language learning center · B1 · Lesson 9
Following up with interest
Use varied follow-up questions to understand details and keep someone talking.
Understand and learn
Work from a natural example to useful language, one small pattern, a spoken attempt, and a response that is relevant to your life.
Maya
I’ve started volunteering at a neighborhood garden.
Maya introduces a new personal topic.
Leo
How did you get involved?
Leo asks about the beginning rather than changing topic.
Maya
A neighbor invited me. At first I only planned to help once, but I really enjoyed it.
Maya adds the origin and an unexpected development.
Leo
What do you enjoy most about it, and has anything surprised you?
Leo asks two open questions that deepen the topic.
Notice, try, and speak
Understand a natural example and learn a small set of useful words, phrases, and patterns.
Useful words and phrases
These items were selected by the lesson curriculum for practical use—not extracted as an every-word list.
How did you get involved?
Ask how something began.
How did you get involved?
What happened next?
Continue a sequence.
What happened next?
What do you mean by…?
Clarify a word or idea.
What do you enjoy most about it, and has anything surprised you?
What do you enjoy most about it?
Invite a personal detail.
What do you enjoy most about it, and has anything surprised you?
Has anything surprised you?
Ask for an unexpected detail.
What do you enjoy most about it, and has anything surprised you?
Notice, try, and speak
Which question best follows “I started volunteering last month”?
Make it yours
Listen to a short personal update and ask three connected open questions.
Choose questions you would genuinely like the other person to answer.
Use it with someone
Deepen a conversation in English
- 1. How did you get involved?
- 2. What happened next?
- 3. What do you mean by…?
- 4. What do you enjoy most about it?
- 5. Has anything surprised you?