In the IELTS Speaking test, try not to repeat every word the examiner uses when you start to answer a question. In other words, don’t be a parrot! You should avoid doing this because it sounds unnatural and you can easily make grammatical mistakes. In this post I will give you an example of what I mean.
Imagine the examiner asks you:
Examiner: How have shopping habits changed in your country in recent years?
Some candidates try to repeat all the examiners’ words, for example:
Candidate: *How shopping habits have changed in my country in recent years is …*
Firstly this sentence is grammatically incorrect. Secondly, it sounds unnatural. If a friend asked you such a question, you would never answer in this way.
It is better to begin your answer in a simple, natural way. For example:
- I think shopping habits have changed a lot in my country. …
- I think people are shopping more than in the past.
- Well, I think people in my country have become very cautious about shopping. This is because …
Gaining time to think
It is okay to repeat the examiner’s question word for word if you want to gain time to think. For example:
Candidate: Hmm…how have shopping habits changed in my country in recent years? Well, I think …
You can learn more examples of typical mistakes in Lecture #45 of the IELTS Speaking Masterclass course.
very useful tips.