How would you answer these questions (from Cambridge IELTS 14)?
Tip: Try to give three-sentence answers: direct answer, explain, example.
It's completely acceptable to give negative answers in part 1 of the speaking test. To test whether you can do this, try giving negative answers to the questions below. Keep your answers short and simple as usual. The first one is done as an example.
1) What type of photos do you like taking?
Well, I don't usually take photos to be honest. I prefer to enjoy whatever I'm doing, rather than stop to take a photograph.
2) What do you do with photos you take?
3) When you visit other places, do you take photos or buy postcards?
4) Do you like people taking photos of you?
(Questions taken from Cambridge IELTS book 11)
The following answers are at 'band 9' level. Which words and phrases help my answers to get such a high score?
1. What do you think makes a good lesson?
I think a good lesson is one that is interesting and engaging. By 'engaging' I mean that the students should feel involved in the lesson; they should feel that they are learning something new that is relevant to them. In my opinion, a lot depends on how the teacher delivers the content of the lesson in a way that students like. My favourite teacher at university used to involve the students by making us teach some of the lessons ourselves.
2. Do you think it's better to have a teacher or to teach yourself?
Well, there's no substitute for a good teacher. I think you can teach yourself, but you can learn a lot more quickly with the guidance of a teacher. For example, when learning a language, you really need someone to correct your mistakes; you can get the grammar and vocabulary from books, but books can't tell you where you're going wrong.
3. Do you think the traditional classroom will disappear in the future?
I don't think it will disappear, but it might become less common. I think more people will study independently, using different technologies rather than sitting in a classroom. Maybe students will attend a lesson just once a week, and spend the rest of their time following online courses or watching video lessons.
Sometimes the part 2 task looks difficult but there's an easy way to answer. Here are three examples:
1) Describe something that you collect.
Most students panic because they don't collect anything. But this question is easier than you think. If your hobby is listening to music or reading books, just tell the examiner that you collect CDs or novels. You could talk about your "collection" of clothes or shoes. Everyone has a collection of something, even if you don't call yourself a collector.
2) Describe an important decision that you made.
Easy. Just talk about the subject you chose to study or the career you decided to pursue. If you moved to live/study in a different country, you could talk about that.
3) Describe an important letter you received.
Use the answer you gave for number 2 (with a few small changes). Talk about the letter you received confirming your place on a university course, or confirming a successful job application.
Here are my sample answers to the questions that I showed you last Friday. I've pretended to be a scientist instead of an English teacher!
1. What job would you like to have ten years from now?
I’d like to think that I’ll be doing the same job in ten years’ time. I like being a scientist, so I can’t imagine changing profession.
2. How useful will English be for your future?
English is essential in my field of work; most of the research that is being done in this area is published in English, so I read articles and papers in English every day.
3. How much travelling do you hope to do in the future?
I’d like to see more of the world, so it would be nice to be able to travel extensively at some point, maybe when I’m retired.
4. How do you think your life will change in the future?
Hopefully I’ll make progress in different areas of my life, for example at work and in terms of my home life. I’m also interested to see what new technologies come along in the next decade or two.
Here's a useful part 1 topic from Cambridge IELTS book 14:
Let's talk about the future...
1. What job would you like to have ten years from now?
2. How useful will English be for your future?
3. How much travelling do you hope to do in the future?
4. How do you think your life will change in the future?
How would you answer these questions? Remember to give a direct answer and then explain it with a reason.
Did you notice that my sample answer in Friday's speaking lesson was a story?
When telling stories, native speakers use lots of 'natural' linking words and phrases. Have a look at the following examples from my description:
Notice that I didn't use any of the typical linking words that people learn (Moreover, Furthermore etc.). Those lists of typical linking phrases won't help you to get a higher score. Try to practise 'natural' linking instead!
Here's a list of some good phrases that I used in yesterday's sample speaking answer. Notice that some of the phrases are perfect for the speaking test, but a little too informal for a written essay.
Here's the task that I showed you last week:
Describe a time when you were not satisfied with a service.
You should say
- what the service was
- who provided it
- what happened
- and explain why you were unhappy with the service.
And here's my band 9 sample answer:
I’m going to describe a time when I experienced poor service from staff in a restaurant. This happened a couple of months ago, when some family members, who live abroad, came to stay. We decided to visit a nearby town, and at some point everyone was a little hungry, so we thought we would have a bite to eat.
The first restaurant that we came across looked perfect. It had plenty of empty tables - we hadn’t booked in advance - and we were all happy with the menu. But as soon as we walked through the door, things started to go wrong, and we weren’t at all impressed with the attitude of the staff.
After standing around for a few minutes waiting for someone to greet us, I managed to attract the attention of a waitress who told me that we had come into the restaurant through the wrong door. So, I went over to the main door, only to be told by the manager that there were no tables free for a party of our size - there were eight of us. I could see several free tables with four seats, so I suggested simply moving two of these tables together. But the manager was adamant that this was impossible; our only option was to divide the family and sit at two separate tables.
By this time, some of my family members were getting fed up. The restaurant was half empty, yet we were being treated as if they didn’t need customers. We decided we didn’t want to sit at separate tables or stay in a place where we felt unwelcome. We left, feeling disappointed by how dismissive the restaurant manager had been, and fortunately we found a much friendlier place to eat just around the corner.
Here's a recent exam task that a student sent me. How would you answer? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments area below this lesson.
Describe a time when you were not satisfied with a service.
You should say
- what the service was
- who provided it
- what happened
- and explain why you were unhappy with the service.
While you may be marked down by the examiner if you hesitate too often, there's nothing wrong with speaking a bit more slowly and carefully.
In my experience, many students speak too quickly and this causes several problems. If you speak too quickly, you're more likely to make grammar and pronunciation mistakes, and you'll probably lose clarity and coherence. If you slow down, you'll have more time to think, to pronounce words clearly, and to correct yourself if necessary.
One more tip: Have you ever practised pronouncing words very very slowly? For example, can you pronounce every individual vowel and consonant sound in the word "slowly" (s...l...ow...l...y)? I've tried this with students and they are not usually very good at it - they find it easier to rush the pronunciation of words. Native speaker children, on the other hand, love pronouncing slowly and do it very well, so maybe it's something that adult language learners should practise more!
What should you do if you don't understand a question in the speaking test? Here are my tips:
Part 1
In part 1, the examiner is not allowed to help you, but he/she can repeat the question. Just say: "Sorry, can you repeat the question please?" If you still don't understand the second time, try to say something related to the topic or any of the words that you heard. Try your best, then focus on the next question.
Part 2
You are given a task card with the question written on it, so you shouldn't have any problems in this part. If there is a word that you don't understand on the task card, don't ask the examiner - he/she is not allowed to help.
Part 3
In this part of the test, the examiner is allowed to rephrase the question. If you don't understand, just say something like: "Sorry, can you explain that question in a different way please?"
Here are some sentences that people wrote about the website for work topic. Can you correct the mistakes and/or improve the sentences?
Let's consider some ideas for the task below.
Describe a website you use that helps you a lot in your work or studies.
You should say
- what the website is
- how often you use the website
- what information the website gives you
- and explain how your work or studies would change if this website didn't exist.
If you were thinking of choosing Google as your website, here's a suggestion: maybe it would be more interesting to describe Google Scholar instead. This is a great tool for university students.
Here are some ideas that you could use in your description:
If you've used Google Scholar as a student (or teacher), try using the above ideas to create your description. Don't forget to add your own examples, experiences or stories to make the description more personal.
Let's think about the following task from Cambridge IELTS 13. Which website would you choose, and why?
Describe a website you use that helps you a lot in your work or studies.
You should say
- what the website is
- how often you use the website
- what information the website gives you
- and explain how your work or studies would change if this website didn't exist.
Today I want to share some advice from another IELTS teacher that I found in the 'comments' area below this lesson.
First, here's the question from a student called Vishaal:
Please guide me on how I can reduce the grammatical errors in my speech. Although I reduced these errors significantly in writing, I'm still making quite a few mistakes during the speaking.
And here's the advice from the teacher, sjm (thanks again!):
The only real way is to sit with a native speaker, and ask them to stop you every time you make a grammar error, and give you a correction. You then repeat the correct version back to them.
It is time consuming, but eventually your error rate should drop. The problem with speaking is that errors are often 'fossilised' in the mouth, which means that you are so used to saying them that your mouth has 'memorised' them. You need to almost 'reprogram' your mouth.
An extra tip from me (Simon):
Vishaal's issue is very common, and I completely agree with sjm's advice. But if you don't have a private teacher or native speaker who can help in the way that sjm suggests, your best solution is probably to become better at copying. Instead of trying to translate ideas from your own language, or trying to construct sentences using your knowledge of English grammar, aim to build your sentences using phrases or 'chunks' of language that you know to be correct (because you have seen or heard them being used by native speakers).
Remember that Part 1 questions are supposed to be easy. Just give a simple answer and a reason.
1. What form of transport do you prefer to use? Why?
I prefer to travel by car because it means that I have my own space. Also, the buses and trains in my city are usually overcrowded; my car is much more comfortable.
2. How much time do you spend travelling on a normal day?
I probably spend about an hour and a half travelling to and from work. I travel during the rush hours, so there is quite a lot of traffic.
3. What do you do while you are travelling?
I usually listen to the radio or a CD. In the morning I like to listen to the news to find out what is happening in the world.
4. Do you ever have problems with transport?
Yes, as I said, I get stuck in traffic on my way to and from work. I used to get annoyed by traffic jams, but now I'm used to them.
A few important points:
Regarding the advice that I gave yesterday (stop and smile), I just want to clarify that there are no marks for body language in the speaking test. The "stop and smile" idea is simply a way to show the examiner that you're ready for the next question in part 1 of the test.
So, smiling won't help your score, but it can help with the "flow" of questions and answers in part 1.
In part 1 of the speaking test you need to give short, direct answers. When you've given your answer, you should stop and wait for the next question.
The problem is that many candidates keep speaking, even when they have already given a good answer. Sometimes it's because they feel nervous about leaving a moment of silence. As they keep speaking, they start hesitating and repeating themselves, making the answer sound worse and worse. A further problem is that the examiner has to interrupt the candidate in order to move on to the next question.
The solution that I practise with my students is this: stop and smile! When you've answered the question, stop confidently and smile at the examiner to show that you're ready for the next question. If you can do this, part 1 of the speaking test will go more smoothly.
At the end of yesterday's lesson I mentioned that you could prepare some examples or stories to make your descriptions more interesting (for speaking part 2, and maybe part 3).
When speaking in our own languages, we tell stories all the time. For example, you might tell a member of your family about what happened at work today, or you might tell your friends about a film you saw last night.
The ability to tell a story in English is a sign that you are becoming a proficient user of the language. Test yourself: try telling a story in English now. Start with something easy, like "what I did yesterday".
It's impossible to prepare for every question that you might get in the speaking test, but what are the essential things to prepare for?
Here's my list of essentials:
Remember that in part 2 you are always asked to "describe". Make sure you prepare some good adjectives for each topic, make sure you can talk about your opinions and feelings, and think about some examples or stories to make your descriptions more interesting.
I noticed a comment from someone who didn't like the phrase "I'm going to talk about" (at the beginning of a part 2 description). He/she described "I'm going to talk about" as an old-fashioned template phrase.
Is this true? Is it an old-fashioned template phrase? The answer is no!
I'm going to talk about is neither old-fashioned nor part of a template. It is simply a natural way to begin your description. As a native English speaker, I would use this phrase without thinking twice about it.
Tip: In the speaking and writing tests, it's best to use short, simple phrases for linking and organising your ideas. Stop worrying about these phrases, and focus on what comes after them: your answer and the 'topic vocabulary' that you use to express your ideas.
Here are my 3-step (answer, explain, example) answers to the questions that I showed you last Friday:
1. How much has technology improved how we communicate with each other?
I'd say that technology has made communication faster and easier, but I don't think it has improved the quality of communication between people. I mean, it's so easy to send a text message or write a comment on social media these days, but maybe you could say that our conversations are quite superficial compared to the way people communicated in the past. For example, I remember writing long, detailed letters to friends and family members when I was younger, but I tend to just send quick messages from my phone nowadays.
2. Do you agree that there are still many more major technological innovations to be made?
Of course! People are working on all sorts of new technologies as we speak, and I'm sure that there will be technological advances and breakthroughs for as long as human societies exist. Personally, I'm fascinated to see what happens with self-driving cars and other types of artificial intelligence over the next few decades.
3. Could you suggest some reasons why some people are deciding to reduce their use of technology?
Yes, I think the main reasons are that people feel overwhelmed or that their use of technology is becoming unhealthy. Some people have realised that all the devices and applications that they use are making their lives more complicated and stressful than necessary. Others might see themselves becoming addicted to checking their phones, or wasting too much time on their social media pages. I try to limit my own use of my phone and laptop because I want to spend more of my time in the 'real world' than on the Internet.
Here are some interesting questions from test 2 in Cambridge IELTS 13. How would you answer them? (Tip. Remember the steps: answer, explain, example)
People doing the academic IELTS test are often misled by the word 'academic'. They think that they need to speak in a formal way using academic words.
But look at the following speaking questions / tasks:
- Do you like music?
- What's your favourite colour? Why?
- Describe a café you have been to.
- Describe a present you gave someone.
- Do you think it's more important to love your job or to earn a good salary?
I hope it's clear that these questions are not really formal or academic. So, instead of trying to use academic words, just aim to speak in a normal conversation style.
Here are some part 1 questions from Cambridge IELTS book 8, with my sample answers. How would you answer these questions?
1. How well do you know the people who live next door to you?
I know my neighbours quite well. They're really nice people, and I always stop to talk whenever I see them.
2. How often do you see them?
I see my neighbours at least a few times a week. We usually see each other when we're leaving for work in the morning or coming home in the evening.
3. What kinds of problem do people sometimes have with their neighbours?
I think the most common problem is probably noise. It's difficult to live next to people who have a dog that barks at night, or who play loud music.
4. How do you think neighbours can help each other?
Neighbours can do little things like watching your house if you go on holiday or taking a delivery if something arrives by post when you're not at home. I think these little favours are a good way for neighbours to help each other.
By the time they reach part 3 of the speaking test, many IELTS candidates just want to finish and go home. They've used up all of their energy doing the other parts of the test, and they're happy to have finished the 2-minute talk in part 2. As a result, not many people do really well in part 3.
Here's my tip: Save one last effort for part 3. It's your best chance to leave a good impression on the examiner and perhaps push him / her to give you that extra half band that you need.
Describe an educational television programme that you liked.
You should say
- what the programme was about
- when and where you saw it
- how you found out about this programme
- and why you liked it.
Here's my band 9 answer. Can you see any 'less common' vocabulary?
Many students answer questions in IELTS speaking part 3 by saying "it depends".
"It depends" is not a full answer. You need to say what it depends on, and why.
Example question:
Do you think it's important to find a job that you love, or is it more important to earn a good salary?
Don't say:
"It depends. Some people prefer to find a job they love, but other people want to earn a good salary." (This answer just repeats the question)
Do say:
"Personally, I'd prefer to do a job that I really enjoy; as long as I earn enough to live comfortably, the salary is less important. However, I can see the benefits of doing a job that you don't like if it pays well. With a good salary, you can probably do more enjoyable things in your free time."
In the speaking test, some candidates try to involve the examiner in the conversation. For example:
Examiner: Do you like cooking?
Student: Not really, I prefer eating in restaurants. And you?
You should definitely not do this!
In fact, the only time that you might need to ask a question is if you don't hear what the examiner said. Just say: "Sorry, can you repeat that please?"
Having ideas and opinions is important for IELTS Speaking Part 3. Even if your grammar is excellent, you will not get a high score if you don't know what to say.
For example, do you have an opinion about whether governments should protect old buildings?
Here are some possible ideas / opinions:
The sentences above come from my 'Ideas for IELTS Topics' ebook.