Notes and tips

1. IELTS SPEAKING PART 3

2. WHAT PART 3 IS ABOUT?
• In part 3 of the Speaking test the examiner will ask further
questions which are connected to the topics discussed in
part 2.
• This part of the test is designed to give you the opportunity
to talk about more abstract issues and ideas. It is a two-way
discussion with the examiner, and will last 4-5 minutes

3. 7 COMMON QUESTION TYPES
1. Opinion– What do you think about ‘this’? Remember to say why you
think that way and give examples.
2. Evaluate– What do you think about someone else’s opinion?
3. Future– What do you think will happen in the future?
4. Cause and Effect– What caused ‘this’ and/or what effects has ‘it’ had?
5. Hypothetical– Talk about imaginary or unreal situations.
6. Compare and Contrast– Talk about the difference and/or similarities
between two things.
7. Past– How were things different in the past and how have they
changed?

4. GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES : OPINION
• One thing you SHOULD NOT do is start every sentence with ‘I think…’ or
‘In my opinion…’ The IELTS examiner will be looking for how you VARY
your language. Some instances:
As I see it,
Personally,
For me,
• If you FEEL VERY STRONGLY about
something you could use:
I’m convinced that….
I’m certain that….
I’m sure that….If you are LESS SURE about your
opinion you could give a weaker
opinion by using:
•I guess that…
•I suppose that….
•I’d say that…..

5. EXAMPLE QUESTION
• What are some of the ways people can help others in the community?
AS I SEE IT, there are many ways one can help the needy, but the best way is by
making charitable donations. People can choose a charity and simply donate a sum
of money and leave it to them to help others in need. For instance, I recently gave
money to an orphanage. I don’t have time to help them personally, so I’ll leave it up
to them to use the money as they see fit.

6. EVALUATE:
In these kinds of questions you will be asked what you think about someone
else’s opinion. We will therefore need to use expressions that allow us to agree or
disagree.
• For agreement we can use:
I couldn’t agree with you more.
That’s so true.
That’s for sure.
That’s exactly how I feel.
No doubt about it.
I suppose so./I guess so.
You/they have a point there
For disagreement we can use:
 I don’t think so.
 I’m afraid I disagree.
 I totally disagree.
 I beg to differ.
 I’d say the exact opposite.
 Not necessarily.
 That’s not always true.
 That’s not always the case.
Remember that you will have to extend your answers
with explanations and examples.

7. EXAMPLE QUESTION
• Some people say that people helped others more in the past than they
do now. Do you agree or disagree?
I don’t think so. When it comes to my parent’s generation I think they
are quite sceptical about helping other people in the community, but
my generation are regularly doing things to improve it, such as
volunteering for various environmental and charitable organisations.
Young people are actively encouraged to help out in the community
and I don’t think this happened in the past, so I’m afraid I’d disagree.

8. FUTURE:
You are often asked to predict how a certain topic
will change in the future
• For making future predictions we normally use ‘will + verb’, however this is quite simple and
the examiner will be looking for your ability to use more complex structures to predict the
future.
• As always you will have to explain why you think this will occur in the future. You may also
want to use future conditionals to extend your answer.
More complex structures could include:
X plans to….. (Conditionals) - If X + verb…..
It is predicted that…. It is likely that…
X intends to…. It is probable that….
I foresee….. It is unforeseeable that….
It is foreseeable…. I envisage….

9. EXAMPLE QUESTION
• Some people say that working from home will be quite common in the
future. Do you agree?
 It is foreseeable that more people will work from home in the future.
If the internet becomes faster and there are more programs, such as
Skype, that allow people to work from home more easily, I’d predict
that more people will stay at home. If you think about it, most people
don’t need to be physically present to do their jobs and I envisage that
face to face meetings will be a thing of the past.

10. CAUSE AND EFFECT:
• You may also be asked to discuss what has caused a certain situation and what effects this has.
This language will also help you in IELTS writing task 2
• To talk about cause and effect you can use:
• These are just some examples and the form of the words may change depending on the words
around them in the sentence. Only use them if you are sure your sentences are grammatically
correct.
…because… …as a result….
…resulted in… …as a consequence…
…caused… …due to….
…led to…. …means that….
Consequently… the outcome of this…

11. EXAMPLE QUESTION
• How does advertising influence what people choose to buy?
 I think advertising has a big influence on what people purchase
and often leads to them always sticking with the same brand. For
example, I always drink Coca Cola and I believe this is because I
grew up watching all those ads on TV and I instinctively buy it as a
result. I mean, why would companies spend so much money on
adverts, unless it led to more sales?

12. HYPOTHETICAL
• The second conditional is used to talk about ‘unreal’, ‘unlikely’ or ‘impossible’
situations. You might get asked a question about an ‘unreal’ situation, for example
‘If you were mayor of your city, what would you do to improve it?’
• The grammar we use for this is:
• If + (subject 1) + past participle, then (subject 2) + would + verb
“IF I WERE TO LEAD A COMMUNITY, I WOULD BEGIN WITH….”

13. EXAMPLE QUESTION
• If you could choose any country to live in, where would you
choose?
 If I could live in any country, I would probably choose
Australia. The weather is great; the people are super
friendly and just imagine living beside all those beaches.
If I could choose another country, it would have to be
Italy, for the architecture, the culture and its fascinating
history.

14. WHAT TO DO?
• What do I do if I don’t understand the question?
• The questions are designed so that anyone can answer them
• However, sometimes you may not quite understand what the examiner just said.
• simply ask him or her to repeat the question. If there is a word or term you don’t
understand, it is also acceptable to ask them to explain it to you. Don’t overdo this, as it
will seem as if you are abusing this rule.
• It is a speaking test, not a listening test and the examiner wants you to
give your best possible answer so don’t be afraid to let them know. They
won’t repeat the question or explain a word to you unless you ask.

15. • Do I have to give an answer for every question in part 3?
• Dduhhh…… YES. Otherwise you will lose marks
• However, if you get a question you are really struggling with you can admit this to
the examiner and give the best answer you can.
• You could say something like: ‘I don’t know a lot about this topic, but if I had to
guess I would say…..’ It is unlikely you will have to use this phrase and it should
only be used when you really have no ideas.
WHAT TO DO?

16. • What if I need time to think?
• It is completely normal for native speakers to use certain words and phrases in order to give
themselves time to think. You probably also do it a lot in your own language.
• Phrases that can be used include:
• That’s a difficult question, let me think for a second.
• That’s a very interesting question, let me think.
• It’s very difficult to know exactly, but I think/but I believe/perhaps….
• It’s difficult to say, I think….
• I don’t really know for sure, but I would say….
• The most important thing is not to overuse these phrases. Some students put them in front of
every answer and it sounds really unnatural. Remember, they are only to be used when you
get an unexpected or particularly difficult question.
WHAT TO DO?

17. TECHNIQUE #1- PARAPHRASE QUESTION
• A good way to extend your answer is respond with a paraphrase of the examiner’s question.
Paraphrasing is when you repeat the sentence but with synonyms so that it has the same
meaning.
• This technique is very effective because it not only gives you time to think in a natural way,
but it also focuses your mind on answering the question.
• For example:
• Examiner: What can people do to try and reduce water pollution?
• Student: So, what can individuals do to ensure water is kept clean? I think….
• Examiner: How can events like the Olympics improve international relations?
• Student: Hmmmm, how can sport bring people from different countries closer together? I
believe…
• Again, this should not be used for every answer and only when you think it is appropriate.

18. TECHNIQUE #2- EXPLAIN WHY
• Many students state their opinion but don’t extend their answer by stating why they feel that
way. Some students have told me that they are afraid of patronising the examiner and assume he
or she will know why they have stated their opinion. Assume that the examiner has no knowledge
at all about the topic. Pretend you are speaking to a child who knows nothing of the topic and this
will help you explain how you feel.
• Example:
• Examiner: What can people do to reduce water pollution?
• Student: I believe the best way to keep water clean is to curb water use at home. (Why?) The vast
majority of water is used in the home, (why?), for cooking, cleaning and washing, (why?) therefore by
reducing the amount of water we use, (why?) the government can conserve the water supply and keep it
clean.
• By asking ourselves ‘why’ we continue to explain our opinions and this leads to more developed
answer.

19. TECHNIQUE #3- GIVE EXAMPLES
• This seems an obvious one but it is something many students don’t do. In order to really develop your
answer an example is normally needed. A lot of my students complain that they don’t know or can’t
think of any examples. If you can’t think of one just make one up. You will not lose any marks for
making up an example and this will only lead to you gaining marks for giving a well developed
answer.
• A good technique is to use an example from a newspaper article or recent study.
• Example:
• Examiner: Have the modes of transport people use in your country changed much over the last few decades?
• Student: Absolutely, they have changed a lot. In the past most people used bicycles, but now they
predominantly use motorbikes. For example, a recent survey found that 72% of people in Ho Chi. Minh City
now own a motorbike.
• I just made that statistic up and it is perfectly acceptable for you to do the same thing in the IELTS
speaking test. The examiner will never disagree with you or ask you to prove any of your examples.

20. TECHNIQUE #4- MAKE CONCESSIONS
• We make a concession by admitting that there are limits to our opinion or
there may be another side to the argument. We use words like ‘however’, ‘on
the other hand’ and ‘despite this’ to make concessions.
• Some students don’t like doing this because they think it weakens their
argument or opinion. In fact, by showing you are aware of other opinions you
actually strengthen your argument.
• Example:
• Examiner: To what extent do you think advertising affects people’s shopping habits?
• Student: Personally, I don’t think that it affects the way people shop at all. When people
need something they make up their own mind rather than thinking about adverts.
However, it must have some influence, if companies pay lots of money for ads.

21. IELTS SPEAKING PART 3: USEFUL
LANGUAGE
Asking for help
• Could you say that in other
words?
• I’m not sure what you
mean exactly.
• Do you mean ( )?
Stalling for time
•That’s a(n)
interesting/tough/difficult
question.
•I don’t know much about this
issue but …
•I’ve never really thought about
it before but …
Giving an opinion
•Well, I think/suppose/would say …
•… for two/several reasons.
•I think most people would agree
that …
Self-correcting
• Or rather …
• I mean …
• Or, should I say …
Rephrasing
•What I mean is …
•What I want to say is …
•What I’m trying to say is …
Commenting on your own ideas
• I know this may sound
obvious but …
• This may sound strange but
…
• I’m sorry to have to say this
but …

22. IELTS SPEAKING PART 3: USEFUL
LANGUAGE
Giving an example
• Take ( ), for example.
• Look at ( ), for instance.
• A good example of this is ( ).
Introducing other ideas
• On the other hand, …
• Or, to look at it another way, …
• Then again, …
Getting to the point
• Anyway, to get to the point, …
• Anyway, the main point I want
to make is that …
• So, in answer to your question,
…
Concluding
•So, that’s why I think …
•Anyway, that’s why…
•So, to return to my original point, …

23. IELTS SPEAKING PART 3: PRACTICE
QUESTIONS
1. Is it better to make important life decisions on your own or is it better to consult
other people?
2. Do you think good decision-making can be taught?
3. Is watching TV a good way of forgetting about work or study?
4. Should co-workers also spend their leisure time together?
5. Do you agree that English should be the main language of international exchange?
6. What are the difficulties in creating a universal language?

24. IS IT BETTER TO MAKE IMPORTANT LIFE
DECISIONS ON YOUR OWN OR IS IT BETTER TO
CONSULT OTHER PEOPLE?
• There are good reasons for both, I suppose. Ultimately, it’s
your life so I suppose you should make the decisions. On the
other hand, any decisions you make can affect other people
so it seems only right to discuss things with others first.
Like many philosophical questions, there’s no simple
answer, I’m afraid.

25. DO YOU THINK GOOD DECISION-MAKING
CAN BE TAUGHT?
• Well, if you go to a bookstore you’ll see lots of self-help books
that claim to teach decision-making. I’m not sure any of
them are effective though. I suppose it depends on the type
of decision you mean. If it’s a business strategy, then I’m
sure some decisions are better than others and business
schools teach this. But if it’s a moral issue then I’m not sure
anyone can claim to know the right decision, so how could
anyone teach it?

26. IS WATCHING TV A GOOD WAY OF
FORGETTING ABOUT WORK OR STUDY?
• Absolutely, yes. These days there’s so much choice
available that we can completely immerse ourselves
in entertainment. I mean, you can turn on a good
drama or comedy show and pretty soon you forget
about everything that happened that day. I think
that without TV we’d all go a little crazy.

27. SHOULD CO-WORKERS ALSO SPEND THEIR
LEISURE TIME TOGETHER?
• I’m completely against this. The problem with people going
out together after work is that they just gossip about certain
people in the office or factory, and this can hardly be a good
thing for the company, can it? Another thing is that there’s
always the risk that you will say something you regret after
a few drinks and then you have to face your colleagues
again the next day. So, in short, I would definitely advise
people to think twice about socialising with colleagues.

28. DO YOU AGREE THAT ENGLISH SHOULD BE THE
MAIN LANGUAGE OF INTERNATIONAL
EXCHANGE?
• That’s a very interesting question. I’ve never really thought
about it before, actually. We all just assume that it should
be English, don’t we? But what other languages could we
use? I suppose Chinese is becoming quite an important
language, but the pronunciation is too difficult for most
people. English is already the main language of universities
and business, so maybe it should stay that way.

29. WHAT ARE THE DIFFICULTIES IN
CREATING A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE?
• Do you mean inventing a completely new language? Yes? Well, I
mean, er, it’s never been done before, has it? There was Latin, of
course, which was used by people all over Europe, but I’m not sure
if it was really created for that purpose. Actually, I think there used
to be a universal language about a hundred years ago. What was it
called again, Esperanto? But that disappeared quite quickly. Er,
what I’m trying to say is, I don’t think anyone has ever succeeded
in creating a universal language, so I doubt if it will ever be
possible in the future.

30. HOW TO GET HIGH SCORE