Giving and justifying opinions in the IELTS speaking test

Giving and justifying opinions: IELTS speaking practice

Extend answers and practice responding

The IELTS speaking test is like most conversations. If you give an opinion, you should justify it, and if possible, offer a reason, solution or speculation.

For example:

I don’t think people should automatically be entitled to three holidays a year. [END]

Saying only the statement above is NOT SUITABLE FOR IELTS. You need to expand your argument by supporting your opinions like this:

“I don’t think people should automatically be entitled to three holidays a year, because companies may need their labour. As I see it, two holidays a year is acceptable, with any additional days off acting as an incentive for overtime.”

Whenever you state an opinion, either in the speaking or the writing test, ask yourself why. This will often lead you to thinking of how to justify what you have said.

Practice

Extend this candidate’s answer, justifying the opinions and giving examples where you see an asterisk (*)

New Zealand is a great place to study.*1 There is so much to do.*2 There are a lot of international students, especially in the major cities like Auckland and Christchurch, which can sometimes make it difficult to practise your English.*3 My advice would be to live in a homestay – that’s the best way to improve.*4 Some international students think that New Zealand is boring.*5 Personally, I agree with something my friend told me years ago – only boring people get bored. After all, there’s no point in travelling abroad if everything is the same as in your home country.*6 It can be quite exciting to discover some of the cultural differences between nations anyway.*7 I don’t really think much of the food though.*8 I much prefer food from my own country.*9 Overall, though, I’ve really enjoyed the experience here.*10

1. *1 Click to show answer As an English-speaking country with some well-known universities, you can get a good education here..

2. *2 Click to show answer There is so much to do – it’s the home of so many extreme sports, such as bungy jumping and skydiving..

3. *3 Click to show answer I often find myself spending the evenings talking to friends in my language!.

4. *4 Click to show answer That way everything has to be in English, and you find yourself learning so much more because it’s almost 24 hours a day..

5. *5 Click to show answer I think that’s probably because they are so used to cities where entertainment is laid on every night, they don’t really need to think about entertaining themselves..

6. *6 Click to show answer The whole point of an international education is to learn something about the world, to see how people live..

7. *7 Click to show answer For example, I’ve never heard of people cooking food under the earth before like they do with a hangi..

8. *8 Click to show answer It’s a little too greasy for me..

9. *9 Click to show answer But I guess that’s mostly because it’s what I’ve grown up with, what I’ve become accustomed to..

10. *10 Click to show answer Of course, I’ve learned better English from being here, but I also feel I’ve become more mature and have a more open-minded view of the world..

Now practice!

Respond to the following statements and expand your answer as much as possible. (There are no model answers for these exercises.)

11. There is no need to settle into a career until the age of 30. Click to show answer No model answer.

12. Visa regulations should be relaxed for foreign students. Click to show answer No model answer.

13. People who cause traffic accidents should not be allowed to drive again. Click to show answer No model answer.

14. Single-sex classes make learning easier. Click to show answer No model answer.

15. Nobody should eat meat. Click to show answer No model answer.

BOOST YOUR VOCABULARY! Here’s a glossary of key words from this post: