Worksheets and games- Short and Long Answers (IELTS Speaking Lesson 1)

IELTS Speaking
Exam techniques- Giving Short and Long Answers
Alex Case
Japan College of Foreign Languages
Page 1
 Part One- Warmer- Yes/ No Questions
Take turns asking each other Yes/ No questions. Each time your partner answers “Yes” you score one point. If your partner says “No”, you don’t score any points. The winner is the person with most points when your teacher stops you.
 Part Two- Grammar- Auxiliary Verbs in Short Answers to Yes/ No Questions
 In the IELTS speaking exam, using longer answers whenever you can will help show the examiner how well you can speak. One easy way is to use full short answers, not just “Yes” and “No”.
  Write one word in each gap to make short answers, e.g. Yes, I can.
 “Do you often go swimming?” “Yes, I ________” / “No, I _____________”“Can you ski?” “Yes, I __________”/ “No, I ______________”

“Are you interested in playing sports?” “Yes, I ___________” / “No, I ____ _________”“Were you born in Tokyo?” “Yes, I ___________”/ “No, I ____________”
 “Have you got any brothers or sisters?” “Yes, I _____________”/ “No, I _____________” “Do you like playing computer games?” “Yes, I _____________”/ “No, I ____________”Check your answers with the list on the next page
 
IELTS Speaking
Exam techniques- Giving Short and Long Answers
Alex Case
Japan College of Foreign Languages
Page 2
 

Part Three- Short Answers Speaking Practice
 Now, take four cards like those above from your teacher. Try to make questions that make your partner say the answers you have written on your cards. For example, if you ask “Can you ride a horse?” and your partner says “No, I can’t” and you have the ‘No, I can’t’ card, you can put the card down on the table and score one point. The first person with no cards is the winner.
 Part Four- IELTS Speaking Skills- Giving Longer Answers to Short Questions
 In the IELTS test, if the examiner asks you a Yes/ No question it is okay to answer with just a short answer like those above. If you can give a longer answer to an easy question like this, however, it is a good chance to show the examiner that you can speak for longer.
  Match up the questions, short answers and continuations below:
 “Do you often go swimming?”                        “Yes, I was…                   ….I think it’s a waste of time”“Can you ski?”                                              “Yes, I have….   … In the north”

“Are you interested in sports?”                       “Yes, I do…                ….but going to the gym is okay”“Were you born in Tokyo?”                                         “No, I’m not…     …, but I want to learn” “Have you got any brothers or sisters?”          “No, I don’t….   …. Only one. She is 31” “Do you like playing computer games?”          “No, I can’t…      ….About once or twice a week”

Now ask and answer the questions in pairs
 You are going to practice giving longer and longer answers to the questions above. First, try to match up the continuations on the next page with the answers above.
 
 IELTS Speaking
Exam techniques- Giving Short and Long Answers
Alex Case
Japan College of Foreign Languages
Page 3
 

1. … I think it will be fun.”

2. … and sometimes everyday in the summer”

3. … I only use my computer for the internet”

4. … I sometimes do exercise there”

5. … About 30 minutes by bus from here”

6. …She is a doctor”

Part Five- Giving Longer Answers Speaking Practice
 Now ask one of the questions above to your partner five times. Each time they answer they must give a longer answer, e.g.  “Can you ski?” “Yes, I can”; “Can you ski?” “Yes, I can. I can ski very well”; “Can you ski?” “Yes, I can. I can ski very well. I started skiing when I was 3”; “Can you ski?” “Yes, I can…” etc. If they give a shorter answer than the last time they have to stop. Score one point for each longer answer.
 Continue with your own questions.
 Part Six- IELTS Speaking- Answering Follow-up Questions
 Another way that the conversation can continue after a short question in the IELTS speaking exam is the IELTS examiner asking you more questions after you answer the Yes/ No question, e.g. “Do you like computer games?” “Yes, I do” “What kind of computer games do you like?”
 

Match the Yes/ No questions, short answers and longer questions
 “Did you like your teachers at high school?”   “Yes, I have”        “What is interesting about it?”“Do you want to try any new sports?”                          “Yes, I did”          “What did you think about it?” “Have you seen a movie this month?”                           “Yes, I do”           “What kind of sport?” “Are you interested in history?”                                    “Yes, I am”         “Why did you like them?”
IELTS Speaking
Exam techniques- Giving Short and Long Answers
Alex Case
Japan College of Foreign Languages
Page 4

Ask your partner one of the questions above. They must answer “Yes”. You need to find if that answer is true or not true by asking three long questions (What/ Who/ Where/ Why/ How/ How often etc.) about that topic and listening to your partner’s answers. When you have asked three questions, say “I think it’s true” or “I think it’s false” (= I don’t think it’s true”) and see if your guess is right.
  Continue with your own questions
 Part Six- IELTS Speaking Part One- Grammar and vocabulary for talking about hobbies
 What is the difference between “interesting” and “interested”? Look at the examples above to check.
 What are the possible answers to “How often (do you go hiking?)” I ______________ go hiking/ I go hiking ______________________

Teacher’s instructions: photocopy and cut up the cards below so there are enough for 4 per student