Understand how the speaker develops his answers by talking about his personal experiences of attending secondary school. His answers are personalized, and that helped him express himself substantially and clearly. Also, study how he used topic vocabulary, idiomatic phrases, and collocations seamlessly to sound natural and confident.
That’s the way to answer questions so that your examiner will give you better marks against the IELTS Speaking band criteria – specifically, Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, as well as the Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
PART 1
SECONDARY SCHOOL
ANSWERS
Do you remember your first day at secondary school?
Answer 1
Honestly, yes, and it feels like it was just yesterday. I remember walking through the gates feeling like a small fish in a big pond (someone who feels insignificant in a large, new environment), because everything was so much bigger compared to primary school. I remember I had a bad case of butterflies in my stomach (a feeling of being very nervous), but it was also a great day as I made good friends.
Answer 2
Actually, I don’t remember it too vividly (clearly), but what I do recall is the uniform. I had to wear a school uniform on the first day, and I did not like it because it was itchy and uncomfortable, and I kept fidgeting (a small movement that somebody makes repeatedly, often without meaning because one is nervous) with the collar all day. Perhaps I felt that way as it was my first time wearing a uniform in my life as a student.
Were there any subjects that you found difficult at secondary school?
Answer 1
Definitely, mathematics was my Achilles’ heel (a weakness despite overall strength). I could grasp basic arithmetic, but the moment we moved on to algebra and geometry, I felt completely lost. I even complained a lot about learning maths, but I had no choice; otherwise, I would fail, and my mom would then disown me (to state that one no longer has any connection).
Answer 2
Well, I wouldn’t say I struggled with just one subject, but chemistry gave me quite a headache. All those formulas and the periodic table just wouldn’t stick in my memory. I wasn’t good at memorizing generally; therefore, I didn’t do well in that subject back then.
What was your favourite subject at secondary school?
Answer 1
That would have to be literature, hands down (without question). I’ve always had a soft spot for storytelling, and analyzing novels and poems allowed me to interpret things from different perspectives, which I found fascinating. These days, I’m hooked on (to enjoy something so much that you can’t stop doing) reading the lives of famous philosophers and visual artists. I feel like I have entered their own world.
Answer 2
For me, it was PE, or physical education. I loved it, simply because I hated staying only in the four corners of a room for an hour listening to a lecture. In that subject, we normally went outside and played sports as well as performed some aerobic exercises, and I would say that was fantastic (extremely good).
Is there anything you miss about your secondary school?
Answer 1
Oh, absolutely, I miss the carefree lifestyle the most. Back then, my biggest worry was finishing homework, not paying bills or juggling responsibilities. These days, my mind has been preoccupied (to fill or engage someone’s mind completely) with the obligations that a responsible adult carries every day. Well, there’s a saying that goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” and that couldn’t be truer for my school days.
Answer 2
I’d say I miss my friends the most, since we’ve all gone our separate ways (ended up living or working in different places) after graduation. Now, we have different lives; some of them are living abroad, some are living their best life traveling, and some are busy chasing their dreams, climbing the corporate ladder, or running their own business. We used to hang out (spend time relaxing and socializing) every single day, but now we’re lucky if we catch up once a year.
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Meaning of Words and Phrases Sources: Collins, Macmillan, Cambridge, Oxford
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