个人例子要有效，就要遵循听者能预料的框架：观点（point）、情境（situation）、行动（action）、结果（result）。当口语题目问到你的经历时就可以用，例如你从中学到东西的一次经历、你欣赏的人，或艰难的一天。
这节课是口语组织的开头。下一课连接原因与结果会建立在这里学到的框架上。
为什么故事需要框架？
听的人不能重读你说过的话，只能靠记忆，所以他们需要尽早知道你的故事是为了什么。框架让他们随时知道自己身处何处。
想想给人指路。“Turn left at the mosque, then go straight” 很容易跟。把一路上经过的每一家店都列出来，就不容易了。
四个部分是什么？
- 观点。 一句直接回答问题的话：“I learned to ask for help.”
- 情境。 何时、何地、有谁。一到两句就够。
- 行动。 你实际做了什么。这是听者最容易记住的部分，所以给一两个真实细节。
- 结果。 有什么改变，对你意味着什么。结尾回扣观点。
完整例题
Prompt: Tell me about a time you learned something from a mistake.
第 1 步，观点： “I learned that I should check my work before I hand it in.”
第 2 步，情境： “Last year I rushed my science homework on the morning it was due.”
第 3 步，行动： “I copied a number wrongly from the table, so my whole calculation was wrong. My teacher showed me the mistake and asked me to redo it in front of her.”
第 4 步，结果： “Since then I leave five minutes at the end to read through everything. That habit has saved me from the same kind of slip.”
完整回答：
“I learned that I should check my work before I hand it in. Last year I rushed my science homework on the morning it was due. I copied a number wrongly from the table, so my whole calculation was wrong.
My teacher showed me the mistake and asked me to redo it in front of her. Since then I leave five minutes at the end to read through everything. That habit has saved me from the same kind of slip.”
这个回答有六句，每一句都有任务。最后一句回到观点，所以听者觉得故事讲完了。
要留意的错误
常见的错误是一开口就讲情境，从不说出观点。听者听了一大段故事，然后它突然停了。
错误的回答： “Last year I did my science homework in the morning, and there was a table, and my teacher was in the classroom, and I copied the number. It was a bit embarrassing. Yes, that is all.”
这里有情境和一点行动，但没有观点，也没有结果。改正的方法是先写出一句观点，再加一个回扣它的结果。如果你说不出这个故事是为了什么，就换一个故事。
自我检测
先大声说出答案，再打开参考答案。
1. 把这些部分排序：(a) “Now I always ask my teacher early.” (b) “I learned that asking for help is not a weakness.” (c) “I stayed stuck on one maths question for two days.” (d) “In the end I went to my teacher, and she explained it in ten minutes.”
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b, c, d, a。 (b) 是观点，(c) 是情境，(d) 是行动，(a) 是结果。
2. 这个回答缺了哪些部分？可以怎么补？“Last month I joined the school badminton team. We practise on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The coach is strict.”
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缺的是观点和结果。开头可以加观点：“I have learned that regular practice matters more than talent.” 结尾可以加结果：“My smash is stronger now, and I enjoy training more.”
3. 为题目 “Describe a place where you feel calm.” 写一句观点。
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答案有很多。一个例子：“The place where I feel calmest is the small park behind my house, because nobody rushes me there.” 好的观点直接回答问题，并暗示原因。
接下来学什么
当这个框架变得自然，就继续学口头连接原因与结果，然后做口语组织练习。私人口语录音与回听工具可以让你听自己的结构，写作修订对比视图可以帮你先用书面形式规划回答。
有些学生想法很好，却在较长的发言中途让听者迷失。这正是我们的老师在一对一线上 English as a Second Language 补习中会留意的模式。