give an extended answer to each IELTS speaking question sounds great but what
if you struggle to think of a way to extend your answers even in your native language
these four simple techniques can help you expand your ideas and get a better score
in your fluency and coherence they can even help you solve your vocabulary and
grammar to your advantage interested it's Asiya let's get started [Music]
in simple terms The Examiner is listening out for the ways you put your thoughts together
especially how you extend or expand on your ideas in the examiner's speaking test band
descriptors it says that to deserve a band 7 influence and coherence the candidates should
be able to speak at length without noticeable effort or loss of coherence whereas moving
up to a bent eight means that he or she can develop topics coherently and appropriately
The Examiner what the Magic Band 9 to someone who develops topics fully and appropriately ah
fluency that wonderful feeling of your words flowing like a water or at least not drying
up completely yes that's key today we're gonna talk about the following four ways to expand your
answers condition and restriction attitude and opinion reason and result and contrast and doubt
let's take them one by one with examples using typical IELTS topic questions from
all three parts of the speaking test number one condition and restriction
the two words to use are if and unless right conditional sentences old grammar class favorite
let's take an example you are talking about schools in part one and the last question you're
asked is would you like to become a teacher we know that part one questions require fairly short
answers a couple of sentences at most but here is your chance to show how well you can handle the
more complex English structures I don't think so if I had more patience then perhaps I would
but there is also the salary issue if the Pay Teachers more who knows
this is an example of using IF to present an unreal situation we're saying this is not true
but in other circumstances it's a different story so we need to use a verb in the past tense after
if and a verb in the conditional form usually with wood in the other part of the sentence the main
clause if we take the written form of the language as our model the sentences will look like this
if I had more patience I would like to become a teacher if they paid more I would consider
becoming a teacher in spoken English we didn't finish either sentence perhaps I would who knows
these are typical examples of spoken English we live a lot unsaid it avoids the unnecessary
repetition of elements that are already there in speaking we don't have to complete it spoken
English is never exactly the same as written English and so if you want that high band score in
the speaking test it's important that your grammar is as correct as possible but also that it sounds
natural as well let's look at the second part one example a series of questions about watches the
topic was reported in one of the recent exams and actually we have a free pdf with recent writing
and speaking topics on our telegram Channel I'll link it below so the topic of watches may start
with do you usually wear a watch and end with why do some people like to buy expensive watches
here is an answer if you ask me owning an expensive watch is a kind of status symbol
it makes you look and maybe feel important now an expression like if you ask me in this context
is not really conditional we often use it in conversation to exchange opinions using it in
IELTS speaking would certainly give you credit with your examiner though moving on to part two
of the test where there will be many opportunities to use conditional sentence with if let's take up
again the general topic of school or education in a more General sense what if the part two topic
reads something like this describe a subject you didn't like at school but that interests
you now if I had my time all over again I would pay more attention to the literature classes
the classic second conditional with a verb in the if clause in the past tense and the verb
with wood in the main clause then the candidate goes on to say I'm sure that if I'd never met
my partner I wouldn't have become so interested in learning more about great works of literature
yes the third conditional where we talk about past we cannot change again getting the grammar correct
is very important in the third conditional in the eve Clause we put had and past participle
if I had met in the main Clause we put would have Plus past participle I would have become
or I wouldn't have become when we speak we tend to shorten the auxiliary verbs I'd never met I would
have become I'd have become when I was learning English I hate in the third conditional so if you
don't feel confident using it know that you don't really have to what you inevitably have to face
in your exam is part three where the examiner is really trying to stretch you to see how good your
English really is the questions become more hypothetical and require more complex answers
all the more reason to know your conditioners let's change our topic in part three imagine
that you're talking about house part two topic was something like describe something you do
that keeps your fitting healthy The Examiner asks you to what extent are governments responsible for
the health of their citizens well how about this for an answer I strongly believe that
unless governments take measures to limit the sugar content in things like soft drinks health
of a lot of people will be at risk and then the reasons behind this way of thinking would follow
note that although the sensor is close to how we write it's still recognizable as the
kind of English we speak like soft drinks a lot of people these phrases are informal
unless of course simply means if not let's move on to our second category it's time to turn to
attitude and opinion and the modal verbs would and should model verbs are often used when we
express our opinions for example to show how true we think something is going back to part one and
that question about becoming a teacher let's add a little to our answer if the paid teaches well then
who knows I mean if teachers receive the benefits they deserved the word would be a fairer place
here it's clear that the conditional sentence is an expression of how the speaker feels her
attitude the world would be a fairer place under that condition in fact we can say
teachers should earn a good salary should can mean what is a deal what's desired teachers
should earn well we should have more hospitals and so on but it can also indicate probability
compare these two sentences for teenagers classes should start late around 11 A.M at the earliest
because that fits in with their sleep patterns if we do that then academic performance should
generally improve the first shoot does show what's ideal or just what's a good idea but the
second should is an expression of probability I'm saying it's probable or likely that performance
will improve now part two of the test becoming interested in a subject you didn't like at school
the candidate mentioned before not paying attention to literature what if we put that
in this context my literature teacher said I had potential I really should have listened to her if
I had done then it wouldn't be practically starting from scratch with the subject now
yes you should have that feeling of regret at not having done something in the past is so common but
we need to look at the grammar of it should have Plus past participle of the main verb should have
listened again we pronounce have as of should have we can also regret doing something I shouldn't
have given up my studies when I did and in part three these uses of should are particularly useful
on our sugar topic what they should have done a long time ago was Place attacks on sugar or
drinks because that would have put people off buying them and so reduced the risk of obesity
the more complex the ideas and the more complex the language we need to express our ideas and
inevitably we add reasons because and results so so explaining yourself and identifying causes is
another important area in the speaking test starting with part one do you usually wear a
watch not at all these days I have worn one but now like everybody else I have a smartphone and
so I use that so it's expresses the result of consequence the answer could be extended
actually I was thinking about getting a smart watch because I'm very health conscious these days
so if I had one I'd be able to check my heart rate and other health related metrics
we've added because to show the reason why and so to explain the possible results
what about part two and literature because I've spent the last few years studying and
now working as an engineer surrounded with hard facts and numbers for me to sit down
reading a novel feels so good now let's go to our part three sugar tax when the sugar tax
is imposed these soft drinks will become more expensive so their consumption should go down
I've chosen these two words so and because they're nice and simple to remember and a very common in
spoken English using them correctly will give you the space to develop your ideas around them and
help push your score up now let's turn to another important aspect of IELTS tests those moments when
you're asked to compare or contrast two things let's talk about though and on the other hand
there are many ways we can campaign contrast in English apart from the very common and obvious but
I've chosen though along with the phrase on the other hand as being more representative of how
we speak here is an example from part two though I never took much interest in literature when I
was at school these days I'm really getting into it of course my choice of though could
be replaced by although because here they are perfectly interchangeable we can also
put it in the middle of the sentence part one question did you enjoy science classes at school
generally I did though I found physics particularly difficult to understand
though can be a connector like although it can also mean however or nevertheless but it sounds
more natural in conversation look at this example what the government proposed it though will never
work because manufacturers will find ways to get around the new law in an essay I would use
however because it's more formal though is more informal and is better for your speaking test
we tend to use though at the end have a look at this example should somebody study maths
until they finish High School well it seems to be a good idea in theory but I'm not so sure
though I mean if you're really bad at it but say good in languages or whatever what would
be the point contrasting two opposing views is a skill that will be rewarded in IELTS speaking
another way to do it is using on the other hand it's similar to however or nevertheless but can
be used even in part one why do some people like to buy expensive watches I really don't
know I mean why waste money on a luxury item you don't really need on the other hand I guess we're
all free to spend our cash on what we feel like comparing or contrasting is a great way to extend
your answers which can be used in any part of your speaking exam even in part two though this part is
quite unique in the sense that you have to speak completely on your own and ideally for two minutes
what if on top of this you get a topic you know nothing about that's what I'm talking about in
this video here how to talk for two minutes when you don't know what to say and don't forget to
download our free pdf guide with recent IELTS writing and speaking topics in the description
thank you so much for watching me today good luck with your preparation and your exam bye