Speaking Part 1: Interview: Question 8
Syllabus S.part1
Let's talk about technology and phones.
- Do you use your phone a lot?
- What do you mainly use your phone for?
- How would you feel if you lost your phone?
- Has technology changed the way you keep in touch with friends and family?
- Do you think people spend too much time on their phones nowadays?
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Worked solution
Examiner notes
Fluency & Coherence
Each answer states a clear position quickly and then adds development through a reason or contrast, avoiding the trap of a bare fact with nothing attached. Question 4 in particular shows balanced development, a positive point followed by “on the other hand”, which demonstrates the candidate can hold two ideas together fluently rather than just listing one.
Lexical Resource
Everyday, precise collocations appear naturally: “switch off for a day or two”, “grown up with a screen in their hand”, “more of a tool… than just a way to make calls”. The register stays conversational rather than reaching for technical jargon, which suits Part 1’s everyday-topic focus.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Present perfect is used correctly and purposefully where the question demands it (“Has technology changed…”, “It definitely has”), alongside a conditional in question 3 (“I think I’d panic… I’d probably just feel relieved”). Concessive linking (“That said,”) is handled accurately mid-answer, showing controlled complex grammar under spontaneous conditions.
Common pitfalls specific to this task
See commonMistakes above: the most frequent band 6 error on this topic is describing the phone itself rather than the candidate’s own use of it, and giving a one-word feeling with no reason attached for question 3.