Ielts speaking strategies

Frankly/to be frank: you are saying something direct and honest.

Frankly/ to be frank , I don’t like Korean food.

3. 
   Typically: this situation is usually true or this is what usually happens.
   
4. 
   Obviously/ clearly: a fact can be easily noticed or understood.
   

Obviously , the first aim of primary education is to teach students basic literacy skills.

5. 
   Predictably/ inevitably: this situation was expected or certain to happen.
   

Predictably , most people find exams are stressful.

6. 
   Inevitably/surprisingly: this situation was unexpected. Surprisingly , ability is usually judged by exam results. QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE:
   

Quantities of people: nearly everyone, almost everybody, the (vast) majority of
+ types of people, most + types of people, a large percentage of + types of people, some + types of people, a few + types of people, a handful of + types of people.
Phrases of habit (showing that you are talking about a group): as a rule, tend to, generally speaking.
Types of people - ages: young adults, people who are older, students, people who love animals ,
Types of people - behavior: energetic people, sad people/ people who are sad, people with a sense of humor, lazy people, sporty people, religious people…
Adjectives of evaluation (what we think about something): thrilling, relaxing, interesting, fascinating, stimulating, exciting, inspiring, etc.

USEFUL STRUCTURES:

S + believe/find something + Adjective


They find comic books boring. I find it exciting/wonderful.
I find it delicious .
As a rule, most teenage boys find videos games very exciting .

Is watching cartoon a popular hobby in your country?

Yes, most children tend to watch animation. They are really keen on Tom & Jerry. Personally, I don’t really like these shows. I find them a bit boring.

Why do some people enjoy horror films?

Who enjoys horror films?
Why do they enjoy horror films?
Using adjectives and explanations for adjectives : ….they find horror films really thrilling . However, not many elderly like this genre because they tend to find the really disgusting .

Do people in your country enjoy fast food?

Who enjoys fast food? (Teenagers, young adults)
Why do they enjoy fast food?

HIGH-SCORE VOCABULARY

Instead of saying “I was very afraid” , you can say “I was terrified ” . It’s much better when it comes to vocabulary.
Instead of saying “my neighbor’s cat is very big” , you can say “my neighbor’s cat is immense ”
Instead of saying “his car is very fast” , you can say “his car is speedy ” .

PART 1 SPEAKING PRACTICE

QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE LIVING

What kind of town or city are you living in at the moment?

You might say: I live in a residential area in a highly populated city.
Extend your answer: I live in a big city. Actually, I live in a south side of Ho Ch Minh City. It’s a residential area near a busy intersection. (Try to focus on place language , and prepositions , then you will get a high score.)
How long do you live here? I have lived here/I have been living here for about 5 years (present perfect or present perfect continuous) .
Or you can use the structure “since”


I have lived here/I have been living here since I started university.
I have lived here/I have been living here since I began my job 2 years ago.
QUESTIONS ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT : You can say something like go shopping, drink coffee, singing karaoke, play sports, etc.
You need to use a verb. You can talk about what you do , and you can talk about what other people do . That’s is a great opportunity for you to show your vocabulary.
You can answer: As a rule, young people in my neighborhood…/ As a rule, the young people where I live usually sing karaoke, drink a lot of beer, and ride a motorbike. However, the elderly tend to prefer to watch horror films.
How would you describe the people who live there? (Using adjectives )
They are nice , friendly , supportive …
What you like most about living there? (Using superlatives )


The thing I love the most is…
My favorite thing about Sydney is… I really love…
What I really love is…
What is your least favorite thing? (Using superlatives )


The thing I dislike the most is…. Well, I really hate…
The thing I really hate is…

ADJECTIVES THAT ARE USED TO DESCRIBE PLACES:

Wild = remote
My home is in the middle of nowhere (idiom) = very rural.
It’s off the beaten track: a place where people don’t normally go/ a place is remote/ unusual area.
Exciting = vibrant
Friendly place = welcoming place = hospitable place
A busy area = a crowded/bustling/hustle and bustle urban area. A dull place = not a very exciting place = a boring place
A deserted place = an empty place (nobody around)
Relaxing place = the place is very relaxing .

QUESTIONS ABOUT MUSIC :

What type of music do you like most?

You might say: My favorite style is jazz ( don’t repeat the word “music” by saying my favorite type of music is ) mainly because it’s so relaxing after a stressful day at work.
Or: I am a huge fan of jazz. Actually, I will drive (simple future) to a club tonight (when) to listen to (why) a famous jazz guitarist (who).
Or: I am a huge fan of jazz. Actually, I will be driving (future continuous) to a clu tonight (when) to listen to (why) a famous jazz guitarist (who ).
We use future continuous to talk about something in progress at a certain time . With future continuous, you need a time in the future .
Next year I will be studying in London.
Two weeks from now, I will be flying home for Tet holiday.
We use future perfect to talk about a completed action in the future . Luckily, by the end of the summer, my favorite band will have played . I am a huge fan of Vietnamese food.
We can use various verb tenses in the answer: Last night, I felt asleep (paste tense) while I was listening (paste continuous) to music on my ear phones (two verb forms in one sentence)