🎯 What Is IELTS Speaking Part 3?
Part 3 is the discussion stage of your IELTS Speaking test. Here, the examiner wants to see how well you can:
- Express abstract ideas
- Justify and explain opinions
- Compare and evaluate arguments
- Use complex language naturally
If Part 2 is your storytelling section, Part 3 is where you show your brainpower.
🧠 Examiner’s Purpose
Your examiner is silently asking:
“Can this candidate think deeply and express ideas like a confident English speaker?”
They’re evaluating your ability to:
- Use coherence and cohesion in responses
- Demonstrate range of grammar and vocabulary
- Express opinions, contrasts, causes, and effects naturally
🪄 How to Structure a Perfect Part 3 Answer
Step 1: Give your opinion directly
Step 2: Explain your reason or logic
Step 3: Give an example or comparison
Step 4: Conclude or balance your idea
✅ Example:
“I think people are reading more now, but mostly digital content. The reason is that online platforms make access easier. For instance, most people read articles and blogs rather than books these days. So I’d say reading habits have changed rather than disappeared.”
💡 Band 9 Tips & Tricks
| 🎓 Skill | 💡 Strategy | 🗣️ Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Extend ideas | Always give reasons or examples | “Yes, that’s true, mainly because…” |
| 2. Balance arguments | Present both sides | “While some people argue…, others believe…” |
| 3. Sound spontaneous | Use fillers naturally | “Hmm, let me think…” |
| 4. Show flexibility | Paraphrase often | “In other words…, you could say that…” |
| 5. Use examples smartly | Link ideas to culture/society | “In Pakistan, for instance, it’s common that…” |
| 6. Manage time | 3–4 sentences per answer | “That’s a good point, but to sum up…” |
🔑 Useful Phrases & Sentence Starters
Below are functional phrases categorized by purpose — memorize by function, not word.
💬 A. Giving Opinions
- I personally believe that…
- From my perspective…
- I’d tend to say that…
- To my way of thinking…
- I’m convinced that…
- Speaking from experience…
🧠 Example:
“Personally, I believe education should be free because it promotes equality and innovation.”
⚖️ B. Agreeing / Disagreeing
- I completely agree with that idea because…
- That’s quite true, but I’d also add that…
- I see your point, but from another angle…
- I’m afraid I don’t share that opinion.
- I’d partially agree, although there are exceptions.
🧠 Example:
“I see what you mean, but I think it depends on people’s priorities.”
📈 C. Giving Reasons
- The main reason for this is that…
- That’s probably because…
- This can be attributed to…
- The reason why I think so is that…
- One possible explanation might be…
🧠 Example:
“This trend can be attributed to rapid technological growth.”
💡 D. Giving Examples
- For instance…
- For example…
- A good example of this is…
- To illustrate this point…
- In my country, for example…
🧠 Example:
“For instance, most young people now prefer digital banking to cash transactions.”
🔄 E. Comparing & Contrasting
- Compared to the past…
- On the other hand…
- There’s a clear difference between…
- In contrast to…
- While some people think…, others argue that…
🧠 Example:
“Compared to the past, people rely much more on technology today.”
⏳ F. Talking About Change / Trends
- Over the past few years…
- Nowadays, it’s becoming more common to…
- There’s been a growing trend toward…
- The situation has changed dramatically because…
🧠 Example:
“Over the past few years, online learning has become extremely popular.”
🔮 G. Speculating / Guessing
- It could be due to…
- I suppose that’s because…
- Perhaps people feel that…
- It might have something to do with…
- One possible reason might be…
🧠 Example:
“Perhaps people feel more comfortable expressing themselves online.”
📊 H. Discussing Pros & Cons
- One major advantage is that…
- On the plus side…
- However, one drawback is…
- The downside might be…
- Despite the disadvantages…
🧠 Example:
“One major benefit of social media is connection, but the downside is distraction.”
🎭 I. Expressing Certainty / Uncertainty
- I’m quite certain that…
- Without a doubt…
- I’m not entirely sure, but…
- It’s hard to say exactly, yet I think…
🧠 Example:
“I’m not entirely sure, but it seems like more people are valuing work-life balance now.”
🧩 J. Summarizing / Concluding
- All in all, I’d say that…
- To sum up my point…
- Overall, it seems that…
- In conclusion…
🧠 Example:
“All in all, technology has made communication easier, but also more superficial.”
🌉 Advanced Connectors for Coherence (Band 8–9)
| Function | Phrases |
|---|---|
| Adding ideas | moreover, furthermore, in addition, what’s more |
| Contrasting ideas | however, whereas, on the contrary, nevertheless |
| Giving results | therefore, consequently, as a result, hence |
| Giving examples | for instance, to illustrate, particularly |
| Emphasizing | indeed, actually, in fact, especially |
| Summarizing | overall, to conclude, all things considered |
🪶 Natural Fillers (To Sound Fluent, Not Memorized)
- “Hmm, that’s an interesting question…”
- “Let me think for a second…”
- “Well, I’ve never really thought about that before…”
- “You know, it depends on the situation…”
- “That’s a tricky one to answer directly…”
🧱 Model Band 9 Response Example
Question:
“Do you think people read more today than in the past?”
Answer:
“Well, I’d say people do read more, but mostly digital content. The main reason is that online information is more accessible. For instance, many prefer reading articles on their phones rather than books. However, I think deep reading habits have declined. So overall, reading has increased, but the quality of reading has changed.”
🚀 Pro Tips for a Band 9 Impression
✅ Show flexibility — use synonyms and paraphrasing.
✅ Avoid memorized templates — be spontaneous.
✅ Use topic vocabulary naturally.
✅ Balance logic + fluency.
✅ Add short personal touch: “In my culture…” or “In our country…”
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Survival Kit: 20 Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them
Ultimate IELTS Part 3 Question Bank — Follow-up & General Questions by Topic
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