⏰ Day 23 Warm-Up — Banned Phrases

4 items · auto-graded

The 2026 rubric penalizes "recited" delivery. For each pair, pick the phrase that sounds spoken, not written.

Item 1 · Opening

Which sounds more natural to start a spoken answer?

A) "There are several reasons for this." B) "Honestly, the main thing for me is…"

"There are several reasons for this" reads as written essay language — a memorization tell.

Item 2 · Listing

Which is better in a spoken interview answer?

A) "For one thing… and on top of that…" B) "First of all… Secondly… Lastly…"

"First of all, Secondly, Lastly" is written-essay signposting — it sounds recited when spoken.

Item 3 · Closing

Which closing sounds natural?

A) "In conclusion, this is a positive impact overall." B) "So yeah — that's really why it stuck with me."

"In conclusion / Overall, this is a positive impact" is essay language. Spoken closers are lighter and personal.

Item 4 · Opinion

Which is better?

A) "I'd actually push back on that a little." B) "Personally, in my opinion, I personally think that…"

Stacking "Personally, in my opinion, I personally think" is redundant and robotic — pick one.