Hey Mark, Hey Jay, so are we really doing this? We're doing this. So you're going to tell everybody seven words that they need to use in IELTS
Speaking to get a seven, eight or even nine. That's right. Okay, Mark, I think I know what
the first word is, is it plethora? No. The first word is 'if'. So 'if', like, if I had a million
dollars, I would buy a Ferrari. Not quite sentences like that. We can use 'if'
very predictably to show cause and effect, and extend ideas. Use 'if' to
talk about cause and effect. If I don't get enough sleep,
I feel terrible the next day. If the sun is out, my house warms up quickly. If people start recycling,
it can make a big difference. So we can also use if to criticise
someone or something. Is that right? That's right. Use 'if' to criticise. If people
exercise more than maybe they'd be healthier. If education systems were better,
more people would understand this. If businesses cared more about the environment,
I guess that we'd be in a better position. Okay, cool. And how do we use 'if'
to show a problem and a solution? Hmm. Use 'if' to suggest solutions to problems. If people want to solve these problems they
will need to demand change from their leaders. If people want change, they will
have to make some sacrifices. Or if I studied with E2 I would pass my IELTS. If
you need to pass your aisles test and click that subscribe button for great video content every
week on all different parts of the IELTS test. So Mark, how do we put this if sentence or
these if words into an IELTS speaking question. Okay, Jay, I'm going to give you a
Part 3 IELTS Speaking test question. Let's see how we can use if to help us answer this
question. How can people improve their health? I think that's pretty simple. Firstly, you
need to exercise of course. If you do about 30 minutes a day of exercise, then that will
keep you fit. Staying healthy is actually pretty easy. If people weren't so lazy, they'd
be much fitter. I mean, if you want to get fit, you need to get off the couch and go for a walk.
So the first 'if' sentence is a cause and effect sentence. And then I've used 'if' to criticise.
And finally I've used 'if' to show a solution. Cool, great work. But remember everyone,
don't overdo it. You don't have to start every single sentence with 'if',
in fact, you can probably just take one of those ideas and explore it more with other
types of grammar. Other words, other sentences. Cool. Let's look at the next
word. The next one is 'more' 'More'? What about plethora or
irrefutable or phantasmagorical? You don't need to memorise these fancy sounding
words, honestly, they create more problems than they solve. Agreed. Okay, so 'more' is a
very versatile word, and we use it a lot. And it's going to help you connecting and
extending your ideas. It's going to help you with your grammar, and it's going to
help you with your pronunciation as well. Use 'more' to extend your ideas. The more
I study, the more my test results improve. The more we invest in energy research, the
sooner we can start solving global warming. The faster children develop
healthier eating habits, the less likely they'll grow up to
suffer from diet related diseases. Wait, you said to use the word more but then
you use the word sooner faster and healthier. That's right. So that 'er' sound at
the end. That's the 'more' in the comparative adjectives like
fitter, happier, healthier. Gotcha. And if you want to learn more about
grammar, including comparative adjectives, check out our other YouTube channel called
E2 English. It's got heaps of great videos on grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation which
will be incredibly helpful for your IELTS test. Okay, Jay, I'm going to give you an IELTS Speaking
Part 1 question and you're going to use 'more' in your answer. What's more important in your job,
the work you do, or the people you work with? Ah, it's definitely the people. The nicer and more
helpful your colleagues are, the more fun you have at work. Notice here how I've used the comparative
adjectives nicer, more helpful and more fun. And notice the way I added
stress to the words nicer and more fun. And this is going to help
me with my IELTS pronunciation score. Nice work. So as an ex IELTS examiner, I would
have noticed that you've extended your ideas, you're using more complex grammar, and
you're already using sentence stress quite effectively. So if you're aiming for a seven
or higher, you're off to a pretty good start. Nice, excellent, good stuff. What's the next word? The next words are 'to' and 'the'. What? 'To' and 'the'? Really? Yeah, these are two fantastic words to help you
focus on connected speech, or linking, which is super important if you're trying to get up to
a seven or higher. Okay, how? Let me show you. In spoken speech, you'll often hear 'to' and
'the' like this, I went to the gym yesterday. I would go to the library at school, I took the train to the zoo. Making small improvements to your ability to link
words together is going to have a huge impact on your score, it's going to allow you to speak
faster or slower, and maintain intelligibility. Cool, so it's just t'th t'th t'th t'th. That doesn't mean that 'to' and 'the'
are incorrect, the way that you see them in the dictionary. But it's very common
to hear them shortened slightly as t'th. Very natural. Let's move on t'th next one. The next word is 'which'. As an ex IELTS examiner, I actually used to think it was strange
that I didn't hear this word more often, we can use 'which' to reflect on something.
(Idea) 1, which is strange, because... (Idea) 2, which is important because... (Idea) 3, which is unfortunate because... We can also use 'which' to introduce cause
and effect. (Idea) 1, which can lead to... (Idea) 2, which causes... (Idea) 3, which may result in... Okay, great. So we can use 'which' to reflect
upon something or we can use 'which' to show cause and effect. But how does it work
in the context of IELTS Speaking? Hmm. Here's a part one question. What is
your favourite room in your house? It's definitely my bedroom. It's got a big
window that faces the east, which is wonderful, because in the morning, it fills my room with
sunshine. So I've said which is wonderful here because I'm reflecting upon something
and I'm extending my ideas. Now if you want to watch a video on cause and effect,
you can click it in the description below. Nice, Jay. Cool, thanks.
Alright, what's the next one? The next word is 'so'. 'So' can be used at
the end of a comparison of ideas or maybe a list of ideas so that you can show your
final position or opinion on something. And why can't I just say in conclusion? That's probably something you want to avoid
in the speaking test. It's more appropriate in writing. Agreed. Use 'so' to conclude
your points. Point 1. Point 2. Point 3. So. Let's use 'so' in the context
of an IELTS speaking question. Here's a part three question.
Who is more responsible for addressing the dangers of global
warming, individuals or governments? It depends, if individuals make an effort,
they can accomplish a lot through recycling and living more sustainable lifestyles.
But if governments set clear regulations, they can very strongly influence businesses
to find more sustainable practices, which is important because they can create more pollution
than individuals. So it's probably governments who bear most of the responsibility. Notice here
how I've used the word 'So' to conclude my points. By the way, that was also really impressive
how you've incorporated a few of the different techniques we've looked at today. We've
got 'if' for cause and effect and we've got 'which is important'. And then you
conclude the point very nicely. Great. Let's look at the last word. 'When'. I love
teaching this word, I love training it with some of my students. It's a great way to get students
to reflect on their own experiences and ideas. And it can be really helpful if you're not totally
sure what your idea is, it can help you think out loud before finally coming to your point. Use
'when' to reflect. When I studied at university. When I was in Spain. When I was a teenager. Alright, cool. Let's see how to use
'when' in an IELTS speaking question. Here's a part three question, what are some
things people can do to improve their health? Get exercise, these days, people just seem to be
sitting a lot more, there seem to be a lot more things that force us to sit for longer and longer
periods of time. I remember when I was younger, video games weren't so popular. But now I
constantly hear stories about young people playing video games a lot. So you can see how I've used
the word 'when' here to reflect upon something, Then I think at the end of this, you
probably could have added something to really conclude the point you could
have used 'so' to introduce that, or not used 'so'. To be honest, it's not really
the words you need to think about. It's the ideas, it's expressing your ideas, through your
experience, through your opinions. And that'll give you the opportunity to use the more
complex grammar. Well done, Jay. Thanks, Mark. I can really see how those words allowed
me to express myself and extend my ideas. Exactly. Lead with your ideas,
your experience and your positions. Let the language describe
what you're thinking. Cool. Totally Great. Let's recap those seven
words. Number one, 'if'. Number two, 'more'. Number three and four, 'to'and 'the'. Number five,
'which'. Number six, 'so'. Number seven, 'when'. Thanks very much for watching everybody. Cool. Don't forget to click that subscribe button. Click like and leave a comment for us.
That would be lovely. See you soon.
