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In IELTS Speaking Part 2, candidates receive a cue card from the examiner and are asked to talk about the topic for 1-2 minutes. There are a huge number of topics and questions, and they are constantly changing. You never know what questions you will have to answer. This is one of the most popular reasons test-takers mention when saying why this part of the speaking test is so difficult.
There is good news too. The cue cards can be used as prompts. There are several types of cue cards you can get on the day of the exam, and each of them needs different functions of the language.
Most often candidates have to speculate about the following:
In this blog post, we will look at each of them and decide what language candidates might need to complete the task.
READ ABOUT: How to organize your response in IELTS Speaking Part 2?
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Candidates receive such a task quite often. Here are some examples:
As you plan your speech, decide what tenses you are going to use. Candidates often make a mistake, and start using present tenses instead of past in this type of questions. Make sure you use narrative tenses: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect where necessary.
Another thing you have to remember is to provide context for your story. To make it logical, provide additional information. The examiner, like any other person who sees you for the first time in life, doesn’t know anything about you. Imagine, you are telling this story to your new acquaintance or a friend. This will help you to relax and give more interesting details.
It is recommended that you cover the items in your cue card, but the examiner will pay more attention to your language rather than bullet points in the card. There is no such criterion as Task Achievement in IELTS Speaking, i.e. your vocabulary, grammar, intonation, examples you provide showcase your English ability.
This type of question might look very easy, but it is tricky as well. Take a look at the examples:
Habits are things that we usually do. Unlike past events or future intentions, there are not so many structures we can use to describe them. Usually, candidates are supposed to talk in Present Simple, but as it often happens, some use Present Progressive. Make sure you use the proper tense.
It’s also a good idea to talk about the time when you started your habit at the beginning.
To extend your ideas, provide examples and details: where, when, how, and with whom you usually do the things. If you run out of ideas, it’s always good to talk about 2 or 3 habits you have and speculate about each of them.
READ ABOUT: 6 best ways of getting vocabulary for IELTS
The first thing you might think of when you receive such a task is what adjectives to use. However, it’s not enough to itemize all possible adjectives, but your list is going to be quite long to speak for 120 seconds. Here are some sample tasks:
The main tip for answering this question is not only using a wide range of adjectives but also supporting your ideas with good examples. This means, provide examples from your own life or the life of the person you are talking about every time you use an adjective. For example, you could say ‘My best friend is very shy’. However, saying ‘My best friend is very shy. I remember once we went to a party, and there was a girl he liked a lot. However, he was only sitting and watching us having fun, and never asked her to dance with him that evening’ will take more time.
Many test-takers find this question particularly hard. The main problem is that they lack the vocabulary for describing different kinds of things such as:
There are at list two-three things you can do to solve the problem:
This task is very similar to the previous one in terms of using a wide range of vocabulary. It might also require you to speculate about some aspects of the past or future. Let’s have a look at examples:
You can easily cope with this task if you learn vocabulary for describing such places as towns/ cities/ buildings before you start your exam preparation.
READ ABOUT: IELTS language for describing maps
This task is hard but interesting at the same time. That’s because you often have to talk about the culture of your country or things you’ve done or experiences you’ve had. For example:
If you are to talk about things from your own culture, the main problem that you may face is not knowing the English language equivalents for the names of some items. If this happens to you, say the name in your own language, and give a definition in English so that the examiner can understand what you are talking about.
Remember, this task tests your ability to use English vocabulary and grammar in different contexts. The best thing you can do is to master them before you start your IELTS preparation journey and practise a lot.
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If you are preparing for IELTS Speaking, you might have heard that vocabulary range is an important criterion that can influence your IELTS score. The examiner will look at what vocabulary you use and how you do it, i.e. your accuracy matters as well. You can demonstrate the width of your vocabulary by using synonyms, set expressions, idioms, phrasal verbs, etc.
Using phrasal verbs where appropriate makes you sound more fluent. That is because most of the time native speakers of English use these short multiple-word verbs in their sentences. Phrasal verbs will make your speech more lively and natural, as a result, you will be able to increase your score in the Speaking section of the exam.
It’s also good to use phrasal verbs in your speaking because a lot of them are idiomatic, i.e. their meaning is not the same as the individual words, which is also good for improving your score.
We have collected a list of advanced phrasal verbs that will help you dwell on various topics, and we have also provided you with their definitions and examples.
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| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
| cut down on sth | reduce | I had to cut down on sugar and coffee to lose some weight. |
| bank on sth/sb | to expect and hope something will happen | I’d banked on getting a pay rise this year.
I could always bank on my father’s support. |
| brush up on sth | to improve a skill you haven’t practice for some time | I thought I’d brush up on my French before going to Paris. |
| bring sb down | make sb upset | I am not fond of listening to heavy metal because it brings me down. |
| check in | arrive at the hotel or airport and register | We checked in online, so we didn’t need to waste time on queuing. |
| check out | leave a hotel | We checked out the next morning right after breakfast. |
| cheer up / cheer sb up | become / make sb happier | I love listening to pop music because it always cheers me up. |
| clean up / tidy up | restore order, make sth clean | I tidy up my room every Saturday. My mom was always tired of asking me to clean up my room. |
| come down with sth | become sick | When I was 6 I came down with chickenpox. |
| dress up | put on special clothes / put on formal clothes | He dressed up as a cowboy for the party.
You don’t need to dress up to go to the mall – jeans and a T-shirt are fine. |
| drop out | to quit school, a class / stop doing something before you have completely finished | He dropped out of school when he was sixteen. |
| end up | to finally be in a particular place or situation | After walking my way round the world, I ended up teaching English as a foreign language. |
| fall apart | to fail or stop working | Their marriage fell apart after she found out about his affair. |
| get across | communicate sth, make understandable | The novel is good at getting the experience of war across to the reader. |
| get around to sth | to do something you have intended to do, but not had time | I’d love to learn how to cook, but I just haven’t got around to it yet. |
| get along / get on with sb | to have a good relationship / to deal successfully with the situation | I don’t get on well with my father.
I think I’m getting along well with my new job. |
| give up | quit a habit/ stop doing something | I started learning English 2 years ago and I‘m not intended to give up. |
| grow apart | gradually begin having a less close relationship / stop being friends over time | There was nobody else involved – we just grew apart when my friend changed school. |
| hang out | spend a lot of time together | We enjoyed hanging out with each other when we were kids. |
| keep sth from sb | to not tell someone about something | He says it’s alright, but I think he’s keeping something from me. |
| look down on sb | to think that you are better than someone | She thinks they look down on her because she’s unemployed. |
| look up to sb | to admire and respect someone | I’ve always looked up to my grandfather. |
| mull sth over | think carefully about something for a long time | I need a few days to mull things over before I decide. |
| pan out | to develop in a particular way or in a successful way | His attempt to start a new business didn’t pan out. |
| pass up sth | to fail to take advantage of an opportunity | My friend is never one to pass up a free meal. |
| put sb down | insult/ make a negative statement about someone | The teacher put the new student down in front of everybody because he couldn’t answer his question. |
| run up against sb/sth | to experience an unexpected difficulty/to meet someone who is difficult to deal with | He’s the slickest talker I’ve ever run up against.
I think we’re going to run up against more crime in the future. |
| run out | have none left | His patience was starting to run out.
They squatted in an old house when their money ran out. |
| set sth up | arrange, organize the activity | We only had a couple of hours to set up before the exhibition opened. |
| show off | to behave in a way that is intended to attract attention or admiration, and that other people often find annoying | She only bought that sport car to show off and prove she could afford one |
| stumble upon/across/on sth/sb | to find/ meet someone or something by chance/ to discover | Workmen stumbled upon the mosaic while digging foundations for a new building. |
| take after | to be similar to an older member of your family in appearance or character | I take after my mother’s side of the family. |
| think back | to remember something that happened in the past | When I think back to when I was her age, my parents used to treat me differently. |
| wear off | to stop having an effect or influence / disappear | The vaccine wears off after ten years.
I was looking forward to a splash of colour that didn’t wear off. |
| while sth away | to spend time in a relaxed way | We whiled away the afternoon playing cards in front of the fire. |
Remember it’s not recommended to use phrasal verbs in IELTS Academic Writing. We recommend that you replace them with single verb equivalents.
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How important is pronunciation in IELTS? Can I get a high score if I have a strong accent? Which accent is good for IELTS? These and many other questions often worry IELTS test-takers. Today, we will explore this marking criterion and, hopefully, find the answers to all your questions regarding pronunciation.
We have already written about IELTS Speaking marking criteria such as fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range, and accuracy which make up 75% of the score. However, many candidates do not often pay attention to the last but equally important item – pronunciation, which makes ¼ of the score. In this short guide, you are going to familiarize yourself with pronunciation features and learn some tips for practicing pronunciation at home.
There are different pronunciation features the examiner will pay attention to while you will be speaking on the day of the exam such as individual sounds, strong and weak forms of words, pronunciation of words, word and sentence stress, intonation, linking, connected speech.
Another thing the examiner focuses on is how clear your pronunciation is, i.e. how well they can understand what you say.
Let’s have a closer look at IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors. What you have to do to get a band higher than 6 is:
Is there anything about accents? Yes, there is, “ L1 accent has minimal effect on intelligibility ”, which means that you can speak with any accent and still get a high score unless your accent creates difficulties for understanding.
Is there any particular accent that is perfect for IELTS? No, there isn’t. Your accent does not have to be British or American or any other accent of English, but for a score higher than 7, your mother tongue does not have to affect clarity.
Here are the outlines of the Pronunciation Band Scores as mentioned by the official IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors:
| Band | Description |
| 6 | The candidate uses a range of pronunciation features with mixed control during the test. There might be a mispronunciation of individual words or sounds that reduces clarity at times but generally, the meaning of what is being said is clear. |
| 7 | The candidate shows all the positive features of Band 6 and some, but not all, of the positive features of Band 8. |
| 8 | The candidate uses a wide range of pronunciation features and sustains their flexible use with only occasional lapses. It is easy to understand and the L1 accent does not affect clarity. |
| 9 | The candidate uses a full range of pronunciation features with precision and subtlety. The candidate is effortless to understand. |
You have to be able to use different features of pronunciation to succeed in IELTS Speaking. We will explore the main features below.
Use the pronunciation chart which contains vowel and consonant sounds of English. They are arranged according to how you shape your mouth (left to right, lips wide / round – top to bottom, jaw closed / open).
Each word in English is made up of these sounds. Learning how to pronounce individual sounds correctly is important because this will help you identify the sounds which are difficult for you to pronounce or you have problems with. You can start with using the pronunciation app to help you. Pay attention to similar sounds (/p/ and /b/, /r/ and /l/, /t/ and /d/, etc.), consonant clusters (sht, cht, etc.), long and short vowels ( book, look, boot, food etc.), silent letters (knight, comb, lamb, etc.)
It is critical to stress the right syllables in words, Otherwise, the person listening to you might feel confused. Each word has a certain number of syllables. One or two of them have to be pronounced more strongly than others. For example, cerTIficate, sucCESS, eXAM, etc. Be careful with words that have the same root. Very often the word stress changes together with the part of speech. For example, as in: PHOtograph (n), phoTOgrapher (n), photoGRAphic (adj.), ADdict (n), adDICtion (n), Attribute (n), aTTRIbute (v), etc. Very often the word stress in verbs in on the second syllable if there is a choice which syllable to stress.
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Like there are more emphasized syllables in words, there are words in sentences that carry most of the stress, thus the most meaning. But which words to stress? English is a stress-timed language, which means that the stress occurs in sentences at regular intervals, some of the words are emphasized while others are pronounced quicker and more silently. They are content and function words. Content words are important because they carry meaning: nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs. Function words are there for grammar purposes and do not carry any meaning: pronouns, prepositions, articles. Have a look at this sentence, and try to guess which words are going to be stressed:
All the underlined words are content words. Try to emphasize them, and you will see there is a certain rhythm in the sentence.
Which words are you going to stress the most? Those will be sentence stresses. If you stress another word, the meaning of the sentence might change. Try reading the following sentences and stress the words in capital letters. What have you noticed?
It’s a good idea to record yourself. This will eliminate the pressure you may feel at being asked to speak spontaneously and will enable you to give your best version of your speech.
READ ABOUT: IELTS language for describing maps
When the words in sentences are not stressed they become weak, and their sounds also change. For example, vowels turn into schwa, the last consonants are not pronounced at all, etc:
The problem is that students learning English use the strong form most of the time. That is why they often sound very unnatural. English speakers always use weak forms, every single sentence is full of them, and students find it difficult to understand because they are not used to them, and very often they don’t even know they exist. But now you know how to pronounce them correctly.
If you think it’s difficult to understand native speakers, that is because they link words. Very often the last sounds and the first sounds of some words change: consonants link to vowels, vowels link to vowels, sometimes sound double up, etc. This is done to make the language easier to say, and faster, for example:
When our voice rises and falls when we speak – this is intonation. In English, there are three main patterns of intonation:
How many books have you ↘bought?
Dad wants to change his ↘car.
Show me what you’ve ↘written.
He thinks he’s so clever, doesn’t ↘he?
What an interesting ↘ film!
Do you like this new ➚movie?
I ↘ don’t support any football team at the ↘mo↗ment. (but I may change my mind in the future).
Would you like another co↘ff↗ee?
The best way to improve your pronunciation is to listen and copy. You have to speak, read aloud, record yourself, and practice, practice, practice.
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The IELTS Speaking section is divided into 3 parts. Most candidates find Part 2 to be the most challenging because in this part you have to give a long turn on the suggested topic. Students often lack words, do not know what to talk about, and fail the second part of the test because they do not know how to organise their responses. This part of the speaking test also seems to be quite difficult because of the unexpected questions the examiner might ask. We have already shared some useful tips on how to deal with unexpected questions in the IELTS Speaking test, so today we are going to talk about how to organise your response to get the desired score. What do you have to do to do well in this section and what things you shouldn’t do? Let’s find out.
In this section, you will be handed a card with the speaking task and you will have 1 minute to prepare. Then you will have to speak on the suggested topic for 2 minutes.
Sounds easy and quite short. However, when it comes to the exam, a lot of candidates start worrying and forget about organising their answers. They start thinking about how to impress the examiner or what the examiner might think of them, or how to speak fast and leave the room as quickly as possible. When you are in the exam room, three minutes last forever. What you have to do is to think about the prompts, organize your ideas, and take a few notes, which you are allowed to refer to when you speak.
In this part of the exam, the examiner will not ask you any questions. The main question you have to answer while preparing for the speaking is “What am I going to say?”, so make sure you read all the prompts carefully and have answers for all parts of the question.
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For this part of the speaking test, you will also be given a pencil and a sheet of paper. Take your time and write down your ideas before you start speaking. The main thing you have to do here is to organise your thoughts.
Let us have a look at a sample task for IELTS Speaking Part 2.
What do you think you have to speak about here? Read the task and find the key words. They are ‘a goal’ and ‘achieved’, which means you have to talk about something you wanted to do in the past and you have already done. If you cannot remember anything about yourself, use ideas and stories about other people, e.g. your friends, family, film characters. It’s OK to give your friend’s opinions, or opinions of actors or politicians as your own.
Then read the rest of the prompts you have on the card and see what other things you have to talk about. In this sample task, you will all have to say :
And there is one more part which is also very important ‘explain why achieving this goal was important’. So, what you have to do is quickly analyse the question to make sure you will cover all parts of the task in your response.
The next step is taking notes. You are given a pencil and paper, and you have 1 minute to take notes – do it! A lot of candidates do not want or think it’s unnecessary to take notes because it’s a waste of time. However, when they start speaking they forget their key points, go off topic, and they do not stay organised. This, of course, influences their fluency and coherence. Their ideas become disorganised and are not logically linked together. They start making long pauses, searching for words. The examiner struggles to follow their thoughts. Finally, they lose their points. So, your notes are very important because they keep you on topic and they keep you organised.
How and what should you write? This is an evident question because you have only one minute to prepare your answer. Of course, this time is not enough for writing full sentences. That’s why write only keywords that will help you remember what you want to say.
Cover every point – it’s crucial and life-saving in terms of the IELTS Speaking exam. You have to talk about all the points from the card, otherwise you will not complete the task, and your score will drop.
Let’s see, for example, what your notes for the task above might look like:
| Task | Notes |
| Describe a goal you had and achieved. You should say: |
|
| what your goal was |
|
| what you did to achieve it |
|
| what was the hardest part |
|
| explain why achieving this goal was important |
|
As you have only 1 minute, this will be enough. In these sample notes, we have covered 4 points. Remember the number of points you have to talk about, and while speaking point to each, for example, with your finger or a pencil. This will help you remember what you’ve said and keep you on track.
READ ABOUT: Useful strategies for IELTS Speaking on the day of the exam
Another good tip is to keep balance, so you can divide your talking time into 4 parts, and that will take approximately 30 seconds for covering each point. What you have to do here is to expand your answer. Your notes are really helpful but they are too short. You have to give more information about each point. Make it longer by giving details, examples, using your senses, as these questions are often about describing – it’s a good idea to describe! Imagine things in your mind, think of your senses and say, for example, what it looked like, what it smelled like, what it sounded like, what you were feeling, etc.
For example:
| Your notes | Your answer |
|
Talking about what I did to achieve my goal, I must first of all say that Bali is a perfect place to try this kind of activity, and at first it seems like you don’t have to do anything, just go diving, that’s it. There is an abundance of fish and other marine species there. And the visibility underwater ranges from 20 to 50 meters, which is very far. Granted some currents around the islands can be pretty strong and pull you really, really hard, but with the professional coach and proper training, everything becomes possible and that’s what I did first. I signed up for a short beginner course which included full chapters about dive theory and 10 hours of skilled practice in confined water, that’s diving in a pool. I know some would say that it’s ridiculous to go through such rigorous training, but if I hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy my diving experience as much as I actually did. |
Organising your speech is a must. Common mistake that many candidates commit on the day of the exam is talking a lot without any organisation. When planning a speech, think about having an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. It might seem like you are writing an essay, but in fact you are saying it: first, you introduce the topic, then address all the points from the prompt card, and finally, make a conclusion. To do this, use introductory phrases and transitions. Here’s what it might look like:
1 I’m going to tell you about an achievement that I am very proud of right now. It’s pretty recent so I can still distinctly remember lots of details and my own impressions related to it. It happened just a couple of months ago when my boyfriend and I went to Bali on holiday and it was my long cherished and also long delayed dream to try scuba diving.
2 Talking about what I did to achieve my goal, I must first of all say that …
3 It sounds funny, but the most unpleasant and difficult part for me was ….
4 Now you may wonder why I call this a goal and an achievement. The thing is that I’m scared of water and mesmerized by its beauty at the same time. And overcoming my fear was a challenge for me.
Anyway, we did it and it was just miraculous, absolutely overwhelming…
Finally, talk loudly and at a normal pace. Don’t rush. Speaking very fast doesn’t give you any extra points. Use your normal pace, or even slow down a bit. This helps organise thoughts and develop ideas. Try to use the same pace during the whole test, as if it is natural for you. Mind your intonation and speak clearly. When it comes to pronunciation, some candidates worry about their regional accent. But your accent may only be a problem if the examiner can’t understand what you say. So, focus on speaking clearly, and use intonation to get your ideas across.
If you would like to listen to the full sample answer for this task, learn more strategies for the Speaking and other sections of the IELTS Academic, do a lot of practice with instant feedback from IELTS tutors and experts, join our online IELTS preparation course.
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You’ve been preparing for the IELTS Academic exam for months, you’ve spent so many sleepless nights, you’ve done so many practice tests, you’ve written so many essays, you’ve even done the mock test, and then there is the day of the exam. You get to the venue on time, walk into the hall, check-in, and you feel nervous. Moreover, some candidates start thinking they don’t know anything and are worse than others. What happens next? You lose your confidence, start making mistakes, or even worse – you lose your tongue.
If you don’t want this nightmare to come true, follow our advice on exam day, and you will not only overcome your fear but score higher in IELTS Speaking.
If you did not catch the question because the examiner was speaking too fast or you were too nervous, ask the examiner to repeat it for you.
Make sure you understand the keywords on the prompt and know what or who you have to talk about.
Think about 2-3 ideas for each prompt and make sure you write them down. Don’t write in full sentences. Use keywords, shortenings, phrases, abbreviations, symbols, etc.
It’s a good idea to visualize what or who you are going to talk about in Part 2: your friend, your family member, a famous person, etc. Try to remember that event or the object you are talking about.
Apart from the ideas, you also have to think about what grammar to use. Some grammar structures are appropriate for describing the present, some for the past, some for the future, etc.
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The normal length for Part 1, for example, should be 3-4 sentences. This means that you just have to answer the question. You can use the following order:
For example, the examiner asks you ‘Do you have many friends?’
| Opening | To be honest, family comes first. |
| Answer | However, I have more than 10 friends and I am not sure if I should say this is many! |
| Reason or example | I had more than 30 friends in my school days. As time went by, the number reduced. |
| Closing | If I count my Facebook friends as real friends, the number is quite big! |
The key to this is organization. You should deliver some ideas and develop them. It is much easier to stay on topic in Part 2, because there you have a cue card with prompts, and they provide a structure for your response.
This means you have to avoid saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The assessment starts straight away from Speaking Part 1, so your full answers count.
For example, if the question is “Do you watch cookery programs on TV?”, saying ‘no’ is not enough, because you won’t demonstrate the range of vocabulary you have and whether you can use various grammar structures or not. Answering with one word is likely to reduce your score.
It is a good idea to answer those questions by explaining why or why not. Make it your habit during your IELTS preparation, and you will easily tackle yes/no questions. And remember to structure your response.
READ ABOUT: What will the examiner be listening for at the IELTS Speaking test?
“Parroting” is repeating the exact words from the question. You have to demonstrate you are fluent, but parroting does not sound natural. For example:
Examiner: What’s your favourite book?
Candidate: Well, my favourite book is…
Instead of this, you could use “My number one is …”, “I believe it’s…”, etc. this means you have to paraphrase the question.
If you don’t want to miss anything, follow the order of the prompts you have on the cue card.
They will help the examiner follow your thoughts without effort while you are speaking. It is called coherence. In order to make your answer more coherent, you should use different discourse markers and linking words. They are usually simple and less formal and help you sound more natural. Here is a list of over 80 linking words for IELTS Speaking with examples.
Sometimes, you might get an unexpected question. Don’t worry and use your language to buy you thinking time. Answering unexpected questions in the IELTS Speaking test is easy if you know how to do it. Most topics at the exam are general in nature; they are everyday familiar topics that everyone has some experience with and should be able to give an opinion on.
It is always a good idea to answer more than you were asked, i.e. to extend your answer. You can do this by:
If you have answered and you realise the time is left, give more details. This strategy will help you.
For example, if the question is “Do you like listening to music?”, you could say:
“Oh yes, I enjoy it because it makes me feel like…/ it makes me forget about everyday problems”
“Yes, I really love rock music. I always listen to Radio Rocks when I am driving my car or working, for example.”
“No, but when I was in my teens I used to listen to music a lot. I even played in a school band. I was a bass guitarist. Now I don’t have much time for that.”
“Well, I do, but I don’t have much time for that. If I had more time, I would listen to music more, and, probably, would go to gigs or concerts. I love the atmosphere.”
In Part 3, make sure your answers are related to other people, not you or your personal experience. Here it is a good idea to look at different aspects, thus exploring the topic. You can do this by:
For example, let’s answer the following question “What is the effect of everyone having their own cars?”. You could say:
“Well, it has both positive and negative effects. In the case of positive effects, they are as follows…. In the case of negative effects,….”
“ In the short term, …. However, in the long term,…”
“It depends. In the case of …., but in the case of…”
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The IELTS Speaking section is the same for all candidates regardless of the module they choose to take: general or academic. It consists of three parts and is assessed according to the four criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. As you answer the questions, you also have to organise your ideas logically and link them in a proper way. The examiner must follow your thoughts without effort while you are speaking. It is called coherence. In order to make your answer more coherent, you should use different discourse markers and linking words.
The linking words and phrases for speaking are different from those we use in writing. They are usually simple and less formal and help you sound more natural. So, the main tip here is not to try to impress the examiner with them. Now, let’s look at their functions and meaning.
and
I’m afraid those days are gone and they’ll never come again.
also
She’s a photographer and also writes books.
as well as
We have a responsibility to our community as well as to our families.
another reason/example
There was another reason why he loved this spot.
indeed
I am happy, indeed proud, to be associated with this project.
in addition
In addition to his apartment in Manhattan, he has a villa in Italy and a castle in Scotland.
likewise
Just water these plants twice a week, and likewise the ones in the bedroom.
moreover
He enjoys selling and, moreover, is good at it.
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yet
Melissa was not doing well in her physics course, yet overall she had a B average.
but
She’s very hard-working but not very imaginative.
or
There were ten or twelve people in the room.
otherwise
They had to leave early, otherwise, the children would have been up too late.
rather
The ending of the war is not a cause for celebration, but rather for regret that it ever happened.
still
Even though she doesn’t really have the time, she still offered to help.
although / even though
She walked home by herself, although she knew that it was dangerous.
despite
I still enjoyed the week despite the weather.
on the one hand…on the other hand
On the one hand, I’d like a job that pays more, but on the other hand, I enjoy the work I’m doing now.
comparatively
Comparatively speaking, this machine is easy to use.
however
This is one possible solution to the problem. However, there are others.
for example / for instance
Offices can easily become more environmentally-friendly by, for example, using recycled paper.
such as
That money is to cover costs such as travel and accommodation.
like
She looks best in bright, vibrant colours, like red and pink.
chiefly / mainly
The island chiefly attracts upmarket tourists.
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as a rule
As a (general) rule, I don’t read detective novels.
as usual
As usual, she was wearing jeans.
generally speaking
Generally speaking, people like her as a leader.
no doubt
He will no doubt tell you all about his vacation.
of course
We arrived at the restaurant 30 minutes late so, of course, our reservation had been cancelled.
especially
Parents of young children often become depressed, and this is especially true of single parents.
indeed
We live in strange times indeed.
so that
I opened the door so that she could come in.
for this reason
It is partly for this reason that he is refusing to rush any recruitment moves.
that’s why
You didn’t study well. That’s why you didn’t pass the exam
because
The journey was quite quick because the road was clear.
first/ second /for a start
We’ll take names and phone numbers for a start, then, later on, we can get more details.
at first
At first, I thought he was joking but then I realized he meant it.
after that
Like nothing I ever did after that was of any significance.
following sth
Following the dinner, there will be a dance.
then
Give her the letter to read, then she’ll understand.
next
What happened next?
finally
We finally got home at midnight.
at long last
At long last, the government is starting to listen to our problems.
meanwhile
Carl’s starting college in September. Meanwhile, he’s travelling around Europe.
when
I was just getting into the shower when the phone rang.
while
While I was in Italy I went to see Alessandro.
as soon as
We’ll come as soon as we can.
at the same time
No one likes conflict, but at the same time, we have to deal with this problem.
now / right now /at the moment
She used to be a teacher, but now she works in publishing.
years ago
What we saw 16 years ago was horrible.
before
It was an hour before the police arrived.
when I was…
I wanted to go to school when I was younger, but my mother was told that children like me couldn’t go to school.
in the past
You must have had similar situations in the past.
during
They work during the night and sleep by day.
as yet
No ambulances had as yet managed to get across the river.
Actually, I have to say…
I must admit…
I must admit, I admire your courage… staying with Ezra while his life turns upside down.
I think…/ I guess…/ I suppose…/ I believe…
What I want to say is… / What I mean is…/What I was saying is…
As far as I am concerned
As far as I am concerned, the problem is not a simple one.
In my opinion
Games are also more interesting in my opinion.
To tell you the truth
To tell the truth, I couldn’t hear a word he said.
To be honest
To be honest, I don’t think it will be possible.
If you ask me
If you ask me, people should go on a training course before they become parents.
frankly
Quite frankly, I think this whole situation is ridiculous.
READ ABOUT: How to avoid repetition at the IELTS Speaking test
apparently
Apparently, he’s had enough of England and is going back to Australia.
perhaps
“I never remember people’s birthdays.” “Well, perhaps you should.”
sort of /kind of
I was sort of hoping to leave early today.
arguably
She was, arguably, the best female basketball player of all time
maybe
Maybe you were right after all.
probably
I’m probably going – it depends on the weather.
surely
Surely they could have done better than that (= I believe they could have done better).
just
I just wanted to ask you if you’re free this afternoon.
So
So we leave on Thursday and get back the next Tuesday, is that right?
After all
I do like her – after all, she is my sister.
In any case
You should be able to catch a bus, but in any case, you can always take a taxi home.
In short
He’s disorganized, inefficient, never there when you want him – in short, the man’s a pain.
In other words
He was economical with the truth – in other words, he lied.
Anyway
Anyway, in the end, we just agreed to stop seeing each other.
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Many students and candidates consider the IELTS Speaking section to be the most difficult and the most stressful part of the exam. Others think it is quite simple because it bears resemblance to a conversation with a teacher. Both views have a right to exist. Knowing the format of the IELTS Speaking test, the assessment criteria, and what the examiner is listening for while you are speaking will definitely help to avoid mistakes, reduce stress, and achieve the highest possible score. So, how can you make your response sound ‘more pleasant’ for the examiner’s ears? Let’s find out.
As you may know, the examiner will be attentively listening to everything you will be saying, and rating your response on a scale from 1 to 9 on the following criteria:
| IELTS Speaking criteria | What they mean |
| Fluency and Coherence |
|
| Lexical resource |
|
| Grammatical range and accuracy |
|
| Pronunciation |
|
Does this mean that all the parts of the Speaking section are equally important? Yes, it does. These four aspects influence your score in all 3 parts of the test.
READ ABOUT: Which part of IELTS Speaking is most important?
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IELTS criteria are your guide to what should and shouldn’t be done after you enter the Speaking Exam room and the examiner greets you. Remember these tips and you will achieve excellent results.
READ ABOUT: How to deal with unexpected questions in the IELTS Speaking test
According to the first aspect, which is ‘Fluency and Coherence’, the examiner will be listening to whether you are able to speak independently and naturally for some period of time, usually a minute or two. This means that you should not hesitate or speak too fast or too slowly. If you do not search for words, speak at your natural pace, add relevant information to the topic, use a variety of linking words and phrases or fillers, you are likely to get a good mark for fluency.
Remember, even if you didn’t do well in one part of the test, the examiner assesses your overall performance. Keep going, and you might do well in the following part.
The next aspect, ‘Lexical resource’, allows the examiner to evaluate how wide your range of vocabulary is. What is more, the examiner will be listening if you can use those words properly. What does this mean? You should pay attention to the correct forms of the words. Sometimes candidates might use nouns instead of verbs, or adjectives instead of adverbs, past tenses instead of the present, singular nouns instead of plural, etc. In addition, you should use proper word combinations as natives do. They are called collocations. If you have doubts, pay special attention to them during your IELTS preparation.
What might help you demonstrate your range of vocabulary to the examiner? First of all, using the words you are 100% sure about. Often candidates make things more complicated for themselves by trying to impress the examiner with some extraordinary vocabulary without knowing how to use it. In most cases, this will only help you to reduce your score. Using familiar vocabulary will bring you more scores if you do it properly.
Secondly, try to add more detail to your response. This will help you showcase more vocabulary.
Thirdly, try to speak about your own or the experiences of people you know well. This will help you reduce stress and reveal a wider range of vocabulary.
To achieve a high score for ‘Grammatical range and accuracy ’, you should use different tenses and longer sentences. However, this does not mean you have to show off your grammar. If you try to speak in deliberately long sentences all the time, you will sound unnatural. The examiner will listen to the variety of structures you use and if you can do it properly. The main tip here is to use only appropriate tenses you are confident about. For example, if you use the structures you don’t usually use, you are likely to make a wrong step. This might influence your band score. On top of that, you’d better concentrate on answering the questions the examiner asks you rather than on the grammar you are using. Candidates who get band 6+ make some mistakes but they can be understood.
‘Pronunciation’ matters in this section of the exam as well. However, pronunciation is not the synonym of accent. In fact, this is how you link sounds, words, if you speak with the proper intonation, and if you are able to speak clearly. Remember, you have to answer the examiner’s questions at your natural pace. If you speak too fast, you are likely to make more mistakes and mispronounce some words. Even if you have an accent, which is just a part of your identity, but it does not interfere with comprehension, the examiner is likely to give you a good score. On the other hand, if you pronounce the words in a way when the examiner cannot understand what you are saying, this can reduce your score. Record yourself speaking and see what mistakes you are making.
The Speaking section of IELTS is challenging, but now you know what is required from you. What is left is practice. Join our online IELTS Academic preparation course to practice, do a mock test and get instant feedback from IELTS experts.
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Have you ever imagined the situation when you are in the middle of the IELTS Speaking exam, the examiner asks you a question, and your mind goes blank because you have no idea how to answer it? Another fear most candidates have is to forget the word. Once it was there, on the tip of your tongue, but you lost it. What should you do to answer the question if you do not know much about the topic? Read and find out.
Many students and candidates worry that the examiner will ask them questions about topics they have never thought about before. Instead of panicking, let us learn more about the topics of the IELTS Speaking test.
Most topics are general in nature; they are everyday familiar topics that everyone has some experience with and should be able to give an opinion on. For example, in Part 1 the examiner can ask you about your job, studies, family, the place where you live, ways you travel around, your hobbies, likes, and dislikes.
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Topics usually fall into 4 general types in Part 2:
The examiner may occasionally ask trickier questions on more unfamiliar topics. However, the chances of getting an unfamiliar topic are directly proportional to the time invested in the IELTS preparation.
Also, remember that this is a speaking test, not a knowledge test. It tests your fluency, pronunciation, range of vocabulary, grammar, and not how well you know this or that topic. If you use our tips, you will be able to answer any question of the IELTS Speaking exam.
READ ABOUT: How to prepare for IELTS Speaking and get the highest score
There are two main reasons why candidates cannot answer the question:
However, this can happen even when you speak your native tongue, and it does not demonstrate how fluent you are. What really matters is your reaction. The worst things you can do to “help the situation” are freezing, falling silent, or simply saying ‘I don’t know’. This answer is too short to assess your English skills. What can you do instead?
Tip #1. Use placeholders.
If you cannot find the right word because you forgot it or simply do not know it, you can use special words instead. Speakers use them to signal that they do not know or cannot remember a more precise word for something:
e.g. We wanted to have a glass of wine. We brought a bottle of exotic wine with us, but we couldn’t open it. Luckily, there was a restaurant in the hotel where they had this thing to open the bottle. (a corkscrew)
e.g. This is my favourite silverplated copper jewelry, a gift from my friend that she brought from Bosnia and whatsitsname? (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
e.g. I bought this kind of light green and blue dress at the night market in Thailand. (turquoise)
Tip #2. Describe the word.
You can expand or explain complex words by using other words. For example:
‘I’ve never seen such a stubborn person.’= ‘I’ve never seen such a person does what he wants and refuses to do anything else.’
The only thing is that you have to incorporate these things into your speech quickly, and you will sound natural.
Tip #3. Give an honest reaction and explain why.
Again, IELTS does not test your knowledge of a particular subject or area of studies. You might not be familiar with the topic. Do not panic, and give your answer even it is short. However, you will also have to explain. This will help extend your answer.
Another good strategy is to rephrase the question. Even you do not know what to say, for example, about your favourite car if you could buy any vehicle, you have to introduce the topic and turn it around your own language. For example, “I don’t know a lot about it but I would assume that…”, and then start talking about another kind of transportation. Give examples of other people who could be interested in this subject, use the related vocabulary. Focus on the aspect of the question you do know and move your answer onto related but more familiar topics.
Other helpful phrases to use in such situations:
Tip # 4. Use fluency markers.
They are expressions native speakers use to buy time when they are thinking about what to answer. By using them you will give yourself time to think about what you have to say. This is a really nice way to improve your score for fluency and coherence because it is a natural way of speaking.
Use these expressions if you really need time to think. It’s a bad idea to use them in every answer.
Tip # 5. Ask the examiner to repeat the question.
You can buy yourself even more time. You could say:
Use those for emergencies only. However, if you really did not understand the question, you should ask the examiner to repeat it.
Remember, the most important tip #6 is not to waste your valuable time worrying about unfamiliar topics – spend it on focused preparation.
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The Speaking section of the IELTS Academic is without doubt considered to be quite a complicated part of the test. Candidates never know for sure what questions the examiner will ask them. However, if you clearly understand the format and how your response is evaluated, and if you know some useful tips and strategies, you can reduce the stress and perform excellently.
Today, we are offering you a word of advice on how to prepare for the Speaking section of the IELTS Academic.
For example, in Part 1, the examiner will ask you some simple personal questions on everyday familiar topics such as work, study, where you live, food, holidays, friends, going out, festivals, sports, schools and public transport. The examiner usually reads these questions from the script.
In Part 2, the examiner will give you a topic on a card, and you will have to speak about it for about 2 minutes. You will have 1 minute to prepare. You can take some notes. Usually such tasks ask the candidate to talk about personal experiences such as a significant person in your life or a memorable event. After you finish speaking, the examiner can ask you one or two follow-up questions.
Part 3 of the Speaking test is called a discussion. It is related to the topic from Part 2. However, the examiner will ask you more complicated questions. You will have to justify various opinions and views, evaluate, make predictions and talk about your preferences connected to the issue.
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It is a good idea to have someone you can practice the speaking part of the exam with because you can get the feedback. You also practice giving feedback and have a better understanding of what is required in the test.
Even if you already have a study partner, try recording you answers and analyze them. For example:
— Did I paraphrase the question?
— Did I use the variety of lexis and grammar?
— Did I repeat myself?
By recording yourself, you receive an important tool of self-awareness – understanding your own strengths and weaknesses that stimulates further learning.
READ ABOUT: How to avoid repetition at the IELTS Speaking test
Recently we have launched the Speaking unit of our IELTS Academic self-study course where you can practice answering all types of questions, get feedback on your responses, and listen to sample responses accompanied by the teacher’s comment. Finally, you will go through a full imitation of the Speaking test and, once again, get detailed feedback and see sample responses.
As you know, in IELTS Speaking Part 2, you are supposed to speak for 2 minutes. While preparing for the exam, use a timer. By doing so, you will understand how much you have to say and develop the feeling of time, i.e. how long these two minutes are. On the day of the exam, the examiner will stop you when the time is over.
In the second task, you can take notes, so learn how to do this effectively:
— don’t write in full sentences;
— form the main ideas for all prompts;
— think about approximately three details for each prompt that you would like to mention;
— develop your own system of shortening symbols, abbreviations etc.;
— write down your ideas.
These phrases will provide a structure to your response and help you organize it. By doing so, you will shape your answer, and the examiner will follow your thoughts without any effort. For example: I am going to talk about…, The reason why this person is so significant is …, Moving on to the question… etc.
You can do this with a study partner or by recording your own answers. In such way you can evaluate whether you covered all the points that you were asked to, whether you covered them well enough or not. Sometimes candidates concentrate only on two cues and do not cover the rest at all. Be careful with this too.
READ ABOUT: How not to pass IELTS Speaking: common mistakes made by candidates
It is important to notice the words you require to complete the task. For example, if you need to describe a place, think about the words and phrases you want to tell about it. If you do not know how to say this in English, look up in a dictionary, learn, and use in sentences. It will be good to prepare a few phrases for each topic, but do not just learn them to impress the examiner.
This is an important part of your preparation. There are some typical questions you will have to answer in Part 3. They are:
— questions about your opinion, e.g. What do you think…?
— evaluation questions, e.g. What do you think about this or that opinion?
— making predictions, e.g. What do you think will happen…. in the future?
— questions about cause and effect, e.g. What caused ‘this’ and/or what effects has ‘it’ had?
— questions about unreal or imaginary situations where you have to make a hypothesis, e.g. Imagine you…., What would you do …?
— comparing and contrasting, e.g. What are the differences / similarities between …?
— questions about the past and present, e.g. How were things different in the past and how have they changed?
When recording yourself think if you use those and think what you could have used instead. This will help the examiner to assess you based on your fluency. For those who speak English as a native tongue, linking words or idioms come without any effort. However, if you are a non-native speaker, you have to learn them and practice using.
You will need this vocabulary in Part 3 of your Speaking test. It is advisable to brush up this functional language.
On our platform, you have a possibility to do tasks related to these aspects, record yourself and check your speaking performance via self-assessment checklist. This helps you better understand where you are now in terms of your speaking performance. We have also designed speaking practice tests that are to be recorded by users and then listened to by IELTS professionals who will check them and provide feedback with the aim of giving a clear picture of what is done effectively and what still should be improved. On top of that, we offer tasks that focus on improving your own language and learning chunks that will help not only win some time on the day of the exam, but shape the response and make it more automatic.
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How to avoid repetition at the IELTS Speaking test
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A lot of test-takers and students preparing for IELTS have been asking this eternal question. They visit IELTS forums, ask their tutors and other candidates, and often receive contradictory answers. Some believe that Part 3 is the most important part if the IELTS Speaking test, others consider Part 1 to be a warm-up before the second and the third parts of the exam, which are crucial. In fact, there are four aspects that influence your band for IELTS Speaking, and the examiner will grade your performance in all parts of the test.
This is the first aspect of your speaking that examiners pay attention to. In other words, they listen for HOW we speak. That is why it is very important not to keep silent and answer questions thoroughly. You should not worry if you cannot think of many ideas. Unlike IELTS Writing, this part of the test assesses your English language, not the ideas you express. It is a good idea to give examples and detailed explanations in Part 3, and answer in full sentences in Part 1 of the IELTS Speaking test. By doing so, you offer the examiner with a wide range of language to assess. This means, even you struggled to answer one question, this will not influence your score if you did well in the rest of questions.
In your answer, ideas have to be organised logically and linked together. It has to be easy for examiner to follow your thought. All this is called coherence. To make your answer more coherent, use different discourse markers and linking words.
One more thing you should not do is repeating or correcting yourself too much.
Also, avoid pauses to search for words. Pausing affects your fluency and also the amount of time you actually spend speaking in the test, so you should not overdo it.
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READ ABOUT: IELTS Speaking test format and assessment criteria
What stands behind the second aspect? Let us have a look at the following example. This is a question from Speaking Part 3:
What can elderly people learn from the young?
This is the script of the answer given by a candidate:
It shows a wide range of words, collocations and idiomatic language e.g.: springs to mind, make effective use of, survive and thrive, the new digital world, living for the moment. Less common academic vocabulary is also used, e.g., state-of-the-art, technological advancements. It is also important that the candidate uses all this vocabulary appropriately.
This means that you can definitely boost your score if you provide the examiner with:
In our online self-study course, we look at more examples, compare worse and better answers, explore each criterion for different skills. Moreover, you are going to try doing Speaking part 2 yourself and get feedback from one of our IELTS tutors.
READ ABOUT: Helpful idioms for IELTS Speaking
This is the third aspect that will influence your score. You need to use various tenses, grammatical structures and complex sentences. What is more, they have to be appropriate and correct. However, they should not be memorized. Otherwise, they will not make any sense, and will not get you any points.
The truth is, the examiner has no model answer to assess your speaking. Every response given by different candidate will differ, and their language varies too. Your score depends on the language you produce at the exam, range and accuracy of structures you use.
That is why, before answering the question, think about grammar you will apply. For example, if you are asked to talk about if your hometown has changed much since you were a child, use the following structures to talk about the past: ‘used to be’, ‘would do’, and the present: ‘has become’, ‘tends to’. Other structures, such as comparisons ‘way better’ and ‘far more + adjective’, and a conditional sentence could beused for a good effect.
READ ABOUT: Which IELTS should you take: general or academic?
The last criterion is pronunciation. Here, you should pay attention to intelligibility, that is how clear your pronunciation is to the examiner, how well they can understand what you say.
Do not speak very fast. IELTS does not test the maximum speed you can speak at. Choose a natural pace.
Examiners also listen to your intonation, and whether you pronounce words and put stress correctly.
Your accent does not have to be British English, but for a score higher than 7, your mother tongue does not have to affect clarity. If your accent is so heavy that the examiner cannot understand what your are saying, it will affect the score. If it does not take much effort to understand your pronunciation, you can get a high band score.
Now you know what you should pay attention to at the IELTS Speaking test and what to work on. Get more practice and a full mock Speaking and Writing tests with a detailed feedback from IELTS preparation experts in our course.
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