SPEAKING: Band Descriptors (public version)
Band

Fluency and coherence9• speaks fluently with only rare repetition or self-correction;• any hesitation is content-related rather than to find words
or grammar• speaks coherently with fully appropriate cohesive features• develops topics fully and appropriately• speaks fluently with only occasional repetition or selfcorrection; hesitation is usually content-related and only
rarely to search for language• develops topics coherently and appropriately

876

Lexical resource• uses vocabulary with full flexibility and precision in alltopics• uses idiomatic language naturally and accurately• uses a wide range of structures flexibly• uses a wide vocabulary resource readily and flexibly toconvey precise meaning• produces a majority of error-free sentences with only very
occasional inappropriacies or basic/non-systematic errors• uses less common and idiomatic vocabulary skilfully, withoccasional inaccuracies• uses paraphrase effectively as required• speaks at length without noticeable effort or loss of• uses vocabulary resource flexibly to discuss a variety of• uses a range of complex structures with some flexibility
coherence
topics• frequently produces error-free sentences, though some• may demonstrate language-related hesitation at times, or • uses some less common and idiomatic vocabulary andgrammatical mistakes persist
some repetition and/or self-correction
shows some awareness of style and collocation, with someinappropriate choices• uses a range of connectives and discourse markers withsome flexibility• uses paraphrase effectively• is willing to speak at length, though may lose coherence at • has a wide enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length • uses a mix of simple and complex structures, but withand make meaning clear in spite of inappropriacies
times due to occasional repetition, self-correction orlimited flexibility
hesitation• generally paraphrases successfully• may make frequent mistakes with complex structures• uses a range of connectives and discourse markers but notthough these rarely cause comprehension problems
always appropriately• manages to talk about familiar and unfamiliar topics but
uses vocabulary with limited flexibility• attempts to use paraphrase but with mixed success5• usually maintains flow of speech but uses repetition, selfcorrection and/or slow speech to keep going• may over-use certain connectives and discourse markers• produces simple speech fluently, but more complex
communication causes fluency problems

4• cannot respond without noticeable pauses and may speak • is able to talk about familiar topics but can only convey
slowly, with frequent repetition and self-correction
basic meaning on unfamiliar topics and makes frequenterrors in word choice• links basic sentences but with repetitious use of simple
connectives and some breakdowns in coherence• rarely attempts paraphrase3• speaks with long pauses• has limited ability to link simple sentences• gives only simple responses and is frequently unable toconvey basic message• pauses lengthily before most words• little communication possible

2

10

Grammatical range and accuracy

Pronunciation• uses a full range of structures naturally and appropriately • uses a full range of pronunciation features with precisionand subtlety• produces consistently accurate structures apart from ‘slips’
characteristic of native speaker speech• sustains flexible use of features throughout• is effortless to understand• uses a wide range of pronunciation features• sustains flexible use of features, with only occasional
lapses• is easy to understand throughout; L1 accent has minimal
effect on intelligibility• shows all the positive features of Band 6 and some, but notall, of the positive features of Band 8• uses a range of pronunciation features with mixed control• shows some effective use of features but this is notsustained• can generally be understood throughout, thoughmispronunciation of individual words or sounds reduces
clarity at times• produces basic sentence forms with reasonable accuracy • produces basic sentence forms with reasonable accuracy• uses a limited range of more complex structures, but these • uses a limited range of more complex structures, but theseusually contain errors and may cause some comprehension usually contain errors and may cause some comprehension
problems
problems• shows all the positive features of Band 4 and some, but not • shows all the positive features of Band 4 and some, but notall, of the positive features of Band 6
all, of the positive features of Band 6• produces basic sentence forms and some correct simple
sentences but subordinate structures are rare
• errors are frequent and may lead to misunderstanding• uses a limited range of pronunciation features• attempts to control features but lapses are frequent• mispronunciations are frequent and cause some difficulty
for the listener• uses simple vocabulary to convey personal information• has insufficient vocabulary for less familiar topics• attempts basic sentence forms but with limited success, or • shows some of the features of Band 2 and some, but notrelies on apparently memorised utterances
all, of the positive features of Band 4• makes numerous errors except in memorised expressions• only produces isolated words or memorised utterances• cannot produce basic sentence forms• Speech is often unintelligble• no communication possible• no rateable language• does not attend

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment.

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