Talking about using your mobile phone in the IELTS speaking test - IELTS with Vic - Episode 18

In the IELTS speaking test, how would you answer the question, how much time do you spend using your phone each day?

Today we will cover multiple ways you can build your answer in the speaking test and achieve a higher score.

Hi, my name's Vic and this is episode 18 of the IELTS with Vic podcast. Remember,

if you want a free copy of the podcast transcript, then head over to my IELTS blog to request it.

Also, if you were one of the people who voted for today's topic, many thanks for your input.

So, let's get stuck in. How much time do you spend using your phone each day?

Personally, I wish my answer were lower.

When I initially started to plan this episode, I guessed that I probably spend about 2 hours a day using my phone. So,

my basic answer would be I tend to spend around 2 hours per day using my phone.

An alternative way to say that is I generally spend about 2 hours a day using my phone.

I remembered that there is a feature in my phone settings that allows me to review exactly how much time I've spent using my phone. So, I had a look and

although it generally sits at approximately 2 hours per day, some days it's closer to 4 hours, I am quite sure that these are the days

when I get carried away with using Dolingo. So, this is definitely

Dolingo. So, this is definitely something that I could mention in the test.

Just to clarify, if we get carried away with something, it means to become so excited about something that you do not

control what you say or do. This is a nice idiom for talking about using technology in a way when we know we probably should take a break, but carry

on using it for longer than we intend.

So, if I expand my initial answer by including the idiom, it would sound something like this.

I tend to spend around 2 hours per day using my phone, unless I get carried away studying on the Dolingo app, in which case I might use my phone for up

to 4 hours.

So, how about you? If you had to guess, how many hours per day do you think you use your phone?

It might be interesting after you finish listening to this episode to go into your phone settings and see what the actual numbers look like.

Having a clearer idea about how much time you spend on your phone will make it easy for you to talk about this topic in the test.

It's worth mentioning at this point that I am personally focusing here on my mobile phone as I no longer have a landline telephone.

If you have a landline that you still use, that is something you could include in your answer too. I think

earlier I mentioned that sometimes my phone usage is higher because of using Dolingo.

I know this sometimes happens because I can see it in my stats on Dolingo and also the phone settings show clearly that this is one of my favorite apps.

How about you? Which apps do you spend most of your time using? And are there any apps that you sometimes get carried away with?

Being able to talk about your favorite apps in the exam is really useful. You

can definitely talk about apps to expand on today's question, but this topic is also relevant to many questions about mobile phones, such as the question, do

you have any favorite apps?

Interestingly, I very rarely make actual calls on my phone these days. I also

very seldom send or receive SMS. Almost all of my phone use is using applications such as web browsers,

WhatsApp Dolingo Instagram and various other social platforms. How about you? Do you make a lot of

calls or do you mainly use your phone for using applications?

Talking about this is another option for expanding your answer in the speaking test.

I just want to return to something I said towards the start of the episode. I

said, "Personally, I wish my answer were lower."

lower." This shows my attitude towards phone use.

Although I love the things I can do with my phone, I am also aware that excessive screen time isn't healthy. That's why I

said I wished my answer were lower.

Giving your opinion and showing your attitude towards time spent using your phone is absolutely one way that you could build your answer in the test.

For example, you might be happy with the amount of time you spend using your phone, or perhaps you're fighting to control a small phone addiction.

We'll each have a different relationship with our devices. And this therefore gives each of us something different we could say in the test.

Here are a few ideas that might be relevant for you.

I feel like I use my phone a sensible amount.

I'm happy with my current phone use and feel like it is under control.

I sometimes wish I could use my phone less.

I worry sometimes that I use my phone too much.

I definitely use my phone too much and I'm trying to cut down.

I have started having a tech-free day on Sundays to help reduce my phone use.

If you are someone who uses their phone constantly throughout the day, you might find one of the following phrases useful.

I've always got my phone in my hand.

I never put my phone down.

I make constant use of my phone throughout the day.

I'm always on my phone doing something.

Those are just a few suggestions. Have a

think about your own phone use and adjust one of those to suit your situation best.

If I'm honest, I spend quite a lot of time using my tablet rather than my phone. I basically do the same kind of

phone. I basically do the same kind of activities such as using social media and reading, but I just prefer to use

the tablet at certain times of day.

So, if I added up total phone and tablet time, I'm guessing the daily figure would be closer to 4 hours per day. How

about you? Do you have another device that you use for browsing or app use?

Maybe that's something you could talk about in the test if it feels relevant.

One thing we haven't mentioned yet is whether we are using the phone for personal or work reasons.

I use my phone mainly for personal matters, but I do some small amounts of work rellated communication using it too.

How about you? Do you use your phone for work?

Or perhaps you have a separate phone for work matters?

If you have got two phones, that gives you some extra scope for things to talk about in the test.

For example, if you work in a role that involves answering the phone all day, your answer will be quite different to mine. You might say that you use the

mine. You might say that you use the phone for 10 hours per day.

In this case, it's definitely worth explaining how much of that time is dedicated to work calls and how much is personal use.

For example, I spend a total of about 12 hours per day using the phone, but that includes both my personal mobile and my work

office phone.

The work phone is a landline, and I spend about 9 hours per day answering that.

Then in the evenings, I spend about 3 hours using my mobile phone to watch online videos and chat to my friends.

Alternatively, if you have two mobiles, you might say something like this.

I've actually got two mobile phones, one for work and a personal one. In total, I typically spend about 6 hours per

workday on the workphone, but I never use it on my days off. As for my own mobile, I probably use it about 3 hours

a day.

As always, feel free to create your own personalized answer by combining relevant words and phrases from across the different examples.

To summarize, then you could build your answer by saying how many hours you spend using your phone, what type of functions you use, and which apps you

use the most.

If you use a landline or a business phone, you could mention that.

You might also mention tablet use if that is significant for you and whether you are happy with your amount of phone use.

Now that we're coming to the end of this episode, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to create your own expanded answer to the question, "How much time

do you spend using your phone each day?"

Go ahead and share your example sentences in the comments.

Having looked at the latest poll on YouTube, it seems like the question with the most votes right now is, "Who is your favorite celebrity?"

So, that's the question we'll be covering next episode.

Thanks for joining me today. And don't

forget, if you want a free copy of the podcast transcript, then head over to my IELTS blog and fill in the form. See you

next episode for lots of useful phrases for talking about your favorite celebrity.

Thanks for listening and have a great day.