Is it better to study one subject in depth or several subjects broadly? 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 better to study one subject in depth or several subjects broadly? Explain.
15 seconds to prepare, up to 45 seconds to speak
A model answer at the right length
99 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 would argue for depth, with one qualification. Going deep into a single subject is the only way to reach the point where you can produce something original rather than repeat what you read, and that point is much further in than most students expect. Breadth gives you vocabulary in several fields and genuine command of none. My qualification is about timing. The first two years should be broad, because nobody at eighteen has enough information to choose well, and I changed my own major after a class I took purely because it fit my schedule. After that, depth.
The words that carry it
Each one links to how it is pronounced.
- qualification
five syllables with the stress on the fourth
- original
four syllables with the stress on the second
- breadth
a short noun with a demanding final cluster
- command
the precise noun for full mastery
- major
the American noun for a degree subject
- schedule
the topic noun, with American first-syllable stress
How to build the 45 seconds
- 1Take a side and flag the qualification.
- 2Give the core argument for your side.
- 3Say what the other option fails to deliver.
- 4State the qualification with a personal example.
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 99. 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.