Part 2

Band 6+: Describe a time when you felt under pressure. You should say: when it happened what caused the pressure how you felt at that time and explain how you dealt with the situation?

See all user-submitted answers on this topic

Skyrocket your IELTS band score by 1-2 points in under a month with our premium plan!

Note: Both the topic and the answer were submitted by one of our users.

84% Accuracy The overall pronunciation accuracy of your speech, reflecting how well a native speaker can comprehend it.

Polished transcript:

Male Female

The occasion when I was under pressure happened a few months ago when I decided to take an English exam to see my scores. At first, it wasn't that difficult until I started the writing section, which was the most challenging for me. Even though the topic was an ideal fit because I had learned some vocabulary related to it, I struggled to come up with ideas and what to write. I spent a lot of time thinking about them, and I had very few minutes left to write the actual essay, which was the main source of pressure for me. However, I still tried to stay focused and do my best to write those essays at a high level. Fortunately, I managed to write those essays fully and finish the test. After the test, I felt relieved and relaxed because I was nervous; it was my first time taking a test like that, and I think I did well on it.

Actual audio transcript (What native speakers are likely to hear):

The occasion when I was under pressure happened a few months ago when I decided to take an exam on English to see my scores. At first it wasn’t that difficult and until I started my writing section which was the most difficult for me. Even though the topic was an ideal fit for me because I have learned some vocabularies on that particular topic, I somehow struggled to find out ideas and what to write. So I spent a lot of time thinking about them and I had a very few minutes to write the actual essay and that was the main thing that caused pressure on me. However, I still tried to stay focused and try my best in order to write those essays at a high level. Fortunately, I somehow managed to write those essays fully and finish the test. After the test, I felt relieved and relaxed because I was nervous because it was my first time to take and test like that and I think I did well on it.

Tips: Click on each word to see feedback.

Speaking Time: 65 seconds

Check Your Own Answer On This Topic?

Check My Answer

Generate A Band-9 Sample With Your Idea?

Generate A Sample

Overall Band Score

6.5

(+/- 0.5)

Vocabulary Complexity:
B1 - Intermediate
Using more sophisticated words could be beneficial.

Vocabulary Repetition:

write: 4

test: 3

pressure: 2

first: 2

which: 2

because: 2

those: 2

essays: 2

Try using synonyms for the above words

Pronunciation

Your pronunciation is quite good. Working on consistency and tackling difficult sounds may enhance clarity.

Task Response

The response addresses all parts of the prompt, including the timing, the cause of the pressure, the actions taken, and the subsequent feelings. The candidate provides a clear narrative and uses relevant details to explain the difficulty of the writing section. To reach a higher level of development, the response could benefit from more specific details regarding the 'ideas' that were difficult to generate or a more descriptive account of the physical or mental sensations of being under pressure. Expanding on the 'how' of the coping mechanism - for example, mentioning specific breathing techniques or mental strategies used to stay focused - would further enhance the depth of the answer.

Fluency & Coherence

The speaker maintains a logical flow and addresses all parts of the prompt. However, the coherence is somewhat limited by a repetitive sentence structure (starting many sentences with 'I' or 'So'). To improve, use a wider variety of cohesive devices and discourse markers (e.g., 'Consequently,' 'As a result,' 'Looking back'). There was some slight hesitation in the logic regarding the transition from thinking to writing, but the overall progression is clear.

Lexical Resource

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'the most difficult,' 'a lot of time,' and 'did well' are common and lack the precision required for higher bands. You used 'ideal fit,' which was a good attempt at collocation. To reach a Band 7 or 8, try to use more idiomatic expressions or less common lexical items, such as 'under the gun,' 'time-constrained,' 'brainstorming,' or 'a sense of accomplishment.'

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The speaker uses a mix of simple and complex structures, but there are noticeable errors. For example, 'take an exam on English' should be 'take an English exam,' and 'learned some vocabularies' is incorrect as 'vocabulary' is typically uncountable in this context. There were also issues with tense consistency and preposition usage. To improve, focus on mastering uncountable nouns and practicing more complex structures like conditional sentences (e.g., 'If I hadn't stayed focused, I wouldn't have finished on time').

Answers On The Same Topic:

Describe a time when you felt under pressure. You should say: when it happened what caused the pressure how you felt at that time and explain how you dealt with the situation?

I want to talk about the way I work at the University of Singapore, when I was a student at the University of Singapore. I officially graduated from university so I try to apply for a job as an university teacher in Binhua City. Initially I found this place which is also the place that […]

Band 7+

Describe a time when you felt under pressure. You should say: when it happened what caused the pressure how you felt at that time and explain how you dealt with the situation?

I would like to talk about a time when I felt under pressure. It happened a couple of months ago when I started learning English and some pick up news skills through online courses. At first I started learning through myself and social media but when I tried to speak I get stuck and even […]

Band 7+

Describe a time when you felt under pressure. You should say: when it happened what caused the pressure how you felt at that time and explain how you dealt with the situation?

I would like to talk about a time when I felt under pressure. It happened a couple of months ago. When everything, when everything not getting well, I worked hard, but I didn’t see positive outcomes. I won in my oil preparations and acquired new knowledge so that made me feel tired and discouraged. This […]

Band 6+

Describe a time when you felt under pressure. You should say: when it happened what caused the pressure how you felt at that time and explain how you dealt with the situation?

It happened a couple of months ago when I started learning English and taking online courses because I wanted to move abroad for study. I worked hard but I didn’t see any progress mainly due to financial stress which made me feel exhausted and discouraged. Over time this pressure affected my mood and I often […]

Band 7+

See All

Describe an Area of Science that Interests You You should say > What it is > What you learn from it > When you became interested in it > Explain how this area of science help you

Artificial intelligence has become a popular topic around the world. I believe that three years ago when I graduated in master degree, I started becoming interested in AI applications. Since my classmates recommended me to use it, It was widely used in Robert’s transportation and education. Moreover, I can use artificial intelligence since it provides […]

Band 5+

Describe something that you can't live without (not a computer/phone) You should say: - What it is - What you do with it - How it helps you in your life - And explain why you can't live without it

Throughout my life I have been. I have been using several things that I cannot uh. Live without. However um. One particular things uh. That I would like to talk about my prescription glasses which is very indispensable part of my life and it helps me uh. Improve my um. Vision and reduce eye strain. […]

Band 6+

Describe an important important decision you made?

One of the most important decisions I have ever made or decided to prepare for an exam, I made the decisions about a year ago when I realized that at least I was playing an important role in my future education and career. At first, I was very confident because my English skills were quite […]

Band 7+

Describe an interesting garden or park you have seen

Today I would like to describe about an interesting garden that is newly constructed irmagaard in my city uh called Jubilee Eco Park. It’s very developed and provide a lot of amenities like jogging tracks and to attract tourism it has established a SC statues attractive flowers plants which attract wildlife. In addition um earlier […]

Band 6+

Describe a movie that you have watched recently

I would like to talk about a movie. I watched it recently called Interstellar, which is science fiction movie directed by Christopher Nolan. I watched it a few weeks ago with a couple of my friends. We decided to take one evening to watch it and take next turn of the light and watch it […]

Band 6+

See All

Band 6+: Describe a time when you felt under pressure. You should say: when it happened what caused the pressure how you felt at that time and explain how you dealt with the situation?

Check Your Own Answer On This Topic?

Generate A Band-9 Sample With Your Idea?

Overall Band Score

Pronunciation

Task Response

Fluency & Coherence

Lexical Resource

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Answers On The Same Topic:

Describe a time when you felt under pressure. You should say: when it happened what caused the pressure how you felt at that time and explain how you dealt with the situation?

Describe a time when you felt under pressure. You should say: when it happened what caused the pressure how you felt at that time and explain how you dealt with the situation?

Describe a time when you felt under pressure. You should say: when it happened what caused the pressure how you felt at that time and explain how you dealt with the situation?

Describe a time when you felt under pressure. You should say: when it happened what caused the pressure how you felt at that time and explain how you dealt with the situation?

Other Topics:

Describe an Area of Science that Interests You You should say > What it is > What you learn from it > When you became interested in it > Explain how this area of science help you

Describe something that you can't live without (not a computer/phone) You should say: - What it is - What you do with it - How it helps you in your life - And explain why you can't live without it

Describe an important important decision you made?

Describe an object from your childhood that you still remember vividly. You should say: - What the object was - How you got it - What you did with it And explain why this object is so memorable to you.

Describe an interesting garden or park you have seen

Describe a movie that you have watched recently

Check Your Own Answer On This Topic?

Generate A Band-9 Sample With Your Idea?

Overall Band Score

Pronunciation

Task Response

Fluency & Coherence

Lexical Resource

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Answers On The Same Topic:

Other Topics:

Plans & Pricing

Free

Premium