Today I tested 12 IELTS candidates, three were native speakers and others ranged from 1 to 8. One point that was very obvious between the native and non-native speakers was the way they told stories.

The native testers always included the listener, which created interest and excitement. Native speakers use phrases like, “You know what I mean?”, “You can’t imagine…”  and “You must have done that.” These are rhetorical questions (don’t need answers) so I don’t have to answer. But, it demonstrates great language skill.

Remember these phrases and use them to sound more natural and engage the listener, your examiner.