This lesson gives IELTS speaking tips: How long should my answer be? This lesson has advice on the best length of your answer for each part of the IELTS speaking test. Learn how many sentences to use for IELTS speaking part 1 or how to expand your talk for IELTS speaking part 2. Learn how long your answer should be for IELTS speaking part 3.
I heard that answers for speaking part 1 should be short. Are the answers below ok for part 1?
Q. What was your favorite book or story when you were a child?
A. The first book that I remember really enjoying was ‘……….’. It only took me a few days to read because I liked it so much that I couldn’t put it down.
Q. Do you like reading?
A. Yes, I like reading a lot. I read all sorts of things, including novels, newspapers, magazines, and online articles.
I heard that we must answer each question on the topic card. Is that true?
Describe a family celebration that you remember. You should say
– what you were celebrating
– who was present
– what happened
– and why you like that celebration
Answer to first two prompts:
• I’m going to describe my sister’s wedding day, which took place a few years ago in the town where I grew up. For my sister it was the biggest and most important day of her life.
• I think there were around 100 people at the marriage ceremony, which was held in a church. Even more people came to the party, or the wedding reception as we call it, after the ceremony. Of course, most members of my family were there, as well as the groom’s family and a collection of the bride and groom’s friends and colleagues. The person I remember most was …… because we hadn’t seen each other in over two years so that was a really pleasant surprise.
Is the answer below the right length?
Q. Is it better to get advice from a friend or from a family member?
A. I think it depends on the kind of advice that you need. Parents and grandparents probably have more life experience than a friend, and so you might get a wiser or more sensible answer from them. On the other hand, friends are less likely to become too worried if you go to them with a problem. For example, I probably wouldn’t want to burden my parents with a financial problem.
If you have a lower level of English with many hesitations, your answers will be shorter. If you are a fluent talker, your answer should be longer – in fact it would be a shame to have fluent English and only give short answers.