In the IELTS Speaking Test, it is important to extend your answers. You should extend
your answers so that you can show the examiner your range of language. In Part 1 of the Speaking
Test, there are three ways in which you can extend your answers: giving reasons, giving
examples, and stating preferences.
Let’s look first at an example of a candidate giving reasons.
Examiner: What kind of weather do you like?
Candidate: I really like weather that is warm and sunny because in my free time I enjoy
spending time outdoors.
So in this example you can see that in response to the question ‘What kind of weather do
you like?’, the candidate extended the answer by explaining why she likes ‘warm and sunny
weather’ using ‘because’.
Now let’s look at another way of extending your answers - giving examples.
Examiner: What kind of food do you like?
Candidate: I like trying many kinds of different foods, but in particular, I’m really into
Thai cuisine and Vietnamese cuisine.
In that example, the candidate has extended the answer to the question ‘What kind of
food do you like?’ by giving examples, in this case using the phrase, ‘in particular’.
Let’s take a look at one more effective way to extend your answers in Part 1 - stating
your preferences.
Examiner: Do you enjoy watching sports?
Candidate: To be honest, I’m not really a sports fan. I prefer going to concerts or
going to the cinema to see a good film.
So in this final example, the candidate said that she is ‘not really a sports fan’,
but then she extended her answer by talking about other activities that she likes doing,
in this case using ‘prefer’.
Here are some useful ways to express your preferences.
‘I prefer’ plus a noun plus the preposition ‘to’. For example, ‘I prefer coffee
to tea’. If you want to use verbs, we use the -ing form of the verbs. For example, ‘I
prefer playing sport to watching it’. We often also use ‘rather’, for example,
‘I’d rather stay home tonight than go out’.
Now let’s watch a candidate extend their answer using a combination of the strategies
that we have discussed so far.
Examiner: Now let’s talk about your study. What do you enjoy about the course you are
taking?
Candidate: Well, I’m studying design, and I absolutely love the work experience we do
as part of our course. We each work one day a week in a real design company and I actually
get to design furniture there, which is the area I want to specialise in. I’m learning
so much from the other designers that I could never learn from just studying from books.
Did you notice that the candidate used a range of ways to extend the answer? She first says
how much she likes something, then gives an example of what she specifically likes about
it, and then finally gives a reason why she likes it.
Let’s take a look at one more example.
Examiner: Now let’s talk about food and cooking. Do you enjoy cooking?
Candidate: No, it doesn’t really appeal to me that much. It just takes too long to
prepare a nice meal, and since I live alone, I’d only be cooking for myself anyway. I
prefer to eat out, or just get takeaway on my way home from work.
This candidate also extended the answer in a variety of ways, first by saying how much
he dislikes something, then by giving reasons why he doesn’t like it, and then finally,
by saying what he prefers to do instead.
Remember, when answering the examiner’s questions, try to extend your answers by giving
reasons, giving examples, or stating your preferences.