IELTS Speaking Part 1: Error Correction

The questions below are taken from various topics in speaking part 1. What problems can you find with the answers?

Can you swim?
I really enjoy swimming. In fact, I swim almost every day in my local pool.

Do you prefer eating at home or eating out?
I go out to restaurants a few times each week with my colleagues from work for lunch.

Have you ever been abroad?
Most holidays I travel to my hometown to see my family but one day I would really like to go to the UK and visit London.

Did you enjoy school when you were a child?
I was very active in school. I joined a lot of clubs and was a member of two sports teams as well. I’m still in touch with my friends from school.

Answers

None of the answers above give a direct answer to the question. It is important in IELTS speaking part 1 to give a grammatically correct direct answer to each question. Here is what the answers should have been:

Can you swim?
Yes, I can. I really enjoy swimming. In fact, I swim almost every day in my local pool.

Do you prefer eating at home or eating out?
I usually prefer to eat out. I go out to restaurants a few times each week with my colleagues from work for lunch.

Have you ever been abroad?
No, I haven’t. Most holidays I travel to my hometown to see my family but one day I would really like to go to the UK and visit London.

Did you enjoy school when you were a child?
Yes, I did. I was very active in school. I joined a lot of clubs and was a member of two sports teams as well. I’m still in touch with my friends from school.

 

Comments

  1. Hello, Liz.
    Thank you very much for your help, and I hope you can analyze the impact of a mistake I made in the recent IELTS speaking test.

    That was the second question of the Part 1. The examiner asked me something like “How often do you travel by work”(I guess it means business travel?) while I misunderstood it as “How do you travel to work”. I knew it is kind of wired so I asked him to repeat the question and gave an answer like “I usually walk to work as the apartment I am living in is close to the company” after he repeated. I did not realize I misunderstood the question until the Part 1 was ended so I also did not correct the answer. However, I believe I did well for all other parts of the speaking test and the examiner seemed satisfied because he did smile for several times during Part 2, Part3, and especially at the end of the test (but not Part 1, perhaps because some of my answers involved negative emotions, such as complaints about my job).

    I want to know to what extent can the mistake I made influence my overall score of Speaking test, and please explain the influence as precisely as you can, for example, minimally and maximally how many score(s) can be lost for mis-answering this single one question of Part 1? Am I going to lose score(s) definitely or not? Because I learned that the overall score of Speaking will be given based on the holistic performance.

    Or let me assume I literally performed like a 9.0 level candidate and did perfectly for the all other parts of the whole speaking test (though it is not possible of course) except this single mistake I described above, what would be the final score of mine do you think.

    Thank you sincerely!

    • You are not marked on your understanding. I’m sure you know this because the marking criteria are all based on the language you produce and there is no criterion for Task Response in the speaking test. This means it won’t impact your score. Yes, you are right – the score is based on your overall level of language throughout the entire test. It is not marked per section or per answer. Try not to judge your own score because it is hard to assess both range and accuracy of language whilst speaking at the same time. For example, many candidates would not remember whether or not they did produce a comparative statement, a conditional statement, the range of descriptive language they used or the range of tenses they used. However, I do wish you lots of luck and I hope you hit your desired score. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you 🙂

  2. Hi I would to ask you that in my speaking exam I speak less than 2minutes.
    In the end of exam I asked the examiner did I speak enough in cue card. He said you will get your result after 13 days.
    And then when I was going to leave. He gave me this expression 👌
    What does that mean,?

  3. Sharifa Chowdhury says

    Is it okay if I use contractions like “don’t” “can’t” and the informal phrases such as “you know” , “like” in my speaking?Two days back I went to give mock test.The examiner there forbade to use those things as those are the markers of informal talk.But, I’m really confused as these things come naturally in my speaking.What to do?

    • The IELTS speaking test is informal. IT is NOT formal. Your aim is to use informal chat and be 100% natural in the way you talk. Using contractions is an essential feature of pronunciation for a better score.

  4. mbvmkrishna says

    In speaking part2, how many minutes will i need to speak for each question ?

    • There are NO questions on the cue card – look again!!! There are only prompts – no questions.

  5. Deepa says

    My exam was on 2 March ,speaking topics are wild animal,zoos.tourism,newspaper,

  6. how many question the examiers ask in part 1?

  7. Thanks Liz I always follow your interactions which one will be beneficial for me in future when I will give the exam

  8. Hello Madam,

    In speaking, can we talk as much as we wanted to the respective questions.

    • No. Part 1, you give one long sentence or two sentence answers. Part 2, you talk for 2 minutes. Part 3, you explain in depth until the examiner moves to the next question.

  9. rahulchawla says

    hi liz mam
    m having difficulty related to speaking
    how can i improve dis?

  10. abheshek says

    HI LIZ
    I AM ABHESHEK HOW CAN I score in speaking 7.5 .actually i tried twice time gor 6.5 in both can u help me

    with regards

  11. hi Liz,
    I really want to know the answer of the questins about family?
    I am married and have two daughters so when the examiner ask to describe my family which of my families I will describe. The family who are my mother, father and siblings or my family with my husband and daughters.
    Thank you very much for your answers 🙂

    • You choose. The examiner isn’t actually interested in your answer, only your English language.
      Liz

  12. Hi liz! Do you have a particular ielts practices for ielts to get 7 or 7.5 that i can purchase?

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