The short answer
Take a breath, pick one angle, and use PREP: make your point, give a reason, tell one short example, then come back to your point. Aim to finish between the green and red lights.
The first ten seconds
Nobody expects you to start talking the instant the question ends. Take a breath, look at the audience, and repeat the question in your own words. It buys you a moment and tells everyone what you’re answering.
Then choose one angle. “What’s the best advice you’ve been given?” could lead anywhere, so pick the first piece of advice that comes with a story attached, and commit to it.
Use PREP
PREP is a four-part shape that works for almost any question. It gives you somewhere to go next when your mind goes quiet.
- 1
Point
Say your answer in one sentence.
- 2
Reason
Say why.
- 3
Example
Tell one short, real story.
- 4
Point
Come back to your answer.
Worked exampleIf you could master one skill overnight, what would it be?
- Point“I’d learn to play the piano properly.”
- Reason“Because it’s the one thing I’ve started three times and given up on.”
- Example“My gran had an old upright in her front room, and every Sunday she’d play the same four songs…”
- Point“So that’s my skill: the piano, and those four songs first.”
Try it now
Draw a question and use PREP out loud. Nobody’s listening, and nothing is recorded.
Is solitude different from loneliness?
No prompts match yet.
Try another level, or clear the filters to see everything.
Link copied. It opens this exact prompt.
Opens this prompt in the Learn to Speak Easy app. Free every day.
More themes, levels and timings in the Table Topics Generator.
Finishing on time
Green at one minute means you can stop there. Amber at a minute and a half means start wrapping up. Red at two minutes means time’s up: finish the sentence you’re on.
Note: Practise with a timer until amber feels like a friendly tap on the shoulder, not a threat.
Mistakes to avoid
- Apologising before you start
“Sorry, I’m terrible at these” tells everyone to expect a bad answer. Just begin.
- Answering a different question
It’s fine to choose an angle. It isn’t fine to ignore the question and give a speech you prepared earlier.
- Two examples when one will do
One story, told well, fills two minutes. A second one usually means rushing both.
- Trailing off
End on your point, say it clearly, and stop. “So, yeah” isn’t an ending.
FAQs
How do you start a Table Topics answer?
Repeat the question in your own words, then say your answer in one sentence. It buys you a moment to think and tells the audience exactly what you’re answering.
What if my mind goes blank?
Keep talking about the question itself, or pause and start with one simple point. Recovering is part of the skill you’re practising.
A simple shape helps: make your point, give a reason, tell one short example, then come back to your point. If an answer really goes wrong, you can start over before you save it.
Is it OK to be funny?
Yes, if it comes naturally. A light answer that still makes a point often lands better than a serious one that doesn’t.