Shadowing Practice: IELTS Speaking Part 3 Secret Formula - Learn English Speaking with Video

Are you losing valuable marks in IELTS Speaking Part 3?

Well, let me show you a simple formula to give Band 7 Plus answers.

Hello, it's Keith from the Keith Speaking Academy.

Here, why am I here?

Here to help you become a more confident speaker of English.

Today, I'm going to show you how to handle IELTS Speaking

Part 3 questions okay we're going to look at some common topics the typical questions

that you get in ielts speaking part three

and my secret formula four things that help you give band seven plus answers

i'm going to show you these things one by one in four different questions so

that it is crystal clear for you okay now remember in

part three you do need to develop your answers right maybe speaking for up to a minute if the examiner allows you.

Sometimes they interrupt you.

And of course you're evaluated on fluency, vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation.

But the secret is how do you optimize for all of these?

This is what I'm going to show you.

There is a PDF up here with all of these answers

and the full analysis which is really going to help you in your preparation.

Okay, let's begin.

Okay, the first one, the first part of the secret formula, remember there are four things.

The first one is connectors.

Connectors, cohesive devices, it's how you link your ideas.

And this helps your fluency a lot.

Now, you don't want to use written formal connectors, like firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally.

And also because your structure is not going to be like that.

It's going to be much more of a flow, but you do need to connect your ideas with natural spoken connectors.

So let me show you a model answer.

This is for the topic of sport.

Very, very common.

The question is, what kind of sports are popular in your country?

Very typical question in part three.

What kind of blah, blah, blah is popular in your country?

So let's have a look at this answer.

See if you can spot the connectors.

And I'll give you a clue.

They're usually at the beginning of the sentence.

Not always, but usually.

Let's have a look.

Well, to be honest, I think most people are into individual sports like swimming and running.

I guess one reason is that they help people switch off mentally.

And of course, both are a great way to keep fit.

So, for instance, most mornings, most parks near me are full of people jogging really early in the morning.

Having said all that, some people do enjoy team sports like football, but more to watch rather than to play.

I'd say Manchester City are the most popular team right now.

I actually sometimes go to see them play.

There's a great atmosphere at their matches.

Right, nice answer hey.

So if you have a look here, you can see, think of connectors as a a bit like signposts.

Boom, boom.

They're pointing the way, telling the examiner what's coming next.

So here we begin with, well, to be honest, and that tells the examiner, I'm going to give my opinion.

Honestly.

Well, to be honest.

And then the next, I guess one reason is that.

So here, it's kind of saying, I'm going to tell you the reason why people like individual sports.

It's referring backwards.

It's connecting that idea.

Okay.

And he goes on then.

So for instance, clearly, I'm going to give an example of what I've just talked about.

Nice.

For instance, for example.

Then later, he says, having said all of that.

Now, this is basically a kind of a counter idea or an opposite connector.

We've kind of said all of this is positive, but this is negative.

Or all of this is negative but this is positive.

It's a counter, an opposite.

Having said all of that, you can say having said that if you're just going to counter the previous sentence.

If you've been talking a lot, like here, you can say having said all of that,

I now think something opposite or slightly different.

Similar words are, but, that said, mind you, however, also, you could say.

This kind of counter idea connector, very, very useful, very nice.

And that's a great structure to use, right?

Say something that's kind of positive and then, mind you, something a little bit opposite.

Okay, lovely idea.

So you can see here different connectors.

That is the first part of your magic formula.

Let's move on to number two.

Right, the second part of the secret formula is topic-specific vocabulary.

Now, this is what it says on the tin.

It's vocabulary that is specific to a certain topic.

Topics in part three, environment is a big one.

And there are many subtopics.

So do remember in IELTS speaking part three, you probably get a subtopic of a bigger category.

So in environment, they may ask you about ecotourism,

pollution, deforestation, electric vehicles is a big one nowadays.

Now with electric vehicles, topic-specific vocabulary could be things like the charging station, where you charge it, exhaust fumes,

pollution from your car, carbon footprint, carbon neutral, lots of things like that.

Now the secret is to focus on collocations.

That's two or three words that go together.

Carbon footprint, carbon neutral, environmental issues, charging station, right?

These kind of two or three words that frequently go together.

These are so powerful.

Yes, individual words are good, but collocations are where the gold is at.

That's the really powerful one, right?

So if you can use these kind of collocations, topic-specific vocabulary, you're well on your way to a band seven, eight or more.

OK, so let's have a look.

A specific example, talking about electric vehicles.

Let's watch this answer.

100

The question is, why are electric vehicles becoming more popular in some countries?

101

See if you can spot the topic-specific vocabulary.

102

I think one of the main reasons is that governments are offering generous incentives, such as tax breaks and free charging stations.

103

I think as well, people are becoming much more aware of environmental issues, so they're looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

104

For instance, in my country there's been a huge push to replace old petrol cars with EVs, and the number of charging points has doubled in the last two years.

105

So as a result, I think electric cars feel far more practical and affordable than they used to be.

106

What a nice answer, right?

107

Now, if you look, did you spot the kind of the topic specific vocabulary and collocations?

108

Let's have a look.

109

We've got generous incentives.

110

So the incentives are kind of, they could be financial incentives or something else,

111

something the government gives you to encourage you to use EVs.

112

Charging stations, the place where you put the electricity into your car.

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Environmental issues, right?

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Notice it's environmental with the adjective, environmental issues.

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Carbon footprint, how much CO2 you put into the air.

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We also had charging points, which is the same really as a charging station.

117

There are other words in here, a lovely vocabulary, But these are very topic specific

118

and that's going to show off clearly to the examiner that you can talk confidently on this subtopic.

119

So that, my friend, is secret number two, is your topic specific vocabulary.

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Let's move on to number three.

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Right.

122

So number three, we've had one connectors, two topic specific vocabulary.

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Number three is mixed grammar.

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Obviously, this is your grammar.

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But this is where many students make mistakes.

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They think, I have to use complex grammar all the time.

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No. You need a mix of simple grammar and complex grammar.

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Don't be simple all the time.

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Don't be complex all the time in the middle.

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It's a mix, mixed grammar, right?

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Now, this is hard to show you because there's so much grammar, right?

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But just be aware of things like tense, present, past, future, different aspects.

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Is it perfect, continuous, simple, voices, passive, active?

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And then, you know, things like use of adverbs, adverbial phrases, adjectives, noun phrases.

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Being aware of all of these as you're learning and using your grammar.

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There's too much to think of, I know.

137

So what we'll do, we'll watch a model answer and just have a look at the different grammatical items.

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Just notice or tell me in the comments which ones jump out at you, right?

139

And then we'll have a closer look.

140

We're going to look at the topic of shopping, which is a big topic.

141

Subtopics could be shopping online,

142

brick and mortar shops, fashion and consumerism, I guess.

143

Here we've got a very general question, which is, how has shopping changed in recent years?

144

Another classic part three question.

145

How has da-da-da changed in recent years?

146

Think about it.

147

You can talk about the past, the present, right?

148

There's already opportunities there in the question for different tenses.

149

Let's watch and just notice different grammatical points here, how we have a mix of simple and complex.

150

Here we go.

151

Over the past decade, shopping has changed dramatically, at least in my country.

152

I would say the biggest shift is that now most people buy things online rather than going to physical stores.

153

You get faster delivery, easy returns and a wider range of products.

154

For example, if I want to buy a book, I can order it with one click and it arrives the next day.

155

At the same time, clearly, traditional shops have had to adapt.

156

To avoid disappearing, some of them now offer in-store experiences or delivery services like some of the big supermarkets.

157

Very nice answer.

158

So there is a lot to unpack here, but there is clearly a mixture of more complex and simple grammar.

159

Let's have a little look we've got at the very start shopping has changed dramatically

160

so shopping has changed present perfect classic if you're talking about recently

161

or something in the past to the present it has changed

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and a nice adverb dramatically really good language right

163

and here's a nice little trick it says at least in my country

164

when you're asked about something that is so general

165

you can just say blah blah blah blah at least in my country

166

so you're kind of saying this is true in my context lovely english at least in my country right

167

and then we've got the biggest shift big bigger biggest it's the superlative the biggest change

168

or the biggest shift so it's you know it's good language

169

and shortly after that we've got a wider range of products wide wider, widest.

170

It's a comparative, comparing two things.

171

So you've got superlative and comparative.

172

Then there comes a simple conditional clause.

173

It's a modal conditional.

174

If I want a book, I can order it.

175

Nothing complex, but it's nice.

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Next, we've got another present perfect.

177

The traditional shops have had to adapt, have had to.

178

Present perfect, again, nice.

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And the last one I notice is simple, but it's correct.

180

Avoid disappearing.

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Not avoid to disappear.

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No, not infinitive.

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Durant.

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Avoid disappearing.

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Avoid doing something.

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It's simple, but if it's correct, it will be noticeable.

187

It not impresses the examiner.

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It's noticeable, right?

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So here, what I want to show you is that kind of mixture of simple and complex, a wide range of grammar.

190

Don't obsess with complicated.

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Don't be simple.

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Don't be complicated.

193

Be somewhere in the middle.

194

That's number three.

195

Let's move on to number four.

196

How exciting.

197

Right, we're at the fourth one.

198

So we've had connectors, topic-specific vocabulary, mixed grammar.

199

Number four is examples.

200

And examples is where you give yourself the opportunity to develop your answer and to show a wider range of language.

201

We're going to have a look here for the topic of reading.

202

It's a popular topic, books, reading, libraries.

203

The question is, how will libraries change in the future?

204

Now immediately you can be thinking, oh grammar, future, present, conditionals, hypotheses maybe.

205

But here we're focusing on examples.

206

Let's watch and see if you can find the example that this person gives.

207

Here we go.

208

Looking ahead, I think libraries will become far more digital and interactive.

209

Instead of shelves full of paper books, we'll probably see digital libraries where people borrow e-books or access online courses.

210

For example, where I live, many libraries already offer free audiobooks and language learning platforms, and I dare say that trend will continue.

211

The main library in my town actually offers workshops for children and pensioners, study spaces, and a coffee shop.

212

it's become a real community hub

213

so maybe the future is more about providing learning experiences rather

214

than just books great what a lovely answer now here um

215

they actually use a very very simple signpost right indicating there's

216

an example for example the example she gives is where she lives many libraries offer free audiobooks etc

217

and then she goes on to talk about the main library a specific example

218

that offers workshops and so on so in effect two examples

219

and just look at how

220

that opens up the chance for richer language talks about audiobooks language learning platforms community hubs it's really really nice

221

so examples right are a key part of this secret formula Okay,

222

so there you have your formula for your band 7 plus answers for IELTS Speaking Part 3.

223

You've got your connectors, topic-specific vocabulary, mixed grammar, and examples.

224

C-T-M-E.

225

C-T-M-E.

226

Okay.

227

Now then, what I don't want you to do is to now go away

228

and start writing answers that include all of this.

229

Don't do that.

230

It doesn't work.

231

What I want you to do is to take these questions, go and give your answers naturally and record yourself.

232

And then when you listen back, think about, have I used connectors?

233

Could I use better vocabulary for this topic?

234

Is my grammar, is it mixed?

235

Is it too simple?

236

And is there an example?

237

And kind of evaluate your own answer after you've done it, listening, and then do it again, trying to improve it.

238

That's the way to study, right?

239

Okay, let's do one together.

240

I have recorded myself giving an answer to a question.

241

I've taken the topic of social media, which is a buzzing topic, right?

242

Question is, why do some people dislike social media?

243

Have a listen.

244

Let's listen together and see.

245

I'd like you to evaluate the connectors, the topic-specific vocabulary, the kind of grammar, and is there an example?

246

Let's have a look.

247

Well, I think there are several reasons.

248

So, some people might feel it can be addictive and it can take up far too much of their time.

249

For instance, scrolling social media feeds, it's like a drug and people,

250

they'll often scroll for hours without realising it.

251

I guess another reason is that sometimes it creates pressure because everyone seems to show the most perfect life,

252

which can make you feel extremely inadequate.

253

On top of that, I guess there are concerns about privacy and how companies use

254

personal data but to be fair companies like meta have told us their policies

255

and we we have a choice not to use it but

256

if they've already got you hooked it's hard to give up

257

how did you do well having a quick look you can

258

see here connectors there's quite a lot i think there are

259

several reasons for instance i guess another reason is um and then we've got plenty of i'd say topic-specific vocabulary,

260

addictive, scrolling, privacy, personal data.

261

The grammar is quite simple.

262

Lots of present simple.

263

It can.

264

I think there are.

265

But it goes on.

266

It talks about the most perfect life, superlative, extremely inadequate, adverb.

267

And at the end, yes, you've got they have told us.

268

They have got us hooked.

269

So present perfect, mixing it up a little bit.

270

There is an example, right?

271

For instance, it's a short example, but it's there.

272

So not bad, Keith, not bad at all.

273

Okay, great.

274

So what score would you give me?

275

It's difficult because you don't get a score for one answer.

276

You get a score for the whole test, right?

277

And again, don't feel you have to use all of these in every answer.

278

You use them across the whole part three in particular, right?

279

Not for every single answer.

280

Think bigger, bigger picture.

281

If you want to get all of these, the questions, the answers, a full breakdown, full analysis that you can use as a way to review and practice, go and download the PDF.

282

It's all in there, full details.

283

You'll find out how to use this formula of connectors, topic-specific vocabulary, grammar, mixed grammar and examples.

284

Actually, if you go back and listen to this video again,

285

you're going to notice every single answer actually does have all of these.

286

Now, that's not always the case.

287

I've done that deliberately to show you this.

288

But in your test, some questions and answers will, some won't.

289

But over the whole part three, you want to get a good mixture of this this formula, right?

290

Also, please don't just copy these answers.

291

Don't memorise them, the exact same answer.

292

Steal the ideas, steal the phrases and go and use those in your daily practice.

293

That's how you're going to get better at English, not memorising the whole answer.

294

I hope that makes sense.

295

I hope you've had fun.

296

I hope you've learned something new here and I hope you can start using this in your practice.

297

If you've enjoyed it, subscribe, get the PDF.

298

Oh, why not join the channel?

299

Become a YouTube channel member, my channel member.

300

That way you get access to more videos,

301

more model answers, lots of interesting chats that I have with you in the private area of my channel.

302

It's $2 a month, price of a coffee.

303

Much more valuable than a coffee, I think.

304

anyway check it out there's a link all down in the description below thanks

305

so much for spending this time with me as always I've enjoyed it

306

and I will see you soon take care my friend bye

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 306 sentences and 3064 words to shadow. The speech runs for 21:23. The speaker talks at a steady 143 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
topic noun	/ˈtɑpɪk/	A subject; a theme; a category or general area of interest.
grammar noun	/ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/	A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general.
vocabulary noun	/vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/	A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning.
formula noun	/ˈfɔː.mjʊ.lə/	Any mathematical rule expressed symbolically.
examiner noun	/əɡˈzæmɪnɚ/	A person who investigates someone or something.
disappear verb	/dɪsəˈpɪɹ/	To vanish.
incentive noun	/ɪnˈsɛntɪv/	Something that motivates, rouses, or encourages.
bind verb	/ˈbaɪ̯nd/	To tie; to confine by any ligature.
footprint noun	/ˈfʊtpɹɪnt/	The impression of the foot in a soft substance such as sand or snow.
phrase noun	/ˈfɹeɪ̯z/	A short written or spoken expression.
mixture noun	/ˈmɪkst͡ʃɚ/	The act of mixing.
evaluate verb	/ɪˈvaljʊeɪt/	To draw conclusions from examining; to assess; to appraise.
dramatically adverb		In a dramatic manner.
scroll noun	/skɹoʊl/	A roll of paper or parchment; a writing formed into a roll.
conditional noun	/kənˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/	A conditional sentence; a statement that depends on a condition being true or false.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
go together verb	To be in a relationship.
find out verb	To discover, as by asking or investigating.
give up verb	To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone).
go away verb	To depart or leave a place.
go back verb	To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time.
look ahead verb	To consider the future, to anticipate future events.
open up verb	To open.
show off verb	To exhibit the best attributes of something.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've just talked · has doubled · has changed
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	analysis which is · points, which is · shopping, which is
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	is mixed · be complicated

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 70 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, we've, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: hypothesis /haɪˈpɒθɪsɪs/, thirdly /ˈθɚdli/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: conditional /kənˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/, pollution /pəˈluʃən/, workshop /ˈwɝk.ʃɑp/, shortly /ˈʃɔɹtli/, preparation /ˌpɹɛpəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n/
Long words — get the stress right: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, examiner /əɡˈzæmɪnɚ/, conditional /kənˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/, complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, inadequate /ɪnˈædəkwɪt/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like topic, grammar, vocabulary.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?