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Welcome to GattPrep, your Guide for Life and Learning
In this session, we’ll focus on Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking test. This section gives you the chance to engage in a more detailed, two-way conversation with the examiner about broader ideas connected to the Part 2 topic. You’ll be expected to express and justify your opinions, analyze issues, and discuss topics in greater depth. Let’s work on how you can aim for a Band 9 performance!
Related to “A Special Event You Celebrated”
• In your country, what kinds of events do people usually celebrate?
• How important are family gatherings in your culture?Related to Past and Present
• Do you think people today celebrate events in the same way as in the past? Why or why not?
| Criterion | Band 9 Performance | Approach to Part 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Fluency and Coherence | Speaks smoothly, logically, and without hesitation. Clear structure with linking devices. | Answer clearly, extend ideas with examples, and use transitions like “for instance,” “on the other hand.” |
| Lexical Resource | Uses precise, varied vocabulary and idiomatic expressions naturally. | Employ topic-specific words like “celebrations,” “traditions,” and “rituals” without repetition. |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | Wide range of complex structures, used accurately and effortlessly. | Combine simple and complex sentences, use passive voice, conditionals, relative clauses. |
| Pronunciation | Clear and natural; effective stress and intonation; smooth connected speech. | Speak clearly with natural rhythm and link words naturally, even with slight accent. |
Examiner: In your country, what kinds of events do people usually celebrate?
Candidate: In my country, we celebrate a lot of different events. There are national holidays like New Year’s, and, uh, other days like… for example, Christmas, of course, and also religious holidays. People also celebrate, uh, personal events like weddings, birthdays, and, sometimes, graduations. So, it’s a mix of public holidays and private family events.
Examiner: How important are family gatherings in your culture?
Candidate: Family gatherings, um, they are important in my culture, especially, um, during holidays. For example, Christmas is a big time for family. People usually go home to, um, spend time with their families. But, uh, not always. I think people sometimes… sometimes they go out with friends instead of being with family, especially the younger generation. But, uh, it’s still, I think, a very important tradition for many people.
Examiner: Do you think people today celebrate events in the same way as in the past? Why or why not?
Candidate: Uh, I think it has changed a bit. In the past, people celebrated, uh, more in, like, smaller, private gatherings. But now, because of, uh, social media and, like, new technology, people often share their celebrations online, and, uh, they go out to big events. For example, like, birthday parties are sometimes bigger now, and, uh, people spend more money. I think, in the past, it was more, like, family-focused, but now it’s a bit more, um, commercialized. I don’t know… maybe because of, uh, the influence of advertising and social media.
🎤 Listen to the Audio:
Fluency and Coherence: The candidate is able to maintain extended responses but hesitates frequently with fillers like “uh” and “um.” Pauses while searching for words slightly disrupt the flow. The ideas are generally logical, but transitions between points are abrupt, particularly when shifting from family gatherings to discussing younger generations.
Lexical Resource: Vocabulary is sufficient to handle the task but remains basic. Terms like “holidays,” “birthdays,” and “weddings” are repeated without much variation. While the candidate makes some attempts to paraphrase (e.g., “commercialized”), there’s little flexibility or idiomatic usage, and more sophisticated or varied vocabulary would improve the response.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: The candidate uses mostly simple sentences and occasional complex structures, but there are minor errors, such as awkward repetitions (“sometimes… sometimes they go out”) and simple structures that lack depth. The grammar is functional but lacks the range and accuracy needed for higher bands.
Pronunciation: The candidate’s pronunciation is generally clear, though there are issues with rhythm and natural intonation. Occasional rapid speech affects clarity, and some stress patterns are inconsistent. However, the speech remains intelligible overall.
Overall: This performance is typical of Band 6: the candidate communicates ideas clearly enough, but with noticeable hesitation, limited vocabulary, a narrow range of grammatical structures, and basic pronunciation patterns. Improvement in fluency, lexical variety, and grammatical sophistication is needed to reach a higher band.
Examiner: In your country, what kinds of events do people usually celebrate?
Candidate: Well, in my country, people celebrate a variety of events. The most common ones would be national holidays, like Independence Day, where we mark the country’s freedom with parades, fireworks, and festivals. Then, there are personal events like weddings, birthdays, and graduations that are widely celebrated. Weddings, for example, are huge celebrations with family and friends coming together for a big party. You also have religious events, like Christmas and New Year, which are celebrated by almost everyone in some way, whether it’s with family gatherings or attending special religious services.
Examiner: How important are family gatherings in your culture?
Candidate: Family gatherings are incredibly important in my culture. They serve as a time for people to reconnect, strengthen bonds, and share traditions. For example, during festivals like Thanksgiving or Lunar New Year, families come together to enjoy big meals and spend time with one another. These gatherings are more than just about the food; they’re about maintaining the sense of belonging and passing down cultural values. Even when people live far from their families, it’s still common for them to travel home for these occasions because they hold so much significance.
Examiner: Do you think people today celebrate events in the same way as in the past? Why or why not?
Candidate: I don’t think celebrations are exactly the same as they were in the past. There have definitely been some changes, especially with the influence of social media and technology. In the past, celebrations were often more intimate, with families or small groups coming together at home. Today, though, many celebrations have become more public or commercialized. For example, birthdays or anniversaries are often celebrated in fancy restaurants, or there’s this trend of having “Instagram-worthy” parties, where people focus a lot on the appearance of the event rather than the personal meaning behind it. Of course, the core idea of celebrating still remains, but there’s been a shift in how people celebrate, and what they value about those events.
🎤 Listen to the Audio:
Fluency and Coherence: The candidate speaks fluently and coherently throughout, with natural pacing and no noticeable hesitation. Ideas are logically developed and extended, with smooth transitions (“for example,” “of course,” “today, though”). Each response is well-structured and flows naturally from one idea to the next, creating a highly organized conversation.
Lexical Resource: Vocabulary is broad and precise, with excellent use of context-appropriate language. Phrases like “mark the country’s freedom,” “strengthen bonds,” “Instagram-worthy parties,” and “passing down cultural values” showcase natural use of idiomatic and nuanced expressions. There’s no repetition, and each point is expressed with lexical flexibility.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy: The candidate uses a wide range of grammatical structures accurately, including conditionals (“I don’t think celebrations are exactly the same”), relative clauses (“where families come together”), and passive forms (“are celebrated by almost everyone”). No grammatical errors are noticeable; sentence complexity adds depth to the ideas without sacrificing clarity.
Pronunciation: Pronunciation is clear, natural, and highly intelligible. Effective use of stress and intonation highlights key points. The candidate speaks with connected speech, using contractions and linking naturally, which enhances the listener’s understanding and engagement.
Overall: This response fully demonstrates the hallmarks of Band 9: smooth fluency, a wide and precise range of vocabulary, complex and accurate grammar, and natural, clear pronunciation. The ideas are well-developed, thoughtfully expressed, and easy to follow, showing complete control of the language at an expert level.
Think about your own speaking practice:
Keep practicing and reviewing — every step brings you closer to that Band 9!
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