Do public figures have a responsibility to behave well?
A strong Part 3 answer takes a position in the first clause, supports it with one reason and one concrete case, and then names where it stops being true. Around a minute.
The question, as the examiner gives it
Do public figures have a responsibility to behave well?
no preparation, about 1 minute to speak
A band 7 to 8 answer
About 129 words at a natural pace — roughly what 60 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.I would separate two things here. If somebody has actively sought influence over young people, then yes, I think they have accepted a responsibility along with it, in the same way that a teacher does. If somebody is simply very good at football and has become famous as a side effect, that is less obvious, because they did not ask for the audience. Where I come down is that the responsibility is real but limited. They should not be expected to be exemplary in private. What they should accept is that public behaviour has public consequences, and pretending otherwise is a little dishonest given what they are paid. The alternative argument, which I have some sympathy with, is that we should simply stop treating them as models at all.
The words that earn marks
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- actively
adverb that makes the distinction precise
- sought
irregular past of seek, with an unusual vowel
- audience
three syllables with the stress on the first
- exemplary
four syllables with the stress on the second
- consequences
four syllables with the stress on the first
- dishonest
three syllables, with a silent h
- sympathy
three syllables with the stress on the first
How a strong answer is built
- 1Split the question before answering it.
- 2Take each case in turn.
- 3State your own position clearly.
- 4Give the strongest opposing view to close.
Sounds to watch
The ones this answer leans on most.
Straight answers
How long should my answer to “Do public figures have a responsibility to behave well?” be?
About 60 seconds. Long enough for the answer plus a reason or an example, short enough that the examiner can get through the rest of the set.
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
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