IELTS Speaking – Session 2 – Three rules for a good IELTS Speaking Performance

IELTS Speaking is an exam, which means you will need to follow a structure to maximize the chance of getting the score you expect. These are the rules that I developed over 10 years of learning and teaching IELTS to help bring out the best in you.

Rule #1: Be straightforward.

After the examiner has given you the question, directly answer it. You don’t have to “beat around the bush”. By directly giving your answer, you show the examiner that:

• you understood the question and what needs to be done;
• you have the English capacity to answer the question without having to think about related vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation.

After you have given a direct answer, you can explain it by adding more information.

You don’t have to answer the questions right at the second the examiner finishes asking. You can take a deep breath and then answer. But pausing too long may affect your score. See more in Common Mistakes.

Rule #2: Use the same grammar to answer the question.

When you give a direct answer, you should use the same grammar as the question in your answer. By doing this, you show the examiner that:

• you recognize the grammar and what needs to be done to answer the question properly;
• you can use this type of grammar correctly.

Example:

Question: Have you ever tried foreign food? (Present perfect tense, a yes/no question)

Answer: Yes, I have. (A direct answer with the same grammar) I am a curious person by nature, so I always want to try different things, including languages, cultures, traditions, and, of course, food. My favorite foreign cuisine is Chinese. (Explanation and example)

Rule #3: Always elaborate on the answers.

Elaboration comes in many ways. It can be an explanation of your answer or an example of your answer.

The idea is to never give a one-word answer, such as yes or no, or an answer that is too short, such as ‘I am a big fan of romantic movies.’

Bonus tip (not a rule but if you want, you can keep it as a rule): Have a list of grammar you want to use in your speaking exam, and try to use every point at least once.

Here is the list I keep for myself. Feel free to steal.

1. Present tenses: simple, perfect, perfect continuous (continuous is optional)
2. Past tenses: simple, continuous, perfect
3. Future tenses: simple (continuous and perfect are optional)
4. Passive voice
5. Comparatives and superlatives
6. Relative clauses
7. Conditionals, hypotheses
8. Phrasal verbs