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Telegram:@IELTSMatters Instagram:@IELTS_Matters
 Contents

INTRODUCTION
MARKING CRITERIA
PART ONE SPEAKING STRATEGY
PART TWO SPEAKING STRATEGY

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PART THREE SPEAKING STRATEGY

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 INTRODUCTION

The IELTS speaking test is divided into three parts:interview, the long
turn and discussion.

Interview: The examiner will ask you familiar, everyday questions

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about your life. There are an estimate of 12 questions in total and will last
for 4-5 minutes. These questions are designed to relax you so that you can

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do a good part two.

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The Long Turn: The examiner will give you a cue card with the
subject on it. You will be given one minutes to make small notes or to
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think about what you will say and then you will be asked to speak for up to
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two minutes. The examiner will not help you and will not ask you further
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questions till you finish.

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Discussion: This is more abstract and the examiner will ask you
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further questions on the same subject that you spoke about in part two (the
long turn). For instance, if your part two was about books or literature then
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the examiner might ask you more questions about your favorite book,
kiddies, or E-readers, etc. It is an extension of your speaking part two and
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will give you an opportunity to really develop your answers and discuss
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the issue brought up by the examiner. This will last for 4-5 minutes.
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 MARKING CRITERIA

The examiner rates your performance throughout the speaking test, using
detailed performance descriptors. These describe speaking performance at
the nine IELTS bands according to four diiferent criteria:

1. Fluency and Coherence 25%

2. Pronunciation 25%
3. Vocabulary 25%
4. Grammar 25%

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 FLUENCY AND COHERENCE
Fluency is the ability to maintain a natural flow of language without
unnatural hesitation, pausing or repetition. It has nothing to do with talking
quickly.
Coherence is the logical organization, development and connection of
ideas. It has nothing to do with putting a linking word at the start of every
sentence. It has nothing to do with ideas.

What you should do

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1. Speak at a natural pace i.e. not very slow, not very fast.
2. Avoid unnatural pausing, hesitation and repetition.

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3. Fully develop your answers.
4. Structure your answers.

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5. Use appropriate cohesive devices.
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Answer the specific question.
7. Natural flow of language and interconnected ideas.
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8. Use connected speech and contractions.
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What you shouldn't do

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1. Don’t over think the answer.

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2. Don’t correct your mistakes too much.

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3. Don’t search for language too much.

4. Don’t repeat the same points over and over.
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5. Don’t stop in Part two.

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6. Don’t speak unnatural slowly or quickly.

7. Don’t insert formal or academic linking words.
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8. Don’t overuse linking words.

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9. Don’t give very short answers.

What is fluency and Coherence is not?

1. Speaking very quickly.

2. Not making any pauses or hesitations.
3. Give 'good' answers.

How good candidates sounds for fluency and coherence

1. Speaks without any effort at all.

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 2. Gives very well developed answers.
3. They do not search for either language or content. Any small
hesitations are content related.
4. The listener does not have to think about what the person is
saying because everything is very well signposted.

Difference between band 7 and 8 for fluency and coherence

1. Band 7 students tend to hesitate, pause or repeat ideas/phrases to

a higher degree.
2. Band 7 students will have hesitation relating to both language
and content, whereas a Band 8 is nearly all content related.
3. Band 7 students have mixed control of linking words, whereas
Band 8 students make rare mistakes in this regard.

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 PRONUNCIATION
This refers to your ability to speaking clearly, so that the examiner can
understand everything without making any effort and having control of
higher level pronunciation features, such as:

1. Sentence stress
2. Word stress
3. Intonation
4. Connected speech

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What you should Do

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1. Speaking clearly. Make sure you can make all of the sounds of
English clearly. The examiner should easily understand every

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word.
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Understand and use correct word and sentence stress.
3. Use natural intonation.
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4. Speak in full sentences.
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5. Use connected speech:

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● Linking of sounds.
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● Weak sounds.
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● Contractions.
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What you shouldn't do

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1. Don’t say everything so clearly that you don't use connected

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speech.
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2. Don’t allow your native language to interfere with clear use of

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English.
3. Don’t try to use American or British accent.
4. Don’t speak with no enthusiasm or feeling.
5. Don’t speak in small chunks of language.

How good candidates sound pronunciation

1. There is no strain at all on the examiner when they listen.

2. The candidate does not only have an awareness of higher level
pronunciation features, but full control of these features.

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 Difference between band 7 and 8 for pronunciation

1. Examiner can understand everything for both, but with Band 8

the accent causes only minimal problems.
2. Band 7 students use higher level pronunciation features with
mixed control.
3. Band 8 students only have occasional lapses when it comes to
use of pronunciation features.

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 VOCABULARY
This refers to your ability to express meaning both accurately and
precisely, using words that are both appropriate and accurate. Using a
range of vocabulary with topic-specific and idiomatic language accurately.
You should talk about a variety of topics.

What you should do

1. Use topic-specific words.

2. Use 'less common' words and phrases.

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3. Use idiomatic phrases when appropriate.
4. Use suitable/appropriate words and phrases.

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5. Use vocabulary accurately.
6. Use appropriate collocations accurately.

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7. Pronounce words correctly.
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Paraphrase when you cannot express a word or idea.
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What you shouldn't do
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1. Don’t repeat the same words again and again.

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2. Don’t force complex words into your sentence without knowing

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them 100%
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3. Don’t use idioms that are wrong or inappropriate.

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4. Don’t learn lists of 'academic' words.

5. Don’t keep quiet when you are unsure of a word or phrase
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6. Don’t get nervous or think you are going to do terribly if you get
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an 'unfamiliar' topic.
7. Don’t try to use words you do not know 100% i.e. meaning,
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pronunciation, synonyms and collocations.

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How good candidates sound for vocabulary

1. They have enough vocabulary to talk about any topic.

2. The vocabulary they use is both accurate and appropriate.

Difference between band 7 and 8 for vocabulary

1. They can both discuss a variety of topics, but a Band 7 candidate

may make some mistakes when it comes to accuracy.
2. Accuracy includes meaning and collocation.

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 3. Band 8 students are allowed some mistakes, but they are only
occasional.

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 GRAMMAR
Refers to your ability to:

1. Produce 'complex' sentences.

2. Use appropriate grammar structures and tenses.
3. Produce error-free sentences.

What you should do

1. Try to use as many 'error-free' sentences as possible.

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2. Use 'complex' sentences.
3. Use a variety of appropriate structures.

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4. Use tenses correctly.
5. Follow the 100% rule.

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What you shouldn't do rss
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1. Don’t try to use as many different structures as possible.
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2. Don’t try to impress the examiner with complex grammar.

3. Don’t make basic or systematic errors.
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Vocabulary and Grammar

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1. Remember that it is a speaking test, not a grammar and

vocabulary test.
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2. The goal of speaking is to communicate clearly, not list long and

complicated words and phrases.
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3. Focus on communication. Clarity is the key.

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How good candidates sound for Grammar

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1. Each structure or tenses is used in response to the question

asked.
2. Minimal errors.
3. Any errors are not basic or systematic.

Difference between Band 7 and 8

1. To get Band 8 the majority of your sentences will have to be

completely free of errors and any errors you do make are not

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 basic or systematic.
2. To get a Band 8 you have full control of structures and tenses.

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 PART ONE SPEAKING STRATEGY

Part one speaking test lasts for around 4-5 minutes. If you answer the
questions properly, there should be three topics and you will be asked 3-4

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questions for each topic. You will normally be asked around 12 questions
in total. Your first topic will be either: Work/Study or Hometown

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 WHAT TO DO AND WHAT TO AVOID
The three most common topics are:

1. Work/Study
2. Hometown
3. Your home

You will only be asked about one of these. There are NO specific
common topics so it is impossible to predict what you will be asked. The
questions are about you, so it's impossible to get them 'wrong'.

What you should do

1. Answer the questions naturally and spontaneously.

2. Develop your answers appropriately.
3. Do not give a speech.
4. Remember these questions are about YOU, so there is no need to
think deeply about the answers.
5. Expect the unexpected.
6. Pretend like you care.
7. Take this as an opportunity to relax and get into a groove.
8. Treat the examiner like a human being.

What you should avoid

1. Prepare memorized answers.

2. Give very short answers or long answers.
3. Think too much about the answers.
4. Get stuck when you get an 'unusual' topic or question.
5. Seem like you don't care or don't want to be there.
6. Being so nervous that you can't perform properly.
7. Talk to the examiner like you are a recording device.

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 HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR ANSWER
One of the big mistakes students make in Part 1 is giving very short
answers. However, developing your answer does not mean talking as much
as possible. Your answers should be not too short and not too long. One
word or phrase is obviously too short but if you are including more than
three sentences, I think this is probably too long. A very simple way to
make sure that you develop your answers is to simply answer the question
and add an extra piece of information. If you do this, you will be sure to
follow the 'not to short, not too long' rule.

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Extra Info.1- Explanation
● This is the most obvious way to add extra information and we can

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do it simply by adding a word like 'because'.

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● Example- How often do you read?
● Bad answer- I read every night before bed.
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● Better answer- I read every night before bed because I find it
difficult to get to sleep and reading fiction relaxes me and switches
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off my brain.
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Extra Info. 2- Contrast

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● Another obvious example is contrasting by using a word like 'but'

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or 'although'.
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● Example- Do you read every night?

● Bad answer- I normally read Monday to Friday.
● Better answer- I normally read Monday to Friday but at the
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weekend I tend not to read at all because I go out on Saturday and

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Sunday night with friends and I'm not in the mood to read when I
come home.
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Extra Info. 3- Combine Details

● Very simply, we combine two things by adding the word 'and'.
● Example- Do you read every night?
● Bad answer- I normally read Monday to Friday.
● Better answer- I normally read Monday to Friday and I also like to
read during the day on Saturday and Sunday as those are my days
off and I have more free time to relax.

Extra Info.4- Past Comparisons

● We use the phrase 'used to' to compare the past and the future.

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 ● Example- Do you read every night?
● Bad answer- Not anymore.
● Better answer- I used to read all the time, but since I became a
father, all of my time is spent looking after the new baby, so I don't
have time.

Extra Info. 5-Future

● Use 'will' or 'be + going to' to talk about the future.
● Example- Do you read every night?
● Bad answer- Not at the moment. Maybe in the future.
● Better answer- Not at the moment, but I'll definitely try to read
more next year when I have more free time in the evenings.

Extra Info. 6- Examples

● An easy way to develop your answers is to add an example.
● Example- Do you read every night?
● Bad answer- Yes, I do.
● Better answer- Yes, I do, like last week I got in to a really good
book called XYZ and I couldn't wait to get into bed each night and
read it.

Extra Info. 7- Frequency

● You can use words like 'usually', 'never', 'always', and 'more often
than not.' to extend your answers.
● Advanced tip- Use one of the many frequency idioms.
● Example- Do you read every night?
● Bad answer- No, not often.
● Better answer- Once in blue moon I'd say because I'm normally so
tired by the time my head hits the pillow, I'm out like a light.

Preparation

1. You must talk to people

2. Engage in small talk
3. Ask someone to ask you Part1 questions.
4. If you're really alone then you should look at past papers and
record yourself.

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 PART TWO SPEAKING STRATEGY

You will have one minute to prepare and you are allowed to make notes.
You should speak for up to 2 minutes. The examiner will stop you and

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might ask you one follow up question.

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Why do students fail this part?

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1. Don't speak for the two minutes.
2. Read their notes, rather than talk.
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3. Run out of things to say.
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4. No structure to their answers.
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5. Think they know nothing about the topic.

What can you talk about?

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You can talk about the bullet points..... But also......

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1. Introduce the topic: Start by saying 'I'm going to talk about X. I

choose this topic because....... '
2. Description: Now pause and say 'So let me tell you about X in a
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little more details.'

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3. Your opinion: Now you can pause and say 'personally, I would
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say + your opinion on topic.' You can add another related

opinion using 'I strongly believe that......... '
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4. Past: pause and use linking words like 'anyway, in the past' or
'back in 2012.......'
5. Present: Now pause and say 'at the moment' or 'presently....'
6. Future: Now start off by saying 'with regards to the future.........'
or 'In the future..........'
7. Give examples
8. Tell a story
9. Anything else....... As long as you are are talking about the
general topic.

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 THE STRATEGY
Look at the cue card and then decide which of the bullet points you are
comfortable talking about. Add other things you are more comfortable
talking about from the list provided and make short notes for a plan,
keeping these brief. On the piece of paper provided, write down these eight
headings below and make short notes about the general topic beside them.

1. Introduction
2. Description
3. Opinion
4. Past
5. Present
6. Future
7. Examples
8. Tell a story

Cohesive Devices

1. Introduce- 'Today I'm going to talk about......... '

2. Description- 'To get into the details....... '
3. Your opinion- 'Personally, I'd have to say.........,'
4. Examples- 'Like........ ' or 'For example........,
5. Past- depending on the situation, you can say 'in the past......... '
or 'back in 2005.......'
6. Present- 'At the moment.....,'
7. Future- 'in the future + 'will' or be + going to'

Preparation
This will not come easy to you immediately and it does require
practice. When you get the hang of this, it will be very easy for you to
produce a two minutes talk on any topic. Simply find lots of part two
questions and practice using this technique. Start slow and improve
gradually. Record yourself. The goal is to be able to talk for two minutes
while looking at notes for cues.

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 PART THREE SPEAKING
STRATEGY

You will be asked questions relating to (not exactly the same) the same

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topic as part two and it will last for 4-5 minutes. The questions will be
more abstract i.e. they will be about ideas, not about you. This part is

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designed to stretch your abilities to the limit. You will get difficult

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questions.

What you should do

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1. Use the given strategy to extend your answers.
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2. Treat this as the most important part and finish strong. Practice
speaking for 15 minutes in English.
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3. Expect difficult questions and answer them as best as you can.

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4. Ask the examiner questions if you don't understand. But only

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two questions are allowed.

5. Be aware of the seven most common types of questions and
answer accordingly.
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6. Get used to discussing ideas, not yourself, people or events.

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What you should avoid

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1. Giving short answers.

2. Trying to finish quickly.
3. Getting stressed or upset when you get a question you don't
know how to answer.

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 SEVEN MOST COMMON QUESTIONS
1. Opinion: You will be asked what you think about something.
Example, do you think that students use eBooks?
2. Evaluation: You will be asked to comment on someone else's
opinion. For example, some people think that paper books are
bad for the environment. Do you agree?
3. Future: You will be asked to speculate about what will happen
in the future. For example, do you think people will read more
books in the future?
4. Cause and Effect: You may also be asked to discuss what has
caused a certain situation and what effects this has. For example,
how do online retailers affect the type of books people buy?
What effect does this have on the book market?
5. Hypothetical: You will be asked an 'unreal' or imaginary
situation. For example, if you were a book publisher, what genre
of books do you think would be most successful?
6. Compare and Contrast: You will be asked to compare and/or
contrast two or more things. For example, do you believe
eBooks or paper books are more suitable for students?
7. Past: You will be asked about how things were in the past or
how things have changed from the past up until now. For
example, how has the way people purchase books changed in the
last 25 years?

Part 3 Strategy

1. Answer the question

2. Explain your answer
3. Give examples to support your answer
4. Show the other side/concession.

Part 3 preparation

1. Get a partner to ask you questions and record your answers.

2. Do this by yourself by looking at a list of real questions and
record yourself.
3. Start off slow and think about the type of question and the
grammar and functional language needed to answer it

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 How will the examiner judge your pronunciation?
The first thing the examiner listens to is clarity. In order words, can
they understand what you are saying? They will NOT be judging your
accent but they will listen for higher level pronunciation features. If you
are not clear you will struggle to get a high score. If the examiner can't
understand what you are saying, then they won't be able to judge anything.
This is shouldn't be a problem at your level. There could be two problems:

1. Mispronunciation of certain sounds.

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2. First language interference.

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Other pronunciation features that are tested include:

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● Individual sounds
● Clarity

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● Word stress
● Sentence stress rss
● Connected speech
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● Intonation
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