SPEAKING

Part 1: Social Interaction (2’)

OVERVIEW Part 2: Description (3’)
OF THE Part 3: Discussion (3’)
SPEAKING
TEST

PART 1 SOCIAL INTERACTION

OVERVIEW
In this section, the examiner asks you some simple questions about yourself. You will be
asked to answer questions that can be about your life now, things you have done in the past
or your plans for the future, you may also be asked about hobbies, interests and your dislikes,
opinions, etc.
Part 1 tests your ability to:
- hold a simple conversation about everyday topics
- give basic personal information.

COMMON TOPICS
Meeting new Outdoor Learning Where you live Collecting
people activities English things
The sea Memories Writing Your studies Food
Computers Childhood Clothes Your job Birthdays
Restaurants Weather School Hobbies Flowers
Dancing Shopping Friends Sports Birds
Rain Films Weekends Festivals Television
Music Festivals Photography Buildings Rain
Hotels Relaxation Animals Routines Family
Museum Cycling Names Cooking Colours
Seasons Happiness Email Public Eating healthy
transport

QUESTION TYPES AND TIPS

GENERAL DISCRIPTION
E.g. Tell me about your hometown.

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This means: “Tell me about your ability to describe something (a place) and give me some
town or city vocabulary.”
ü You may start with
OK then...
Alright...
Well, you know...
Actually...
Right, OK...
Well...
Well first of all...

ü Use specific words

Adjectives: beautiful, special, attractive, positive, good point, famous
Nouns: people, the weather, places, things: trees, plants, roads, streets
Verbs: work on the farm, work in the field, play, hang out, study

‘DO YOU LIKE’ QUESTIONS

E.g. Do you like animals?
ü Use different phrases
I'm fairly/ pretty keen on...
I'm really into...
I'm quite a big fan of...
I simply adore...
I'm quite enthusiastic about..

‘DON’T YOU LIKE/DO YOU DISLIKE’ QUESTIONS

E.g. What don’t you like about your house?
What do you NOT like about your study?
Is there any food you don't like?
What's the worst thing about shopping?
ü Use different expressions
I'm not so keen on...
I'm not much of a fan of...
I'm not (really that) fond of...

‘TYPE’ QUESTIONS
E.g. Tell me about the different types of public transport in your country.
ü Start your answer with
Well actually...
Of course, you know...
Sure, obviously...
Of course, it goes without saying...
Ok, certainly...

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 ü Use different expressions
There are many kinds/types/sorts of (public transport)
But the most common/popular one is …
ü Use specific adjectives
common, popular, fashionable, trendy, famous
well-known, crucial, important, significant, widespread

‘WH-/ HOW OFTEN’ QUESTIONS

E.g. How often do you go to the cinema?
The answer to this type of question usually depends on different situations/conditions such
as Weekdays / Weekends, Summer / Winter, Good weather / Bad weather, Term time /
School holidays.
ü Use if clause
If (situation A) … I will most likely …
If (situation A) … (then) I will …
If (situation A) … (then) I will probably …
ü Use other linking phrases
whereas
in contrast …
on the other hand …
Though, at the same time …
While, oppositely …

‘YES/NO’ QUESTIONS
This is a common type of question that asks the candidate to confirm or deny the statement
made in the question.
E.g. Is healthy eating important?
ü Use linking phrases
because/ for the reason that/ + S V
because of / due to/ thanks to + a noun phrase
for example
like / such as

EXERCISE 1: Answer the following questions.

Tell me about the house/ flat you live in.
Describe your hometown.
Tell me about your job.
Tell me about your family.
Tell me about your city.
What is your main ambition?
What makes you happy?

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 EXERCISE 2: Answer the ‘liking’ questions below.
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/ job?

EXERCISE 3: Answer the ‘disliking’ questions below.

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?

EXERCISE 4: Answer the ‘types of’ questions below.

Tell me about the type of sports that are popular in your country?
What kinds of restaurants are popular in your country?
What types of shop can be found in your local area?
What types of things do people collect in your country?
What hobbies are common in your country?
What types of TV programmes are popular in your country?

EXERCISE 5: Answer the ‘Wh-/How often’ questions below.

Where do you usually go shopping?
When do you usually read?
At what time of day do you usually listen to music?
Who do you spend your evenings with?
When do you go out in the evenings, what do you usually do?
How often do you play sports?
How often do you eat in restaurants?

EXERCISE 6: Answer the ‘Yes/No’ questions below.

Is healthy eating important?
Is crime a problem in your country?
Do people in your country often keep pets?
Is it always good to be ambitious?

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 PART 2 DESCRIPTION
OVERVIEW
The examiner introduces the topic (e.g. people at work) and asks you to talk for about 2
minutes about an everyday topic, e.g. a family member, your house, vacation yours, etc. You
have 1 minute to prepare your talk.
Part 2 tests your ability to:
- describe everyday situations using a variety of vocabulary and structures
- organize your language in a period of 2-3 minutes.

ü Read the card carefully with 4 prompting questions to help you organize your talk.
ü Talk about everything you can about the topic - answer prompting questions and any
other things related to the topic
ü Try to use lots of vocabulary and structures.
ü Avoid reading the questions. Try to paraphrase them and include them in your speech
ü Talk for 2 minutes - the examiner will say ‘Thank you’ when it's time to stop.

COMMON TOPICS
Let’s compare the topics in part 1 and those in part 2:
Part 1 topics Part 2 topics
• Restaurants • A restaurant
• Reading • A book
• Public transport • Form of public transport
• TV • TV program
• The sea • A river, lake or sea
• Seasons • A season
• Clothes • An item of clothing
• Photography • A photograph
• Hobbies • A hobby
• Sports • A sport
• Animals • An animal
• Buildings • A building
While preparing for the test, group the topics together.
(1) Experiences / Past events (1) Kinh nghiệm / Sự kiện trong quá khứ
(2) Objects / Material possessions (2) Vật thể / Vật sở hữu
(3) People (3) Con người
(4) Places (4) Địa điểm
(5) Media related (5) Liên quan đến truyền thông
(6) Others (anything that doesn't fit into (6) Loại khác (bất kỳ chủ đề gì không thuộc
the 5 categories above) các nhóm trên)
If you cannot remember the exact word, use:

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It's a kind of ... It's something like a ...
It's made of metal plastic/wood, etc. It's used for ...-ing

TOPIC ANALYSIS
ü Organize topics into basic groups, e.g. people, places, events, etc.
ü Learn and remember common vocabulary words for each subject area.
ü Use the same content or vocabulary and grammar for many different topics (e.g. one
teacher, one ex-)

Topics about people

(1) A famous person (1) Một người nổi tiếng
(2) A sports star (2) Một ngôi sao thể thao
(3) A singer or musician (3) Một ca sĩ hoặc nhạc sĩ
(4) A character from a story / film / TV (4) Một nhân vật trong truyện / phim /
programme chương trình truyền hình
(5) An old person (5) Một người già
(6) A teacher who has influenced you (6) Một thầy/cô giáo đã có ảnh hưởng đến
(7) A neighbor bạn
(8) A child you know (7) Một người hàng xóm
(9) A family member (8) Một đứa trẻ mà bạn biết
(10) A friend (9) Một thành viên trong gia đình
(10) Một người bạn

Topics about places

(1) An important building (1) Một tòa nhà quan trọng
(2) A history building/place (2) Một tòa nhà / địa điểm lịch sử
(3) A famous building (3) Một tòa nhà nổi tiếng
(4) A place of natural beauty (4) Một nơi có vẻ đẹp tự nhiên
(5) A peaceful place (5) Một nơi yên bình
(6) A quiet place (6) Một nơi yên tĩnh
(7) A place in your city that you know (7) Một địa điểm trong thành phố của bạn mà
well bạn biết rõ
(8) A garden/park (8) Một khu vườn / công viên
(9) A river, lake or sea you have visited (9) Một con sông, hồ hoặc biển bạn đã đến thăm
(10) A shop (10) Một cửa hàng
(11) A library (11) Một thư viện

Topics about experience

(1) Something difficult that you did well
(2) Something you would like to succeed in
doing
(3) A skill you would like to learn
(4) A short course
(1) Điều gì khó mà bạn đã làm tốt
(2) Điều gì đó bạn muốn thành công khi
làm
(3) Một kỹ năng bạn muốn học
(4) Một khóa học ngắn hạn

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(5) A happy event (5) Một sự kiện vui vẻ
(6) A party (6) Một bữa tiệc
(7) A special meal (7) Một bữa ăn đặc biệt
(8) A wedding you have attended (8) Một đám cưới bạn đã tham dự
(9) Some important advice (9) Một lời khuyên quan trọng nào đó
(10) Some help that you received (10) Một sự trợ giúp mà bạn nhận được

Topics about media

(1) A TV program (1) Một chương trình truyền hình
(2) A radio program (2) Một chương trình radio
(3) A film (3) Một bộ phim
(4) A story from your childhood (4) Một câu chuyện thời thơ ấu của bạn
(5) A book (5) Một cuốn sách
(6) A song or piece of music (6) Một bài hát hoặc một đoạn nhạc
(7) A newspaper or magazine (7) Một tờ báo hoặc tạp chí
(8) A website (8) Một trang web
(9) An advertisement (9) Một quảng cáo
(10) A photo (10) Một bức ảnh

Topics about objects

(1) Something useful
(2) An object you see every day
(3) A piece of equipment you use every
day
(4) Something electronic that you use
often
(5) An item of clothing or jewellery
(6) Something old
(7) A piece of furniture
(8) Something you made yourself
(9) A toy
(10) A vehicle you would like to own
(1) Một thứ hữu ích
(2) Một đồ vật bạn nhìn thấy hàng ngày
(3) Một thiết bị bạn sử dụng hàng ngày
(4) Một thiết bị điện tử mà bạn thường sử
dụng
(5) Một món đồ quần áo hoặc trang sức
(6) Một món đồ cũ
(7) Một món đồ nội thất
(8) Một món đồ tự làm
(9) Một món đồ chơi
(10) Một chiếc xe bạn muốn sở hữu

Topics about activities

(1) A free-time activity
(2) A hobby you would like to take up
(3) Something you do to help you relax
(4) A sport (a)
(5) An outdoor activity
(6) A game
(7) Something you like to do at weekends
(1) Một hoạt động lúc rảnh rỗi
(2) Sở thích mà bạn muốn thực hiện
(3) Hoạt động giúp bạn thư giãn
(4) Một môn thể thao
(5) Một hoạt động ngoài trời
(6) Một trò chơi
(8) Hoạt động bạn thích làm vào cuối tuần

Other topics

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 (1) An animal (1) Một con vật
(2) An enviromental problem (2) Một vấn đề môi trường
(3) A subject that you liked at school (3) Một môn học mà bạn thích ở trường
(4) An ideal job (4) Một công việc lý tưởng
(5) Food (5) Thức ăn
(6) Type of clothes (6) Loại quần áo
(7) Favourite month or season (7) Tháng hoặc mùa yêu thích
(8) Type of weather (8) Loại thời tiết

EXERCISE 7: Describe someone who is famous in your country. (Or describe a

famous person who you admire.)

You should answer the questions below:

Who is the person?
Why is he / she famous?
Why do you admire this person?
What would you do if you met this person?
ü Suggestion
Choose a star who is famous in more than one area, such as a pop star who also acts in movies
and TV shows.
ü Vocabulary
a singer/ pop star/ movie star
hit, popular, win prizes,
beautiful/ handsome, attractive, talented, intelligent, clever
ask for signature, take photos with him/her, chat/talk with, interview him/her about her/his
life, ask questions
ü Grammar Point
Use present tenses. Use ‘used to’ describe something in the past: E.g. She used to be a TV show
host.
Use present perfect. E.g. I’ve been an admirer of her for many years.
Use ‘would / could / might’ to talk about the last point. E.g. If I met her I would like to have
dinner with her.

EXERCISE 8: Describe an important building in your city.

You should answer the questions:
Where is the building located?
What does it look like?
What is it used for?
How often you visit this place?
ü Suggestion
It is quite difficult to describe traditional Vietnamese architecture in English, so describe a
multi-functional building such as a shopping and entertainment centre.

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 ü Common Vocabulary
downtown, in the city center,
tall, ancient, beautiful, big, large, modern, well-known, landmark
a shopping mall, a supermarket, offices, apartments
at weekends, on holidays
ü Grammar Point
Use past tenses: E.g. It was originally constructed/built in 1890. Years ago, it was primarily
used as a government office. Now its main function is... I used to go there quite a lot when I
was a kid.

EXERCISE 9: Describe something difficult that you did well.

You should answer the questions below:
What did you do?
Why was it difficult?
How did you manage to do it?
Do you think you will do this thing again?
ü Suggestion
A good choice is to describe your experience of learning English.
ü Common vocabulary
easier said done, difficult, get familiar with
practice makes perfect, try hard, work hard, study hard
ü Grammar Point
Use some present tenses to describe some aspects of the language:
E.g. English is similar to Vietnamese in writing, but different in speaking.
Use past tenses to describe your learning experience:
E.g. At first, I found it quite difficult; I used to get confused by...

EXERCISE 10: Describe a TV program that you have seen.

You should answer the questions below:
What type of program is it?
What is it about?
How often do you watch it?
Is it popular in your country?
ü Suggestion
Choose a famous TV series such as ‘Who wants to be the Millionaire?’ or another long-
running series based on a historical legend.
ü Common vocabulary
broadcast, series, game show, presenter, player, audience
quiz, questions, give answers, in the evening, at weekend, most family like
ü Grammar Point
Use a mix of present and past tenses:
E.g. I remember when I originally saw the first episode…

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The show is still running to this day.
They have aired repeats of the show many times over the years.

EXERCISE 11: Describe something useful you use every day.

You should answer the questions below:
What is the object?
What do you use it for?
Why is it useful?
Was it expensive to buy?
ü Suggestion
You may describe a computer or mobile phone. Remember to describe its functions and
special features.
ü Common vocabulary
useful, valuable to somebody, make use of, multifunctional, cost a lot / a little
ü Grammar point
Use many different tenses for this topic:
E.g. I make use of it …
I’ve had it for 2 years …
I originally bought it ….
My life would be difficult without it because …
I couldn’t imagine life without it.

EXERCISE 12: Describe a free-time activity that you enjoy doing.

You should answer the questions below:
What is the hobby?
What do you like about it?
Why did you start doing it?
Is this hobby popular in your country?
ü Suggestion
This is probably the easiest of all Part 2 topics. It really doesn’t matter what hobby you
describe – remember to use appropriate vocabulary.
ü Common Vocabulary
Game, interest, relax, for fun, have a good time, saw friends playing, joined a group, common
ü Grammar Point
Use a wide range of tenses:
E.g. I’ve been doing this for years.
I originally took up this activity 4 years ago.
I used to do it every day but now I only spend a few hours a week doing it.
I will never forget the first time I tried this.

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 EXERCISE 13: Describe a wild animal that can be found in your country.
You should answer the questions below:
What is the animal?
Where can it be found?
How do people in your country feel about it?
Have you seen it?
ü Suggestion
You can choose an animal like a tiger.
ü Common Vocabulary
in the forest, king of the forest, respect, afraid, scared
national symbol, endangered species, nature, protect, natural living area
ü Grammar Point
Use a mix of present and past tenses:
E.g. I have seen it once in the zoo.
It used to be more common but now it is extremely rare in the wild.

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 PART 3 DISCUSSION
OVERVIEW
Part 3 will take 3 minutes. This includes time for the examiner to introduce the topic and ask
questions.
The general focus of Part 3 is on “others” or “in general, in society”. The questions in Part 3
can be based on things in your country, general things, or they can be about global issues.

QUESTION TYPES AND TIPS

COMPARISON QUESTIONS
Question: Are houses nowadays, the same as houses 30 years ago in your country? (Time
comparison)
Do men and women like the same types of books? (Social group comparison)

ü Use comparison and contrast structures (comparatives & superlatives)

ü Use “used to” for past comparison

X used to be much smaller … X always used to be more …
X didn’t use to have as many … X didn’t use to be as …

ü Use linking phrases:

Despite/ In spite of …, ……
Although/Though/ While/ Whereas …., ….
On the other hand, ….
In contrast, ….

Sample answer:
Question: Do men and women like the same hobbies?
Answer 1: I think men and women like different hobbies. For example, men are fond of many
types of sporting activities such as football and basketball. Also, they prefer things like
watching action movies and going to bars, but women like hobbies such as shopping,
watching TV, singing and chatting online.
Answer 2: Men tend to prefer sporting activities such as football or basketball; in contrast,
women prefer things like shopping for clothes. In addition to this, men usually watch films;
on the other hand, women are more likely to prefer watching soap operas on TV.

QUESTIONS ABOUT FUTURE

Question: What will houses be like in the future?
Answer: I think that in the future, houses will be much bigger, and maybe they will be in
some strange places such as on the moon or under the sea.

ü To have more time to think about the answer, start with

Well, this is a difficult/challenging question.

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 To be honest I have never thought about this.
What an interesting question, but I’m afraid I don’t know much about it.

ü Use future expressions

I think may be … will / might /
People tend to … In the future, there might be …
It is possible that …
People will probably …

ü Think about changes

Changes in category (E.g. More varieties will be available.)
Price Changes (E.g. Things will get cheaper or more expensive.)
Changes in size, material or form
Location changes
Change in form (E.g. There will be an electronic version.)

WH-QUESTIONS
Question: Why do so many people want to be famous?
Answer: In my opinion there are many reasons. Firstly, people think they can make more
money, live in a big house, drive an expensive car and travel around the world.
ü Start your answer with
There are many reasons …
There are (probably) a number of factors.

ü Introduce the first reason

Firstly, …
The first reason is (that) …

ü Add another or more reason(s)

The second reason is (that) …
In addition, / Additionally, / Furthermore, …

QUESTIONS ABOUT ADVANTAGES

Question: What are the advantages of travelling by trains?
Answer: I think there are many advantages. For example, it’s quite cheap and usually faster
than road travel. Also, you can usually take a train to any destination and you can sleep on
the train.”
ü Start your answer with
There are quite a few clear benefits.
Clearly there are a number of advantages.
There are few favorable aspects.

ü Use linking phrases to introduce advantages

Firstly, … Secondly, … Thirdly, …

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 The first/second/third + advantage/benefit is that …
In addition, / Additionally, / Moreover,/ …

ü Use different expressions to show advantages

benefit, favorable aspect, good point

QUESTIONS ABOUT DISADVANTAGES

Question: What are the disadvantages of travelling by trains?
Answer: I think there are many disadvantages. For example, it takes long, and it is very noisy.
Now, people are very busy, so time is money. This is why the train ticket is cheap, but few
people buy it.”
ü Start your answer with
There are quite a few clear disadvantages.
Clearly there are a number of drawbacks.
There are few unfavorable aspects.

ü Use linking phrases

Firstly, … Secondly, … Thirdly, …
The first/second/third + disadvantage/drawback/unfavorable aspect is that
In addition, / Additionally, / Moreover,/ …

ü Use different expressions

disadvantage / drawback / unfavorable aspect / bad point / downside

QUESTIONS ABOUT PROBLEMS

Question: What problems are caused by the increase in use of private cars?
Answer: There are several problems caused by the increase in the number of private cars.
Firstly, it is the main source of air pollution. Secondly, traffic congestion often occurs because
workers drive to work.
ü Start your answer with
There are quite a few clear problems.
Clearly there are a number of issues.
There are a few troubles.

ü Use different phrases to list problems

Firstly, … Secondly, … Thirdly, …
The first/second/third + problem/issue/trouble is that …
In addition, / Additionally, / Moreover,/ …

ü Use different words for problems

issue / trouble / hazard /

QUESTIONS ABOUT SOLUTIONS

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Question: How could the problems of overuse of private cars be solved?
Answer: There are a number of measures. Firstly, the government should improve the public
transportation facilities so that everyone would prefer to use bus and taxi. Moreover, people
are encouraged to share cars when they work in the same office.
ü Start your answer with
There are quite a few solutions for this issue.
Clearly there are a number of measures.
There are a few ways to solve this problem.

ü Use different linking phrases

Firstly, … Secondly, … Thirdly, …
The first/second/third + solution/measure/way to solve this problem is that
In addition, / Additionally, / Moreover,/ …

ü Use different words for solutions

Measure / way to solve this problem

EXERCISE 14: Sentences A-D below show ways of comparing things. Look at
the sentences again and complete the rules with the correct sentence number.
A. Borneo is bigger than its neighbour New Guinea.
B. Sukau is the most important city in Borneo.
C. Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in South-East Asia.
D. Rain is more common between October and March than the rest of the year.

Rules
1. We generally use comparative adjectives (e.g. bigger than) to say that something (a
person, thing, place, etc.) has more of a quality (size, height, etc.) than another - e.g.
sentences (1) ............. and (2).............
2. We generally use superlative adjectives (e.g. the most important) to say that within its
group (e.g. cities in Borneo), something has the most of a quality - e.g. sentences (3) ............
and (4)……….

EXERCISE 15: Complete the table below with the correct form of the missing
words.
Regular deep - deeper (than) - (the) deepest
safe - safer (than) - (the) safest
noisy – noisier (than) – (1) ………..
big – (2) ……….. – (3) ………..
beautiful - more beautiful – (4) ………..
Irregular good - better (than) – (5) ………..
bad – (6) ……….. – (7) ………..

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 far – further (than) – (8) ………..

EXERCISE 16: Answer the questions below.

Are schools nowadays the same as schools in the past?
Are TV programmes nowadays the same as TV programmes in the past?
Are restaurants nowadays the same as restaurants in the past?
Are free-time activities nowadays the same as 20 years ago in your country?
Are shops nowadays the same as shops when you were younger

EXERCISE 17: Answer the questions about future prediction below.

What will schools be like in the future?
What will restaurants be like in the future?
What types of people will become famous in the future?
What will shops/shopping habits be like in the future?

EXERCISE 18: Answer the ‘Why’ questions below.

Why is it important to protect old/historical building?
Why do so many people move from the countryside to cities?
Why is it important to protect the environment?
Why do people like to know about the private lives of famous people?

EXERCISE 19: Answer the ‘Advantage’ questions below.

What are the advantages of travelling by air?
What are the advantages of having a private car?
What are the advantages of zoos?
What are the advantages of playing team sports?

EXERCISE 20: Answer the ‘Disadvantage’ questions below.

What are the disadvantages of air travel?
What are the disadvantages of shopping in supermarket?
What are the disadvantages of using technology in education?
What are the disadvantages of going on holiday in foreign country?

EXERCISE 21: Answer the ‘Problem’ questions below.

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What problems are caused by international tourism?
Tourism can cause problems in natural areas. What are these problems?
What environmental problems are common in your country?
What are the problems facing the natural environment?

EXERCISE 22: Answer the ‘Solution’ questions below.

What are some solutions for the problems caused by international tourism?
What can be done to solve common environmental problems your country?
What can be done to protect the natural environment?
What are solutions to city crowding?

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