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Answered by Ahmet Bikman from the British Council in Beijing
Generally, it is better to not be too direct in this situation, because at least in English, a very short answer can come across as sounding rude. For example, let's look at an example of a student avoiding a topic that they don't know much about:
Examiner : Let's talk about cologne. Do you use cologne?
Candidate : No. I don't use colonge and I don't like it.
Examiner : What is your favorite cologne?
Candidate : As I said, I don't know about perfume, I don't like it and I don't want to discuss it.
In the above excerpt, it sounds too harsh when candidate says they can't talk about the topic. Additionally, the examiner is not wrong to pursue the topic; as we all know, examiners are obliged to ask the questions in the exam booklet. There is no way around this rule, so the candidate has no choice but to be what we would call 'tactful', 'delicate', or 'diplomatic' in order to avoid sounding too harsh or rude. Suggesting that the examiner move on to another topic sounds a bit bossy, and might benefit from some softeners, modifiers and other elements of language. But what can a candidate say in the above case?
Examiner : Let's talk about cologne. Do you use cologne?
Candidate : Hm, I might have - once or twice - a couple of years ago or maybe more, but I haven't really used it in the past few years or so.
Examiner : What's your favorite cologne?
Candidate : Well, I can't exactly say for sure, but I might sample some Gucci in the airport duty free shop if I am travelling.
Examiner : Would you spend a lot of money on cologne?
Candidate : I guess I'd rather spend my money on clothes, sports equipment and things like that.
Even if a candidate is not at a high enough level to use all the preceding examples in bold, ofen using one or two of these examples is an exellent pragmatic strategy to avoid sounding too curt or harsh. In the above example, 'can't exactly say for sure' basically means 'I don't know,' but exactly and 'for sure' are expressions that are deliberately vague to avoid giving an exact response. In the final line the Candidate says 'I guess.' This is noncommittal and therefore vague. It is neither a definite yes or a no. I realize all too well that the above language might be beyond a candidate's speaking ability. At best, they'll memorize it and end up breaking rule number one : don't overuse memorized sentences. However, I believe that candidates of all levels can use these strategies to some extent, even if their English level is not so high.
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