I’ve been helping candidates prepare for IELTS for over a decade now, and that’s lots of time to analyse how candidates can get the best IELTS band scores possible. There are clearly things you can do in the IELTS test to improve your score without necessarily learning any new vocabulary or grammar. Now, don’t misunderstand me, IELTS is a great test of your real English level. You’re not going to score band 8 if your vocabulary and grammar is at the band 6 level. However, you probably know more than you think. To get the best band possible you need to show your English to the best of your ability. With that in mind, I’m going to give you some tips that should help you quickly raise your band score from 6.0 to 6.5, or even higher, by demonstrating more of the grammar structures that you already know.
1. Used to (past habit)
2. Would (past habit)
3. Probably will (possible future)
4. I am going to (plan/ intention)
5. If I had more time… I would… (2nd conditional)
6. Present perfect
1. Used to
A lot of questions in IELTS Speaking Part 1 ask you about your hobbies, activities, work, studies and interests. Often the questions are focused on the present, but a great way to add some grammatical range is to include a sentence about the past using “used to”.
For example: Do you enjoy playing any sports?
“Well, I used to play a lot of sports at school, especially football and tennis, but these days I don’t have much spare time, so I only go to the gym a few times per week.”
2. Would
You can use “would” in more or less the same way as “used to”. The only difference is that “would” is great when we talk about happy memories.
For example: Do you often spend time with extended family?
“When I was a kid I would spend summer holidays with my grandparents, but now I’m working, it’s more difficult to find the time to visit them or any other relatives. I usually only have time to visit my parents.”
3. Probably will (possible future)
You should also look for opportunities to show you know how to use the future. You can use “will” when you talk about something you will probably do, but which you haven’t planned yet and you’re not so sure about.
For example: What kind of new food would you like to try?
“There’s a new French restaurant in the town centre so I will probably go there soon. I’m keen to try a dish called boeuf bourguignon, which I’ve heard is absolutely delicious.”
4. I’m going to (plan/ intention)
To show a more firm intention, or for a more fixed plan, you can use going to.
For example: Do you work or study?
“I’m currently working part-time, but I’m going to quit my job in several months because I’m going to study for a master's in the UK.”
5. If I had more time… I would… (2nd conditional)
You probably already know about 2nd conditionals. You can use them to talk about imaginary situations, or situations which aren’t possible in reality. A phrase you can almost certainly use in IELTS Speaking Part 1 is: “If I had more time, I would…”
For example: Do you read a lot of books?
“To be honest I don’t read a lot. If I had more time, I would read more, as I love science fiction and fantasy books”
6. Present perfect
Quite often IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions will be asked using the present perfect. This is an easy opportunity to use the present perfect when you begin your reply.
For example: Have you ever helped a neighbour?
Yes I have. I helped a neighbour last month….
You can also usually use the present perfect to talk about things that started in the past and continue into the present.
For example: How often do you use public transport?
Well, I haven’t used public transport for ages because I bought a car, and I prefer to use it rather than public transport.
Finally, you can use the present perfect to talk about life experiences where the specific time isn’t important.
For example: Would you like to work in a foreign country?
“I have never worked abroad, but it is something I would like to do in the future, because it’s a great opportunity to experience new things, and I think I would learn a lot.”
Final thoughts
So, there you have 6 grammar structures that you probably already know, which will really help to improve your IELTS speaking score. Practise answering IELTS style questions as frequently as possible, so you can learn to include these structures in your answers more naturally. Practice is super important here. It’s not about learning something new, but learning to show what you already know. This is probably the most efficient way you can improve your IELTS score in a short period of time.
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