2. SPEAKING

2.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

The speaking test has three parts, takes between 11 to 14 minutes overall, and timing is very strict. The first one includes some general and personal questions on familiar topics such as studies, work, hobby, family, home, etc. It usually takes 4 to 5 minutes. Part two is different as the candidate will be asked to talk about a specific topic with 4 bullet points for about 2 minutes. Furthermore, the candidate will get 1 minute to prepare for the speech by writing down any ideas about the topic and bullet points. This is the main difference of part 2 with other parts. The last part is the longest one that usually takes 4 to 5 minutes and it is expected that the candidate talk in-depth about the questions and elaborate answers.

Following are 11 speaking lessons that cover all three parts of the IELTS speaking test. They provide tips and strategies to improve the speaking skills of candidate with the aim of getting a higher band score in the test.

IELTS SPEAKING LESSONS: OVERVIEW

• Lesson 1 – Formality & Getting the Tone Right: You will be familiar with the right tone to use in the speaking in order to sound natural
• Lesson 2 – Useful IELTS Interview Expressions: Useful expressions that can help the candidate in all parts of the speaking test are presented
• Lesson 3 – Improving Your Responses: This lesson provides general tips on the way to best answer questions in part 1
• Lesson 4 – Types of Speaking Questions for IELTS: This lesson concentrates on improving the accuracy of answers to the common types of questions that appear in part 1
• Lesson 5 – Extending Your Answer: In this lesson, useful tips on how to extend your answers for part 2 of the speaking test are explained
• Lesson 6 – Structuring Your Talk – Mind Map: The way of using a mind map to brainstorm and structure your speaking for part 2 of the speaking test is explained
• Lesson 7 – A Hypothetical Situation: In this lesson, it is explained how to deal with an unreal future situation in part 2 of the speaking test
• Lesson 8 – Describing Changes: You will find grammar tips to answer questions about changes in part 3 of the speaking test
• Lesson 9 – Talking about the Future: In part 3 of the speaking test, candidate will often be asked to discuss the future. This lesson provides some grammar tips to answer these questions
• Lesson 10 – Giving & Justifying Opinions: In part 3 of the speaking test, candidates should give opinions and justify them in their answers. This lesson provides some useful phrases that can help candidates to improve their speaking
• Lesson 11 – Talking about Personal Experiences: The common mistake among candidates is talking about themselves rather than providing thorough answers to questions in part 3 of the speaking test. This is acceptable if they use it as examples in terms of personal experiences

2.1.1 Lesson 1 – Formality & Getting the Tone Right

Speaking formal and having the right tone are two important factors from the examiner’s viewpoint. The speaking tone can easily be affected with linking phrases. This can also help candidates to sound natural in their conversation with the examiner.

Using a range of good vocabulary, like words from academic words list, can help candidates to get a higher score in the IELTS speaking test. However, the tone and words that you use in your conversation with your friends may sound natural and is important that can be noticed by the examiner.

For instance, take a look at this question and the answer by a candidate and try to figure out the problem with the speaking tone.

The problem is the linking words that the candidate used to link the transitions or the ideas. These linking phrases are not wrong, but they are very formal and can be used, in theory, as the meaning is clear. In other words, these linking words are suitable for an academic essay, which are not often used by people in their conversation with you.

Using such academic and linking phrases in the speaking test gives this impression to the examiner that you sound very unnatural and forced.

Below is the same answer but with more natural and fluent speaking tone. This type of speaking is less ‘mechanical’ that can positively affect your score.

 

Tip: It is suggested to practice and use linking phrases that are not too ‘formal’ and ‘mechanical’ in your speaking.

2.1.2 Lesson 2 – Useful IELTS Interview Expressions

Apart from having the right tone in the speaking test, candidates should make sure to use adequate phrases and vocabulary to explain their position in all parts of the speaking test. You should not hesitate to ask for clarification or repeating the question, if the question was asked too fast or you do not understand it.

It is suggested to know variety of phrases to express your opinion or view, which is mostly used in part three of the speaking test. This will help you to give your opinion on something in terms of whether you agree or disagree, or partially agree, or you think it depends on the circumstances.

A list of interview phrases that helps you to improve your speaking is presented below. Most of these expressions are relevant to part three of the speaking test where you have to thoroughly give your opinion.

 

USEFUL IELTS INTERVIEW EXPRESSIONS
Getting asked an opinion (by the examiner)	·       What do you think? ·       What’s your view / opinion? ·       What are your views on…? ·       How do you feel about…?
Agreeing with an opinion	·       Yes, I agree… ·       That’s my view exactly. ·       I would tend to agree with that. ·       I couldn’t agree more.
Disagreeing with an opinion	·       No, I disagree. ·       I’m afraid I disagree. ·       I see things rather differently myself. ·       I wouldn’t say that is necessarily true. ·       I tend to disagree. ·       I’m not so sure about that.
Saying your opinion could vary according to the situation	·       That depends… ·       I think it really depends… ·       That depends on how you look at it.
Saying something in another way	·       What I’m trying to say is… ·       In other words… ·       To put it another way… ·       What I mean is… ·       Perhaps I should make that clearer by saying…
Partially agreeing with an opinion	·       I don’t entirely agree. It is true that……however… ·       That is partly true, but… ·       I agree with that to an extent. However…
Asking for clarification (part 3 only)	·       Could you please explain what …(word)… means? ·       Sorry, I don’t understand the question. Could you explain? ·       Sorry, I’m afraid I didn’t understand the question. ·       Sorry, can I just clarify what you mean. Are you asking me …(say what you believe you have been asked)…
Asking for repetition	·       Sorry, would you mind repeating the question? ·       Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you repeat the question?
Summing up	·       So all in all… ·       To sum up… ·       To conclude…

 

The Time of Using These Interview Expressions:

2.1.2.1 Getting Asked an Opinion / Agreeing with an Opinion / Disagreeing with an Opinion

These phrases can be used if you are asked for your opinion and views on a topic

Examiner: Some people think that children should not be allowed to watch anything they like on television because some programmes can negatively affect their behaviour. What do you think? Candidate: I wouldn’t say that is necessarily true. Most children are mature enough to understand that television is not real and so I don’t believe that it causes them any harm. I think children should be given the freedom to decide what is right for them to watch and not be told by parents what they can and cannot see.

2.1.2.2 Saying Your Opinion Could Vary According to the Situation

These can be used in the case you cannot just be ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’ with the situation. In other words, it depends on the particular situation, person, or context. It is suggested to say ‘It depends on….’, when this is the case.

Examiner: Some people think that children should not be allowed to watch anything they like on television because some programmes can negatively affect their behaviour. What do you think? Candidate: I think it really depends on the way the child has been brought up. Some children are brought up well by their parents and they know what is right and wrong and I don’t think watching some programmes that have violence or similar things will change that. Other children aren’t given the care or attention they need by their parents and they may have personal problems. Watching violence on TV may make them even worse if they already have a bad behaviour, so they probably do need to be monitored.

2.1.2.3 Saying Something in another Way

These phrases are mostly used for more clarification and making it clear what you mean. In other words, you are saying the same thing in a different way. If you feel that you did not explain properly and you want to say it again to emphasize your point for the examiner, you can use these phrases.

Examiner: Some people think that children should not be allowed to watch anything they like on television because some programmes can negatively affect their behaviour. What do you think? Candidate: I tend to disagree. I think children should be given the freedom to decide what is right for them to watch and not be told by parents what they can and cannot see. In other words, it’s up to the child, not the parent.

2.1.2.4 Partially Agreeing with an Opinion

These types of expressions can be used in case you are not totally agree with the opinion and would like to explain it further.

Examiner: Some people think that children should not be allowed to watch anything they like on television because some programmes can negatively affect their behaviour. What do you think? Candidate: I don’t entirely agree. It is true that some programs cause harm to children. For example, programs with very violent behaviour, so parents must ensure children don’t watch these kinds of programs too much. However, there has to be a balance. Children have to be given some responsibility to make their own decisions to and it is simply not possible for the parents to monitor their children’s TV habits all the time.

Tip: it is suggested to use ‘depends’ in your answers in part 3 of the speaking test. It is quite effective and gives this impression to the examiner that you analyse the situation rather than simply agreeing or disagreeing with the question. In addition, you will have a chance to say more.

2.2 PART 1

In this part of the test, the examiner will ask about 12 questions from three different sets of topics, which are general questions about the candidate. In each set, the candidate should answer four questions. These questions could be about:

• The type of books you like to read
• What kinds of seasons you like to go on holiday
• Your favourite holiday destination
• Your home town

Follow this link to find examples of IELTS speaking topics and questions from part 1 of the speaking test.

2.2.1 Lesson 3 – Improving Your Responses

In order to improve your answers to questions in part 1 of the speaking test, candidates should consider the following tips:

• Do not speak excessively: you should always speak till the examiner interrupts you to move onto the next question. This means extending answers but not too much
• Extend your answers: one way of talking more on your answer and extending your responses is providing reasons and justifying your answer. In other words, explaining why you are giving such answer
• Be honest but positive: if the examiner asks a question about things that you do not enjoy or have not done it, try to remain positive and put a positive slant on your answers
• Stay on topic: always listen carefully to the question and do not hesitate to ask the examiner to repeat the question if you do not understand or hear it properly. Once you understand the question try to only talk about the topic and not something completely different in order to extend your answer and talk for longer

2.2.2 Lesson 4 – Types of Speaking Questions for IELTS

The examiner asks different types of questions, so candidates should understand and know how to reply them properly. Another reason that can cause candidates to give wrong answers to questions is that they may not concentrate on questions properly. Candidates should listen carefully to questions and try not to be nervous otherwise they will miss exactly what the examiner has asked.

For instance, in the following example, the candidate misunderstands the question and did not listen properly:

Examiner: How important do you think it is to learn English language? Candidate: Oh, I really like learning English. I think it will really help with my career.

The examiner would expect these kinds of answers from the candidate:

·       It’s quite important because…. ·       It’s extremely important…. ·       I don’t think it’s very important because… ·       It’s fairly important because…. ·       It’s very important because….

In the mentioned example, candidates should start their answer with an adverb of degree because the examiner asked for an opinion about something. This is the way of directly answering the question. Candidates should be careful about how to answer each question as these phrases can be used for different types of questions.

Below are some examples of different types of questions in part 1 of the IELTS speaking test with focusing on the topic of food. You should consider two things in these examples:

1. How the answers are extended by giving reasons
2. How the answers are directly related to the question

Examiner: How important is having breakfast to you? Candidate: Not very important really. I often miss it as I never feel that hungry when I first wake up. Lunch is often the first meal of the day for me.

Examiner: Would you rather eat out or eat at home?   Candidate: I prefer to eat in as I like home cooked food. You know for sure what is in the ingredients, whereas at a restaurant you can never be sure of what is in the food and whether it is healthy or not.

Examiner: How often do you eat out? Candidate: About once or twice a week. Mostly I eat in because I get back from work late and don’t have time to get to a restaurant.

Examiner: What kind of restaurants do you like to go to if you do eat out? Candidate: Usually it is small family run places. They have a better atmosphere than those big chains and often the price if more reasonable too. You can also get to know the owner which is nice.

 

Examiner: When did you last go to a restaurant? Candidate: Oh, it was probably about a week ago, last weekend. I went to a place called Chino’s, down the road from me. It does great Italian food.

 

Examiner: Where is the best place to shop for groceries? Candidate: I think the supermarkets are good to get cheap things, such as the everyday items like tinned food and toiletries, but local stores are better for meat and vegetables because they are always fresh.

 

Examiner: How do you get to the shops when you go for food? Candidate: I usually go by car, but occasionally by bike if the weather is ok and I don’t need to buy too much. The car can obviously be better if it’s the weekly shopping and you need to purchase a lot.

 

Examiner: Why do you think there is a problem with obesity in many countries? Candidate: I think it is principally to do with diet and time. People don’t have a lot of time so they eat fast food. The lack of time also means that people don’t do enough exercise.

 

Examiner: Who should be dealing with obesity? Candidate: The government should do something, such as making producers label food packaging clearly, but individuals also have to take responsibility for their own weight and life-style.

 

2.3 PART 2

In the second part of the IELTS speaking test, the examiner gives a topic written on a paper and the candidate has one minute to think and write any notes and then has to talk about it for two minutes.

Some candidates find this part of the test a bit difficult as they have only one minute to prepare themselves to talk about the topic. Some may also be nervous because of speaking for two minutes in front of someone else.

2.3.1 Lesson 5 – Extending Your Answer

This lesson provides you some tips on how to extend your responses in part 2 of the speaking test. Below is a topic that you may be given in part 2.

Describe someone who has had an important influence on your life. You should say: ·       Who the person is How long you have known him/her What qualities this person has Explain why they have had such an influence on you

You must start by talking about the topic on the card. You should consider that only talking about the specific questions on the card will lead you finish speaking too soon. Therefore, you should keep to the topic and talk about it or other things related to the topic as long as you can until the examiner interrupt you.

There are two tips that candidates can do in the preparation time, which help them to find more things to talk about in part 2 of the speaking test.

Tip 1 – Use other ‘Question’ Prompts

While preparing for topic, you should write down the other question prompts that are not on the card, think about how you can answer and what you can say about them.

Questions prompts are:

Who / What / When / Where / Why / How

For instance: Where – did you meet? / When – did you meet?

Tip 2 – Think of a Story

It is ok to tell a story about the event, person, thing, or place you are discussing. Therefore, in the preparation time you can write down a quick note about an interesting and related story to talk about the topic. This story can be told anywhere in the part 2 as long as it fits in.

Here is an example that a candidate can say about the above topic:

The person I’m going to talk about today is my teacher from high school. (who) Her name was Miss Chadwick and she taught quite a few subjects at the school. She had been working there for quite a few years when I met her I think. (where) We met for the first time in my English class. (more about ‘who’) I remember this well because she was quite young compared to most of the other teachers in the school so I was surprised that she was a teacher! In fact she looked more like she could be one of the older students!   (How long) So I met her when I was 15, and that was 10 years ago. I don’t actually know her anymore as we lost contact soon after I left the school, but I still remember her very well for several reasons. (What qualities) Firstly, she was very kind. She always treated all the students very well in the class, and I can’t remember her ever shouting at anyone. Also, she had a really good sense of humour. She would make jokes in the class which most of the other teachers never did. The other teachers were very serious all the time. And she made the classes a lot of fun and very interesting, something that I think is very important otherwise you start to get bored. Oh, and also she explained things very well and very clearly. Often teachers are not able to do this in a way that students can understand, especially when it’s complicated subjects.   So those are the qualities that she had. (why such an influence) The reason she had such an important influence on me is because I was quite a shy person at school and not very confident, but she helped me to change this. (tell a story) Each year, there was a school play that would be held in front of all the parents, and that year, when I was 15, Miss Chadwick was organizing and directing the play. I really didn’t want to be in it because I was so shy, but Miss Chadwick insisted that I take one of the roles, and it was one of the main roles which meant that I would have to do a lot of speaking! I was so nervous. Anyway, I went ahead and did it, and on the night I did really well and really enjoyed it. And that really boosted my confidence and this has helped me to this day.   So my teacher Miss Chadwick is the person who has influenced my life and I will never forget her.

2.3.2 Lesson 6 – Structuring Your Talk – Mind Map

One way of structuring your speak is developing a mind map. This technique is very useful in the second part of the IELTS speaking test as it enables candidates to visually organise information. In mind map you should put a single idea, a word, in the middle and associate ideas with that word around the edge.

In part 2 of the speaking test, a candidate can use a mind map during the preparation time by placing the main topic from the cue card in the middle of the paper and then brainstorm ideas around it. As mentioned in the previous lesson, you can use other question prompts like ‘whom’, ‘when’, etc. to extend your responses. However, they can also be used to help you think of ideas in developing the mind map.

Below is a cue card given by the examiner in part 2 of the speaking test and a mind map that developed by a candidate in a preparation time to answer the question.

Describe a lake, a river or a sea you have visited. You should say: ·       Where the lake, river or sea is How often you have visited it What activities you do there Explain why you like this particular place.

 

 

 

 

Mind Map

 

The mind map visualise what the candidate want talk about based on the cue card. It includes a story with some interesting vocabulary and extra information about ‘who’.

The fact that should be considered in answering the cue card in part 2 of the speaking test is that you can answer the question in any order that you like but you should keep two things in your mind:

1. Cover all the points in the cue card
2. Your talk must be coherent and organised

Following the cue card or the mind map in your talk will help you not only which section of the cue card you are on, but also having an organised and coherent speech.

Below is a sample answer to the above mind map:

I’m going to talk about a lake that I’ve visited.   The lake is in the Lake District area which is in the North West of England. As you can guess by its name, it’s very famous for its many beautiful lakes. The area is also known as ‘The Lakes’ and it’s a National Park.   I’ve visited it many times because I live only a few hours from there. I usually go every summer, and I’ve been going for many years now – probably since about 1998. We used to go a lot in my summer holiday when I was at school. Now I’m working I still go, but I’ll go at weekends. I usually go with my family – that’s my two brothers and my Mum and Dad. Sometimes we might go with our cousins as well. I’ve also been with friends quite a few times. There are loads of thing to do there. At this lake we go to, there are a lot of water sports and I really like those. There’s jet skiing, sailing and kayaking for example, but you don’t just have to do those things – there’s plenty to do even if you don’t like those kinds of activities. You can go walking around the lake or further out into the areas around the lake because there are many areas which are really beautiful. There are also some great places to eat good food.   One of the best things I’ve done is a Kayaking trip. It wasn’t actually on the lake, but in a river close by. There are some white water rapids, so I went on those with a friend. We started it with a group of others at a calm part of the river, with a guide as well to make sure everyone was safe. Some parts then got quite rough with the water and strong currents. It was scary but really exhilarating as well. I’ll definitely try and go again one day.   The reason why I like this place so much is that although there are lots of exciting activities that you can do, it’s also surrounded by lots of breath-taking scenery, with stunning views of the hills and rivers. So it’s still really tranquil and relaxing and a really good way to unwind if you’ve had a difficult week at work and just want to get away.   So that’s the lake that I’ve visited and I’m sure I’ll continue to visit there in the future.

2.3.3 Lesson 7 – A Hypothetical Situation

Sometimes candidates may be asked to describe an unreal situation in the future. This is called a hypothetical situation which is an idea or imagined. Therefore, candidates should use conditional type II ‘if clauses’ in their grammar.

Question: if you won the lottery, what would you do?   Answer: I’d buy a new car and go on holiday

The ‘if’ part of the question contains the past simple verb (won), therefore, ‘would’ is used in the second part. Below is a sample cue card in part 2 of the speaking test following by a model answer talks about a hypothetical situation.

Describe an interesting job you would like to have You should say: ·       What the job is Who normally does this job What skills are needed for the job Explain why you would like this job.

Model answer:

I’m going to talk about a job I’d like to have. Ok, if I could choose any job, it would be an air hostess. They are the people who take care of customers who are travelling on planes – serving the food, making sure the travellers board and depart the plane safely, and taking care of any other issues. This type of job can be done by men or women, but there are usually certain requirements. For instance, you have to be at least 19 years old in most cases when you first apply and usually a certain height, not too small. Also, your weight needs to be in proportion to your height.  So in other words, not overweight unfortunately.  They also really prefer people who are younger. So not just anyone can do it. Those who do the job usually want to travel as much as they can to see the world, or maybe to make money as in some developing countries it is a lot better paid than many other jobs. Regarding the skills, one of the most important things to be is outgoing.  I think you need to be very confident and happy to chat with anyone! You also need to be patient as I’m sure you can sometimes get passengers who complain, but you still have to continue to be nice to them. For qualifications, you have to have good GSCE marks. I think that is it.  The reason that I’d like a job like this is because I’d really like to see the rest of the world and I’d like to meet lots of new people from different cultures and countries. It’s actually something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time, since I was young, which is why I know so much about the requirements. I’m quite a confident person and very outgoing, so I think I have all the qualities that are needed for such a job. If I was given the chance to do this job in the future, I’d be very happy. It’s my dream so hopefully one day it will come true.

In the above model answer, the candidate used ‘would’ only a few times to refer to a hypothetical situation; this amount depends on what you are talking about. The present simple tense is mostly being used in the answer in order to talk about facts regarding the job, which are always true, and do not require future tense.

Below are some cue cards taken from part 2 off the IELTS speaking test.

Presents or Gifts

Describe a present or gift you have given someone. You should say: ·       Who you gave it to What kind of present it was How it compared to other presents you have given Explain why you decided to give this particular gift.

 

Describe a present or gift someone gave you that you really liked. You should say: What kind of present it was Who gave it to you Why you were given it Explain why you liked it.

 

 

 

Hypothetical Situation Speaking

Describe a house you would like to buy in the future.  You should say ·       What kind of house it would be Where you would like it to be Who you would like to live there with Explain why you would like to buy a house like this

 

Describe a beautiful place in your country that you would like to visit.  You should say: ·       Where it is Who you would go with When you would go Explain why you would like to visit this place.

 

Food

Describe a meal that you ate out. You should say: Where you went What you ate Who you went with  Explain why you remember this meal.

 

Describe a meal that you had that you remember well. You should say: ·       Where the meal was Why you had the meal Who you went with  Explain why you remember this particular occasion.

 

Sport and Exercise

Describe a type of exercise that you like to do. You should say: What the exercise is When you do it  Where you do it Explain why you like this particular exercise.

 

 

Describe a sporting event you attended. You should say: ·       What kind of sport is was How it compared to other events you’ve been to How often it takes place Explain why you consider this event to be of interest.

 

Describe a sport that you would like to try. You should say: Which sport it is Where you could do the sport Who you could do it with Explain why this sport would be good to try.

 

A Person You Know

Describe a person that you think is very interesting. You should say: Who this person is How you met them What they like to talk about Explain why this person is very interesting.

Describe a child that you know and like a lot. You should say: Who the child is How you know them What they enjoy doing Explain why you like them a lot.

Describe your favourite teacher from school. You should say: What school he/she taught at What he/she looked like  What subject he/she taught you Explain why you remember this teacher so well.

Describe an old person that you know. You should say: ·       What your relationship is to this person How often you see them What people think about this person Explain why you like them.

Describe someone who has had an important influence on your life. You should say: Who the person is How long you have known him/her What qualities this person has Explain why they have had such an influence on you.

Travel 

Describe a lake, a river or a sea you have visited. You should say: Where the lake is How often you have visited it What activities you do there Explain why you like this particular place.

Describe a holiday that you recently went on that you enjoyed. You should say: Where you went Who you went with What you did Explain why this holiday was enjoyable.

Describe a country you would like to visit in the future that you haven’t been to yet. You should say: ·       Which country it is Where it is located in the world What you could see there Explain why this country would be such a good place to visit.

 

Memories

Describe photograph that you like. You should say: Who is in the photograph When the photograph was taken  Where the photograph is Explain why you like the photograph.

 

Describe a happy childhood event. You should say: ·       When it happened Who was involved  How you felt at the time Explain why you remember this particular occasion.

 

Daily Routine

Describe your favourite part of the day. You should say: ·       What time of day this is  What you like to do at this time Who you are usually with Explain why this is your favourite part of the day.

 

Reading

Describe a website that you visit a lot. You should say: What the website it about  How you found the website Who else you told about the website Explain why you visit the website a lot.

Describe your favourite book. You should say: ·       When you read the book What the book is about Why you read it Explain why this book is your favourite.

 

News

Describe some good news that you recently received. You should say: ·       What the news was  How you got the news Who else you told about it Explain why this was good news.

 

Music

Describe your favourite song. You should say: ·       What is the name of the song What the song is about  When you first heard the song Explain why it is your favourite song.

 

 

 

 

Buildings

Describe a building that you particularly like. You should say: ·       Where the building is What it looks like What you can do there Explain why you like this building.

 

Entertainment

Describe a TV show that you enjoy. You should say: What type of show it is How often it is on  How popular it is with other people in your country Explain why you like it.

 

Describe a comedian that you think is very funny. You should say: ·       Who the comedian is Where they usually perform Who likes to see the comedian Explain why you think this comedian is very funny.

 

2.3 PART 3

In the third part of the speaking test, the examiner will ask 3 to 6 questions and expects long and detailed answers. This part is the final chance for candidates to impress the examiner. Candidates should follow these steps while answering questions in this part:

1. Answer the question directly
2. Explain your answer (reasons)
3. Give an example
4. Explain opposite/alternative (what would happen if….)

Further tips on different types of questions in part 3 of the speaking test and how to answer them are explained below in forms of Describing Changes, Talking about the Future, Giving and Justifying Opinions, and Talking about Personal Experiences.

2.3.1 Lesson 8 – Describing Changes

In part 3 of the speaking test, the examiner asks to compare a same situation in both present and past. Candidates should be able to describe changes happened in time periods. This lesson provides how to recognise these types of question, and useful grammar for describing a change. Some examples are presented below:

• How have driving habits changed over recent years?
• How are the customs of marriage now in your country different from the past?
• Have the types of transport in your city changed much over the last few decades?
• Are the types of leisure activities that are popular today the same as those that were popular when your parents were young?

Examiners may change questions about changes in other ways but generally they tend to be phrased like:

• “How do you think … is different from thirty years ago?”
• “In what ways has … changed from when your parents were young?
• “How is … different from twenty years ago?”

Used to

The term ‘used to’ can be used to describe how things have changed. It refers to situations and facts that are not true now but they were true in the past. In addition, it can be used to give personal information and also in situation where the change occurred is not important.

• “I used to smoke, (but I gave up 2 years ago.)”
• “Mike used to be a detective in the CID, (but now he’s a teacher)”
• “Vietnam used to be a colony of France, (but now it is independent)”
• “Jimmy Carter used to be the President of the United States, (but now he isn’t.)”

Speculations

Sometimes you may not be sure of how things have changed over long time periods. Therefore, it is right to speculate things in order to describe changes. The word ‘would’ can be used for strong speculation.

• “I think it would have been harder for my grandfather to find out about international news, because there was no radio or T.V in his village.”
• “In the past, people would have travelled less often.”

When you are not so sure you can use other words. (perhaps, possibly, might, may, etc.)

• “I’m not sure but, perhaps, they might have studied less science thirty years ago”
• “Possibly, in my father’s day, people could have played more sport.”

Comparatives

Questions that are about comparing things it is suggested to answer them by speaking about change.

• “I think that reading was much more popular in the past.”
• “Thirty years ago, the streets were much quieter than now.”

If you are asked to compare things that are different now, the simple present and the present perfect are suggested to use in your speaking while answering the question.

“Reading is much less popular than it was in the past.”

“The streets have become much noisier these days.” (Notice, a specific time is not needed)

 

2.3.2 Lesson 9 – Talking about the Future

In part 3 of the speaking test, the examiner will ask at least one question about the future. It is the same as part 1 that some questions are about the future. The popular ways of addressing it are using words will and going to in both questions and answers. This will help candidates to recognise a question is about future and response it in future tense. Below are some examples:

• How do you think the internet will change people’s buying habits in the future?
• Do you think any new national celebrations will come into being in the future?
• Do you think it will be more or less important to have a good education in the future?

An explanation of going to and will for talking about the future and some other useful structures are presented below:

Going to

It can be used for discussing about a plan that someone may have. However, in part 3 of the speaking test it can be used for making a prediction based on known evidence. In other words a prediction of what we can see in front of us.

– Going to is followed by the infinitive or verb

• The climate is going to become warmer and warmer because the government is not doing enough to prevent global warming.
• The internet is getting much easier to use and safer (the evidence), so I think it’s going to be very popular for buying clothes in the future.
• The sky is very black (the evidence we can see). I think it’s going to rain. (not an IELTS example)

Will

It can be used for various purposes, but in part 3 of the speaking test candidates can use it to talk about events that will happen in future and they believe those events are certain.

– Will is followed by the infinitive or verb

• Education will be more important in the future because as populations increase, there will be greater competition for jobs.

Using ‘will’ on its own means what you are saying is 100% true and you have evidence to back it up. However, you can increase your certainty even more by adding a word ‘definitely’.

• Education will be more important in the future because as populations increase,
• Education will definitely be more important in the future because as populations increase, there will be greater competition for jobs.

If you are less certain and you want to decrease your certainty, you can use other words like: possibly, likely, perhaps, probably, and maybe.

• Education will probably be more important in the future because as populations increase, there will be greater competition for jobs.

Will or Going to?

It is more common to use ‘will’ for providing predictions about future events, so if you are unsure of the difference between them, just use ‘will’. However, it can be inter-changeably used with ‘going to’ without affecting the meaning.

• The climate will / is going to become warmer and warmer because the government is not doing enough to prevent global warming.
• Education will probably / is probably going to be more important in the future because as populations increase, there will be greater competition for jobs.

Modal Verbs

Another way of describing the future is using modal verbs such as ‘may’ and ‘might’, which can be used when the level of certainty about something is low. They both have the same meaning.

• I think education may become more important in the future, but it really depends on what happens to the job market.
• The climate might get cooler in the future if we manage to restrict CO2 emissions.

Present Continuous

It can be used to describe something that has been arranged for the future. Using ‘present continuous’ is more common for part 1 of the speaking test and less common for part 3.

• Our president is meeting the president of the USA next year, so hopefully they will discuss the problems of our country.

2.3.3 Lesson 10 – Giving & Justifying Opinions

In part 3 of the speaking test, candidates have a two-way discussion with the examiner and have to express their thoughts and give their opinions. It should be followed by explaining the reason of having such opinion and justifying it. This will enable you to enhance your discussion with the examiner and extend your response, which are essential in part 3 of the exam.

In order to express opinions and justify them, adverbial phrases should be used at the start of the sentence. Some ways of expressing opinions and justifying them are presented below:

Expressing Opinions

Expression	Meaning	Example
Clearly Obviously	Easy to understand or see	Clearly, the economy is not going to improve this year.
Personally	Showing that it is your opinion	Personally, I don’t think the legal drinking age should be reduced. Others may disagree.
Generally	Usually, or in most situations	Generally, the trains are a lot more reliable than the buses in my country.
Surprisingly	Unexpectedly or in a way that is unusual	Surprisingly, the government prohibited smoking in all public places last year. I never thought this would happen.
Inevitably	In a way that cannot be avoided	I didn’t study much. Inevitably, I didn’t get the score I needed.
Predictably	As expected	Predictably, problems are now occurring in the city because of overpopulation.
Frankly	To be honest and direct	Frankly, I wish I’d waited before taking the IELTS test as I’m not ready!
Sadly Regrettably Unfortunately	Unhappy, sad or sorry about something	Regrettably, my family could never return to their country because of the civil war.

Justifying Opinions

Across one sentence
Generally, the trains are a lot more reliable than the buses in my country…	+ Subject Verb: …as the government has invested a lot of money into the system. …because the government has… …since the government has… …due to the fact that the government has… + Noun Phrase: …because of the government’s investment of money into the system. …due to the government’s investment of… …as a result of the government’s investment of… …as a consequence of the government’s investment of…
Across two sentences
Generally, the trains are a lot more reliable than the buses in my country.	+ Subject Verb: The reason for this is that the government… This is because the government has… This is due to the fact that the government has… + Noun Phrase: This is due to the government’s investment of… This is because of the government’s investment of… This is as a result of the government’s investment of… This is as a consequence of the government’s investment of…

2.3.4 Lesson 11 – Talking about Personal Experiences

It is important to talk about personal experiences in part 3 of the speaking test. However, candidates often make mistake by only talk about their experiences in this part, which is the sign of a weaker candidate and quickly notices by the examiner.

Talking about personal experiences should be followed by how the topic affects everyone because part 3 of the speaking test is about topics more generally rather than the candidate personally. Here are some topics that the examiner usually asks in part 3 of the test:

Education:

• What changes do you think will happen in the classroom in the near future?
• How do you think a poor university education can affect career success?
• What do you think about the way languages are taught in schools in your country?

Food:

• How healthy is your country’s food?
• How are the eating habits now in your country different with those in the past?
• Describe the type of food that people eat in your country

Leisure:

• What types of leisure activities may become more popular in the future?
• How do the types of leisure activities popular now differ from those popular when your parents were young?
• Why are some activities more popular than others?

Tip:

The above questions show that they are more general and about people around the world or in your country. Candidates should consider not making the topic only about themselves or people they know. Below are some bad and good responses to the above questions:

Describe the type of food that people eat in your country.

Bad answer:

I might try some other dishes occasionally, such as Korean food as I like that, but I always tend to eat Japanese food. At home my mum will always make Japanese food too. My brother will eat much more western food than I do, but he will go out to buy this rather than getting it at home.

Good answer:

There are a lot of different types of food in Japan if you are in big cities like Tokyo, such fast food outlets, Italian restaurants, Korean food, and of course a lot of Japanese restaurants. But most local people tend to eat Japanese food, even in these big cities when there are other choices, but especially in smaller towns and villages.