Prompt
What kind of music do you usually listen to?
Band 9 sample transcript
Band 9 sample transcript
Sentence-by-sentence analysis
Speaking examiner breakdown
The Band 9 label is inherited from the approved transcript. Pronunciation coaching is separate and is not a score claim from text alone.
Most of the time, I listen to fairly mellow music, especially indie pop, lo-fi beats, and acoustic singer-songwriter tracks. I tend to have music on in the background while I’m studying, cooking, or commuting, so I prefer something calm and steady that doesn’t steal my attention. If there are heavy lyrics or a really aggressive beat, I find myself focusing on the song instead of what I’m doing.
That said, my choice changes depending on my mood. When I’m at the gym or I’m feeling a bit sluggish, I’ll switch to upbeat dance music or some hip-hop, because the stronger rhythm gives me a push and makes the workout feel shorter. And on quiet evenings, I sometimes put on classical music—usually piano or strings—because it helps me unwind and the music feels more “clean” and organised.
So overall my taste is quite mixed, but I usually go for music that helps me concentrate and relax, rather than anything too heavy or noisy.
Examiner summary
The speaker gives a usual preference for mellow music, then varies the choice by concentration, exercise and quiet-evening needs. The answer is cohesive because every genre is linked to a function or mood.
Pronunciation coaching
- Stress genre names and mood words rather than every item in the lists.
- Use a small pause after “That said” to make the shift from usual preference to mood-based choices clear.
Natural phrases to reuse
Most of the time, ...
introducing your usual habit
Most of the time, I listen to lo-fi beats.
That said, ...
adding a contrast or exception
That said, I’ll play hip-hop when I’m working out.
So overall, ...
summarising your answer naturally
So overall, I prefer calmer music.
Pronunciation and fluency notes
- Use clear chunking: usual preference → contrast (gym) → contrast (quiet evenings) → short summary.
- Lightly stress linking phrases (“Most of the time”, “That said”, “So overall”) to guide the listener.
- Pronounce genre terms clearly: IN-die pop, LO-fi, a-COUS-tic, CLASS-i-cal, HIH-pop (hip-hop).
- Keep pace natural; pause briefly after examples to avoid sounding like a list.
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