To get a band 7 or higher on the IELTS exam, you need to use some natural words and phrases that native English speakers commonly use. Band 7 requires some use while band 8 will need more.
Expressing like/dislike
- I’m (not) into it. “I’m into fitness because it’s a great way to stay healthy.”
- It appeals to me/It doesn’t appeal to me . “Reading novels appeals to me since it helps sharpen the mind”
- I’m (not) keen on “I’m not very keen on dieting due to the fact that I love food so much.”
- (not) crazy about “I know that Facebook seems to be the in thing, but I’m not so crazy about it.”
Opinion
- If you want my honest opinion “If you want my honest opinion, I think that advice from family members is much better than from friends.”
- absolutely “Absolutely. Playing during childhood was a common thing that I did.”
- not at all “Not at all. I think that shopping is a huge waste of time.”
- sort of & not fond of “In a way, I sort of enjoy travelling, but I’m not fond of busy airports and flight delays.”
- as far as I’m concerned “As far as I’m concerned, people who throw garbage on the street should pay steep fines.”
Frequency/How often
- A great deal “I spend a great deal of time in my bedroom because it’s my comfort zone.”
- on a frequent/regular basis “I go swimming on a frequent basis, which is usually around 2 to 3 times per week.”
- Rarely “Cooking fancy meals is something I rarely do. I’d rather just pop something in the microwave.”
- every now and then / more infrequent / less frequently “Every now and then, I visit my relatives, but it seems to be becoming more infrequently since I moved further away.”
Past
- Back then/Back in the (90s) “Back in the early 2000s, I was just a kid who had to walk to primary school.”
- Long before yesterday “Long before yesterday, I used to rely on using a paper map.”
- A long time ago/ not so long ago “Well that wasn’t so long ago. I just graduated last year.”
- At the turn of the last (decade/century) “At the turn of the last decade, people used social media much less frequently than they do now.”
Comparing things
- Relatively speaking “Relatively speaking, travelling by bus is less expensive than by car.”
- Idententical “Emailing and texting are identical in all ways but one. Emailing is faster.”
- Have in common/don’t have in common “Riding a bicycle and walking have a lot of things in common with each other.”
- Share the same/ don’t share the same “Seniors and teenagers rarely share the same tastes in television programs.”
The future (speculate on)
- One day (it could/might happen) “One day all of our meals might be made by robots, but I don’t expect it to happen soon.”
- Sooner or later / it’s bound to happen “Sooner or later a faster form of space transport is bound to happen.”
- Time will tell “Time will tell if our attitudes towards consumerism will change”
- Highly likely/unlikely “Winning the lottery is highly unlikely, but if it happens to me, I won’t cry.”
Good Vocabulary for 6 common kinds of IELTS speaking questions