Is it reasonable to keep a pet in a small apartment? Explain.
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
Is it reasonable to keep a pet in a small apartment? Explain.
15 seconds to prepare, up to 45 seconds to speak
A model answer at the right length
111 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.It depends on the animal and much more on the schedule. A cat in a small apartment is entirely reasonable, since cats use vertical space and sleep most of the day anyway. A large dog is a different question, and the apartment is not really the variable. A dog walked properly twice a day in a small apartment is better off than one in a large house nobody is ever home in. So the honest test is hours rather than square meters. What I would say against myself is that people are very good at deciding their own situation is the exception, and I have watched several friends do exactly that.
The words that carry it
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- vertical
three syllables with the stress on the first
- variable
the noun meaning the deciding factor
- properly
three syllables with the stress on the first
- schedule
the American pronunciation, first-syllable stress
- exception
three syllables with the stress on the second
- reasonable
four syllables with the stress on the first
How to build the 45 seconds
- 1Name the two variables and rank them.
- 2Take the easy case.
- 3Take the harder case and reframe it.
- 4State the real test, then undercut yourself honestly.
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 111. 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.