🎙️ IELTS Speaking Part 1: Band 5 vs Band 8 Answers — What’s the Difference?
- Tom Lockhart
- Apr 16
- 3 min read
This is the second post in our IELTS Speaking Part 1 series. In the first post, we looked at the types of questions you’ll be asked in Part 1. Now, it’s time to explore how to answer them well, and what separates a Band 5 answer from a Band 8.
Even though Part 1 feels like a warm-up, the examiner is already listening carefully to your fluency, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation — so it pays to start strong.
Let’s compare some answers side by side. For each question, you’ll see two versions:
A Band 5-style answer: short, limited vocabulary, grammar mistakes.
A Band 8-style answer: fluent, natural, well-developed ideas.
🔹 Topic: Free Time
Q: What do you usually do in your free time?
🎧 Band 5:"I watch TV. Sometimes I go out with my friends. I like music too."
🎙️ Band 8:"In my free time, I usually unwind by watching a good series on Netflix or listening to music — especially indie or acoustic playlists. I also like catching up with friends over coffee at the weekend. It’s a nice way to disconnect from work."
✅ Why Band 8 is better:
More developed ideas
Natural linking ("also", "especially", "a nice way to…")
Specific examples and variety of vocabulary ("unwind", "catching up", "disconnect from work")
🔹 Topic: Hometown
Q: What do you like about living there?
🎧 Band 5:"It’s nice. I have family there. The people are good."
🎙️ Band 8:"I really like the sense of community in my hometown. Everyone knows each other, and there’s a relaxed atmosphere. It’s also quite green — there are parks and lots of places to walk, which I enjoy."
✅ Why Band 8 is better:
Full sentences with clear structure
Descriptive language ("sense of community", "relaxed atmosphere")
Good use of linking words ("also", "which I enjoy")
🔹 Topic: Work or Studies
Q: Do you enjoy your work/studies?
🎧 Band 5:"Yes. It’s good. I learn many things."
🎙️ Band 8:"Yes, I do enjoy my studies — especially the practical parts, like group projects and presentations. I’m studying marketing, so it’s interesting to see how brands work in real life. Sometimes it’s challenging, but overall I find it rewarding."
✅ Why Band 8 is better:
Specific, relevant content
Natural tone
Range of tenses and expressions ("especially", "it’s interesting to see how…", "overall I find it…")
🔹 Topic: Food
Q: What kind of food do you like?
🎧 Band 5:"I like pizza and pasta. And also burgers. I eat them a lot."
🎙️ Band 8:"I’m a big fan of Italian food — things like fresh pasta and risotto. I also enjoy trying new cuisines when I travel. Lately, I’ve been getting into Thai food. The flavours are amazing."
✅ Why Band 8 is better:
Clear preference with examples
Variety of structures ("I’m a big fan of...", "Lately I’ve been getting into...")
Topic-relevant vocabulary ("cuisines", "flavours")
Final Thoughts: How to Sound Like Band 8
If you want to boost your IELTS Speaking score, focus on:
Extending your answers with details and examples
Varying your vocabulary (use collocations and natural phrases)
Staying relaxed and conversational — speak like you’re talking to a friend
Checking your grammar — especially tense and sentence structure
Practice makes progress. So, take some of the questions from Part 1 of this series, record yourself answering them, and then compare your responses to the Band 8 examples above.
📹 Want to see a Band 5 and Band 8 answer in action? Watch Tom’s video of this post below.
