Series ID: EDKS-BASIC-ZH-0038 · Lesson No.038 · A1 → A2 Conversation

Longer Everyday Conversations | 更长的日常对话

Do not only answer. Add one detail, react, and give the conversation somewhere to go next.
不要只回答。加一个细节、给一个回应，再让对话有下一步。

A1 conversation often looks like question → short answer. A2 growth means keeping the exchange alive for longer without needing a script.

这一课训练的是“对话持续能力”：不只是会答，还会追问、回应、补充原因、转话题、澄清和自然结束。

Chinese Edition Hub · 中文版入口 · ← Lesson No.037 · Present Perfect for Life Experience

The conversation map | 对话路线

answer + detail
return question
follow-up question
reaction phrases
give reason/example
ask for opinion
agree/disagree simply
clarify one detail
repair misunderstanding
change topic
return to earlier topic
interrupt politely
hold a turn
close naturally

1. The three-part answer | 三段式回答

Instead of:

A: How was your weekend?
B: Good.

Use:

B: It was good. I visited my sister. How was yours?

Pattern: answer + detail + return question.

2. Add one detail | 多加一个细节

I’m busy. → I’m busy because I have two meetings today.
I went out. → I went out for dinner with friends.

3. Return the question | 把问题还回去

How about you?
What about you?
And you?

These keep conversation balanced.

4. Follow-up questions | 追问

Really?
When did you go?
Who did you go with?
How was it?
Why did you choose that?

5. Follow the information you just heard | 根据对方内容追问

A: I went to a new café.
B: Oh, where is it?

The follow-up should connect to the previous answer.

6. Do not jump to a random question | 不要突然跳题

Weak:

A: I visited my grandmother.
B: What colour is your car?

Better: ask about grandmother, visit or weekend first.

7. Reaction phrases | 回应语

Really?
That’s nice.
That sounds good.
That’s interesting.
Oh no.
That’s a shame. — recognition

Reaction shows listening.

8. Avoid empty reactions only | 不要只会“Really?”

Add a follow-up:

Really? What happened?

9. Give a reason | 给原因

because…
so…

I took the train because it was faster.

10. Give an example | 给例子

for example…
like…

I like outdoor activities, for example walking and cycling.

11. Give an opinion | 表达观点

I think…
For me…
I prefer…

12. Ask for opinion | 问观点

What do you think?
Which do you prefer?
How do you feel about it?

13. Simple agreement | 简单同意

I agree.
Me too.
That’s true.
I think so too.

14. Simple disagreement | 简单不同意

I’m not sure.
I don’t think so.
I see it differently. — recognition

Disagreement can stay polite and calm.

15. Partial agreement | 部分同意

Maybe, but…
That’s true, but…

16. Asking for clarification | 澄清

What do you mean?
Do you mean…?
Which one?
Which day?

17. Clarify one detail, not everything | 一次只澄清一个点

Did you say Tuesday or Thursday?

One discriminating question is efficient.

18. Rephrase your own idea | 换一种说法

Let me say that another way.
What I mean is…

19. Self-correct | 自我纠正

Tuesday—sorry, Thursday.
Two people—sorry, three.

20. Show understanding | 表示听懂

I see.
Okay.
Right.
Got it.

21. Encourage the other person | 鼓励对方继续

And then?
What happened next?
Tell me more. — recognition/useful

22. Hold your turn | 保持话轮

One moment.
Let me finish this part.
There are two things.

23. Interrupt politely | 礼貌打断

Sorry to interrupt, but…
Can I ask something?

24. Change topic | 转话题

By the way…
Speaking of work… — recognition
Anyway…

Use topic shifts after the current topic has reached a natural pause.

25. Return to an earlier topic | 回到前面

Going back to what you said…
About the meeting…

26. Conversation signposts | 对话路标

first
actually
so
anyway
finally

These help listeners follow your direction.

27. “Actually” | actually

Useful for correction or unexpected information:

Actually, the meeting is tomorrow, not today.

28. “So” | so

Useful for result or returning to main point:

So, what time should we meet?

29. “Anyway” | anyway

Useful for returning or closing a side topic:

Anyway, I should go.

30. Ask open questions | 开放问题

What did you do?
How was it?
Why did you choose it?

Open questions invite longer answers.

31. Ask closed questions when precision matters | 需要精确时用封闭问句

Is it Tuesday?
Did you pay by card?

32. Balance open and closed questions | 混合使用

Use open questions for conversation growth; closed questions for confirmation.

33. Short answer → longer answer | 短答扩展

Question: Do you like your job?

A1: Yes.

Longer: Yes, I do. I like the people I work with, but it can be busy.

34. Answer with time + reason | 加时间和原因

I started last year because I wanted a change.

35. Answer with comparison | 加比较

I prefer the train because it’s faster than the bus.

36. Answer with experience | 加经历

I’ve tried it once. I had it in Seoul last year.

37. Social conversation | 社交对话

A: How was your weekend?
B: Good. I went hiking with my cousin.
A: Nice. Where did you go?
B: A park near the coast. Have you been there?
A: No, I haven’t.

38. Work conversation | 工作对话

A: Are you busy today?
B: A little. I have two meetings this afternoon.
A: What are they about?
B: One is about the new project.

39. Travel conversation | 出行对话

A: Have you ever been to Kyoto?
B: Yes, twice.
A: When did you last go?
B: In spring last year. The weather was beautiful.

40. Shopping conversation | 购物对话

A: Which one do you prefer?
B: The blue one. It’s cheaper and I like the colour.
A: Do you want to try it on?
B: Yes, please.

41. Problem-solving conversation | 问题解决对话

A: The link still doesn’t work.
B: Did you try the new one?
A: Yes. I tried it twice.
B: Okay. I’ll send another link.

42. Topic depth | 话题深度

For one topic, try four layers:

fact
detail
reason/opinion
follow-up question

43. The conversation ladder | 对话阶梯

Topic: transport

I take the train.
I take the train every day.
I prefer it because it’s faster.
How do you get to work?

44. Listen for turn openings | 听对方要开口的信号

Pause after a complete idea. Do not fill every space.

45. Avoid interviewing the other person | 不要变成“审问”

Too many questions without sharing your own information can feel unnatural.

Balance:

Oh, I like that café too. What do you usually order?

46. Avoid monologues in a dialogue | 不要只顾自己说

After two or three sentences, give the other person a turn.

47. Closing signals | 准备结束

Anyway, I should go.
It was nice talking to you.
I need to get back to work.

48. Close with next contact if relevant | 如有需要，说明下次联系

See you tomorrow.
I’ll message you later.
Let’s talk again next week.

49. Mandarin transfer: short context-rich answers | 中文短答迁移

Mandarin can rely heavily on shared context. English conversation may sound more complete with an explicit subject and one extra detail.

很忙。 → I’m quite busy today.
去过。 → Yes, I’ve been there.

50. Mandarin transfer: topic shift | 转话题方式

English often uses explicit signals such as by the way or anyway. Use them to make shifts easier to follow.

51. Mandarin transfer: polite disagreement | 不同意的缓冲

Instead of a direct “No, wrong”, English conversation often uses:

I’m not sure.
Maybe, but…
I see what you mean, but… — recognition

52. Listening practice: identify conversation move | 听对话动作

Label each line:

answer
detail
reaction
follow-up
clarification
closing

53. Speaking practice: three-turn minimum | 至少三轮

Choose a topic and keep it going for at least three turns each.

54. Speaking practice: answer + detail + question | 回答 + 细节 + 问题

Use this frame ten times with different topics.

55. Error clinic | 常见对话问题

Problem	Better move
One-word answers stop the conversation.	Add one detail.
I ask unrelated questions.	Follow the previous information.
I ask too many questions.	Share your own detail too.
I do not react.	Use short response phrases.
I cannot close naturally.	Use a closing signal + goodbye.

56. First weak link diagnosis | 第一个卡点诊断

I can answer but conversation stops → detail/return question.
I cannot think of follow-ups → WH-question bank.
I understand but react silently → reaction chunks.
I talk too long → turn awareness.
I lose the topic → signposts.
I cannot disagree politely → soft disagreement chunks.
I cannot exit → closing language.

57. Retrieval lab | 提取练习

你呢？ → ______
真的吗？发生了什么？ → ______
你为什么选这个？ → ______
我觉得也是。 → ______
我不太确定。 → ______
你是说星期二吗？ → ______
顺便问一下…… → ______
回到刚才的话题…… → ______
很高兴和你聊天。 → ______
我该走了。 → ______

Suggested answers: How about you? / Really? What happened? / Why did you choose this? / I think so too. / I’m not sure. / Do you mean Tuesday? / By the way… / Going back to what you said… / It was nice talking to you. / I should go.

58. Ten-minute daily practice | 每天十分钟

2 min	answer + detail	扩展回答
2 min	follow-up questions	追问
2 min	reactions	回应
2 min	topic shifts/clarification	转话题澄清
2 min	one longer conversation	综合

59. Seven-day training cycle | 七天训练

Day 1	answer + detail	扩展
Day 2	follow-ups	追问
Day 3	reactions/opinions	回应观点
Day 4	clarification	澄清
Day 5	topic shifts	转话题
Day 6	open/closed questions	问句控制
Day 7	five-minute conversation	长对话

60. Self-test: 30 questions | 30 题自测

What are the three parts of the expanded answer?
Give one return question.
Give three follow-up questions.
Give three reaction phrases.
Give one reason sentence.
Give one example sentence.
Ask for an opinion.
Agree simply.
Disagree politely.
Partly agree.
Ask for clarification.
Give one discriminating question.
Rephrase yourself.
Self-correct one detail.
Show understanding.
Encourage the speaker.
Interrupt politely.
Change topic.
Return to an earlier topic.
Use actually.
Use anyway.
Ask one open question.
Ask one closed question.
Expand a one-word answer.
Give one comparison in conversation.
Use present perfect then simple past.
Explain why too many questions can feel unnatural.
Give one closing signal.
Close with next contact.
Hold a four-minute conversation on one familiar topic.

Answer key | 答案

1 answer/detail/return question; 2 How about you?; 3–29 answers vary; 30 performance task.

61. For parents and teachers | 给家长和老师

Do not reward only grammatical correctness. Track whether the learner can extend, react, clarify and close.

Use topic cards with follow-up prompts, then remove the prompts gradually.

For Mandarin speakers, explicitly practise fuller answers and visible topic-shift markers without presenting Mandarin conversational style as deficient.

Teach balance: conversation is neither interrogation nor monologue.

62. Final real-world challenge | 最终真实任务

Open a familiar conversation.
Give full answers.
Ask relevant follow-ups.
React naturally.
Give reasons and examples.
Clarify one detail.
Change topic once.
Disagree politely once.
Close naturally.
Maintain a five-minute conversation with repair.

Next: Lesson No.039 | 下一课

Longer conversation requires tracking ideas over several sentences. The same skill appears in reading. Next, learn how to follow a short story or article through topic, sequence, reference, cause, contrast and inference without translating every line.

Lesson No.039 · Reading Everyday Stories and Articles · 阅读日常故事与文章

Reference floor: British Council A2 Pre-intermediate · British Council A2 Reading.

Small Group Tutorials

How to Learn Basic English (Chinese Edition) | Lesson No.038 | Longer Everyday Conversations | 更长的日常对话