IELTS Speaking Part 2: A well-known person Band (6.5)

Examiner Comments on Candidate Band 6.5 This candidate is able to speak at length without loss of coherence. Although some hesitations and reformulations occur, there is not much repetition across his long turn. He sequences the information appropriately and links ideas using a range of discourse markers. He also uses a range of vocabulary, including less common items (legend; background; inspired; creativity; style), with some flexibility and awareness of collocation (a pop icon; fight for their rights). Although there are inappropriate word choices, these do not impede comprehension and the range lifts the rating to a higher band. He also uses a range of complex structures and embedded clauses, with some flexibility. Although his tenses are not always accurate in this part, error-free structures are still frequent. He has a strong accent and regularly produces 'f' for 'th'. In this part of the test, however, he only mispronounces individual words (leegend; founds for funds), and although his stress patterns are sometimes distorted by intrusive fillers (ehm), his speech is generally clear.