3. Interrupting Game - 1. Opening Gambits

Conversation Gambits - Eric Keller, Sylvia T Warner 1988

3. Interrupting Game
1. Opening Gambits

The teacher lor a student volunteer) chooses a topic and starts to talk about it. Anyone in the class then tries to interrupt, using one of the phrases in the list.

The speaker answers but after that brings the discussion back to the original topic

Try to interrupt as often as possible and in different ways.

Example

— Last night I went to a football match ...

— Excuse me for interrupting, but which one?

— Arsenal against Liverpool.

— Anyway, so I went to the game, got my seat...

— Sorry, but where exactly were you sitting?

— In the main stand. As I was saying, I...

Some possible topics

1. 'What you did last night

2. A funny thing that happened at work

3. A joke you heard recently

4. An argument you've had with someone

5. How you get to work or school

6. A fabulous meal you've enjoyed recently

Sorry, but ...

Excuse me for interrupting, but ...

Can I add here that ...

I’d like to comment on that.

Can I add something?

Can I say something here?

I’d like to say something, if I may.

Can I ask a question?

1May I ask something?

To return to the topic

Anyway, ...

In any case, ...

To get back to what I was saying, ...

Where was I?

1. Some people think may is more polite than can in questions like this.