IELTS Speaking Part One- Board Game & Useful Language

IELTS Speaking Part One functions board game

will + be + v + ing	would like	your area	your dream…	START abroad
when you were	Place a counter or write your name on the START square. Someone in the group will ask you an IELTS Speaking Part One question about the topic or using the word(s) in the square that you are on. As you speak, they will tick off the functions below that you use while you are speaking, as long as you use a different phrase from what was said before. When you finish, you will be able to move one square for each function that you used (e.g. six squares if you used six functions, to a maximum of eight squares).   Kinds of phrases that you can get points for: Checking/ clarifying phrases Commenting on the question phrases Vague answers/ Weak answers Strong language/ Strong answers Thinking aloud/ filling silence phrases Giving reasons phrases Explaining (more) phrases Ending (long) answers phrases   In the real exam you should tell the truth and only do those things if you have to, but in this game just concentrate on using as much of that kind of language as you can. The winner is the person who has moved furthest around the board when the teacher stops the game.   After you finish, work together to brainstorm different phrases for each of the functions above.			accommodation/ home
what sort/ kind of				day(s) off/ weekend
TV				art/ media
transport/ travel/ holiday				sport/ exercise/ keep fit
recent past				change
near future				ambition/ goal/ plan
distant past				desires/ wants
distant future				dish/ food
festivals/ celebration(s)				going out
school/ studies				family/ friend(s)
routines				retire
reading				films
prediction(s)				first/ last
now/ at the moment				going to
next				green space(s)
name				have been + ing
music				health/ healthy
likes/ preferences				hobbies/ interests
hometown				free time/ leisure
language(s)				how long
job/ work	is/ are + ing	in… years	if	IELTS

 

List for the person asking the questions and listening

Tick off any phrases below which are used for the first time, or put a tick in the blank space for any other phrases with the same function which are used (even if they are only a little different).

1 Checking (again) what the question means

Can I just check…?/ Just to check what the question is,…

Should I talk about… or…?/ Do you want to know… (or…)?

So, you’re asking…?

Could you repeat the first/ middle/ last part of the question?

Could you say that another way?

Do you mean…?

I’m afraid I didn’t understand the last word/ part of the question.

If I understand correctly, you want me to tell you…

What does… mean?

Sorry, I still don’t understand./ I’m still not quite sure what the question means.

Other phrases with that function:

 

2 Commenting on the question/ Filling silence while pausing for thought/ Dealing with difficult questions

Let me think./ Let me see.

I’m just trying to remember.

Hmmm./ Weeeeeell,…

I’ve never really thought about that before…

No one’s ever asked me that before.

That’s an interesting question.

It’s funny you should ask me that, because…

Other phrases with that function:

 

3 Commenting on the match or possible (mismatch) between the question and the answer

If… means…, then…

I guess you want to know…, in which case…

I don’t know if this is what you are asking, but…

I don’t… exactly, but…

Actually (in my case),…

I can’t exactly answer that question (because…) but…

Other phrases with that function:

 

4 Vague language/ Saying you are not sure (e.g. you can’t remember exactly)

I can’t remember… (exactly) but…

I don’t remember… but I can remember…

The only thing I can recall is…

… or something like that (anyway).

… or something of that sort.

more or less/ approximately/ something like…

Other phrases with that function:

 

 

5 Changing your mind halfway through/ Correcting wrong information

Sorry, I meant to say…

Ah no, that’s wrong. It’s actually…

Other phrases with that function:

 

6 Explaining things that the examiner might not know or understand (e.g. names of things which are specific to your country)

There is a word in my language…

There is something in my country which we call…

which can be translated as…

The usual/ direct/ word for word translation is...

which is a kind of/ a bit like…

which looks/ smells/ tastes/ feels (something) like….

Other phrases with that function:

 

7 Giving reasons

This is because…

The (main) reason for that is…

I’m not sure why exactly, but…

for some reason or the other

in order to…

so that…

Other phrases with that function:

 

8 Different (past, present or future) time expressions

the day before yesterday/ a couple of days ago

in a year or two

by the time…

when I was a… student/ in… school/ in my late teens

in the late 90s

later this afternoon

first thing tomorrow morning

the week after next

at the moment/ currently/ presently/ now

nowadays/ these days

once every two or three weeks

Other phrases with that function:

 

9 Different tenses/ Verb forms to talk about different times

is/ are going to

is/ are + ing

has/ have + been + ing

will + be + ing

will + have + PP

plan to/ be planning to

want to/ would like to/ would love to                 

Other phrases with that function:

 

Brainstorming stage

Without looking above, try to think of or remember at least three phrases for each of these categories of language that you were listening for and trying to produce during the game.

1 Checking (again) what the question means

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Commenting on the question/ Filling silence while pausing for thought/ Dealing with difficult questions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Commenting on the match or possible (mismatch) between the question and the answer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 Vague language/ Saying you are not sure (e.g. you can’t remember exactly)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Changing your mind halfway through an answer/ Correcting wrong information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 Explaining things that the examiner might not know or understand (e.g. names of things which are specific to your country)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 Giving reasons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 Different (past, present or future) time expressions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 Different tenses/ Verb forms to talk about different times

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brainstorm similar phrases for these categories of useful language for your answers

Vocabulary related to accommodation

 

 

 

 

Vocabulary related to family

 

 

 

 

Vocabulary related to festivals and celebrations

 

 

 

 

Vocabulary related to transport and travel

 

 

 

 

Vocabulary related to food and drink

 

 

 

 

Vocabulary related to socialising

 

 

 

 

Vocabulary related to TV and films

 

 

 

 

Vocabulary related to music

 

 

 

 

Vocabulary for talking about reading

 

 

 

 

 

Vocabulary related to other arts and media

 

 

 

 

Other vocabulary related to free time

 

 

 

 

Ways of talking about likes and dislikes

 

 

 

 

Ways of talking about now

 

 

 

 

Ways of talking about the past

 

 

 

 

Ways of talking about plans

 

 

 

 

Ways of talking about desires/ wants

 

 

 

 

Ways of talking about predictions

 

 

 

 

Other ways of talking about the future