Describe a time technology let you down.
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 time technology let you down.
You should say
- what happened
- when it happened
- what the consequences were
- and explain what you did about it
60 seconds to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak
A band 7 to 8 answer
About 192 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.About four years ago the laptop I did all of my work on failed completely, two days before a deadline, in the least dramatic way possible. It simply did not turn on. There was no warning, no strange noise, nothing that would have prompted me to do the obvious thing, which is the backup I had been intending to set up for approximately two years. The consequences were about nine days of work lost and a very uncomfortable conversation. What I did immediately was find somebody who could recover the drive, which cost a substantial amount and took four days, and in the meantime I rebuilt what I could from emails and a printout I happened to have. It was not as good. What I did afterwards matters more. Everything now backs up automatically to two places, and I have never touched it since, which is the entire point. A backup that needs me to remember it is not a backup, it is a plan. The drive was recovered in the end, and I have never opened the folder they sent me, which I think says something about how quickly you rebuild.
The words that earn marks
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- deadline
compound noun at the centre of the story
- prompted
the exact verb for triggering an action
- backup
compound noun, the subject of the lesson
- recover
three syllables with the stress on the second
- substantial
three syllables with the stress on the second
- printout
compound noun, concrete and specific
- automatically
six syllables with the stress on the fourth
How a strong answer is built
- 1State the failure plainly and its timing.
- 2Explain why there was no warning.
- 3Give the consequences in real terms.
- 4Say what you did then and what you changed permanently.
Sounds to watch
The ones this answer leans on most.
Straight answers
How long should my answer to “Describe a time technology let you down.” 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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