[ACE THE TEST] Solving the Speaking test on October 3, 2022

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Rain

Example

Do you enjoy rainy days?

I used to enjoy them when I was young, I liked playing in the rain. Now that I work far from home, rainy days are inconvenient because I commute to work on a motorcycle. 

Does it rain a lot in your country?

In the rainy season, which I believe is between April and November, there’s a lot of rain. Sometimes, there’s a downpour for days on end.

• Downpour (n): cơn mưa tầm tã
• For days on end: qua nhiều ngày

What do you usually do when it rains?

If I don’t have work or chores, I often stay in my room and listen to music or read books. If I’m really tired, I do love a good nap. It’s oddly satisfying to nap when it’s raining outside.

Oddly (adv): một cách lạ lùng

IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe a time when someone apologised to you

You are required to talk about:

• When it was
• Who this person is
• Why he or she apologised to you

And your feelings about the situation.

Example

Let me share with you the story of when my brother apologized to me.

My brother is five years younger than me, and ever since our childhood, we have never really been on good terms. I always think our parents pamper him too much and he never listens to what I say.

The incident happened when he started working in his sophomore year. It was the first time he could make some money to support himself. However, he splurged on a new motorcycle and a new iPhone. With his meagre salary as an intern, he had to pay in instalments.

I was concerned about this and gave him a lecture on how to save money. He ignored it at first, but I kept pushing it and he was upset at me. I was also frustrated with him. We didn’t talk for a long time. Then suddenly, he got sick and couldn’t work for two months and he was late on his payments. Consequently, he had to take on other jobs and his academic performance suffered. He ended up having to retake many courses and it cost him a lot of money.

One day not long after, unexpectedly, he sent me a text message telling me that he was sorry and that he should have taken my advice. His action was out of his character, but it was heartwarming to me. Maybe my brother has grown up after all. Even though it was just a text message, I knew he had to swallow his pride. Our relationship has gotten better since then.

• To be on good terms: Có mối quan hệ tốt 
• To pamper (v): nuông chiều
• To splurge (v): tiêu xài
• Meagre (adj): ít ỏi
• To pay in instalments: trả góp
• To end up (v): rốt cuộc
• To swallow one’s pride: hối lỗi

→ The prompt requires candidates to narrate a time when someone apologized to them. This is a storytelling format and needs to include chronological progression.

You should describe a simple and understandable situation. Introducing the context of the apology is crucial for the coherence of your answer (who caused the offense, what the offense was, your feelings when it happened). Regarding the apology, describe when the person apologized, through what means (text, face-to-face, phone call, email...), and then express how you felt about it.

Progression of the answer: Introduction of the topic → Context → Apology → Thoughts/Outcome

In addition to the ideas in the article, you can also consider situations such as someone accidentally causing you harm, borrowing something from you and losing it, or apologizing for saying something hurtful to you. 

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Apology

Example

1. On what occasions do individuals typically offer apologies?  

For most people, we apologise to others when our actions have caused inconvenience or harm in some ways. It can be as simple as bumping into others when we are not looking or as severe as causing an accident. I believe a sincere apology is the first step to improve such situations.

• A sincere apology: lời xin lỗi chân thành

→ Mention instances where people often find themselves needing to apologize. These could be unintentional mistakes or intentional actions.

Try to expand by providing real-life examples and also express your personal viewpoint on these situations. Pay attention to using phrases such as: intentional, unintentional, an honest mistake, to make an apology

2. Should individuals apologize for every mistake they make?

Intuitively, I want to say we need to take responsibility and own our mistakes even when it’s an honest mistake. However, apologising for everything, especially when you make a series of mistakes, can be seen as insincere. For instance, it is common for people to make many errors on their first days of work.

And though sometimes we need to apologise to our supervisors, I believe in this case, actions speak louder than words. Instead of saying sorry every time we make a mistake, we can ask for feedback and try doing better.

• Intuitively (adv): theo trực giác
• Series (n): hàng loạt, chuỗi 
• Insincere (adj): không chân thành
• Actions speak louder than words: hành động có ý nghĩa hơn lời nói

→ This question asks candidates to evaluate whether one should apologize for every mistake they make.

Bạn có thể đồng ý và sau đó phân tích về những lợi ích của việc xin lỗi (như thể hiện tinh thần trách nhiệm, là hành động có đạo đức, giúp giảm bớt căng thẳng...) hoặc phân tích rằng trong một số tình huống, việc xin lỗi là không cần thiết như đã đề cập trong bài.

Có thể dùng các từ/cụm từ: a moral thing to do (moral = có đạo đức), sincere (chân thành). Khi đưa ra ý kiến cá nhân nên nhấn mạnh bằng: I believe, I think. 

3. Vì sao một số người từ chối nói lời xin lỗi với người khác?

Ignorance and pride are why many people find it impossible to apologise. That’s said, some people simply can’t believe that they’re in the wrong. It’s hard to say sorry if you think you’re right. But sometimes, even when they’ve realised that they need to apologise, the embarrassment is unbearable to them. I think most people have been in these situations. However, some people have more pride than others and therefore, always refuse to say sorry.

• Ignorance (n): sự thiếu hiểu biết
• Pride (n): sĩ diện, lòng kiêu hãnh
• Unbearable (adj): không thể chịu đựng nổi

→ Câu hỏi yêu cầu thí sinh đưa ra lí do tại sao một số người không chịu nói lời xin lỗi với người khác.