The Perfect Speaking Part 1 Response
Being on Time and Punctuality
Did you know that the first part of the IELTS Speaking test can be the most difficult for candidates.
Not only is the candidate in a test situation, but the candidate is has to deal with listening to an examiner who may speak with an unfamiliar accent or at some speed.
But don’t despair it can also be the easiest part, and the most enjoyable.
There is a valid reason for this part of the IELTS test, and I will explain this below.
One reason for Part 1 is to ease the candidate into the test, and allow the candidate to tune into the voice of the examiner.
The three sets of questions are not particularly challenging, but are varied in topic and allow the candidate to ‘warm up‘ and ‘gain confidence‘ and additionally give the examiner ‘a feel‘ to immediate level.
One way to do well in this section is to relax.
A relaxed candidate always listens better and responds well.
Other tips are
- Don’t give the examiner an opportunity to ask ‘why’ you think something.
- Connect your sentences.
- Attempt to use complex sentences rather than short, simply ones.
- Don’t hesitate too much, you can make some mistakes
and
- Don’t be afraid to correct yourself
If you don’t understand something, always ask the examiner to repeat the question.
Being on Time and Punctuality
Think about these questions, what answer can you give,
- How do you remind yourself to be on time?
- Why are some people always late?
- Do you think it is important to be punctual?
- What will you do if you are waiting for someone?
- Do you think people these days are as punctual as they were in the past?
TIP
IELTS Part 1 features three random topics chosen by the examiner.
There is a around a minute of speaking time allowed for each section of part 1, so if you can answer the question fully AND extend it, you will get asked fewer questions!
- How do you remind yourself to be on time?
I find it quite easy to organise my time as I have reminders on my phone and laptop which can be synchronised so I can get an alarm if needed. But I am quite an organised person generally.
- Why are some people always late?
Some people find it difficult to be on time for appointments because they leave things to the last minute and then end up forgetting what they need to do where they need to be. Others are just naturally relaxed about time. If you are this sort of person you will probably have to find ways of keeping on top of things otherwise other people will get fed up of you always being late.
- Do you think it is important to be punctual?
I think it is always important to be on time for meetings for example as it can show a lack of respect to others if you are always late. If you are late for a job interview, this really sends out the wrong signal. If you are travelling by public transport it is a good idea to check out the timetables so that you can make sure that you arrive on time or even better, a little early so that you can make last minute checks if needed.
- What will you do if you are waiting for someone?
There are lots of things you can do if you are waiting around for someone or something. I generally take a book to read and check my phone, e mails. If it turns out to be a really long wait I find something useful to fill the time, I don’t like to waste time. I’m not really a big user of social media.
- Do you think people these days are as punctual as they were in the past?
No, I honestly don’t think so. Firstly, with so much technology such as social media, mobile phones, Instagram and on-demand TV, I think people tend to lose track of time, or at least place a lower value on it. They can do anything, anytime and that reflects to their attitude to time keeping. I think it’s mainly younger people who are influenced in this way, older people are probably just as punctual as before.
You can use tips and information on this website to help make it easier to obtain a higher score, but remember you still need to work at learning the language to be successful.
Please share to someone you know and in the meantime take a look at my Facebook Page and Website for IELTS answers and you can also join my Facebook Group here too.
Good Luck
Jonathan
Info
I’m Jonathan I’ve taught IELTS and University English in more than a dozen universities and schools around the world. I’m a parent, traveller and passionate about language teaching and helping students achieve their dreams. Whilst living in Austria or working in Asia, I run IELTS courses to help students get to where they want to be. If you are serious about IELTS, connect with me to see how I can help you.
