What raters reward
Raters reward organized coverage, adjectives and adverbs for how people feel, present-continuous verbs, and a connector each time you move to a new person or group. Saying only 'this person is doing that' is not enough.
Your time plan
How to structure it
Fill the [slots] with your own ideas, then adapt the frames; don't recite them.
Use 'portrays' rather than the tired 'shows'.
Grammar portrays + adverb
- The picture clearly portrays [type of scene].
- This appears to be [place].
Use a connector when you move to a new person or group.
Grammar Present continuous + adjectives of feeling
- Furthermore, [a group] is [action], and they seem [feeling].
- The [family / couple], on the left, appear [adjective].
Avoid the flat 'the foreground shows … the background shows …'.
Grammar not only … also (complex sentence)
- Not only does the foreground show [detail], the background clearly has [detail].
One line on the overall feeling.
Grammar overall
- Overall, the mood is [adjective].
Delivery & exam-day toolkit
Your content is not scored; your English is. These delivery habits apply to every speaking task and protect a level 9 and up.
- Start speaking the moment the timer begins. Delaying is penalized, so open with a quick 'hi' if you need to.
- Aim to finish about five seconds early (55s on a 60-second task, 85s on a 90-second task); you always run longer than you plan.
- The first prompt is unscored. Speak through it anyway to warm up your voice, so you do not stumble on the scored tasks.
- People finish other sections at different times, so someone will be talking while you speak, and you do not get noise-canceling headphones.
- Practice with the news playing in the background (people talking, not music) so the real room feels normal.
- Drop 'um', 'you know', 'so', 'like', 'etc.' and 'and so on'. Say 'for example' instead of 'like'.
- Never say 'I don't know'; it reads as a lack of confidence.
- A short pause (under two seconds) reads as confidence, not a blank. Pause after a connector or before a difficult sound.
- Vary your pace: slower with pauses to emphasize a point, a little quicker through a list.
These carry their own marks.
- Raise your volume on adjectives; sound excited on good news, quieter and slower on bad news.
- Let each sentence fall at the end. A rising ending sounds like a question.
Never fill a gap with 'um'. Use a ready line while your next point forms.
- 'Another important point about [topic] is that …'
- 'It is worth understanding that …'
- 'Based on where things stand, it is clear that …'
- If nothing comes, apologize once and calmly ('sorry, I lost my point for a second') and move on; a calm recovery costs far less than flailing.
- If you slip, fix it and say 'sorry' or 'pardon me' once or twice. Native speakers do this, and the mark is recovered.
- Task 1 and friendly messages: warm, with a smile in your voice.
- Task 6 bad news: calm, lower, and apologetic.
- Task 7 opinions: passionate and firm.
- Task 5 persuading: enthusiastic, but never belittle the other option.
- Picture tasks (3, 4, 8): neutral is fine, except when you voice a feeling in the scene.
- Record yourself, play it back, and judge it like a rater. Note the single biggest weakness and fix just that on the next take. Run uncertain sentences through a grammar checker.
Useful vocabulary
Vocabulary is one of the four scored dimensions, so weave a few in (don't force all of them). Bookmark the ones you want to use — they show up in your saved library.
- portraysThis picture portrays a busy family kitchen on a weekend morning.
- capturesThe photo captures a lively moment at a crowded outdoor market.
- at first glanceAt first glance, the scene looks crowded and full of energy.
- there seem to beThere seem to be three main groups of people in this image.
- in the foregroundIn the foreground, a young woman is holding a large basket of fruit.
- in the backgroundIn the background, several shoppers are browsing the stalls.
- not only ... alsoNot only are the children playing, they are also laughing together.
- furthermoreFurthermore, an older man is reading a newspaper on a nearby bench.
- to the leftTo the left, a waiter is carrying a tray toward the tables.
- chaoticThe overall atmosphere feels a little chaotic, but still cheerful.
- calm demeanorDespite the crowd, the woman has a calm demeanor as she works.
- cheerfulThe children look cheerful and completely absorbed in their game.
- tenseThe man on the phone seems tense, as though he has just heard bad news.
- engagedEveryone in the group looks genuinely engaged in the conversation.
- clearlyThe girl is clearly enjoying herself, judging by her big smile.
- evidentlyEvidently, it is a warm day, since everyone is dressed in light clothing.
- impatientlyOne customer is waiting impatiently near the counter.
- surprisinglySurprisingly, no one seems bothered by all the noise around them.
From the lesson
The full phrase bank from Task 3: Describing a Scene. Bookmark whatever you'd actually use — everything you save shows up in your library.
Overview openers, rotate, never repeat "picture"
6The image shows what appears to be…
This scene seems to be set in…
What's portrayed here is…
What we're looking at here is…
This photograph captures…
The setting appears to be…
Describing people, appearance
5…appears to be in his/her thirties/forties…
…is wearing a adjective item…
…has a adjective expression on their face…
…is dressed fairly casually / formally…
…looks somewhat tired / cheerful / preoccupied…
Describing people, actions (the part students skip)
8…is busy verb-ing…
…seems to be in the middle of…
…is gesturing towards…
…is leaning over to…
…appears to be reaching for…
…is deep in conversation with…
…is glancing over at…
…is carefully arranging…
Describing objects
5There's a adjective object position.
…piled high with…
…scattered across…
…neatly stacked…
…what looks like several varieties of…
Mood, light and atmosphere
5The atmosphere seems relaxed / hectic / tense.
The lighting suggests time of day.
Everyone appears adjective.
There's a real sense of busyness / calm about it.
The whole scene feels quite adjective.
Closing inference
5Judging by…, I'd say…
All things considered, this is most probably…
Putting it all together, my guess would be…
Given how adjective everyone looks, I'd say this is…
…rather than the alternative.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Saying only 'this person is doing this' with no feelings or adjectives.
- Using 'top / bottom' instead of 'background / foreground'.
- Spending too long on one detail with basic sentences.
- No connector when moving between people.
Quick tips
- Describe feelings and groups, not just actions.
- Use 'portrays' and adverbs (clearly, evidently).
- Combine foreground and background with 'not only … also'.
- Add a connector (furthermore, moreover) when you move to a new person.
