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 indie pop and mellow electronic music because it’s easy to have on in the background. I usually put it on when I’m commuting or cooking, since it keeps me in a good mood without distracting me too much.
If I need to concentrate, I switch to instrumental stuff—lo-fi beats or film soundtracks—because lyrics can pull my attention away when I’m reading or writing. On the other hand, when I’m at the gym, I’ll choose upbeat dance or hip-hop to keep my energy up.
I also like finding new songs through curated playlists, so I don’t end up playing the same album on repeat. That said, every now and then I go back to classic rock, because it feels timeless and it reminds me of family road trips.
Examiner summary
The response links music choice to context: background listening, concentration, exercise and nostalgia. Precise genre labels and listening habits make a simple Part 1 topic sound individual and natural.
Pronunciation coaching
- Keep “instrumental stuff”, “film soundtracks” and “curated playlists” as natural lexical chunks.
- Give “On the other hand” and “That said” clear but light discourse stress to signal contrast without sounding scripted.
Natural phrases to reuse
Most of the time,
to introduce a usual habit
Most of the time, I listen to something relaxed.
On the other hand,
to contrast two situations or preferences
On the other hand, I prefer something heavier when I exercise.
That said,
to add an exception or soft contrast
That said, I do enjoy classical music occasionally.
Pronunciation and fluency notes
- Stress genre words clearly: IN-die pop, e-lec-TRON-ic, in-stru-MEN-tal.
- Use contrast intonation for signposting: “On the other hand…” and “That said…”.
- Keep natural pace by speaking in chunks (collocations) rather than word-by-word.
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