Part 1: answering naturally
Answer, reason, example — the shape of a good Part 1 answer.
12 minutes · A free lesson from Speaking
Part 1 questions are simple on purpose. What the examiner is listening for is whether you can extend a simple answer naturally: not one word, not a speech.
Question: Do you like cooking?
✗ Yes, I do.
✓ Yes, quite a lot — mainly at weekends, when I've got time. I'm not very adventurous, but I make a good biryani; it's my mother's recipe, and it's the one thing my friends actually ask me to cook.
Answer → reason or detail → an example. About 20–30 seconds.
Natural ways to start
Buying a second to think
- That's a good question…
- Let me think…
- I've never really thought about that, but…
Giving a reason
- mainly because…
- the main reason is that…
- partly because…
Adding a contrast
- having said that, …
- although…
- on the other hand, …
Say it out loud (30 seconds): Do you prefer mornings or evenings? Why?
A model answer
I'm definitely an evening person. In the morning my brain takes a while to start — I need at least one cup of tea before I can hold a conversation. By the evening I'm much sharper, which is why I tend to study late, although I know it's not the healthiest habit.
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: Which answer to “Do you like cooking?” is best?
- “Yes, mainly at weekends, when I've got time. I make a good biryani — it's my mother's recipe.”
- “Yes, I do.”
- “Cooking is the process of preparing food with heat, which people have done for thousands of years…”
Show the answer
A: “Yes, mainly at weekends, when I've got time. I make a good biryani — it's my mother's recipe.” — Answer, add a reason or detail, then an example: about 20 to 30 seconds.
Quick check: Which phrase buys you a second to think?
- “Next question, please.”
- “I don't know.”
- “That's a good question…”
Show the answer
C: “That's a good question…” — Let me think… and I've never really thought about that, but… work too.
Quick check: Which phrase adds a contrast?
- “The main reason is that…”
- “Having said that, …”
- “Let me think…”
Show the answer
B: “Having said that, …” — Having said that, although and on the other hand all add a contrast.
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