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Welcome to GattPrep, your Guide for Life and Learning
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Welcome to GattPrep, your Guide for Life and Learning
In this session, I’ll guide you through the IELTS Speaking Part 2 format and share practical strategies to help you aim for a Band 9 score. Think of this as a relaxed one-on-one coaching session. Let’s work together to make sure you feel confident and ready!
In Part 2 of the Speaking test, you’ll receive a task card outlining a topic. You’ll have one minute to prepare, during which you can make notes. Then, you’ll need to speak for one to two minutes. This part tests your ability to talk at length about a specific subject in a clear and organized way.
Describe a special event you celebrated.
You should say:
• what the event was
• when and where it took place
• who was involved
• and explain why this event was special to you.
Tell me:
• Do you think such events are important in people’s lives?
| Criterion | Key Approach | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Fluency and Coherence | Speak clearly and continuously without long pauses. Organize your ideas logically and cover all parts of the task. |
|
| Lexical Resource | Use a wide range of vocabulary, including less common words and expressions. Avoid repetition. |
|
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | Use a mix of simple and complex structures — conditionals, relative clauses — and ensure high accuracy. |
|
| Pronunciation | Speak clearly with good stress, rhythm, and intonation. Use connected speech for natural flow. |
|
Examiner: You have one to two minutes. Please start when you’re ready.
Candidate: One of the, um, most special events I celebrated was, uh, my graduation. It happened, um, a couple of years ago at my university, and, uh, it was in a big hall, with, um, lots of students and their families. The people involved were, um, my parents, my younger brother, and also, um, some of my friends. It was, uh, really special because it was the end of my, uh, studies, and I felt proud of myself. I was happy to see my, uh, parents so proud, and, you know, it just felt like, um, a new beginning, like, uh, starting my professional life.
Examiner: Thank you. Do you think such events are important in people’s lives?
So, I think, um, such events are, uh, important because they, they help people feel, uh, proud of their, um, achievements, and they bring, um, families together. In my country, um, these events are usually celebrated with, uh, big meals or parties. After a graduation, for example, um, people might go out for a dinner, or sometimes, uh, families rent a hall for a, uh, celebration. It’s, uh, a way to, you know, show your support and, um, make good memories.
🎤 Listen to Audio:
Fluency and Coherence: The candidate speaks for the full time but the flow is affected by frequent hesitation markers like “um” and “you know.” These fillers disrupt fluency, showing the speaker is searching for words. Although ideas are mostly logically connected, the delivery lacks smooth transitions between points. This prevents the response from sounding natural and well-organized — typical of a Band 6 performance.
Lexical Resource: Vocabulary is sufficient to discuss the topic but is quite basic and repetitive. Words like “special,” “proud,” and “support” are reused instead of introducing synonyms or more precise expressions. The lack of lexical variety limits the depth and sophistication of the ideas, which is characteristic of Band 6 speakers.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: The speaker uses a mix of simple and occasional complex structures, but awkward phrasing and tense errors are noticeable (“After a graduation” should be “After graduation”). Errors do not prevent understanding but do lower the impression of accuracy and control needed for higher bands. More complex sentence structures are attempted but not consistently handled well.
Pronunciation: Pronunciation is generally clear, but frequent fillers interrupt the natural rhythm. While the speaker is understandable, the hesitations and uneven stress patterns make the speech less smooth. Stress is not always used effectively to highlight key ideas, and rapid speech may cause occasional mispronunciations.
Overall: The response is typical of Band 6 — understandable but lacking fluency, vocabulary sophistication, grammatical precision, and natural pronunciation patterns. The candidate can complete the task but needs to work on reducing hesitation, expanding vocabulary, improving grammar range, and smoothing out speech flow to move to a higher band.
Examiner: Please start when you’re ready.
Candidate: Thank you. The special event I’d like to talk about is my graduation from university, which I celebrated last year. It was a moment I had been looking forward to for a long time, and it turned out to be even more memorable than I had imagined.
The event took place at my university campus in the summer, in a large hall that was beautifully decorated for the occasion. My graduation ceremony was held on a warm afternoon in June, and the entire day was filled with excitement and pride. It was a formal event, with speeches from professors and the university president, but what made it truly special was the presence of my family and close friends.
The people involved were my parents, my siblings, and my best friends from university. They had all been incredibly supportive throughout my studies, so sharing that moment with them made it even more meaningful. After the ceremony, we had a small party at a local restaurant where we celebrated with food, drinks, and lots of laughter. We even took a lot of photos to capture the memories.
This event was particularly special to me because it symbolized the culmination of years of hard work. I had faced many challenges during my studies, both academically and personally, and graduating was a moment of personal triumph. It also felt like a new chapter in my life, as I was stepping into the next phase of my career. It wasn’t just about receiving a degree, but about acknowledging the effort and sacrifices that had brought me to that point. The joy of sharing it with the people who had supported me was the cherry on top.
Examiner: Thank you. Do you think such events are important in people’s lives?
Candidate: Absolutely. I think events like graduations, weddings, or even birthdays are really important because they mark significant milestones in a person’s life. They give us a chance to reflect on our achievements, to appreciate the people around us, and to feel a sense of connection and belonging. Celebrating these moments with loved ones is a way of acknowledging their support and reinforcing those important relationships.
🎤 Listen to Audio:
Fluency and Coherence: The speaker maintains a smooth, effortless flow throughout the response with no hesitation. Ideas are logically and coherently developed with natural transitions (“after the ceremony,” “this event was particularly special to me”). The story is clear and fully addresses all points from the task card, showing excellent organization and a logical sequence.
Lexical Resource: Vocabulary is rich, precise, and varied. Expressions like “symbolized the culmination of years of hard work” and idiomatic language like “the cherry on top” show an excellent command of English. There is a wide range of descriptive language without any awkwardness, and word choice perfectly matches the context, adding vividness and emotional depth to the narrative.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: The speaker uses complex structures with accuracy and sophistication. Examples include relative clauses (“which I celebrated last year”), perfect tenses (“I had faced many challenges”), and passive constructions (“was beautifully decorated”). There are no noticeable errors, demonstrating complete control over grammar and structure.
Pronunciation: Pronunciation is clear and natural. Stress and intonation are used effectively to emphasize important points and keep the listener engaged. Connected speech and rhythm are smooth, and the speaker’s accent does not interfere with understanding at all — a key feature of Band 9 performance.
Overall: This response meets all the Band 9 criteria: full coverage of the task, fluent and natural delivery, wide and flexible vocabulary, excellent grammar control, and clear, engaging pronunciation. It is a model of how to deliver a top-scoring Part 2 performance.
Take a moment to reflect:
Practice makes progress — the more you reflect and refine, the closer you’ll get to your target score!
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