Another major speech function you will need for IELTS is comparing and contrasting. Phrases   X is better than Y (using comparatives) X is the best (using superlatives) X is as good as Y (using as + adj + as) Contrasting X is not as good as Y (using not + as + adj + as) The difference between X and Y is that… One one hand, … On the other hand, …. Examples: Homework is better than parties. English writing homework is the best! Parties are not as exciting as homework. The difference between parties and homework is that homework is much more interesting. This is because you can really learn a lot from doing homework …

You will need to compare and contrast your two topics, and give reasons why. You have a couple of minutes first to think before we start speaking. Look at your partner’s topics and ask them “What’s the difference between … and … ?” Comparing Phrases   X is better than Y (using comparatives) X is the best (using superlatives) X is as good as Y (using as + adj + as) Contrasting X is not as good as Y (using not + as + adj + as) The difference between X and Y is that… One one hand, … On the other hand, …. Supporting opinion(s) with reasons There are several reasons why I feel this way. The main one is that … Another reason that supports my opinion is that Thirdly,