WANNA/GONNA IELTS Speaking Using Contractions: Should you us | IELTS With Masters

WANNA/GONNA
IELTS Speaking Using Contractions:

Should you use contractions in your IELTS speaking test? Will you get a lower mark if you use contractions like "gonna"?

What are contractions?

A contraction is when you combine two (or more) words to make them shorter and make them flow together when speaking. "It is" = "it's" or "want to" = "wanna"
Most contractions are used in informal speaking. Is the IELTS speaking test formal or informal? The IELTS speaking is 100% informal.

Part 1 is informal short answer questions
Part 2 is an informal talk
Part 3 is an informal discussion on broader current issues

This means informal language is fine to use in all parts of the test.

They are an accepted part of SPOKEN English. One student pointed out that they even heard contractions used by the BBC and the British Royal Family - this is true

Using Wanna / Gonna

Yes, its fine to use contractions (words joined in pronunciation) in the IELTS speaking test. In fact, it will boost your score for pronunciation.

want to = wanna

I really wanna go to the cinema tonight.
The majority of students wanna travel before starting university.

going to = gonna

He's gonna visit his grandmother this evening.
The local council are gonna improve the roads in this area.

Wanna and gonna are only used in spoken English and NOT in formal Writing. The reason is that wanna; and are pronunciation features - it is how we pronounce want to but it is not how we write it in formal written English. It is fine to use these words in your IELTS speaking test and in fact will help with your pronunciation band score. Are these contractions in the Cambridge dictionary? Yes, they are.

IELTS Speaking Pronunciation

Pronunciation is 25% of your marks for IELTS speaking. This means the way you pronounce sounds, words and sentences is marked in your speaking test. Part of that does include linking sounds and linking words, such as gonna, wanna, it's and doesn't. So, try to learn these contractions and use them naturally in your test.

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