What to Say

Preparing to Speak

When it comes to an exam, it's always important to speak so the examiner can evaluate your English. However, I know this is really challenging, especially for introverts and people who prefer to have more time to think about their answers. I'm one of those people, so I know there are strategies to cope. Below are some tips about how to think about what to say:

You must answer the question

Unfortunately when it comes to exams, you can't simply ask the examiner to move onto a different question. Instead, you always need to respond, regardless if you really have something to say about it or not.

Good news! These are communication tests, not knowledge tests. The Cambridge examiners are never going to verify the information you give and check if what you said was true or not. Furthermore, you can always say if something isn't relevant to you while continuing to talk about the topic in a general way. 

Lastly, you never need to be an expert about a topic. Even in your native language, there are some topics you can talk at length about and others where you won't have much to say.  Cambridge's questions are designed to talk about topics all people will have some general knowledge and opinion about., so you'll always have something to say. 

Never say "Yes" or "No"

Never give a one word answer or a short answer. Firstly: if you do, the examiner is always going to ask you "why", so it's better to be proactive and give more information. Secondly: that won't let the examiner evaluate your English.

Minimally, follow this strategy instead and adapt it depending on how long you need to talk for:

Get into the habit of responding to questions this way well in advance of your exam. You should use this strategy when talking with a tutor, a teacher, or even a conversation partner. Use it in your classes. Use it while you do your daily speaking prompts. You can even use it in real life, too. It will seem strange at first, but over time it gets much, much easier.

Adapt the length of your response depending on which part of the speaking exam you're doing:

Strategies for Expanding Answers

As I mentioned, you should aim to say a few things for each question. As an example, consider this question: "Are you a student?"

An example of a bad answer would be: "Yes." Similarly, another bad example would be: "Yes, I'm a student."

A better response for the example above would be to say: 

"I’m a student studying Economics at the University of Messina in Sicily, Italy. Right now I’m in my final year and I’ll graduate in May."

By expanding on your answers, you are letting the examiner evaluate your English. Here are some strategies for extending your answers. You can also mix and match these strategies, just remember to not go off topic:

Add a reason


Add reasons for why you do something.

Q: What's your favourite pastime?

Bad Answer: "I like to play video games."

Better Answer: "My favourite pastime is playing video games because I get to spend time with my friends. For example, me and my best friend spent last weekend playing Call of Duty."

Add "but"


Add "but" to add more information.

Q: Are you a student?

Bad Answer: "Yes, right now I'm studying law at university."

Better Answer: "Yes, right now I'm studying law at university. I've been there for 3 years but I hope to graduate soon and do my masters in Milan."

Use "also" and "and"


You can add more information with words like "also" and "and".

Q: Do you live in a house or in an apartment? 

Bad Answer: "Right now I live in a house."

Better Answer: "Right now I live in a house with my parents and sister. It's nice because I can save on rent. We also have a dog and a cat."

Make a Comparison


Talk about something that you used to do that you no longer do now.

Q: Do you exercise? If so, what do you do? 

Bad Answer: "I usually run every day."

Better Answer: "I usually run every day, but in the past I also played a lot of soccer. I even played on the soccer team when I was in high school."

Add an Opinion


Talk about how you feel about the subject.

Q: What do you do for work? 

Bad Answer: "Yes, I’m a bartender."

Better Answer: "Yes, I’m a bartender and I really like it because it keeps me busy and I love the customers. I've been doing this job for about 3 years."

Talk about the Future


Talk about how the situation might change over time. These could be real plans, or things you hope will happen.

Q: Tell me about your living situation. 

Bad Answer: "Right now I’m living at home with my parents."

Better Answer: "Right now I’m living at home with my parents but I’m going to be moving in with my girlfriend soon. I'm really looking forward to being on my own."

Add an Example


A great way to extend any answer is by adding an example that illustrates what you mean.

Q: Are you similar to your brother? 

Bad Answer: "Yes, we are a bit similar."

Better Answer: "Yes, we are a bit similar. For example, we both really love to play video games and go snowboarding in the winter. We also play a lot of games online."

Add a Contrasting Idea


Maybe you don't have much to say about a question. However, you can always move the answer in a way to talk about something that's more relevant to you. Use words like though, although or however. 

Q: Do you like to read books? 

Bad Answer: "No, I don’t like to read books."

Better Answer: "No, I don’t like to read books. However, I read a lot of articles and editorials online. For example, last night I read a really interesting article about artificial intelligence which I quite enjoyed."

You must answer the question

Unfortunately when it comes to exams, you can't simply ask the examiner for a different question: you always need to respond, regardless if you really have something to say about it or not.

However, if something truly isn't relevant to you and your life, say it. For example, maybe the question is "When's the last time you went to a friends house?" but it's not common to see friends at their houses in your country. Simply explain that it isn't common to visit friends at their houses in your country, and then talk about where or how you meet up, instead. Easy!