Think about these questions, or answer them aloud.
Part 3 asks you to compare, speculate and justify opinions, and many questions do this through change: How has… changed? Is this a positive development? Do you think it will continue? The later TOEFL interview questions ask for opinions on wider issues, which are often trends too.
A vague answer says Things are very different now. People use technology a lot more. A C1 answer does four things:
You studied causes in Causes, effects and solutions and degrees of certainty in Speculating, hedging and comparing. This lesson is about the language of change itself, and about keeping a then–now–next answer clear and well balanced.
| Movement | Useful verbs and phrases | Spoken example |
|---|---|---|
| Up | rise, grow, soar, take off, catch on, become the norm | Podcasts really took off about ten years ago. |
| Down | decline, fall, dwindle, die out, fall out of fashion | Handwritten letters have more or less died out. |
| Level | level off, stabilise, plateau | Interest seems to have levelled off. |
| Up and down | fluctuate, come and go | Their popularity tends to come and go. |
| Back again | make a comeback, a resurgence of interest in | Board games have made a real comeback. |
| Replacing | give way to, be overtaken by, a shift away from… towards… | Cash is gradually giving way to card payments. |
| Speed and degree | gradually, steadily, rapidly, almost overnight, marginally, beyond recognition | The high street has changed almost beyond recognition. |
The IELTS band 7 descriptor for Lexical Resource mentions “an awareness of style and collocation”. Trend language is full of fixed partners: a sharp rise, a gradual shift, a growing trend, a steady decline, a passing fad. Learn them as pairs, not as single words.
To finish an answer about change, say whether it is good and whether it will last:
You don't need numbers. A precise figure that you can't support (Cash use has fallen by 73 per cent) can sound invented and adds nothing to your score. Precise description of what you have seen is more convincing: at least where I live, from what I've seen, among people my age.
| Word | As a noun | As a verb |
|---|---|---|
| increase | a sharp INcrease | prices inCREASE |
| decrease | a slight DEcrease | numbers deCREASE |
| progress | real PROgress | talks proGRESS |
| record | a new REcord | they reCORD it |
| decline, result | a steady deCLINE, the reSULT | it deCLINES, it reSULTS (no change) |
Match each phrase to its meaning. There are two extra meanings you don't need.
A candidate is answering “How have people's news-reading habits changed?” Complete the answer with words from the box. Use each one once. There are three extra words.
Use the marked versions above. The computer voice may not stress every word exactly as marked, so follow the marks: pause at each | and stress the bold syllables. Pay special attention to the noun–verb pairs in sentences 1 and 6.
Listen to each sentence, then record yourself saying it the same way. Copy the rhythm, stress and intonation.
1.There's been a sharp increase in prices, and they're likely to increase again.
2.Handwritten letters have more or less died out.
3.Vinyl records have made a surprising comeback.
4.It's become the norm to pay for everything with your phone.
5.The cheaper it gets, the faster it catches on.
6.We've made real progress, but we need to progress faster.
7.Whether it's a lasting change or just a passing fad is another question.
No preparation, as in Part 3. Use the shape then → now → driver → next. Describe the change precisely and finish with an evaluation. Aim for 45–60 seconds.
Topic: Technology and entertainment. How has the way people listen to music and watch films changed in your lifetime? Do you think anything has been lost?
No preparation time · 1:00 speaking
No preparation time. In 45 seconds: say why the trend has caught on, give one personal example, then judge it. Keep the driver and the evaluation short and precise.
Interviewer: Many people now use a phone or a smartwatch to track things like their sleep, their steps and their heart rate. Why do you think this has become so popular, and is it a positive trend?
No preparation time · 0:45 speaking
Save words to review them later with flashcards.
“Electric scooters caught on very quickly in my city.”
“Some traditional crafts are dying out.”
“House prices finally levelled off last year.”
“Film cameras are making a comeback among students.”
“Paper tickets have given way to digital ones.”
“Video interviews have become the norm for first-round applicants.”
“Some people thought social media was a passing fad.”
“Online shopping is clearly here to stay.”
“There's been a backlash against fast fashion.”
“There's been a resurgence of interest in cooking from scratch.”
“The old harbour has changed beyond recognition.”
“Remote meetings became normal almost overnight.”
