 1.It's a ___ of bowl with holes.
Challenge 2.Sorry, do you ___ the small one or the big one?
Challenge 3.I'd ___ it's a bit like a marathon.
Challenge 4.I'm not entirely ___ , but it's sort of round.
There isn't one "right" answer — write a natural version, then compare with the model.
Q1.Explain 'umbrella' by function — start with 'It's the thing'
Q2.Hedge an opinion you're unsure about — start with 'I'm not entirely sure'
Writing challenge · Section 9
5 minShow what you can do
Your task
Write 80 words explaining one of these without using the word: 'serendipity', 'colander', 'commute', 'eyebrow'. Use at least one clarifying / paraphrasing / hedging phrase.
Your answer
Your work saves automatically0 words
Show model answer
It's a kind of journey — bear with me — the one most people make every day between their home and their job. I'd say for some people it's twenty minutes, for others two hours. It can be by car, by train, by bike. What I'm trying to say is, it's the daily back-and-forth that frames your working day, and off the top of my head, it's probably the part of work people complain about most.
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minTalk it out
Play 'explain anything': partner gives you a word, you have 30 seconds to explain it without using it. Swap. Three rounds each.
Useful phrases
- • It's a kind of…
- • It's the thing you use for…
- • I'd say it's a bit like…
- • Bear with me…
- • What I'm trying to say is…
Speaking reflection & notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
Keep it going · Section 11
Take-homeExtend it at home
Pick five English words from your day. Record yourself explaining each without using the word.
Write 100 words about a topic using AT LEAST six strategy phrases.
Homework notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
Checkpoint · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've reviewed
- Clarify, paraphrase, hedge — three families that fix every conversational gap.
- Fluency = speed of the detour, not size of the dictionary.
- Strategy language is examiner gold — it's what's being assessed.