Part 1 · Band 4

Do you work or are you a student?

Source-reported band score · 25 words

Sample answer

For now, I'm still a very school student. But sometimes during my own vacation, I work a part-time job. So I do work and study.

Answer analysis

Fluency & Coherence

The answer follows a clear sequence: “I'm still a very school student,” then a contrast about working during vacation, and a brief summary, “So I do work and study.” This gives a direct response, though the final sentence mostly repeats earlier information rather than developing it. For practice, speak for 20 seconds using these three stages, then add one true detail about when or how often you work. Text alone cannot show spoken fluency.

Lexical Resource

“Part-time job,” “vacation,” and “work and study” make the key facts easy to understand, and the vocabulary suits a familiar Part 1 question. However, the wording relies on basic terms, and “work a part-time job” is less idiomatic than “work part-time”; “own” adds little in “my own vacation.” Practise natural collocations for study and employment, and use a precise time phrase without adding unsupported details.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

The response uses short sentences and a contrast introduced by “But,” so the basic relationship between studying and vacation work is clear. However, “I'm still a very school student” has an unnatural modifier: “very” does not fit before “school student” here. The last sentence is also a simple coordination. Practise describing your student status with a complete, natural noun phrase, then link it to your work situation in one sentence.

Pronunciation

The written answer cannot show how these words are pronounced, so this is a practice guide, not an assessment of a recording. In “part-time job,” stress PART and JOB; in “vacation,” stress the second syllable; and in “work and study,” give the main stress to WORK and STUDY. Record the answer in two thought groups, replay it, and check whether those stressed words are easy to identify.

A transcript shows language and organisation. Fluency, delivery and pronunciation require an audio recording; the synthetic voice demonstrates the text, not the original speaker.

Replace “a very school student” with “a student at school” and practise saying the complete phrase smoothly.
Use “work part-time” or “have a part-time job” rather than combining the two patterns.
Practise a 20-second response in three steps: answer whether you study or work, mention vacation work, and finish with one true detail about when or how often.

Plan your answer

Try your own response before reading the samples.

Ideas to explore

Briefly explain when you finished school to establish your timeline.
Describe your current plan to explore career options.
Give a reason for taking on projects and jobs, such as gaining experience before making a decision.

Suggested structure

Answer directly by stating whether you currently work or study.
Give the relevant background and time reference.
Explain what you are doing at present.
End with the purpose of those activities or your next decision.

Useful vocabulary & examples

explore career options: consider different possible types of work before choosing a direction
I'm taking a year to explore different career options.
short-term project: a piece of work intended to last for a limited period
I've been working on some short-term projects.
gain experience: develop practical knowledge or skills by doing work
I'm taking part-time jobs to gain experience.
decide what to do next: choose the next action or direction
I'm gaining experience before deciding what to do next.

Practise your answer →

Learning Tools

Do you work or are you a student?

Sample answer

Answer analysis

Fluency & Coherence

Lexical Resource

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Pronunciation

Plan your answer

Ideas to explore

Suggested structure

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