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E8 E - Answer questions after a presentation

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E8 E - Answer questions after a presentation

Mini-description: React to understanding and follow-up questions after a presentation. Use clarification strategies when you are unsure.

Target group: English as a first foreign language, Grade 8, E level, Baden-Württemberg.

Learning mode: English first → context → try → ask → hint → German help if needed. No full translation.

After a presentation, the talk is not over. The audience may ask you to explain a point, give evidence, justify a choice or react to a new idea. Your goal is not to sound perfect. Your goal is to understand the question and give a clear, useful answer.

All learner profiles and school situations in this course are fictional. Recordings are optional and should stay private. Do not upload classmates' voices, images or personal data without permission. If you use AI, check its language, facts and feedback. AI may support your thinking, but it should not replace your own answer.

Curriculum focus: Hörverstehen, Sprechen, Präsentation, Aktives Zuhören, Sprachmittlung, Medienkompetenz and functional language use. The course follows the communicative focus of the Baden-Württemberg English curriculum for Years 7/8: participating in conversations, asking for clarification and reacting appropriately.

I can ...

I can understand the main point of a question after a presentation.
I can ask for clarification instead of guessing.
I can answer with a clear point and useful support.
I can react to a follow-up question spontaneously.
I can use passive forms and reported speech when they help my answer.
I can check media claims before I repeat them.

Media starter: What happens after the last slide?

Look at the image for 20 seconds.

Think in English:

What might the student be asking?
What could make the question difficult?
What can a presenter do if they are not sure what the question means?

Now compare your ideas with a partner. Give one possible question and one possible answer.

Before you start: quick self-check

Can you already use these moves?

Situation	Useful move
You did not hear part of the question.	Could you repeat the last part, please?
The question is too general.	Could you be a bit more specific?
You want to check the meaning.	If I understand you correctly, you're asking ...
You need a moment.	That's an interesting question. Let me think for a second.
You do not know the answer.	I don't have enough information to answer that fully, but ...

The core strategy: Listen – Clarify – Answer – Check

Use four simple steps.

Step	What you do	Example
Listen	Focus on the key idea, not every word.	So the key point is the cost?
Clarify	Check meaning when needed.	Do you mean the cost this year or in the future?
Answer	Give your point first, then one reason, example or piece of evidence.	The plan is cheaper in the long term because ...
Check	Make sure your answer helped.	Does that answer your question?

A strong answer is often only 20–40 seconds long. Start with the main point. Add one useful detail. Stop before your answer becomes a second presentation.

Listening and viewing: clarification in action

Watch the BBC Learning English clip. Focus on how the speaker asks for more precise information.

First viewing – gist: What problem does the learner have?

Second viewing – strategy hunt: Note two ways the learner asks for clearer information.

Try it: Change one phrase so it fits a school presentation.

Example context: Your classmate has presented a plan for a school event, but the timetable is unclear.

Viewing: presentation language and audience questions

This Oxford Online English lesson includes language for presentations and for responding when things do not go exactly as planned.

Do not try to understand every sentence. Work with a short section selected by your teacher.

Media task:

Identify one phrase that helps structure an answer.
Identify one strategy for dealing with a difficult moment.
Decide which idea would work well in a Grade 8 classroom and explain why.

Media check: Who created the video? What is its purpose? Is it teaching, advertising, entertaining or doing several things at once?

Clarification strategies

Choose the smallest strategy that solves the problem.

Problem	English first	If you still need help
You did not hear it.	Could you say that again, please?	Ask for the key word.
One word is unclear.	What do you mean by ...?	Ask for an example.
The question is too broad.	Which part do you mean exactly?	Offer two possible meanings.
You think you understood.	Do you mean that ...?	Paraphrase the question.
You need thinking time.	Let me think about that for a moment.	Use one note from your presentation.

Help ladder: context → try → ask → hint → short German help if needed. Do not jump straight to a full translation.

Video practice: asking for clarification

After watching, sort the phrases you hear or notice into three functions:

ask someone to repeat,
check what someone means,
ask for more detail.

Then choose two phrases you would really use. Natural language is better than memorising a long list.

Reading: a fictional Q&A

Context: A fictional Grade 8 team at Rivergate School has presented an idea for reducing single-use packaging at a school event.

Audience: Why did you choose reusable cups instead of paper cups?

Mina: We chose reusable cups because they can be used many times. The final choice was made after we compared waste, cost and cleaning.

Audience: But how do you know they are really better?

Mina: If I understand you correctly, you're asking about the evidence. We found that the result depends on how often the cups are reused. So our presentation should not claim that one option is always best.

Audience: What would happen if the cleaning system failed?

Mina: That's a good follow-up question. We had not tested that situation. I would need more information before giving a firm answer.

Think:

Which answer starts with the main point?
Where does Mina clarify the question?
Where does she avoid inventing an answer?
Which sentence shows media or evidence awareness?

Context vocabulary

Use these words in questions and answers, not as an isolated vocabulary list.

Word or phrase	Meaning in this course	Example
clarify	make the meaning clearer	Could you clarify the last point?
evidence	information that supports a claim	What evidence supports your idea?
relevant	connected to the question or topic	That example is relevant because ...
specific	exact and focused	Could you be more specific?
claim	a statement that may need support	The claim should be checked.
follow-up question	a second question that develops the first one	Can I ask a follow-up question?

Pronunciation: clear before perfect

Your aim is intelligibility, not accent-free English.

Practise these chunks as complete thought groups:

Could you CLARify that point?

Could you be more speCIFic?

If I underSTAND you correctly ...

Does that answer your QUEStion?

Speak once slowly, then once at a natural pace. Keep the key stressed word clear. A short pause before your answer can sound confident and gives you thinking time.

Speaking lab: three types of questions

Work in pairs. One person is the presenter, one is the audience member. Change roles after each round.

Question type	Example question	Your task
Understanding	What exactly do you mean by “fair”?	Clarify one idea from the presentation.
Evidence	How do you know this information is reliable?	Give one source, example or limitation.
Transfer	Would your idea also work in a different school?	Apply the idea to a new context.

E-level challenge: After the first answer, the audience asks one spontaneous follow-up question.

Functional grammar for Q&A

Grammar should help you communicate. Do not turn the answer into a grammar test.

Passive: useful when the action matters most

At E level, use the passive productively when it fits.

Active: Our team checked the figures.

Passive: The figures were checked before the presentation.

Active: We will test the idea next week.

Passive: The idea will be tested next week.

Try: Answer the question How was the information checked? with one passive sentence.

Reported speech with backshift

Use reported speech to refer to a question or comment from the audience.

Direct: “Why did you choose this example?”

Reported: She asked why we had chosen that example.

Direct: “Check the source again.”

Reported: He told us to check the source again.

Direct: “Is the figure correct?”

Reported: She asked whether the figure was correct.

Notice: reported questions use statement word order.

Past perfect progressive: receptive only

You may meet a form such as:

The team had been collecting feedback for several weeks before the presentation.

At this level, you only need to recognise the meaning: an activity continued for some time before another past event. You do not need to force this form into your own answer.

Writing: prepare answers, not scripts

Write three possible audience questions about a presentation topic you know. Then write a 2–3 sentence answer to each.

Use this structure:

Point → support → check

Example:

Our main reason is the cost. We compared three options, and this one was the least expensive over a full year. Does that answer your question?

Do not memorise a complete script. Prepare key ideas and flexible phrases.

Mediation: help someone join the Q&A

A classmate says in German:

„Ich habe verstanden, was ihr machen wollt, aber nicht, warum ihr genau diese Lösung gewählt habt.“

Do not translate every word. Help the classmate ask a natural English question.

Possible start:

I understand the plan, but could you explain why ...?

Then create a second mediation example of your own.

Direct feedback: improve one thing at a time

After a practice answer, your partner gives one strength and one next step.

Check	Quick feedback
Did the answer match the question?	Yes – directly / Partly – refocus
Was clarification used when needed?	Clear / Ask first
Was there support?	Useful example / Add evidence
Was the language understandable?	Easy to follow / Shorter sentences
Was the answer too long?	Good length / Stop after the key point

Error analysis

Find the problem and improve the response.

Question: Why did you use that source?

Weak answer 1: Yes, the source was interesting.

Problem: It does not answer why.

Better: We used it because it gave recent data and named its original sources.

Weak answer 2: I don't know.

Problem: Honest, but not useful enough.

Better: I don't know that yet. I would need to check the original report before answering.

Weak answer 3: She asked why did we choose it.

Problem: Wrong word order in a reported question.

Better: She asked why we had chosen it.

Transfer: pressure round

Your team has just finished a two-minute presentation. You now receive one question you did not prepare for.

You have five seconds to decide:

answer now – clarify – limit your answer – say what you need to check

A strong speaker does not pretend to know everything. Clear limits make an answer more trustworthy.

Media and privacy check

Before using an image, video, voice recording or AI tool, ask:

Do we have the right to use it?
Does it show private information?
Is the source clear?
Could editing or missing context change the meaning?
Have I checked important factual claims?
Am I still doing my own language work?

The Wikimedia Commons files used in this course link to their file pages, where authorship and licence information can be checked. YouTube videos are embedded for viewing; do not copy or re-upload them.

Can-do check

Rate yourself: not yet – with help – independently – spontaneously.

Can-do statement	My level
I can identify what a question is really asking.
I can ask for repetition or clarification naturally.
I can give a short answer with support.
I can react to an unexpected follow-up question.
I can use passive forms when useful.
I can report questions and commands accurately.
I can check whether a media claim is reliable enough to repeat.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What should you do first if you are not sure what a question means? (Ask for clarification) (!Guess the meaning) (!Change the topic) (!Repeat your whole presentation)

Which phrase checks your understanding of a question? (If I understand you correctly, you're asking ...) (!I will start my presentation now.) (!That slide has three colours.) (!Thank you for listening yesterday.)

What makes a short Q&A answer stronger? (A clear point plus useful support) (!As many details as possible) (!A completely memorised speech) (!A new topic)

Which response is best when you do not know the answer yet? (I would need to check that before giving a firm answer.) (!I will invent a likely answer.) (!The question is not important.) (!Everyone already knows that.)

Which sentence uses the passive correctly? (The figures were checked before the presentation.) (!The figures checked before the presentation.) (!The figures were check before the presentation.) (!The figures checking before the presentation.)

Which sentence reports a question correctly? (She asked why we had chosen that example.) (!She asked why did we choose that example.) (!She asked why had we chosen that example.) (!She asked why we choose that example yesterday now.)

Why can a follow-up question be challenging? (It develops the first question and may require a new response.) (!It always repeats the exact same words.) (!It can only be answered with yes.) (!It ends the conversation immediately.)

What is the main pronunciation goal in this course? (To be easy to understand) (!To remove every trace of an accent) (!To speak as fast as possible) (!To copy one speaker exactly)

What should you do before repeating an important media claim? (Check the source and evidence) (!Assume a video is always correct) (!Share it without context) (!Use it because it has many views)

What does the help ladder encourage you to do first? (Use English context and try before asking for more help) (!Translate the complete task immediately) (!Skip the difficult question) (!Ask someone else to answer for you)

Memory

clarify	make meaning clearer
evidence	support for a claim
specific	exact and focused
follow-up	a question that develops an earlier answer
relevant	connected to the topic
paraphrase	express an idea in different words
feedback	information that helps you improve

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Could you repeat the last part, please?	You did not hear everything.
Could you be more specific?	The question is too broad.
Do you mean that ...?	You want to check your understanding.
I would need to check that first.	You do not have enough reliable information.
Does that answer your question?	You want to check whether your response helped.

Kreuzworträtsel

clarify	What verb means to make a question or idea clearer?
evidence	What word means information that supports a claim?
audience	Who listens to a presentation?
repeat	What can you ask someone to do if you did not hear a question?
specific	What adjective means exact and focused?
feedback	What word means information that helps you improve?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Clarification phrases: Create a mini-card with four phrases you can use when a question is unclear. Add one situation for each phrase.
Question types: Write one understanding question, one evidence question and one transfer question for a short class presentation.
Pronunciation practice: Record yourself privately saying three clarification phrases. Listen once and improve only stress and clarity. Recording is voluntary and should not be uploaded.
Media check: Choose one image from this course and explain what it shows, what it does not show and why context matters.

Standard

Q&A role-play: In pairs, give a 60-second mini-presentation and answer three audience questions. At least one question must require clarification.
Reported speech: After a partner Q&A, report two questions and one command using correct reported speech.
Passive in context: Write four useful passive sentences about how information for a presentation was collected, checked, selected or presented.
Mediation in discussion: Help a fictional German-speaking classmate turn two concerns into natural English audience questions without translating word for word.

Schwer

Spontaneous follow-up: Answer an unexpected follow-up question in 30 seconds. Then improve the answer after peer feedback.
Perspective switch: Answer the same question from two different fictional perspectives, for example presenter and critical audience member. Avoid stereotypes.
Media reliability: Compare two sources on the same non-sensitive topic. Identify evidence, missing context and one claim that needs further checking.
Q&A challenge: Run a two-minute question session after a presentation. Include clarification, one evidence-based answer, one limitation and one transfer answer.

Lernkontrolle

Clarification transfer: You receive an unclear audience question. Explain which clarification strategy you would choose and why. Then give a possible answer after the question has been clarified.
Evidence and limits: A classmate asks for proof of a claim in your presentation. Give a response that includes evidence and clearly states one limitation.
Grammar in communication: Rewrite a short Q&A report so that passive forms and reported questions make the meaning clearer. Explain why your changes help.
Media judgement: A popular video makes a strong claim but gives no source. Explain what you would check before using the claim in your presentation.
Follow-up reaction: Respond to a first question and then to a harder follow-up. Show how your second answer develops or changes your first answer.
Feedback revision: Improve a weak answer that is vague, too long or off-topic. Mark the exact change that made it more effective.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, show that you can:

understand the main purpose of audience questions,
ask for clarification naturally,
answer briefly and relevantly,
support answers with examples or evidence,
react honestly when information is missing,
use passive forms and reported speech when they help communication,
recognise the past perfect progressive when it appears,
speak clearly enough to be understood,
check media claims and source context,
respond to feedback and improve a second version,
act independently in an unexpected follow-up situation.

A suitable learning record can be a live Q&A, a private audio recording, a written Q&A portfolio or a teacher-observed role-play. Recordings are voluntary and private.

OERs zum Thema

Useful external learning media in this aiMOOC include embedded lessons from BBC Learning English, Oxford Online English and ESLgold. Wikimedia Commons media are linked through their file names so that licence information can be checked on the original file pages.

Folgekurs

Continue with E8 E - Lead a short discussion after a presentation.

There you can practise:

inviting different viewpoints,
reacting to agreement and disagreement,
asking stronger follow-up questions,
summarising a short discussion,
checking whether claims and examples are well supported.

Verknüpfte Lernbereiche

Answer questions after a presentation

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