Proper English Grammar
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The framework drills.

SCALE, PRISM, PSC, COMPASS, THREAD: sets for each, then a mixed gauntlet where you choose in three seconds and answer.

How to use this page. Drill one framework per session until its structure recalls without notes: ten recorded responses per framework is the minimum before the mixed gauntlet. In the gauntlet, choose within three seconds, answer, and only then check the suggested selection.

01The method

One framework at a time, then the gauntlet.

Drill each framework on its own set until the structure recalls automatically, then mix them and practise three-second selection.

The five frameworks are Chapter 7 of The Proper English Grammar Guide to IELTS Speaking: SCALE for narrative Part 2 cards, PRISM for multi-perspective analysis, PSC as the versatile Part 3 default, COMPASS for values conflicts, THREAD for processes. The rule from the book stands here: ten recorded responses per framework before you attempt unassisted selection, and no combining frameworks until each is individually fluent.

02SCALE sets

Narrative Part 2 cards.

One minute to prepare on paper, two minutes speaking. Situation, Challenge, Action, Learning, Evaluation.

  • DecisionDescribe a difficult decision you had to make. What made it difficult, and what happened?
  • ChangeDescribe a time your plans changed suddenly. How did you respond?
  • AchievementDescribe something you worked hard to achieve. What did it cost you?
  • MistakeDescribe a mistake you learnt something important from.
  • HelpDescribe a time you helped someone through a difficult period.
  • RiskDescribe a risk you took that others advised against.
03PRISM and COMPASS sets

Perspectives and values.

Ninety seconds each. PRISM prompts want distinct viewpoints; COMPASS prompts hide a values conflict that must be named before it can be weighed.

  • PRISMShould governments invest more in public transport than in roads?
  • PRISMIs competition in schools good for children?
  • PRISMWho should pay for retraining when jobs are automated away?
  • PRISMDoes tourism do more for a country than it takes from it?
  • COMPASSShould parents control what their teenage children watch online?
  • COMPASSIs it right to keep animals in zoos?
  • COMPASSShould people be paid to donate blood?
  • COMPASSIs it fair that private schools exist?
04PSC and THREAD sets

Opinions and processes.

PSC: Point, Support, Consequence, sixty seconds. THREAD: a process traced start to finish, ninety seconds, watching the length.

  • PSCWhy do so many young people prefer living in cities?
  • PSCDo celebrities have too much influence?
  • PSCIs it better to specialise early or stay a generalist?
  • PSCWhy do people ignore health advice they know is right?
  • THREADHow does someone become addicted to social media?
  • THREADHow does a rumour spread through a community?
  • THREADHow does a person learn to trust a new colleague?
  • THREADHow does a neighbourhood gentrify?
05The selection gauntlet

Three seconds to choose.

Read each question aloud, choose a framework within three seconds, and answer. The suggested selection follows in brackets: check it only after answering.

  • 1Should museums be free? (PRISM)
  • 2Describe a teacher who influenced you. (SCALE)
  • 3How do people decide who to vote for? (THREAD)
  • 4Why is fast food popular despite the warnings? (PSC)
  • 5Should employers monitor their staff’s work? (COMPASS)
  • 6Describe a possession you would save in a fire. (SCALE)
  • 7Is space exploration worth the money? (PRISM)
  • 8How does a stranger become a friend? (THREAD)
  • 9Why do people keep making New Year resolutions they break? (PSC)
  • 10Should very young children have smartphones? (COMPASS)
  • 11Describe an event that brought your community together. (SCALE)
  • 12Do international brands make cities boring? (PRISM or PSC)
06The L1 focus sets

Framework habits by background.

Selection is a cognitive task, and cognitive habits are L1-shaped.

L1 focus: Romance speakersPRISM invites your subordination habit to tangle mid-perspective. Drill PRISM answers where each perspective is exactly two sentences: one claim, one example. Expansion comes back later; control comes first.
L1 focus: East Asian speakersPSC is your highest-value framework because it forces the position into sentence one. Run the PSC set twice per week until front-loading survives even unfamiliar topics.
L1 focus: Slavic speakersTHREAD's sequential structure suits you, but watch tense consistency across stages: past for the concrete case, present for the general pattern. Record one THREAD answer per session and check the tense spine on replay.
L1 focus: Arabic speakersSCALE's Learning and Evaluation stages are where restatement creeps in. On replay, check the final third of each SCALE answer: it must contain the answer to ‘so what changed?’, not a warmer retelling of the story.
→Pressure-test the frameworks

Selection under a real question is the skill.

Frameworks feel easy until a stranger is waiting for your answer.

In lessons the questions come live and the framework choice gets marked with the answer – £20 for fifty minutes, report and homework included.

Book a first lesson → About my approach

The book of the method

The Proper English Grammar Guide to IELTS Speaking

The method this site drills for free, written down properly: five response frameworks, thirteen grammatical structures taken to automation, vocabulary by band, pronunciation with audio demonstrations one scan away, and first-language guidance for eight language families. 614 pages, built from more than two thousand documented one-to-one lessons. Most guides teach every candidate the same English; this one starts from what your first language makes you do.

Paperback on Amazon →Kindle edition →The free 79-page companion →