Speaking skills · Lesson 7 of 15
Extending your answers
A simple formula for Part 1: answer, explain, add an example or a contrast. Learn to extend naturally without sounding memorised.
In this lesson you will
- learn a simple formula for full Part 1 answers
- analyse how our model answers are built
- practise extending short answers naturally
- learn why memorised answers lose marks
The formula
Answer, explain, extend
Every model answer in our vocabulary course is two to four sentences long, and at least two of the sentences are complex (they contain a word like because, although, when or which). They follow a simple pattern:
- Answer the question directly. Not really, to be honest…
- Explain with a reason. …because I usually fill up my free time with classes, sport and seeing friends.
- Extend with an example, a detail, a contrast, the past or the future. I'm almost always on the go, which means I rarely have time to get bored.
| Ways to extend | Useful language |
|---|---|
| Give an example | for example… · like… · such as… · The last time I… was… |
| Add a detail | …, which… · …, where… · especially when… |
| Give a contrast | although… · whereas… · …, but… · That said,… |
| Compare with the past | When I was a child,… · I used to…, but now… · …has changed since… |
| Talk about the future | I'd like to… · I'm hoping to… · One day, I'll probably… |
Analyse
How is the answer built?
Do you like history? (History)
Label each part
- “Yes, I do now,”
- “because I think history helps to put things into perspective.”
- “Some periods are as gripping as any drama, which is why I often look into the history of places before I visit them.”
How does each answer extend?
- Do you prefer the morning or the evening? “The evening, because I'm definitely a night owl rather than an early bird. I feel most creative after dark, when the house is quiet.”
- Is there a difference between where you meet friends now and in the past? “When I was at school, we used to hang out in parks… Now we usually meet in cafés…”
- Would you like to be an artist? “Not really… However, I'd like to take up painting as a hobby when I have more time.”
- Do you prefer modern art or traditional art? “I prefer traditional art… Although some abstract pieces are thought-provoking, I often find it hard to make sense of them.”
Avoid
Three common mistakes
What is the problem?
Do you like your hometown?
- “Yes.”
- “Yes, I like my hometown. My hometown is a place I like. I like it.”
- “Hometown is a very important concept for everyone in the world. There are many advantages and disadvantages to living in a hometown, which I will now explain.”
- “Very much, because it's where I grew up. Even though I live somewhere else now, it'll always feel special to me.”
Examiners are trained to notice memorised answers, and they don't count towards your score. Learn phrases and patterns, not whole answers, and always answer the actual question about you.
A short memorised start is fine. Do not memorise whole answers, but it does help to have a few words ready so that you get off to a good start. A smooth opening is better than hesitation that kills the rhythm of your answer. Keep it short, change it from question to question, and go straight into your real answer: Well, to be honest,… (Part 1), I'd like to talk about… (Part 2), Generally speaking,… (Part 3).
Practice
Extend these answers
Make them longer
Each answer is too short. Add a reason and an extension, so that each one has two to four sentences.
- Do you like shopping? “Yes, I do.”
- Do you wear a watch? “No.”
- What do you usually do in the evening? “Watch TV.”
- Yes, I do, although I have to be careful not to get carried away. When I'm stressed, I sometimes do a bit of retail therapy, which isn't great for my bank balance!
- No, not any more, because I always have my phone with me. I used to wear one at school, but now I only wear a watch when I'm going somewhere formal.
- I usually watch TV with my family after dinner, because it's the only time we're all together. At the moment we're watching a historical drama, which is really gripping.
Now practise with frequently reported questions. Use the formula: answer, explain, extend.
Press Record, answer out loud, then listen back.
Lesson written for Tips4IELTS. All examples come from our Speaking Part 1 model answers.