3.1. Gaining Time 赢得时间-Structure & Fillers

Gaining Time

Receiving a call is very different tomaking one. When someone else calls you, you don’t know what the conversationis going to be about. It could be an enquiry, a complaint or a social call. Youmight also be in the middle of doing something when the telephone rings, so youwill need a few moments to switch your thoughts.

Gaining Time

l   However, you can help yourself bygaining time to think.

l   Check your understanding of the languageand the caller's actual meaning.

Listen to a TeleponeConversation

Werner Bader

General Manager in Germany for Eatwell, achain of restaurants

Louise Giles

Sales Director for Eatwell at the US headoffice

Listening

l Listento a telephone conversation and choose what Werner Bader said to gain himself sometime.

1.Let me just think

6.I’ll need to work it out and let you know

2.I’m sorry, I can’t say right now

7.Can I put it in an e-mail

3.I’ll have to get back to you on that

8.Er,well,I don’t really know

4.I’m not the best person to answer that

9.Hm,good question…

5.I’d rather not say

10.Just a moment

Speaking

下面请大家跟着录音一起朗读10个争取时间的句子或短语，并反复练习。模仿native speaker的发音及语音语调。

Example:Let me just think

5.I’ll need to work it out and let you know

1.I’m sorry, I can’t say right now

6.Can I put it in an e-mail

2.I’ll have to get back to you on that

7.Er,well,I don’t really know

3.I’m not the best person to answer that

8.Hm,good question…

4.I’d rather not say

9.Just a moment

Tip: Using Fillers

If you can’t remember the phrases you havejust read, try using some ‘fillers’. These are short words and sounds thatnative speakers often use to gain time when speaking.

Example:Let me just think

5.I’ll need to work it out and let you know

1.I’m sorry, I can’t say right now

6.Can I put it in an e-mail

2.I’ll have to get back to you on that

7.Er,well,I don’t really know

3.I’m not the best person to answer that

8.Hm,good question…

4.I’d rather not say

9.Just a moment