IELTS Speaking Exam How to Do Part Three of the IELTS Speaking Test
Hi, I’m Oli.
Welcome to Oxford Online English.
In this lesson, you can learn about the IELTS
speaking exam part three.
The IELTS speaking test has three parts.
In this class, you can learn in more detail
about part three of the speaking exam, and
how to get a better score.
First, let’s review what happens in part
three of the IELTS speaking test.
The examiner will ask you some open-ended
questions about a topic.
The topic is often related to what you spoke
about in part two of the exam.
For example, if your topic in part two was
“Talk about a sport you enjoy playing,”
the topic in part three will almost certainly
be about sports.
In part three, the examiners want to see if
you can express your opinions clearly.
They also want to see if you can talk about
more abstract topics, not just about you and
your own life.
Also, in part three, the examiner can respond
to what you say and take the conversation
in different directions.
That means it’s more like a natural conversation
than the other parts of the IELTS speaking
exam.
The other parts follow a script.
The questions in part three are generally
quite simple.
However, you need to be careful; just because
the questions are simple, that doesn’t mean
your answers should be simple.
The questions give you an opportunity to speak.
You need to use that opportunity.
So how can you do that?
Well, let’s take some sample questions on
the topic of sports:
“Do you think that children do less sport
and exercise than in the past?”
Let’s see how you can answer this question
effectively.
Part one: support your opinions.
The worst answer in part three is a very short
answer.
Don’t say something like,
“Yes, I agree.”
It’s not enough just to give your opinion;
you also need to support your ideas.
How can you do this?
Well, first, try to give a reason.
For example:
“Yes, I agree.
Children have more homework and are under
more pressure at school, so they have less
time to play sports or do something outside.”
Secondly, try to add an example from your
life.
For example:
“Yes, I agree.
Children have more homework and are under
more pressure at school, so they have less
time to play sports or do something outside.
For example, when I was younger, I played
outside with my friends every day after school.
Nowadays, I never see children playing outside.”
But, you say, what if I can’t think of a
reason?
What if I don’t have an example?
No problem—just add one or the other.
But, you say, what if I can’t think of examples
from my life or any reasons?
No problem—just make one up!
For example:
“My friend Sam and his wife have an 8-year-old
daughter.
She has to do around two hours of homework
every day after school.
Of course, this means she’s too tired to
go outside or do anything in the evening.
When I was eight years old, I hardly had any
homework.”
Good answer, right?
But guess what—I don’t have a friend called
Sam!
I just made it all up.
It’s a complete lie, and that doesn’t
matter at all.
The examiner doesn’t care if you’re telling
the truth or not.
Using an imaginary friend as an example can
be a very useful.
Here’s another trick:
“In a recent survey, researchers discovered
that children 30 years ago did five hours
of exercise or physical activity every week.
Now, the average is just one hour of activity
a week.”
Again, there was no survey.
I just made it up.
I’m lying!
And again: no one cares.
You can do this too.
The examiner is not going to stop the exam
to check your research on the Internet.
They don’t care.
However, remember that this is only for emergencies,
if you can’t think of anything to say—it’s
difficult to think of things like this.
It’s always better to use real examples
if you can.
Now it’s your turn.
Think about the question:
“Do you think that children do less sport
and exercise than in the past?”
First of all, do you agree or not?
Secondly, why do you agree or disagree?
Thirdly, can you think of examples from your
life, or from people you know?
Think about how you would answer this question.
Okay, part two: speculate—talk about possibilities.
You can make your answers better in part three
of your IELTS speaking test by speculating.
What’s speculating?
What does speculate mean?
Speculating means talking about something
you aren’t sure about.
For example, for our sample question, if you
answer:
“Children definitely do less sport and exercise
nowadays, but I’m not sure why that is.
Maybe it’s because they spend more time
online, playing video games and so on.”
By saying “I’m not sure why that is.
Maybe it’s because…”
By doing this, you are speculating.
You’re talking about something which you
don’t know about, and you’re saying what
could be true.
You’re talking about possibilities.
Speculating is a really useful tool.
It lets you extend your answer.
It lets you use advanced language.
It also lets you talk about something you
don’t know about.
Many students complain that they don’t know
what to say in the IELTS speaking test.
Here’s a solution; here’s an answer.
You can talk about ideas and things you don’t
know about; you don’t just have to talk
about facts.
So, how can you speculate?
There are many simple phrases and structures
you can use.
First, use a verb like ‘might’, ‘may’, or
‘could’.
For example:
“I think children might have less free time
than in the past.”
“Parents may not be willing to let children
play outside nowadays, especially in big cities.”
Secondly, you can use a phrase like ‘it’s
possible that…’ or ‘one possible reason
is that…’
For example:
“It’s possible that there aren’t so many
parks and other places where children can
play sport.”
Or:
“One possible reason is that parents aren’t
interested in sport, so they don’t encourage
their children to play sport and be active.”
Thirdly, you can use an if-sentence.
For example,
“If children have more homework nowadays,
of course it’ll be more difficult for them
to play sport.”
“Obviously, if children spend lots of time
in front of a screen, they won’t go outside
and do something active.”
Speculate as much as possible during part
three of the IELTS speaking exam.
It will help you to give longer answers and
get a better score.
Part three: how the other side of the argument.
A lot of IELTS advice sounds the same.
“Develop your answers.”
“Add details.”
“Make your answers longer.”
Okay, but how?
Here’s the simplest way: don’t just give
your opinion; discuss the opposite opinion
too.
Let’s stay with our sample question and
answer.
To review, you want to agree with the idea
that children do less sport now than before.
You start your answer, you give reasons and
examples, and you speculate.
Next, discuss the other side of the argument.
For example:
“… On the other hand, many of my friends’
children are very active, often more active
than their parents.
It isn’t true that all children are less
active than in the past.”
“… However, spending time online can also
help to get children interested in new sports
and activities.
It’s much easier to find sports clubs and
activities in your local area nowadays, thanks
to technology.”
This lets you use linking words like ‘on the
other hand’ or ‘however’, and again, this
is all making your answer longer and more
detailed.
We haven’t finished yet, but let’s review
these three points, because they’re all
connected.
In part three of the IELTS speaking test,
you can improve your answer by: adding reasons
to support your opinions; using examples from
your own life; speculating (= talking about
possibilities, and things you aren’t sure
about); and, discussing the other side of
the argument.
If you do all this, you can turn a bad answer:
“Yes, I agree.”
Into this:
“Yes, I agree.
Children have more homework and are under
more pressure at school, so they have less
time to play sports or do something outside.
For example, when I was younger, I played
outside with my friends every day after school.
Nowadays, I never see children playing outside.
I’m not sure why that is.
Maybe it’s because they spend more time
online, playing video games and so on.
However, spending time online can also help
to get children interested in new sports and
activities.
It’s much easier to find sports clubs and
activities in your local area now, thanks
to technology.”
You can see how following a few simple steps
can help you to extend and develop your answer
into something really good.
If you can produce answers like this in part
three of your IELTS speaking exam, you’ll
get a good score.
Okay, I know what you’re thinking.
Firstly, you’re thinking: “Well, that’s
easy for you, Mr Native Speaker!
But how can I do it?”
I disagree—I think you can do it.
Here’s why:
Most of the IELTS students I meet are around
bands 5-6-7 and their target is maybe 6, 6.5,
7, rarely higher.
If you’re at this level, you have the language
to do something like this.
Go back, read the answer again.
It isn’t that complicated.
I don’t use advanced vocabulary or very
complicated grammar.
You can do it!
Maybe with some mistakes, but if you can understand
this video, you can make an answer like this.
It just takes practice.
Secondly, maybe you’re thinking: “Thanks
very much, Oli.
Now I know how to answer one question.
How does that help me?
They’re going to ask me different questions
in my exam.”
You can use these ideas to answer any question
in part three of the IELTS speaking test.
You can’t possibly prepare for every question
they might ask you.
But you can remember to think of reasons,
think of examples, and so on.
This will make your answers better.
Next, let’s look at some different advice
for part three:
Number four: use filler phrases to give yourself
thinking time.
Your answers in part three will often be longer
and more complicated compared to part one
or part two, so trying to give an answer like
this without thinking could be difficult.
If you start speaking without thinking first,
your answer might be disorganized and difficult
to follow.
So what should you do?
If you need a few seconds to think and organize
your thoughts, use a filler phrase.
For example:
“Let me think about that for a second.”
“That’s an interesting question.”
“What can I say about that?”
You can also use filler phrases in the middle
of your answer, if you need to pause and think.
For example,
“What else can I say?”
“Let me see—can I think of an example?”
“What other reasons could there be for this?”
Filler phrases are natural—native speakers
use them, so you can use them, too.
It’s much better to use a filler phrase than
just to sit there in silence.
Using filler phrases like this shows the examiner
that you’re really thinking about the question,
and that you have more to say.
On the other hand, don’t use filler phrases
too much.
You can’t use them for every question or
all the time.
Save them for the more complicated questions,
when you really need some extra thinking time.
Filler phrases can give you more thinking
time, but what if you really can’t think
of anything to say?
Okay, let’s look.
Part five: be honest.
I know we said before that it’s OK to lie
or make up examples, but what if you really
can’t think of anything, even a lie, even
a fake story?
If you really have no ideas about something,
say so.
For example, the examiner asks you:
“Do you think that children do less sport
and exercise than in the past?”
You could say:
“I really have no idea.
I don’t have children, and none of my friends
do either.
I’m afraid it’s just not a topic I can
say much about.”
Be careful: you shouldn’t do this unless
it’s absolutely necessary.
You also need to give a reason why you don’t
have anything to say.
You need to make it clear to the examiner
that it’s not just your English skills which
are stopping you from giving a full answer.
Secondly, if you do this, you can only really
do it once.
Finally, even if you do this, you should still
try to speculate.
For example:
“I really have no idea.
I don’t have children, and none of my friends
do either.
I’m afraid it’s just not a topic I can
say much about.
I suppose that children might be less active
than in the past, because they spend more
time online and playing video games and things
like that.”
You need to put thought into your answer,
and try to add details, even if your answer
is basically “I don’t know.”
Otherwise, it could affect your IELTS score.
However, this can save you if you get a question
which you really don’t know how to answer.
It won’t affect your score if you make your
reasons clear, and if you put some thought
into your answer.
The examiner wants you to speak.
By saying something like this to the examiner,
you’re saying, “I can’t say much about
this, so give me a different question or topic.”
Being honest like this is much better than
trying to answer the question when you have
no idea what to say.
Just remember, this is something you can only
use if it’s really necessary.
Okay, our last point:
Part six: interact with the examiner.
Part three of the IELTS speaking test is different,
because it’s the first time in the speaking
exam that the examiner can actually talk to
you.
In parts one and two, the examiner is reading
a script.
He or she has very little freedom to respond
to what you say.
However, part three is different.
The examiner can respond to what you say,
and take part in the conversation more.
What does this mean for you?
During part three of the IELTS speaking exam,
you need to listen to what the examiner says,
and think about what he or she wants you to
do.
For example:
Is the examiner responding to something you
said, or asking a new question?
Is the examiner asking for more details about
something you said?
Is the examiner asking you to give your opinion,
or respond to a different opinion?
This also means that you shouldn’t expect
to just speak for as long as you want.
The examiner can—and will—jump into the
conversation to ask extra questions, or to
change the direction a little bit.
You need to be flexible in part three.
In parts one and two, you’re given questions
and you can answer without being interrupted,
you can say what you want.
In part three, you need to interact with the
examiner.
It should be more like a natural conversation,
rather than a question-answer format.
Okay, that’s the end of the lesson on part
three.
I hope all this IELTS advice was useful.
If you’ve watched all of our videos on the
IELTS speaking exam, you should now have a
good idea of what to expect and what to do
in the IELTS speaking test.
Good luck if you have an exam coming up!
Remember also you can see more of our free
lessons on our website: Oxford Online English
dot com.
But for today, thanks very much for watching,
see you next time!