DESCRIBING people and family:
A number of the speaking topics that you may be asked to talk about will involve describing or classifying people in some way. In Part 2, the long turn, the examiner may ask you to talk about a friend or a family member, a colleague or someone who has influenced you. You should talk about their physical appearance and personality. You will score higher marks if you can demonstrate knowledge of precise and unusual vocabulary.
A) Appearance
Generally, people's physical appearances are described in terms of their height, build, hair color and style, facial features, eye color, maybe skin tone and any distinguishing features such as wearing glasses or having a beard, mustache, or particular dress style.
- Dress: casual, elegant, scruffy, smart, untidy, well dressed
- Hair: auburn, bald, black, blonde, clipped, cropped, curly, dark, dark brown, dyed, fair, light, light brown, long, medium length, mousey, premed, receding, shaved, short, straight, wavy
- Facial features: arched eyebrows, bushy eyebrows, high cheekbones, high forehead, long eyelashes, long nose, small mouth, snub nose, wide mouth
- Height: average height, lanky, medium height, short, tall
- Skin: black, brown, dark, fair, freckled, light, olive, pale, tanned
- Build: big, fat, medium build, muscular, overweight, plump, shapely, skinny, slim, stocky, svelte, thin, underweight, voluptuous, well built
- Distinguishing features: a beard, a mole, a mustache, a scar, earring(s), freckles, glasses or specs, spots, wrinkles
The vocabulary range to describe people's personalities is extremely wide. In the test, you will most likely be asked to describe a close friend or a family member, so it is worth thinking in advance about how you would describe your friend, brother, grandmother or whoever. Again, you will score higher marks if you can demonstrate knowledge of precise and unusual vocabulary. Here are some vocabulary tasks to revise or expand your range.
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Examples:
Download and listen to those examples of people talking about different people and their families.
Practice:
Record yourself talking about someone you know, or your family. After you have finished, listen to yourself. Think about your use of vocabulary, your fluency, and your intonation.
DESCRIBING the perfect home:
The topic for Part 2 of the Speaking Test may ask you to describe your ideal home. This part of the Speaking Test gives you a chance to demonstrate some imaginative adjectives and to be descriptive. The situation could be hypothetical, so the 'would' form could be used.
Examples:
Practice:
Record yourself talking about your perfect home. After you have finished listen to yourself. Think about your use of vocabulary, your fluency, and your intonation
DESCRIBING a place near home:
The topic for Part 2 may ask you to describe a place near your home that you enjoy visiting, a park for example. This part of the Speaking Test gives you a chance to demonstrate your ability to be descriptive.
Examples:
Practice:
Record yourself talking about a place near your home that you enjoy visiting, such as a park. After you have finished listen to yourself. Think about your use of vocabulary, your fluency, and your intonation
DESCRIBING future plans, predicting and speculating:
In the speaking test, especially in Part 3, you may be asked to describe your future plans or predict or speculate on future situations e.g. social changes, public transport, etc. You'll need future tenses, conditionals and modal verbs expressing possibility. First, let's recap on ways of expressing the future:
Will/shall + verb:
usage: To give or ask for information about the future; to predict the future (say what we think, guess or expect to happen). When speaking, usually used in the contracted form (I'll, we'll, etc); "will not" contracted to "won't".
e.g :
It'll be our anniversary soon.
The exams will take place in the main hall.
I don’t think Manchester United will win the Premier League.
I shall go to the ball!
You won't like it!
To be "going to" + verb:
usage: To talk about plans, decisions and firm intentions, especially informally. e.g. They're going to sell their house and buy a caravan. Also 'going to' is often used to predict the future using present evidence.
e.g:
I'm going to give up smoking.
She's going to have a baby. (she's obviously pregnant)
It's going to rain (there are black clouds)
Present continuous/progressive tense:
usage: To talk about personal arrangements and plans. Often used with a time, date or place.
e.g :
What are you doing tonight? I'm meeting a friend and going to the cinema.
We're having sausages for lunch.
She's leaving to study in Europe next October.
Present simple tense:
usage: Only to talk about timetables, schedules, and routines.
e.g :
The train leaves at 6 p.m.
The semester starts on September 1st.
They spend every winter with us.
Which form is best?
The four forms above are the most common ways of talking about the future and often, more than one can be used to talk about the same event. The present forms emphasize present ideas, such as plans, intentions, and predictions based on outside evidence. Will/shall is more common when present ideas are not being emphasized or for predictions based on internal beliefs, knowledge, personal opinions, etc.
Two other future forms are also worth recapping:
Future continuous/progressive tense:
usage: To say that something will be happening at a particular time in the future.
e.g:
We'll be thinking of you during the exams.
This time next year, I'll be working in China.
Future perfect tenses:
usage: To say that something will be completed at a particular time in the future.
e.g :
I'll have finished my Master's degree in December of next year.
In two months he'll have lived on Ma Wan for 4 years.
In two months he'll have lived on Ma Wan for 4 years.
Future perfect continuous/progressive:
usage: To say how long something will have continued by a particular time in the future.
e.g.
I'll have been working here for 10 years next August.
By Christmas, they'll have been living together for 2 years.
When predicting things or speculating on what may happen in the future, we can also use the conditional tenses.
First conditional:
The first conditional consists of the present tense in the 'if' phrase and the 'will/shall' future form in the conditional phrase. It is used to express speculation or hypothesis that seems likely to happen (probable).
e.g.
If she doesn't stop drinking, she'll be dead in 5 years.
With his luck, if he tries to learn to ski, he'll break a leg.
It will snow if it gets any colder.
Second conditional:
The second conditional consists of past tense in the 'if' phrase and the 'would' form in the conditional phrase. It is used to express speculation or hypothesis that seems unlikely to happen (improbable). It is also used to make polite requests.
e.g.
If Hong Kong were less polluted, there'd be fewer cases of allergies and asthma. [there'd be is the spoken form there would be]
I wouldn't be in Obama's shoes if you paid me.
What would you do if you failed your final exams?
If you traveled to Beijing during winter, you'd likely be cold? [you'd is the spoken form of you would]
Finally, modal auxiliary verbs are used to speculate or hypothesize, by indicating the possibility or likelihood of something happening in the future.
Could, may, might
They are the most common forms of this usage.
e.g.
More pay cuts could mean some people leave the company.
We can't decide where to go on holiday; we may go to Malaysia or perhaps Thailand.
She might get the job but it's hard to tell without meeting the other candidates.
If I don't find work soon, I might end up doing a Master's degree.
Examples:
Practice:
Record yourself talking about what you would do if you won a million dollars. After you have finished listen to yourself. Think about your use of vocabulary, your fluency, and your intonation
DESCRIBING the perfect holiday:
The topic for Part 2 of the Speaking Test may ask you to describe your perfect holiday. This part of the Speaking Test gives you a chance to demonstrate some imaginative adjectives and to be descriptive. The situation could be hypothetical, so the 'would' form could be used, or it could be an experience that you have had in the past
Examples:
Practice:
Record yourself talking about your perfect holiday. After you have finished listen to yourself. Think about your use of vocabulary, your fluency, and your intonation
TALKING about films, books, and music:
In Part 2 of the speaking test, the examiner may ask you to talk about a film (movie) or book that you like or that has influenced you in some way. An examiner may also ask you to talk about a band or a piece of music that you like. The discussion in Part 3 of the test will then also be about film, books or music but in a more general context
Film:
If you are talking about a film, you could include:
- Who the main actors are (perhaps you could mention other films they have been in) and who the director is if you know.
- What 'genre' or type of film it is (action film, thriller, murder mystery, romance, comedy, documentary, etc)
- A synopsis, or summary, of the plot or storyline.
- The reasons why you liked (or disliked).
In Part 3, conversation topics may involve a wider discussion about film; the advantages or disadvantages of watching film in the cinema or on DVD at home; whether or not you would like to act in or be involved in the production of a film, giving reasons; something about the local (Hong Kong) film industry; local film stars such as Jackie Chan or Chow Yung Fat, or similar.
Book:
If you are talking about a book, you could include:
- The name of the author or writer and a little information about them, if you know it.
- What kind of book it is (novel, short story collection, documentary, biography, etc).
- A synopsis, or summary, of the plot or storyline.
- The reasons why you liked (or disliked) it.
In Part 3, conversation topics may involve a wider discussion about the importance of reading for adults or children, the function of school or university textbooks, the role of books in our computer technology and internet information era, the role of public libraries, the teaching of reading and literacy, local writers, novels or documentary books about Hong Kong, etc.
Music:
If you are talking about a song or piece of music, you could include:
- Who composed the music and/or wrote the lyrics (words) and a little information about them, if you know it.
- What kind of music it is (classical, jazz, pop, Canto-pop, alternative, soul, country, etc)
- The reasons why you liked (or disliked) it.
In Part 3, conversation topics may involve a wider discussion about music in general; whether you can play an instrument or have had musical training; the teaching of music in schools, the beneficial effects derived from music, the influence of technology on modern music, different kinds of music in different cultures, Chinese classical music, the Hong Kong music scene, etc.
Examples:
Practice:
Record yourself talking about the type of music you like, a book you have recently read, or a movie you have seen. After you have finished listen to yourself. Think about your use of vocabulary, your fluency, and your intonation.
TALKING about food:
In the speaking test, the examiner may ask you to talk about food and eating. You should think about what kind of food you like and dislike, what kind of eating habits or special food Hong Kong people eat, when and why they go to restaurants and how eating out compares with home cooking. You may want to describe a favorite restaurant or how to prepare a special dish.
Examples:
Practice:
record yourself talking about your favorite restaurant, a dish you like to eat, or a recipe you like to cook. After you have finished listen to yourself. Think about your use of vocabulary, your fluency, and your intonation.
TALKING about free time activities:
In the speaking test, the examiner may ask you about your leisure time activities; what you enjoy doing and why.
- Is free time important to you? Why (not)?
- Are you sporty, lazy, artistic, creative, a bookworm, a couch potato? Do you like dancing, singing, eating, daydreaming, window shopping, playing video or computer games, lying in a deckchair, making or repairing things, fishing, camping?
- Why do you like the things you like doing? How do they make you feel? Challenged, exhilarated, relaxed, peaceful, energized, involved in a group or team, productive?
- Do you do different things at different times of the year? Or the day?
Examples:
Practice:
Record yourself talking about one of your hobbies. After you have finished listen to yourself. Think about your use of vocabulary, your fluency, and your intonation. How could you improve?
TELLING stories and anecdotes:
Stories and anecdotes are very common in normal, informal human speech, no matter what culture. Especially in Part 3 of the speaking test, but also in Parts 1 and 2, an appropriate anecdote recounting something you have done or what has happened to you or someone you know can demonstrate your vocabulary range, confidence, and fluency. People who score high grades on IELTS are generally people who can talk about themselves or their experiences.
General tips
- Choose a story that you like telling in Cantonese or English that enables you to use words you enjoy, and communicate enthusiasm to your audience.
- Keep the story simple and direct without too many complicated details or many different characters.
- It is good to describe the events and also your personal reaction to them.
e.g: He insulted my work which made me very angry.
- Don't memorize the story. You can use certain words for special effect, or repeat something if it adds to the story, but keep the events moving in your own words.
- Record yourself telling personal stories, jokes or anecdotes aloud and listen to the tape several times.
- Practice telling your story to a live audience (family, friends, pets) until it comes naturally.
Examples:
Practice:
Record yourself telling a story from your past. After you have finished listen to yourself. Think about your use of vocabulary, your fluency, and your intonation.