Think about these questions, or answer them aloud.
Compare these two answers to How important are online reviews?
The second answer tells the listener how much, how often and where the limits are. That is what precision means in speaking: not rare words, but exact ones.
In the public IELTS band descriptors, a vocabulary resource used “to discuss all topics and convey precise meaning” is part of the band 8 description of Lexical Resource. At band 7, the descriptor refers to a resource “flexibly used to discuss a variety of topics” and to “some ability to use less common and idiomatic items”. So precision is one of the features that separates band 8 from band 7, and it is worth practising once you can already speak at length with flexibility.
You already know how to show degrees of certainty about the future (bound to, chances are). This lesson adds four more tools:
| Scale | Degree (how much?) | Frequency (how often?) |
|---|---|---|
| All | entirely, completely, wholly | invariably, without fail |
| Almost all | virtually, practically, all but (all but impossible = almost impossible) | nearly always, almost invariably |
| Most | largely, mainly, for the most part | more often than not, as a rule, generally |
| Some | partly, to a degree, in part | now and then, from time to time, on occasion |
| Very little | barely, scarcely, hardly | seldom, rarely, hardly ever |
| None | not at all, by no means, in no way | never, not once |
| Word | What it tells the listener | Example |
|---|---|---|
| apparently | I heard or read this; I can't confirm it | Apparently, the café on the corner is closing. |
| supposedly | People say this, but I have doubts | It's supposedly the best phone on the market, but mine broke in a month. |
| presumably | I'm assuming this, based on logic | They've put their prices up, presumably because their costs have risen. |
| reportedly | The news or official sources say this | The company is reportedly planning to cut jobs. |
| evidently / clearly | The evidence I can see shows this | The campaign evidently worked: the queues were out of the door. |
Complete the Part 3 answer with words from the box. There is one extra word.
Match each expression to its function. There is one extra function.
No preparation, as in Part 3. Use at least two precise degree or frequency expressions, one qualification and one source word. Aim for 45–60 seconds.
Topic: Consumer habits. How often do people really read the small print, such as terms and conditions, before they agree to something? Why?
No preparation time · 1:00 speaking
No preparation, as in the TOEFL interview. Don't open with “It depends”: say precisely what it depends on in your first sentence. Stop at 45 seconds.
Interviewer: How much do you rely on recommendations from friends when you choose things like films, restaurants or books? Has that changed in recent years?
No preparation time · 0:45 speaking
Save words to review them later with flashcards.
“The last train had all but left when we reached the platform.”
“I barely slept before the exam.”
“The town centre is virtually empty on Sundays.”
“We seldom eat out during the week.”
“More often than not, the train is a few minutes late.”
“Apparently, the concert has sold out.”
“The diet supposedly helps you lose weight in a week.”
“The office is dark, so presumably everyone has gone home.”
“It's not so much a job as a way of life.”
“The plan works well, at least as far as cost is concerned.”
“I'm not entirely convinced the new system is an improvement.”
“Second-hand books cost a fraction of the price of new ones.”
