IELTS Speaking Part 2: don't focus on linking

A student asked me whether it would be a good idea to use the phrases below to organise last week's description of a market:

1. I would like to start with the first point which is where the market is.
2. Going on to my next point which is what the market sells, well...
3. With reference to the question of how big the market is, well...
4. As a final point, I would like to explain why I enjoy to visiting it.

Personally I do not recommend using phrases like these. While you won't lose marks for using them, you won't gain marks either. But here's the problem: the time you spend saying these linking phrases is time that you should be spending on the real content of your answer. Focus on answering, not linking!

Comments

[Metin]

Dear Simon!
i really cant tell you how happy i am right now,because i got 7.0 band
L 7.5
R 6.5
W 7.0
S 6.0
overall 7.0

thank u for your unique tips,especially in writing your tips and structures helped me so much to achieve this score.You are the best teacher.Regards!!

[Leonard]

Hi Metin,

If possible i would like to ask you some infor on your writing skill coz after longtime no practicing i feel awkward when training my writing. my skype is giagia_01. Would you mind adding me or just put your email below then i could contact you. Thx

[Metin]

Hi Leonard,of course i will add u on skype

actually i wrote very few essays myself before the exam,what i did was following Simons golden tips in writing,I had appeared 3 times before 15 june on Ielts,but i got max 6 band in writing,after following this structures i managed to get 7 in writing.

[maninder kaur]

Hi metin I would like to ask you about writting skill as I m week in writting .my email address is [email protected] or u can contect me by Skype many2612 .would you mind adding me or just put your email below here

[Noha]

Dear Simon,
Your blog is really helpful. Although I practiced the writing and speaking modules for only 2 days each using your blog, I got W 7.5 and S 7.0. Overall score 8.0
I surely enjoyed it. Your tips are valuable and your answers are very simple yet way much better than many others.

Thanks for the effort.

[Bakr]

Dear Simon,

Would you please advise of where can I find the way of linking your eBook writing ideas together? Thank you

[Metin]

Hi Kaur,my email is [email protected]

write to me if u have questions,but im telling u again,before the exam,i thought that i would get 6.5 absolute max.but things went well during the exam so i got 7.Actualy im week in writing too but I just followed Simons tips and structures,nothing else really

[Bakr]

Congratulation Metin

[Mina]

Hi Simon,
Actually I've been eager to master such linking phrases on my speaking due to thought they sounds more frequently.Now I've got just devote my energy to express my opinion.Thank you, precious tips exist on your blog　every time.

[Martin]

Great advice as usual! Happy Friday everyone!

[True Blue]

Thank you so much Simon for your clear advice. I'm confusing for such problem coz my teacher insists that we need some signal to let examiner know which question we are on.
I think that it's definitely more fluency without linking.

[Simon]

Congratulations Metin and Noha!

[JD]

Hey Simon,

Do you think it would be good idea if you could compile an ebook for speaking also maybe ideas about some general speaking topics.A lot of people really require it.

[Rossi]

Dear All, I got 7 in Speaking test.I just followed Simon's instructions A-to-Z, sample answers and Martin's Sample answers. Thanks Martin especially for that. With these i also used to listen to BBC world news and Cambridge IELTS(1-9) listening transcript and write down some critical pronunciation like Entrepreneurship (sounds like Auntrapronarship). One more thing, sometime i recorded my own speaking in my S-II and heard them. Before entering the test room, try to talk with other peoples in English a bit. It really works. And give 3-5 MOCK TEST in a standard exam center. And dont be exhausted with the examiner, talk with him/her just in a friendly manner. Take hard prep and practice and Best of Luck.

[Eli]

Dear Simon,

Thank you so much your clear answer!

[Simon]

Hi JD,

Yes, I've been meaning to do something extra for the speaking test. I'll see what I can do!

...

Congratulations Rossi, and thanks for sharing your advice!

[jone]

hi,
can any person help me to answer these questions

What kind of toys did you have in your childhood?
- Do you keep any of your old toys now?
- Why do you keep it?
please I need to know how to answer

[Choco]

Dear Simon,

It is a little bit off topic, but I want to ask you whether it is possible to take about "climbing" in the following question:
Describe something you did that was new or exciting
What you did
Where and when you did this
Who you shared this activity with and explain that why this activity was new or exiting to you
By the way, thanks a lot for information in this site. It is extremely helpful and worth doing!

[nina]

Hello Simon,
I have tried to practice my listening skill by watching BBC or CNN channel. I have heard several times that the reporters use the word "Frankly". I want to know how to use this word? Is it normal word that the native speaker use it?

Thank you

[Joan]

Hello Simon!
I thought, after reading a book about the speaking part, written by an ex-examiner living in China, I think Matt or Mark Clark (www.topsage.com), that it is necessary to use redundant language, linking words and so to show your English language abilities. I have been practicing it but now I feel confused. Last year I took an IELTS with no preparation and got 6.5 overall and in speaking 6.5. Last month I took it and got 7 overall and 7 in speaking, however I was practicing with a native speaker the whole year and I thought I was doing better. My teacher said I was really fine. i am disappointed. In the speaking part I used a lot of linking words, maybe it is because of that? I thought that in part 1 I need to speak a lot and not to give direct short answers. Really don't know what to do. Please, could you tell me your opinion. Best regards And thank you in advance!