Hi, Teacher Luke here! 👋

In my DET Ready VIP Speaking Lesson yesterday, one of my students asked:

“What’s the best way to start my answers on the speaking test?”

So, I looked through dozens of responses from students scoring 120+ to find some great examples for you. 👇

👉 But first—some great news!

Right now, you can join my DET Ready VIP Program with 35% off.

That means the full program is just $25.99.

👉 Join here: https://vip.detready.com

Use code DET2026 at checkout.

This is the program has helped thousands of students improve by 10, 20, even 30 points – fast. Like Mariana 👇

10 Top Sentence Starters (with examples)

"I'd say I generally…" 👉 "I'd say I generally admire people who stay calm under pressure — that's a quality I've been working on myself."

(Used for: What do you like about your personality?)

"Actually, in my opinion…" 👉 "Actually, in my opinion, Nelson Mandela is someone we can all learn from because of his courage and forgiveness."

(Used for: Talk about a person from history you admire.)

"Well, I remember… I…" 👉 "Well, I remember last month I gave my best friend a book about photography — it really made her smile."

(Used for: Talk about a gift you gave recently.)

"Back in…, I had a moment when…" 👉 "Back in high school, I had a moment when I helped a friend through a hard time. That really showed me the importance of empathy."

(Used for: What personality trait helped you be a good friend?)

"I used to think that, but now…" 👉 "I used to think giving gifts was only for birthdays, but now I enjoy surprising people just to make them feel appreciated."

(Used for: Talk about a gift you gave recently.)

"To be honest, I think…" 👉 "To be honest, I think working from home has made me more productive — I have fewer distractions and more control over my day."

(Used for: What are the benefits of remote work?)

"That's something I feel strongly about…" 👉 "That's something I feel strongly about — I believe every child deserves access to quality education, regardless of where they grow up."

(Used for: What global issue do you care about most?)

"From my experience…" 👉 "From my experience, the most effective leaders are the ones who listen more than they speak."

(Used for: What makes a good leader?)

"One thing I've always believed is…" 👉 "One thing I've always believed is that learning a new language opens doors — not just professionally, but personally too."

(Used for: Why is learning English important to you?)

"If I had to choose, I'd say…" 👉 "If I had to choose, I'd say living in a city suits me better — I love the energy and having everything close by."

(Used for: Do you prefer city or countryside living?)

These openers might sound simple—but used right, they can get your speaking answers off to a great start.

Are you struggling with DET speaking? Watch this YouTube video where I show you the mistakes my top students are making 👉 https://youtu.be/f4QkK15fgBM

See you in my next lesson!

— Teacher Luke 👨‍🏫

DET Ready | Helping 1,000+ students pass the test every month