A two-minute proposal in five steps
Two minutes is short: room for one idea, not three. Give each step a sentence or two:
- The problem, with one fact: “Basically, mixed materials block recycling.”
- One practical change: “I’d like to propose a six-week trial of returnable lunch boxes.”
- A difficulty you admit: “The hardest part will be getting the boxes back.”
- How you will measure success: “We’ll count purchases, returns and damaged boxes every week.”
- A close that invites reactions: “What would make this work in your team?”
Comment adverbs: apparently, obviously, basically, eventually
A comment adverb tells listeners how to take a sentence. The first three often open it, with a comma; eventually often goes before the main verb.
- Apparently: you heard or read it but have not checked it. “Apparently, the supplier can replace plastic film.”
- Obviously: you present the point as clear to everyone. About a point others doubt, it can sound dismissive. “Obviously, a claim still needs evidence.”
- Basically: the essential point in simple terms; common in speech, best avoided in formal reports. “Basically, mixed materials block recycling.”
- Eventually: the final result after time or difficulty. “The trial eventually cut waste by a third.”
Listen: good news that needs a second look
A café offered returnable lunch boxes with a deposit, but its return desk closed before many offices finished work, so boxes stayed in drawers and the café bought more. An all-day locker fixed the timing. Listen as two colleagues review the results.
Notice how the last line limits the claim.
Maya Apparently, reusable boxes increased purchases in week one.
Owen That sounds awful, but the reason was the return desk, not the box itself.
Maya Exactly. The locker eventually raised returns to eighty-six percent.
Owen Oh wow! Basically, convenience changed the environmental result.
Maya Yes, although we should publish the washing-energy figure before calling it a complete success.
React, then ask
A reaction shows you are listening; a follow-up question keeps the talk on evidence.
- Good news: “Oh wow!”, “That sounds pretty cool.”, “That’s amazing.” Pretty means fairly here and is informal.
- Troubling news: “Isn’t that awful?”, “It’s depressing.”, “That’s very scary.” “Isn’t that awful?” invites agreement; it is not a real question.
- Then ask: “That sounds pretty cool. How was it measured?” “That’s very scary. What evidence shows the scale?”
Claim only what you measured
Say what improved, what you do not know yet and what you will check next.
- Overstated: “The boxes were a complete success.”
- Qualified: “Yes, although we should publish the washing-energy figure before calling it a complete success.”
- Vague measure: “We’ll see if people like it.” Testable: “We’ll count how many boxes come back each week for six weeks.”
- Size the claim to the evidence: “so far”, “in this trial”, “the figures suggest”.
Questions to discuss
Answer each in about a minute, with a reason, an example, one comment adverb and one reaction.
- “Should customers pay a deposit for reusable packaging?”
- “Who should do most to cut waste: customers, businesses or governments?”
- “When is it fair to call an environmental change a success?”
Common mistakes
Check your proposal:
- “That sounds like awful.” Like goes before a noun, not an adjective: “That sounds awful.” “That sounds like a good plan.”
- “It’s depressed.” Situations are depressing; people are depressed. The same goes for scary and scared.
- “Eventually, thank you all for listening.” To end a talk or a list, say finally.
- Apparently about your own data. If you measured it, just state it: “Returns rose to eighty-six percent.”
- A measure nobody can check, such as “People will feel better about waste.”
A 10-minute daily routine
Once a week, record the whole proposal and check the five steps.
- 2 minutes: play the conversation and repeat each line, copying its stress.
- 3 minutes: four sentences about a waste problem you know, one per comment adverb.
- 3 minutes: react aloud to a short news item twice, each time with a question.
- 2 minutes: write one testable measure and one sentence that limits the claim.
What comes next
Next at B2, recommend a workplace music rule that changes with the task, and describe a photo without presenting guesses as facts. At C1, a written proposal adds clear pilot and stop conditions.