ielts speaking - tips and tricks

Ielts Speaking: tips and tricks General tip and trick Use redundant words and Linking words Formula for Speaking Part 2 How to use Card to improve Fluency How to use 1 min to prepare f

All about Speaking test

Many candidates like to read model answers when they are preparing for the IELTS speaking modules The model answers are intended as a guide and candidates should modify the answers to suit their own circumstances and add to them wherever appropriate In other words, candidates should consider using tips and tricks in these guidelines to help them to create their own answers That is also our purpose when we edit this eBook

Hope you find this eBook useful! We will try our best to give you more useful tips and tricks all about IELTs

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Content

1 Band Descriptors for Ielts Speaking

Grammatical range and accuracy

Lexical resource - Vocabularies

Fluency and Coherence

Pronunciation

2 General Mistakes in Ielts Speaking

Problems with Lexical Resource

Problem with Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Problem with Fluency and Coherence

Pronunciation

3 Ielts Speaking: tips and tricks

General tip and trick

Use redundant words and Linking words

Formula for Speaking Part 2

How to use Card to improve Fluency

How to use 1 min to prepare for Speaking Part 2

General mistakes in Speaking Part 2

Part 3:

Formula for Speaking Part 3

Linking Phrases

4 Practice

50 topics you could meet in Ielts Speaking Part 1

Vocabularies for Ielts Speaking in topics

1 Band Descriptors for Ielts Speaking

In the IELTS speaking test, candidates receive a band score from 1 to 9 in the following

four criteria:

1) Fluency and cohesion

2) Lexical resource (i.e vocabulary)

3) Grammatical range and accuracy

4) Pronunciations

Scores are assigned in each criteria based on “band descriptors”

The final band score will be the average score across the four criteria rounded down to the nearest half band score

Examiners are rigorously trained, certified and monitored to accurately assign band

scores They apply a similar, yet more detailed, set of descriptors to the ones in the

public version

The quickest and most reliable way to improve your IELTS speaking test performance is

to practice with a professional IELTS teacher who can identify your strengths

and weaknesses according to the band descriptors, and then help you improve on them

For example: Speaking test scoring method

Fluency and cohesion

Lexical resource (i.e vocabulary)

Grammatical range and accuracy

2 General Mistakes in Ielts Speaking

Problems with Lexical Resource

The main problem of most candidates is using too many general words such as:

“Sydney is a big city”

“big” is a general word

You should use these words instead “ sprawling, cosmopolitan, politically important, fast developing, colossal”

Problem with Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The first error is that the candidate thought that we use the simple sentence in spoken

English for communicating However, it is not just simple like that in IELTs Speaking Looking back into the band descriptors, if you want to have a higher mark in grammatical range and Accuracy, you should have ability to use a range of complex structures with some flexibility (band 7)

Another mistake is that candidate repeats too many simple sentences

For example: “I come from Hanoi Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam ”

Instead of this, you should say: “I come from Hanoi which is the capital of Vietnam ”

It will give you a higher mark

Problems with Fluency and Coherence

What do you like about your hometown?

Look at these 2 answers:

1 My hometown is Hanoi Hanoi is very modern so I like the buildings All over the city there are lots of new interesting buildings being built When I was younger most of the buildings looked the same so it wasn’t as attractive as it is nowadays”.

2 Well you know, my hometown is Hanoi and you might not know this but Hanoi is very modern, so I suppose I would have to say I like the buildings Actually, all over the city there are lots of new interesting buildings being built In fact, it’s quite

interesting to consider that when I was younger, most of the buildings looked the same, so you know it wasn’t as attractive as it is nowadays.

The second answer would get a higher mark in the fluency and coherence because the candidate can use more linking words and redundant words to make his answer become more natural as the native does in their speak

Don’t focus on what you say, but focus on how you say!

Pronunciation

 You should notice on intonation in words that you want to express your idea For example:

I suppose that I occasionally read magazines but rarely pick a newspaper

In this case, you will press into adverbs which you want to express how often you read a magazines and newspaper

 The speed is also important For example:

I used to be quite into Yoga but more recently I’ve been getting into ballet dancing

Speak slowly and press into the comparative adverb between the past and present

 Divide your ideas into “chunks” It makes your idea is clearer and the examiner will be easy to follow and understand what you want to say For example:

I recently went to holiday to Sapa / which is a remote area in the North of Vietnam / I guess it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam

3 Ielts Speaking: tips and tricks

General tip and trick – There is only one tip that you should keep in mind

That is TRY TO ANSWER LONG RESPONSE

This is the only way the examiner can be determine what your level is

Use redundant words and Linking words

In spoken English, the native people use many redundant words, it makes their speaking sound more natural, and they also use linking words to connect their ideas Therefore, when you know how to use the

redundant words and linking words in your answer, you will get a high mark in Coherence and Fluency

For examples:

Do you like animals?

Yes, I really like animals

I guess I’m quite fond of animals

For the most part, I would probably say that I quite like animals

To some extent I would say I like animals

Well, I suppose you could probably say that I’m fond of animals

Well it’s hard to say

Could you tell me something about your home town?

“Well you know, my hometown is Hanoi and you might not know this but Hanoi is very modern, so I suppose I would have to say I like the buildings Actually, all over the city there are lots of new interesting buildings being built In fact,it’s quite interesting to consider that when I was younger, most of the

buildings looked the same, so you know it wasn’t as attractive as it is nowadays.”

Starting phrases or Lead in:

- Well, in general I would say that

- Actually, I suppose that

- For the most part I’d probably say that

- Well, to be honest I should really say that

- Of course I think I’d have to say that

- Certainly I would definitely say that

- Well, I guess that generally speaking I would certainly say that

- Well first of all

- Well you know what

but in particular .to be more precise

particularly .to be more specific

especially .to be more exact

specially .to be more accurate

Linking terms for first idea:

And I guess this is probably because

This could be because

This is due to the fact that

I suppose the reason has something to do with the fact that

Another linking terms for another idea:

As well as this

In addition to this

To add to this

Part 1:

You will see there are too many things the examiner can ask you in Speaking Part 1, you really don’t know what topic you will be asked for in this part However, if you get closer, you would probably divide it into 6 general types of questions which is often asked in speaking part 1 There are included:

6 Basic Describe Question

Now you just need to learn how to answer in each type of questions Everything becomes simple

1 Like/Dislike Question

These questions can be seen as Like/Dislike Questions

Like Questions:

What food do you like?

Do you like reading?

What do you like about your hometown?

Do you like listening to music?

Do you like shopping?

What do you like about your studies/jobs?

Dislike Questions:

Is there anything you don’t like about your hometown?

Is there anything you don’t like about your school/studies?

Is there any food you don’t like?

What’s the worst thing about shopping?

Are there any clothes that you don’t like?

What type of weather do you dislike

Formula:

Lead in : Well, you know…

Well, in general, I would say that…

Of course, if I think about it, I suppose…

Actually, I suppose that…

For the most part I’d probably say that

Like/Dislike : I like…/ I dislike…

Explain : I guest this is partly due to the fact that…

I suppose this is because…

Which is natural I guess, given…

Linking terms : In addition to this, …

As well as this, … Also I should mention that…

Like Dislike

- I’m quiet keen on…

- I’m a big/huge fan of…

- I’m really into…

- I generally prefer…

- I’m really/quite/pretty/fairly fond of

- I simply adore

- I’m quite passionate/ enthusiastic about

- I’m not keen on…

- I’m not much of a fan of…

- I’m not really that fond of…

What food do you like?

Lead in : Well in general I would say that

Like : I’m quite passionate about Italian food, to be more specific I would probably say That I’m really into pizza and pasta

Explain : This is mainly because my girlfriend is Italian so she always cooks Italian

Cuisine at home

Linking terms : As well as this ,

I’m quite partial to vegetarian food especially things like bean curd

This could be because I’m quite conscious of healthy eating and bean curd is a fat-free food and it’s high in nutritional value.”

Dislike

Is there anything you don’t like about your hometown?

Lead in : Of course I think I’d have to say that

Dislike : I’m not so keen on the weather To be more precise, I really can’t stand the

Summer months

Explain : This is due to the fact that the temperatures can get as high as 40 degrees so it

can be quite uncomfortable if you don’t have air conditioning in your house Linking term : In addition to this,

I’m not really that fond of the public transport system And I guess this is Probably because the buses are too old and the seats are really hard, so long journeys are usually pretty bumpy

2 Yes/No Question

You may think that this is an easy question, unfortunately, it is not You couldn’t just answer YES or NO The examiner will be waiting to hear how you can give your idea about topic rather than just saying Yes

or No Therefore, using this formula to impress your examiner with your answer

These questions can be seen as Yes/No Questions

Is it easy to learn how to draw?

Are the transport facilities to your home very good?

Is driving to work popular in your country?

Did you ever take handcrafts lessons at school?

Do colors affect your mood?

Is music an important subject at school in your country?

Did you often listen to music when you were a child?

Do you think is health eating important?

Formula:

Lead in : Well, you know, in all honesty/ to be honest…

Well, actually, I guess that on the one hand…

Well, you know, I suppose that to a certain extent…

Actually, If I think about it…

Yes/No : It is true that… especially when you consider the fact that…

(Agree/Disagree) It is clear that… particularly given the fact that…

It is obvious that… especially in light of …

Contrast idea : But you also have to understand that…

Even so, it could be said that…

But at the same time, you could say that…

Conclusion : Well, to cut the long story short, I guess I would have to say YES

So essentially, my answer would have to be YES and NO

All in all, I suppose my answer to the question is NO

For example:

Do you think is health eating important?

Lead in : Well, you know, if I think about it,

Yes/ No : in a lot of ways, it is important to practice healthy eating

(Agree/disagree) especially when you consider the fact that a healthy diet is vital to staying in

Shape and also helps you prevent a lot of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes Contrast : But at the same time, I could say that a little bit of unhealthy food every once in

a while doesn’t hurt all that much Most delicious foods are actually not very healthy, but it is ok if you treat yourself to some occasionally

Conclusion : So all in all, I guess my answer would be YES and NO

3 Wh – H Question

Wh-H questions is very popular in IELTs Speaking Part 1 These are questions that

starting with the Wh-H question such as: Who, Whose, What, When, How, Where… Here is the format that you can use for this type of question to give the best answer

These questions can be seen as Wh – H Questions

How often do you hang out with your friends?

What songs do you like to listen?

Where do you usually buy your food?

What food do you like to eat?

you know, I mean, (explanation/example/adding details) Situation 2 : On the other hand/by contrast/whereas in contrast, if ,when/which/where … I will…

You know/I mean, (explanation/example/adding details)

For Example:

What food do you like to eat?

Lead in : well, you know, it sort of depends, really

Situation 1 : If it’s in the summery months, when the weather is really hot and

Muggy, I will usually have something with ice, like ice cream or

Bubble tea

You know, they can really cool me down

Situation 2 : On the other hand, if it’s in wintery months and because of that

The temperatures can drop quite low, I will, have course, you know,

eat Something that can warm me up, such as barbecue or hot pot Such

Food is quite affordable and popular as well in Vietnam actually

As you see in this example, the main structure you use here is that the Conditional

Sentence (if….I will… ) to talking about 2 contrast ideas: summery months and wintery months

Thinking about 3 following ideas: TIME – MONEY – MOOD to help you to get ideas what you should say in this type of question

Time

Ex: If I have a lot of time, for example in summer break, I will………

On the other hand, when I’m up to my ears in work, I will…

Money

Ex: if I’m broke/ I run out of money……

by contrast, if it’s at the beginning of the months, when I’ve recently got salary, I will…

Mood

Ex: If I’m over the moon/good mood………

Whereas in contrast, sometimes I’m blue/unhappy/frustrated…

4 Types Question

These questions can be seen as Types Questions

Tell me about the different types of public transport in your country?

What types of shop can be found in your local area?

What kinds of restaurants are popular in your country?

Formula:

Lead in : Well, as you can probably guess …

Actually, I suppose like how things are in all countries…

Of course, I go without saying that…

So obviously…

There’s quite a range of…/ there’s quite an electric mix of…

There’s a rich variety of…

There’s a fairly broad range of…

Type 1 : But I guess the most + ADJ would probably be…

I would have to say the most + ADJ is definitely…

Though I think the most + ADJ may well be…

Explain : I guess the explanation for this could be that

I assume… is so + ADJ because…

The thing with… is that…

Type 2 : As well as this…

In addition to this…

Another type of That is also widely popular is…

Explain : I guess the explanation for this could be that

I assume… is so + ADJ because…

The thing with… is that…

For example:

What are the different types of transport in your country?

Lead in : Well, as you can probably guess,

There ‘re a wide range of modes of transport in my country

Type 1 : But I would have to say the most commonly used is the motorbike

Explain : The thing with motorbike is that they’re efficient and affordable and generally

easier to get around with than for example cars, given that roadways in my Country is often narrow

Type 2 : As well as this, another very popular choice of transportation is the bus.

Explain : And the explanation for this might/could be that buses are a very economical

way to commute You know, a bus ride across town costs virtually nothing, so as you can imagine, they’re a favorite of every student

5 Conditional Question

These questions can be seen as Conditional Questions

Would you like to move to another city in the future?

Would you like to be in a film?

Would you like to change your name?

Formula:

Lead in : Actually, I haven’t given this any thought at all…

To be honest, this isn’t really something that I had ever considered…

Well, that is a rather interesting question…

Conditional : But I suppose I would consider + V-ing, especially if…

Sentence I would definitely give + V-ing a try, especially if…

I think I would certainly + Verb

Another : If I were to… I would be able to… and I also would…

Conditional Sentence

(if possible)

For example:

Would you like to move to another city in the future?

Lead in : Well, to be honest, I haven’t given this any thought at all,

Conditional Sentence : But I suppose I would definitely give moving to another city a try, especially if

I had enough money to move to a metropolis somewhere in the US like New York City for example

Another : If I ever moved there, I would be able to practice English everyday with the

Conditional Sentence locals and I would also had the chance to study the diverse cultures in that

country

6 Basic Describe Question

Tell me about your hometown

Comparing 2 following answers:

1 I come from Hanoi I am a local of this city Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam In Hanoi, there are many historical buildings Hoan Kiem Lake is very famous

2 Well as you can probably guess I come from Hanoi and I have lived here all my life I suppose if I have to describe Hanoi, the first thing I would say is that it’s absolutely peaceful, maybe even one of the most peaceful cities in Southeast Asia I guess

Another significant characteristic is that it offers examples of both classical and

contemporary architecture Actually some of the Vietnam’s most renowned landmarks are

Which answer you think it will get a higher mark??

First idea : the first thing I should mention is that

(point 1) the point I’d like to begin with is that

I could start off by saying that

My initial point would be that

I need to start off by pointing out that

Explain/detail : In fact, …

Second idea : Another point which I could add is that

(point 2) A second feature which I should mention is that

As well as that, I could say that

On top of that I can also add that…

Explain/detail : which means, …

Third idea : And I shouldn’t forget to mention that

(point 3) In addition to what I’ve just said, I can add that

Something else that I need to comment on is that

Explain/detail : So actually…

These questions can be seen as Basic Description Questions

Tell me about your hometown

Tell me about your study

Tell me something about your secondary school

Tell me about your job

Tell me about your house/ your family/ your room…

For example:

Tell me about your hometown

Lead in : Well, you can probably guess,

I come from HCM and I have lived here all my life

I suppose if I have to describe my hometown,

Point 1 : The first thing I would say is that,

The city is a well-known industrial city, so it’s a metropolis with millions of dwellers

Details : There is always something going on with a variety of different people and

cultures, it’s difficult to get bore here

Point 2 : Another significant characteristic is that

it offers examples of both classical and contemporary architecture

Details : Some of the renowned landmarks are…

Part 2:

How to use Card to improve Fluency

Describe a sport that you like playing or watching You should say:

What the sport is?

How often you play/watch it

Why you like it

Whether it is popular in your country

Here is another way that you can use the cues from card to improve your fluency

You can use this type of samples to start each idea that the card is given to you Your work is just need to practice these sentences as natural as you can, then your fluency will

be improved Remember, you don’t concentrate in content (the examiner don’t care

much about what your content is, they focus on how you can produce a good structure

to give you a mark related to 4 band descriptors as we mention above

Therefore, try to produce a good structure as what you learn about in this lesson

For example:

- What the sport is?

I guess I could begin by saying something about what the sport is,

and I think I would have to choose football Most people know that football is

- How often you play/watch it”

I really need to add that if I have enough time I usually play it about twice a week

In fact ,

- Why you like it

And now with reference to why I like it ,

the point I want to make here is that

- Whether it is popular in your country

And so finally then, if I have time, in answer to the question of whether it is popular

in my country

I really I should mention that ”

How to use 1 min to prepare for Speaking Part 2

Describe an interesting building in your city.” You should say:

What the building looks like

What it is used for

The first thing first you should keep in mind is that MAKE THE CONTENT IS SIMPLE

For example, if the topic told you to describe “an interesting building in your city” Don’t try to find the building that must have to specific, if you do so, you will again concentrate

in content Instead of this, just thinking about whatever building come straight to your head and using time to produce as much good structure (grammar, vocabularies) as you can Looking this table to have an idea what you should select for your speaking