# IELTS_Speaking_Drills_TTS

- **Original Source:** `IELTS_Speaking_Drills_TTS.pdf`
- **Category:** `speaking`
- **Original Format:** `.pdf`

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IELTS Speaking. Drill bank for conjugation and
discourse. Version formatted for text to speech
reading.
Note about this file. Text to speech readers often stumble over arrows, bullet dashes, headings
written in full capital letters, and bracketed tags. This version removes those elements and
presents the content as complete sentences separated by periods, so the reader moves through
it naturally. Duplicate blocks from the original document have also been removed, keeping only
the fullest version of each section.
Section one. Verb ladders.
For each verb, five forms are read in a row. Present simple, past simple, present perfect,
past continuous, and the would conditional.
Be. She is a doctor. She was a doctor. She has been a doctor for ten years. She was being
unusually quiet. She would be a good doctor.
Have. He has four sessions. He had four sessions. He has had four sessions today. He was
having a session. He would have more time if he planned better.
Go. She goes to work early. She went to work early. She has gone to work early every day
this week. She was going to work when it happened. She would go if she had the time.
See. He sees the pattern. He saw the pattern. He has seen this pattern before. He was
seeing a specialist. He would see it differently now.
Hear. She hears the noise. She heard the noise. She has heard that noise before. She was
hearing things, apparently. She would hear it if she listened closely.
Take. It takes effort. It took effort. It has taken years to build. She was taking notes. It would
take longer without help.
Leave. He leaves at six. He left at six. He has left already. He was leaving when I arrived. He
would leave earlier if traffic was better.
Live. She lives downtown. She lived downtown. She has lived downtown since two thousand
fifteen. She was living alone that year. She would live abroad if she could.
Become. It becomes clear. It became clear. It has become clear over time. It was becoming
a problem. It would become worse without treatment.


Feel. He feels anxious. He felt anxious. He has felt anxious all week. He was feeling better.
He would feel calmer with more sleep.
Get. She gets nervous. She got nervous. She has gotten nervous before exams. She was
getting nervous. She would get nervous too.
Make. It makes sense. It made sense. It has made sense from the start. She was making a
decision. It would make things easier.
Give. He gives advice. He gave advice. He has given advice for years. He was giving a talk.
He would give more if he could.
Tell. She tells the truth. She told the truth. She has told the truth every time. She was telling
a story. She would tell you if she knew.
Know. He knows the answer. He knew the answer. He has known the answer for a while.
This verb has no continuous form, it is a stative verb. He would know if he checked.
Want. She wants change. She wanted change. She has wanted change for years. This verb
has no continuous form, it is a stative verb. She would want more information first.
Decide. He decides quickly. He decided quickly. He has decided already. He was deciding
between two options. He would decide differently now.
Start. It starts slowly. It started slowly. It has started already. It was starting to rain. It would
start earlier with more planning.
Buy. She buys groceries. She bought groceries. She has bought groceries already. She was
buying groceries. She would buy more if it was cheaper.
Think. He thinks it's fair. He thought it was fair. He has thought about it carefully. He was
thinking it over. He would think twice about it.
Keep. She keeps records. She kept records. She has kept records for years. She was
keeping notes. She would keep going if she had support.
Break. It breaks down. It broke down. It has broken down twice. It was breaking apart slowly.
It would break under pressure.
Understand. He understands the case. He understood the case. He has understood it for a
while. He was understanding it better each session. He would understand more with time.
Forget. She forgets details. She forgot details. She has forgotten most of it. She was
forgetting names. She would forget under stress.


Choose. He chooses carefully. He chose carefully. He has chosen his specialty. He was
choosing between two paths. He would choose differently now.
Section two. Contrastive pairs, present versus past.
Each pair is read back to back. The goal is to feel the tense switch physically and not let the
second sentence drift back to the present.
I go to the clinic every morning. Last year, I went to the clinic every morning.
She has speakers in her room. When I was a child, she had speakers in her room.
We don't have much time. That day, we didn't have much time.
He leaves the house early. That morning, he left the house early.
Santa Claus leaves presents under the tree. In the story my mother told, Santa Claus left
presents under the tree.
She reads us stories every night. She used to read us stories every night. She'd read us
stories every night.
It affects my mood. That week, it affected my mood badly.
The decision requires patience. The decision required patience back then.
People don't understand. At the time, people didn't understand.
Music changes how I feel. That summer, music changed how I felt completely.
I work long hours now. Back then, I worked even longer hours.
He doesn't speak about it. He didn't speak about it for years.
She trusts the process. She used to distrust it completely.
It matters to me. That year, it mattered more than anything.
Section three. Full past tense story drills.
Each story is read in one breath, timed. If the present tense slips in anywhere, stop, go back
to the last correct sentence, and continue in the past, without restarting from zero.
Story one. A childhood memory. When I was seven, my grandmother gave me an old radio
for my birthday. It had two speakers and a broken antenna, but it still worked. Every evening,


she sat next to me and we listened to music together. I didn't understand most of the lyrics,
but I loved the melodies. One night, the radio stopped working completely, and I cried for
almost an hour. She calmed me down and promised to fix it the next day. She kept her
promise, and that radio became one of my most important childhood memories.
Story two. A difficult moment at work. Three years ago, I had a patient who refused to speak
during our first four sessions. I tried different approaches, but nothing seemed to work. One
afternoon, he suddenly started talking about his childhood, and everything changed. I
listened carefully and didn't interrupt him once. By the end of the session, he looked visibly
relieved. I went home that day feeling exhausted but genuinely hopeful. That experience
taught me more about patience than any textbook ever did.
Story three. Moving to a new place. When I moved to this city, I didn't know anyone. I arrived
in winter, and the weather felt unbearably cold. For the first few weeks, I stayed inside most
evenings and missed my family constantly. Then a neighbor invited me to a small dinner,
and I met people who eventually became close friends. Slowly, the city stopped feeling
foreign. Looking back, that difficult beginning shaped how independent I became.
Story four. A mistake I made. Early in my career, I made a mistake during a routine
assessment. I misread a symptom and gave the wrong initial diagnosis. My supervisor
caught the error before it affected the patient, but I felt terrible for days. I went back,
reviewed every detail, and asked for feedback openly instead of hiding it. That mistake
taught me to slow down under pressure. I've never repeated it since.
Story five. A trip that didn't go as planned. Two years ago, I traveled to a small town for a
conference. My flight got delayed, and I arrived at midnight instead of the afternoon. The
hotel had already given away my room, so I spent the first night in the lobby. Despite the
terrible start, the conference turned out to be one of the most useful I'd attended. I met
colleagues who later became close collaborators. Sometimes the worst beginnings lead to
the best outcomes.
Story six. Learning something the hard way. During my first year of residency, I assumed a
senior colleague's diagnosis was automatically correct. I followed his lead without
questioning it, and the patient didn't improve for weeks. Eventually, another doctor reviewed
the case and found something we'd both missed. I felt embarrassed, but I also learned not to
defer blindly to seniority again. From that point on, I double-checked everything myself. It
was an uncomfortable lesson, but it stayed with me.
Story seven. A decision I almost regretted. Before I applied for registration abroad, I
hesitated for almost a year. I worried about leaving my patients, my routines, and honestly,


my comfort zone. My family encouraged me to at least start the process, so I did, slowly and
without much confidence. Once I began preparing seriously, the doubt turned into something
closer to excitement. Looking back, hesitation was just fear wearing a practical disguise. I
don't regret starting when I did.
Story eight. An unexpected connection. A few years ago, I treated a patient who barely
spoke my language and I barely spoke his. We communicated mostly through gestures and
short phrases for the first two sessions. Somehow, despite the barrier, he trusted me enough
to keep coming back. By the fourth session, a translator joined us, and everything he'd tried
to say finally made sense. It reminded me that trust sometimes arrives before language
does. That case changed how I approached every difficult consultation afterward.
Story nine. A time I had to adapt quickly. Once, during a home visit, the situation changed
completely within minutes. The family hadn't warned me about a second person present,
someone in acute crisis. I had to shift my whole approach on the spot, without preparation. I
stayed calm, prioritized safety first, and adjusted my plan as I went. Afterward, my hands
were shaking, though I hadn't noticed it during the visit itself. That day taught me how much
training becomes instinct under real pressure.
Story ten. Something Kandinsky taught me. When I first adopted Kandinsky, he was anxious
around new people and new spaces. I assumed patience alone would fix it, but it took much
longer than I expected. I changed his routine gradually, kept things predictable, and waited
without forcing anything. Slowly, he became calmer, more confident, almost a different dog.
Watching that change happen taught me something I already knew clinically but hadn't really
felt, that recovery rarely follows a straight line.
Section four. Subject verb agreement ladder, with mixed subjects back to back.
Music changes people's moods. Technology affects how we communicate. The decision
requires careful thought. Having good memories helps during hard times. Getting good
grades takes real discipline. People don't always agree. Children are developing faster than
before. Genres are constantly evolving. Nobody understands the full policy. Everything
depends on timing. Whatever happens next matters a lot. One of the most important pieces
of technology is the smartphone. One of the most difficult experiences I've had was moving
abroad. Advice is easy to give but hard to follow. Flooding is becoming more frequent in this
region. Stigma still prevents people from seeking help. Research on this topic remains
limited. The evidence suggests otherwise. Progress in this field depends on funding. Trust
takes years to build and seconds to lose. None of the data supports that conclusion. Each of
these cases requires a different approach.


Section five. Would versus will, minimal pairs.
I will finish this by Friday, that is a fact or a plan. I would finish it sooner if I had help, that is
hypothetical.
It will rain tomorrow, according to the forecast. It would rain less if the climate wasn't
changing.
I will call you later. I would call more often if I had more free time.
She will start the new job next month. She would start earlier if the company let her.
I would prefer to move abroad, not I will prefer.
I would love to learn Nahuatl properly, not I will love.
I would recommend that clinic, not I will recommend.
I will register as soon as the paperwork clears. I would register sooner if the process wasn't
so slow.
It will take time to adjust to a new system. It would take less time with proper guidance.
I would choose the same specialty again, without hesitation.
Section six. Quick self check before each past tense drill.
Before starting any story in the past tense, say this anchor of four key irregular verbs out
loud, the ones you tend to lose under pressure. Went, not goed. Had, not haved. Felt, not
feeled. Took, not taked.
And this agreement anchor for singular abstract subjects. Trust takes, not take. Evidence
suggests, not suggest. Nobody understands, not understand.
Thirty seconds of this before recording a timed drill.
Section A. Discourse frames, the Part three survival kit.
A one. Opening with authority, to kill the plain phrase I think.
Technology. From my perspective, technology has made communication faster but
shallower.
Environment. As I see it, governments move too slowly on climate policy.


Education. I honestly think that university degrees are becoming less relevant.
Work. I would argue that job security matters more than salary.
Family. It seems to me that extended families are disappearing in cities.
Health. From my perspective, mental health is still stigmatized at work.
Crime. As I see it, punishment alone doesn't reduce crime rates.
Media. I honestly think that social media has distorted public debate.
Government. I would argue that transparency is the weakest point of most governments.
Travel. It seems to me that tourism damages the places people love most.
Tradition. To be perfectly honest, I hadn't thought about that, but traditions do adapt rather
than die.
Food. From my perspective, fast food culture has replaced family meals.
Healthcare. As far as I'm concerned, private healthcare widens inequality rather than closing
it.
Work, a second angle. My honest opinion is that remote work has quietly rewritten what a
workday means.
Productivity. If you ask me, most productivity advice ignores how exhausted people actually
are.
Psychiatry. I'd say psychiatry as a field is still catching up with what neuroscience already
knows.
Mental health, a second angle. To some extent, I think loneliness has become a public
health issue disguised as a personal one.
A two. Mastering hypotheticals, with if plus past, would plus base verb.
Technology. If companies limited screen time, employees would concentrate better.
Environment. If plastic was banned tomorrow, oceans would recover within decades.
Education. If tuition was free, more people would pursue postgraduate studies.
Work. If remote work became standard, cities would feel less congested.


Family. If parents worked shorter hours, children would be less anxious.
Health. If healthcare was fully public, fewer people would delay treatment.
Crime. If prisons focused on rehabilitation, reoffending rates would drop.
Media. If platforms verified information, misinformation would spread less.
Government. If politicians faced real accountability, corruption would decrease.
Travel. If flights were taxed properly, people would travel more responsibly.
Tradition. If younger generations documented traditions, they wouldn't disappear so fast.
Food. If schools taught nutrition properly, obesity rates would fall.
Psychiatric training. If psychiatric training included more supervision hours, burnout rates
would probably fall.
Early intervention. If governments funded early intervention, fewer people would reach crisis
point.
Insurance. If insurance covered therapy properly, people wouldn't wait until things got
severe.
Urban design. If cities were built around walking, mental health outcomes would likely
improve.
Exams. If exams tested speaking under real conditions, students would prepare very
differently.
A three. It depends, always developing both sides.
Technology. It depends on the generation. Older people distrust new apps, whereas younger
users adopt them instantly.
Environment. It depends on the country's wealth. Rich nations can afford green policies,
poorer ones can't prioritize them yet.
Education. It depends on the subject. Practical skills benefit from vocational training, but
theoretical fields need universities.
Work. It depends on the industry. Creative jobs adapt well to remote work, but manufacturing
simply can't.


Family. It depends on the culture. Some societies value independence early, others keep
generations under one roof.
Health. It depends on access. In cities, healthcare is fast, in rural areas, people wait months.
Crime. It depends on the offense. Minor crimes respond well to rehabilitation, but violent
crime needs stricter measures.
Media. It depends on the platform. News apps still fact-check, whereas social media rarely
does.
Government. It depends on the system. Democracies debate slowly, authoritarian states act
fast but without consent.
Travel. It depends on the traveler. Budget tourists boost local economies directly, luxury
tourists often stay in foreign-owned resorts.
Tradition. It depends on the generation. Grandparents preserve rituals strictly, while
grandchildren reinterpret them.
Food. It depends on income. Wealthier families choose organic food, lower-income families
prioritize cost.
Diagnosis. It depends on the diagnosis. Some conditions respond well to medication alone,
others need years of therapy.
Workplace. It depends on the workplace. Some employers genuinely support mental health,
others just say they do.
Language. It depends on the language. Some concepts translate easily, others simply don't
exist in the target language.
Registration systems. It depends on the country's system. In some places, registration takes
months, in others, years.
A four. Point, evidence, example.
Technology. I would argue that smartphones have shortened our attention span. This
happens because notifications constantly interrupt deep focus. For instance, I can't read for
ten minutes without checking my phone.
Environment. As I see it, individual recycling barely matters. The real damage comes from
industrial emissions, not household waste. A classic example is how a handful of companies


produce most global carbon output.
Education. I honestly think exams measure memory more than understanding. Students
often forget the content weeks after the test. Take my own medical training, for example, I
memorized entire textbooks I never used clinically.
Work. I would argue that flexibility matters more than salary. People burn out faster when
they have no control over their schedule. Take my colleagues, for example, those with
flexible hours report far less stress.
Family. It seems to me that smaller families change how children socialize. With fewer
siblings, children rely more on friends for social learning. For instance, only children often
adapt faster to group settings at school.
Health. I would argue that prevention is cheaper than treatment. Chronic diseases cost
healthcare systems far more once they develop. A clear example is diabetes, which is far
cheaper to prevent than to manage long term.
Crime. As I see it, poverty is a stronger predictor of crime than personality. Limited
opportunities push people toward illegal alternatives. For instance, crime rates consistently
drop when unemployment falls.
Media. I honestly think algorithms shape opinions more than journalists do. People only see
content that confirms what they already believe. A classic example is how social media feeds
rarely show opposing viewpoints.
Government. I would argue that local governments respond faster than national ones. They
deal directly with the community's daily problems. Take my city, for example, local officials
fixed the water issue within weeks.
Travel. It seems to me that mass tourism erodes local culture. Businesses start catering to
visitors instead of residents. A clear example is how historic centers fill with souvenir shops
instead of local markets.
Tradition. I would argue that traditions survive by adapting, not by staying frozen. Rigid
customs lose relevance to younger generations. For instance, many festivals now include
modern music alongside ancient rituals.
Food. I honestly think convenience has replaced nutrition as the main priority. Busy
schedules leave little time for cooking. A classic example is how ready meals have become
the default option for working families.


Stigma. I would argue that stigma delays treatment more than cost does. Many patients wait
years before admitting something is wrong. Take my own clinical experience, most first
consultations happen after a crisis, not before one.
Migration. As I see it, moving countries reshapes identity more than people expect.
Language and routine both change at once. For instance, even simple things like humor stop
translating properly.
Exam pressure. I honestly think structured practice beats natural talent under exam
pressure. Nerves erase fluency that isn't automatic yet. A clear example is how well
prepared candidates default to rehearsed structures when they blank.
A five. Advanced connectors.
What's more, it saves considerable time. On top of that, it benefits the environment too. As a
result, smaller businesses struggled to compete. Consequently, prices increased across the
sector. Having said that, there are exceptions worth mentioning. On the flip side, the cost
can be prohibitive. That said, the data isn't entirely conclusive. Even so, the trend is hard to
ignore. By contrast, the opposite happened in neighboring regions. Given that, it's worth
reconsidering the whole approach.
Section B. Grammar muscle memory.
B one. The to lock, followed by the base verb.
I decided to specialize in psychiatry after my residency. Governments need to invest more in
renewable technology. Universities are trying to modernize outdated curricula. She refused
to accept the company's final offer. I am planning to relocate my whole family next year.
Tourists tend to ignore local customs when abroad. The court decided to reduce his
sentence significantly. Editors are starting to fact-check viral stories more carefully. Parents
want to protect their children from online harm. I try to eat home-cooked meals whenever
possible. I managed to finish the whole assessment before the deadline. We agreed to
postpone the decision until next month. He offered to cover the missing shift. I expect to hear
back from the registration board soon. They failed to notice the obvious pattern.
B two. Would like.
I would like to understand this policy better before judging it. We would like to preserve these
traditions for future generations. The committee would like to reform outdated healthcare
regulations. I would like to work abroad at some point in my career. She would like to travel
without damaging local ecosystems. They would like to raise their children bilingually. I


would like to see stricter laws on data privacy. He would like to cook traditional dishes his
grandmother taught him. We would like to reduce our household's carbon footprint. I would
like to know why this case took so long. I would like to settle in before starting a new job. We
would like to keep Kandinsky's routine as stable as possible during the move. I would like to
specialize further once I'm registered.
B three. The ghost s, indefinite singular subjects.
Nobody expects a recession to hit this quickly. Everything changes once you have children.
Whatever happens in the election affects healthcare funding. Someone always benefits from
a crisis, even a small one. Everybody deserves access to clean water. This explains why
crime rates dropped last year. That sounds like a reasonable compromise. Everything
depends on how the government allocates the budget. Nobody wants to admit the system is
failing. Whatever the outcome, families will feel the impact directly. Everyone assumes the
process is quick until they go through it. Nothing prepares you for how disorienting relocation
feels. Everybody struggles with the first few weeks in a new system.
B four. Fixed prepositions.
The healthcare system is in a state of collapse in some regions. I spend most weekends in
my house preparing lectures. People usually relax at the weekend, rarely during the week.
Traffic gets worse in the morning and calmer in the evening. Crime rates tend to rise at night
in poorly lit areas. Families gather on national holidays more than any other day. The
economy is in a period of gradual recovery. I feel most productive in the afternoon. Streets
stay empty at night in this neighborhood. The country is in a difficult diplomatic position right
now. The results were different from what we expected, the correct form is different from, not
different from. I finally arrived at the clinic after the delay, the correct form is arrived at or arrived
in, never arrived at. She's married to a colleague from residency, the correct form is married
to. We depend on public funding for this project, the correct form is depend on. He's
responsible for the whole department now, the correct form is responsible for.
B five. Irregular past simple.
Last year, the government cut funding for public hospitals. I saw the effects of malnutrition
firsthand during my residency. We heard about the policy change on the evening news. She
bought her first apartment after years of saving. I thought the reform would take longer than
it did. They took drastic measures after the factory closed. The city built three new schools
last decade. He left his hometown to study medicine abroad. We spent our holiday
volunteering at a rural clinic. I wrote my thesis on childhood trauma two years ago. I chose
psychiatry over surgery in my final year. We began the paperwork months before the actual


move. She taught me more in one session than any course did. I understood the diagnosis
only after seeing the full history. He broke the routine for the first time in years.
B six. The since bridge, with the perfect tense.
I have worked in psychiatry since I finished my residency. This region has struggled with
unemployment since the factory closed. We have known each other since medical school.
The government has debated this reform since last year. Traditions have changed
significantly since industrialization began. I have followed this case since it first appeared in
the news. Prices have risen sharply since the pandemic. She has lived abroad since she got
her degree. Crime rates have dropped since the new policy was introduced. I have owned
this dog since he was a puppy. I have been preparing for this exam since early July. Things
have felt different since we started planning the move. I have thought about this decision
since long before it was possible.
B seven. Hope plus the present simple.
I hope this policy actually reduces inequality. I hope my patients feel safe enough to speak
honestly. I hope the exam reflects real communication, not memorized phrases. I hope the
government listens to public health experts. I hope tourism doesn't destroy this town's
character. I hope traditions survive without becoming museum pieces. I hope remote work
stays an option after the pandemic. I hope this generation questions things more than mine
did. I hope the verdict brings some closure to the family. I hope Kandinsky adjusts well to
New Zealand. I hope the registration process moves faster than people warn. I hope the
speaking test feels more like a conversation than an interrogation. I hope I stay calm enough
to actually sound like myself.
Drill order for today.
One. Section one in full, out loud, twice, without stopping.
Two. The stories in section three, timed, one per sitting, this is the drill that most closely
mirrors Part two pressure.
Three. Sections two and four, as a five minute warm up before any mock test.
Four. Sections A and B in full, reading each column from top to bottom, out loud, timed,
without stopping to self correct. Errors are fixed only after finishing the block, never in the
middle of a sentence. This mirrors the real pressure of Part three more closely than reading
pattern by pattern.