Speaking for ielts

Collins IEnqlish for Exams
Thư

viên — ĐHQN

Karen Kovacs

Audio available online
NTV

Công ty TNHH

= P O W E R E D BY C O B U I L D

Nhân Trí Việt

Tai ngay!!! Ban co the xoa dong chu nay!!!

a
NHÀ XUẤT BẢN TỔNG HỢP
THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH


Collins I English

for Exams

SP EA K IN G
FO R IELTS
Karen Kovacs

T H I/ V IÊ N

NTV
Công ty TNHH

Nhân T ri Viêt

NHÀ XUAT BAN TONG HOP
THÀNH PHÔ HO CHI' MINH


Collins Speaking for IELTS
Second edition 2020

The contents of this publication are believed correct at the
time of printing. Nevertheless, the Publisher can accept no
responsibility for errors or omissions, changes in the detail
given or for any expense or loss thereby caused.

Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers 2011, 2020

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Agreement between HarperCollins Publishers Limited, UK
and Nhan Tri Viet Co., Ltd. Vietnam.

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Collins® and COBUILD® are registered trademarks of
HarperCollins Publishers Limited.

Cover illustration: © Maria Herbert-Liew 2019
Audio recorded and produced by ID Audio, London

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced,
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Entered words that we have reason to believe constitute

trademarks have been designated as such. However, neither thi
presence nor absence of such designation should be regarded
as affecting the legal status of any trademark.

All exam-style questions and sample answers in this title were
written by the author.
About the author
Karen Kovacs is a DELTA-qualified author with a Master's degree
in Linguistics and over 15 years' ELT experience. She has taught
both abroad and in the UK, helping to prepare students for their
IELTS exams.


Topic

Page
4

6

Family m atters

8

Health and fitness

16

Education and w o rk

24

Nature and th e environm ent

32

Lan g u ag e and com m unication

40

Science and technology

48

Em ploym ent and finances

56

Child ho o d

64

People and places

72

C ulture and m odern society

80

Holidays and travel

88
96
97
128
143
144


Introduction
Who is this book for?
Speaking for IELTS will prepare you for the IELTS Speaking test w h ether you are taking the test fo r the first tim e or
re-sitting the test. It has been written for learners w ith band score 5 -5 .5 w h o are trying to achieve band score 6 .5
or higher.
The structured approach, comprehensive answer key and model answ ers have been designed so th at you can use the
materials to study on your own. However, the book can also be used as a supplem entary speaking skills course for
IELTS preparation classes. The book provides enough material for approxim ately 50 hours of classroom tim e.

Content
Speaking for IELTS is divided into 12 units. Each unit focuses on a topic area th at you are likely to encounter in the
IELTS Speaking test. This helps you to build up a bank of vocabulary and ideas related to a variety of the topics.
Units 1-11 cover the vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and exam techniques to prepare you fo r the IELTS Speaking
test. Every exercise is relevant to the exam. The aims listed at the start of each unit specify the key skills, techniques
and language covered in the unit. You w o rk towards Unit 12, w hich provides a final practice IELTS Speaking test.
Additionally, the book provides examination strategies telling you w h a t to expect and h o w best to succeed in the
exam. Exam information is presented in clear, easy-to-read boxes. Exam tips in each unit highlight essential exam
techniques and can be rapidly reviewed at a glance.
The Pronunciation sections will help you to improve your speaking skills and increase your aw areness of the
characteristics of natural spoken English. There are also Watch Out boxes that will help you avoid comm on errors

made in the exam. Finally, the Exam tutor at the end of each unit gives you the opportunity to revise and consolidate
the exam skills you have studied.

Unit structure
Each of the first 11 units is divided into tw o parts.

Part 1 Language development introduces vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation related to the topic. A range of
exercises gives you the opportunity to express complex ideas and opinions so that you are able to do so in the IELTS
Speaking test. The vocabulary is presented using Collins COBUILD dictionary definitions. In every unit, you are given
the opportunity to practise the new language you have learnt by attem pting questions from Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3
of the IELTS Speaking test. These test questions increase your fam iliarity w ith the exam form at and help to build your
confidence.

Part 2 Exam skills teaches you exam techniques. The information and exercises raise your aw areness of w h a t
constitutes an effective IELTS response and also provide you w ith strategies on how to achieve this. Exam information
and Exam tips show you how to approach each question type and help you develop successful test-taking strategies.
There is also an Exam tutor checklist after the exam practice that will help you assess your readiness for the
actual exam.

Answer key and audio scripts
A comprehensive answer key is provided for all sections of the book including notes on why certain answers are
correct or incorrect. You will also find full audio scripts of all speaking exercises at the back of the book.

4


Using the audio
■3» This icon indicates that there is an audio track to listen to. You can download the audio files at
.w w w .n han triviet.co m /M P3-C SFI2E.

Using the book for self-study
If you are n ew to IELTS, w e recommend that you w o rk systematically through the 12 units in order to benefit from its
progressive structure. If you are a more experienced learner, you can use the aims listed at the start of each unit to
select the most useful exercises.
Each unit contains betw een three to four hours of self-study material. Having access to someone w h o can provide
informed feedback on the speaking practice exercises is an advantage. However, you can still learn a lot working alone
or w ith a study partner willing to give and receive peer feedback.

Part 1: Language development
Ideally, you should begin each unit by w orking through the Part 1: Language development exercises. Try to answer
the questions w itho u t looking at a dictionary in order to develop the skill of inferring the meaning of unfamiliar words
from context.

Part 2: Exam skills
W ork through the Part 2: Exam skills from beginning to end. It is important to study the Exam information and Exam
tips about each of the question types, so that you become fam iliar w ith how to approach the different question types
in the exam . Doing this will also help you develop more general skills for speaking. This section also contains exam
practice questions and the Exam tutor. A fter you have done the exam practice questions, it is a good idea to spend
some tim e reviewing w h y certain answers are the correct ones, then w o rk through the Exam tutor. For this reason, w e
suggest you approach this part in the following w ay:
Record your answers to the exam practice questions if you can. It will develop your self-awareness: you will be able to
hear w here your strengths lie and which aspects of your speaking you need to improve. In addition, hearing how your
speaking has improved over time will increase your confidence and motivation. Once you have answered the practice
IELTS Speaking questions, listen to the sample answers. You can also read the sample answers in the audio scripts
section at the back of the book.

Unit 12 Practice exam
This is a complete Speaking practice test. This should be done under exam conditions including setting yourself the
time limits that are suggested. There is also a sample answ er for this exam so you can listen to the audio and read the
audio script to further learn from the experience of sitting this practice exam.

Using the book in the classroom
If you are a teacher, you can use Speaking for IELTS either as your main IELTS coursebook or as a supplementary
course. Detailed teacher's notes for each unit are available at: w w w .nhantriviet.com /collinsielts.

5


The International English Language
Testing System (IELTS) test
IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, Cam bridge ESOL Exam inations and IDP Education, A u stralia. There are
two versions of the test:
•

Academic

•

General Training

Academic is for students wishing to study at undergraduate or postgraduate levels in an English-m edium environm ent.
General Training is for people w ho wish to migrate to an English-speaking country. This book is prim arily for students
taking the Academic version.

The test
There are four modules:
Listening
30 minutes, plus 10 minutes for transferring answ ers to the answ er sheet
NB: the audio is heard only once.
Approx. 10 questions per section

Section 1 : tw o speakers discuss a social situation
Section 2: one speaker talks about a non-academ ic topic
Section 3: up to four speakers discuss an educational project
Section 4: one speaker gives a talk of general academ ic interest

Reading

60 minutes
3 texts, taken from authentic sources, on general, academ ic topics. They may contain diagram s,
charts, etc.
40 questions: may include multiple choice, sentence completion, completing a diagram, graph or
chart, choosing headings, yes/no/not given, true/false/not given, classification and matching.

Writing

Task 1 ■20 minutes: description of a table, chart, graph or diagram (150 words minimum)
Task 2: 40 minutes: an essay in response to an argum ent or a problem (250 words m inimum)

Speaking

11-14 minutes
A three-part face-to-face oral interview w ith an examiner. The interview is recorded.
Part 1: introductions and general questions (4 -5 mins)
Part 2: individual long turn (3 -4 mins) - the candidate is given a task, has one minute to prepare,
then talks for 1-2 minutes, with some questions from the examiner.
Part 3: two-way discussion (4 -5 mins): the exam iner asks further questions on the topic from
Part 2, and gives the candidate the opportunity to discuss more abstract issues or ideas.

Timetabling

Listening, Reading and Writing must be taken on the same day and in the order listed above.
Speaking can be taken up to 7 days before or after the other modules.

Scoring

Each section is given a band score. The average of the four scores produces the Overall Band
Score. You do not pass or fail IELTS; you receive a score.

IELTS and the Common European Fram ework of Reference
The CEFR shows the level of the learner and is used for many English as a Foreign Language examinations. The table
below shows the approximate CEFR level and the equivalent IELTS Overall Band Score:

6

C»PR éMorlfrtton

CEFR level

IELTS Band Score

Proficient user
(Advanced)

C2
C1

9
7-8

Independent user

(Intermediate - Upper Intermediate)

B2
B1

5-6.5
4-5


iis table contains the general descriptors for the band scores 1—9:
ELTS Band

►core
9

Expert user

Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with
complete understanding.

8

Very good user

Has fully operational command of the language, with only occasional unsystematic
inaccuracies and inappropriades. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations.
Handles complex detailed argumentation well.

7

Good user

Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies,
inappropriades and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex
language well and understands detailed reasoning.

6 "

Competent user

5

fvfodestuser

Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriades
and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in
familiar situations.

H*s partial c
ommandof the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though
islikelytomakemanymistakes. Shouldbeabletohandlebasiccommunicationinown field.

4

Limited user

Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and
expression. Is not able to use complex language.

3

Extremely limited
user

Conveys and'ünderstands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent
breakdowns in communication occur.

2

Intermittent user

No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words
or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty
understanding spoken and written English.

1

Non user

Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.

0

Did not attempt
the test

No assessable information provided.

larking
e Listening and Reading papers have 40 items, each worth one mark if correctly answered. Here are some examples

how marks are translated into band scores:
tening:

ading:

16 out of 40 correct answers:

band score 5

23 out of 40 correct answers:

band score 6

30 out of 40 correct answers:

band score 7

15 out of 40 correct answers:

band score 5

23 out of 40 correct answers:

band score 6

30 out of 40 correct answers:

band score 7

'iting and Speaking are marked according to performance descriptors.

'iting: examiners award a band score for each of four areas with equal weighting:
•

Task achievement (Task 1)

•

Task response (Task 2)

•

Coherence and cohesion

•

Lexical resource and grammatical range and accuracy

eaking: examiners award a band score for each of four areas with equal weighting:
•

Fluency and coherence

•

Lexical resource

•

Gram matical range

•

Accuracy and pronunciation

■full details of how the examination is scored and marked, go to: vvww.ielts.org.

7


\ people and relationships
Language develo p m en t | A d je c tiv e s to d e s c r ib e p e r s o n a lit y ; R e la t io n s h ip p h r a s e s ; A d v e r b s
to m o d ify c h a r a c t e r a d je c tiv e s; U sin g t e n s e s c o rr e c tly ; P r o n u n c ia t io n : W e a k a n d s tr o n g f o r m s

Exam skills | W h a t it m e a n s to 'k n o w ' a w o r d
Exam practice | Parts 1 , 2 a n d 3

Part 1: Language development
Vocabulary: Adjectives to describe personality

1

M atch the adjectives (1-15) w ith th e ir d e fin itio n s (a -o ).
1

am b itio u s------

a

intelligent and able to u n d erstan d th in g s easily or plan th in g s w e ll

2

b lu n t _______

b

w illin g to listen to and consider o th er people's ideas and suggestio ns

3

c le v e r_______

c

putting a lot of effo rt into you r w o rk

4

cre a tiv e _______

d

saying exactly w h a t you th in k w ith o u t tryin g to be polite

5

t u n -------

e

can be trusted to w o rk w e ll or to behave in th e w a y th a t so m eo ne
w a n ts you to

6

hard-working _

u n w illin g to spend m oney

7

im p a tie n t-----

too quick to criticize people

8

judgem ental _

having co nfid ence in your o w n

The vocabulary' on personality
and relationships w ill be useful

abilities

in Paris 1 and 2 of the exam

9

n o s y _______

w ith a strong desire to be successful
rich, or p o w erful

open-m inded

very friendly and likes m eeting and
talking to people
too easily offended

10

11 o u tg o in g ----12 over-sensitive
13 re lia b le ------14 self-assured _
15 s tin g y -------

8

Speaking for IELTS

if you are asked to talk about
yourself or people you know.
______

interested in things th at do not concern you
m w ith the ability to invent and develop original ideas, especially in th e arts
n easily irritated by things
o

enjoyable to be w ith because you say and do interesting or am using things


2

M ark th e p o sitiv e a d je ctiv e s in Exercise 1 w ith

3

W h ich a d je ctiv e s fro m Exercise 1 w o u ld you use to d escrib e y o u rse lf?

I

consider myself to be ...

(+) an d

th e n e g a tiv e ad jectiv es w ith (-).

I would say I w a s ...

Vocabulary: Relationship phrases
4

M atch p h ra ses 1-8 w ith d e fin itio n s a- -h.

1 get on w ith so m ebo d y

a

argue and stop being
friendly with somebody

2

look up to so m ebo d y

b

have a good relationship

3

be in touch w ith som ebody

c

gradually have a less close

4

fall o u t w ith so m ebo d y

d

be in comm unication with

5

g ro w ap art fro m som ebo d y

e

know somebody well and see or talk to them often

6

tak e a fte r so m ebo d y

f

have many childhood and adolescent experiences in common

7

g ro w up to g eth er/w ith som ebody

g

respect somebody

8

be close to so m ebo d y

h

resemble somebody in your family (in appearance or

relationship with somebody

somebody

with somebody

personality)
5

U sing p h rases fro m Exercise 4, m ak e e ig h t sen ten ces d escrib in g rela tio n sh ip s you have.
/ take

6

after my dad - we're both quite careless.

Listen to th re e p e o p le ta lk a b o u t th e ir relatives. M ak e n otes as you listen. H o w do th e y d escrib e

of

rela tive s a n d th e ir rela tio n sh ip s w ith th e m ?

1

2

3

^

Listen a g ain . Did you u n d e rstan d m ore th is tim e ? M ake fu rth e r notes above, if so. Look up any

oi

la n g u a g e you d o n ot k n o w in a d ictio n a ry and m ake a n o te o f it.

People and relationships

9


Vocabulary-. Adverbs to modify character adjectives
8

Listen to Track 01 ag ain and n o tice h o w th e a d jectiv es d escrib in g

*2 ^

character and perso nality are m o d ified . C o m p le te se n te n ce s 1 -1 0

If you use a character adjective

w ith th e m odifying adverbs you hear.

to describe someone in the

1

She's_______________________ outgoing.

exam , you should expand on

2

She's_______________________ hard-working.

it or explain it, e.g. She's really

3

She can b e _______________________ impatient.

4

He w a s _______________________ creative.

5

He's n o t______________________ reliable.

6

She's_______________________ nosy.

7

She's_______________________blunt.

outgoing - she's always going
out with friends and colleagues,
tie's not very reliable , so, for
example , if l message him , he

won't respond.

8

She can b e ________________________ stingy.

9

She's______________________ clever.

10
9

She's______________________ self-assured

a

and ambitious.

Read th e in fo rm atio n in th e box a b o u t m o d ifyin g a d jectiv es. T h e n

Q

Watch out

w rite descriptions, sim ilar to th o se on Track 01, a b o u t d iffe re n t
m em bers of your fam ily. Include th e fo llo w in g :

Don't forget to add an s to
present tense verbs for the third

•

A d jectives fro m Part 1 o f th is u n it.

person (he, she, it), e.g. She

•

M odifiers w ith th e a d jectives th a t h elp to e x p lain o r e x p a n d

likes cooking.

on each characteristic.
•

A t least o ne n eg ativ e p o in t fo r ea ch p erso n .

Q

Modifying adjectives
1

We can use adverbs like

2

really and so before a positive adjective:

Watch out

It can be difficult to know which

She's really outgoing. He was so creative.

negative prefix to use with a
word, so make an effort to learn

W e can use the same adverbs before a negative adjective, but w e

them, e.g. impatient, disloyal,

normally do this only if w e do not like the person or are angry

unreliable.

with them.

She's so nosy
3

She is impatient,
He is unreliable, it can sound rude or too direct. W e often 'soften'

If w e say something negative about someone, e.g.
or

negative comments for this reason. Here are two ways of doing this:
with can

be a bit

She can be a bit impatient.
with

not very + a positive adjective:

He's not very reliable.
10

10

Read your descriptions in Exercise 9 th en cover th em and practise
talk in g to an English-speaking frien d abou t you r relatives or
record yourself. D oing th is w ill help you practise your speakin g
skills and rem em ber th e vo cabulary you have learnt.

Speaking for IELTS

%
Prat tise using the new language'
Aon learn, Inil don't memorise
whole senlenres or whole
answers. Non should speak
spontaneousl\ in the e\am.


U n it 1

Speaking exam : Part 1

^

----

Part 1: Introduction and interview (4-5 minutes)
• The exam iner w ill introduce him/herself and confirm your identity.
• The examiner w ill then ask vou general questions on some familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies and
interests. In each unit of this hook, you w ill practise answering Part i questions on one topic.
•

Part I tests your ability to communicate opinions and information on everyday topics and common experiences
or situations.

11

Y o u a re g o in g to h e a r q u estio n s th a t a re ty p ical o f P art 1 o f t h e exam . Listen to ea ch
q u e stio n a n d g iv e y o u r an sw er. Try to use so m e o f th e v o ca b u la ry a n d la n g u a g e y o u h a ve
le a rn t in th is u n it.

12

N o w listen to t h e sa m p le a n sw e r and co m p a re th e m to y o u r o w n a n sw ers.

3»
03

l
Part 2: Individual long turn (3-4 minutes, including preparation time)

ã Tlx.

ill (jivc you.! I.ôk C ..I Hi.« ." I- '™ « > ' I ' "1' ■
' I“ “

cover in vour talk. You do not have to talk about the points in
• Vou „¡II l x

-

,,,. m i , M o , y o u .

ok k

,

" '"I"1 .................. .... ..... “

.

I * . ..... ........ ......... ..................... »

1

" > W " ................

,

‘
1 , 1

'<|U

w rite on the task card».
• You must talk for one to two minutes on tin1lopk .
• The examiner w'ill then ask vou one or two question^ on thi saiva topic.
• Par. 2 tests vou, ability to talk a. long*, using app.opriato language ami o rg a n ,* « xour u k , ■oh,

Vm vv

attempt a Part 1 answer in each unit in tins book.

Speaking exam: Part 2
13

Read th is Part 2 q u estio n . G ive yo u rself o n e m in u te to plan yo u r answ er,
m ak in g n otes if you w ish . T h en ta lk fo r o n e to tw o m inutes.

Dc-senbe a close friend.

r*

m t an ,)Im » i •
( •ihe \ <>< ahulara
\ ( Iu ha\ r k . u n i i " ! h w unit !( )

)<

You should Set■
/:
hows long vou have known tins pci -on

how you met
w h a ’i kind of person he/she is
and explain why you like him/her.

talk ahuuf liiendm ip.

People and relationships

a

11


Grammar: Using tenses correctly
1 4 Read th e exam q u estio n s b e lo w fro m Exercise 13. W h ic h te n se s
are you likely to use in y o u r resp o nses?
1

How long have you known this person?

2

How did you meet?

3

W hat kind of person is he/she?

4

Explain why you like him/her.

15 Listen to th e sam ple a n sw er to th e Part 2 Exam q u e stio n in
ol? Exercise 13. T h en read th e extracts b elo w . W h a t te n se s d o es th e
speaker use and w h y d o es h e use th o se te n se s?

16

1

We got to know each other on the tennis courts.

2
3

He'd often suggest doing something and I'd go along with it.
We've never fallen out.

«
In the exam , look carefully at
the tenses used in the Part 2
questions, and listen carefully
to the exam iner to hear
w hich tenses they use in their
questions. Does the question
relate to the past, present, future,
or something imagined? This w ill
help you use the correct tenses
when you speak.

Now an sw er th e Part 2 Exam q u estio n in Exercise 13 a g a in . Try to aim fo r a ccu ra cy in y o u r
use of tenses.

Pronunciation-. Weak and strong form s
17 Read sentences 1-5 and circle th e prepositions.
1

Can l have a cup of tea?

2

W e met at university.

3
4

I've known him for ten years.
I'm from Dubai.

5

It's quarter to ten.

C d Pronunciation
Some words have two
pronunciations: a strong form and
a weak form, In normal speech, we
usually use the weak form, as in the
sentences in Exercise 17.

1 8 Listen to sentences 1-5 fro m Exercise 17 and re p e a t th e m . M ak e
05

sure you p rono unce th e w e a k fo rm s o f th e p repo sitio n s co rrectly
b u t be careful n ot to stress th em .

*
If you use weak forms correctly
you will he more fluent, and yc
will sound more like a native
speaker. This will get you high*
marks in the exam. Rocognisir
weak forms will also help
you understand the examiner
more easily. It is easy to miss
weak lorms because they are
unstressed.

12

Speaking for IELTS


Unit 1

19

L o o k a t t h e ta b le . Listen a n d r e p e a t th e stro n g a n d w e a k p rep o sitio n s.
N o te th a t to a n d fo r h a v e d iffe re n t w e a k fo rm s w h e n th e y co m e b e fo re v o w e l so u n d s.

uo

Word

Strong form j !Weak form(s)

__ _____

/tu/
to

/tu:/

/ dv /

I'm going to Egypt

a word:
• if w e want to emphasise it or
contrast it with another word.

/av/, /a/

at

/aet/

/a t/

fro m

/fro m /

/fra m /

/fo:/

/fa/

fo r

Sometimes, even in fast speech
we use the strong form of

/ta/
e.g.

of

Watch out

Weak form before a
¡vowel sound

• if it comes before a pause.
• if it comes at the end of a
sentence.
/far/
T/'wV Ic fr\r Anri\/

Pronunciation
Other function words (or grammatical words) also have weak forms. Some
common ones are:
• positive auxiliary verbs (e.g. can, must, do, shall, was, are)
• pronouns (e.g. her, you, them, your)
• conjunctions (e.g. and, but, because ('cos), than)
• articles {the, a, an)

20

U n d e rlin e th e fu n ctio n w o rd s th a t you th in k are p ro n o u n ce d using a w e a k fo rm . T h e n listen to

a»
07

ch eck y o u r a n sw e rs an d re p e a t th e sen ten ces.
1

She m et h er best frie n d at w o rk and th en th ey set up a business together.

2

He can play the piano really w e ll because he had lessons fo r years w h e n he w a s younger.

3

W e helped th em , but th ey did n 't th an k us.

*
A good dictionary w ill give you guidance on strong and weak pronunciation..

Practise1using weak forms by c boosing some sentenc es. marking the words
with wc?ak forms and them reading out the sentences.

People and relationships

13


tart 2: Exam skills
What it means to ‘know’ a word
ft
1

Match words 1-7 with their more neutral synonyms a -g . W hich of
the words 1-7 are informal and which are old-fashioned?

2

In the Speaking exam , you
w ill be assessed on your use of
vocabulary. You should have a

1

mate

a

parents

2

beau

b

boyfriend

3

bloke

c

friend

4

folks

d wife, husband or partner

5

kinsfolk

e

man

6

other half

f

members of a family

7

in-laws

g the parents of your husband or w ife

good range of vocabulary and
know how to use the words.
If you use slang, very formal
or old-fashioned language
in the exam, it might sound
inappropriate.

^

To really icnow a piece of vocabulary, you should study th e inform ation in points 1-7.
Choose five items of vocabulary you have learnt in this unit and, fo r each item , an sw er th e
questions in points 1-7.
1
2

W hat part of speech is it? For example, noun, verb, adjective or adverb.

W hat are the other parts of speech for that w ord? For example, formality (n),

formalise (v), formal (adj),

formally (adv).
3

Is the word slang, informal, formal, or old-fashioned? Is it used in all English-speaking countries or just in

4

some countries? For example, bloke is used in the UK but not in the US.
Does the word have any connotations you should be aware of? For example, both

slim and skinny mean

thin, but skinny is insulting and slim is complimentary.
boyfriend /boifrend/.

5

How do you pronounce the word, and which syllable is stressed? For example,

6

Note the grammar of the word or phrase. Is it an irregular verb (for example, se e k-so u g h t-so u g h t) or
a noun with an irregular plural (for example, m an-m en)? Is it followed by a particular preposition
(for example,

7

be anxious about something)?

Are there any useful collocations? For example, collocations with the word

friend include: a close friend,

make friends (with somebody), a circle o f friends.

Speaking Part 3
i
Part \\ Discussion (4-5 minutes)

.

I’.ul

is ,I dec ussion l.etween vi hi and the lA.m iiim In the units

this liunk you will hear Ispical I’art

til K I (Hill l i s e .IllVii.C lli l' .; I'l'MIl.

• 'l I k *(n h '-si iui b iii I', 111 » w i l l l x ' < i tnneued lo ih r inpit ( n l\iri J
• lh r\ allow \nu in disc iis-- mmv -e n u a l «nul absirai l issues and ideas
.

14

fail j lests M.ui .linin', u.

Speaking for IELTS

and jnstns ,,pinions, and U. analsse, disc UsS and spec ulate.

questions


Unit 1

3

You are going to hear tw o sets of Part 3 questions

05 about fam ily and friends. Record yourself answ ering
th e questions.
Listen to your responses. Try to ju d g e your use of
vocabulary, and ask an English-speaking friend to help you

ft
The best way to find new
vocabulary is in context, such
as in the sample answers in this
unit or in an article or a book.

if you like. W ork through the follow ing:

4

•

•

-Was your vocabulary appropriate, or did you use some very informal or old-fashioned language?
Did you use a good range of vocabulary, or did you use the same words repeatedly?

•

To enrich your vocabulary, find appropriate synonyms for five or more words or phrases.

Listen to th e sam ple answer. Then answ er the Part 3 questions again using these

09 n ew words.

O
1

Exam tutor
What have you learnt in this unit that will help you in the exam
if you are asked about people and relationships? What have you
learnt in this unit that you can transfer to any topic?

2

When noting down new vocabulary, what information should
you include?

3

What kind of questions will the examiner ask you in Part 1 of
the exam?

4 What will you have to do in Part 2 of the exam?
5 What kind of questions will the examiner ask you in Part 3 of
the exam?

People and relationships

15


2 A healthy body
Language d evelo p m en t | Keeping fit; Talking about sport; Health and diet; Phrases

to express opinions; Pronunciation: Expressing enthusiasm; Phrases to express opinions;
Collocations
Exam skills | Planning your answer (Part 2)
Exam practice | Parts 1, 2 and 3

Part 1: Language development
Vocabulary: Keeping fit

1

U n d erlin e th e phrases in sen ten ces 1-3 th a t best d escrib e y o u r lifestyle o r th e lifesty le o f p e o p le in
your country.
Most people in my country think it is im portant to keep fit / d o n 't really do anything sp ecific to keep in

1

shape.

2

I keep fit by going running / going to the gym / walking everywhere.

3

/ work out all the time. / I'm quite an active person. / / never do any exercise.

Vocabulary-. Talking about sport
2

U nd erline th e w ord s or phrases in sentences 1-3 th a t best d escrib e h o w you fe e l a b o u t spo rt.

3

1
2

W atching sport is tedious / entertaining / all right if there's nothing else on T V
Playing sports is exhilarating / good fun / exhausting / a g reat way to keep fit

3

I'm quite into sport / fanatical about sport / not the least bit interested in sport.
C om plete th e ta b le w ith th re e exam ples of each typ e o f sport

1

C o n tact sports

boxing

2 W ater sports
3

Extrem e sports

4 Team sports
5 individual sports

16

Speaking for IELTS


Unit 2
W hich sports do you most enjoy w atching or playing, and which
do you least enjo y? W h y? Practise giving your answer.
Listen to som eone talking about a sport. W hich sport is he
talking ab o u t?
Listen again and answ er questions 1-7.
1
2
3

increases gradually?
supporters?
W hat verb means have the same number o f points or goals at the
end o f the game ?
W hat phrasal verb m eans

W hat is a synonym for

Q

Watch out

Use play with ball sports or
team sports, e.g. I play golf Use

do with a non-team sport that
does not use a ball, e.g. I do

yoga, and to talk about sport
in general, e.g. I don't do any
sports (not l-d o n 't-practise
any-sports). Us e g o with sports
ending in -ing, e.g. I go running.

4

W hat tw o words are used to describe w here this sport is played?

5

W hich phrase means

6

W hat phrase is used to describe som eone w ho is likely to be successful in the future?

7

W hat other w ords and phrases does the person use to talk about the sport?

scored the goal that won the match?

Listen again and m ake notes. Then read audio script 10 on page 99 and use the dictionary to check
your answ ers.
Look at th e card. Create a similar card for your ow n favourite
sport and a second one for th e most popular sport in your
country (if this is different from your own favourite sport).
Tennis
Where is it played? on a tennis court
What equipment is needed to play it? a racquet, tennis balls
What is the most important event associated with this sport?

Wimbledon, held in London every summer

9
Watch your iaw write sport
with commentary in English.
'Listen caret’ull\ and write clown
anv useful words and phrases
you hear. Books, magazines,
newspapers and websites
are other useiul source's tor
voi ahulary.

Terminology and phrases used to talk about the sport:

Describing the shots: serve, volley, smash, forehand, backhand,

on the line, out
Scoring: point,gam e, set, match
People: player, umpire, ball boy/girl, trainer/coach
Useful phrases: H es/Shes broken his opponents serve. He’s /Sh e’s

served an ace. Its gone to a tie-break. What a great shot! H es/Shes
serving for the match.
Why do you/the people in your country like this sport? Its a
battle o f the mind as much as the body. / find it interesting to see
how some players may be highly skilled but don’t have the mental
strength to win.

TRƯ Ờ N G ĐẠI H Ọ C O U T NHƠt

T H Ư V IỆ N ___________

Ị ị 3

_

......... .... j

A healthy body

17


Vocabulary-. Health and diet

9

Read the definitions of diet. Notice that it has two distinct meanings.
a

If you are on a diet, you eat special kinds of food or you eat less food than usual because you are
trying to lose weight.

b

10

Your diet is the type and range of food that you regularly eat.

Read sentences 1-3. W h ich d e fin itio n o f

diet in Exercise 9 a p p lie s to e a ch s e n te n c e ?

1

I fear I have quite a poor d ie t._____

2

I think I have a balanced d ie t._____

3

I plan to go on a diet in the new y e a r.______

11

Discuss th e question s w ith a frien d , or record y o u rse lf g ivin g y o u r a n sw e rs.
1

Would you say you have a balanced diet? Explain w hy or w hy not.

2

Do you eat a lot of junk food? W hat do you (not) like about it?

3

Have you ever been on a diet? If so, w hat kind of diet w as it and did it w ork? If you haven't been on a
diet, explain why not.

12

Read th e d efin itio n s and th e n co m p lete th e w o rd s and p hrases. T h e re is o n e sp a ce p er letter.
Som e letters have b een g iven to h elp y o u .
1

physically w eak because you do not eat enough food or do not eat the right kind of food:

2

ma
all the chemical processes in your body, especially those that cause food to be used for energy
and growth: me

3

substances, such as sugar and starch, that provide the body with energy: c a _________________________________

4

substances that you need in order to remain healthy, which are found in food or can be eaten
in the form of pills: vi

5

units used to measure the energy value of food: ca

6 a way of losing body weight quickly by eating very little: a
7 (of a person) become heavier: p ____
o
w
8 (of a person) become lighter: I _______
w
9 extremely fat: ob
10

13

18

c __________

d

too thin, and therefore not healthy: un

C om plete th e sentences using th e vocabulary from Exercise 12.
1

Going on a ---------------------------- can be dangerous. You can end up b eco m in g ___________ _________________
and very weak.

2
3

Athletes e a t ---------------------------- before a race because they give their bodies lots of energy.
Some people don't do enough exercise and eat more ___________ _________________than their bodies need. This
means they can b eco m e_____________ ___________

4

There are some people who have a fa s t_______________ ____________ and they d o n 't____________________ _
matter how much they eat.

5

It's fine t o ---------------------------- - as thats generally considered healthier, but you shouldn't become

6

Fruit and vegetables are a great source o f ______________ _____________

Speaking for IELTS

no


Speaking exam : Part 1
1 4 You are going to hear questions th a t are typical of Part 1 of th e exam. Listen to each
^

question and give your answer. Record your answers.

^

Then listen to th e sam ple answer. (See also audio script 12, page 99.)

Speaking exam : Part 2

1 5 Read th e Part 2 question. It asks about a 'com petition or
sporting event', so you do not have to talk about sport if

Remember lb.it vou can transfer

you are not interested in it. Give yourself one m inute to
plan your answer, m aking notes if you wish. Then talk for

vocabulary \ou have learnt to

one to tw o m inutes.

different topics, f or example,
in the exam sou mav he asked
to describe a lamnus person

D escribe an excitin g com p etitio n or sporting event you have

you admire.

a

w itn e sse d .

%
You should say:
w h a t the co m p etitio n or sporting event w as
w h e n and w h e re it took place
w ho won
and explain w h y it w a s exciting.

It \ou don't want to talk about
sport in this Pari 2 question, vou
could talk about another kind of
( ompetition. perhaps one* that
is traditional oi popular in vour
countn.

______________________

Pronunciation: Expressing enthusiasm
1 6 Listen to four people talking about sport and complete 1-4.
13

1

W hich speakers sound enthusiastic or bored?

2 How did you decide w ho sounds enthusiastic and w ho sounds bored?
Some of the people are using language like Oh great! Fantastic, but they are not enthusiastic. W hy do
you think they are using this kind of language?
Intonation is the 'melody' of language. Listen to the people again and imitate their intonation.

A healthy body

19


Pronunciation
We can express enthusiasm by using:

• expressive language, e.g. It was amazing! The crowd went wild!
• eye contact and body language. Look the examiner in the eye as you speak.
When you are enthusiastic, your body language is more dynamic than usual.

• stress and intonation. To express enthusiasm, you should put extra emphasis
on the stressed syllables of the most important words in a sentence. In an
emphatic statement, the intonation tends to rise high and then fall dramatically.

17 Listen to th e sp ea k er expressin g en th u sia sm , w it h o u t u sin g
^

w ord s. Copy th e sp ea k er and also use bo d y la n g u a g e .

a

I

Expressing intense emotions may
make you feel self-conscious, so

1 8 N ow listen to th e sam e se n te n ce s w ith w o rd s. R e p e a t th e

practising before the exam with

^

a friend w ill help you.

sentences, im itatin g th e s p e a k e r’s in to n a tio n . T h e sy lla b les w ith
th e m ost stress are in cap ital letters.
1

It w as aMAzing!

2

It w as inCREdible!

3

It w as BRE ATHtaking!

4

The crowd w ent W ILD !

19

*
Intonation that reflects
accurately how you feel w ill

Listen to a sam ple a n sw er to th e Part 2 q u estio n in Exercise 15.

^

T h en read aud io script 16, p ag e 100 and u n d e rlin e th e la n g u a g e
used to convey th e ex citem en t o f th e eve n t. Is th e re a n y th in g you
could have used in you r o w n a n sw e r?

20

A n sw er th e Part 2 Exam q u estio n on p ag e 19 a g ain and record
your answ er. Try to im prove on yo u r first p e rfo rm a n ce by sh o w in g
enthusiasm and using a p p ro p ria te in to n a tio n .

improve your marks. The best
way to improve your intonation
is to listen to how English
speakers say something, as well
| a*» what they saw

*

I

Remember that pronunciation
is 25% of your total mark in
j the exam.

Vocabulary: Phrases to express opinions
21 C o m p lete th e phrases 1-6 th e n listen to check yo u r a nsw ers.
c3>)
17

1

If y o u ___________ m e , . . .

4

I w o u ld ____________ ...

2
3

In m y ____________...
I ___________argue that . . .

5 From m y ___________ of view, ...
6 To m y ___________ , ...

2 2 N ow express your o pinions on som e of th e topics in th e box using

a
Remember to use a range ot
ways to express vour opinion in
the Speaking exam. Don’t just
use / think ...

th e phrases 1-6 from Exercise 21. Explain your o pinions.
>•' - -'"nj

\ ffet total Inttrestitiftyart

TH*toost«lÿfltwit sport
Th* b«t team sport

20

Speaking for IELTS

|


T h e re a re a n u m b e r o f o th e r useful p hrases you can use w h e n
you w a n t to g ive y o u r view s on co n tro versial to pics. Listen and

24

O

Watch out

Use noun phrases or

-ing after

re p e a t p h ra ses 1-8.

the prepositions in phrases 3
and 4, e.g.

1

I (strongly) believe t h a t ...

2

As far as I'm concerned, ...

3

I'm (strongly) a g a i n s t ...

I'm strongly against
taxing..., I'm in favour of
raising...

4

I'm (strongly) in favour o f ...

5

I'm convinced that would work because ...

6

I'm not convinced that would work because ...

7

I'm sceptical of the idea t h a t ...

8

I must admit, Ithink

...

R ead th e p ro p o sed g o v e rn m e n t schem es a n d respo nd to th e m using phrases 1 -8 fro m Exercise 23.
Your governm ent w ants to:
1 tax people w ho are unfit, to help pay for their health care.
2

make all children do at least one hour of sport a day.

3

tax pensioners because they have more health problems than younger people.

4

run a campaign informing people w hat comprises a balanced diet.

Speaking exam: Part 3

25

You a re g o in g to h e a r q u estio n s th a t a re typ ical o f Part 3 o f th e exam . Listen to each

^

q u estio n a n d g ive y o u r answ er.

2 q* N ow listen to th e sam p le a n sw e r and n o te d o w n a n y u seful vocabulary. T h en a n sw e r th e Part

3 q u e stio n s a g ain , using th e useful vo cabulary.

Vocabulary*. Collocations
26

C o m p le te th e sen ten ces w ith th e w o rd s a -i th a t co llo cate w ith
th e w o rd s in italics. M ore th a n o n e a n sw er is possible in

C dllo( alu »os arc' words (hal

so m e sen ten ces.

arc oltcii lound together. I sing

a balanced
f transport

b form
g play

Th e best w a y t o _____________

keep

e lead

d stay

h sense

set

fit is to do exercise that raises your

them in fhr ■Speaking exam \\ ill
make \oui I n^lish sound mnaluial. Remember lo learn new

ol them
heart rate.
.
o
f
exercise.
G o lf, in my opinion, is not the b e s t __________________

volleyball w ith your friends a fe w tim es a w e ek .
You can have fun w h ile exercising if y o u ___________
_____________
active.
W ith o u t a TV people are m uch m ore likely t o _____
their
children
as far as exercise is concerned.
Parents s h o u ld _______________ ___ a g o o d example to
___ __ diet.
Schools can teach children about eating a _______________
C hildren w ill love t h e ___________________ o f achievem ent sport can give you
People ought to be encouraged t o _______________ _ healthy lives.
People should not be allow ed to eat on p u b lic .

A healthy body

21


27

Complete the table w ith the different types of collocations from Exercise 26. T h e n find collocations
related to sport and health and add them to th e table.

verb + adjective

verb + noyn ■
'

verb

+adjective

+ noun

28

' noun + noun
'■

adjective

.+noun j

:l__________W ......... ..... .

Answer the Part 3 questions in Exercise 25 again. This tim e try to use som e of th e collocations you
have learnt in this unit.

Part 2: Exam skills
Planning your answ er
l
When planning \ our answer to Part 1 ,

yo u

don't have to talk about the points in the same order as on the exam card.

| I low ever, it is usually a good idea because the points help you to organise what you are going to say.

Speaking exam: Part 2
1

Read the Part 2 task card and the notes that one candidate made for the questions. Then answer
questions 1-5.
1

W hich tenses w ill the candidate use? W h y?

2
3

W h y do you th in k he has w ritten Don't sound bored ?
Do his notes use full sentences? W hy (not)?

4

Is he going to fo llo w the order of the points on the card?

5

W hy do you think he has noted dow n vocabulary? Has he w ritte n ju st isolated w o rd s?

l)es(iiheanrxcilingwilnewed.
\(hislumidsa\:
what thecompetitionorsportingovcmHwas
I
whenandwhereittookplace

whowon
andexplainwhy' wasexciting

H

1■
22

Speaking for IELTS

*

Whenwemakenotes, weolten
leave'outlessimportantwords
suchasariii lesandauxiliaix
verbsand\\riteusingonlv
thek('\ words. Wealsouse
shorthand,senhas lorjncl, w.
W
»1wiih,and\/sUirnvix 1his
will saw1vihilimeinthi' exam. ^


Past tenses! Don't sound bored!!!
What? tennis match, final
Where, when? outside Sdx, 6 yrs ago
Who won? M~ won 2 -1 (leave till end)
\ \
Why exciting? final - so atm ospk electric,
. close to action, loser expected to win but fell apart

Vocab - court, crowd, h it balls down the line, serve for the match, be presented w the trophy

G ive yourself one m inute to plan your answ er to the Part 2 Exam

question using th e ideas in Exercise 1. Then talk for one to

Whenever vou practise Pari 2

two m inutes.

questions, niwvivs give voursell
one mini.le. Iniỵ no more, so
that vou learn how best lo use
the lime.

^

What have you learnt in this unit that will help you in the exam i
you are asked about sport or staying healthy? What have you earnt
in this unit that you can transfer to any topic?
How long do you have in the exam to plan your answer for Part 2.
Do you have to talk about the points on the card in order?
Is it a good idea to use full sentences when planning your answer?
What notes should you make when you are planning your answer
for Piart 2?
How much of your mark does your pronunciation represent?

A healthy body

23

3 Studies and w ork
Language d evelo p m en t | Studies and work; Speculating with phrases, modal verbs and

conditionals; Pronunciation: Word stress
Exam skills | Giving answers that are relevant and of the right length (Part 1)
Exam practice | Parts 1, 2 and 3

Part 1: Language development
Vocabulary: Studies and work

1

M atch th e h ead ing s 1-5 w ith th e in fo rm atio n a -e . Loo k up any w o rd s yo u d o n o t k n o w
in a dictionary.

1 Name
2 Nationality
3 Favourite subject at school
4 Bachelor's and
Master's degrees
5 Dreamjob

2

a

Meclaanlcal Engineering jro m Leeds University (more
practical th an Maths; w anted British, qualifications)

b M atks (likes using logic to work answers out)
c Emlratl
d
e

Mechanical Engineer for UAE Army (good job security;
lalgla prestige; interesting)
M ubarak

Using th e notes in Exercise 1, ta lk a b o u t M ubarak.

Mubarak is from the United Arab Emirates. A t school, his favourite subject was maths because ...
3
c3>)
2i

24

Listen to M ubarak talkin g abou t his studies and dream job
1
2

W h at advantage and disadvantage does he give for studying in Britain?
W h at are the three advantages of doing his dream job?

Speaking for IELTS