Part 1 Band 7 Formulas (Facts)

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So many people have asked me over the years if there are any Part 1 band 7 formulas (facts) they can apply to their answers. To cut a long story short, there is.

After reading this post, please read through the current Part 1 topics and apply these formulas to your answers. You can also practice speaking with other IELTS 123 users here. You can also use google dictionary to find any definitions by double-clicking the words.

Achieving band 7 in IELTS Speaking is difficult without a strategy for most candidates.

Knowing how to answer is half the battle, hopefully, by the end of this post, you will understand exactly how to logically answer questions. Apply these Part 1 band 7 formulas in your IELTS Speaking test to give yourself the best chance possible.

To answer facts about you, follow the formulas below:

Determine time using an expression/phrase or adverb.
State the fact using an appropriate tense.
Mention the length of time using a perfect continuous tense.
Add extra details to fill the answer using good language.

Examples:

At the moment + I’m a student + I have been studying XXX for the past 5 years + it is………………

Currently + I work as a XXX + I have been doing it since XXXX + it is……………..

I’ve always + read books + since I was a child + it is……………..

Recently + I drink coffee + all day every day + it is………..

Nowadays + I hardly ever exercise + it’s been this way for a few years now + it is…………

Formula 1: Work/Study (Facts about you)

Facts about you are some of the most common types of questions when moving onto a new topic in Part 1, actually, it is almost always your first question type.

Learning how to talk about facts is essential for candidates. So, how can you do it logically & well?

Let us imagine for the purpose of this post, your first question is: “Do you work or study?”

At the moment + I work as a _______ + I have been working as a ________ for the past X years + some details about it.

Right now + I’m a _______ + I have been doing _______ since X year (2015) + some details about it.

Currently + I’m working as a ________ + I’ve been verb+ing for about X years + some details about it.

Example:

At the moment, I work as a tailor, I have been working as a tailor for the past 8 years in Hanoi Vietnam. My company isn’t exactly a large one, however, we take pride in our work and do a great job. It’s not an easy job as it takes many years to learn how to craft different clothes.

Right now, I’m a student, I have been studying law since 2016 at Harvard Law School. It’s costing my parents a fortune to send me here, so I must ace my grades to make them proud. At first, I wasn’t interested in my course, however, over time I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Currently, I’m working as an IELTS Speaking tutor, I’ve been doing this for about 5 years. It’s one of the most fulfilling jobs I’ve ever had, though, it’s not always so easy to have success with my students. Most of them expect some magic words to help them score band 7, but there are only strategies and hard work that can do that.

Formula 2: Home (Facts about you)

Let us imagine you were asked about where you live. “Where do you live?”

At the moment + I live in _________ + I have been living here for the past X years + some details about it.

Right now + I live in ________ + I’ve been living here since X years + some details about it.

Currently + I’m living in ________ + I’ve been living here for about X years + some details about it.

Example:

At the moment, I live in Hanoi Vietnam, I have been living here for the past 5 years. It’s a decent-sized city with an absolutely massive population of about 9.5 million people. I live in a 6 story house just outside the heart of the city, everything I need is just a stone’s throw away.

Right now, I live in Manchester, I have been living here since I was born. It’s possibly the best city in the world if I don’t say so myself, it’s relatively small with only about 500,000 people living here. We’re pretty famous for our Football and Music scene, clubs like Manchester United and bands like Oasis have really put us on the map.

Currently, I live in Istanbul, I’ve been living here for about 12 years. There are about 15 million people living here in 39 districts, the hustle and bustle here is magical. I moved here for more opportunities in my career, as where I’m from doesn’t have so many chances for me to make a living for myself.

Note: Have you noticed the pattern? Every answer is fundamentally the same in content. The language content is brilliant, logically conveyed and appropriate to the speaker’s ability. Next, let us look at other possible topics.

Formula 3: Tea/Coffee (Facts about you) Part 1 band 7 formulas (facts)

“Do you drink tea/coffee?”

Note: A slight change in wording but a consistent structure. Unlike the first 2 fact type questions, this is a fact about your actions, so we could apply a frequency or period of time and a reason.

Yeah, I drink _____ + I’ve been drinking (it) for most of my adult life + some details about why.

Of course, + I’ve drunk ______ + Almost every day since I was ______(a teenager) + some details about why.

Yup + I’m a coffee lover/tea lover + I can’t miss my morning brew + some details about why.

We can also respond naturally an Adverb of Frequency or Expression of Frequency:

Every now & then, Without fail, Religiously, Once in a blue moon, Every so often, All the time, All day every day, More often than not.

Note: These Expressions of frequency are more valuable than Adverbs of frequency. They are also perfect to use to “how often” type questions too. Please learn them and use them regularly when practising with other IELTS 123 users.

Example:

Yeah, I drink coffee, I’ve been drinking it for most of my adult life. To be perfectly honest with you, I can’t function without my morning coffee, I drink it religiously with a cigarette for breakfast. Whenever I don’t have a coffee in the morning I get a headache and can’t concentrate at work.

Of course, I’ve drunk tea almost every day since I was a teenager. I truly believe it’s the healthiest way to start my day, plus it makes me feel great and full of beans. Actually, I can’t imagine life without tea, my favourite brew is fresh loose leaf green tea, however, every so often I’ll enjoy a cup of milk tea.

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See here for more band 7 formulas. (prefer/compare)