Do you prefer reading electronic books or printed books? Explain why.
A strong Task 1 answer states the choice immediately, gives two supports or one support with an example, and lands its last word around forty seconds. Fifteen seconds of preparation is enough for the plan, not for the wording.
The prompt and the clock
Do you prefer reading electronic books or printed books? Explain why.
15 seconds to prepare, up to 45 seconds to speak
A model answer at the right length
100 words — what 45 seconds actually holds.
Answer it yourself first
Record yours first. A memorised TOEFL answer is audible in the rhythm, and raters mark delivery, which is exactly what memorisation damages. Read this afterwards for the shape and the vocabulary.Printed books, for anything I need to remember. I seem to encode where something was on the page, top left, two thirds through, and that entire channel disappears on a screen where every page looks the same. For travel I use an e-reader without any complaint, because carrying six books is absurd and the search function is genuinely useful when I am looking for a quotation. So the honest answer is that the format depends on the purpose. Reading for pleasure on a trip, electronic. Reading something I will be examined on, or want to argue with, paper every time.
The words that carry it
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
How to build the 45 seconds
- 1Choose with a condition attached.
- 2Explain the mechanism behind the preference.
- 3Give the case where the other format wins.
- 4Close by making the rule explicit.
Sounds to watch
Straight answers
How long should this answer be?
Forty-five seconds, which is roughly 110 to 130 words at a natural pace. The model below is 100. If your version runs past fifty seconds the recording cuts off, and raters hear an answer that stops mid-sentence.
Does it matter which side I take?
No. Raters mark delivery, language use and topic development, never which opinion you chose. Pick one in the first second and spend the preparation time on two supports rather than on deciding.
What does sayit score here?
An estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar. The transcript is shown in full, so you can judge your own wording and development yourself.
What the score on your result means
An estimate from fluency and pronunciation only — not an official band, and not a mark for vocabulary or grammar.Drill it until the clock stops mattering
A free account keeps every take, so you can watch your pace settle and your filler count fall across a fortnight.