Checklist, do and avoid
Do
- Use band safe sets for Writing Task 2.
on balance, to a large extent, it is reasonable to argue, the evidence suggests, a key driver, play a role, raise concerns, mitigate risk, reach a conclusion. - Use conversation safe sets for Speaking.
to be honest, to some extent, as far as I know, what I mean is, the thing is, off the top of my head, in my case, at the end of the day, in the long run. - Limit per answer.
Writing: 2 to 3 natural phrases per essay, never more than 1 per sentence.
Speaking: 1 to 2 per answer, 3 in a 120 second Part 2. - Prefer collocations over flashy idioms.
make progress, draw a conclusion, pose a risk, bear in mind, set a target, raise standards. - Practice with a 7 minute loop.
Read the phrase, say it in a model sentence, record once, reuse it in one answer the same day. - Mark register, the level of formality.
Use on the whole in essays, use to be fair in speaking, avoid chatty lines in academic writing.
Avoid
- Culture heavy idioms.
hit the sack, break a leg, spill the beans. They sound informal or confusing in essays. - Forced stacking.
On balance, at the end of the day, in a nutshell, all in one sentence. Keep one signal at a time. - Literal misuse.
reach to a conclusion is wrong, say reach a conclusion. - Over casual phrasal verbs in Task 2.
ditch, mess up, screw up. Prefer neutral verbs, abandon, damage, harm. - Clichés.
every coin has two sides, since the dawn of time. Replace with precise claims.
Safe phrase bank by function
Stance and balance
I hold the view that, on balance, to a large extent, it is reasonable to argue that.
Adding and contrasting
in addition, by comparison, in contrast, while, whereas.
Cause and effect
leads to, results in, gives rise to, is driven by, stems from.
Evaluation
there is strong evidence that, a feasible approach, a limited impact, a significant constraint.
Recommendation and condition
should priorities, could pilot, is preferable if, works best when, provided that.
Speaking-friendly fillers that help clarity
to be honest, to some extent, the thing is, what I mean is, as far as I know.
Examples
Example 1, Writing upgrade
Weak: Technology is good but also bad.
Better: On balance, adopting new tools leads to higher productivity, provided that firms set a target for training hours.
Example 2, Speaking Part 3
Prompt: Do you think public transport should be free
Strong: To some extent, free fares work best when cities set a time limit for peak hours, because the main goal is to reduce short car trips.
Mini case, Chattogram candidate
Hasib overused colorful idioms in Task 2, for example hit the nail on the head and silver bullet. His teacher flagged register mismatch. He built a 30 item bank of safe phrases, split by function. For two weeks he applied the limits above, 2 to 3 phrases per essay and 1 to 2 per answer. His new conclusion read, On balance, the policy is preferable if buses run every ten minutes. In mock marking his tone became consistent and coherence improved.
Measurable tips
- Quota: Writing, 2 to 3 natural phrases per essay. Speaking, 1 to 2 per answer.
- Range target: Use at least one stance phrase and one evaluation phrase in Task 2.
- Edit pass, 5 minutes: underline all idioms, delete any slang, replace with a collocation if needed.
- Recording goal: one 60 second Part 2 using three safe phrases, twice a week.
Mistakes to avoid
- Switching tone mid paragraph. Keep formal in writing from start to end.
- Over hedging. Two hedges in one sentence, for example to some extent and in many cases together, weakens force.
- Repeating one marker. If you use on balance once, switch to on the whole or overall in the conclusion only if needed.
- Using quotes as idioms. Famous sayings add little and can look memorized.
Edge cases
- Task 1 Academic: Idioms are rare. Use neutral phrases, overall, increased, remained stable, peaked.
- Letters (General Training): Match tone to purpose. Semi formal, I would like to request. Informal to a friend, I’m happy to say.
- Speaking Part 1: Keep phrases short. The thing is and to be honest are fine if not overused.
Mini glossary
- Idiom: fixed expression with a non literal meaning, in the long run.
- Collocation: natural word pair, draw a conclusion.
- Discourse marker: a short signpost that links ideas, on balance.
- Register: level of formality suited to the situation.
- Hedge: softener that keeps claims accurate, to some extent.
Actionable closing
Build a 30 item bank today, 6 per function from the safe phrase list. Mark W for Writing or S for Speaking next to each item. In your next essay, use one stance phrase and one evaluation phrase, keep total to three. In your next speaking session, aim for two natural phrases across answers. Record, review, and delete any slang before your final draft.