Describe a piece of technology you rely on.
A strong long turn names the subject in the first sentence, spends most of the two minutes on the last bullet — the why — and arrives at a prepared final line rather than trailing off.
The question, as the examiner gives it
Describe a piece of technology you rely on.
You should say
- what it is
- how long you have had it
- what you use it for
- and explain what you would do without it
60 seconds to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak
A band 7 to 8 answer
About 195 words at a natural pace — roughly what 120 seconds holds.
Answer it yourself first
Record your own answer first. A model you have read three times comes out with a flattened rhythm, and examiners are trained to hear exactly that. Read it afterwards for the vocabulary and the shape, not to memorise the sentences.The piece of technology I genuinely depend on is a pair of noise-cancelling headphones I bought about three years ago, which is not the answer I would have predicted. I use them for perhaps five hours a day. Partly for music, but mostly for the cancelling itself, with nothing playing at all, because I work in an open office and I cannot concentrate with conversation around me. They also come with me on every journey, and a six-hour train becomes a different experience when the engine noise is simply gone. What I would do without them is a question I can answer, because I left them on a plane last year and spent eleven days waiting for a replacement. I was noticeably worse at my job. I took to working in a stairwell, which was not sustainable, and I realised that what I had actually bought was not audio equipment at all. It was the ability to choose what I listen to, and that turns out to be worth a great deal. I have bought a second pair since and keep them at the office, which is either sensible or the beginning of a problem.
The words that earn marks
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- noise-cancelling
a compound adjective naming the technology exactly
- predicted
past participle with an audible ending
- concentrate
three syllables with the stress on the first
- replacement
three syllables with the stress on the second
- noticeably
adverb that makes the claim measurable
- stairwell
a specific building noun, concrete and slightly comic
- sustainable
four syllables with the stress on the second
How a strong answer is built
- 1Name the object and flag that it is unexpected.
- 2Say what you actually use it for, precisely.
- 3Answer the last bullet with real evidence.
- 4Close with what the object really provides.
Sounds to watch
The ones this answer leans on most.
Straight answers
How long should my answer to “Describe a piece of technology you rely on.” be?
You get 60 seconds to make notes and then speak for up to two minutes without interruption. Aim to still be talking at ninety seconds: finishing at forty is the commonest way to lose marks on this part.
Should I memorise the model answer?
No. Record your own version first, then read the model for the shape and the vocabulary. A memorised answer changes rhythm and pace noticeably, and examiners are trained to hear it — it usually costs more than the better wording gains.
Does sayit score this answer?
It scores what a microphone can observe: an estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.
What the band on your result means
An estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.One question a day until your test
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