शैडोइंग अभ्यास: IELTS Speaking Part 1 Running Practice | Band 9 Model Answers | IELTS English Podcast - वीडियो के साथ अंग्रेजी बोलना सीखें

Hello and a massive welcome to English Simple Hub.

You're listening to The Deep Dive and we are absolutely thrilled to have you with us today.

It is great to be here.

Whether you're stuck in traffic,

hitting the treadmill, or you know just avoiding your chores,

we're about to take you on a journey through the mechanics of the English language.

And today we have a very specific mission.

I mean we aren't just looking at general conversation skills.

We are cracking the code for a specific beast, the IELTS speaking test.

Specifically, getting that elusive band nine score.

Now, I have to be honest with you.

When I hear band nine,

I immediately think of someone like reciting Shakespeare or discussing geopolitical implications.

It just feels like you need to be a walking encyclopedia to get that top score.

And that is probably the most common misconception we see.

People think complexity of topic equals complexity of language.

They think, oh, if I talk about quantum physics,

I'll get a high score.

Right.

But that is a myth that we are absolutely going to bust today.

Because the topic we're diving into is running.

Running.

Just simple, you know, putting one foot in front of the other, getting sweaty, running.

Which, let's be real, is about as basic as it gets.

It's a part one topic, right?

The warm up.

Exactly.

It's part one.

This is that rapid fire round where the examiner is just trying to,

well, get to know you.

And because the questions are simple.

Do you like running?

How often do you run?

Candidates often get lazy.

Oh, sure.

They give simple answers because the question feels simple.

Right.

Like, yes, I like running.

It is good.

And that is a band six answer.

It's accurate, but it's so boring.

So here is the twist.

And this is what really caught my attention in the source material we're looking at today.

Yeah.

We aren't analyzing a sample answer from like a marathon runner who loves the sport.

No. We are looking at how to score a band nine while talking about how much you absolutely hate running.

And that is actually a brilliant strategy for the exam. Is it?

Yeah.

I mean, it feels a bit risky to be negative.

Doesn't the examiner want to hear happy, positive vibes?

The examiner wants to hear English.

That's it.

And psychologically, it is often easier to show off advanced vocabulary

and complex grammar when you are complaining or explaining why you avoid something.

Rather than just saying, yes,

I run every day, it is fun.

I mean, fun is a very limited concept linguistically.

Avoidance opens up a whole world of conditional sentences and justifications.

I guess that makes sense.

Anger and laziness are great motivators for complex speech.

You'd be surprised.

So the approach today is breaking down these specific answers.

We're going to look at the grammar traps,

the vocabulary upgrades, and the structural tricks that turn a lazy answer into a high-scoring one.

Okay, let's get into it.

So let's get into it.

Imagine the examiner looks at you,

clipboard in hand, and asks the most basic question possible.

Do you like running?

Okay, classic opener.

My instinct, if I want to be polite,

which I usually do in high-pressure situations,

is to waffle a bit.

Well, you know, sometimes I go, but not really.

But our source material takes a totally different, much punchier approach.

The answer given is, in a word,

no. In a word, no. It is abrupt,

it is honest, and linguistically.

It is a minefield.

A minefield.

It's four words.

How can that be a minefield?

Because of the phrase, in a word.

This is a classic grammar trap that catches so many students out.

the source material explicitly warns about how this phrase is misused.

Okay, so play the teacher for a second.

If I say, in a word,

I hate running because it makes me tired, did I pass?

You failed, well, you didn't fail the exam,

but you failed that specific grammar structure.

Why?

I used the phrase.

You treated in a word as a filler,

like basically or actually, but the phrase is literal, in a word.

You literally have to follow it with just one word,

usually yes or no. And then,

and this is the absolute key,

you need a full stop or a significant dramatic pause.

That it has to be.

100

In a word, no. And then I continue.

101

Precisely.

102

That pause tells the examiner,

103

I know exactly how to use this idiomatic structure.

104

If you run it all together,

105

in a word, no hater running,

106

it just sounds like you've memorized a chunk of text you don't really understand.

107

That is such a subtle detail,

108

but I can see how it makes a huge difference.

109

It shows control.

110

It does.

111

Control is everything in speaking.

112

So the speaker says, in a word, no. Pause.

113

And then they go on to explain why.

114

And this is where the vocabulary gets really interesting.

115

Listen to this sentence.

116

I occasionally have to run for the bus when I've slept in.

117

Okay, slept in.

118

I use that all the time.

119

But is that formal enough for an exam?

120

It's a phrasal verb.

121

And phrasal verbs are gold dust in the speaking test.

122

They show natural, native-like fluency.

123

But there is a nuance here that the source material points out.

124

You have to distinguish sleeping in from sleeping late.

125

Wait, aren't they the same thing?

126

If I sleep until 11 a.m.,

127

I slept late and I slept in.

128

Not exactly.

129

I slept late is ambiguous.

130

It could mean I went to bed late.

131

Like, I slept late last night because I was watching a movie.

132

Oh, right.

133

I see.

134

But to sleep in specifically means you woke up later than you intended to or later than you usually do.

135

Now, here's the really subtle part.

136

Sleeping in can be a luxury.

137

It's Saturday.

138

I'm going to sleep in.

139

Best feeling in the world.

140

Agreed.

141

But it can also be an accident.

142

I slept in and missed my alarm.

143

Compare that to overslept.

144

Overslept is almost always negative.

145

Right.

146

I overslept and missed the meeting.

147

Slept in has a softer, more colloquial feel.

148

Using it for the bus implies this chaotic morning routine,

149

which fits our lazy persona perfectly.

150

So by saying slept in,

151

you're painting a picture of someone who isn't disciplined,

152

which explains why they don't run.

153

Like character building.

154

Exactly.

155

And then the speaker contrasts this forced running with voluntary running, they say.

156

But going for a run for pleasure or to keep fit is not something I do as a rule.

157

Not something I do as a rule.

158

Ooh, that sounds so much better than I usually don't do it.

159

It does.

160

It sounds authoritative.

161

When you say as a rule,

162

you are establishing a standard pattern of behavior.

163

It's a fixed expression.

164

Usually is band six.

165

As a rule pushes you towards band nine because you're using idiomatic phrasing correctly.

166

And we shouldn't just skip over for pleasure and to keep fit.

167

No, absolutely.

168

For pleasure is just a lovely, sophisticated synonym for fun.

169

And to keep fit is the standard collocation.

170

You don't make fit.

171

You don't do fit.

172

You keep fit.

173

Using that right verb-noun pair is crucial.

174

So putting it all together,

175

the speaker has basically admitted they are lazy and only run when they mess up their alarm.

176

But they've done it using,

177

in a word, no. slept in for pleasure,

178

keep fit, and as a rule.

179

They have turned a negative personality trait into a positive linguistic display.

180

And that really is the secret.

181

You don't have to be a perfect person.

182

You just have to be a perfect speaker.

183

I love that.

184

Okay, so you've established you're not a runner,

185

but the examiner isn't done.

186

They have a script.

187

So they ask, how often do you go for a run?

188

Now, if you just said,

189

I don't, you're dead in the water.

190

You have to expand.

191

The answer in our source is never, ever.

192

Okay, I have to challenge this one.

193

never ever yeah it's not like a five-year-old refusing to eat broccoli I will never ever do it is

194

that really band-dine I get why you'd say

195

that it sounds emphatic almost childishly so

196

but in the context of a speaking test emphasis is a tool the expert in our source points out

197

that adding ever to never just intensifies the meaning

198

so it's about emotion it's about range

199

if you speak in a monotone factual way I never run I do not like it you sound like a robot.

200

By saying never ever, you are showing the examiner that you can use language to convey strong feelings.

201

It adds personality.

202

So it wakes the examiner up a bit.

203

Exactly.

204

But you can't just stop there.

205

You can't just shout never ever and stare at them.

206

You have to back it up with structure.

207

And this is where the speaker pulls a really smart move with grammar.

208

The grammar complexity part.

209

Yes.

210

The speaker says, the last time I went for a run was when I was studying in high school.

211

I noticed that.

212

That's specific tense when I was studying.

213

Past continuous.

214

Why do you think they use that instead of just say,

215

when I was in high school?

216

Well, when I was in high school is just a fact.

217

It's simple past.

218

It's flat.

219

Correct.

220

And simple past is fine, but it's basic.

221

Part one answers are very short.

222

You have maybe 10, 15 seconds.

223

You don't have time to tell a long,

224

rambling story to show off your grammar.

225

You have to condense it.

226

So by saying, when I was studying,

227

you're slipping a complex structure into a really simple sentence.

228

Precisely.

229

You are demonstrating to the examiner,

230

look, I can handle multiple timeframes.

231

I can use the past continuous to set a background action.

232

It's a little grammar flex hidden in a casual sentence.

233

It's like hiding vegetables in a kids meal.

234

It is.

235

You're hiding the complex grammar in a simple anecdote about high school.

236

That is a perfect analogy.

237

You are feeding the examiner the grammar they need to tick

238

the band 9 box without making it sound like a textbook exercise.

239

Okay, so we've established we don't run and we never ever run.

240

But the examiner is relentless.

241

They ask, where do you usually go running?

242

This is a total trap question for our lazy persona.

243

If you say, I don't run, you're repeating yourself.

244

If you lie and say,

245

the park, you might get tripped up later.

246

So you have to pivot.

247

And the source material uses this brilliant bit of wordplay here that I actually laughed at when I read it.

248

The answer is, I only run when I'm running late.

249

This is my favorite part of the entire transcript.

250

It pivots the entire meaning of the word run.

251

It's so good.

252

But wait, playing devil's advocate here.

253

Isn't that cheating?

254

If the examiner asks about the sport and you talk about being late for a bus,

255

are you answering the question?

256

That is a valid fear.

257

But in IELTS, provided the link is clear,

258

humor and wordplay are rewarded.

259

You aren't ignoring the question, you are subverting it.

260

You are acknowledging the word run and showing you know its idiomatic uses.

261

Okay, so let's unpack running late.

262

Doesn't mean you are physically jogging to a meeting, right?

263

Strictly speaking, no. Running late simply means you are behind schedule.

264

You could be driving, sitting on a train, whatever.

265

If you are behind schedule, you are running late.

266

It's purely about time management.

267

Exactly.

268

But the joke works because usually when you are running late,

269

you do end up physically rushing.

270

So it bridges that gap between the idiom and the physical act.

271

It shows a really high level of fluency to be able to make a joke like that in a second language.

272

It does.

273

It shows you aren't translating in your head.

274

You're thinking in English.

275

And then, to make sure they stick the landing,

276

the speaker piles on the physical vocabulary to explain why they avoid real running.

277

They say, I get out of breath.

278

Get out of breath.

279

That's a key phrase for health topics.

280

It is.

281

It's so specific.

282

It means gasping for air, that tight chest feeling.

283

It's much better than just saying, I get tired.

284

And they finish with, so I try to avoid it.

285

Avoid.

286

Simple but effective.

287

It implies active choice.

288

But look at the cluster of vocabulary we have now.

289

Running late.

290

Get out of breath.

291

Avoid it.

292

You are painting this very vivid picture of someone who is chaotic,

293

unfit, and, you know, honest about it.

294

And honesty, or at least perceived honesty,

295

makes you sound so much more natural.

296

Natural is the goal.

297

If you sound like a robot reciting a script about how much you love the local park,

298

you'll get a band six.

299

If you sound like a real person making a joke about being late,

300

you're hitting band nine.

301

I really like that distinction.

302

Now, we move to the final question.

303

This is where things get a bit more intellectual.

304

It feels less like a part one get to know you question.

305

It does bridge that gap, yeah.

306

The question is, do you think running is a good way to stay healthy?

307

This asks for an evaluation.

308

It asks for an opinion.

309

And given our speaker hates running,

310

has admitted to being lazy,

311

and only runs when they're late,

312

you can probably guess they aren't going to give a glowing review.

313

The answer starts with, actually,

314

no, which is so bold.

315

It is bold.

316

Most candidates are terrified of disagreeing with the premise.

317

They think the correct answer is, yes, exercise is good.

318

But there is no correct answer in IELTS, right?

319

There is no truth in IELTS.

320

There is only language.

321

You can argue that the sky is green as long as your grammar is perfect,

322

saying, actually, no, signals a counterintuitive argument.

323

It wakes the examiner up again.

324

They think, oh, why not?

325

But you can't just say no and stop.

326

You need to back it up.

327

You need structure.

328

This is where we see the transition from casual chat to a structured argument.

329

The source material highlights two specific linking phrases.

330

On the plus side and however.

331

I like on the plus side.

332

It feels a bit more conversational than one advantage is.

333

Exactly.

334

It fits the part one tone better.

335

It's slightly informal but very structured.

336

So on the plus side introduces the concession, the good part.

337

And what is the good part?

338

They acknowledge.

339

On the plus side, it is aerobic exercise.

340

Ooh, now we're getting technical.

341

Aerobic.

342

This is where you spike your lexical resource score.

343

Aerobic exercise is a specific medical and fitness term.

344

It refers to exercise that oxygenates the blood so.

345

Cardio, basically.

346

Running, swimming, cycling, that stuff.

347

And just to clarify for everyone,

348

the opposite would be anaerobic exercise.

349

Like weightlifting.

350

Exactly.

351

Yeah.

352

Short bursts of power, sprinting, lifting heavyweights.

353

So if I just said running is good for your heart, that's okay.

354

But running is aerobic exercise is better.

355

Much better.

356

It shows precision.

357

Band 9 is all about precision.

358

So the speaker admits it's aerobic.

359

That's the plus side.

360

Then comes the pivot.

361

However.

362

However, there is a lot of strain on the body.

363

Strain.

364

That's the word that does a lot of heavy lifting here, isn't it?

365

It is.

366

Strain means pressure, demand, or tension.

367

Here, it refers to the physical impact on your knees, your joints.

368

But what's fascinating is that strain is a high-utility word.

369

It's not just for sports.

370

Right.

371

I feel like I hear it in the news all the time,

372

like strain on the health service.

373

You do.

374

You hear about strain on the health care system,

375

strain on the economy, strain on diplomatic relations.

376

Or strain on my eyes after reading this script for too long.

377

Exactly.

378

So learning a word like strain isn't just learning a running word.

379

It's learning a tool you can use in almost any topic.

380

That is where the strategy really pays off.

381

You're building a toolkit, not just memorizing answers.

382

That is the definition of deep learning.

383

So let's look at the full argument.

384

On the plus side, it's aerobic.

385

However, it puts strain on the body.

386

So actually, no. It's a balanced, reasoned argument.

387

It's not just an emotion I hate running.

388

It's an evaluation.

389

Even though it's a short answer,

390

it has the structure of an essay.

391

And that's what gets the band nine.

392

That is what gets the band nine.

393

This has been such an eye-opener.

394

I honestly feel like we've taken a topic

395

that most people would just leapwalk through and found a goldmine of language underneath it.

396

We certainly have.

397

And that's the thing about English.

398

The depth is always there if you look for it.

399

So before we wrap up,

400

let's do a quick high-speed recap for everyone listening.

401

if you are sitting in

402

that waiting room sweating what are the big takeaways from our

403

running deep dive first don't be afraid of the negative answer

404

it's often easier to explain why you don't do something but

405

if you use in a word no remember the trap you

406

must pause after the no you must pause in a word

407

no got it second emotion is good emotion is good never ever is a valid emphatic structure that shows personality.

408

But pair it with complex grammar.

409

Use the past continuous when I was studying to show you can handle time frames.

410

Don't just tell a story.

411

Use the story to showcase grammar.

412

Third, be clever with meaning.

413

Running late is a fantastic idiom that pivots the topic.

414

It shows you understand the flexibility of English.

415

And finally, structure your opinions on the plus side versus however.

416

And use precise vocabulary like aerobic and strain to show you have specific knowledge.

417

It sounds so manageable when you break it down like that.

418

It's not about being a genius.

419

It's about having a strategy.

420

It is strategy 100%.

421

You don't need to memorize the dictionary.

422

You just need to master these patterns and apply them to whatever topic the examiner throws at you.

423

And here is a final provocative thought for you to mull over today.

424

We've just spent all this time talking about how to speak eloquently about a hobby you don't do.

425

We've built a whole persona around being lazy and sleeping in.

426

A charming slob, hopefully a very articulate slum.

427

But ask yourself this, if you can speak this eloquently with this much detail and sophistication about something you don't care about,

428

how much easier will it be to talk about the things you actually love?

429

That is the key.

430

If you have the tools to describe avoiding something,

431

you definitely have the tools to describe embracing something.

432

The structure is the same.

433

The vocabulary of passion is just the flip side of the vocabulary of aversion.

434

Exactly.

435

The skills transfer.

436

It's about confidence and strategy,

437

not just the subject matter. And practice.

438

It's always about practice.

439

Go out there, talk to yourself in the mirror,

440

record yourself, try to be the lazy expert.

441

Speaking of practice, if you want to keep sharpening those skills and discovering more strategies like this,

442

we have a simple request.

443

Please subscribe to the channel for more IELTS podcasts.

444

We are dedicated to helping you get that score you deserve,

445

and we have so many more deep dives planned.

446

We do.

447

We're just getting started.

448

So hit that subscribe button,

449

leave us a comment about what topic you hate the most,

450

and let's keep learning together.

451

Thank you so much for listening to English Simple Hub today.

452

Good luck with your preparation.

453

Go practice that, in a word,

454

no, and we will catch you in the next deep dive.

455

Goodbye, everyone.

शैडोइंग तकनीक क्या है?

शैडोइंग (Shadowing) एक विज्ञान-समर्थित भाषा सीखने की तकनीक है जो मूल रूप से पेशेवर दुभाषिया प्रशिक्षण के लिए विकसित की गई थी। विधि सरल लेकिन शक्तिशाली है: आप मूल अंग्रेज़ी ऑडियो सुनते हैं और तुरंत इसे ज़ोर से दोहराते हैं — जैसे वक्ता की छाया 1-2 सेकंड की देरी से। शोध से पता चलता है कि यह उच्चारण सटीकता, स्वर, लय, जुड़ी हुई ध्वनियाँ, सुनने की समझ और बोलने की प्रवाहशीलता में काफ़ी सुधार करता है।

शैडोइंग अभ्यास: IELTS Speaking Part 1 Running Practice | Band 9 Model Answers | IELTS English Podcast - वीडियो के साथ अंग्रेजी बोलना सीखें

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