How to structure your answers in IELTS speaking

Most students find sticking to the word length and structuring responses for each section as per the requirements daunting in the IELTS speaking module. Using proper structure in all of your answers not only gives you an advantage in the assessment criteria, but also makes your answers more presentable. This, in turn, increases your confidence as a test taker. The best IELTS preparation materials come handy when trying to do this on your own. 

The sections below give you an in depth understanding of the structure you need to follow in different speaking modules.

How to structure Speaking Part 1 answers  

Speaking Part 1 includes quick one-on-one questions that are related to you. You are required to give answers in 2-3 sentences. There are two important things in this part. The first is that you need to make sure that your answers are not too short or too long. The second is that you paraphrase the question in the beginning of your sentence.

Let’s look at some examples to understand it thoroughly: 

Question: 

What do you like to do in your free time ? 

Sample answer 

I love to read in my spare time because it is one of the most soothing activities for me. Currently, I am reading a book by John Green called ‘Looking for Alaska’. 

What are the main points here:

• Paraphrase the question: Use synonyms of the keywords. Here the keywords are   like and free time. Some synonyms which can be used for like are enjoy, prefer, love etc. on the other hand, some alternate ways to say free time are spare time, leisure time, me time etc. 
• Add reasons to your view: This is important because it adds justification and length to your answers which clearly states your view about the given question. 
• Add a short example: Here, you need to add an additional detail, which will support your view. Make sure that your additional detail is not too long. 

Tips for part 1 : 

1. Do not give one word answer or one sentence answer. 
2. Always start with a full sentence rather than directly stating the answer. 
3. Add reasons or details even if a question has a yes/no answer. 
4. Use connectors such as - moreover, in addition, also, furthermore, wherever applicable.
5. If adding an example, begin it with a connector such as - for instance, for illustration, for example, to exemplify, to illustrate, for example etc 
6. Practise your self - introduction and description of the city/hometown as these questions are going to be there in the beginning of your test. 
7. Do not give too long answers as the examiner might interrupt you and move to the next question. 
8. Make sure that you practice from an authentic IELTS material for speaking, this will help you to gain valuable insights and prepare as per the actual difficulty level. Log on to Yuno learning to access free IELTS preparation materials. 

How to structure Part 2 answer: 

Part 2 consists of a cue card section, which involves a specific topic on which you have to speak for 2 minutes and you are given one minute to prepare for it. An important point which you have to take care of is that you should mention all the details within the 2 minutes as the examiner is going to stop you right after 2 minutes and then they will proceed to the part 3. This is a particular section where students face a challenge even if they practice from a variety of IELTS material for speaking, because it demands a proper structure full of coherence. Let’s learn how to build an optimum structure in part 2 question : 

How to structure the answer:

You are given a cue card with the question and points to help you structure your response. Along with it you are given one minute to prepare. You should use this 1 minute to jot down some ideas for your speech and main keywords that will help you stick to the topic. You should also write down some vocabulary words or idioms, which match the context of the topic. 

1. Start your speech with an introductory sentence, which is also referred to as the background of the topic. Then one by one you have to present your sentences which discuss the various pointers of the topic. 
2. Make sure that you use connectors such as - Firstly, secondly, thirdly, lastly, moreover, in addition, also, along with it etc. the connectors help to join the sentences for a smooth transition. Further, add examples wherever you can. 
3. Lastly, instead of abruptly finishing your sentence, you should give a smooth conclusion which wraps up your answer. You can even express your emotions related to the given topic in the last sentence to give a deeper meaning to your conclusion. 

Tips for part 2 : 

• Talk about all the pointers one by one 
• If you feel stuck, move to the next pointer
• In case of confusion, take a quick glance at the notes and start with the next point
• When you have a lot of points, arrange them in a chronological order by using connectors such as - firstly, secondly, thirdly, lastly. 
• Try to add examples which support your view 
• Modulate your voice to make your speech much more presentable 
• Use idioms and vocabulary words to portray the range of lexical resource 
• Use the latest IELTS practice material to get familiar with a variety of questions 

How to structure Part 3 answers 

Part 3 consists of discussion questions, which are related to the topic in the previous part. Here you have to answer in 5-6 sentences, so it’s essential that you give ample reasons and views to support your answer. 

The structure of part 3 answers can be divided into three steps :

• Firstly, you need to start your answer by paraphrasing the question. Herein, again you have to repeat the question but by replacing some of the original keywords by any synonym just as you did in part 1. You can even change the structure of the question to rephrase it. Rephrasing the sentence allows a smooth beginning to your answer and is a much presentable way to initiate your answers.  
• Secondly, you need to give various points or details, these can also be reasons or opinions [as per the requirement of the question]. You need to make sure that you join all these different points with the help of connectors and linkers. Coherence is indeed an important aspect when it comes to part 3. Some of the common connectors which you can use here are : along with it, in addition, apart from it, in continuation, on the one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, in contrast etc. 
• Lastly, you need to add examples in order to support your view. This can even help you to add some content if you are not able to add more sentences to your answer. To connect your examples, you should make sure that you are using certain linkers before you start with the example. 

This structure will help you to present your ideas in a sequential order, make sure that you strategize your answers to create a logical flow within your views and reasons. Lastly, make sure that you practice on a regular basis using IELTS preparation materials to achieve fluency in your answers 

Tips for part 3 : 

1. Make sure that you create ideas in your mind
2. Maintain eye contact with the examiner
3. Involve voice modulation and facial expression according to the context
4. Sum up your answers if required in the end
5. If your content is short, try to add examples on the points which you stated. 
6. Explain your answers well, try to give as many details as you can. 
7. Practise regularly from the practice materials.
8. When you are practising from IELTS material for speaking, do not read the answers from the material, try to answer them on your own first. 

Wrapping up 

The speaking module assesses your skills for fluency, coherence, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. In order to maintain your optimum performance, you should have a proper structure in your speaking answers. You should ensure that there is a logical flow in all of the parts. Lastly, you should explore the latest IELTS study material and practice as much as you can. Make sure that your practice material is  from a reliable and authentic source. 

In addition to this, you should always keep yourself updated with the vocabulary words and idioms. To achieve an optimum score, explore our IELTS practice material for speaking at Yuno Learning, and learn the tips and tricks from our experts!