Situation A Situation B

Activity

In the answer above find examples of the following:

· Redundant language

· Uncommon vocabulary

· Linking words

· Idiomatic vocabulary

· Linking phrases

· Different tenses (how many are used?)

Description Structures

When responding to description questions, you need to begin with a lead-in phrase. (This is an example of a linking device I redundant language). Possible lead-in phrases include the following:

· OK then...

· Right, ok...

· Alright...

· Well...

· Well, you know...

· Well first of all...

· Actually...

We can add a "pointing phrase" next, to signal to the listener that the first point is coming. (This is another example of a linking device / redundant language.)

· ...the first thing I should mention is that...

· ...the point I’d like to begin with is that...

· ...I could start off by saying that...

· ...my initial point would be that...

· ...I need to start off by pointing out that...

· ...the main thing you need to know is that...

· ...I suppose I should begin by highlighting the fact that...

· ...you may (or may not) be aware that in fact...

· ...I really need to kick of with the point that...

Most of the above contain interchangeable words. Now you are ready to describe your first point.

Activity

Example question: "Tell me about the street that you live in."

Think about one important point you can describe about your street (it could be location, size, appearance, the buildings etc.). Do not give the name as this is not really describing (and the name would probably be in Chinese so you would not be using examples of topic-related vocabulary.) Select a lead-in phrase and a pointing phrase.

· Now describe your first point.

· Choose different lead-in and pointing phrases and practice describing the first point about your street.

The first point needs to be developed with a complex sentence. Notice in the example how the candidate uses a structure with "that".

"...the first thing I would say is that it‘s absolutely enormous, maybe even one of the biggest cities in Asia I guess."

This is a simple but effective way to join your linking phrase with the detail sentence. The result is a complex structure. Notice how the candidate then uses another linking word "maybe even" to add more details.

Activity

Example question: “Tell me about your studies or job.”

Choose a lead-in and pointing phrase. Introduce your first point and use a structure with "that”. Add a linking word to introduce a detail about your first point. Now we can look at the full structure.

1) Lead-in phrase

2) 1st pointing phrase

3) Point I

4) Linking word / phrase + detail about point I

5) 2nd pointing phrase

6) Point 2

7) Linking word / phrase + detail about point 2

8) 3rd pointing phrase

9) Point 3

10) Linking word / phrase + detail about point 3

Examples of 2nd pointing phrases:

· Another point which I could add is that...

· A second feature which I should mention is that…

· As well as that, I could say that...

· On top of that I can also add that...

· Also, I suppose I should say that...

Examples of 3rd pointing phrases:

· And I shouldn't forget to mention that...

· In addition to what I've just said, I can add that...

· Something else that I need to comment on is that…

· I guess I could also remark on the fact that...

So a complete response might look something like this:

"Well first of all, the main thing you need to know is that... (point I) ... In fact ... (detail I)... On top of that I can also add that... (point 2) ... which means... (detail 2) ... Something else that I need to comment on is that... (point 3)...So actually (detail 3)…

Activity

Practice saying the full sample structure with your own points and details for the following questions:

· Tell me about the house / flat you live in.

· Tell me about your city

· Describe your hometown.

· What is your main ambition?

· Tell me about your job.

· What makes you happy

· Tell me about your family.

Now write out your own full describing structure using the example phrases. Now practice using your structure for the questions above.

Question Type 2: Liking

A very common type of questions in Part One is the "liking" questions. For example: "Do you like animals?"

As an examiner I have asked this style question hundreds of times. A common response might be something like:

"Yes. I like animals. I like cats and dogs because they are very lovely.”

If you have read and understood what has been written so far in this book, you should be starting no see the problems with this answer. This answer lacks all the features common in native-speaker style English. The answer focuses I00% on content.

Expressing likes and dislikes is actually quite a large area of the English language and as a result there is a wide range of language available to express these functions. When the examiner asks, "Do you like animals?" your answer should display some ability to express these functions using a range of appropriate language.

“I like” and “I don’t like” do not display any ability to skillfully or flexibly express these functions. In most cases, the examiner probably used "like" or “don't like" in the question, so candidates who use these words are simply recycling the question words in the form of a statement.

For these questions, the first step is to find some alternative language for "liking". The following expressions can be used for all general topics:

· I’m fairly / pretty keen on...

· I’m quite / pretty fond of

· I'm really into...

· I'm totally mad about

· I'm quite a big fan of...

· I'm quite partial to

· I simply adore...

· I'm quite passionate about

· I’m quite enthusiastic about...

· I generally prefer... (use only when comparing)

Most of the adverbs are interchangeable in this list.

One advantage of the IELTS vocabulary marking system is that if you use an uncommon word incorrectly or in the wrong context, you will still get some credit for trying to use the word.

For example, if a candidate said: "I’m quite enthusiastic about Korean food." Compare it with: "I like Korean food."
Native-speakers wouldn‘t normally use the word "enthusiastic" to describe food, but the first sentence is better than the second because it attempts to use an uncommon vocabulary item (quite enthusiastic).

So don't be afraid to use any of the words from the list - they are all worth more to your score than "I like" or "I enjoy".

We return to the question: "Do you like animals?" The aim of our answer is to use about 3 or 4 "liking" expressions.

Look at the following answer:

“Well to be quite honest, in general I would say that actually quite keen on animals, but in particular I would probably have to say that I'm really into domestic pets like dogs. I guess the reason why I'm a fan of dogs is because I adore their loyalty and companionship. In addition to dogs I suppose also pretty passionate about endangered species, especially dolphins and things like that and this is due to the fact I feel some degree of responsibility towards wildlife protection."

Activity

How many "liking" expressions can you find in the answer? How many linking phrases can you find? How much redundant language is there? Find examples of uncommon or topic-specific vocabulary. (Note "things like that" - the meaning of "like" is not the same as the meaning in the question.)

Possible starting phrases for "liking" questions include:

· Well in general I would say that",

· Actually, I suppose that for the most part I’d probably say that...

· Well, to be honest I should really say that...

· Of course I think I'd have to say that...

· Certainly I would definitely say that...

· Well, I guess that generally speaking I would certainly say that ...

Then select the first "liking" expression and add the topic word or a general category of the topic.

Example: "Well in general I would say that I’m quite passionate about Italian food: ..."

Now you need to add a linking word or phrase to introduce a specific type of the topic or category (eg. pizza).

· ...but in particular…

· ...to be more precise...

· ...particularly...

· ...to be more specific...

· ...especially...

· ...to be more exact...

· ...specifically...

· ...to be more accurate...

Now add your second "liking" expression with the specific type.

Example: "Well in general I would say that I'm quite passionate about Italian food, to be more specific, I would probably say that I’m really into pizza and pasta."

Now add a linking phrase to introduce the first reason:

· And I guess this is probably because...

· This could be because...

· This might be because...

· This is due to the fact that...

· I suppose the reason has something to do with the fact that…

"Well in general I would say that quite passionate about Italian food; to be more specific I would probably say that I'm really into pizza and pasta. This is mainly because my girlfriend is Italian so she always cooks Italian cuisine at home."

Now use a linking phrase to introduce your second point.

· As well as this...

· To add to this...

· In addition to this...

Use another "liking" expression: "As well as this, I’m quite partial to vegetarian food."

Now be more specific:

"As well as this, I’m quite partial to vegetarian food especially things like bean curd. This could be because... I'm quite conscious of healthy eating and bean curd is a fat-free food and it's high in nutritional value."

So the complete structure looks like this:

"Well to be quite honest, in general I would say that I’m actually quite keen on.... but in particular I would probably have to say that I'm really into...you know, things like... I guess the reason why I am a fan of...is because I adore...In addition to this I suppose also pretty passionate about.... especially...and things like that, and this is due to the fact that..."

Use the structure above to answer the following questions:

· What food do you like?

· Do you like listening to music?

· Do you like reading?

· Do you like shopping?

· What do you like about your hometown?

· What do you like about your studies / job?

Now answer the questions using your own structure.

Question Type 3: “Disliking” Questions

"Disliking" questions are quite common in Part One of the speaking test. The answers can be very similar to the "liking" questions but with "disliking" vocabulary.

The following language can be used to express “dislikes".

· I’m not so keen on...

· I’m not really that fond of...

· I’m not much of a fan of...

And for very strong "dislikes" use the following:

· I totally detest...

· I really can't stand...

· I absolutely loathe...

In your answer, try to use a "dislike" and a "strong dislike" phrase. Use the same style of structure as the "liking" answer but change the linking phrases.

Example:

"Is there anything you don't like about your hometown?"

“Of course I think have to say that I’m not so keen on the weather. To be more precise, I really can‘t stand the summer months. This is due to the fact that the temperatures can get as high as 40 degrees so it can be quite uncomfortable if you don‘t have air conditioning in your house. In addition to this, I'm not really that fond of the public transport system. And I guess this is probably because the buses are too old and the seats are really hard, so long journeys are usually pretty bumpy."

Now answer the following "disliking" questions using a similar structure:

· Is there anything you don't like about your school / studies?

· Is there any food you don‘t like?

· What’ the worst thing about shopping?

· Are there any clothes that you don‘t like?

· What type of weather do you dislike?

Summary of "Liking / Disliking" Questions

The most important thing is to avoid the simple vocabulary (like, dislike. enjoy, love, hate) and replace these with the expressions given in this chapter.

Many candidates put "likes" and "dislikes" in the same answer (usually the "liking" question). This is not wrong, but as we have seen, the answers to these questions can be quite long, so it is better to split them into two separate answers.
Remember: Give a developed answer to every question. In the past I have heard answers like these:

Do you like animals? - No, I don’t like animals.

Do you like reading? - No, I like watching TV instead.

Is there anything you don’t like about your hometown? - No. I like my city.

As a rule, if the examiner asks you if you like something, give a positive answer (yes) even if that answer is not true. In the same way, if the question is: "Is there anything you don’t like about...?" you should also give a positive answer (yes).

Speaking positively is much easier than speaking negatively and it is easier to give reasons and examples to say "why" rather than "why not".

Remember: Base your answer on language not on fact or truth. You do not get any marks for telling the truth!

Question Type 4: “Types of” Questions

Another common type of questions in Part One is "types of" questions.

For example:

"Tell me about the different types of public transport in your city."

The most common problem with these questions is shown in the following answer:

"In my city there are many types of public transport, for example, buses, taxis, motorcycle taxis, trains, planes, ferries and mini-buses."

In this answer, the candidate lists seven types of public transport. However, the answer is 100% content and there is no evidence of native-speaker style language. Some candidates may believe that get one mark for every type of transport that they list but this is not true.

One reason for this answer is that in spoken Chinese it is quite common to give these "list" style answers.

A good answer to these questions should be structured and developed in the following way.

Begin with an opening phrase:

· Well actually...

· Of course, you know...

· Sure, obviously...

· Of course, it goes without saying…

· OK, certainly...

Then use one of the following:

· ...there’s quite a mixed variety of...

· ...there’s quite an extensive diversity of…

· ...there's quite a wide range of...

· ...there's quite a diverse mixture..

· ...there’s a fairly broad range of...

So the opening line might be:

"Of course, it goes without saying that there’s quite a mixed variety of public transport in my city.”

Now use the following structure to introduce the first type:

· But I guess the most adj. ...would probably be...

· However, I suppose the most adj. ...could possibly be...

· Though I think the most adj. ...would potentially be...

· Yet I imagine the most adj. ...may well be...

· Still, I suspect that the most adj. ...could perhaps be...

In these structures you will need to select an adjective which fits the question. Here are some possible adjective suggestions:

common commonplace influential

popular frequent prevalent

fashionable trendy notorious

famous well-known crucial

widely-used widely-known prominent

important significant widespread

standard conventional celebrated

hip with-it commonly-used

usual customary commonly-known

current fashionable notable

best-selling up-to-date renowned

So the first sentence could be:

"Of course, it goes without saying that there's quite a mixed variety of public transport in my city. Though I think the most commonly-used would potentially be buses."

Now use a phrase to add a detail:

· The thing with buses is that...

· I assume buses are so + adj. because...

· The point I want to add about buses is that...

· And what you have to realize with buses is that...

· And the explanation for this could be that...

· And the basis of this is that...

So the first part of the answer could be:

"Of course, it goes without saying that there's quite a mixed variety of public transport in my city. Though I think the most commonly-used would potentially be buses. And the explanation for this could be that they are so cheap and reliable. The average bus fare in my city is about one yuan for a single journey.

Notice that the detail sentence doesn’t repeal the word "buses", instead it uses the pronoun "they" (some answers will need "it").

Also notice that the detail sentence uses a linking word "in fact" to make a complex structure.

Now use a linking phrase to introduce a second type.

· Besides (buses), …

· As well as (buses), …

· In addition to (buses), …

· Another kind of (public transport) would be...

· Another form of (public transport) worth mentioning could be...

· A second variety of (public transport) would be something like...

· A subsequent category would be something like...

So the next part of the answer might be:

"As well as buses, a second variety of public transport would be something like taxis."

Add a linking phrase to develop the second type:

· And the main characteristic of (taxis) is that...

· And the unique aspect of (taxis) is that...

· And one exceptional aspect with (taxis) is that...

Add the detail with a linking word to form a complex sentence:

"As well as buses, a second variety of public transport would be something like taxis. And one exceptional aspect with (taxis) is that they are certainly the quickest way to get around town. So if you‘re in a hurry then taxis are the best bet (= the best choice).”

Now you need to add a vague end line:

· And of course there‘s the usual things like...

· And obviously you can also find things like...

· Likewise, as might be expected, there are things like...

· And naturally, there are things like...

So the final sentence might be:

"Likewise, as might be expected, there‘s things like ferries, motorcycle taxis and trains, although these are not as widely-used as the first two that I mentioned."

So the finished structure might look something like:

"Of course, it goes without saying there's quite an extensive diversity of... (topic) Still, I suspect that the most + adj. could perhaps be... (type) And what you have to realize with... (type l) is that... In fact / so / but / because... (detail)

Another form of... (topic) worth mentioning could be... (type 2) And the main characteristic of (type 2) is that... (detail) (+ linking word / complex structure). And naturally, there‘s things like... (2 or 3 other types)"

Use the complete model structure to answer the following questions:

· Tell me about the types of sports that are popular in your country.

· What kinds of restaurants are popular in your country?

· What types of shops can be found in your local area?

· What types of things do people collect in your country?

· What hobbies are common in your country?

· What types of TV programmes are popular in your country?

Now design your own structure using the language options provided in this section.

Summary of "Types of" Questions

Don’t repeat the adjective used in the question. Example:

"What kinds of restaurants are popular in your country?”

In your answer, don’t use “popular”. Example:

“Yet I imagine the most widespread may well be…”

Sometimes candidates struggle to find content for these questions, because they generalize their answer too much. Example:

"What kinds of restaurants are popular in your country?”

If you say "Chinese restaurants", this is far too general and it is difficult to introduce other types of restaurants.

See the individual topic sections later in the book for vocabulary ideas on types and kinds of particular topics.

Question Type 5: “Wh- / How Often” Questions

This question type is very common in Part One. Look at the following examples:

· How often do you go to the cinema?

· At what time of day do you usually read?

· Where do you usually buy your clothes?

· Who do you spend your weekends with?

· When do you listen to music?

The problem with these questions is that many candidates give very direct "information-focused" responses. It is quite common for candidates to respond to these questions in the following way:

· Maybe once a week.

· In the evenings before I sleep.

· In New World Department store.

· My parents or my friends.

· At weekends and in the evenings.

As we have discovered, it is almost impossible to achieve a high score with this style of answer. The key to these questions is to answer the question with two or three different responses. Example:

“How often do you go to the cinema?"

"Well to be honest, I think I would have to say that it really depends. Like for instance, if I have the money, then it‘s quite possible that I will watch a movie in the cinema, two or three times a month. You know cinema tickets are pretty pricey in China. Whereas in contrast, if I’m broke, it‘s more likely that I watch movies at home on DVD: you probably know that DVDs are quite cheap here, especially compared to the price of a cinema ticket."

The key to the answer is the structure "it depends". If you use this, you can produce a "situational contrast" which allows you to use contrast language (linking words).

The first step is too select an opening phrase:

· Well to be honest...

· Well in truth...

· Actually to be fair...

· Well in all fairness...

· In actual fact...

· In fact, in all honesty...

Now select a "depends" phrase:

· ...I think I would have to say that it really depends.

· ...I suppose I would have to maintain that it kind of depends really.

· ...I imagine that it would depend on the situation.

· ...I guess my answer would be determined by different conditions.

Now select a linking phrase:

· Like for instance...

· More precisely like...

· Like more specifically...

· Like, to be more direct...

· You know like, to be exact...

Notice that all of these linking phrases include the word "like". In these structures "like" is a conjunction used as a meaningless filler word. This is very typical of informal native-speaker English.

It is important to get the next step exactly right. The success of this structure relies on the following conditional grammar structure:

Select one of the following:

· If (situation A)... then I will most likely...

· If (situation A)... then it's quite possible than I will...

· If (situation A)... then as a consequence I will probably...

· If (situation A)... then I guess it’s quite likely that I will

Your answer is going to compare two different situations or conditions. These can be quite flexible. Here are some possible ideas to use:

Situation A Situation B

Weekdays Weekends

Summer Winter

Good weather Bad weather

Term time School holidays

If I’m alone... If I’m with friends

If I’ve got a lot of time… If I'm fairly busy…

So the opening sentence might be:

"Well in all fairness, I imagine that it would depend on the situation. Like for instance, if (situation A)... then I will most likely... so / because / in fact..."

Answer the following question, introducing one situation. (Develop the situation using a complex structure.)

"How much time do you spend listening to music?"

(If possible try to avoid repeating the question vocabulary "listening to music".) Now you can compare situation A with situation B. Add a compare linking phrase:

· Whereas in contrast...

· Though, at the same time…

· Whereas on the other hand...

· While, oppositely...

Select one of the following:

· If (situation B)… then it’s more likely that I’ll…

· If (situation B)… then it‘s almost certain that I will...

· If (situation B)… then I will almost always...

· If (situation B)… then I will most certainly...

Remember to develop situation B with a complex structure.

Now answer the following questions using the fully developed structure for two situations. (If you want to give a
longer response you could even introduce a third situation.)

· How often do you go to the cinema?

· Where do you usually go shopping?

· When do you usually read?

· At what time of day do you usually listen to music?

· Who do you spend your evenings with?

· When you go out in the evenings, what do you usually do?

· How often do you play sports?

· How often do you eat out in restaurants?

Summary of "Wh- / How often" Questions

If you follow the example structure, make sure that you choose two situations that are very different. It is easier to contrast two clearly different situations.

Make sure that you use "if" and "will" for both situations. This is a fairly complex grammar structure but it is easy to construct accurately. This type of answer directly influences the "Grammar" score and the "Fluency" score in your speaking lest.

Question Type 6: “Yes / No” Questions

In Part One, the examiner might ask you questions which appear to be direct "Yes / No" questions.

Look at the following examples:

· Do people wear special clothes at weddings in your country?

· Is watching TV a popular activity in your country?

· Do you think it is important to play sports / do physical exercise?

· Is fast food popular in your country?

· Is healthy eating important?

· Can you play a musical instrument?

· Do you think it‘s important for children to learn to play a musical instrument?

· Is food expensive in your country?

· Is education free in your country?

· Do you think you are an ambitious person?

A common problem with these questions is that many candidates begin their answer with a direct "Yes" or "No" and then or more details to explain their answer.

This is not wrong, but these answers are often too simple in grammar structure and lack the essential linking phrases.

A better answer is to answer BOTH "Yes" and "No". By doing this you will produce a response with better quality language structures.

Look at the following example:

"Is healthy eating important?"

"Yes, healthy eating is important, because..."

If you answer in this way, you are limiting your answer to a fairly basic structure.

Now look at the next example:

"Well in actual fact, if I think about it. I guess that in many ways it's fairly important; especially when you consider that a healthy diet can help to prevent a variety of diseases and health problems such as diabetes and obesity. But you also have to understand that eating unhealthy food in moderation is not overly harmful. In fact unhealthy food is often tastier than healthy food so I guess it’s fine to eat a little junk food now and then. So all in all I guess my answer would have to be yes and no."

It is possible to use this type of structure for many, but not all, "Yes / No" questions.

Look at the list of questions at the beginning of this section and decide which ones you would be able to answer with this structure.

The structure can be built in this way. First, use an opening phrase:

· Well in actual fact, if I think about it, I guess that in many ways...

· OK, well in reality, I suppose that to some extent...

· Alright. I guess that on the one hand...

· Well certainly in some ways...

Now make your first statement (e.g. It’s fairly important...). Develop the first statement using a linking structure:

· ...especially when you consider that...

· ...particularly if you think about the point that...

· ...especially with regard to the point that...

· ...and this is definitely the case with...

Try using this structure to give a "Yes" answer for the following questions:

· Is crime a problem in your country?

· Do people in your country often keep pets?

· Is it always good to be ambitious?

Now you need to introduce your "No" answer. First use a linking phrase:

· But you also have to understand that...

· Even so, you could also say that...

· At the same time you could say that...

After describing your "No" answer, you can "round-off " the answer with one of the following phrases:

· So all in all I guess my answer would have to be yes and no.

· So on the whole I suppose the answer has to be yes and no.

· So all things considered I guess the answer is both yes and no.

· So in the main, I suppose the answer is probably yes and no.

Use the full structure to answer the following questions:

· Do many people work on farms in your country?

· Is food expensive in your country?

· Is public transport expensive in your country?

· Do you think that it is important to spend time alone?

Some “Yes / No" questions in Part One cannot use this "Yes and No" style of response. Look at the following questions:

· Is watching TV a popular activity in your country?

· Can you play a musical instrument?

· Are friends important to you?

With questions like this it may be difficult to answer both yes and no. It is probably much easier to give a "Yes" answer. Use the structures given to introduce your "Yes" idea and then develop this single idea with one or two reasons or details.

Summary of "Yes / No" Questions

The most important thing is to avoid repeating the question structure with a "Yes" or "No". Example:

"Is fast food popular in your country?"

"Yes, fast food is very popular in my country, especially..."

As we have seen before, repeating the question structure does not have any significant influence on your score, so if you want a high score - DON'T DO IT!

With these questions you need to think quite quickly, especially if you want to give a “Yes and No" style answer. You don't need to have wonderful ideas for your "Yes and No" answer. Just something that gives you the chance to use the structure. Remember - the examiner is not marking your ideas.

Question Type 7: “Would” Questions

Look at the following questions:

· Would you like to move to another city in the future?

· Would you like to change your job?

· Would you like to live near the sea?

· Would you like to learn another foreign language?

· Would you like to be in a film?

· What would you like to change about your city?

· What would you like to change about your school (school in the past)?

· Would you like to change your name?

When the examiner asks these questions, he or she is listening carefully to one aspect of your answer. What do you think is the most important aspect of your answer for these questions?

Look al the following example:

"Would you like to change your name?"

"No, I don't want to change my name. In fact I think I'm really fond of my name because it has quite a deep and significant meaning, and as well as this, my mother chose it for me so she doesn’t want me to change it. Actually I am sure I will never change my name!"

Is this a good answer?

What is good about this answer?

What is missing from this answer?

The grammar aspect of these questions is very important. As a basic rule, if the question uses "would", then you need to include at least one example of "would" (or might /could) in your answer.

For most of these questions, you should use the second conditional tense in your answer. In fact the examiner is expecting you to produce an example of this verb tense.

The form of the second conditional is quite simple:

If + past simple, would / could / might + infinitive verb.

e.g.: If I lived near the sea, I would be able to eat fresh seafood.

If I had the time, I would go for travelling.

The second conditional is used to talk about a present or future time, to describe an event that is unlikely (hypothetical).

e.g.: If I worked in a factory, I would be tired every day! (But I don‘t work in a factory and it’s unlikely that I will work in a factory in the future.)

Activity 1

Think of one basic second conditional structure for each question: use positive sentences. Try to use different words for each example.

e.g.: "Would you like to move to another city in the future?"

"I would like to change cities if I had the chance.” Or "If I had the chance I would like to move to another city."

· Would you like to change your job?

· Would you like to live near the sea?

· Would you like to learn another foreign language?

· Would you like to be in a film?

· What would you like to change about your city?

· What would you like to change about your school?

· Would you like to change your name?

· What job would you like to do in the future?

· Would you like to live in a foreign country?

· Would you like to be a professional photographer?

When you add a reason or detail, you need to use more second conditional structures:

e.g.: “Would you like to move to another city in the future?”

“I would like to change cities if I had the chance, because if I lived in a different city I would make lots of new friends and I could try lots of new kinds of food. Also I might be able to find a well-paid job."

Activity 2

Go back to the previous activity questions and develop your answer with details or reasons, using more examples of the second conditional. (Try to use some examples with "might" and "could".) For some of these questions it is possible to use a negative form.

e.g.: “Would you like to move to another city?”

“No I wouldn’t like to move to another city, because if I lived in another city I wouldn‘t have any friends.”

Try to make some negative sentences for the questions (remember your details and reasons can be either positive or negative structures, but they should be second conditional).

Sometimes candidates begin these questions with: "I never thought about it." This is not a good example of native-speaker language. The following structures can be used to begin your answer.

· Well, quite honestly I don‘t think ever thought about that, but I guess...

· Actually, this isn’t something that I've ever considered, but in short...

· I’m not really sure how to put this, but I suppose generally speaking...

Look at the following complete structure:

"Would you like to move to another city?"

"Actually, this isn’t something that I’ve ever considered, but in short I suppose I would possibly consider moving cities, especially I had the chance to move to a coastal city like Xiamen or Sanya. If I lived in a seaside city I would be able to hang out on the beach every day and I would also have the opportunity to get into water sports like scuba-diving and possibly surfing."

Notice how the first structure used "verb+ing": "I suppose I would possibly consider moving cities..."

This structure is much more complex than the basic: "I suppose I would like to move to another city…”

Try to use one of the following structures for your first structure.

· I imagine I would possibly think about (verb + ing)...

· I guess I would maybe contemplate (verb + ing)...

· I would perhaps reflect on (verb + ing)...

Look at the activity questions again and try to use one "verb + ing" structure for each. Try to use a different verb from the question verb.

e.g.: "Would you like to learn another foreign language?

"Well, quite honestly I don’t think ever thought about that. But I guess I would maybe contemplate up a new language."

Now practice developing all of the "Would" questions in this section.

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 993