How to impress the examiner in speaking part

1
Well, to begin with, that’s a lot of questions in a short space of time. It’s more of
an interrogation. And first impressions are rightly or wrongly, important and so
you need to show the examiner how good your English is right from the start.
When you have to answer a lot of questions in a short time, you do not have time
to “think” of what you are going to say. You have to be spontaneous and, of
course, sound confident. And to help guarantee that will happen, you need to be
extremely well prepared.
 Fluency: your ability to keep talking without long pauses or hesitations. This
includes our ability to re-phrase, to backtrack and say something in a
different way.

 Vocabulary : if you have a wide vocabulary of general and specialized words

and how you combine words together in familiar patterns (collocations).

 Grammar: your range of structures, that is, of the different verb tenses,
modal verbs and conditional sentences as well as correct word order.
Someone who only talks in the “present tense” will not receive a high band
score.

 Pronunciation/Intonation: you must speak clearly with acceptable

pronunciation of individual sounds and use intonation to express meaning,
such as the voice rising or falling at the end of an utterance, for example.
There is no problem with having an “accent” as long as any native English
speaker would not have problems in understanding you.

SAMPLE PART 1

The first question remember is either:

Let’s talk about what you do. Do you work or are you a student or
Let’s talk about where you live? …….
The best way to start is to be brief and put it into context. Something like:-
Well, I’m the Human Resources Manager in a multinational company. You’ve
probably heard of it (name company). I’ve been there about 4 years and I’m
responsible for all the stages of recruiting as well as sending staff members on
courses to update their skills and knowledge and so on.
Why? Because the 3 follow up questions require more complex language.
What’s more important, the work you do or the people you work with?
(comparisons, explanations)
Do you think you will live in this (house) for a long time? (future, conditionals)
Think and write about work, studies, where you live. Answer What? Where?
Why? When? Who? How long? 
Prepare the vocabulary you need, talk in the past, present, future.

Again, the questions go from the factual and personal to the more speculative
and general. The pattern throughout Part 1 is to start with an “opener” plus 3
more questions. Let’s take this topic: History
Do you ever go to museums to learn about history?
Did you enjoy history classes at school?
When was the last time you read a book or a magazine about history?
Do you think it is important to learn about the history of your country?
Many questions begin with the following.
Do you ….? What type of …? Is there a ….?
Did you …..? Have you changed ….?
Would you ……? Do you think you will ….? Why do you think ….?

Troubleshooting
1)Things can go wrong. Maybe you don’t hear the question clearly or didn’t fully
understand it. In these cases, there’s nothing wrong in asking for clarification. Just
make sure you do it in the “right” way.
I’m sorry. Could you repeat that please? I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Do you
mind saying it again?
(2) You realize you made a mistake immediately after saying it. Don’t worry. Any
time you “repair” or correct yourself is very positive (as long as there are not too
many times!)
…so I’ve been working there since 6 years…I mean for 6 years
(3) Sometimes we are not sure of what to say: we don’t have a quick answer. We
all use some kind of fillers to occupy a little time while we are thinking of an
answer. Often simple “umm” but we can maybe use:
Hmm. Yes, that’s an interesting question. Hmm. I’ve never thought about that
before but ….
But, my advice is not to overuse these expressions. Sometimes a candidate will
learn them and use them to impress the examiner but it can sound false. Please
be you, be natural.

TIPS FOR SPEAKING PART 1

Tip 1. These are some typical part 1 topics that tend to appear in IELTS speaking
exam part 1. Collect relevant vocabulary to be able to talk about
them. Structure your practice around these topics, build a vocabulary bank based
on them, and enlarge your topical phrase sets as much as possible.
 Country/city of origin
 Daily routines
 Work and employment
 Background education
 Plants and animals
and childhood
 Your personal likes and dislikes
 Family structure
 Preferences in reading/films/music/games/
 Public transportation in
entertainment/art/internet/pets/ shopping
your home country
 Hobbies, interests and pastimes
 Forms of building in
 Celebrations, holidays and festivals
your home country
 Languages and linguistic proficiency
 Typical occupations in
 Newspapers, media and TV
your home country
 Typical landscapes and
weather in your home
country
Tip 2. The questions in part 1 of the speaking exam will focus only on one or two
of these bigger topics. So do not worry that you will have to answer too much.
For example, you might get 6-10 questions about your hobbies and pastimes, and
6-8 questions about newspapers and media.
Typical error: Trying to squeeze everything into an exhaustive answer to the very
first question.
Don’t do that. The questions will gradually become more and more specific and
you will have plenty of room to answer, give examples and develop.

Tip 3. Work on improving your descriptive skills for answering questions in

speaking part 1 by collecting various relevant adjectives and phrases. Practice
efficiently describing people, places, buildings, weather, animals and pets, feelings
and emotions, relationships and attitudes, etc.
For example: cuddly cat, fierce dog, compassionate neighbor, considerate
colleague, sad and graceful tower, eccentric black house, a patch of blue sky,
windless day, a spell of sunny weather, terrifying cataclysm.
Typical error: Using simplistic adjectives such as good-bad-interesting-nice-
important or cumbersome words like cerulean, adamant or loquacious.
Both extremes - simplistic and overly sophisticated words - will detract from your
vocabulary mark. The first case shows insufficient range of vocabulary, while the
second illustrates inaccuracy and imprecision in use. This is why try to use more
specific and precise synonyms when you describe something. Yet keep in mind
that the words need to be used appropriately in context, as synonyms are not
complete equivalents of each other. Don’t just throw in sophisticated-sounding
words: it will sound forced, unnatural and even ridiculous.

Tip 4. Rephrase the wording of the question if you intend to use it in your
answer. Don’t restate the exact formulations of the question. But it’s ok if
there’s no way to rephrase certain words.
For example: What can you see from the windows of your apartment or house?
In the walk-out basement I rent the  windows are tiny, but I’m happy that I get at
least a bit of natural light in. Besides, I love the greenery outside.
Our windows  and patio door open toward the ravine where there are huge pine
trees, a little stream running between tall banks and winding pathways on the
side opposite our house. So peaceful and relaxing!
Typical errors: Parroting back the words of the question.
Avoid doing this as shows that you have a poor range of vocabulary, which will
result in a drastic drop in your vocabulary mark.
See the answer to the question above that parrots back the question wording.
What can you see from the windows of your  apartment or house? –  From the
windows of my house  one  can see huge pine trees, a little stream and pathways
that are loved by dog-walkers.

 Tip 5. Pay attention to the grammar of the question that was asked. It is the
grammar that you are expected to use. Then reuse that grammatical form at the
same time paraphrasing the vocabulary part.
For example: If you could change anything about your house, what would you
change? – Well, I would definitely love to have a bigger basement and of course
larger windows. Having that little space in the living room is challenging when
friends come over and the amount of natural light that we’re having is truly
depressing, I must say. Another thing I would like to have – well, it’s a kind of
change – is a piece of land in the backyard, because I love growing herbs for
cooking.
Typical errors: Not paying attention to the grammar of the question and using
incorrect forms.
Sometimes exam candidates will just blurt out the first thing that come to their
mind. Yet this could even send them down the dangerous path of going off-topic.
For example: If you could change anything about your house, what would you
change? – I wanted new, bigger windows and another door because I like
sunlight and what we have here is insufficient. Our landlord didn’t want to change
them because it’s expensive.
Take a second to register the grammar of the question and build your answer
around it.
 
Tip 6. A good answer in IELTS speaking part 1 is one-two developed sentences.
Practice adding a small, relevant detail to a more or less general first sentence
of the answer. For example: What responsibilities do you have at work? – Well, I
must say they’re not that many, as it depends on circumstances. Typically, I have
to ensure that all teachers’ computers are functional and ready for class work, or
fetch printer paper to the copy room, but once I even had to fix a complicated
break-down in one of the school printers on my own. That was tough but I’m
proud I managed to do it.
Typical errors: Giving an answer which is either too short (happens more often) or
too long (happens less often). If your answer is too short, the examiner will
usually proceed to the next question. Most typically they will not ask you for
details or reasons. Yet, if you talk too much, you will be stopped by a polite “thank
you”, which means “now you can stop”.
How long is a LONG answer? 3-5 very developed sentences. But most probably
you will be stopped at about the fourth sentence.
How short an answer is too short? Anything from a mere “no” to a very short
sentence, even if it’s on topic. See possible VERY SHORT, INSUFFICIENT answers to
the question asked above.
Linking words for IELTS speaking
Also, as well as To add ideas
Similarly, as, in the same way To compare
Even though, despite, yet To contrast
So that, so, for this reason To express a result/purpose
For example, for instance, to illustrate this To give examples
Because, since, thus, that is why To give an explanation or reason
Actually, I have to say To preface what you really think
I must admit To confess that something is true
On the other hand To introduce another point of view
Well To give yourself time to think

Linking words meaning: FIRSTLY

Other linking words similar to ‘firstly’ are 

 to kick off 
 first off 
 first of all 
 at/from the outset = from the beginning
Look at some examples below, in the answers to this question: 

Is it a good idea to always eat healthy food?

Yes I would say so. To kick off, a healthy diet helps us feel better, and we can also
live longer.

First off, I’m inclined to agree, but it depends on the situation…

First of all, let me just say, most people want to eat healthily, but it’s easier said
than done   
At the outset, I’d say yes it is, but it can also be a real struggle
From the outset, I’d say yes it is, but it can also be a tall order sometimes

Linking words meaning: ALSO

Here are some other linking words similar in meaning to ‘also’:

 On top of that
 What’s more
 And come to think of it (something you remember as you speak)
Look at some examples below in answer to this question: 

What are the benefits of eating healthy food?

Well, obviously, you feel better. On top of that, you have more energy to spend
time with family or friends

Well, obviously, you feel better. What’s more, it’s a great way to lose weight

Well, obviously, you feel better,  and come to think of it, it’s a great way to lose
weight 
Linking words meaning: BUT
These are some linking words similar in meaning to ‘but’,

 mind you
 (but) at the same time
 that said
 though
Here are some examples below, in the answer to this question: 

Do you eat healthy food? 

Yes I do,  mind you, I must admit I don’t eat healthy food everyday 

Well, I try to,  but at the same time, I must confess I don’t eat healthy food
everyday 
Yes I do,  that said, it can be a real struggle if you’re eating out with friends, so I
don’t eat healthy food everyday 

Not all the time, though  I do eat more healthy food, like salads, in the summer.

Linking words meaning: TO BE HONEST

The following linking words are all similar in meaning to ‘to be honest’,

 to be frank
 quite honestly
 to be totally up front
Let’s look at some example, taking the question,

Do you sometimes eat fast food?

To be frank, I’m not particularly fond of fast food, though I might eat it with
friends once in a while

Quite honestly, I am to one for fast food. Mind you, I might eat it with friends
once in a while

To be totally up front, I don’t like fast food very much, but that said, I might eat it
with friends once in a while

Linking words meaning: IN SUMMARY

The following mean ‘summarizing’

overall
 in a nutshell 
 basically   
The two examples below are in answer to the question, 

Do you sometimes eat fast food?

I might if I am with friends, but not if I am alone. Overall, I don’t like fast food that
much.
I might if I am with friends, but not if I am alone. In a nutshell, I’m not into fast
food that much.

I might if I am with friends, but not if I am alone. Basically, I don’t like fast food
that much.  

Tips for using the linking words

There are a few tips that can be kept in mind while using linking words when a
topic is given. Some of them are as follows:
 Linking words cannot be used everywhere. When the examiner asks you to
talk about yourself it is advisable not to use linking words.
 The usage of linking words in the speaking test is completely different from
the usage of linking words in the writing test.
 The linking word ‘Like’ can be used only during speaking, while giving
examples. It is not advisable to use the linking word ‘Like’ while writing.
 You will not get a high score only based on how many times you have used
the linking words. There should be some content which impresses the
examiner to give a high score.
 The linking words must come naturally while speaking.

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE STRATEGY IN

SPEAKING
You can use the PPF strategy to help you think of more things to say in Part 2 of
the Speaking test.
Look at the task card below and some extracts from how a candidate answered
the question.
What do you think PPF stands for?
 P_________ “It was definitely far more exciting than any holiday I’d been on
before. I’d only been to Europe so Asia was a completely different experience for
me…”
P_________ “I’ve got some photos from the trip on my computer. They come up
as screensavers after my computer hasn’t been used for a while, so I look at them
and start dreaming about going back there…”
F_________ “Actually, I’m planning to take my girlfriend there next year but
we’re going to stay at a beach resort this time because I’ve heard there are some
lovely places by the sea. We’ll probably just take day trips to cities and temples. I
can’t wait!...”

Listening strategies
The listening test contains four recordings. Before listening to each of them you
will be given time (around 20-35 seconds) to read the questions they relate to.
Use this time well. It might not sound very long but it’s long enough to do the
important preparation work that will enable you to complete the questions
successfully.

When analyzing the questions, there are 3 key things to note:

a)    Which section of the test are they in?

b)     What type of questions are they?

c)     What sort of information do you need to listen for?

These will all give you valuable clues to understanding the audio recording and
identifying the correct answers.

a) Test sections
There are 4 parts or sections to the IELTS Listening test.

Section 1 – A conversation between two people set in an everyday social context
(e.g. booking tickets to the theatre).

Section 2 – A monologue set in an everyday social context (e.g. a welcome talk for
new college students).

Section 3 – A conversation between up to four people set in an educational or

training context (e.g. a group of students discussing a university assignment).

Section 4 – A monologue on an academic subject (e.g. a lecture on wildlife).

2) Answer Prediction
To predict an answer is to say what type of word you think it will be based on the
evidence you have. That evidence will be in the question clues we’ve just been
talking about and the information in the questions.

We’ll look at an example in a minute but first, here are some things you may be
able to predict:

The type of information required, e.g. name, date, phone number, percentage, price
place name.
The type of word required, e.g. noun, adjective, verb.
Synonyms or paraphrasing that might be used, e.g. ‘a half’ for ‘50%’, ‘located in the
countryside’ for ‘is in a rural area’.

• Listen carefully even if you’ve heard the answer: it may be corrected and the right
answer will come afterwards.

• Pay attention to words-indicators: “no”, “sorry”, “mistake”. These words indicate that
the wrong answer will be corrected soon.

• Keep in mind that such distractions are very common for Part 1 of the listening test.

• Be careful when you hear numbers or names: they often get corrected.

• Listening strategy for MCQ

Do not immediately pick up the first answer choice you hear!!!!!

You will often hear all of the answer choices in the audio. And only one of them is correct, the
other two are meant to confuse you! So don’t straightaway choose the answer you hear the first
as it may be incorrect. So listen carefully and wait until the speaker finishes giving information
about the current question.

(60 minutes)
Task 1 : tables organization
The tables below give the distribution of world population in 1950 and 2000, with
an estimate of the situation in 2050.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words

 Step 1 – Analyze the question
The format of every Academic Task 1 question is the same, with the instruction
sentence (highlighted below) identical in every question. Here is our practice
question again.

The tables below give the distribution of world population in 1950 and 2000, with
an estimate of the situation in 2050.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.

Every question consists of:

 Sentence 1 – A brief description of the graphic

 Sentence 2 – The instructions
 The graphic – chart, graph, table, etc.

Sentence 2 tells you what you have to do.

You must do 3 things:

1.     Select the main features.

2.     Write about the main features.

3.     Compare the main features.

All three tasks refer to the ‘main features’ of the graphic. You do not have to write
about everything. Just pick out 2 or 3 key features and you’ll have plenty to write
about.

Step 2 – Identify the Main Features

 What are the units of measurements?
 What are the time periods?
 What can you learn from the title and any labels?
 What is the most obvious trend?
 Are there any notable similarities?
 The key to understanding it is to use the clues given in the title, the row and
column headings and the units of measurement.
 For example, the title of the table tells us that it shows changes in world
population from 1950 to projected levels in 2050.
  The world is divided into regions (Africa, Asia, etc.) and data is given for three
specific years – 1950, 2000 and projected data for 2050. This is a clue that we
will need to use past, present and futures tenses in our essay.
 In the first table, the units of measurement are billions of people and in the
second table, percentages of the total world population are used.
 Don’t look at the numbers in detail at this stage. Instead, focus on general
trends. What are the most notable changes in data between 1950 and
projected figures for 2050?
 There are a number of different features we could select from this IELTS table
chart. Here are the three that I’ve chosen:


 Main feature 1: The only region where the percentage is expected to increase
by 2050 is Africa.
 Main feature 2: Europe is expected to have the greatest drop in percentage
contribution by 2050.
 Main feature 3: The only region showing a fluctuation in percentage
contribution over the whole time period is Asia.
 Paragraph 1 – Introduction
 Paragraph 2 – Overview
 Paragraph 3 – 1st main feature
 Paragraph 4 – 2nd main feature

Summarizing figures from a table

You can notice if the figures are increasing, decreasing, constant or undergoing fluctuation and mention
the same. Also, you can mention the highest figure and lowest figure in a particular row/column.

 An inspection of the data in the first table clearly shows

 It is apparent from this table that considerable …
 In the third column there is a distinct trend of ...
 What stands out in the table is …
 Closer inspection of the table shows …
 As the table shows, there is a significant decrease …
 There is a significant difference between column A and column B, most notably…
 An inspection of the data in the table reveals that …
 What stands out in this table ...
...is the general pattern of ...
... is the difference between ...
... is the wide disparity between ...
... is the rapid increase of ...
... is the growth of ...
...is the high rate of
 

Using prepositions with numbers and dates

As nouns, increase, decrease, rise and fall normally have the preposition IN after
them ….. when we do NOT specify a number.
 There was an increase in the number of emergency kits sold in 2012.
 There was a rise in sales after appearing on television.
 There has been a decrease in the consumption of sugar this decade.

The moment we include a number or specify a number, we use the

preposition OF after the noun increase or decrease.
 There was an increase of 70% in sales of emergency kits sold in 2012.
We use OF because there is a specific number after it… 70%
In this example you could also change the order a little.
 There was a 70% increase in sales of emergency kits sold in 2012.

INCREASE (noun) + IN  … when we do NOT specify a number

INCREASE (noun) + OF… when we specify a number
Two example sentences:
 There has been an increase in the number of students here this semester.
 There has been an increase of 500 students here this semester.
When increase and decrease are verbs, they normally have the following
prepositions after them:
Increase FROM X (the first amount) TO Y (the final amount).
 Sales increased from 100 to 130 units.
FROM is with the start point of a trend.
TO is with the end point of a trend
What is the difference between 100 and 130? It is 30.
To show this difference we can use the preposition BY.
Increase (or decrease etc.) + BY + the amount of change.
 Sales increased by 30 units.
BY = the amount of change between two different periods of time or values.

BY vs. TO
Let’s look at the following sentences:
 It declined by 5%
 It declined to 5%
To start AT
To begin AT
To end AT
To finish AT
Some example sentences:
 Initial prices started at $300 per unit.
 Production began at 70 units per day in March.
 Production ended at 90 units per day in August.
We can also use the preposition AT with the verb To Peak
 Crime peaked at 200 incidents per night in April

Vocabulary skills for reading

Do you get frustrated when you can’t understand the meaning of a sentence in the
IELTS Academic Reading module? In fact, you can still get a high score in IELTS
Reading without fully understanding a passage and all the words it contains.
Guessing unknown words
I guarantee that there will be vocabulary you have never seen before in the IELTS
Academic Reading module. The test writers deliberately place uncommon words in the
passage to test if candidates can figure them out using contextual clues. These
contextual clues can include a definition, a paraphrase elsewhere in the text, collocating
words, or word parts like prefixes and suffixes

Mcq and summary completion reading

strategy

you will either be given a list of words to fill the gaps with or asked to find the answers in the
reading text.

Your job is to insert some of the words from the list into the gaps, or if asked, to fill the gaps
with words from the text.

There will be more words in the list than required to fill the gaps.

All of the information contained in the summary will also be contained in the reading text, but
they will use synonyms and paraphrasing, so don’t expect to see the same words.

1. Read the question carefully. Note how many words you can write (normally one, two or

three) and if you should get the words from the reading text or a list.

2. Skim the summary and try to understand the overall meaning.

3. Try to predict the answers before you look at the reading text. Also, think about the word

type (noun, verb, adjective) that should be included.

4. If you have a list of words, try to guess which 2 or 3 the answer might be. Pay attention to

words that collocate well with the words in the sentence.

5. Identify which part of the reading text the summary relates to. Scanning for synonyms

from the summary will help you do this.

6. Look at that part of the section more carefully and choose the correct answer. Remember

to be careful with synonyms.

7. Check to see if your word makes the sentence grammatically correct.

MCQ strategy
There are three different types of MCQ question. You will either have to:

1. choose one answer out of four options

2. choose two answers out of five options

3. choose three answers out of six options

The first option is the most common.

You may also have two different question forms. Either:

1. completing a sentence or

2. answering a question.

 Read the questions carefully.

 Skim the text to get the general meaning.

 Underline any keywords in the question and think about any synonyms that might

appear in the text.

 Read the choices and underline any keywords. Think about the difference in

meaning between the different choices.

 Predict the correct answer.

 Read the text and using keywords and synonyms locate the part containing the

answers.

 Read that part of the text very carefully, thinking about the difference in

meanings.

 Think about not only which options are correct but how the other options are

wrong.

 Go back and read the question again and mark your final choice.