Hypothetical
Answer or raise a “what if”: set out an imagined situation, work out what would follow, then give your judgment.
What & why
Imagining a situation lets listeners rehearse it in their heads, which can make an abstract change feel concrete and bring out consequences they had not considered. Because the case is imagined, it can make an idea vivid and test it, but it cannot prove what would really happen.
Before & after
These are fictional teaching examples, not accounts of real events.
“Things could go wrong, so we shouldn’t try anything new.”
“Suppose our town closed its main street to cars on Saturdays. Cafés and people on foot would probably gain, while shops that rely on quick stops by car could lose some trade. I would back it, with loading zones open before ten, because a busier street helps most shops more than a few lost car stops hurt them.”
See it in action
An original teaching example. The situations and results are fictional.
If you could master one skill overnight, what would it be?
Suppose I woke up tomorrow fluent in British Sign Language.
I could talk properly with my neighbor, who is deaf, instead of passing notes back and forth on the doorstep. We could swap real stories, and I could ask how his week has actually been rather than just whether he needs anything from the shop. I could also help at the youth club’s signing group, which is always short of volunteers and has a waiting list of children.
That is the skill I would pick, because it would open conversations I cannot have now.
How the answer works
- Scenario
- Set out the imagined situation and what stays fixed.
- Consequences
- Work out what would plausibly follow under those conditions.
- Judgment
- Say what you would do, choose or conclude, and why it follows from those consequences.
Why it works: An impromptu wish is still reasoned: the answer sets up the change, says what it would open up, and makes a choice that follows. Not every what-if needs a drawback.
When you’ll use it
Table Topics and other impromptu questions: “If you could change one thing about your town, what would it be?”
Situational interview questions: “What would you do if a colleague took credit for your work?”
Public debate: “What if bus travel in our city were free? More people would ride, but the lost fares would have to be paid for some other way.”
Opening a talk: “Imagine stepping off the last train in a town you do not know, with a dead phone and nobody to ask.”
Reflection: “If I had taken that job in another city, I would earn more, but I would have lost the friends who make this place home.”
Contingency planning: “What if our main supplier fails? We would need a backup supplier and a few weeks of stock.”
Pro tip
Set the scene, follow it through, then say what you would do or think.
Questions & answers
What is hypothetical reasoning in speaking?
How do I use hypothetical reasoning well?
When is it most useful?
Learn more
Put it into practice
Practice Hypothetical
Work through examples, then test your understanding in a short quiz. Your progress is saved as you practice.