1.Starting the discussion

It is always advisable for the attendees,
especially the weaker ones,to start the discussion.
It is always easier to express your opinion when you
don't have to worry about repeating what others have
said,and the attendee also has the chance to briefly
describe the situation,making use of the points they
are about to discuss.

        Here are the steps:

        (1) mention the situation
        (2) say what the group have to do
        (3) say what you think

        You can use expressions like:

        ~ Okay,let us begin....

        ~ Today we are going to discuss...

You might have thought about unconnected phrases
or words during your preparation,now you have to turn
them into meaningful sentences.(Note:If you just state
what you think,you will not win support.You have to tell
them why you think so,i.e.,support your views with reasons.)

        You can start with these expressions:

        ~ I think that ...

        ~ I feel that because ...

When your group's members state their opinions,sometimes
you will agree,sometimes you won't.You have to respond to
their viewpoints.

        Here are some expressions you can use:

        (1)If you agree,you say:

        ~ That's a good idea.

        ~ I take you point.

        ~ Yes,you're right.

        (2)If you don't agree,you say:

        ~ I doubt that is true.

        ~ I don't accept that point.

There may be times when you partly agree with the others.

        In such cases, you say:

        ~ Yes,to a certain degree,it is true but...

        ~ I agree with you on the first part, but...

Usually,you don't respond to someone's point until they
have finished talking.However,there will be times when
you think that the person is taking up too much time making
irrelevant and meaningless points, and you have to
interrupt politely.

        When you do so,you can say:

        ~ May I make a point here?

        ~ I would like to make a suggestion here.

One of the interactive skills that examiners are
particularly interested in is the attendee encouraging
and helping other attendees.

You do this by inviting quiet attendees to speak.

        You can say:

        ~ What is your opinion?

        ~ Do you have any suggestions?

During the discussion,when you notice that time is
running short and other members are still talking too much
about an invalid argument,you should then interrupt politely,
and redirect the discussion in order to move on to a new
point.

        To direct the discussion, you can say:

        ~ Right, I think we've already covered that point.

        ~ If we agree,we should go on to  the next point.

        When you want to move to a new point, you can say:

        ~ Okay,let's move on to the next point.

        ~ Next, I think we need to decide....

If you are unsure of someone's point, and you want them to
explain more clearly.

        You should say:

        ~ Can you please explain that again?

        ~ Can you claify that please?

In a discussion, if you want to persuade people to agree
with you,you do it politely.

        You can say:

        ~ Don't you agree that we should...

        ~ I think you would agree...

Near the end of the discussion, you should summarize the
points that have been discussed.

        Here are some expressions that you can use:

        ~ To sum up...

        ~ Let me summarize the main points...

It is not always necessary for group members to agree on
all points discussed,however,any attempt to conclude
what has been discussed should be considered a wise step
to take.

        To do this,you should say:

        ~ To conclude,we all agree that...

        ~ Let us reach a conclusion...