15 useful phrases that can impress the examiner in your IELTS Speaking part one.

Now, IELTS Speaking part one is all about first impressions. You want to make a
good first impression, especially with your English, to pave the way for the rest of the
test.

So you need to be calm, in control, and well prepared. The great thing about the
phrases we're looking at today is that, you can use them in all sorts of topics,
different topics.

We're going to be looking at some very common question types, to talk about things
you like, talk about things you're good at, talk about how often you do things, different
adverbs. Connectors, and the question, would you, and so on.

Would you like to be a scientist?

Hmm, maybe I would, I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about it.

Those are the different kinds of questions we're going to look at. Now, a very
important point. I don't want you to try and take my phrases. I don't want you to try
and squeeze them in to your answers at all costs.

No. Doesn't work. Learn them, practice them, and try and use them naturally in your
speaking, that is so important.

How can you practice using them naturally? Well, that's a very good question, and
I'm very glad you asked me. Here are some ideas.

First, number one, you could get a list of questions, get a list of my phrases, and have
a look where could you use these phrases in which answers.

And then practice answering. Number two, you could do the same activity, but with a
speaking partner. Do it together. Two heads are better than one, right? Number
three, is you could find a teacher and just practice answering questions with your
teacher. The great thing about that is that you get feedback, quality feedback, that
will guide you and help you give better answers.

Right now, let's get into these useful phrases for IELTS Speaking part one. Okay, so
the first area we're going to look at is things you like. Which is a common kind of
question in IELTS Speaking part one. So the examiner may ask you questions like
the following.

Do you like music? -Do you like art? - Do you like social media? -Do you like coffee?

Now, of course you could say Yes. Yes, I like it. Yes, I love it.
But you could also say, yes, I can't get enough of it. I can't get enough of it. Which
means that you want more and more because you like it so much. It's a great phrase.
I can't get enough of it. Repeat with me. I can't get enough of it. I can't get enough of
it. Lovely, great.
Do you like music? Lovely. Now do notice, we're talking about a thing in the
singular. If the question's in the plural, then it changes. So if the question is, do you
like cakes?

Or do you like books? Or do you like cars? Yes, I can't get enough of them. Them,
you must change it to the plural. Do you like books? That's it. Let's move on. Okay,
now we're still talking about things you like, and the next phrase is, what I like most
about it.

It's a lovely phrase. Again, if the examiner is asking you, do you like art? Do you like
social media? Do you like coffee? And, do you like science? Now, of course you could
say yes, I do. It's great. It's very interesting. Not great, but what about the following?

Do you like science? Yes, what I like most about it is it's so interesting.

For example, last week I read an article about solar panels and how we can use them
to protect the planet. So it's a lovely phrase, it's a complex chunk. What I like most
about it, and it leads into a longer answer. Very naturally, you're gonna say what you
like most. So there's adjectives. And then an example, it's a beautiful natural
progression. Lovely.

Do you like science? Nice, let's move on. Okay, the next phrase, still talking about
things you like is, I love that it allows me to. I love that it, the thing we're talking
about, science, or coffee, allows me to do something. Pronunciation, I love that it
allows me. That it allows me.

I love that it allows me to. So the examiner may ask you the following. And, do you
like science? Yes, I love that it allows me to understand the world around us. Do you
like social media? Yes, I love that it allows me to connect with my family and friends
at the press of a button.

Do you like coffee? Yes, I love that it allows me to wake up quickly, and be on the
ball at work. That's a nice expression, be on the ball. Idiom, idiomatic, to be on the
ball is to be alert, clever, sharp, in any situation.

To be on the ball at work. Let's move on to the next group of phrases. Okay, the next
group we've got two phrases, and we're talking about things that you are good at, or
not good at.

The examiner may ask questions like the following. Do you cook? Do you swim? Do
you play sports? Or. Are you good at cooking? Are you good at swimming? Are you
good at playing sports? I've said, are you good at playing sports? So if the examiner
asks you - Do you cook? Are you good at cooking? You can say, yes, I do.
Yes, I'm good at it. Good at, I'm good at it. Or, yes, I have a knack for it. I have a knack for something, means I'm
good at, I have a special talent for it. Yes, I have a knack for it. Or yes, I have a knack for cooking. Yes, I have a
knack for swimming. Means you're good at it. I wonder, what sport do you have a knack for? If you like sport.
Now that's a positive thing. The next phrase is when it's less positive. So if the answer's no, you can say, no, I'm
hopeless at it.

I'm hopeless at it. Instead of I'm bad at it, I'm hopeless at it. Pronounce with me. I'm
hopeless at it. Exactly, good. Are you good at cooking? No, I'm hopeless at it. Or no,
I'm hopeless at cooking. Great, good. Are you good at singing? Interesting, great.

Let's move on. So moving on. In the next section, we're looking at five phrases which
are talking about how often you do things.

Now, there are very common questions that the examiner may ask are like this. And
do you play football? And do you sing at all? And do you look at the sky?

And to give adverbs of frequency, how often you do it, it's perfectly fine to say yes,
sometimes, or yes, usually, or no, never. That's fine. But you can also be a bit more
colorful and creative if you like, and if you're feeling confident. So if the question is,
for example, do you play football?

You could say, instead of sometimes, how about the following? Yes, from time to
time. Yes, now and again. Yes, every once in a while. That's a nice one, every once in
a while. Meaning sometimes. Another way of saying usually is the following.

Do you play football? Yes, I play football on Saturdays, more often than not. More
often than not, lovely. More often than not. Yes, I sing in the shower. Do you sing?
Yes, I sing in the shower, more often than not. Just means usually, lovely.

Finally, if you want to say never, another way around that could be, for example, do
you sing? No, I'm not in the least bit interested in that. I'm not in the least bit
interested in that. Great. Do you cook? No, I'm not in the least bit interested in that.
Lovely expression. All of these ways to talk about how often you do things.

Let's move on.

With that, let's sip up and move on. In the next category I've got three phrases which
are all about connectors, sometimes called discourse markers. If they come at the
beginning of a sentence,

I call them signposts, because they're kind of showing the examiner what's coming
next. Now we're gonna look at three different ones and they can be used quite
flexibly. And we're looking at situations where the examiner is asking your opinion of
something. There are two common question types that come up here.
One of them is, do you prefer A or B? For example. Do you prefer hot weather or
cold weather? Do you prefer TV series or films? Another is what's your favorite?

For example.

What is your favorite kind of weather? So the first expression, or the first connector,
signpost, if you like, is without a doubt. Without a doubt. Doubt. I know it's got a B,
but you don't pronounce it. Without a doubt. And this is where you're very sure
about your answer.

So you may say-- Do you prefer hot weather or cold weather? Without a doubt, I
prefer cold weather. because in the hot weather, if it's sunny, my skin burns so easily.
The next phrase is in all seriousness. Which means you're taking a more serious tone.
It doesn't mean that you're deadly serious, but it means you're a bit more serious.

But notice how we can use it in the same way. Again, if I'm asked-- Do you prefer hot
weather or cold weather? In all seriousness, I prefer cold weather because in the hot
weather, if it's sunny, my skin burns so easily.

And the final phrase is, to be totally upfront. To be totally upfront. To be upfront
means to be honest. So this expression means, to be honest, to be completely honest,
to be totally upfront. Can you say that? To be totally upfront. And again, we could
use it similarly.

If I'm asked-- Do you prefer hot weather or cold weather? To be totally upfront, I
prefer the cold weather because if it's hot and sunny, my skin burns so easily. Great.

You'll notice that these signposts or fillers are a little bit idiomatic, they don't have to
mean exactly what it says. If you say, well, to be honest, it doesn't mean everything
else you said was a lie. All my past answers, I was lying, but now to be honest. No, it
doesn't mean that. It's really just a filler. It's just a way of starting your sentence in a
nice way.

So as you've seen, I've used all three for the same context, so they're very flexible, can
be used. They're powerful signposts, help your coherence and your fluency, lovely.
Let's move on.

The next and final category is the would question. So sometimes in part one you may
be asked, would you, ba, ba, ba, ba. Would you do something, or would you like to do
something?

For example-- Would you like to be famous? Would you give shoes as a present? So
I'm gonna give you two phrases. One is a yes answer, and the other is a no answer.

So if you're asked, for example, would you like to be famous? Yes, I wouldn't think
twice about it. And then develop your answer. But yes, I wouldn't think twice about
it. Meaning I wouldn't think a lot, I would just do it. Of course, yes. Yes, absolutely.
Without a doubt. I wouldn't think twice about it. Great. The opposite or the negative
answer, no. So for example, same question.

Would you like to be famous?

No, not for the love of money. Not for the love of money. So even if somebody gave
me lots of money, I wouldn't do it. So no, not for the love of money. There is a similar
expression. No, not for all the money in the world. You could imagine. But I like, no,
not for the love of money. Great, so what about you? Would you like to be famous?
Tell me more. Actually don't tell me more, we're moving on.

Now, remember what I said about using these phrases and not squeezing them in, but
to use them naturally. How do you speak naturally?

Well, to be honest, to be totally upfront, it doesn't happen overnight. In all

seriousness, you have to practice every day. You really need to turn up every day.
Step-by-step you slowly get towards that goal, speaking more and more naturally. So
puts in the time, put in the energy, have fun, but put in time to do it.

As I say to my students, every day that you practice, the door to opportunity opens a
little bit more. So practice. So long-term investment, but your speaking natural
English is a long-term investment. Great. It's been wonderful as always chatting to
you. Go ahead, start practicing, and I will see you very soon in the next video. Take
care my friend, bye-bye.