Should single-use plastic bags be banned everywhere? 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
Should single-use plastic bags be banned everywhere? Explain.
15 seconds to prepare, up to 45 seconds to speak
A model answer at the right length
106 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 support a charge more than a ban, and the evidence is fairly clear that a small fee changes behavior almost as much as prohibition while avoiding the perverse outcomes. When bags are banned outright, people buy heavier reusable bags they use twice, and several studies suggest the total material can go up. What I would also say is that plastic bags are a small fraction of plastic waste and get attention because they are visible. Packaging and fishing equipment are much larger and much less discussed. So I would take the charge, and I would be careful not to treat it as having solved anything.
The words that carry it
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- prohibition
four syllables with the stress on the third
- perverse
two syllables with the stress on the second
- outright
the exact adverb for a complete ban
- reusable
four syllables with the stress on the second
- fraction
the precise noun for a small proportion
- equipment
three syllables with the stress on the second
How to build the 45 seconds
- 1Propose an alternative to the question's policy.
- 2Support it with evidence about behavior.
- 3Put the issue in proportion.
- 4State your position and its limits.
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 106. 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.