Extending answers is the top strategy to show your language skills to the examiner. In IELTS Speaking - Part 1, you will be asked questions about yourself, your studies or job, your interests, and other general topics. Always strive to respond with full and extended answers by employing the strategies below. 1. What, who, why, when, how, how often, how much?
Give additional details using these question words as your cue. Example: What is your favorite TV program or show? A short response: "My favorite TV show is The Witcher." A more detailed answer: "I really like the Netflix series called The Witcher. It was introduced to me by a friend who is a fan of the video game. It's a fantasy series based on a book about a monster hunter, though unfortunately, I've forgotten the name of the author. I just started watching it last month. In this second response, we added the elements of 'who' and 'when':
Here's a similar response with more details:
The elements in this third response:
Talking about the 'why' element, which is very much applicable when talking about our likes and dislikes, as well as many other situations, is a particularly good way to extend your response.
Don't wait for the examiner to ask you 'why'. Take the initiative to explain why something is so. Have a go with these practice questions:
2. Explain. To explain means to give someone the information they need to understand something. Let's apply this to the question 'What don't you like about your studies?' A short response: I don't really like my schedule this semester. An extended response: Well, I'm not too happy about my schedule this semester. I mean, my classes start early in the morning at 8am every day, but then three times a week, I need to attend some other late afternoon classes which forces me to be on campus all day till evening on those days. Besides the phrase, 'I mean' here are others you can use to explain something:
3. Give examples. Add more details by giving one or two examples of what you are talking about whether it's an object or something abstract such as preferences, situations or experiences. Question: What subject did you find most difficult at school? Why? A short response: I've always found math subjects difficult. A longer response with examples: Honestly, math and other related subjects were always challenging for me. For example, I really could not understand lots of the problem-solving they made us do in Algebra and Physics. In Algebra, especially, I could not see the real-life application of the equations we were always solving. In the second response, it not only gives examples of math-based subjects (Algebra, Physics) but also common tasks in the subject that the student finds difficult. 4. Describe. What to describe?
Example question: Are there any foods that you dislike? Why? A short response: I don't like exotic foods like insects, wild rats or guinea pigs. A longer response with some description: Well actually, I think I eat a variety of foods. I even eat bitter herbs and vegetables, but there are some things that I won't be excited to eat such as insects as well as cute and furry animals like rabbits and guinea pigs. In this second response, we included the sensory details of taste (bitter) as well as sight or appearance (cute and furry). 5. Express or share your emotions. Instead of giving a simple and literal answer to the question, share your feelings, personal thoughts, and experiences about that particular topic. Example question: What is your favorite meal of the day, and why? A short response: My favorite meal of the day is dinner because I get to relax. A longer response with emotions: Dinner is definitely my favorite because it's the most relaxing meal of the day, compared to breakfast and lunch which I usually gulp down in a hurry. I also enjoy cooking dinner for my family and look forward to sitting down at the table to talk about our day. But what if I don't have any favorite meal and don't like cooking at all? A possible response: Actually, I don't really have any favorite meal of the day because I live alone and eat meals at irregular hours of the day due to my busy schedule as a ___________. I skip breakfast on most days and often eat lunch and dinner outside, sometimes with co-workers and sometimes by myself. I really don't mind eating alone. 6. Bonus: Cultivate a 'responsive' mindset. The Cambridge IELTS book 'Insight into IELTS' refers to this as the 'willingness to participate and expand'. In short, be open and interested to have the conversation, like you would feel if you're meeting a friend whom you haven't seen in a while. Before going inside the interview room, gather up as much enthusiasm as you can for your talk with the examiner. You're probably thinking, 'Enthusiasm?! That's going a bit far! How can I feel enthusiasm when I'm too nervous about the exam?' But that's the point exactly. Giving in to your tension, anxiety, and stress on test day will not help you at all, whereas making an effort to pull yourself to the other end of the spectrum by raising your enthusiasm may balance or cancel out some of your anxiety. Having the openness, or if you can go further, the interest, to have this interview will make you more 'talkative' and will also tone down the nervousness you might be feeling.
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The term 'discourse marker' may sound like a big word but it actually refers to words that we hear and say all the time!
Discourse markers are words and phrases used to connect, organize, or structure the flow of a conversation or piece of text. We know them by the more common terms linking words, sentence connectors and transition words. These words help to link ideas, show relationships between different parts of a discussion, manage turn-taking in conversations, and express attitudes or emotions. They help listeners or readers follow the flow of thoughts or ideas and are therefore important for coherence, a criteria being tested in the IELTS speaking and writing tests. Looking at the Speaking Band Descriptors, you'll see the phrase '...connectives and discourse markers' under the criteria of Fluency and Coherence specifically from Band 4 or 5 upwards. In the Writing Band Descriptors, you'll see the equivalent phrase '...cohesive devices.' To get a Band 7, the band descriptors say that a test taker must be able to 'use a range of connectives and discourse markers with some flexibility.' In other words, if a test-taker wants to sound more coherent and achieve a high band score, then using discourse markers appropriately is necessary. 'Appropriate' is the key word here. You can't just force discourse markers into every sentence, or else you will lose points if the sentence sounds strange or out of place. A test-taker should also be careful not to use discourse markers as fillers. You'll find the assessment criterion "May over-use certain connectives and discourse markers" listed under Band 5. 'You know' and 'like' are two discourse markers that get overused and may lead to a lower score.
Here is a list of common discourse markers and their functions in sentences: 1. Sequencing: Words that show the order or sequence of ideas.
2. Addition: Words that add information or ideas.
3. Contrast: Words that show a contrast or contradiction.
4. Result or Consequence: Words indicating a cause-and-effect relationship.
5. Clarification or Example: Words used to clarify or provide examples.
6. Showing attitude or opinion: Words used to indicate your attitude or opinion towards the topic:
7. Generalization: Words use to make broad statements
There are many more markers with other functions besides the ones discussed in this list. Hopefully you got some ideas about how useful they are to structure not only your spoken and written responses in the IELTS, but also everyday communication in the real world. Next time you listen to conversations or read passages, try to note how these words and phrases are used so that you can also integrate them in your own speaking and writing. Speaking Part 1Use the questions below to practice generating ideas and responses for common topics that come up in the IELTS Speaking Part 1 exam. Advertisements
Apartments
Art
Books and reading
Celebrities and Fame
Chores
Clothes and fashion
Computers
Exercise
Friends
Food and cooking
Gifts
History
Hobbies
Internet
Mobile phones
News
Photography
Transport
Shopping
Sports
Studies
Weather
A review of the IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors would show that repetition is something that would give a test-taker lower band scores of around 4 or 5 in fluency and coherence. This is because frequent repetitions demonstrate limited vocabulary and communication skills. Here are some strategies to minimize repetition in your responses:
1. Describe and specify.
2. Learn to paraphrase.
Of course, some degree of repetition is normal in conversation, and examiners understand this. The key is to avoid excessive and unnecessary repetition by employing the strategies mentioned above while maintaining natural and fluent speech. When preparing for the IELTS speaking test, it's important to focus on specific skills and strategies to perform well. The IELTS speaking test consists of either a face-to-face interview with an examiner or through a video call. Here are the core skills to work on:
1. Fluency and Coherence
2. Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)
3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
4. Pronunciation and Intonation
5. Listening and Responding
6. Confidence and Relaxation
The IELTS speaking test is an opportunity to showcase your English language skills. Familiarize yourself with the test format and scoring criteria, and tailor your practice to address your specific strengths and weaknesses. |