What the exam asks
After Part 2 the examiner moves to more general questions linked to your topic. Expect roughly four to six main questions in two or three sub-themes, plus follow-ups such as “Why is that?” or “Will that change?”. Part 3 is more flexible than Part 1: the examiner can rephrase a question, push back on your view, or cut you off to move on. Being interrupted is normal time management and does not lower your band.
Every Part 3 question has a job. Identify it in the first second and you know which language to reach for.
| Question function | Typical wording (original examples) | What a strong answer does |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion | “Do you think children should…?” “Is it a good idea to…?” | Takes a clear position, justifies it, qualifies it |
| Comparison | “How is … different from in the past?” “Do older and younger people … differently?” | Contrasts two periods or groups with specific detail |
| Speculation | “How might … change in the future?” | Uses modal and future forms with sensible hedging |
| Cause | “Why do some people…?” “What makes a … successful?” | Offers two or three connected causes |
| Evaluation | “What are the pros and cons of…?” “Which matters more, X or Y?” | Weighs both sides and reaches a judgement |
| Hypothesis / solution | “What could governments do about…?” “What would happen if…?” | Proposes measures and their consequences with conditionals |
Answers of roughly 30–60 seconds suit Part 3: long enough to develop an idea, short enough for the examiner to cover several questions.
Core ideas
From personal to general
Part 2 asked about you; Part 3 asks about people, society and trends. A brief personal example is fine as evidence, but the frame must be general. Use generalising language: , , , .