IELTS Speaking Test Summary

(with a few hints and suggestions)

The actual speaking test starts when the examiner turns on the tape recorder.
The Introduction (= I.D. check)
4 questions (25 to 30 seconds)
Part 1 (4 to 5 minutes)
Topic 1 about 4 questions
Topic 2 about 4 questions
Topic 3 about 4 questions
Part 2 (3 to 4 minutes)
1 minute of thinking time
Topic 4 1 to 2 minute monologue
(Possibly) 1 or 2 wrap-up questions
Part 3 (4 to 5 minutes)
Topic 5 about 4 or 5 questions
Topic 6 about 4 or 5 questions
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The Introduction (the I.D. Check)
Although the Introduction phase is not one of the main parts of the test, it is
still part of the test. The tape recorder is recording what you say and the
examiner will notice the quality of your language and any English mistakes you
make.
The main idea here is to see if you can give appropriate (= suitable) answers to
simple questions that are used to verify your identity. For this, "appropriate
answers" means, "short and crisp answers", not long answers or answers that
are full of extra details after you have answered the basic question.
The Introduction Phase, which is basically a verification of your identity,
begins with a greeting such as, Good morning and the examiner introduces
him/herself.
Then the examiner asks you the four Standard Introductory Questions. They are
"standard" because every candidate is asked these exact same questions. (See
below)
The examiner wants to do this part of the test quite quickly, in 20 to 30
seconds.
The Standard Introduction Questions
1. Good morning/afternoon. My name is _____ . Can you tell me your full
name, please? (= Could you tell me your full name, please? = Please tell me
your name.)
2. What shall I call you? (= What can I call you? = What should I call you?)
3. Can you tell me where youre from? (= Could you tell me where youre
from? = Where are you from?)
4. Can I see your identification, please? (= Could I see your identification,
please? = May I see your identification, please?)
Note that every candidate is asked the same questions, exactly or almost exactly
as written here.
A more detailed explanation of how to speak in the Introduction phase of the test can
be found on this page.
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Part 1
Next, the examiner introduces a topic (Topic 1) and asks you a few questions
on that topic. Topic 1 is one of the following: your home(= house or home
street or hometown or home province or home country); or your work or your
studies.
Then the examiner introduces another topic (Topic 2) and asks you a few
questions on that topic.
Finally, the examiner introduces the last topic for Part 1, (Topic 3) and asks you
a few questions on that topic.
The topics in Part 1 are about your everyday life and everyday life in your
country, especially those topics that apply to typical IELTS candidates.
Each topic will have about 4 questions, so that Part 1 has a total of about 12
questions. These 12 questions are to be answered in just under 5 minutes.
Assuming the examiner uses an average of two seconds to ask each
question, the average answer in Part 1 should be about 22 seconds
long. Therefore, your general strategy in Part 1 is to speak quite a lot, giving
the examiner more than just minimal answers but at the same time, controlling
the average length of your answers to allow the examiner enough time to ask
you about 4 questions for each of the 3 Part 1 topics. The examiner must
strictly stay within the 4 to 5 minute time limit for Part 1.
Some answers in Part 1 are summaries. Or, you can think of the questions as
being rather 'open ended'. For example, if the question is, What kind of place
is your hometown?, you have to describe your hometown in just a few (e.g., 4
to 6) sentences. This is a summary because you could, in fact, answer this
question in detail by speaking for 15 minutes! These 'summary' types of
questions require you to give slightly longer answers than for other questions.
The examiner will (normally) not make any comments in Parts 1 or 2; he or she
will simply introduce each new topic, ask you questions, and listen to your
answers.
Be prepared to be asked many questions in a short period of time, i.e., quickly!
The examiner can give you a little help with the meaning of any word that you
don't understand in Part 1 but you should be very careful about revealing any
vocabulary weaknesses in Part 1. This is because the words used in the
questions in Part 1 are generally considered to be understandable to candidates
who are a low Band 5 standard and above.
You will know when Part 1 is over when the examiner tells you that he/she is
going to give you a topic for you to talk about. This is the beginning of Part 2.
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Part 2
You will know that Part 2 is going to begin when the examiner says: Im now
going to give you a topic and Id like you to talk about that topic for one to
two minutes. Before you start to talk, youll have one minute to think about
what youre going to say. You can make notes if you wish on this paper. Do
you understand?
Then the examiner will give you a card, which will look just like the questions
in the typical Part 2 example below. The topic of this question is called, Topic
4 in this summary.
When the examiner gives you the card, hell say, Id like you to describe
followed by the words in the first line on the card. There will be more questions
on the card, and you should answer these in your monologue. But the examiner
will not read these questions for you.
Note that the words, you should say really mean, you should include
these points but you should also say more than just these points.
When you receive the card, youll have 60 seconds to:
a. Read the card,
b. decide what example youre going to talk about, (each card asks for
an example) and
c. think about (i.e., plan) your answer and jot down some points on the
notepaper that is given to you. Hint: Concentrate on ideas and
vocabulary rather than on forming sentences in your 1 minute of
thinking time.
At the end of the 60 seconds of thinking time, the examiner will remind you
that you have 1 to 2 minutes to answer the question and then hell say, Can
you start speaking now, please?(= Please start speaking now.)
While you are speaking, youll have the card with you to look at.
The examiner will not interrupt you or speak to you while you are speaking,
even if he or she doesn't hear you clearly or doesn't understand your meaning.
When the 2 minutes are up or when you stop talking (ideally, at close to 2
minutes), the examiner will probably say, Thank you.
Part 2 often, but not always finishes with the examiner asking you 1 or 2 short
questions (from the examiner's question book), connected to the Part 2 topic.
The purpose of these questions is to wrap up Part 2 and to make you feel that
the examiner was interested in what you said. You should give very short
answers to these follow-up questions. These questions are also often a hint to
the questions that will follow in Part 3. The follow-up questions are also used
to start to put you into a discussion frame of mind, for Part 3. In some cases, for
example when there is no more time left in Part 2 for some reason, or if you
have already answered these follow-up questions, the examiner might omit
them.
Topic 4 will probably be from one of the following general
categories: People, Things, Places, Everyday Activities, Experiences,
and Future plans or Speculation about the Future. Almost always, the topic is
one example of something that is directly connected with your life
or experience. In other words, you need to speak personally, not speak in
general.
Part 2 is considered to be a little more difficult than Part 1.
The most important thing you should aim to do in Part 2 is to continue
speaking for between 1.5 and 2 minutes. (Speaking for just over 1 minute is
allowable but you should aim to speak for a little longer than this minimum
time.)
Except for the 2-minute point, when the examiner asks you to stop, it is YOU
who controls when you stop. Some candidates speak for a suitable length of
time (e.g., 1.5 minutes) and they answer all the points on the task card but then
they make the mistake of sitting there silently at the end, trying to think of more
things to say or wondering how to finish or who should say something next.
When you have finished, just tell the examiner something like, "Well, that's all
I have to say." Sitting there silently can cause you to lose fluency points.
You cannot ask for a different topic if you do not like the topic that the
examiner gives.
You should not consider your Part 2 answer to be like a formal "speech".
Instead, it should be like an extended answer that someone would speak in a
natural way during a conversation.
A Typical Part 2 Question
(In the following example, note that them means, him or her.)
Describe a teacher who has greatly
influenced you in your education.
You should say:
where you met them
what subject they
taught
what was special
about them
and explain why this person
influenced you so much.
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Part 3
Part 3 of the test starts when the examiner says something like this: Weve
been talking about (Topic 4) and now Id like to ask you a few more
general questions related to (this topic).
Part 3 will seem similar to Part 1 but, unlike Part 1, in Part 3 the examiner
can make his or her own questions and these questions will, at times, be
based on your previous answer. In this way, some parts of Part 3 will be
similar to a discussion. Often, these further questions are asking you to
explain more fully something that you just said. Sometimes, an examiner
will suggest an alternative argument, as in an academic debate, and ask you
to justify your previous answer in light of this alternative argument or to
evaluate this alternative argument.
In Part 3, youll usually be asked questions on two topics (Topics 5 and 6). If
there is enough time, youll be asked several (about 5) questions on both
topics but if there isnt much time left, you might only be asked one or two
questions on the second topic. Youll probably be asked a total of eight to
ten questions, but this could vary depending on how fast you speak and how
long your answers are.
Both Topic 5 and Topic 6 are loosely connected with (or sometimes, exactly
the same as) the topic of Part 2, Topic 4. The one or two follow-up questions
in Part 2 might have hinted at the topics for Part 3.
The words used in the questions are usually more difficult than the words in
the questions for Parts 1 and 2. The replies also usually require you to use
more advanced language. Generally, the language and the ideas of Part 3 are
more abstract than in the earlier parts of the test. For example, in Part 1 you
are mostly asked several questions about yourself (although some general
questions are also included in Part 1 sometimes) and Part 2 is also about
yourself but in Part 3, questions about yourself are not so common general
questions about the people and life in China are used instead.
The following topics and concepts are important for Part 3 (but there could
be other topics and concepts that are not listed here): Attitudes and
Values; Personal qualities; Psychology (people's motives and
thoughts); Information and Communication; Society; Change (both cause
and effect); and Education. Often these topics or concepts are combined. For
example, often there are questions about child development but this is really
just a more specific example of (or a mixture of) the topics and concepts that
are listed here.
The following are typical language functions that are elicited in Part 3:
Giving Information. Here, you are usually asked to give several
examples of something. For example: What sports are popular
in China? Ideally, you should include extra information or
some personal comments in your answer.
Speculating ( = guessing about the past, the present and
especially, the future.) This might include speculating about
peoples reasons or motives for doing something or thinking in
a certain way. 'Speculating' could include answering such
questions as, What would . if . ?
Suggesting For example: suggesting possible ways to solve a
problem; and suggesting advice for people.
Comparing and contrasting. For example: differences between
older and younger people; differences between males and
females; differences between a situation today and the situation
in previous years; differences between rural and urban areas.
Explaining situations ( = explaining how or why certain
situations exist).
Giving your opinion or judgment. For example, answering
questions that begin with words such as, 'How well ...?', 'How
effective ... ?', 'How much ... ?', 'How important ... ?', or
answering questions that begin with, 'Do you think .... ?' or
'Should ...?' Of these, 'How important ... ?' is the most
important type of question. Included in this group are questions
asking for your judgment or opinion about
any problemsconnected with a certain area of human activity.
Sometimes questions about your judgment or opinion
ofresponsibility are used
Justifying or defending your opinion. Sometimes the examiner
will challenge your opinion to see if you can give some
evidence or good reasons for your opinion. Do not be afraid to
speak up and defend yourself!
In Part 3, the examiner can help you a little if you dont understand the
questions. That is, the examiner can re-ask the question using simpler words
or explain the meaning of a question.
Since (most of) Part 3 is supposed to be a simulated discussion, you should
be in a very communicative frame of mind and try to discuss, not simply
answer questions as in Part 1. That is, try to give answers that are full of
detail and that even introduce new points that are connected to your main
answer. This kind of answer gives the examiner many opportunities to find
further points to use for questions in order to continue the discussion.
IELTS Speaking Test Grading Criteria

Introduction
Examiners look at five different things in order to determine a candidate's score:
1. Pronunciation
2. Grammar
3. Vocabulary
4. Fluency and Coherence
Notice that Fluency and Coherence are grouped together although they are
different things. Each of these four carries equal value. The examiner gives you
a whole-number sub-score for each of these and then calculates the average
of the four.
Both whole number and half band scores, such as 6.5 are given for the
Speaking test.
No separate score is given for each of the three Parts of the test. When I was
an examiner, I wrote the four sub-scores on a piece of paper at some time during
Part 1 and these four scores were changed up or down as the test progressed.
If the average score is not a whole number or a 0.5 number, for example, 5.5,
the examiner goes down to the next whole number or 0.5 number.
Example 1
Pronunciation 5
Grammar 4
Vocabulary 5
Fluency &
Coherence
5
Average = 19/4 = 4.75
= Band 4.5
Example 2
Pronunciation 6
Grammar 5
Vocabulary 6
Fluency &
Coherence
5
Average = 22/4 = 5.5
= Band 5.5
Example 3
Pronunciation 7
Grammar 7
Vocabulary 8
Fluency &
Coherence
7
Average = 29/4 =
7.25
= Band 7.0
In China, about 50% of all candidates get a 5.0 or 5.5 for Speaking. In 2007,
the average score for the Speaking test in China was5.26 for Academic
candidates and 5.74 for General Training candidates. (See HERE for the report.)
See here for the IELTS Speaking band descriptors (public version). This page
gives a description of what the examiner is looking for in order to make a
judgment on your Band level. Note that the Pronunciation criteria have been
changed but it is not public knowledge what the new criteria are.
See here for my more detailed description of the band
descriptors: http://ielts-
yasi.englishlab.net/DETAILED_BAND_SCORE_DESCRIPTORS.htm
See here for other, more general descriptions of the band levels: http://ielts-
yasi.englishlab.net/THE_BAND_LEVELS.htm
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SUMMARY OF THE MAIN POINTS ON THIS PAGE
Pronunciation
Overall, clear and understandable pronunciation is the main thing.
Secondly, the correct use of the following features will determine the
pronunciation grade:
1. basic word pronunciation;
2. linked speech sounds;
3. correct and appropriate sentence stress (i.e., which word or words in a sentence
are stressed more than others); and,
4. appropriate use of intonation (rising and falling) to emphasize meaning.
Slightly inaccurate (= unclear) pronunciation is usually understandable if the
correct words and grammar are used but slightly inaccurate
pronunciation combined with other errors can result in language that is not
understandable at all.
American pronunciation is acceptable. But try not to suddenly change between
standard British and standard American pronunciation too much, or to mix the
two too much. This is because the examiner will not be expecting such sudden
changes.
Grammar
Basic grammar, especially the verb tenses. Know how to make the tenses and
use them correctly.
Complex sentences: Don't just use simple sentences all the time. Instead, often
use sentences composed of parts that are joined together with conjunctions and
other linking words. (This is a "must" for a Band 6 or above in this sub-score.)
Complex structures: Show that you have (at least some) knowledge of higher
level grammar.
Vocabulary
Show a wide range of vocabulary.
Use words suitably don't try to score extra vocabulary points with 'impressive'
words you are not sure of.
Make sure you correctly pronounce words don't just learn the written form of
new words.
Fluency
Speed push yourself to speak a little faster but only if your pronunciation is
good.
Continuity avoid unnaturally long pauses, especially in Part 2.
Smoothness use linked pronunciation and use contractions.
Coherence
Expand your answers with a suitable amount of relevant extra information
(detail).
Use connectives to link sentences especially when expressing more complex
ideas. (This is a "must" for a Band 6 or above in this sub-score.)
Answer questions directly.
Add extra relevant details in suitable amounts after first answering the key
point of the question.
Link your answers to the questions by using the same verb tense.
Try to ensure that your answers to questions are suitable for the real meaning
of the questions.
Show knowledge of the ' short form' of answer for 'Yes/No' questions.
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1. Pronunciation
For more detailed information on the common pronunciation errors that
Chinese students make, see the page, COMMON PRONUNCIATION ERRORS.
To improve your pronunciation, see the document, IMPROVING YOUR
PRONUNCIATION.
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2. Grammar
For grammar, examiners first notice if candidates can make sentences using
simple grammar correctly. The frequency of basic errors is what examiners
first notice. The majority of these errors involve verbs, especially verb tenses.
You should especially take care to answer questions using the same verb tense
as the question. This not just concerns correctly forming verb tenses but is
also based on of whether your choice of verb tense is suitable for what you
are trying to say. Of course, in addition to verbs, there are also lots of other
possible grammatical errors.
Even a candidate who gets an 8 for grammar is allowed to make a very small
number of errors but most of these are made when attempting to speak the
more complex grammatical structures and these errors are not so bad that the
listener misunderstands the speaker's meaning. On the other hand, a Band 3
candidate makes frequent grammatical errors (in almost every sentence) at
the most basic level.
The examiner also especially looks to see how often and how well the
candidate can make complex sentences. The examiner also looks at your range
of, or variety of connecting words. A complex sentence is a sentence that has
two or more parts, each containing a verb, that are joined by words such as
and, but, because, although, which, that, who etc. Note that
frequently using and will not help your score for complex sentences very
much although it is better than always speaking simple, short sentences.
COMPLEX SENTENCES IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE
GRAMMAR SUB-SCORE AND YOU SHOULD STUDY THIS TOPIC. You cannot
get a 6 for grammar if you don't make it obvious that you can speak using many
complex sentences.
The following is an example of a complex sentence using two joining words
(), which and because.
I need to learn English, which is very important because it will help me get a
good job.
Below is a diagram showing a complex sentence with two linking words.


A Band 4 candidate rarely attempts a complex sentence.
A Band 5 candidate tries to make only a few complex sentences, usually just
using and or but as conjunctions. When they try to use more difficult joining
words or phrases, they often make mistakes.
A Band 6 can make complex sentences with a (limited) range of joining words
and phrases but there still might be several, but not so serious errors.
A Band 7 can make a wide range of complex sentences with only a few errors.
And a Band 8 makes a wide range of complex sentences with almost no errors.
Examiners also look at the candidates grammatical range, that is, whether the
candidate can accurately use the more difficult grammar, or complex
structures such as (the past perfect tense), (the passive
voice), (perfect modals), (conditional
sentences or if...would sentences), and (reported speech). As with
basic verb tenses, the point here is not just the correct construction of the
grammatical structure but the appropriate usage of it.
A Band 8 candidate can effortlessly use these and similar grammatical
structures with very few or no errors.
A Band 7 can use these but might make a few minor errors.
A Band 6 tries to use some of these but makes several errors. However, these
are usually errors that do not impede communication. The key point here is
to try and to be correct most of the time but not necessarily correct every
time. If you never attempt more complex grammatical structures because you
are afraid of making any mistake, it will give you fewer points than if you at
least showed the examiner that you know about the existence of these
structures.
A Band 5 cannot use (or is afraid to attempt to use) many of these higher-level
grammatical forms. If a Band 5 candidate does attempt a more complex
grammatical structure, he or she makes errors most of the time and
sometimes attempts to remake sentences, trying to get the grammar correct.
Most candidates in China get a 4 or 5 for grammar. It seems that the majority
of students in China don't include much grammar study in their IELTS
preparation. This is a serious mistake it is very difficult to get a 6 for
Speaking (and Writing) or an overall 6.5 or above in the whole IELTS test if you
don't do much extra grammar study (beyond what you learned in school) or at
the very least, a review of your grammar. You need to not only know how to
make the different verb tenses and the more complex grammar structures,
you also need to understand the correct usage of the different grammatical
structures. And you need to know it well enough to produce it quite quickly in
natural speech.
For more information on improving your grammar, go to IMPROVING YOUR
GRAMMAR.
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3. Vocabulary
Most candidates in China get a 5 or a 6 for vocabulary.
Examiners look at several aspects of vocabulary:
the range and variety of vocabulary, i.e., how well the candidate can use
words from the simple, everyday level up to the 'expert' level when talking
about different topics; how much the candidate can display an accurate and
appropriate usage of idiomatic expressions; and how much the candidate
speaks a variety of words which express the same idea, rather than repeating
the same word several times. [If you vary your choice of word in an attempt to
show the extent of your vocabulary, don't make the common mistake of using
different words that have a similar meaning but not
the same meaning. Similar words sometimes introduce new concepts that
are not what you intend to say. There is nothing wrong with
a moderate repetition of the same word that's natural in the speech of
educated native English speakers.]
the suitability, or appropriacy of the words that are used, and the accuracy of
meaning that is expressed by the words used. Some candidates try to impress
the examiner by using so-called 'big' or 'impressive' words but they use these
words inappropriately or incorrectly. You will lose points for this you would
do better if you only spoke simpler words but ones that you know are suitable
and correct. The reason is that communication is the number one goal if you
use words inappropriately or incorrectly then the examiner might have no real
idea of your meaning. Of course, you will get points if you use 'impressive'
vocabulary appropriately and show that you know the exact meaning of these
words.
the candidates ability to talk about unfamiliar topics;
the candidates ability to use idiomatic expressions;
and the candidates ability to communicate a meaning when he or she
doesnt know (or forgets) the exact word to use. This is called
'paraphrasing'. This is an important language skill.

For more information on improving your vocabulary, go to IMPROVING YOUR
VOCABULARY.
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4. Fluency and Coherence
Fluency and Coherence are two different things but are grouped together
because neither fluency nor coherence alone is considered as important as
pronunciation, grammar or vocabulary. Fluency and coherence are both
concerned with "the flow of language" fluency concerns the physical flow of
language while coherence concerns the logical "flow of interconnected
ideas".
You need to satisfy the requirements for both fluency and coherence to get a
particular score for this combined item. For example, if the examiner thinks
you are a Band 7 for Fluency but only a Band 5 for Coherence, you will only get
a sub-grade of Band 5 for the combined 'Fluency and Coherence' sub-score.
Fluency
For fluency, examiners notice three related things; continuity, speed and smoothness.

Continuity
This refers to your ability to just, keep talking, without too
many unnatural pauses. (Natural pauses are the very short pauses that we
make when we speak in order to: show the completion of an idea; think of the
best word; consider an answer to a question; or to give dramatic effect.) Long
pauses are unnatural and usually result from the speaker searching for
vocabulary or making a complete sentence in his head before
speaking. Pauses at inappropriate places in your speech are also unnatural.
Many candidates who have long, unnatural pauses in their speech often do
this because they are checking their grammar before speaking. In other words,
they are overly worried about making grammatical mistakes. Similarly, those
candidates who translate from Chinese to English before speaking also speak
with long pauses. In the test itself, you should concentrate more on letting
your speech 'flow out' rather than worrying too much about grammar. Yes,
keep grammar in mind, but in the test you should rely more on the habits of
correct grammar that you had practiced in your preparation before the test.
You will get a better score this way.
Some candidates break the continuity of their speech by correcting themselves
too much. If a candidate corrects himself or herself too frequently, this could
result in a loss of continuity. Therefore, you should not self-correct more than 2
or 3 times in the whole test and only do it if you think you made a major
mistake that could cause confusion in the listener or if you think the mistake
just 'sounds terrible'. Furthermore, you should do it quickly so that the
continuity of your speech doesnt seem too disrupted.
Similarly, avoid unnecessary repetition of what you have just said. (This is
usually done by Band 3 and Band 4 speakers who do not have confidence in
their English.)
One way to avoid unnaturally long pauses is to communicate to the examiner,
by speaking, what you are thinking as you prepare to answer a question or, in
Part 2, as you prepare to say the next thing. For example, instead of sitting
there silently while you think of how to answer a question, you could say
something such as: That's an interesting question! or That's a difficult
question! or I've never thought about that before. or Let me think about
that.
A very important point is this: many candidates lose points for fluency because
they stop talking for unnaturally long periods of time in Part 2 you are
expected to speak continuously in Part 2. The main reason why some
candidates do this is that they simply cant think of enough things to say, or
cant think quickly enough of something to say.

Speed
If your speech is unnaturally slow, you will lose point for fluency. In the test, if
you know that your pronunciation is fairly clear and accurate, you should push
yourself to speak a little faster than you would in a normal, non-test
conversation.
But if you know that your pronunciation is not so clear or
accurate, DON'T push yourself to speak faster because that could cause the
examiner to not understand your pronunciation at all! You will lose big points
if the examiner cannot understand you at all.
Some teachers tell (all) students NOT to speak fast in the test. This is a
mistake, I believe, because sometimes all the students then think that they
should speak slowly. Only those students with poor pronunciation should
speak slowly, but only slowly enough to be understood clearly. The candidate
who speaks a little slowly in order to be clear will lose a little on the fluency
sub-scale but that is far better than losing big points in the pronunciation sub-
score for being totally incomprehensible.

Smoothness

Smoothness is actually related to speed. If you don't use the two methods mentioned
below to "smooth" your speech, it will be harder to speak at a natural speed. Two of
the main ways to make your speech smoother are: a) to link your words and, b) to use
contractions.


a) Linked Speech

In natural spoken English, most words are not spoken as single words but are linked
with the preceding and following words. If you try to say each word individually, it
will not sound smooth and it will almost certainly be too slow. One of the main
examples of linking is the pronunciation of words that begin with a vowel sound. For
example, the sentence, Im an accountant has two words that begin with a vowel,
"an" and "accountant" and the sentence is spoken as:




What you see in this example is that a syllable in English doesnt begin with a vowel
sound (unless its at the beginning of a sentence or after a comma or another natural
pause). Instead, the syllable begins with the previous consonant before that vowel.
This is why we have the word, an to create a consonant just before a vowel sound.

That sentence has five syllables, with the sentence stress on the syllable, ccoun.
When you say this sentence, it almost sounds like one word:




b) Contracted Speech ()

In natural spoken English, we use the contracted forms of some verb
constructions very often, or even most of the time. Examples of contractions are:
Im = I am; Hell = He will; and, Id = I would. We use the full forms to
show emphasis or when we want to speak especially clearly for some reason, such as
when stating a name.

The contracted forms are a faster way to speak and they are spoken in a smoother
way than two separate words. Therefore, using contractions improves your fluency.

In the IELTS Speaking test, you should try to use the contracted forms at least 50% of
the time. But dont worry if you use the full form sometimes (caused by your old
habits of speech). Certainly, don't correct yourself if you use the full form. Using the
full form is not considered to be 'wrong' it is simply more natural and therefore
more suitable to use the contractions most of the time.

Speaking contracted English is not well taught in English classes in China, probably
because there is no speaking test in high school.

(On this website, I often use contracted English in order to give a conversational and
less formal tone to my writing. Normally, contracted forms are not used in serious
writing but it is suitable to use contracted forms in written English that has a
conversational tone, for example, in a letter to a friend.)

See CONTRACTED SPEECH for more on this topic.

Also see IMPROVING YOUR FLUENCY
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Coherence
The verb cohere means, to stick together as a mass or a group. In other
words, the different parts of a whole are connected or linked. When referring
to language, coherence is mostly about the linkage of ideas.
Coherent language is easy to follow because the ideas are linked using special
linking words and phrases (= "connectives"). In other words, the absence of
key linking words or phrases can make your language less coherent.
Obviously, before you can show the language of linking ideas, you have to say
several things, not just one thing. In other words, the first way to get some
points for coherence is to speak extended answers, with extra information,
not answers that only address the basic question, without adding anything
extra. First answer the question directly, then develop your answer with extra
information that is related to the question.
Extended (or 'developed') answers are also more coherent because they help the
listener (or reader) better understand your meaning. For instance, adding an
example of what you mean helps the listener understand. The more
"understandable" or "clear" your answer is, the more it can be called "a coherent"
answer.
Another aspect of coherent language is the logical placement of the ideas.
That is, the ideas are stated in a logical order. For example, if you are
explaining something that has several steps, you normally first talk about the
first step and continue on to the last step. In this case, the linking words at the
beginning of the sentences should be words such as First, Second, Next,
Then, and Finally.
Here's an example of using a short linking phrase to connect the second
sentence (the second idea) to the previous sentence (the first idea).
If you've got a lot of money and especially if you think you can get a
good job when you come back to China, studying for an MBA overseas
could be a good idea. On the other hand, it might not be the wisest
decision if your family has to make financial sacrifices to allow you to
study overseas because many returning MBA's can't find good-paying
positions in China.
The words, On the other hand is the linking phrase. It tells the listener (or reader)
that the second sentence is an alternative idea to the first sentence. (There are
different linking phrases, representing different meanings.) This linking phrase does
two things: it serves as an introduction to the second sentence and it links to the
idea of the first sentence. Overall, the linking phrase makes it easier for the listener
to understand your meaning in the remainder of the second sentence.


Good coherence is important in language because if a speaker makes errors in
pronunciation, grammar or vocabulary (or all three), or if there is background
noise (such as when talking on a telephone), the listener can probably still
understand the meaning because he or she was given an introduction to what
you are going to say. In addition, when you are speaking about something
complex, it isa good communication skill to give the listener special help in
following what you are saying so that the listener does not have to strain too
hard to follow you. (This also applies to your writing in the Writing test.)
Using good coherence is especially important when a speaker speaks for a
long time, as in Part 2 or when a speaker is explaining something rather
complex or abstract, as in the answers for many Part 3 questions.
In the Speaking test, many candidates speak in a way that can be generally
understood, i.e., they speak in a way that is not particularly unclear, illogical or
inconsistent. This is often because they just say simple things. In addition, the
IELTS examiner might understand you because he or she knows what to
expect when you give an answer, based on the examiners
experience.However, the examiners job is to also consider how well you
would be understood by a typical English-speaker overseas. In order to get a
good sub-score (6 or above) for coherence, you have
to clearly demonstrate that you know how to correctly use several
different joining words and phrases. (To get a 6 for Coherence, you will be
forgiven for making a few mistakes in the correct usage of joining words and
phrases just show that you have knowledge of this and are trying!)
Using connectives to link sentences is the most important aspect of
coherence but there are other examples of the logical linking of language that
come under the heading of Coherence. One example is, when you reply to a
question, closely link your answer to the question link it grammatically
(using the same verb form as the question) and link it logically
by first answering the question and then giving other details.
By giving extra details, you will be making your language more coherent ( =
easy to understand) because these extra details help the listener to
understand more clearly what you meant in the first part of your answer. In
fact, by giving extra details to your basic answer, you can demonstrate good
coherence in two ways: a) by simply giving extra ideas that are related to the
first idea in your basic answer and, b) in the way you connect these extra ideas
to your basic answer by using phrases such as For example, ... ,In other
words, ... etc.
Another important aspect of coherence is to understand what the
question really means so that your answer actually suits the question. See my
comments about the answers that the Portuguese girl gave in the video of her
interview. It helps to understand what IELTS examiners expect in your answers
and this understanding is best gained by reading many of the pages on this
website.
Show the examiner that you can use the 'short form' of answers to 'Yes/No'
questions. These short forms are clearer and moreemphatic than simply
saying, "Yes" or "No" and are, as a result, more coherent.
Although you should answer questions directly, that does not always mean
that you should answer questions immediately. For example, if you are asked
a rather complex question in Part 3, it's very suitable to begin your answer
with an introductory statementbefore you address the actual question. One
example of this is to say, "Well, it depends on the situation." And then answer
the actual question with words such as, "If .... then ..... but, on the other
hand, if ... then ... ". The key point is not to speak indirectly.
Showing your coherence skills becomes more important as you progress
through the test from Part 1 to Part 3. In Part 2, where you describe
something in detail for 1.5 to 2 minutes and therefore speak several sentences
on the one topic, it is important to show connections between these
sentences. And in Part 3, showing good coherence is especially important
because many (or most) of the questions require answers that link several
ideas or several statements. See here for notes on coherence in Part 3. These
notes are also applicable to Part 2.
Go here to read more about improving your coherence: IMPROVING COHERENCE