Shadowing Practice: Draw a Blank - Learn English Speaking with Video

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16 sentences
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1
Welcome to English in a Minute, where we teach you all about idioms in American English.
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Has this ever happened to you?
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What was the name of America's first president?
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I can't believe you don't remember that.
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Come on.
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I know.
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I know.
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I've completely drawn a blank.
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Draw a blank.
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She could not remember that George Washington was America's first president because she drew a blank.
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It's another way of saying, I can't remember something.
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There's another meaning too.
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If you're looking for something but can't find it, then you draw a blank.
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In American English, you can use this phrase with friends or in business situations.
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And that's English in a Minute.
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Thank you.

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About This Lesson

You're practicing English with "Draw a Blank" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.

Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around nowyou're looking

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →