IELTS Speaking Tip: Listening carefully for common question phrases  

On the speaking part of the IELTS exam the examiner will give you a list of questions. You probably already know the 5 W’s: Who, what, when, where, and how, but many test-takers will miss hear the examiner. The examiner will ask a “what” question and the listener might here “where”. Make sure to practice listening for these types of questions.

Also, be ready for the examiner to ask you some of the following question phrases. Make sure you fully understand these phrases so you can properly answer the examiners questions. It is very likely that some of these phrases may be in your exams.

“Describe”

Ex.“Describe the most influential person in your life.”

Answer: “The most influential person in my life is my dad. He is a very intelligent, kind, outgoing, and creative person. He is always busy helping others, and I really admire that.”

“Would you say that”

Would you say that is common follow-up question.

Ex. “Would you say that this person has changed your life.”

Answer: “I would say that my father has changed my life a lot. He has provided me so much guidance with how to navigate through life. I would not be the same person without him.”

“Could you explain more?”

When your examiner wants more information from you, he/she will commonly use this phrase.

Ex. “Could you explain more on how your dad has influence your life?”

Answer: “Well, my dad has accomplished so many things. He is very driven in his job and helping family. He has helped me get into university, has guided me through life, and given advice on how to accomplish my career goals.

I encourage you to practice listening and answering these question phrases to help get yourself better prepared for the exam! Good luck on your exam!