Let me think for a second.

Welcome to this week’s Sparks Plus. Short reflections and examples to help you speak up, respond and disagree in English without putting extra pressure on yourself. Six short sections. Easy to read. Designed to reduce effort, not add more.

______________________________________________

 1️⃣ Quick Win – What to say when your brain needs a moment

The meeting moves fast. Someone asks you something directly – maybe your opinion, maybe a number you weren’t expecting. Your brain needs three seconds, but the silence feels like thirty.

Most professionals either rush an answer that doesn’t quite sound like them or apologise before they’ve started.

There’s a third option.

✔ “Let me think for a second.”
✔ “Good question. Can I come back to you on that?”
✔ “I want to make sure I give you the right answer.”

These phrases buy time without losing the room. They sound considered, not lost. And the pause that follows reads as thought, not confusion.

Quick win: Choose one phrase before your next meeting. Use it once. Notice how the room responds.

______________________________________________

2️⃣ Real-World English in Action

A client blanked in a video call recently. She said:

“Erm… moment please… I am thinking…“

It worked – she bought her time – but she felt embarrassed afterwards.

Here’s what she uses now:

✔ “Bear with me.”
✔ “Just thinking that through…”
✔ “Let me pull that up.” (when she’s looking for information)

Same pause. Different feeling — for her and for the room.

______________________________________________

3️⃣ Micro Clarity Tip — Silence reads differently than you think

In international meetings, a two-second pause before answering reads as thoughtful, not uncertain.

The instinct to fill that silence immediately – with “erm,” “well,” “you know” – often comes from nerves, not necessity. The pause doesn’t need covering.

One small shift: when you feel the urge to fill the silence, take a breath instead. The pause belongs to you.

______________________________________________

 4️⃣ Tip of the Week – “by” vs. “until”

This one catches even confident English speakers.

By = deadline. The action happens at some point before that moment.
Until = duration. The action continues up to that moment.

“I’ll send this by Friday” – it arrives on Friday or earlier.
“I’ll be in the office until Friday” – you’re there all week and leave on Friday.

Worth a quick check in scheduling emails. One word, significant difference.

______________________________________________

 5️⃣ Reader Question

Q: Is it rude to ask someone to repeat themselves in English?

No, and it happens in every international meeting. Asking for repetition shows you’re paying attention, not zoning out.

These all work well:

✔ “Sorry, could you say that again?”
✔ “I didn’t quite catch that.”
✔ “Could you slow down slightly? I want to make sure I understand.”

The third one is worth remembering. It’s direct, warm and signals engagement rather than difficulty.

(Honestly? Native speakers ask for repetition too. Understanding matters more than catching every word.)

______________________________________________

 6️⃣ Spotlight

If this week’s topic came up at work – that moment before you speak, the silence you weren’t sure how to fill – reply and tell me what happened. Real situations make the best future sections.

And if you have a colleague who hesitates in English at work, you’re welcome to forward the daily Sparks their way. Free, five days a week, two minutes to read.

They can subscribe here: https://english-trainer.de/sparks/