Why Your IELTS Answer Sounds Smart But Scores Band 5 (A Coherence Fix)

You studied vocabulary. You memorized advanced words. You even used them in your answer. And yet your score is still stuck at Band 5. Sound familiar?

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: a single impressive word cannot rescue a broken argument. In fact, dropping a long word at the end of a contradictory answer often makes things worse — it signals to the examiner that you’ve lost control of your message. This is exactly what happened to Brevian from Indonesia, whose answer I recently analyzed in detail.

His case is one of the most instructive I’ve seen, because his vocabulary is genuinely strong. His score is being dragged down by one fixable problem: Coherence.

The Answer That Broke Down

The question was a standard Part 1 prompt: “Do you think walking is a good way to commute?”

Here is what Brevian said:

“Of course, walking is a great way for us to go places but one disadvantage that I find in walking is how time-consuming it is compared to riding our bicycles or running even. Walking is truly advantageous.”

Read that one more time. Do you see the problem?

1. He says walking is great.
2. He then says the major disadvantage of walking is that it wastes too much time.
3. He ends by saying walking is advantageous — without any explanation.

He contradicts his own argument and then abandons the listener. The examiner will score this as a failure of Fluency and Coherence, regardless of how impressive the word “advantageous” sounds in isolation.

Breaking It Down by Marking Criteria

Lexical Resource (Vocabulary) — The Strongest Area

This is genuinely Brevian’s best attribute. Words like disadvantage, time-consuming, and advantageous are well above the Band 5 baseline. He is not relying on basic filler words like good or bad. If his vocabulary were the only factor, he’d be scoring much higher.

Key takeaway: Good vocabulary alone cannot compensate for broken logic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The grammar holds up well in the first half. The comparative structure — “how time-consuming it is compared to riding our bicycles” — is a legitimately complex construction used correctly.

The problem arrives at the final sentence: “Walking is truly advantageous.” It stands alone. It connects to nothing. Grammatically, it’s a fragment that feels disconnected from the argument that preceded it. The structure collapses right at the finish line.

Pronunciation

Brevian’s individual word articulation is clear and follows a consistent American pronunciation style. However, his delivery is too slow and too mechanical. He pronounces each word in isolation rather than chunking them into natural phrases. This causes him to lose connected speech — the natural flow where words blend together in real English conversation.

Speaking slowly with clear individual words sounds careful, but to an IELTS examiner, it actually reduces your Pronunciation score because the rhythm of natural English is gone.

Fluency and Coherence — The Score Killer

This is where Brevian’s answer is capped at Band 5. There are two separate issues:

1. Speaking Speed

According to his metrics from the SpeakPrac app, Brevian speaks at approximately 76 words per minute. For a natural, conversational flow, you need to be speaking at 120–150 words per minute — which is closer to how native speakers naturally communicate. At under 100 words per minute, the listener experiences strain, and the examiner notes it.

2. Logical Contradiction

This is the bigger problem. Coherence is about the logical flow of ideas. When you make a point, then make the opposite point, and then return to your original point without explaining why, your argument collapses. The examiner doesn’t just notice it — they must penalize it, because one of their core jobs is to assess whether you can communicate a clear, connected message.

The Fix: How to Use Contrast Words Correctly

The rule is simple but critical:

If you introduce a negative point, you must use a contrast word before you return to a positive point — and then you must support it.

Contrast words include: however, that said, even so, nevertheless, although.

Without that bridge, you’re not having a conversation — you’re just listing opposing facts and hoping the examiner connects them for you. They won’t.

Here is how Brevian’s answer sounds after fixing the logic (while keeping his own vocabulary):

“Sure, walking is a great way to get around, but the biggest downside is how time-consuming it can be compared to biking. That said, walking is still advantageous because it’s free and great exercise.”

Notice what changed:

• The word “That said” signals to the listener that a contrast is coming.
• The claim that walking is advantageous is now supported with a reason (it’s free and great exercise).
• The argument is now a complete, logical arc — not a contradiction.

How a Band 9 Answer Sounds

Here’s how I would answer the same question:

“Honestly, I think it depends on the distance. For short trips, I think it’s fantastic because you can get some exercise and it costs nothing. That said, if you live miles away from work like I do, it’s just not practical compared to taking the train or driving.”

I didn’t use words as advanced as Brevian’s. But notice the structure:

• Conditional opening: “It depends on the distance” — this immediately shows nuanced thinking.
• Scenario 1 (Yes) + Reason: Short trips → exercise + free.
• Contrast word + Scenario 2 (No) + Reason: Long distances → not practical.

Every claim is supported. The logic flows in one direction. There are no contradictions. This is what perfect Coherence looks like at Band 7 and above.

The Two Rules to Remember

Rule 1: Never leave an idea hanging. If you say something is good, explain why it is good immediately. If you say something is bad, explain why. Don’t make the examiner guess your reasoning.

Rule 2: Speed matters more than you think. Speaking at under 100 words per minute is too slow for a conversational IELTS response. Work on increasing your pace while maintaining clarity. Recording yourself with the SpeakPrac app is one of the fastest ways to measure this objectively.

How to Extend Your Answers Without Contradicting Yourself

Brevian’s issue wasn’t only the contradiction — it was also that he struggled to extend his answer naturally. A short, self-contradicting answer is a double penalty: low Coherence and low Fluency.

The solution is to use a structured answer framework so that every point you make automatically leads to the next one. I call this the A.R.E. Framework™ — where every claim is followed by a Reason and an Example. When you have a system like this, you never run out of things to say, and you never end up adding a stray word at the end of your answer just to sound impressive.