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雅思口语assignment

IELTS Speaking

Please follow the schedule that I mark on this handout.

Wednesday(Nov 7th, 2012):

Part 2: old building description

Describe an old building that you like. You should say:

?where it is

?what it is used for

?and why you like it.I've recycled?

1I'm going to describe a very famous building in New York: the Empire State Building. People might not think of it as an old building, but the Empire State Building was built in 1931, so I don't think it can be classed as new. It's located on Manhattan island and it's probably the most distinctive and recognisable building when you look at New Y ork's skyline.

2As far as I know, the Empire State Building is an office building, but visitors can go up to an observation deck on the top floor, which is the 102nd floor. There's also a 360-degree observation area on the 86th floor. Apparently, the building makes more money from the sale of tickets to the observation floors than it does from office rentals.

3I think the Empire State Building is still one of the most impressive skyscrapers in the world. It's such an iconic structure, and it's amazing to think that it was built around 80 years ago. The best thing about the building is the viewing deck on the top floor, which offers spectacular views of the city; it's definitely the best vantage point in New York. I'd recommend anyone who visits the city to go there and experience the view.

Write your own answer and try to use the vocabulary above.

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IELTS Speaking Part 2: Modern building

Looking at the vocabulary used to describe the old building (famous landmark, spectacular

views, best vantage point etc.), it seems that we should choose an modern building which is tall or has great views of a city.

Can you think of any other examples? If you choose a famous building, it will probably have its own Wikipedia page. Do some research, and plan your description.

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Now you need to practise speaking. While you are speaking you should pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation. Try to speak at length. You can also record yourself and listen to your recording afterwards.

Thursday(Nov 8th, 2012)

First of all, please review what you've learnt on Nov 5th, 2012. IELTS Speaking: part 1, 2 or 3?

It's important to know exactly what to expect in each part of the exam.

The following questions com e from part 1, part 2 and pa rt 3 of the speaking test.

Can you tell which part each question is from?

4How often do you watch television?

5How have television programmes changed since you were a child?

6Describe a television programme that you enjoyed.

7Which TV channel or channels do you prefer to watch? Why?

8Do you think governments should control what TV programmes show?

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'difficult' questions

Students tend to worry about 'difficult questions', but questions are often much easier than they seem. For example:

Describe a law in your country.

Many students think they don't know anything about laws. However, there are some easy examples that they could choose:

9In many countries it is now illegal to use a mobile phone while driving. You could start by talking about the popularity and benefits of mobile phones, and explain that people want to be able to answer calls wherever they are. Then you could expla in the dangers of being distracted while driving; this law could reduce the number of road accidents, and therefore save lives.

10If you feel confident talking about the 'education' topic, you could choose the

'compulsory education' law. This is the legal requirement that children up to a certain age must attend school. In the UK, for example, children are required by law to continue in education until they are 16 years old. This is a good topic because you can talk about the benefits of education.

Of course, you could choose a more obvious law (it is illegal to steal, carry a gun etc.) but you might have more ideas and good vocabulary if you choose a typical IELTS topic.

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Now you need to practise speaking. While you are speaking you should pay attention to your pronunciation, intonation and sentence structure. Try to speak at length. You can also record yourself and listen to your recording afterwards.

Friday (Nov 9th, 2012)

IELTS Speaking Part 1: negative answers

How do you answer questions about a topic that you are not interested in? For example, many people have no interest in dancing, so what should they say?

My advice: just tell the truth. It's fine to say you don't like something. Read my examples below:

1. Do you like dancing?

No, I don't like dancing. I'm not a big music fan, and dancing just makes me feel uncomfortable and self-conscious.

2. Has anyone ever taught you to dance?

No, I've never been interested in learning to dance, so I've never taken any lessons or asked anyone to show me how to do it.

3. Do you think that traditional dancing will be popular in the future?

I'm afraid I have no idea because I don't follow what's happening in the dancing world! I suppose it will always be popular with som e people.

IELTS Advice: preparing speaking topics

You should do a good preparation for IELTS Speaking Part 2. But how should you prepare these topics? Where can you find good ideas?

I recommend doing two things. First, have a look through the speaking handouts. Second, use the Internet to do some further research. For example, if you want a good description of a famous person, look him/her up on Wikipedia and note down the best vocabulary ideas.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: main topics

For part 2 of IELTS speaking, I encourage my students in Manchester to prepare ideas for 6 main topic areas:

Describe an object (a gift, something you use etc.)

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Now you need to practise speaking. While you are speaking you should pay attention to your pronunciation, intonation and sentence structure. Try to speak at length. You can also record

yourself and listen to your recording afterwards.

12Describe a person (someone you admire, a family member etc.)

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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13Describe an event (a festival, celebration etc.)

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Saturday(Nov 10th, 2012)

14Describe an activity (e.g. a hobby)

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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15Describe a place (somewhere you visited, a holiday etc.)

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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16Describe your favourite (book/film/advertisem ent/website)

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Most questions fit into one of these topics. For example, "Describe a river, lake or sea which you like" - you could describe a holiday by the sea, or a city with a river.

Don't take the test without preparing some ideas for these topics first!

Sunday(Nov 11st, 2012)

IELTS Speaking Part 2: TV channel

Last week we looked at this question:

Describe a TV programme or channel that you enjoy watching regularly.

?What it is called and what is it about?

?When do you usually watch it?

?Why do you prefer it to other programmes or channels?

Here's a sample description with the best vocabulary underlined:

?I rarely watch traditional television channels nowadays; I much prefer searching for interesting programmes or videos online. So, although it’s not a normal TV channel or programme, I’d like to talk about a website which I think is kind of a modern version of a TV channel. It’s called TED, which stands for ‘T echnology, Entertainment, Design’, and it’s

a great place to watch short talks and presentations about all sorts of interesting topics.

?The good thing about the videos on TED is that I can watch them whenever I want. I have https://www.wendangku.net/doc/9b7590188.html, saved as one of my favourites on my laptop, and I tend to visit the website every few days to check whether there is anything new. I often watch TED videos on my phone while I’m travelling to work on the train.

?The reason I like watching online videos on TED is that I learn something new every time I watch one. The tagline for the TED website is ‘ideas worth spreading’, and this really sums up the appeal of the site for me. Instead of watching meaningless soap operas and talk shows on TV, I’d much rather spend 10 minutes watching som eone talk about a breakthrough in technology, science or healthcare.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: TV programme or channel

Yap asked me about the following question:

Describe a TV programme or channel that you enjoy watching regularly.

?What it is called and what is it about?

?When do you usually watch it?

?Why do you prefer it to other programmes or channels?

Yap asked whether it would be acceptable to talk about https://www.wendangku.net/doc/9b7590188.html, as a TV channel. I think it would definitely be acceptable - just say that it's an online TV channel. TED would be a great choice for this topic.

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Monday(Nov 12nd, 2012)

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe a vehicle

Describe a vehicle you would like to buy in the future. You should say

?what kind of vehicle it is

?what you would use it for

?and why you would like to buy it.

Here's my sample answer:

?If I had the money, I’d like to buy my own helicopter. I recently saw a TV programme about someone who flew around in his own helicopter, and I remember thinking that it would be great to have one. The helicopter on the programme was a small, blue,

two-seater and it seemed quite easy to fly - that's the kind of thing I'd like to buy.

?Ideally, I’d use my helicopter instead of a car. First, I’d need to learn to fly it, but then I’d use it to go on short trips or holidays. It would be fantastic to be able to avoid traffic jams, and get everywhere in a fraction of the time it normally takes. I’d take friends and family sightseeing, over cities or mountain tops, and m aybe I could even use it to do the shopping!

?The reason I’d like to buy a helicopter is that you can park one almost anywhere. You don’t need to find a runway or an airport like you would for a plane. So I’d be able to park my helicopter in my garden - if I had a bigger garden. Also, I’ve always been intrigued by those helipads on the tops of tall buildings - I think it would be fun to land on top of a building. A helicopter probably isn’t a realistic choice of vehicle, but you never know - I might win the lottery!

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe a vehicle

Describe a vehicle you would like to buy in the future. You should say

?what kind of vehicle it is

?what you would use it for

?and why you would like to buy it.

17Make your decision quickly. Most people will choose to describe a ca r, but if you're feeling adventurous, it might be fun to choose an aeroplane (airplane) or a helicopter. It doesn't matter if your choice isn't realistic.

18Develop each point in detail. For the first bullet point, tell the examiner as much as you can about the vehicle e.g. the make of the car, its colour, what it looks like outside and inside, the gadgets it has inside etc.

19Stories are the best type of example: imagine where you would go in your new vehicle, and what you would use it for. The benefit of choosing something adventurous, like the aeroplane or helicopter, is that you are more likely to be creative and imaginative in the rest of your answer.

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Tuesday(Nov 13rd, 2012)

Please review what you have learnt for last week. IELTS Speaking: how to feel more confident

Here are some tips to help you feel more confident when you go for your IELTS speaking test:

?Be prepared: you should know exactly what to expect in the 3 parts of the speaking test, and you should have read the suggestions on this website about how to answer.

?Lots of practice: a student who has practised answering all of the questions in all eight Cambridge books, as well as the questions on this site, will feel much more

confident than a student who hasn't.

?Write it down: when studying at home, you have time to prepare 'perfect' answers to practice questions; write your answers down, and ask som eone to help you check and improve them.

?Speak aloud: start by reading the answers you wrote down (like an actor uses a script), then gradually stop using the script.

?Record yourself: this allows you to analyse the quality of your answers, as well as your pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.

?Focus on ideas: it's difficult to think about grammar when you are speaking, so I advise students to stop worrying about grammatical structures, and focus on express ing good ideas (which means good vocabulary).

IELTS Speaking Part 1: 'reading' topic

Here are some part 1 questions with example answers. Rem ember to keep your part 1 answers short and simple.

1. Do you like reading?

Yes, I like reading a lot. I read all sorts of things, including novels, newspapers, magazines, and online articles.

2. Do you usually read for leisure or for work purposes?

Well, I have to do a certain amount of reading as part of my job, but I probably read more for enjoyment. I pick up a newspaper most days, and I usually have a book on the go.

3. What was your favourite book or story when you were a child?

The first book that I remember really enjoying was The Hobbit. It only took me a few days to read because I liked it so much that I couldn't put it down.

4. Do you think it's important that children read regularly?

Definitely. I think reading is possibly the most important skill that children learn. The ability to read opens the door to all aspects of education.

IELTS Speaking: the examiner's attitude

I sometimes hear from students who are worried that their examiner seemed rude or angry in the speaking exam. Maybe the examiner didn't smile or make much eye contact, interrupted a lot, or kept looking at his/her watch. Does this mean that you will get a low score, or that you should complain?

The answer is no! Don't worry, and don't think that you need to complain. The examiner's attitude is not important at all, and you should ignore all of the things I mentioned above. Focus only on answering the examiner's questions as well as you can.

Remember: it's possible to have a very nice, smiling examiner who gives you a low score. On the other hand, an examiner who seems impolite or disinterested might give you a higher score than you expected!

IELTS Speaking: add detail

Many students worry too much about grammar. For speaking parts 2 and 3, it's more important to worry about the quality of your answers. The best way to improve the quality of your answers is by adding detail.

Example:

Describe your best friend. Say when you met him/her.

Short answer about when we met:

I met my best friend at school when I was 11 years old.

Detailed answer about when we met:

I met my best friend at school when I was 11 years old, so we've known each other for ... years. I rem ember we sat next to each other in my first science lesson at secondary school, and we had to work together to do an experiment. We got on straight away, and we've been friends ever since.

Notice that by adding more information I've also used more/better vocabulary and grammar. Wednesday(Nov 14th, 2012)

IELTS Speaking Part 2: use what you know

Don't worry if you get a question that you haven't prepared for. You can usually use ideas that you prepared for a different topic. For example:

Describe a piece of advice that you gave (or that someone gave you)

Why not say that you advised your friend to visit London? Then you could use all the good vocabulary from what you have learnt. Or you could use them to talk about advice that your father gave you. For example, say that your father told you to work hard. Then you could use great vocabulary such as 'major influence', 'hard-working', 'role model', 'set a good example', 'positive outlook on life'.

Think quickly during the one-minute preparation time: What can I use that I've already prepared?

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Thursday(Nov 15th, 2012)

IELTS Speaking Part 3: 'politeness' topic

Let's have a look at some related questions for part 3 of the test:

In your country’s culture, how do you show that you are being polite?

We really value politeness and good manners in the China, and there are many types of polite behaviour. One of the first things we learn as children is to say "please" and "thank you". As adults, I think we are careful not to be too direct in the language we use. For example, we would never say "Bring me the bill" in a restaurant because this kind of direct instruction would sound rude. It would be much more polite to say "Could we have the bill, please?".

Are we less polite with members of our families than with people we don’t know?

I suppose it's normal to be a bit more relaxed about politeness with family members. Most people tend to speak in a more informal way at home; in the UK, we still say "please" and "thanks", but it's fine to use colloquial language and things like nicknames that you would never use with someone you didn't know.

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Friday(Nov 16th, 2012)

IELTS Speaking Part 3: comparing past and present

In part 3 of IELTS speaking, you might be asked to compare the past with the present. The examiner will be listening to your use tenses. For example:

Are there any differences between the types of people who were seen as celebrities in the past and those who are celebrities nowadays?

Yes, I think there have been some big changes in the types of people who become famous. In the past, before the invention of television, I suppose there were very few national or international celebrities; maybe kings and queens, military, political and religious leaders were the only household names. With the advent of TV and radio, performers such as actors and musicians became more well-known. However, we now seem to have a completely new breed of celebrity as a result of 'reality' television programmes; these are people who don't really have any special skills as performers, but who are famous for just being themselves.

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Saturday (Nov 17th, 2012)

IELTS Speaking Part 2: choose your topic quickly!

One of the most important things to practise for IELTS speaking part 2 is choosing your topic quickly. Take this question for example:

Describe a situation in which you were very polite. You should explain

?where the situation took place

?how you showed that you were polite

?and why you needed to be so polite.

It would be easy to waste your one-minute preparation time worrying about what situation to choose. If you still haven't decided what to talk about when the examiner asks you to start speaking, you'll be in real trouble!

Task:

Give yourself just 10 seconds to choose your polite situation. It doesn't really matter what situation you choose; the key is to give yourself enough time to prepare some ideas.

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Now you need to practise speaking. While you are speaking you should pay attention to your pronunciation, intonation and sentence structure. Try to speak at length. You can also record

yourself and listen to your recording afterwards.

Sunday (Nov 18th, 2012)

IELTS Speaking Part 1: 'work' topic

Here are some example questions with short, direct answers. Remember that part 1 is like a warm-up; you are not expected to give long, complex answers for this part.

1. Do you work or are you a student?

I’m a qualified doctor, but at the moment I’m studying English so that I can work in this country.

2. Do you enjoy your job?

Yes, I really enjoy my job. Ever since I was a child I have always wanted to be a doctor; I’ve always wanted to be able to help people.

3. What's the best thing about your job?

The best thing about my job is that I can make a difference in people’s lives. It’s a great feeling to see someone recover after an illness because my colleagues and I were able to help.

4. Do you prefer working alone or with others? Why?

In a hospital you have to work as part of a team. I’ve got used to working with others, and I think you can achieve a lot more as a team than you would alone.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: explain, alternative, example

In part 3 of the speaking test, you need to give longer, detailed answers. A good way to do this is by organising your answers according to the following steps:

20Idea: answer the question directly.

21Explain: give a reason or explain your answer in more detail.

22Alternative: explain an alternative (e.g. the opposite) to your answer.

23Example: give an example to support your answer.

24Another idea: som etimes you think of another idea while you are speaking. Just add it on the end of your answer.

You can give a really good answer without including all five steps, but you might find it useful to practise including all five, as I've done here:

Why do you think some people prefer to buy products from their own countries rather than imported items?

(idea) I suppose it’s because those people want to support the economy of the country they live in. (explain) If they buy something that was made in their own country, they know that they are contributing to the salaries of workers within the sam e country, (alternative) whereas if they buy imported items, a foreign company and its employees will benefit. (example) For example, if I buy som e meat that originates from a local farm rather than a farm in another country, I’m helping one of my fellow citizens to carry on in business. (another idea) Also, I think that trust is an issue; people might feel that they can trust domestically produced item s more than imported ones.

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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IELTS Speaking Advice: record, transcribe, analyse

Here are some steps that you could follow when practising for the speaking test:

25Choose a real speaking test from one of the Cambridge books.

26Record yourself answering one or all of the parts of the test.

27Listen to the recording and transcribe it (write down everything you said).

28Analyse the transcript. How could your answers be improved?

29Take some time to prepare better answers for the sam e questions.

30Try the same questions again! Record yourself, transcribe and analyse.

31Repeat the process a few times until you are happy.

Imagine if you did this kind of hard work every day for a month. I'm sure you'd be more confident and better prepared than you are now.

Monday(Nov 19th, 2012)

Please review everything that you have learnt in order to refresh

your memory.

Keep going and you will make it.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: formula phrases

A student asked me whether the following formula is useful for speaking part 2:

?I guess I could begin by saying something about (point 1) and I think I would have to choose...

?Going on to my next point which is (point 2), I really need to emphasise that (explain point 2).

?And now with reference to (point 3), the point I want to make here is that (explain point 3).

?And so finally, if I have time, in answer to the question of (point 4), really I should mention that...

So, are these 'formula phrases' a good idea? My answer is no!

As an English speaker and ex-examiner, I find these phrases annoying. It's obvious that they are memorised, and they do not address the question topic. Please don't expect the examiner to be impressed by this kind of thing.

There are a couple of benefits to learning a formula: it gives your answer som e structure, and it might make you feel more confident during the test. However, the disadvantages are greater:

32Your focus is on the phrases you have memorised, when it should be on answering the question with relevant ideas.

33The examiner thinks that you are using memorised phrases because you are unable to produce good language spontaneously. In other words, your use of long formula phrases suggests that your level of English is lower.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: foreign culture

1.Which culture and how I know about it

I'm going to talk about France and French culture. I know France quite well because it was the first foreign country that I visited as a child. I've been on several family holidays there, and I lived and worked in Paris for a while after finishing university.

2.Cultural differences

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about France is the bread! I love the fact that French people buy fresh baguettes every morning, usually from small local bakeries or

'patisseries'; it makes a change from the loaves of sliced bread that most of us buy from the supermarket here in the UK. One slightly negative difference I noticed in Paris is that

Parisians don't seem to make friends with their work colleagues to the same extent as we do here.

3. What I like about it

I really like the café culture in France. You can always find som ewhere interesting to sit and have a coffee and chat to friends or just watch the world go by. I actually put on a bit of weight when I lived in France because I got into a habit of having a croissant or a cake in every nice café that I found. Another thing I could mention is that the last time I went to France on holiday, I played a game called ‘boules’ every day. The game consists in throwing metal balls as close to a target ball as possible. It’s the perfect game for a relaxing afternoon when the weather’s hot.

Tip:

Notice that I included personal examples or experiences in my answers. It's easy to talk for 2 minutes if you can tell a story or two.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'foreign culture' topic

Describe a foreign culture that you like. You should say

?what culture it is and how you know about it

?what differences there are between that culture and your own

?and why you like that foreign culture.

For this question, you don't need to discuss 'deep' cultural issues. Just cho ose a foreign country that you have visited, and talk about anything that is different from your own culture (language, food, customs, behaviour, typical activities etc.).

Feel free to share your descriptions in the comments area below this lesson. I'll post my description (or I'll use the best one of yours) next week.

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Now you need to practise speaking. While you are speaking you should pay attention to your pronunciation, intonation and sentence structure. Try to speak at length. You can also record

yourself and listen to your recording afterwards.

Tuesday(Nov20th, 2012)

IELTS Speaking Part 1: 'accommodation' topic

Here are some questions that I found on the official IELTS website, https://www.wendangku.net/doc/9b7590188.html,. The answers below are my examples. Remember to keep your part 1 answers short and simple. You don't need to show off in part 1.

1. Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in.

I live in a house that has a living room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a small garden. It's not a very big house, but it's just right for me.

2. How long have you lived there?

I've lived there for about five years. It's the first house that I've owned; before that I was renting an apartment.

3. What do you like about living there?

I like living there because I think the house reflects my personality: I decorated it myself, I chose all the furniture, and everything is where I want it to be.

4. What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in?

If I could, I'd buy a bigger house near a beach or in the mountains, preferably somewhere with a warm climate.

Posted by Simon in IELTS Speaking | Permalink|Comments (13)

Friday, May 04, 2012

IELTS Speaking Part 2: take ideas from other topics

Describe a time when you received some money as a gift. You should say:

?who gave it to you

?what the occasion was

?how you felt

?and explain what you did with the money.

If you think about some of the topics we have already prepared, the question above should be quite easy.

Some ideas:

34You could say that you received money for your birthday and took your friends out for

a meal. Take some ideas from this lesson.

35You could say that you bought yourself a new phone (see this lesson).

36You could say that you used the money to pay for a holiday or trip, and use ideas from this lesson.

Note:

I'm not recommending that you learn my answers word-for-word. Just try to take some of my ideas and adapt them to your own answers.

Please write down your answer below.(You can do research before getting started.)

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Wednesday(Nov 21st, 2012)

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe a website

In Part 2 of IELTS Speaking, you might be asked to describe a website that you use: Describe a website that you often use. You should say:

?what type of website it is

?how you found out about it

?what it allows you to do, and why you find it useful.

Here are some ideas, with some of the band 7-9 vocabulary underlined:

37Facebook is a social networking website. It's a free website that allows you to keep in contact with friends or find people you've lost touch with. It's one of the most popular websites in the world, with millions of users in different countries.

38All of my friends use F acebook. One of my friends sent me an email inviting me to join.

I signed up and I've been using it ever since.

39Facebook allows you to keep up to date with what friends are doing. You have a