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Tips for IELTS Speaking Part #3

Speaking Part 3 is the final section of the Speaking test. In this section your examiner will ask you a series of questions that are linked to the topic you spoke about in Part 2. Speaking Part 3 is designed to be a two-way discussion between you and the examiner. Keep in mind that this is not a test of your general knowledge about the topic, but rather a test of how well you can use English and express your thoughts. In this section you should show that you can use more complex sentence structures and connect ideas together. Your answers should have some identifiable conclusion to them, so the examiner will know that you are finished and they will move on to the next question. The Part 3 questions are designed to go into more detail about the topic and to evaluate your ability to speak in a way that allows you to give longer responses that expand on a topic or perhaps state and support an opinion. As the questions are being asked, try to listen for key words that can give you some clues for forming your response. The following words are frequently used: Speculate, Hypothesize, Justify, Evaluate, Compare, Contrast, Comment, Predict, Suggest, Being able to pick these key words from the question will help you to form the correct kind of response. Remember, a simple yes or no will not do! You must be able to show the examiner that you are able to support, explain/expand your answer, form an opinion, make a suggestion, agree or disagree, or make a prediction; and you need to use proper grammar, a varied vocabulary, and use complex sentence structures at the same time! What to do if you have a problem with the question or a word or phrase If you did not understand the question, a word, a phrase, or if you did not hear the question completely-you should take action!

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You can ask for clarification by saying: Do you mean.. When you say.., are you asking..? Excuse me; I didnt catch that, could you say that again? Im sorry, could you please repeat that? Im not familiar with that expression, could you rephrase that?

While you dont want to stop your examiner during every question, it is acceptable to ask for clarification if you just do not understand or the meaning is not clear to you. Speaking Part 3 is the final section. You can expect this part to last 3-5 minutes.