Talk Fluently about Prizes in IELTS Speaking
Introduction
You may have to talk about Prizes in IELTS Speaking. This maybe tricky if you have never won one!
Relax, here are lots of ideas, with the language and idioms you need to talk fluently about the topic of prizes in the IELTS Speaking test. You will learn how to talk about the good and bad of prizes in school and in the workplace.
Download this IELTS Speaking Lesson PDF
Keith O'Hare
I have taught over 10,000 students from over 20 different countries worldwide on my online courses, many having passed the exam with a band 7, 8 and even some 9s, so hopefully, I know what I am doing! Enjoy this lesson!
What you will learn
Different Kinds of Prizes
These are the most common kind of prizes that you might want to talk about, at school and in the workplace.
At school
- Money
- Certificate
- A high quality pen
- Scholarships
- Books
- Gift voucher
For sport
- Trophies
- Cups
- Badges
- Medals
At work
- Perks at work (gym membership, branded bag, half day holiday)
- Promotion (a reward)
- Money
IELTS Vocabulary: Topic of Prizes
Here is some essential language to talk about the IELTS Speaking topic of Technology
Here is some essential language to talk about the IELTS Speaking topic of Prizes
Prize (n.) (v.)
Award (n.) (v.)
These are won in a contest or competition
Reward (n.) (v.)
This is given for doing something good /well
- To give s.o. a prize / an award / a reward
- To present s.o. a prize / an award / a reward
- To award s.o. a prize
- To get/win a prize
Word Family
- A prize (n.)
- To prize something (v.) = to value it
- A prized gift (adj.) = valued, cherished
Collocations
- I got the prize for best student
- A prestigious prize (well-known, highly valued)
- A consolation prize (prize for last last)
- An academic prize
- A cash prize
- A non-monetary prize
When talking about your position in a competition, you can use the following phrases:
I came in first / second / third place
I came in first / second / third
I came first / second / third
Debates and Discussions about Prizes and Rewards
Are Prizes a Good or a Bad Thing?
It seems to me, they are a good thing because they boost morale (= encourage and motivate)
They can motivate people to do well
They can incentivise people to train and do well
I’m in two minds about that, they can be bad because they make some people jealous
Awards can demotivate people, if they never win.
They are a waste of time at school, because it’s always the same students who win!
They can be a double-edged sword, they can encourage people, but also discourage some people.
IELTS Speaking Tip
A common question in IELTS Speaking Part 3 is
Do you think_____? or
______, what’s your opinion?
For example,
Do you think prizes are a good thing?
Some people say prizes are a bad thing, what‘s your opinion?
Many people are on automatic pilot and just reply ‘I think…”
This is ok, but you can gain some positive points by training to use different forms, such as,
The way I see it…
As far as I am concerned….
As far as I can see…
It seems to me….
I reckon…
Here is an example,
Do you think it’s good to award children prizes for good school work?
The way I see it, yes, it’s a great idea because it can motivate them to study more, for example, at my school there was a small cash prize every month for the best reader, and so lots of children would borrow books from the library and read more.
Should companies give their employees prizes?
Here are some phrases and vocabulary you can use to answer this question,
Yes, because it can improve employee retention (=when staff decide to stay in the company, rather than look for a job elsewhere)
Employee recognition is really important, so giving prizes is a good way to recognise and reward a job well done
Absolutely, prizes can help keep staff motivated
If they get a prize, this can not only motivate them, but also help them achieve their goals at work
Hard work should be valued and giving a prize is a good way of doing that.
Employers should prize hard work
Idioms about Prizes
No prizes for guessing who won the football match = the result is obvious
I hit the jackpot with this job = I got a good result, it’s going well
He won, and he was head and shoulders above the rest = he was much better
I won the first time I tried, it was beginner’s luck = luck you get when you try something for the first time
I won first prize and it was completely out of the blue = unexpected
As luck would have it, I got first prize = I was lucky
I won that competition three years in a row, I had a lucky streak = series of lucky wins
Break a leg = good luck!
He was a dark horse in that competition, then out of the blue he won! = the one you don’t expect to do well (the underdog)
Student's Questions about Prizes
Keith, tell us about a prize you won
I am gonna tell you about a prize I won a couple of months ago.
I was reading the newspaper and, you know, I like to do the crosswords (= a kind of puzzle), it’s one of my favourite pastimes, and there was a competition.
It was a special competition for people who could finish the crossword and they go into a lucky draw and they would win a special book all about intelligence and IQ and EQ, emotional intelligence.
So, I decided to try my luck (= to have try). By and large, I don’t consider myself a very lucky person. I don’t have a great track record of winning prizes, other than one prize when I was at school.
I thought I would have a go, it’s worth a try, and so I finished the crossword, because I am quite good at crosswords, and I put in my entry and, would you believe it, low and behold (=surprise, surprise), as luck would have it (= luckily for me), I won first prize.
It was totally out of the blue (= suddenly), because I thought thousands of people must have entered, but to my great surprise, I won first prize.
They notified me and they sent me the book by post and it’s something I have prized and cherished ever since. Not only ‘cuz it’s quite unique for me to win a prize but also, because the book was really useful and I a really good read. And, that is a prize I won recently.
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