Fluency & Coherence Flashcards
Basics
According to the Band Descriptors, to achieve band 7 or higher, you must:
- Speak for a long time without noticeable effort or loss of coherence
- Don’t worry if you sometimes hesitate to find the right word, repeat yourself or correct yourself
- Connect sentences and ideas together with cohesive devices (words like however, moreover, furthermore, therefore, etc.), but avoid using the same words/phrases each time
The Importance of a Strong Start
IELTS examiners decide a grade early on in the
Speaking test, and if you impress them from the start,
you’re more likely to get a higher score.
To make a strong start, you must do three things:
1. Start speaking without struggling
2. Answer the question _directly_
3. Develop the answer with one or two supporting points
Compare these answers and decide which answer is best
What kind of place is your hometown?
Well, uhh, that’s a tough question. I mean, it can depend on, umm, the season in which you visit. Uhh… sometimes it’s pleasant, but other times… umm, it can be boring. (Ambiguous answer with no development)
My hometown is Dubai, which is quite a noisy place. It’s located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf and is famous for its bustling city centre, which attracts tourists from all over the world.(Direct answer with supporting points)
It’s okay to use the language from the question to help you make a strong start. Do not worry about repetition when starting. However, if you can paraphrase without struggling, then this is the best op
Compare these answers and decide which answer is best:
What kind of place is your hometown?
- My hometown is Dubai, which is quite a noisy place. It’s located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf and is famous for its bustling city centre, which attracts tourists from all over the world.
- I’m originally from Dubai, which is located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf. It’s a densely populated region and is famous for its bustling city centre, which attracts tourists from all over the world.
Here, we have paraphrased the question language. This is the best option and you should aim for it. However, remember that a strong start is much more important than paraphrasing
How to Create Fluency
To be fluent, your sentences must smoothly flow from one idea to the next. You can create this flow by using cohesive devices.
Do you think it’s good for grandparents to look after children? Why?
Absolutely. I fervently believe that grandparents can play a significant role in raising well-mannered and polite children.
This is because they can draw on their wide range of life experiences to teach valuable lessons to kids.
For example, when I was about 10 years of age, my grandpa taught me about the importance of using one’s time wisely, which I find valuable to this day.
Moreover, grandparents often are less rushed and can spend more quality time with their grandkids, which can prevent children from becoming spoiled brats(1).
1)ننر و بچه های لوس
2)Well mannered:
با ادب، خوش رفتار، مودب
Draw on: use
Cohesive Devices
Overview
Overall,
Generally,
Generally speaking,
In general,
In brief/short,
By and large,
Basically,
As a rule,
Essentially,
On the whole,
All things considered,
Cohesive Devices
Opening
Considering…
Regarding…,
In regards to…
Moving on to…
In terms of…,
Specifically,
To be specific,
Research shows that…
Research has found…
When it comes to…
With respect to…
Cohesive Devices
Sequence
First/Firstly,
Second/Secondly,
Last/Lastly…
Initially/Finally
Meanwhile,
Subsequently,
Eventually,
Immediately,
Before/After
During/While…
Simultaneously,
Following this…
… followed by…
Cohesive Devices
Addition
Additionally,
Furthermore,
Moreover,
…as well as…
…not only _____, but
also…
In addition to…,
On top of that…
Besides…
Another point…
Another reason is…
Cohesive Devices
Comparison
Similarly,
Likewise,
Equally,
Compared with/to
In comparison,
Similar to…
… as _____ as…
like..
Cohesive Devices
Contrast
Alternatively,
On the contrary,
In/by contrast,
On the other hand,
Conversely,
Nevertheless,
Nonetheless,
Though/Although
Even though…
Despite/In spite of…
While/Whereas…
Unlike…
Instead
Cause/Effect
Thus,
Therefore,
Consequently,
As a consequence,
As a result of…
…due to…
…leading to…
…resulting in…
Because of…
Hence…
Thereby…
Owing to…
For this reason
Emphasis
Above all,
Mainly,
In particular,
…particularly…
…especially…
…notably…
…remarkably…
Certainly,
Absolutely,
Undoubtedly,
There is no doubt…
Precisely
Surely
Illustration
As an example,
For instance,
For example,
Among others,
…, such as…
…namely,
To cite an example,
As an evidence,
To illustrate,
…illustrated by…
In the case of…
