Tài liệu IELTS Speaking

fer a solution to the second 
problem. 
Now taking into account the second challenge, the only way to get to the bottom of 
this dilemma would be to 
So the complete answer might look like this : 
― what are the problems associated with the increase in car use ? ― 
(See answer to previous problems) 
How could these problems be solved ? 
―In my view, there are a number of actions that could be taken. When dealing with the 
first problem, the easiest way to work it out would be to develop new technology for car 
engines which does not cause serious air poluttion, maybe some special kind of exhaust 
filter. Taking on the second problem, the most successful way to confront this would be to 
invest heavily on research into alternative energy resources. In fact, I have heard that we 
have already produced a car which runs on water.‖ 
 If you are confident enough, you might want to develop these points further, but 
don’t do it if you are not sure that you have the vocabulary to continue producing good 
quality language. It is better to produce a medium length that is accurate in its language than 
a longer answer that contains many mistakes. 
 Go back to problems question section and practise your ―solution‖ structure for the 
problems that you thought about for each example question. 
Summary of Part Three Question Types 
 There are some question in Part Three that have not been covered in this section. 
However the 7 types that have been explained are definitely the most common. 
 If you are asked a answer that does not fit any of these structures, you can try to adapt 
the language to fit that question. 
 Remember the basic rule should always be : begin with a linking phrase, introduce an 
idea then develop it a linking structure. Do not list ideas. Separate your ideas with linking 
phrases. Most Part Three questions only need 3 ideas. 
 As I have stated before, to score 7 in speaking you do not need to produce great 
answers to every question – you just need to produce some great language in respond to 
some of the questions. 
Mat Clark – IELTS Speaking 
184 
4. Additional Tips 
Giving example 
Paraphasing 
Vague language 
Asking for help 
Example interview scripts 
Suggested futher reading 
4.1. Giving examples 
Sometimes you can finish your answer with an example structure but you do not need 
to do this with every question; one or two times in the speaking test is more than enough. 
Look at the previous answer to the ―problem‖ question. 
―It’s university accepted that there a few hazards involved with the increase in the use 
of private cars. Essentially, one fundamental concern is probably that it leads to an increase 
in pollution. This fact is unmistakably perturbing because we are facing huge global 
pollution problems at the moment. 
Additionally, another major cause for concern has to be the fact that cars consume 
huge amounts of our energy resources. And the underlying repercussions of this are that we 
will soon be confronted with a global energy crisis.‖ 
It would be quite easy to add an example to this answer: 
 ― Actually I think this idea is best illustrated with the example of oil which is running 
out at an alarming rate.‖ 
You don’t get extra marks simply for adding an example. However, your score will be 
influenced because you have used a complex linking structure: 
― Actually I think this idea is best illustrated with the example of‖ 
Use the following structures to introduce an example: 
In fact, this concept can be illustrated by the example of 
As a matter of fact, this point can be demonstrated with the case of 
In actual fact, this notion can be confirmed by the example of 
4.2. Paraphrasing 
Paraphrasing is extremely important in the speaking test because it directly affects 
your vocabulary score. 
Mat Clark – IELTS Speaking 
185 
To achieve a vocabulary score of 7 or 8, the examiner needs to hear at least one 
example of effective paraphrasing. 
Paraphrasing means saying or explaining something in your own words. In the 
speaking test it is used to explain vocabulary gaps ( words that you don’t know in English). 
A good tip for paraphrasing is the ―forget-explain-remember‖ rule. With this strategy 
you deliberately forget a particular word, then you explain the word and then you remember 
the word. Look at the following example: 
 ― An additional problem with cars is that they produce a lot of err I can’t 
remember the word, but it’s the gas that comes out of the car exhaustoh yeahcarbon 
monoxide. That’s what I mean.‖ 
 In this example the candidate has produced some effective paraphrase and used a 
complex vocabulary item( carbon monoxide), so the vocabulary score has been influenced 
in two ways. 
It is usually a good idea to think of some examples of this before the test, but the 
following examples should be quite helpful because they can be used for many topics. 
For building: architecture, interior décor, elevator, escalator 
For people: optimistic, open-minded, assertive, sarcastic 
For objects: warranty, guarantee, replacement 
It really doesn’t matter which word you decide to paraphrase as long as it’s an 
uncommon vocabulary item. 
In addition, many Chinese words can be paraphrased, especially if there is no exact 
English equivalent, such as: 
― Huo Guo, it’s a type of dish that is served in a pot and the pot is usually heated on 
the table, so the food is cooked in front of you.‖ 
This example of paraphrasing is worth more marks than simple saying ―hot-pot‖. 
Placeholders 
Placeholders are words that replace something when a speaker does not know or 
cannot remember the name of something or someone: ―You need to use a thingummy when 
you open a bottle of red wine.‖ 
Grammatically these simply replace the name of the person or object that the speaker 
cannot remember and never change their form. Other placeholders include: 
 whatsitcalled thingy thingummyjig 
When you paraphrase, try to use one of these placeholders. Look at the following 
example: 
― One of the major problems with shopping online is that there are loads of err what 
is called‖ 
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You may think this is not a very good way to impress your examiner, but this is 
exactly what native speakers do when they forgot a word. 
When you paraphrase you need to first let the examiner know that you have forgotten 
the word ( or you don’t know the word in English). 
Use the following linking phrases to begin paraphrasing: 
I can’t remember the English word; I’ll have to explain what I mean here. 
Actually, I can’t seem to remember the word; let me try to put it into plain words. 
The word has slipped my mind; I’ll try to paraphrase it for you. 
Use the following language to explain your word: 
Well what it isit is a kind /type of In some ways it’s similar to 
It’s actually something like a 
Continue your paraphrasing with: 
And it’s made from It’s often found 
It’s used by. It involves 
One of the most unique features of X is that And I should also mention that 
Then ― remember‖ the word: 
Oh I think I’ve just remembered it; the word I’m looking for is X. 
4.3. Vague language 
One language feature that sounds like native-speaker style English is vague language. 
Vague language is best described language that is not exact. 
Look at the following example: 
―You usually need to buy them in a special shop like a craft shop or somewhere like 
that.‖ 
The phrase ―or somewhere like that‖ is vague language. 
Use the following vague language in your answers: 
Rounding up the the time: 
I arrived about half past six. 
 When I arrived it was almost half past six. 
 When I arrived it was half six-ish. 
 It was nearly half past six when we arrived. 
List completers include words such as things and stuff. 
I usually watch documentaries and things like that. 
I usually watch documentaries and stuff like that. 
I’m quite fond of reading magazines and things/stuff. 
I might buy a book or something like that. 
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I usually buy books and DVDs or stuff like that. 
I might buy a book or whatever. 
I might go to the park or wherever. 
I might go with my classmates or whoever. 
Do not use too many list completers in your speaking test. A good guideline would be 
4 or 5 examples across the whole interview. 
Quantities 
Vague language is very common with numbers when expressing quantity, frequency 
or the time. Lower numbers are often expressed by phrases such as: a couple of, a few. 
Whereas, larger numbers are rounded up with: about, around or replaced with: lots of, loads 
of. 
I usually get up at around three of four o’clock. 
It costs around 15 yuan or so. 
It’s about a 1,000 yuan. 
The weather caused loads of/ lots of problems. 
With vague language, ― a couple‖ does not usually mean ―two‖; it can mean ―up to 
three‖ or even ―four‖. When you do not want to give accurate numbers, you can use the 
following: 
There were about 30 odd students in my class. 
There were about 30 or so people at the party. 
She’s not that old. I’d say she’s about 40-ish. 
There are a lot of / lots of / loads of choices. 
I’ve been to Beijing a couple of / a few times. 
I think I saw about / around 10 or so. 
4.4. Asking for help 
In the speaking test there are strict rules about how much help the examiner can give 
you. These rules are different for each part of the test. 
In Part One the examiner is allowed to repeat the question TWO TIMES if you don’t 
understand it. If you don’t understand a certain word and ask about that word, the examiner 
is not allowed to explain it; the question will be repeated in exactly the same way. 
If you do not understand the question in Part One of if you just didn’t hear it clearly, it 
is fine to ask the examiner to repeat it. 
Use the following language: 
I’m sorry I didn’t quite catch the question; could you ask it again please? 
I’m sorry I missed that one; could you repeat it please? 
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As a rule, if this happens two or three times in Part One, there will be no problem. If it 
happens more than 4 times, then the examiner will reduce your fluency score (usually by 
one point, i.e. 5 will be reduced to 4). 
In Part Two, it is unlikely that you will need the examiner to repeat anything because 
the examiner doesn’t actually say much. However, if there is a word on the topic card that 
you don’t understand , then the examiner is allowed to quickly explain that word to you 
(usually by replacing it with an easier word or giving an example). You can avoid this 
problem by checking all the topic cards featured in this book. 
In Part Three the rules are less strict. The examiner will explain vocabulary, change 
the wording of questions or simplify the questions whenever necessary. This shouldn’t 
happen very often because when Part Three begins the examiner should have a very clear 
idea of your language level and he/she will ask the questions in a way in which you should 
be able to understand quite easily. 
4.5. Example interview scripts 
The following pages give a clear picture of what a complete interview looks like. 
Remember that your interview might be slightly different to these because the number 
of questions asked will depend on the length of your answers. 
This section is only intended to give you a full picture of what the whole interview 
looks like on paper. For the first example there are suggestions of what type of answer 
structure to use. 
Interview 1 
Good afternoon, my name is Can you tell me your full name please? 
OK, can I see your ID card please? 
In this first part I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself. So first of all let’s 
talk about where you live. Do you live in a house or a flat?(Simple direct answer) 
Tell me the good things about your house of flat(Use Part One ―Liking‖ structure) 
Is there anything you don’t like about it?(Use Part One ―Disliking‖ structure) 
Do you think you will move to another area in the future?( Use Part One ―Would‖ 
structure) 
Now let’s move on to talking about reading. Do you like reading?(Use Part One 
―Liking‖ structure) 
How often do you read?(Use Part One ―It depends‖ structure) 
Where do you normally read?(Use Part One ―It depends‖ structure) 
What types of books are popular in your country nowadays?(Use Part One ―Types 
of‖ structure) 
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Let’s talk about music now. What types of music do you like listening to? (Why) (Use 
a mix of Part One ―Types of‖ and ―Liking‖ structures) 
How much time do you spend listening to music?(Use Part one ―It depends‖ structure) 
Where do you usually listen to music?(Use Part One ―It depends‖ structure) 
OK, now I’m going to give you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two 
minutes. Before you talk you’ll have one to two minutes to think about what you are going 
to say and you can make some notes if you wish, do you understand? 
I’d like you to describe the type of clothes you like wearing.(One minute preparation) 
OK, so remember you have one to two minutes for this so don’t worry if I stop you. 
I’ll tell you when the time is upCan you start speaking now please? 
Topic Card 
Describe the type of clothes you like wearing. 
You should say: 
What kind of clothes you usually like to wear 
Why you like these clothes 
Where you buy them 
 Whether these clothes are popular in your country 
OK, we’ve been talking about clothes that you wear and now I’d like to discuss with 
you one or two more general questions related to this. So first of all let’s consider clothes 
and fashion. Do men and women have different ideas about fashion? ( Use Part Three 
―Comparing‖ structure) 
Why do teenagers like to follow fashion? ( Use Part Three ―Why‖ structure) 
What are the disadvantages of following fashion? ( Use Part Three ―Disadvantages‖ 
structure) 
OK, now let’s move on to talk about uniforms. Why do some companies prefer their 
staff to wear uniforms? ( Use Part Three ―Why‖ structure) 
Interview 2 
Good afternoon, my name is... Can you tell me your full name please? 
OK, can I see your ID card please? 
In this first part I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself. So first of all let’s 
talk about where you live. Tell me about the area that you live in. 
What do you like about the area? 
Is there anything you don’t like about the area? 
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Do you think you will continue to live in this place for a long time? 
Now let’s move on to talk about films. How often do you watch films? 
What type of films do you like watching? 
Do you prefer watching films alone or with someone else? 
Is it better watching films at home or in the cinema? 
Let’s talk about birthdays now. Do you usually spend your birthday with your friends 
or with your family? 
What do children generally do on their birthdays in China? 
Are birthdays important? 
What is the most important birthday or age which is celebrated in China? 
OK, now I’m going to give you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two 
minutes. Before you talk you’ll have one to two minutes to think about what you are going 
to say and you can make some notes if you wish, do you understand? 
I’d like you to describe some help which you received in the past. (One minute 
preparation) 
OK, so remember you have one to two minutes for this so don’t worry if I stop you. 
I’ll tell you when the time is up... Can you start speaking now please? 
Topic Card 
Describe the help which you received in the past. 
You should say: 
What type of help you received 
Who helped you 
Why you needed this help 
How you felt after you received this help. 
OK, we’ve been talking about the help that you received in the past and now I’d like 
to discuss with you one or two more general questions related to this. So first of all let’s 
consider different kinds of help. Generally, what kinds of help do people often need in their 
lives? 
Do you think, in general, society is helpful? 
Do you think people were more helpful in the past than they are nowadays? 
What kinds of help with people need in the future? 
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Interview 3 
Good afternoon, my name is... Can you tell me your full name please? 
OK, can I see your ID card please? 
In this first part I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself. So first of all let’s 
talk about what you do. Do you work or are you a student? 
What are you studying? 
Why did you choose this college/ university? 
What’s good about where you’re studying? 
What would you like to do after your studies? 
Now let’s move on to talk about collecting things. Have you ever collected anything? 
What things do people collect in your country? 
Why do people collect in your country? 
Would you like to start collecting something new in the future? 
Now let’s talk about weather. What’s the weather like where you live? 
What do you do when the weather is bad? 
Whay type of weather do you like best? 
Would you like to have that type of weather all year round? 
OK, now I’m going to give you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two 
minutes. Before you talk you’ll have one to two minutes to think about what you are going 
to say and you can make some notes if you wish, do you understand? 
I’d like you to describe your childhood home. (One minute preparation) 
OK, so remember you have one to two minutes for this so don’t worry if I stop you. 
I’ll tell you when the time is up... Can you start speaking now please? 
Topic Card 
Describe your childhood home. 
You should say: 
Where this place is located 
What type of house it is 
How long you lived there 
What you liked about this place. 
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OK, we’ve been talking about your childhood home that and now I’d like to discuss 
with you one or two more general questions related to this. So first of all let’s consider 
different kinds of houses. Are houses nowadays different to houses in the past? 
What kinds of houses will be common in the future? 
What are the advantages of living in an old house? 
Why do some people like to move to a different house? 
4.6. Suggested, further reading 
Most book stories stock a wide variety of IELTS books of varying quality. 
If you have read this book, then you will have noticed that it is very language 
orientated and does not offer many ideas and content for topics and questions. As I have 
stated many times, content is really not very important in the speaking test; however, if you 
find it difficult to think of ideas and content, then there are a number of books which can 
help you. I would recommend that you combine the ideas and content of those books with 
the language structures presented throughout this book. 
Your best strategy for further improvement is to focus on two key aspects of the 
marking system: vocabulary and grammar. 
If you want to buy a vocabulary book, I would strongly recommend that you choose 
one that organises the words by topic. In this way you can study the topics that are IELTS- 
related and ignore those which do not appear in the test. A good example is: English 
Vocabulary Organiser by Chris Gough (available in China). 
In addition, I would suggest learning more idioms and phrasals verbs (especially if 
you want to score 7 or higher). 
In the same series as the above tittle: 
English Idioms organiser by Jonathan Wright available in China). 
Phrasal Verbs organiser by John Flower (available in China). 
To improve your overall grammer performance I would recommend the following two 
titles: 
English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy (available in China); 
Advanced Grammar in Use by Martin Hewings (available in China).