Shadowing Practice: IELTS for Beginners | Lesson 2 | Your Family - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Welcome back to the IELTS Complete Beginner course.
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Welcome back to the IELTS Complete Beginner course.
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This is lesson two and I am so proud of you for continuing.
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Every lesson you complete brings you closer to your goal.
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A quick review from lesson one, we learnt 10 personal information words, the verb to be in the present tense, I am, you are, he is, she is, we are, they are, and the contractions.
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If you can answer these three questions confidently, you are ready for today.
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What is your name?
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Where are you from?
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What is your job?
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If you cannot, go back to lesson one first.
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Today is lesson two, my family.
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This is one of the most common topics in IELTS speaking part one.
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The examiner will almost certainly ask you about your family, whether you have brothers or sisters, what your parents do, whether you have children.
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Today we learn all the vocabulary and grammar you need to answer these questions perfectly.
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Here's what we are covering.
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10 family vocabulary words, the grammar of possessive adjectives, my, your, his, her, our,
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their, a real IELTS speaking part one listening example about family, speaking practice with six questions and a key IELTS tip about how to extend your answers.
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Let's begin.
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Ten family words.
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Say each one out loud after me.
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These are the words every A1 learner must know to talk about their family.
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Mother, your female parent.
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My mother is a nurse.
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She works at a hospital.
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Father, your male parent.
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My father is 50 years old.
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He is a teacher.
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Brother, a male person with the same parents as you.
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I have one brother.
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His name is Carlos.
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Sister.
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A female person with the same parents as you.
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My sister is younger than me.
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She is 16.
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Husband.
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The man a woman is married to.
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Her husband is from Mexico.
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They are very happy.
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Wife, the woman a man is married to.
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His wife is a doctor.
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She works long hours.
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Child or children, a young person or more than one young person.
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They have two children, a boy and a girl.
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Grandfather, the father of your mother or father.
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My grandfather is 78 years old.
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Grandmother, the mother of your mother or father.
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My grandmother lives with us.
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She is very kind.
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Only child, a child who has no brothers or sisters.
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I am an only child.
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I don't have any brothers or sisters.
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Important extra words to know.
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Your mother and father together.
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My parents are from Egypt.
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Grandparents Your grandfathers and grandmothers.
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My grandparents live in the countryside.
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Older, younger, to say who was born first.
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I have an older brother and a younger sister.
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To be close to, to have a good relationship.
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I am very close to my mother.
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IELTS tip.
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When describing your family in IELTS speaking, Always try to use both the family word and one extra detail.
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Don't just say, I have a brother.
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Say, I have an older brother.
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His name is Ahmed and he is a student.
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In lesson one, we learned the verb to be.
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Today, we learn possessive adjectives.
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Words like my, your, his, her.
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These words show who something belongs to.
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They are essential for talking about your family.
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I, my, my mother is a teacher.
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You, your, your brother is very tall.
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He, his, his wife is from Brazil.
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Her, her father is 60 years old.
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We, our, our grandmother lives with us.
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They, their, their children are at school.
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Very common mistake, his versus her.
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In English, the possessive adjective tells you about the owner, not the thing.
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If the owner is male, use his.
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If the owner is female, use her.
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Wrong, Maria has a brother, her brother is tall.
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Wait, is this right?
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Correct, Maria has a brother, her brother is tall.
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Yes, Maria is female, so her.
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Correct, Carlos has a sister, his sister is tall.
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Yes, Carlos is male, so his.
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Many learners confuse this because in their language the gender of the object matters.
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In English, only the gender of the owner matters.
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Using possessive adjectives with family.
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Full examples.
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Here are complete sentences using possessive adjectives with today's family vocabulary.
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Say each one out loud.
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My mother's name is Fatima.
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She is 45 years old.
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My father is a doctor.
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His name is Hassan.
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I have one sister.
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Her name is Layla and she is a student.
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We have two children.
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Their names are Adam and Sarah.
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My grandmother lives in our house.
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Her cooking is amazing.
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Do you have a brother?
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What is his name?
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Asking questions about family.
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These are the most common question forms for family topics at A1 level.
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Learn them by heart.
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Do you have any brothers or sisters?
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Yes, I have one brother.
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His name is Ali.
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Are you an only child?
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No, I'm not.
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I have two sisters.
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What does your mother do?
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My mother is a nurse.
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She works at a hospital.
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Do you have children?
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No, I don't.
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I'm not married yet.
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Do you live with your family?
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Yes, I do.
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I live with my parents and sister.
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IELTS tip.
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Notice how every answer in the table above has two parts.
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a short answer first, yes I have one brother, and then an extension with extra detail.
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His name is Ali.
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This two-part structure is the key to scoring well in IELTS Speaking Part 1.
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Listen to this IELTS Speaking Part 1 conversation about family.
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The student is talking to an examiner.
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Listen for family vocabulary words, possessive adjectives my, his, her, their and how the student extends every answer with extra detail.
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Listen first without reading, then read the script and listen a second time.
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Now I'd like to ask you some questions about your family.
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Do you have a large family or a small family?
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I have quite a large family.
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I have my parents, one older brother and one younger sister, and my grandparents live nearby too.
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Can you tell me about your brother?
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What does he do?
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Yes, of course.
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My brother's name is Luca and he's 28 years old, so he's three years older than me.
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He works as an engineer in the city.
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He's married and his wife is from France.
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They have one child, a little girl.
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That's interesting.
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And your sister, how old is she?
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My sister is 22.
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Her name is Sophia.
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She's still a student.
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She's studying medicine at university.
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She's going to be a doctor.
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Are you close to your family?
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Yes, very much so.
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We live in the same town, so we see each other every week.
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My mother always cooks a big Sunday lunch and the whole family comes.
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It's a tradition.
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What to notice in this conversation?
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Marco uses possessive adjectives naturally throughout.
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My brother's name, his wife, her name, their child.
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Every answer has an extension.
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He never gives a one-word answer.
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He adds ages, names, jobs and relationships, all from today's vocabulary.
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He uses she's going to be a doctor, a future form we will study in lesson 18.
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His last answer is personal and warm.
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It's a tradition.
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This type of personal detail impresses examiners.
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Your turn.
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Answer these six questions about your own family.
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Pause after each question, speak your answer out loud, and then press play for the model.
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Use possessive adjectives.
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My, his, her, our, their.
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Do you have a large family or a small family?
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I have a large, small or medium-sized family.
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I have parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents.
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Do you have any brothers or sisters?
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Yes, I have number, brothers or sisters.
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His or her name is name.
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and he or she is age years old.
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Or, no, I'm an only child.
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What does your mother do?
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My mother is a job.
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She works at place.
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Or, my mother doesn't work.
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She looks after our family.
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What does your father do?
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My father is a job.
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His name is name and he is age years old.
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Do you live with your family?
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Yes, I live with my family members or no, I live alone in a flat or in another city.
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Are you close to your family?
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Yes, I'm very close to my person.
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We see each other, talk on the phone or meet every weekend.
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IELTS tip.
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Record your answers on your phone, then listen back and ask yourself, did I use possessive adjectives correctly?
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Did I extend every answer?
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Did I speak in complete sentences?
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Even five minutes of recorded speaking practice each day will dramatically improve your IELTS score.
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How to extend your answers in IELTS Speaking Part 1.
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The biggest difference between an A1 answer and a B1 answer in IELTS Speaking Part 1 is not vocabulary.
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It is not grammar.
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It is length and detail.
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The examiner wants to hear you speak.
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short answer is a missed opportunity.
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Here is the simple system for extending any answer about family.
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It has three steps.
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Step 1.
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Answer the question directly.
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I have one brother.
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Step 2.
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Add a detail about the person.
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His name is Carlos and he is 26 years old.
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Step 3.
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Add a second detail.
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He works as an engineer in Madrid.
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We're very close.
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Do you have any brothers or sisters?
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Level A1 – Yes, one brother.
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Too short – the examiner wants more.
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Level B1 – Yes, I have one brother.
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His name is Carlos.
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He's 26 and he works as an engineer in Madrid.
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We're very close.
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You don't need difficult vocabulary to sound like a better speaker.
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You just need to add one more detail to every answer.
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What details can you add?
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Use these question words to guide you.
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Who?
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What is his or her name?
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How old?
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How old is he or she?
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What?
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What does he or she do?
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Job or study?
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Where?
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Where does he or she live or work?
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And how?
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How is your relationship?
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Close?
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Not very close?
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Or we talk every day?
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Excellent work on lesson two.
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Today you learned 10 family vocabulary words.
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Mother, father, brother, sister, husband, wife, children, grandfather, grandmother and only child.
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You learned all six possessive adjectives.
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I, your, his, her, our, their and the very common mistake learners make with his and her.
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You listened to a real IELTS speaking part 1 family conversation and you practiced speaking about your own family.
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Your homework before lesson 3?
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Write 5 sentences about your own family using today's vocabulary and possessive adjectives.
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Then say those sentences out loud 5 times.
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The goal is to say them without thinking, so that when the examiner asks in the real exam the words come naturally.
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In Lesson 3 we are going to talk about where I live.
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You will learn the words for your home, rooms, furniture and the area you live in.
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You will learn the grammar of there is and there are, and you will see how IELTS Writing Task 1 uses this language to describe places.
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See you in Lesson 3.
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Every sentence you practice today is one you will not forget tomorrow.
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Keep going, your IELTS goal is closer than you think.
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Context & Background

Welcome to our English learning practice page focused on the IELTS speaking test! In this lesson, we delve into a topic that many beginners face: discussing your family. The speaker, in a supportive tone, encourages learners to build upon the knowledge acquired in previous lessons while emphasizing the importance of confidently answering personal questions. Family is often a central theme in the IELTS speaking test, especially in part one, making it crucial for learners to familiarize themselves with the relevant vocabulary and grammar. This section will guide you through essential family-related terms, grammatical structures, and practical speaking strategies.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

Here are five essential phrases extracted from the lesson that will help you describe your family effectively:

  • My mother is a nurse. - Use this phrase to talk about your mother's profession.
  • I have one brother. - A useful sentence for discussing siblings.
  • Her husband is from Mexico. - Great for describing your family members' marital status.
  • I am an only child. - Use this to explain your family structure.
  • My grandmother is very kind. - A nice way to express your family's characteristics.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To enhance your speaking skills using the shadowing technique, follow these steps based on the lesson's content:

  1. Listen Carefully: Play the video and listen to how the speaker describes each family member. Pay attention to their intonation and pronunciation.
  2. Repeat After the Speaker: Utilize a shadowing site or a shadow speech app to practice repeating phrases out loud. Aim to mimic the speaker’s rhythm and inflection closely.
  3. Record Yourself: After shadowing, record your voice as you repeat the phrases. Listening to your recordings will help you identify areas for improvement.
  4. Practice with Variations: Change the structure of the sentences using possessive adjectives. For instance, transform "My mother is a nurse" into "Her mother is a doctor" to solidify your understanding of the grammar.
  5. Engage in Conversation: Find a language partner or practice on your own by asking and answering questions about family. Use the phrases you've learned and aim for fluency.

Remember, consistent practice is key! By utilizing shadowspeaks techniques and integrating daily conversations, you’ll become more comfortable discussing your family and other personal topics, ultimately boosting your confidence and performance in speaking tests like the IELTS.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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