Have you ever been stuck in a conversation that’s gone somewhere awkward, or run out of things to say about a topic, and then watched a native speaker glide effortlessly onto something else? It’s a small magic trick — and the secret is that English has a whole toolkit of little phrases for signalling a topic shift before you actually make it.
The reason this matters is that, in English conversation, you generally don’t just jump. Switching topics with no warning can sound rude, abrupt, or even a bit odd, as if you weren’t listening. Instead, natives drop in a small linguistic signpost — anyway, by the way, speaking of which — and then move on. The other person hears the signal, mentally adjusts, and follows you smoothly to the new subject.
In this lesson we’ll look at five families of phrases for changing the subject: smooth pivots, polite redirects, stronger topic-changers, ways of returning to a previous topic, and graceful exits from awkward moments. There’s a mini quiz at the end to test yourself. Right, let’s dive in.
Smooth pivots
These are your everyday workhorses — short, friendly, and very common in spoken English. They tell the listener “I’m about to change direction, gently.”
- Anyway,… — easily the most useful one. It signals “that’s enough about that, here’s something new.” Anyway, what time are we meeting tomorrow?
- So,… — a soft, casual reset. So, did you watch the match last night?
- By the way,… — for adding something only loosely related. By the way, did I tell you Anna’s moving to Malta?
- Speaking of which,… — a brilliant one when the new topic is connected to the current one. Speaking of which, have you tried that new café on the corner?
- That reminds me,… — perfect when something the other person said triggered a memory. That reminds me, I need to call my dentist.
Notice how each one acts like a tiny signpost. The listener doesn’t have to scramble to follow you — the phrase does the work.
Polite redirects
Sometimes you don’t want to change the subject completely — you want to steer it. Maybe the conversation has drifted, and you’d like to bring it back, or pause one strand to deal with another. These phrases are your friends.
- Can I just go back to…? — soft and respectful. Can I just go back to what you said about the flights?
- Before I forget,… — useful when you’ve remembered something important and don’t want to lose the thought. Before I forget, are you free on Saturday?
- Could we come back to that later? — a polite way of parking a topic without ignoring it. That’s a good question — could we come back to that later?
- Sorry to interrupt, but… — slightly stronger; signals you know you’re cutting in. Sorry to interrupt, but I think we’re running out of time.
The thing all of these have in common is that they acknowledge the current topic before redirecting. That little courtesy is what makes them sound polite rather than pushy.
Stronger topic-changers
When you want to make it clear that the conversation is genuinely moving on — perhaps in a meeting, a more formal chat, or when the previous topic has been fully wrapped up — you reach for something a bit firmer.
- Changing the subject for a moment,… — explicit and honest. Changing the subject for a moment, has anyone heard from Tom?
- On a different note,… — common in slightly more formal settings. On a different note, how’s the new project going?
- Moving on,… — very useful in meetings or structured conversations. Moving on, let’s talk about next month’s plans.
- On another topic,… — clean and clear. On another topic, did you decide about the holiday?
- Right, different question:… — informal, brisk, very natural in spoken English. Right, different question — what are we doing for lunch?
These phrases are louder signposts than the smooth pivots. Use them when the previous topic genuinely is finished, or when you need to reset the direction of a longer conversation.
Returning to the previous topic
Conversations in English wander. Someone interrupts, a phone rings, a tangent takes over — and then you want to come back to what you were originally talking about. Here are the phrases that do that elegantly.
- As I was saying,… — the classic. As I was saying, the flights from Manchester are much cheaper in May.
- Going back to what you said about… — respectful and clear. Going back to what you said about the school, do they offer junior courses too?
- Where were we? — light, often slightly humorous. Right, where were we? Oh yes, the holiday plans.
- To get back to…, — neat and a bit more formal. To get back to the original question, what’s the budget?
- Anyway, as I was saying,… — combines a pivot with a return; very common. Anyway, as I was saying, we’ll need to book by Friday.
These are particularly handy in long conversations or in meetings, where keeping track of the main thread can be tricky.
Ending an awkward topic gracefully
Sometimes the topic is the problem. Maybe it’s gone somewhere uncomfortable, someone’s overshared, or you’ve simply had enough of complaining about the weather. English has lovely little release-valves for these moments.
- Anyway,… — yes, it’s back. With a slight pause and a change of tone, Anyway… on its own is the universal British signal for “let’s leave that there.”
- Right… — a brisk, throwaway reset. Right… shall we order dessert?
- OK, well,… — gentle and a bit hesitant; useful when the previous topic was sensitive. OK, well, let’s not worry about that now.
- Let’s not dwell on that. — a kind way of closing a sad or heavy topic. Let’s not dwell on that — tell me about your trip instead.
- Anyway, on a brighter note,… — perfect for steering away from something negative. Anyway, on a brighter note, the weather’s lovely tomorrow.
The trick with all of these is tone. Said warmly, they sound caring; said sharply, they can sound dismissive. Listen to how natives use them in films and podcasts — the music of the phrase matters as much as the words.
Common mistakes to watch out for
Even confident learners trip up here, because changing the subject is as much about cultural habit as it is about vocabulary. Here are the three biggest traps.
1. Translating directly from your language. Many languages have their own filler phrases for topic shifts, and learners sometimes translate them word-for-word into English. The result often sounds odd or overly formal. For change the topic… isn’t a thing in English — it’s changing the subject… or on a different note…. Learn the English phrases as fixed chunks, not as translations.
2. Over-using “anyway”. Anyway is fantastic, but if you use it three times in five minutes, it starts to sound like a verbal tic, or worse, like you’re constantly bored. Mix it up with by the way, speaking of which, on another topic, and the rest. Variety is the difference between sounding fluent and sounding fluent and natural.
3. Switching topics with no signal at all. This is the big one. In some languages, jumping straight to a new topic is fine. In English, it can come across as rude, distracted, or as if you weren’t listening. Even a simple So,… or Anyway,… at the start makes a huge difference. Signal first, then switch.
Mini quiz — 10 questions
Right, time to test yourself. For each situation, choose the best phrase from the options. Some are smooth pivots, some are polite redirects, some are stronger changers — read the situation carefully.
- You’ve been chatting about the weather for ages. You suddenly remember to ask about your friend’s holiday: (Moving on / That reminds me / Let’s not dwell on that), how was Spain?
- In a meeting, the team has finished discussing budgets and you want to introduce the next agenda item: (By the way / Moving on / Where were we), let’s talk about marketing.
- Your colleague mentioned flights, and you suddenly remember a deal you saw: (Speaking of which / Sorry to interrupt / OK, well), I saw a great offer to Malta yesterday.
- The conversation has drifted, and you want to return to an earlier point about prices: (Anyway / Going back to what you said about / On another topic) the prices, how much was the course?
- Someone has just shared sad news and you want to gently move on: (Right, different question / Let’s not dwell on that / By the way) — tell me about your weekend.
- You want to add a small, only loosely related point to the chat: (Changing the subject for a moment / By the way / As I was saying), did you get my email?
- You’ve remembered something important you must mention before you forget: (Before I forget / Speaking of which / Where were we), can you send me the address?
- A long tangent has finished and you want to pick up the original thread: (On a different note / As I was saying / Moving on), the flights leave at six.
- You’d like to park a question politely and come back to it later: (Could we come back to that later / Anyway / On another topic)?
- Casual chat, you want to introduce a completely new question: (As I was saying / Right, different question / Going back to what you said about) — what are we doing this weekend?
Answers
How did you get on?
- That reminds me
- Moving on
- Speaking of which
- Going back to what you said about
- Let’s not dwell on that
- By the way
- Before I forget
- As I was saying
- Could we come back to that later
- Right, different question
If you scored seven or more, you’ve got a strong feel for how English speakers signal topic shifts. If you scored fewer, don’t worry — these phrases stick fast once you start hearing them in real conversations. The fastest way to internalise them is to practise with real people in real chats, with a teacher correcting your tone and timing in the moment. Get a quick quotation for an English course in Malta and you could be using these phrases naturally over coffee on a sunny rooftop in a few weeks’ time.
Ready to learn English in Malta?
Two weeks of focused lessons, real conversations with classmates from around the world, and an afternoon swim on our rooftop. Get a free, no-obligation quote — see exactly what your course would cost, zero hidden fees.