In the Speaking test, the first part is quite short. However, it is still important as this part acts as a ‘warm-up’ for your test. The examiner is going to have the first impression of your speaking skills, so you need to do this part well.
The good news is, it’s not difficult to deal with this part. What you need to do is to provide short and simple answers. There is no need to give long and complex answers with difficult vocabulary.
You can easily follow this formula to answer questions in Part 1:
Give an answer containing 2 sentences.
Sentence 1: Give a direct answer.
Sentence 2: Give an explanation or an example.
This method is not difficult, and you can get used to it after trying several times. Let’s look at some sample answers:
- What types of photos do you like taking?
(give a direct answer) I like to take pictures of the places where I go to. (give an example) For instance, when I visited Japan last month, I took many photos of the beautiful cherry blossoms there.
- What do you do with photos you take?
(give a direct answer) Sometimes I share the photos with my family and friends by posting the photos on Facebook or Instagram. (give an explanation) The reason is because whenever I participate in an interesting event or visit a beautiful location, I want other people to also know about those things.
- When you visit other places, do you take photos or buy postcards?
(give a direct answer) I prefer taking photos, (explain) because I want to have myself in the pictures. This is a great way to have memories of my journeys.
- Do you like people taking photos of you?
(give a direct answer) Sometimes, only on special occasions. (give an example) For example, my friends and family took a lot of photos of me in my wedding or my graduation ceremony.
