Hello, today we want to talk about the first part of the speaking test. As you know, speaking part 1 contains general frequently asked questions. In this part, you have to answer questions such as work, place of residence, education, interests, and everyday events. In general, you should introduce yourself to the examiner. But how do you answer these questions? Should your answers be short or long? This article will answer these questions and share some simple tips and solutions to get a high score in this part.
In the IELTS speaking part 1, Should the answers be long or short?
If we ask language learners this question, we may come up with different answers. Some volunteers give short answers to the examiner’s questions, and others give lengthy answers. But which is better? There is no definitive answer to this question. But the volunteers’ responses shouldn’t be too long or too short.
The answers shouldn’t be too short because the examiner will think you can not analyze a sentence in English. On the other hand, if the answers are too long, your time to answer will be limited. You have about 4 minutes to answer the exam questions in the first part of speaking. If you spend more time on this part, you will lack time for the second and third parts, which require complete and long answers. So try to manage your time and give answers commensurate with the question.
How to avoid short answers?
The examiner may ask you in what city were you born? If you answer in one word and say the name of your city, your answer will be short. You have to use different ways to lengthen your sentences in these cases.
Firstly, you can incorporate your feelings and ideas into your answers. For example, if the examiner asks you what you are interested in, you can express what you are interested in, along with your feelings and ideas about it, in a few sentences.
The second way is to use contrasting sentences to describe the answer to the question. For example, if the examiner asks you: What is your regular hobby? You can reply: “I like shopping, but I prefer not to do it on holidays.”
The third way to lengthen the answers is to combine details and sentences. In the continuation of the answer, continue your sentence using words such as (and), (with), or (also) and add more details to it.
But the fourth way is to describe the works of the present and compare them with the past. For example, if you were asked, What’s your job? In response, you can say that I am a pianist, but I was pursuing a painting career in the past. In this way, you will both give long answers and show your mastery of the description of events to the examiner.
Conclusion
Finally, try to stay calm and avoid stress to show your language skills to the examiner. Do not spend a lot of energy on this part, and try to answer the questions in 2 to 3 sentences to do your best for the second and third sections.