Do you rely on online reviews before buying something? Why, or why not?
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 rely on online reviews before buying something? Why, or why not?
15 seconds to prepare, up to 45 seconds to speak
A model answer at the right length
109 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.I read them and I do not rely on them, which is a distinction I have arrived at expensively. The problem is that the rating is close to useless now. Almost everything sits between four point one and four point five, because the extremes are written by people who were either paid or furious. What I actually do is read the three-star reviews, which are usually the only ones written by somebody with a balanced view, and I look for complaints that repeat. If four people mention the same fault, that fault is real. A single detailed negative review is worth more to me than nine hundred anonymous stars.
The words that carry it
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- distinction
three syllables with the stress on the second
- expensively
an adverb doing the work of a whole clause
- rating
the exact noun for a review score
- extremes
two syllables with the stress on the second
- furious
three syllables with the stress on the first
- anonymous
four syllables with the stress on the second
How to build the 45 seconds
- 1Give a two-part answer in the first sentence.
- 2Explain why the obvious signal fails.
- 3Describe the method you actually use.
- 4Close with a rule that summarizes it.
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 109. 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.