IELTS Speaking Part 1 topic: 

Applications (September
to December 2021) - Model answers, vocabulary &
structures. Credits to IELTS 123
 What kind of applications do you use on your phone or tablet?
Gosh, I use all sorts, really. It’s safe to say that I’ve got quite a mixed bunch
of apps on my smartphone, from dictionaries to games, and everything in
between. I mostly use a time management app though, as it helps me to
schedule my day-to-day tasks.
 Which is your favourite?
Hmm, it’s tough to say, but I do absolutely adore an app called
ClickUp. Basically, it’s an app that helps me to keep track of time when
working on my website and business. I can set targets, monitor progress, and
even assign myself KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). I reckon it helps me to
stay as productive as possible.
 How often do you use applications?
Every day, haha. It’s hard to function without them, y’know? Whenever I
travel somewhere new, I use Google maps. Whenever I want to see how my
family back home in England are doing, I use Messenger. Whenever I want to
chill out and unwind, I play a few games like Mobile Legends.
 How much time do you spend using applications each day?
Hmm, not as much as most people, I suppose. I rarely check Facebook, and I
detest most forms of Social Media, so I hardly spend any time whatsoever on
those kinds of apps. For others, like ClickUp- which I mentioned before, I just
need to set aside a couple of minutes to plan and schedule my daily tasks, then
it takes care of the rest.
 +Do you think you spend too much time using applications?
No, definitely not. I must only spend around 30-minutes each
day on them. Needless to say, that does vary, but on average, I’d say that
I’m a modest user. My wife spends way too much time on them though, haha.
 Have you ever downloaded an application because a friend
recommended it?
I have, yeah. An old student of mine once recommended Mobile Legends to
me, I was curious because I hadn’t played games in a long time, so I
decided to try it. This was back in 2017 mind you. I didn’t have my own
business back then, and I had much more free time than I do these
days. Naturally, I sunk a lot of hours into it 

VOCABULARY LIST:
Application > App (we almost always use “shortened forms” (abbreviations)
in spoken English, such as TV, CCTV, PC).
The preposition we use for devices = on
For example, “I check the news ON my smartphone” / “I watched it ON the TV
last night” / “I love to play games ON my computer”
Be careful if you use the word “Addicted” whilst speaking in the exam.
I’m + addicted + to + Facebook / I am + an addict (advanced way = “I’m a
(Facebook) addict”) / It is + addictive.
It’s very common to hear people use this word incorrectly, similar mistakes
are commonly made with words like “Success” and “Stress“, too.
A heavy user (noun) = someone who uses something very frequently.
A modest user (noun) = someone who uses something occasionally.
A light user (noun) = someone who uses something from time to time.
We use heavy/modest or moderate/light to
express quantity (amount), frequency, rate, and level.
TYPES OF APPS:
Lifestyle apps = are usually based on subjects such
as Fitness / Dating / Food / Travel / Music, some good examples of Lifestyle
apps are, Spotify, Uber and Tripadvisor.
Social Media apps = any app that people use to contact others and share things
about their lives, some good examples of Social Media apps are Facebook /
Instagram / Twitter / LinkedIn / WhatsApp / Messenger / Line / YouTube.
Utility apps = we often use this kind of app without thinking about it or
downloading them, they come preinstalled on most devices, some good
examples of Utility apps are Calculator / Calendar / Weather / Flashlight.
Games or Entertainment apps = one of the most popular kinds of app that
most people enjoy using, some great examples are Angry birds / Netflix /
YouTube / Mobile Legends.
Productivity apps = this kind of app helps people to be more productive or
work more efficiently, it is a large category that boasts many features
like Wallet / Pay / Documents / Sheets / Evernote / Wunderlist / ClickUp.
News or Information apps = exactly what you think it is, apps like Buzzfeed /
Google News / CNN / Reddit / Flipboard.
USEFUL STRUCTURES:
All sorts (phrase) = a large number of things or people. I typically use this as
a response to questions like “What do you like to do over the weekend?“. I will
typically say something like “Gosh, all sorts, really”.
“It’s safe to say that” = one of my favourite structures to use in Part 3, answer
1. When something is safe to say, it means that most people wouldn’t argue or
disagree with what you’re going to say next.
“From (A) to (Z) and everything in between” = a great way to avoid listing
many things. Here is a good example of this is “What do most people do for
work in your hometown?” a typical answer of mine will sound like “Gosh, all
sorts, really. From farmers to doctors and everything in between“.
“To keep track of +something” = to follow or monitor something / or / to be
fully aware of or informed about something.
“Absolutely adore” (collocation) = a way to say you love something, very
expressively. I use this whenever I’m asked about my “favourites” in Part 1.
“Needless to say,” = if you’ve checked my other model answers, you’ll notice I
use this structure quite often. It basically means that you don’t need to say
what you are going to say next, and it suggests that the listener is already
able to know what you’ll say.
“On average” = something that is generally true.
“To sink a lot of time into +something” = another way to say spend a lot of
time doing something.
“Mind you” = used in speech to give stress to a statement that one is making so
that a preceding or following statement will not be misunderstood. For example,
“His advice wasn’t very helpful, I’m not criticizing him, mind you.” - the
listener might think I was criticizing him in this example.