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Argue, Hedge & Speculate
The Part 3 toolkit
Part 3 is where Band 6 and Band 8 separate. The examiner asks abstract questions and pushes back on your answers. French argumentation culture rewards conviction: "Je pense que c'est faux, point." IELTS rewards nuance — showing you can see complexity, not just state a position.
Hedging — softening your opinions
"I'd be inclined to say..." — J'aurais tendance a dire...
"To some extent, I think..." — Dans une certaine mesure, je pense...
"From what I've seen..." — D'apres ce que j'ai pu observer...
Speculation — discussing possibilities
"If current trends continue, I'd expect..." — Si les tendances actuelles se poursuivent...
"I would imagine that..." — J'imagine que...
"It remains to be seen whether..." — Reste a savoir si...
Concession — acknowledging the other side
"That said..." — Cela dit...
"There's certainly some truth in that, however..." — Il y a certainement du vrai la-dedans, cependant...
"I can see why some people think that, but..." — Je comprends pourquoi certains pensent ca, mais...
Why directness costs marks
Compare: "Technology is bad for children. It damages their brains." vs "It seems to me that excessive screen time could have a negative impact on children's development, although the evidence isn't entirely clear-cut." The second uses hedging, a strong collocation, a concession, and sounds like someone who thinks carefully.
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Fix these French-influenced restaurant phrases:
- ‘I take the salmon, please.’
- ‘Can we have the addition?’
- ‘I am allergic at nuts.’
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