1. Where do you come from?

   

I live in Panvilles village. It is a big small town located in the south of the  Netherlands.  
2. What is your home like?  
I rent an apartment. We have two bedrooms, one living room, one  kitchen and of
course one restroom. The apartment is not very big,  about 70 square meters.  
3. What the advantages and disadvantages your home has?   

The advantage is that my accommodation has lots of sunlight from the  windows. And
the disadvantage is that it is noisy because the centre of  the city is nearby.  
4. Tell me about your family.   
I have a mother, a father and a brother. My mother is a social worker,  my father is a
civil engineer and my brother is a student.  
5. Tell me about your job.   
Well, I work for a small company named BananaSoft. It is located in  Smallvile. My
job title is Software Designer.  
6. Is there anything you dislike about your job?   
Normally, I enjoy my job very much. But sometimes my boss gives me  boring
assignments, which I don’t like at all.  
7. What are your plans for the future?   

I would like to improve my English first and then to find another job with  better salary.  
8. What type of transport do you use most?   

There are 2 types of transport that I use: I either drive my car or take the  bus.  
9. Do you like reading? 
Yes I do. I enjoy reading very much. Usually, I read every other day of the  week.  
10. What do you like reading the best?   

I enjoy reading newspapers, magazines and of course my favorite  fantasy

books.  
11. What kind of television programs do you watch?  

Well, my favorite channel is Some TV Channel. I find it very interesting  and

educational.  
12. Tell me about a film you have seen recently   

I saw “Some New Movie” a week ago. It is a comedy and I like comedies.  This one has
some silly jokes but other than that I enjoyed it.  
13. Do you have a pet?  
 Yes I do. I have a dog named Richy. He is 4 years old.  
14. What kind of food do you like?   
I prefer Asian cooking, mostly Chinese. My favorite dish is noodles with  vegetables.  
15. How often do you go shopping?  

Well, I don’t like shopping, so I do it only when I have to.  

16. What is your favorite festival and why?   

I like October Fest. It’s a German festival that starts in late September  and ends in
October. People drink lots of beer at October Fest and that is  why I like it.  
17. How do people celebrate this festival?  

Well, they build pavilions and stands that sell beer and all kinds of food,  a lot of bands
are playing there. People from all around Europe come to  celebrate the October Fest
dressed in German Traditional clothes.  

Do you prefer home-cooked food or food from restaurants? 

I prefer home-cooked food because I think it's healthier and you know  exactly what
you're eating. I also enjoy cooking for family and friends.  

Do you work or are you a student?  

These are common questions at the start of the speaking test:  

1. Do you work or are you a student?  

2. Do you like your job / course? Why / why not?  

Example answers:  

1. Before I came to England I was working as an accountant, but at the  moment I'm
studying English because I hope to do a Master's here.  2. Yes, I really like my job
because it's interesting and I work with a great  team of people. OR: Yes, I enjoy studying
English, but my real aim is to  do a Master's and then find a job in an international
company.  

Note: Don't ask the examiner: "Do you mean in my country or here in  England?" - it
doesn't matter. Don't worry if you have a job and study at the  same time - you can
mention both. 

Do you work or are you a student? 

I work and I'm studying English as well.  

And what's your job? 

I work in hairdressing and I do manicure, I do nails. I work part-time.  

How long have you done this job? 

I've been doing this job for almost one year.  

Do you like it? 

Actually, I don't like it very much. The part that I like is that I can communicate  with people.  

Answering the topics you are not interested in  

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?  

The best advice: just tell the truth. It's fine to say you don't like something.  Read the
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 some people.  

Here are five simple rules for Speaking Part 1: 

1. Keep your answers short, then stop with confidence.  

2. Answer the questions using full sentences.  
3. Use words from the examiner's question in your answer.  4. If possible,
give a reason for your answer.  
5. Don't forget to say "yes" or "no" when necessary.  

Here's an example to illustrate these points: 

Do you like parks?  

Yes, I like parks because they are great places to relax. If you live in a city, a  park is often
the only place where you can escape from the noise and the  traffic. 

1. How well do you know your next-door neighbours? 

I know my neighbours quite well. They're really nice people, and I always  stop to talk
whenever I see them. I think it's important to get on well  with the people who live next
door.  

2. How often do you see them? 

 I see my neighbours at least a few times a week. We usually see each  other when
we're leaving for work in the morning or coming home in  the evening.  

3. What problems do people sometimes have with their neighbours? 

I think the most common problem is probably noise. It's difficult to live  next to
people who have a dog that barks at night, or who play loud  music or have too many
parties.  

1. Do you live in a house or an apartment? 

I live in a semi-detached house with three bedrooms in a suburb of  Manchester.

I've lived there for just over a year.  

2. Which is your favourite room in your home? Why? 

I don't really have a favourite room. But if I had to choose, I'd say the  living room
because that's where I go to sit and relax.  

3. Would you change anything about your home? Why / why not? 

Yes, I've been meaning to redecorate it since I moved in last year. It  needs a new
kitchen, so that's what I'd change first.  

4. Would you like to move to a different home in the future? 

Yes, I'd definitely move again at some point if I could afford to. I'd like to  live in the
countryside, or maybe in a different city or country. 

1. Do you have a favourite number or a number that is special to you? 

Yes, my favourite number is... because it's the day I was born on, and it's  my lucky
number.  

2. Do any numbers have special importance in your country? 

Yes, certain ages are special. For example, your 18th birthday is  important because
it's when you are considered to become an adult.  

3. Are you good at remembering numbers? Why / why not? 

No, I'm not very good at remembering numbers. I don't think it's  necessary to
learn them by heart; I just save them on my phone.  

4. What numbers do people often have to memorise? 

The most important number to remember on a daily basis is the pin  number for your
bank card. Without this you can't pay for anything or  get cash out.  
1. Where are you from? 

I'm from Manchester, which is a city in the north west of England.  2. Do you like

your home town? (Why?) 

Yes, I like living in Manchester because it's where most of my friends  live, and because
there are plenty of things to do there. The only thing I  don't like is the weather.  

3. Would you prefer to live somewhere else? (Why?) 

For the moment I'm happy living here, but at some point I'd like to live in  a country with
a warmer climate, and I'd like to live near a beach!  

4. Do you think your home town is a good place for young people? (Why?)
Yes, Manchester has lots of things for young people, such as sports facilities,  music and
cinemas.  

1. Are your friends mostly your age or different ages? 

Most of my friends are about the same age as me because we met at  school or
university. I've got one or two friends who are older or  younger that I met through
work.  

2. Do you usually see your friends during the week or at weekends? 

I tend to meet up with my friends at weekends because everyone's too  busy during
the week.  

3. The last time you saw your friends, what did you do together? 

It was one of my friends' birthday last weekend. Six of us went out for a  meal to
celebrate.  

4. In what ways are your friends important to you? 

I think it's important to have friends that you can talk to and share  experiences with.
My friends make me laugh, but I know I can also rely  on them whenever I need help
or support.  

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 '..........'. 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.  

1. Do you like studying? Why / why not? 

Yes, I like studying because it's the best way to gain a deeper insight into  any subject. I
like reading, learning from others, and trying to  understand difficult concepts.  

2. Do you prefer to study alone or with others? Why? 

I prefer to study alone because I need to be able to concentrate fully.  Other people
are a distraction.  

3. Where do you prefer to go when you need to study? Why? 

I like to find a quiet corner in my local library; being in an old building  and
surrounded by books seems to help me to focus on my work.  

4. How do you feel if someone disturbs you when you are studying? 

It frustrates me because it breaks my concentration. I prefer to avoid  distractions

by going somewhere where nobody will interrupt me.  

‘Walking’ Topics  

1. Do you like walking? 

I'm not one for going on really long walks in the countryside, but I don't  mind walking
when I'm in a town or city, for example when I'm  sightseeing in a new place. 
2. Do you think walking is important? 

Yes, I think it's important to be active, and walking is the most basic  physical
activity that we can do.  

3. Do you think walking in the countryside is better than walking in the city? 

Personally, no. As I said before, I like walking in the city, especially if it's  somewhere
with a lot of history like London or Paris.  

4. What could be done to improve the experience of walking in cities? 

I suppose the main issues are space and safety. Pavements need to be  wide enough
to accommodate lots of pedestrians, and we need safe  places to cross the street.  
‘Parks’ Topics  

1. Do you like parks? Why / why not? 

Yes, I like parks because they're great places to relax or go for a walk. I  think every city
needs some green space where people can escape from  the crowds.  

2. How often do you visit parks? 

There's a park very close to where I live, so I probably go there once or  twice a week
if the weather's nice.  

3. Why are parks an important part of many towns and cities? 

Parks are like an oasis where people get away from the hustle and bustle  of city life.
They are where people go to have lunch, to take some  exercise, or to forget about work
for a while.  

4. What do you think could be done to make parks better? 

The parks in big cities are already really good in my opinion. If I think  about the
famous parks in London, Paris or New York, I can't imagine  what I would do to
improve them. 
‘Maps’ Topics  
1. Do you ever use maps? 
Yes. Whenever I go somewhere new, I plan my journey with the help of  a map.  

2. When do people usually need to use a map? 

I imagine that some people use a map every day if they travel to  different places for work. Others
might only use a map when they're on  holiday.  

3. Do you prefer electronic or paper maps? 

I still prefer paper maps for a long journey; I like being able to open the  map out on a
table and see the full journey ahead.  

4. Do you ever ask people for directions instead of using a map? 

Only if I'm really lost. Whenever I ask for directions, I find it difficult to  remember
what the person said. So I prefer to find my own way.  

‘Games’ Topics  

1. What games are popular in your country? 

Well, if we can consider sports as games, then football is definitely the  most popular
game in my country, but we also love board games like  chess.  

2. Do you play any games? 

 Not regularly these days. I play the occasional game of tennis with my  brother-in-
law, and I recently played a bowling game on the Nintendo  Wii with my nephew. I
wasn't very good at it.  

3. How do people learn to play games in your country? 

I think children teach each other to play games. I remember a friend at  primary
school teaching me to play chess, for example. 
4. Do you think it's important for people to play games? 

Yes, it's really important, especially for children. I think research has  shown that play
can improve brain development, intelligence, creativity,  and the ability to cooperate
with others.  

‘Travel’ Topics  

1. What form of transport do you prefer to use? Why? 

I prefer to travel by car because it means that I have my own space. Also,  the buses and
trains in my city are usually overcrowded; my car is much  more comfortable.  

2. How much time do you spend travelling on a normal day? 

I probably spend about an hour and a half travelling to and from work. I  travel during
the rush hours, so there is quite a lot of traffic.  

3. What do you do while you are travelling? 

I usually listen to the radio or a CD. In the morning I like to listen to the  news to find
out what is happening in the world.  

4. Do you ever have problems with transport? 

Yes, as I said, I get stuck in traffic on my way to and from work. I used to  get annoyed
by traffic jams, but now I'm used to them.  

‘Work’ topic  

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.  

‘Collecting’ Topics  

1. Have you ever collected anything as a hobby? (What?) 

Yes. When I was younger I used to collect keyrings. I remember that my  favourite was a
Lego man keyring that someone bought me as a present.  

2. What kinds of thing do people often like collecting? 

Some people collect cheap items like stamps, keyrings or toys. Others  collect
expensive antiques, watches, jewellery or even cars.  

3. Why do you think people collect certain objects? 

Maybe they like the constant search for a new item, or they want to  remember past
experiences. Others might like the feeling of organising  and presenting what they
own.  

4. Is there anything that you would like to collect in the future? 

Yes. If I could afford it, I'd love to have a collection of guitars in different  colours,
shapes and sizes!  

‘Cooking’ Topics  

1. Do you like cooking? Why / why not? 

Sometimes, I like preparing a special meal for family or friends who visit,  but everyday
cooking is a bit boring; it's something that has to be done,  but it's not really fun. 

2. Who did the cooking in your family when you were a child? 

My mother almost always did the cooking when I was young. I don't  think she
trusted my father to make a nice meal.  

3. Do you think that it's important to know how to cook well? 

I'm not sure whether it's important to cook well, but I do think that  everyone
should know the basics. It definitely isn't healthy to rely on  pre-prepared meals or
fast food.  
4. Do you think that children should be taught cookery at school? 

Yes, that's probably a good idea. If all children knew how to cook a few  basic, healthy
meals, that would surely be a good thing.  

‘Laughing’ Topic  

1. What kinds of thing make you laugh? 

I laugh most when I'm with friends talking about funny things that have  happened to
us. I also like watching comedians and comedy films.  

2. Do you like making other people laugh? 

Yes, it's a nice feeling when you can make someone laugh because you  can see that
you've made them happy. It's great to share a funny  moment with someone.  

3. Do you think it's important for people to laugh? 

Yes, of course. It's important to see the funny side of things; humour  helps us not to
take life too seriously. I think that laughter is good for our  health.  

4. Is laughing the same as feeling happy? 

It's not exactly the same because you can be happy without laughing,  and sometimes
we laugh when something bad has happened; a sense of  humour can help us to cope
with difficult situations. 
‘Emails’ topic  

1. At work or in your studies, do you often write things? 

Yes, I write a lot of emails as part of my job. I work for a company that  has offices in
several countries, so we use email to communicate.  

2. How often do you send e-mails? 

I probably write between 5 and 10 work emails every day, and I send  emails to
friends or family a few times a week.  

3. Do you prefer to write by hand or on a computer? 

It depends what I’m doing. I prefer the computer for most things  because it’s
faster and you can save or copy things, but I still like making  notes or writing ideas
down by hand.  

4. Do you think computers might one day replace handwriting? 

No, I think we will always write by hand as well. I think it’s an important  skill, and
schools will continue to teach children to write by hand before  they learn to type.  
‘Accommodation’ Topic  

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.  

‘Communication’ Topics  

1. How do you usually keep in touch with members of your family? 

I mostly keep in touch with my family by phone, and I've started using  the Internet to
make video calls. I also try to visit members of my family  in person as often as I can.  

2. Do you prefer to speak to people by phone or by writing emails? 

It depends on the situation. I use email and text messages to  communicate with
friends, but my parents prefer it if I phone them.  

3. Do you ever write letters by hand? (Why / Why not?) 

No, I don't write letters by hand because it's so much easier to send an  email that will
arrive immediately.  

4. Is there anything you dislike about mobile phones? 

Well, I don't like listening to other people's conversations in public  places, and I don't
like it when someone's phone rings in the cinema or  during a lesson.  

‘Clothes’ Topics  

1. Are clothes and clothing fashions important to you? (Why/Why not?) 

No, clothes and fashions are not really important to me. I tend to wear  clothes that
are comfortable and practical rather than fashionable.  
2. What different clothes do you wear for different situations? 

Well, I have to dress quite formally for work, so I wear a shirt and  trousers. At
home I prefer to wear jeans and a T-shirt, and on special  occasions I might wear a
suit. 
3. Do you wear different styles of clothes now compared to 10 years ago? 

No, not really, because I don't follow fashion. I think I have dressed in a  similar way
for the last 10 years.  

4. Do you think the clothes we wear say something about who we are? 

Yes, they probably do. Some people are really careful about what they  wear because
they want to be seen as stylish. Other people wear clothes  that show wealth or status,
such as clothes by famous designers.  

‘Musical instruments’ Topics  

1. Which musical instrument do you like listening to most? (Why?) 

My favourite musical instrument to listen to is the guitar. I like the fact  that there are
different types of guitar, like classical, acoustic and  electric. I love the variety of
sounds a guitar can make.  

2. Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument? 

I took some guitar lessons when I was younger and still have a guitar at  home. I don't
play it much nowadays. I wish I had more time to practise.  

3. Do you think children should learn to play an instrument at school? 

Yes, I think it's a great skill and it's really enjoyable to be able to play a  musical
instrument. All children should be given this opportunity.  

4. How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a teacher? 

It would probably be more difficult without a teacher. You need  someone to show you
what to do and correct your mistakes. You need a  lot of discipline to teach yourself.  

‘Telephoning’ Topics  

1. How often do you make telephone calls? 

I probably make three or four phone calls every day, usually just to make  arrangements
with work colleagues or to speak to family and friends.  

2. Who do you spend most time talking to on the telephone?

I think it would be one of my closest work colleagues. We often call each  other rather
than meeting face-to-face.  
3. When do you think you'll next make a telephone call? 

My family are expecting me to phone them as soon as I finish this exam.  They'll want
to know how it went.  

4. Do you sometimes prefer to send a text message instead of telephoning? 

Yes. I prefer to send a text message when I'm arranging something  simple, like a
time to meet someone. In those situations, a phone call  isn't necessary.  

‘Toys’ Topics  

1. Did you play with toys when you were a child? 

Yes, of course. I loved playing with toys when I was a child; I think all  children do.  

2. What kinds of toys did you like? 

As far as I remember, I mostly played with toy cars, planes and action  figures from
films or cartoons. I also liked building things with Lego.  

3. In your country, do boys and girls play with the same types of toys? 

Not really. I think boys like the kinds of toys that I mentioned before,  whereas girls
play with dolls. My niece, for example, doesn't like toy  cars; she prefers dressing
dolls in different outfits.  

4. Do you think that toys help children to learn? 

Yes, I do. All toys encourage children to use their imagination and  creativity. Even with
simple toys, children imagine situations and invent  games and rules.  

‘Shopping’ Topics  

1. Who does most of the shopping in your household?

There isn't one person who does most of the shopping. I'd say it's a  shared
responsibility because we tend to go shopping together as a  family.  

2. What kind of shopping do you like doing? 

I quite like shopping for presents for people's birthdays or for Christmas.  My favourite
type of shop would have to be a bookshop.  

3. Is shopping a popular activity in your country? 

Yes, it's very popular. Saturday is the busiest shopping day, and lots of  people treat
shopping as a kind of leisure activity, rather than something  practical.  

4. What types of shops do teenagers like best in your country? 

 I'm not an expert on teenage behaviour, but I guess they like buying  clothes,
music, gadgets... that kind of thing.  

‘Sports or games’ Topics  

1. What sports or physical activities do you regularly do? 

Unfortunately I don't have time to do any sports or physical activities  because of my

work commitments. I'd like to find more time for regular  exercise.  

2. Which sport or game would you like to be good at? 

I'd like to be good at tennis. It must be great to be able to hit the ball as  hard as you
can and watch it land exactly where you wanted it to.  

3. Do you prefer watching or playing sports? 

I don't watch much sport on TV and I'm not a big sports fan, so I think I  would
probably enjoy doing sports more than watching them.  

4. Do you think children should be encouraged to do more sport? 

Yes, I think that sport is really important for children. Sports and games  teach children
to play together and try their best. 

Hometown 

I’d just like to ask you some questions about your hometown or city.  

1. What type of place is it?  

2. What was it like growing up there?  
3. Has it changed much since you were a child?  

Studies 

I’d just like to ask you some questions about your studies.  

1. What are you studying?  

2. Why did you choose that particular course?  
3. What job would you like when you have completed all your  studies?  

Work 

I’d just like to ask you some questions about your work.  

1. What work do you do?  

2. What do you enjoy most about your work?  
3. What are your main duties?  
 4. Is there any other work you would like to do in the future?  Free Time 

I’d like to move on and ask you some questions about your free time  

1. What type of activities do you like to do in your free time?  2. How long
have you been interested in these activities?  
3. Do you like to do these activities alone or with other people?  (Why)?  
4. Do you think people have enough free time? (Why/why not)? 
Family 

I’d like to move on and ask you some questions about your family.  

1. How many people are there in your family?  

2. Do you all live in the same house? (Why/why not)?  3. What things
do you like doing together?  
4. Who is your favorite family member?  

Timing 

Let’s move on and talk about being on time for appointments.  

1. Is being late acceptable in your culture? (Why/why not)?  2. Are you ever
late for appointments? (Why/why not)?  3. What type of excuses do you
think are alright for lateness?  
4. How do you feel when someone is late for an appointment with  you?  

Neighbors 

Let’s change the topic and talk about your neighbors  

1. Do you know the people who live next door to you?  2. How often
do you see each other?  
3. What kind of relationship do you have?  
4. How can neighbors be helpful?  
5. What kind of problems can people have with their neighbors in a  big city?  

Food 

Moving to a new topic, I’d like to discuss cooking and meals with you.  

1. Do you enjoy cooking? (Why/why not)?  

2. What type of things can you cook? (Why)?  
3. What kinds of food are popular in your country? 

4. Is it an important part of your culture to have dinner parties?  (Why)?  

5. Do you prefer to eat with other people or on your own? (Why)?  Dreams 
 I’d now like to discuss your night time dreams with you.  

1. Do you dream much at night?  

2. Do you often remember your dreams?  
3. Do you think we can learn anything from dreams? (Why)?  4. Do people in
your country talk about their dreams? (Why)?  5. Do you think that dreams
can come true?  
Magazines and Newspapers 

Okay, let’s move to a different topic and discuss magazines and  newspapers.  

1. Which do you prefer reading, newspapers or magazines? (Why)?  2. What type

of stories do you like to read about? (Why)?  
3. Do you think reading a magazine or a newspaper can help you  learn a language?
(Why)?  
4. Why do you think some people prefer magazines to newspapers?  Humor 

Let’s change the topic and talk about comedy and humor.  

1. What type of programs do you find funny on TV?  

2. Which types of programs are most popular in your country?  (Why)?  
3. What kind of things make you laugh? (Why)?  
4. Do you like to make people laugh? (How)?  
5. Do you think it is important to have a sense of humor? (Why)?   

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Solo Speech & the Cue Card  

After you have finished the Interview, the examiner will hand you a card with 3  or 4 questions
on. Usually the card asks you to describe a place, an event or a  situation from your
experience. You have 1 minute to prepare a little speech  that answers all of the questions on
a card. You also receive a paper sheet and  a pen to write your notes.  

The speech should take from one to two minutes. In the end the examiner  might ask you a
couple of additional questions. The tricky part here is to know  when 2 minutes have passed.
You need to get a feeling what is it like to talk for  2 minutes. My suggestion is to practice at
home with a clock, recording  yourself while you are speaking on a particular topic. You can
use MP3 players  that can record. This way you can evaluate your own speech without any
help  from other people.  

How to use your 1-minute preparation time  

Here is some advice:  

1. One minute is a very short amount of time! I found it just as difficult as  my students did.  
 2. A simple list is probably faster and easier than a diagram or mind map.  3. You need to
decide on your topic as quickly as possible. Then spend  most of your time making
notes.  
4. Try to write at least one key idea for each part of the question.  5. Don't write
sentences, and don't waste time erasing "mistakes".  6. Try to use a topic you have
already prepared.  
7. Forget about grammar. Focus on answering the question.  8. Finally, fast preparation
is a skill that you can practise. Why not train  yourself by making notes for a few
different questions every day?  

Example:  

Describe a film you saw recently.   

You should say:  

ξ What kind of film it was   

ξ When you saw it  
ξ What it was about   
ξ and why you liked or didn't like it  

Notes (1 minute)  

1. The Social Network  

2. True story  
3. 2 weeks ago  
4. Creator of Facebook  
5. Simple idea  
6. Global branding and fame  

Part 2 Main Topics  

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

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

2. Describe a person (someone you admire, a family member etc.)  3. Describe an
event (a festival, celebration etc.)  
4. Describe an activity (e.g. a hobby)  
5. Describe a place (somewhere you visited, a holiday etc.)  6. Describe your
favourite (book/film/advertisement/website)  

Most questions fit into one of these topics. For example, "Describe a river,  lake or sea
which you like" is number 5 - 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!   
Essential Preparation  

It's impossible to prepare for every question that you might get in the speaking  test, but what
are the essential things to prepare for?  

Here's a list of essentials:  

1. Favourites: Don't go into the test without knowing what your favourites  are. Prepare to
talk about your favourite book, film, music, and website.  2. People: Be ready to talk about
a famous person and a member of your  family.  
3. Activities: Have you prepared some ideas about a hobby? Can you  describe a
typical day in your life? Try to remember some special  moments in your life, such as
birthdays, festivals and weddings.  
4. Places: You need to be able to talk about where you live. Also, think  about the places you
have visited, what you did there, and why you liked  or didn't like them.  
5. Things: Can you talk about the things you use every day, something you  would like to buy,
or a present that you received?  

Remember that in part 2 you are always asked to "describe". Make sure you  prepare some
good adjectives for each topic, make sure you can talk about  your opinions and feelings, and
think about some examples or stories to make  your descriptions more interesting.  

How to talk for 2 minutes  

Students often ask whether it's necessary to speak for the full 2 minutes in part  2 of the
speaking test. The instruction is: speak for between 1 and 2 minutes,  so it's not strictly
necessary to speak for the full 2 minutes. However, the best  advice is that you should try to
keep speaking until the examiner stops you.  

Here are some tips to help you keep talking:  

1. Go through the bullet points on the task card in order.  

2. Try to develop each point, even easy ones. For example, if the first bullet  point for the topic
"describe a person" is "who is it?", don't just say "I'm  going to describe my father". Add
more information, such as your  father's name, age, what he looks like, where he is now,
how often you  speak to him...  
3. Give examples and tell stories. 
Use real examples  

To improve your IELTS speaking score, use good examples to extend your  answers. Real
examples or stories about yourself are the best.  

Use examples in part 2 when you need to make your presentation longer. Use  them in part 3
to support your opinions.  

Here's an example that helps me to extend a part 2 presentation about my  mobile
phone: 
"For example, yesterday I used my phone to call some friends to arrange a get together this
weekend. Some of them didn't answer, so I either left a message  in their voicemail or I sent
them a text. I also replied to a few emails while I  was waiting in a queue at the bank."  

Use the right tense  

- Can you use the past tense when describing a person who is still alive?  - Which tense
should you use when describing a person?  

The answer to the first question is yes. You can say: "My father was always a  good role
model for me when I was growing up." This doesn't mean that your  father is no longer alive;
it just means that you are no longer growing up!  

The answer to the second question is it depends. As we saw above, you can  use the past
tense, but it would also be easy to add the present and/or future  tense: "My father was
always kind to me when I was a child, and he still helps  me whenever I need something. I'm
sure he will always be there for me."  

3 important tips  

Here are three quick tips for IELTS speaking part 2:  

1. Use the 1 minute preparation time well 

Think about how you would answer the question in your own language,  then write
down as many ideas as possible in English.  

2. Give real examples 

Say what you really think, talk about your real life, and give real  examples.
Examples are really important; whenever you don't know  what to say, give an
example from your own experience. 

3. Don't worry about grammar 

You haven't got time to think about passives or conditionals. Focus on  answering the
question - ideas and vocabulary.  

Forget about the eye-contact  

Many students worry that they need to maintain eye contact with the  examiner. This is a
good idea in part 1 and part 3, but not necessarily in part 2.  

In part 2 of the speaking test, you don't need to worry about eye contact. It's  more
important to look at the question and the notes you made.  

ξ Usethe question to organise what you are saying. Answer the question  point by point,
and make sure you cover all parts of the task.  ξ You should also look at your notes.
Hopefully you wrote down some  good ideas during the preparation time.  

Remember: the examiner will not reduce your score for lack of eye contact,  but he or she
will reduce your score if you don't answer the question well.  
Take ideas from other topics  

If don’t need to prepare for all possible topics. Instead, try to take and use the  ideas you
have already thought about from other similar topics. Look at the  example below.  

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

ξ who gave it to you 

ξ what the occasion was 
ξ how you felt 
ξ and explain what you did with the money. 

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

Some ideas:  

1. You could say that you received money for your birthday and took your  friends out for a
meal.  
2. You could say that you bought yourself a new phone.  
3. You could say that you used the money to pay for a holiday or trip. 

Note: We are not recommending that you learn my answers word-for-word.  Just try to
take some of these ideas and adapt them to your own answers.  

Don’t use formula phrases  

Students often ask whether the following formula is useful for speaking part 2:  

ξI guess I could begin by saying something about (point 1) and I think I  would have to
choose...  
ξ Going on to my next point which is (point 2), I really need to emphasise  that (explain point
2).  
ξ And now with reference to (point 3), the point I want to make here is  that (explain point
3).  
ξ 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? The answer is no!  

IELTS examiners will 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 some  structure, and
it might make you feel more confident during the test. However,  the disadvantages are
greater:  

1. Your focus is on the phrases you have memorised, when it should be  on answering the
question with relevant ideas.  
2. The 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.  
How to score higher? Record, transcribe and analyse  

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

1. Choose a real speaking test from one of the Cambridge books.  2. Record yourself
answering one or all of the parts of the test.  3. Listen to the recording and transcribe
it (write down everything you  said).  
4. Analyse the transcript. How could your answers be improved?  5. Take some time to
prepare better answers for the same questions.  6. Try the same questions again! Record
yourself, transcribe and analyse.  7. Repeat the process a few times until you are happy.  

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

Useful speaking strategies  

1. Try to develop each bullet point in detail. If you don't say enough for the  first two or three
points, you'll find yourself with too much time for the  last point.  
2. Tell a story! My second point tells the story of how I was given the chair  by a friend, and I
could probably speak for 2 minutes about this point  alone. When you tell a story about
something real that happened, you'll  find it easy to keep talking. Stories are also
interesting for the listener  (the examiner).  
3. Add examples. In point 3, you can see that I added an example at the  end ("last night I
fell asleep in my armchair while I was watching a film").  I could easily take this example
and develop it into another short story.  
4. When describing an object, don't forget the simple things like size,  colour (I forgot that
one!), shape, material, position ("just under my  living room window").  
Don’t worry about the examiner’s attitude  

Some students feel 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 or 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!  

How to feel more confident  

Here are some tips to help you feel more confident when you go for your IELTS  speaking
test:  
ξ 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.  
ξ 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.  
ξ Write it down: when studying at home, you have time to prepare  'perfect' answers to
practice questions; write your answers down, and  ask someone to help you check and
improve them.  
ξ Speak aloud: start by reading the answers you wrote down (like an actor  uses a script), then
gradually stop using the script.  
ξ Record yourself: this allows you to analyse the quality of your answers,  as well as your
pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.  
ξ 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 expressing
good ideas (which means good  vocabulary). 

The importance of pronunciation  

In the IELTS speaking test, 25% of your score is for pronunciation. Many  students confuse
'pronunciation' with 'accent'. These are not the same thing!  

Nobody expects you to speak with a perfect British English or American English  accent. In
fact, the examiner will not judge your accent at all.  

Your pronunciation score is based on these things:  

ξ clarity
(speaking clearly)  
ξ speed (not too fast, not too slow)  
ξ word stress  
ξ sentence stress  
ξ intonation (the rise and fall of your voice)  

It's not easy to improve these things quickly or through deliberate practice.  Good
pronunciation is usually the result of lots of listening and copying. The  best tip is: stop
worrying about your accent, and focus on speaking clearly.  

The importance of grammar and vocabulary  

It's difficult to think about grammar when you're trying to speak. It's much  easier to
improve your vocabulary score than your grammar score.  

Remember: 

ξ Grammar is only 25% of your speaking score.  

ξ If you are thinking too much about grammar, you will lose fluency.  ξ If you try to use
memorised grammatical structures, your speech will not  sound 'natural'.  
ξ You will not avoid small grammar mistakes unless you have lived in an  English speaking
country for many years.  
Note: You can easily get high scores if you focus on vocabulary, ideas, opinions and fluency.  

 
Describing things and objects  

In IELTS speaking part 2, you might be asked to describe an object. For  example:  

ξ Describe something you bought recently.  

ξ Describe a gift you gave or received.  
ξ Describe something you own which is important to you.  

Choose something easy, like a mobile phone: 

I'm going to describe my mobile phone. I bought it online / in a mobile phone  shop / it was a
present from...  

I use the phone to keep in touch with friends and family, for communication by  voice, text
and email. It has various features like video, MP3 player, wireless  Internet, digital camera and
games. It's easy to share photos and music. I use it  for almost everything, it even has a
calendar that reminds me about  appointments.  

My phone is an essential part of my life. It holds my contacts, my photos, my  music

collection. I've got instant access to my favourite websites. It's like  having my whole life in
my pocket. I couldn't live without it.  

Note: The best phrases for IELTS band 7 or higher have been underlined.  

Describing a person  

Describe a person you admire. 

You should say: 

ξ who the person is 

ξ what he or she is like 
ξ and why you admire him or her. 

Here are some ideas. The best band 7 vocabulary items and collocations have  been
underlined.  

I'm going to talk about my father because he has been a major influence in my  life. My father
was always a good role model for me as I was growing up. He's 

hard-working, patient and understanding; he's also got a good sense of  humour and seems to
get on well with everybody. Hopefully I've inherited  some of these traits. I admire my father
because I think he brought me and my  brothers/sisters up well; he was quite strict but always
fair, and he has always  been someone I can turn to for advice. I think my father set a good
example by  working hard and having a positive outlook on life. I remember that he used to 
leave for work early and come home quite late, but he always made time for  me and my
brothers/sisters.  
Describing a website  

Describe a website that you often use. You should say: 

ξ what type of website it is 

ξ how you found out about it 
ξ 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:  

Facebook 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. All of my friends use
Facebook. One of my friends sent me an email  inviting me to join. I signed up and I've been
using it ever since. Facebook  allows you to keep up to date with what friends are doing. You
have a profile  page with information and status updates so that you can tell everyone what 
you're doing. You can post messages to other people's pages. You can upload  photos and
videos. I find Facebook most useful for organising my life, keeping  in touch with friends and
storing photos. I think social networking websites  have become part of everyday life.  

Describing a season  

Describe your favourite season in your country. You should say 

- when that season is 

- what the weather is like at that time of year 
- how that season is different from other seasons 
- and why it is your favourite season. 

My favourite season in England is winter. A typical English winter would last  around 4 or 5
months between November and March, but when I say that I like  the winter, I’m really
thinking about the coldest month or two each year.  During those really wintry months, the
temperature drops below zero and it  often snows. Over the last few years we’ve had periods
of quite heavy  snowfall, to the extent that roads have been blocked and schools have had to 
close. Last winter I remember looking out of the window one morning and  seeing everything
covered in a layer of white. Obviously the snow is what  differentiates winter from the other
seasons, but when it doesn’t snow there  isn’t much difference between winter, autumn and
spring; winter is just a bit  colder. The reason I’ve chosen winter as my favourite season is
because I like  the snow. I live near the countryside, and the landscape looks beautiful when 
everything is covered in white. We also celebrate Christmas and New Year in  the winter, and
these are my favourite festivals.  

Describing a plan  

Describe a future plan. You should say 

- what the plan is 

- when you thought of the plan 
- who is involved in the plan 
- and say how you think you will achieve the plan. 

I’m going to talk about a future plan that I have, which is to buy a good camera  and to
become a better photographer. At the moment I’m just using the  camera on my mobile
phone, but I’ve realised that it has its limitations. I  thought of this plan when I was at a
friend’s wedding a few weeks ago. I got  some great pictures of the bride and groom and their
guests celebrating, but I  did notice that with my phone camera I wasn’t able to capture longer
range 

photos, or photos in darker conditions; the phone’s zoom and flash aren’t very  good. Next
time I’d like to be able to capture a special occasion in higher  quality images. Obviously this
plan depends on whether I can save enough  money to buy the camera I’d like. Also, before
making a decision about which  camera to get, I’ll probably talk to a friend who knows more
about  photography than I do. In terms of buying a camera, I’ll achieve this plan if I  can save
some money! In terms of becoming a better photographer, I think I’ll  achieve that goal by
experimenting with my new camera and by learning as I  go along.  
Describing a journey  

Describe a journey you went on. You should include in your answer:  

ξ Where you went on your journey   

ξ Why you went to this particular place  
ξ What did you do and with whom  
ξ Why you enjoyed your journey or not 

I would like to tell you about a journey I went on a year ago. My wife and I took  a trip to
Holland. Both of us wanted to visit Amsterdam very much because we  saw pictures and heard
stories of friends about how beautiful and wonderful it  is. So finally we bought plane tickets,
booked a hotel, packed our bags and our  
trip began. We spent a lot of time before our holiday in research of all the  interesting places
to visit and all the sights to see. So we went to Amstell Beer  museum, took a romantic sunset
cruise in the water channels, drove to  Volendam, a small prettiest fisherman village, visited a
cheese farm. Every  evening we took long walks along the channels, resting in small gardens,
which  Amsterdam has a lot of. Street artists were performing everywhere and a lot of  people
came to watch their show. We enjoyed very much everything we did  and especially being
together in such a beautiful country. Having my wife by  my side on this trip made it even
more fun.  

 Describing a conversation  

Describe an interesting conversation you had with someone you didn't know.  You should
say 

- who the person was 

- where the conversation took place 
- what you talked about 
- and explain why you found the conversation interesting. 

I’m going to talk about an interesting conversation that I had a couple of weeks  ago in a music
shop. I was walking along one of the main shopping streets in  the city centre, when a large
window displaying all sorts of musical instruments  caught my eye. Out of curiosity, I decided
to go in and have a look around. The  person I ended up speaking to was a shop assistant on
the second floor, in the  area of the shop dedicated to acoustic guitars. I hadn’t intended to
speak to  anyone, but the assistant approached me in a friendly way and asked whether I  had
any questions. I explained to the assistant that I hadn’t played the guitar  for years, but that I
wondered what the differences were between the various  acoustic guitars on show. He talked
to me about the different makes and  models, whether they were factory or handmade, the
woods and varnishes  used, the variation in sound quality, and of course the price range. I
found the  conversation fascinating because the shop assistant was so knowledgeable. It  was
obvious that he had a passion for the guitar, and he didn’t mind talking to  me even though I
had made it clear that I didn’t intend to buy anything. He  even picked up and played three or
four of the instruments to demonstrate the  differences in their sound.  

Describing a subject  

Describe a subject that you think should be removed from school education  programmes.
You should say 

- what the subject is 

- why you think it is unnecessary for children to study it 
- and explain what you would replace it with. 

Here's a sample answer with band 7-9 vocabulary underlined: 

I’m going to suggest that art could be taken out of the school curriculum. In my  experience,
art lessons at school tend to include drawing, painting, and the  making of collages using paper,
fabric and other household materials. There  are a few reasons why I think that school art
lessons are unnecessary. Firstly, I  don’t believe that drawing and painting are essential skills
that children will  need when they leave school. Children might find these activities enjoyable, 
but it’s unlikely that they will need them in the working world. Secondly,  children can draw,
paint and make collages in their own time at home; parents  can encourage this, and they can
even join in. Finally, remembering my own art  lessons at school, I don’t think we learnt any
real art skills; the teachers left us  to draw or create things, but they didn’t provide much
technical instruction.  Instead of art lessons, children could do more work on core subjects like 
maths, science or language. These subjects are more likely to help children in  later life when
they enter the job market, and I think both children and their  teachers would benefit if more
time were devoted to them.  
Describing a festival  

A common topic for the short presentation (IELTS Speaking Part 2) is "describe  an important
festival in your country".  
My advice is to look for a description of your festival on Wikipedia. Copy the  best parts of
the description and make small changes if necessary. As an  example, I've copied a short
description of Christmas from Wikipedia.  

Sample Answer: 

Christmas is an annual holiday that, in Christianity, commemorates the birth of  Jesus Christ.  

Popular customs of the holiday include gift-giving, music, an exchange of  greeting cards,
church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various  decorations; including
Christmas trees, lights, nativity scenes, and holly. In  addition, Father Christmas (known as
Santa Claus in some areas) is a popular  figure in many countries, associated with the
bringing of gifts for children.  

Over the Christmas period, people decorate their homes and exchange gifts. In  some
countries, children perform plays re-telling the events of the Nativity, or sing carols that
reference the event. Christmas, along with Easter, is the period  of highest annual church
attendance.  A special Christmas family meal is an important part of the celebration for  many,
and what is served varies greatly from country to country. In England  and countries
influenced by its traditions, a standard Christmas meal includes  turkey, potatoes, vegetables,
sausages and gravy, followed by Christmas  pudding, mince pies and fruit cake.  

Describing a piece of furniture  

Describe a piece of furniture that you own. You should say 

- what it is 
- where you bought it 
- how you use it 
- and explain why you like it. 

I'm going to talk about my favourite chair. It's a big, leather armchair that sits  in my living
room at home, just under my living room window. I didn't actually  buy the armchair. One of
my friends was moving house and was going to buy  some new furniture. I had always liked
his leather armchair, so he said I could  have it if I managed to move it. The chair wouldn't fit
in my car, and it was  tricky to get it out of my friend's apartment. I had to hire a small van to
take  the armchair home. Obviously I use the armchair for sitting! It's my favourite  place in
the house to relax, read a book, watch TV or even do some work; the  chair's arms are quite
wide and flat, so my laptop fits nicely on either of them.  Last night I fell asleep in my
armchair while I was watching a film. The main  reasons why I like this piece of furniture are
that it's comfortable and it's in the  perfect position in my living room. The only drawback
might be that I enjoy  sitting in the armchair too much, and sometimes I think it makes me
lazy!  
Describing something that made you laugh  

Describe a funny situation that made you laugh. You should say 
- when this situation took place 
- what happened 
- how you reacted and why you found the situation funny. 

I'm going to talk about a funny thing that happened to me a couple of weeks  ago. I think it
was a Saturday morning, and I was sitting having a coffee in a  café near where I live. I was on
my own so I decided to read the newspaper  while drinking my coffee. I must have been quite
engrossed in what I was  reading because the time passed quickly, and I suddenly realised that
I needed  to get going. What I didn't realise was that I had been sitting with my legs  crossed,
and one of my legs had completely gone to sleep. As I stood up to  leave the café, I quickly
became aware that my left leg was 'dead', but it was  too late; I started to fall. I thought I
could catch myself on the table, but the  table tipped over and I fell to the floor in front of
everyone in the café! I can  remember being on my knees in the middle of the café, looking up
at the staff  and customers around me. I felt really embarrassed and I expected the other 
people to find it funny, but to my surprise nobody was laughing. They were all  worried that
something really bad had happened to me! As I got up from the  floor, I had to explain to the
whole café that I was fine. I was embarrassed at  the time, but I laughed about it later!  

Describing an advertisement  

Describe an interesting advertisement that you have seen. You should say: 

ξ where you saw it 

ξ what it was about 
ξ why you think it was an interesting advertisement. 

Choose something simple. Here's an example with the "band 7" vocabulary  underlined:  

I'm going to talk about an advertisement for Coca-Cola, which is one of the  biggest brands in
the world. I've seen Coke advertised everywhere, on posters  and TV commercials. The advert
shows a picture of Santa Claus smiling and holding a bottle of Coke. I think the aim is to target
children and associate  (link/connect) the brand with Christmas time. The advert is interesting
because  the company is deliberately trying to influence and attract children. The  marketers
are trying to capture young customers. They are presenting the  drink as something special, a
gift for Christmas. However, Coca-Cola is not  necessarily a healthy drink for children; it
contains a lot of sugar. Maybe this  kind of advertising manipulates children and encourages
them to pester their  parents.  

Describing a vehicle  

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

ξ what kind of vehicle it is 

ξ what you would use it for 
ξ and why you would like to buy it. 
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 maybe 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!  

Describing a TV programme or channel  

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

ξ What it is called͒ and what is it about? 

ξ When do you usually watch it͒? 
ξ 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  ‘Technology, 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 ted.com 
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 
someone talk about a breakthrough in technology, science or healthcare.  

Describing something that made you angry  

Describe a situation that made you angry. You should say 

ξ when it happened  
ξ what happened 
ξ how you felt 
A recent situation that made me angry was getting stuck in a traffic jam on the  way to meet
some friends. It was last Sunday lunchtime, and I didn’t expect  there to be much traffic;
people don’t work on Sundays, so the roads aren’t  usually very busy. 
Everything was going well until suddenly I saw a queue of cars on the road in  front of me. I
had no choice but to join the queue and wait to get past  whatever was causing the delay. It
turned out that it was caused by some  roadworks, and it took me an extra 30 minutes to
get past them.  

Getting stuck in traffic congestion doesn’t usually make me angry, but this time  it did, mainly
because I wasn’t expecting it and I knew that my friends were  waiting to meet me for lunch. I
felt frustrated and powerless because there  was nothing I could do to change the situation,
and I had no idea how long I  would be sitting there waiting. When I finally saw the reason for
the  congestion, I was relieved that I was close to getting past the roadworks, but I  still felt a
bit stressed knowing that I was half an hour late.  

Describing a foreign culture  

Describe a foreign culture that you like. You should say 

ξ what culture it is and how you know about it 

ξ what differences there are between that culture and your own ξ and why you
like that foreign culture. 
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. 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. I really like the café culture in France. You can  always find somewhere
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. 

Describing a toy  

Describe a toy that was special to you when you were a child.  You should
say: 

- when you got it   

- what it looked like  
- who gave it to you   
- and how you used it or played with it. 
One special toy that I remember getting was a Lego car. It was a birthday  present from my
parents. I can't remember exactly how old I was, but I was  probably about 10 or 11.  

The special thing about this car was that I had to build it myself out of  hundreds of pieces of
Lego. The pieces came in a box with a picture of the  finished car on the front, and I had to
follow step-by-step instructions to put all  the pieces together in the correct way. This wasn't
an easy task because the  car even had an engine, movable seats and gears. It took me a day or
two to  make, and required a lot of concentration.  

When the car was finished it looked great, and I felt a sense of  accomplishment. I seem to
remember that I didn't play with the car very much;  the fun part had been the process of
building it.  

Don't just read this description once. Spend some time analysing it: 

ξ Is
the description well-organised and easy to follow?  
ξ Can you find any good 'band 7' words or phrases?  
ξ Could you write a similar description for a different toy?  
Describing a project  

Describe a team project that you worked on. You should say: 

ξ what it was 
ξ ͒what you did 
ξ ͒and how you felt about it. 

I’d like to talk about a team project that I was involved in during my final term  at business
school. There were four of us on the team, and our task was to  work with a local company to
research a new market, in a European country,  for one of their products or services. Our
objective was to produce a report  and give a presentation. The first thing we did was split into
two groups of two.  We had been assigned a company that produced a range of bicycle
accessories,  so two of us spent some time getting to know the company while the other  two
researched the market and the competitors in the target country, which  was Germany. In the
end, I think it was a successful project because we  managed to identify a possible gap in the
market in Germany for one of the  company’s products. Our group presentation also went
really well. Until that  point, the course had been all about business theory, so it was quite a
learning  experience to work with a real company. I felt a real sense of accomplishment  when
we handed in our report and delivered our presentation, and I think all  of us were proud of
what we had done.  

Describing an animal  

Describe a wild animal from your country.   

You should say 

ξ what the animal is and what it looks like 

ξ where it lives 
 ξ and explain how people in your country (or you) feel about this animal. The description

below will give you some ideas.  

I'm going to describe the 'robin' which is a wild bird that is common in the UK.  The robin is a
small bird with brown and white feathers and an area of bright  red colour on its face and on
the front of its body. The area of red colour  makes robins very easy to distinguish from other
birds. Robins are common 

garden birds. Many houses in the UK have a garden, and you can often see this  bird sitting in
a tree. They make their nests in trees and go looking for food.  You might also see a robin if
you go for a walk in the countryside or in a park.  Robins have a special place in British culture.
They are considered to be  christmas birds, and are often used on christmas cards. Many
people leave  food in their gardens for robins and other small birds to eat.  
Describing a building  

Describe a modern building. You should say: 

ξ where it is 
ξ what it is used for 
ξ and why you like/dislike it. 

Here's an example description of a building:  

I'm going to describe a modern building in Manchester. It's called the Beetham  Tower, and it's
the tallest building in the city, with about 50 floors. Although  it's called the Beetham Tower,
most people know this building as the Hilton  Hotel. In fact, the bottom half of the tower is the
hotel and the top half is  apartments. The apartments are expensive because the location and
views  make them very desirable. I'm not sure if I like the design of the building, it's  just a huge
glass tower, but it definitely stands out. It has become a famous  landmark in the city. You can
see it as you approach Manchester, and it's an  easy place to meet people because it's so
distinctive and easy to find. The most  interesting thing about the Beetham Tower is that there
is a bar/restaurant on  the 23rd floor which has spectacular views of the city; it's definitely the
best  vantage point in Manchester because there are no walls, only huge windows,  so you can
look out over the city in any direction. I'd recommend anyone who  visits Manchester to go
there and experience the view.  

Describing an experience  

Describe a positive experience that you had as a teenager. You should say 

ξ what the positive experience was 

ξ where you were 
ξ who you were with 
ξ and explain why you found the experience positive. 

I’m going to describe the first time I visited England’s capital city, London, on a  school trip
when I was a teenager. I had never been to London before, and it  was great to share that
experience with my school friends. The positive  experience wasn’t confined to one particular
place in London. As far as I  remember, I enjoyed the whole trip, from the coach journey to the
visits to  various tourist attractions. We got off the coach near the Houses of  Parliament, and
so one of my first memories was seeing the famous ‘Big Ben’  clock tower. We also visited the
Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and  Trafalgar Square. As I said earlier, it was a school
trip, and I think there were  around thirty of us, including two teachers. I was with a group of
close friends,  which made the experience more enjoyable. What really struck me about 
London was that it was historic but modern and thriving at the same time. It  seemed to me to
be a lively, fashionable and cosmopolitan place. Coming from  a relatively small town, the
experience made me keen to visit more capital  cities in the future.  

Describe an interesting lesson that you attended.   

You should say 

ξ where you attended this lesson 

ξ what it was about 
ξ and why you found it interesting 

Here are some ideas for a description of a science lesson:  

I'm going to talk about an interesting science lesson that I attended at  secondary school
when I was 14 or 15 years old. It was quite a long time ago,  so I can't remember every
detail, but the lesson was about respiration. We 
learnt about how the lungs work, how we breathe, and how oxygen passes  into the blood.
The science teacher also talked to us about the effects of  smoking on the lungs. I found this
lesson interesting because my science  teacher, Dr. Smith, always introduced new topics by
showing us a video. We  watched a short film about how respiration works, and I found this
much  easier to understand than a science textbook. The film showed diagrams of the  lungs to
explain the breathing process. Later in the lesson we saw real photos  of healthy lungs and
lungs that had been damaged as a result of smoking; they  had turned black. I think the image
of a smoker's lungs is the reason why I  remember this lesson.  

Note: We can also give more information about the teacher, his or her  personality and
why we liked him. The key is to tell a story and add details  until the time runs out.  

Describing an artist or an entertainer  

Describe an artist or entertainer you admire 

You should say 

ξ who they are and what they do 

ξ how they became successful 
ξ how you found out about them 
ξ and why you admire them 

Here are some good ideas. In your description you must give the name of the  person.  
I’m going to talk about a musician that I admire, called... He’s a singer who also  plays the
guitar and writes his own songs. I think he recorded his first album  about 10 years ago, and
he’s released several other CDs since then. He became  successful after many years of writing
songs and performing live in small  venues all over the country. Gradually he built a following
of people who liked  his music. I think the key to his success was one of his songs that was
used on a  TV advertisement. This meant that more people became aware of his music. I 
found out about... because one of my friends got tickets to see him in concert.  I hadn’t heard
any of his music before, but I went along to the gig and really  enjoyed it. After that I bought
the first CD, and now I’ve got all of them. The  reason I admire... is that he has worked hard for
his success: it takes years of 

practice to become a good singer and guitarist, and he spent several years  playing to very
small audiences before he became successful. I also like the fact  that he writes his own music.
I admire people who have worked hard to get  where they are.  

Note: The best band 7 vocabulary items and collocations have been  underlined. 'Gig' is an
informal word for concert or performance, but it is fine  to use it in this context.  

Describing a garden  

Describe a beautiful garden that you like. You should say 

- where it is 
- what you can see there 
- what people do there 
and explain why you like it. 

The garden I'm going to describe is famous because it belonged to the French  painter Claude
Monet. It's in a place called Giverny, which is in northern  France, about an hour away from
Paris in the province of Normandy. There are  actually two gardens at the Monet house in
Giverny: a flower garden, and a  Japanese inspired water garden. Apparently, Monet designed
the gardens  himself; he even had the pond and the famous Japanese bridge made. After 
creating the gardens, Monet painted some of the most well-known paintings in  the world,
such as those of the waterlilies below the bridge on his pond.  Thousands of people visit the
gardens at Giverny to see the magnificent scenes  that inspired Monet's paintings. Visitors can
walk around the gardens and take  pictures, which is what I did when I went there. I like
Monet's gardens because  they are such beautiful creations, and it's amazing to see the 'real
thing' having  seen the famous paintings so many times.  
Describing an old building  

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

ξ where it is 
ξ what it is used for 
ξ and why you like it. 

I'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 York's skyline. As 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. I 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.  

Describing an open-air market  

Describe an open-air or street market which you enjoyed visiting. You should  say: 

- where the market is 

- what the market sells 
- how big the market is 
- and explain why you enjoyed visiting it. 

I’m going to describe a street market that I’ve enjoyed visiting many times in  Manchester. It’s
the Manchester Christmas Market, and it comes to the city for  about a month from the end of
November every year. The market stalls are  spread across several sites in the city centre, but
the centrepiece is the large  European market in Albert Square next to the Town Hall. The
Christmas 

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56  
Market stalls sell an array of Christmas gifts and mouth-watering food and  drink from all over
Europe. It’s a great place to find handmade crafts such as  jewellery, ornaments, wooden toys
and other souvenirs, but it’s the food and  drink that seem to be most popular. Probably the
biggest seller is the  ‘Gluhwein’, a hot, sweet wine which is sold in a souvenir mug. The market
was  originally quite small, occupying just one of the central squares in Manchester,  but it’s
grown quickly in recent years, spilling over into maybe five other  pedestrian streets and a few
other squares. Apparently there are over 200  stalls now, so it’s become a really big event
attracting thousands of visitors.  The main reason I’ve always enjoyed visiting the Christmas
Market is the  fantastic atmosphere. When I went there last December, it didn’t matter how 
cold or wet the weather was, Manchester seemed to come alive when the  market opened;
the streets were bustling with people and there was a real  festive feel to the city.  

Describing a celebration  

Describe a family celebration that you remember. You should say 

- what you were celebrating 
- who was present 
- what you and your family did to make the celebration special - and why you
enjoyed the occasion. 

I’m going to describe my sister’s wedding day, which took place a few years  ago in the town
where I grew up. For my sister it was the biggest and most  important day of her life. I think
there were around 100 people at the marriage  ceremony, which was held in a church. Even
more people came to the party, or  the wedding reception as we call it, after the ceremony. Of
course, most  members of my family were there, as well as the groom’s family and a  collection
of the bride and groom's friends and colleagues. To make the  celebration special, we did what
families normally do. My mother made sure  that the church and the reception venue were
nicely decorated - there were  flowers everywhere! Obviously we all dressed for the occasion,
and there were  bridesmaids, gifts, a huge wedding cake, and so on. I enjoyed the occasion 
because it was great to see my sister so happy on her big day. The ceremony  was perfect, and
we all had a fantastic time at the reception. It’s rare for me to  see all of my family and friends
together in one place, so that’s probably what  made the day so memorable for me. 

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57  
Describing a school  

Describe a school that you went to when you were a child. You should say 

- where the school was 

- when you went there 
- what the school and the teachers were like 
- and explain whether you enjoyed your time there. 

I’m going to talk about my primary school. The school was called ..... and it was  in the town
of ..... . The location of the school was great because it was within  walking distance of our
family home at the time. The route to school was all  downhill, which made it an easy walk in
the morning, but a tiring journey on  the way home in the afternoon! I was a pupil at .....
school between the ages of  5 and 11 - the full 6 years of primary education. From age 11
onwards, I went  to a nearby secondary school. My primary school seemed like a big place at
the  time, but it was actually quite a small school, with only six classes. I remember  there
being a large room called the assembly hall, where the whole school  gathered every morning
to hear messages from the headmaster. I also  remember spending a lot of time on the
playground and on the sports field. I  liked all of my teachers; they were caring but strict at the
same time, and I  think they fostered a positive and fun atmosphere in the school. I have really 
fond memories of my primary school years, mainly because of the friends I  made and the fun I
had. One of my most vivid memories is of performing in the  school play in my final year. I had
to learn lines and play the part of a character  in a traditional children’s story. It was a nerve-
racking experience, but it felt  like my first real achievement.  

Describing an indoor game  

Describe an indoor game that you enjoyed as a child. You should say 

- what the game was 

- where you played it 
- who played this game with you 
- and why you liked it 

As a child I enjoyed playing chess. I think chess is probably the best known  board game in
the world. It’s a game for two players, and the aim is to defeat the other player by taking his
or her pieces and eventually trapping his King.  This final move is called checkmate. I
remember that it was a classmate of  mine at primary school who first taught me to play
chess. He had a small,  portable chess set, and once I knew how each piece moved, we
started playing  at break and lunch times; we played in our classroom or outside on the
school  playground. Later my parents bought me my own chess set as a birthday  present so
that I could play at home. I taught my younger brother to play, and  at some point I joined
the school chess club. There I had the chance to hone  my skills against some of the older
pupils, and in my final year of primary  school I made it onto the school team. There were
five of us on the team, and  we competed against children from other primary schools in the
same town. I  liked playing chess because I enjoyed the challenge of thinking ahead and 
trying to outwit my opponent. I was probably seven or eight years old when I  started
playing, and it seemed like a very mysterious and intellectual game at  that time. Also,
although I loved winning, chess taught me to learn from my  losses and to congratulate the
person who had beaten me.  

Describing a local area  

Describe a change that you would like to see in your local area. You should
say 

- what the change would be 

- who would be involved in making the change 
- how it would be done 
- and why you would like to see the change happen. 

The change that I’d like to see in my local neighbourhood is the  pedestrianisation of the main
shopping street in the town centre. I’d like to see  traffic diverted around this area in order to
make it safer and more attractive  for visitors and shoppers. Most of the traffic that clogs up
the main street is  just passing through the town, but it’s the local people who have to put up 
with the congestion, noise and pollution. It’s the job of the local council to  make changes like
the one I’m suggesting. But before the council does  anything, there usually needs to be some
pressure from local people to bring a  problem to light. So, perhaps we need a campaign by
local residents who want  to see this change. Then the council might contract a town planner
or an  architect to come up with some possible designs for a new road system. I’m  not sure
how exactly the process of creating a pedestrian street would work,
but I imagine that it would require detailed planning. Perhaps a bypass would  need to be
built around the town centre first. This would give drivers a faster  alternative to driving
through the town, and it would allow the main shopping  street to be blocked off and
pedestrianised. I’d like to see this change because  
it would really improve the quality of life of residents in the town where I live. I  can imagine
the new pedestrian street having cafes and restaurants with  outdoor seating. It would be a
safer and more pleasant place for families to go  shopping, and I’m sure this would have a
positive knock-on effect on local  shops and businesses.  
Describing a prize  

Describe a prize that you would like to win. You should explain 

- what the prize is for 

- how you know about it 
- what you would have to do to win it 
- and why you would like to win this prize. 

I’m going to talk about a prize that I would like to win, which is the ‘employee  of the year’
award at the company where I work. At the end of December each  year, the company
directors give this award to a member of staff who has  made an outstanding contribution to
the business over the previous twelve  months. I first heard about this prize during my training
and orientation period  just after I got the job three years ago. It was early December and
some of my  colleagues were discussing who might be awarded ‘employee of the year’ later 
that month. I was intrigued, and asked them to tell me more about the award.  As I said, the
prize is given for ‘outstanding contribution to the business’. We  don’t have an exact definition
of what this means, but we assume that you  have to achieve certain standards, such as 100%
attendance, good punctuality,  meeting targets and deadlines, good teamwork, and so on. I
think the winner  also needs to have done something especially creative. For example, last
year’s  winner created a completely new service for our clients. I’d like to win  ‘employee of
the year’ because it would mean that my work had been  recognised by the company
directors, and this would definitely help me to  progress in my career. It would also give me a
great sense of personal  achievement. 
Describing an event 

Describe a recent event that made you happy.  

You should say: 

ξ when and where it was 

ξ who was involved 
ξ what happened 
ξ and explain why it made you happy. 

The following description contains the kind of phrases that native speakers  really use. The
best band 7 vocabulary items and collocations have been  underlined.  

1. When and where: my friend's birthday party, last Saturday evening, we  went for a meal in
an Italian restaurant.  
2. Who: there were about 10 of us, he invited some close friends and work  colleagues,
most of them were people I've known since university.  3. What happened: we met at the
restaurant, I gave my friend a present  and a birthday card, we ordered some food, while
we ate dinner  everyone chatted, after the main course the waiter brought out a cake  and
we sang 'Happy Birthday', everyone went home quite late.  4. Why it made me happy: it
 was great to get together with old friends, I  had some interesting conversations, it was a
good opportunity to catch  up with what my friends had been up to, it was a nice way to
wind down  after a hard week at work, the food was delicious, I went home feeling  full
after a fantastic meal.  
Describing a place  

In part 2 of the speaking test, you might have to describe a place. There are  several
possible questions about places. For example:  

1. Describe a place you have visited.  

2. Describe a historic place.  
3. Describe a holiday.  
4. Describe a place you would like to visit.  
5. Describe somewhere you have lived or would like to live.  

My advice is to prepare a description of one place that you could use to answer  all of these
questions. Then search the Internet for some good vocabulary.  

For example, here are some ideas I found to describe London:  

ξ Adjectives: it's exciting, busy, hectic, cosmopolitan, multicultural,  unique. It's historic
but modern at the same time, it's a thriving,  prosperous city, it's fashionable, lively,
fun...  
ξ Activities: London is famous for its history, culture, art, museums.  Tourists go there to see
Big Ben, The Tower of London, Buckingham  Palace, Trafalgar Square etc. You can get a
fantastic view of the city from  the 'London Eye'. It's also famous for its theatres and shows
in the West  End, its shops, restaurants and nightlife. There are endless things to see  and
do.  
ξ Negatives: London is expensive, crowded, stressful, polluted. The  underground system is
dirty, travel is overpriced and unpleasant. The  cost of living is high (shopping, house prices
etc.), the locals are always in  a hurry and can be unfriendly, there are social problems (like
you can  find in most big cities).  

 
Describing a skill  

Describe a practical skill that you have learnt (e.g. cooking, driving).  You should
say  

ξ what the skill is  

ξ how you learnt it  
ξ why you learnt it  
ξ and how this skill has helped you.  

Advice:  
You need to make a quick decision, so I'd choose one of the given examples  (cooking or
driving). Then try to expand on each point.  

1. I'm going to talk about driving, which is a practical skill that I use almost  every day.  
2. I learnt to drive a car by taking lessons when I was 17. My parents paid  for me to have
lessons with a professional driving instructor. I learnt by  practising: first I had to get used
to steering, changing gears and using  the mirrors, then we practised things like reversing
and parking. I also  had to learn the highway code.  
3. As a 17-year-old, I wanted to have the experience of driving a car, and I  was fed up with
having to walk or take the bus or train whenever I  wanted to go somewhere. I also knew
that driving would be an  extremely useful skill.  
4. Being able to drive has helped me in so many ways. The public transport  where I live isn't
very good, so I travel to work by car most days. Having  a car makes my life much easier
when it comes to things like shopping or  visiting family and friends. (Last week, for
example,...)  

Note: If you need to keep speaking, give examples for point 4.   

Describing something naughty you did  

This has been a recent question in part 2 of IELTS speaking:  Describe something

naughty you did when you were a child. Say 

- what you did 

- when you did it 
- why you did it 
- and explain how your parents felt about it. 

This is a difficult topic for most people, so it's a good idea to prepare for it  before your
test. If you can remember a real situation, use that. If you can't  remember being naughty,
invent an easy story like my example below.  

Example ideas:  

1. I cheated in a test at primary school by looking at the answers in my  book under the
table.  
2. I was about ... years old, it was a ... lesson. Give some more background  about the lesson,
the test, the teacher etc.  
3. I hadn't studied for the test, I didn't want to fail and have to retake the  test at
lunchtime. Give reasons why you didn't have time to study.  4. The teacher caught me
and told my parents. Explain their feelings:  disappointed, angry, embarrassed. Explain
the punishment e.g. they  'grounded' me for a week (informal expression, meaning 'they
didn't  allow me to go out or see friends').  
Describing your favorite …  

More advice about describing your favourite book, film or piece of music:  
 1. You can talk about any type of book (textbook, biography etc.). You only  need to
describe a story if the question asks you to describe a 'novel'.  2. Many books are also
films. It would be a good idea to prepare one  description that you can use for both.  
3. Amazon.com is great for reviews of books, films and music. Just search  for a title, then go
down the page to find the reviews.  
4. "Steal" the best vocabulary from the reviews that you find.  5. Use Google. I searched
for "my favourite film is" on Google and found  this 'My Favourite Films' website. It's full
of good ideas.  
6. Try this Google search: "my favourite piece of music is"  
7. You can describe a book, film or piece of music from your country.  8. You can invent
a story if necessary, but it's easier to tell the truth.  9. If you don't like books, pretend
that your favourite film is a book (and  vice versa).  
10.Remember to include adjectives to describe your feelings/opinions. Tell  the story of when
you first read the book, saw the film or listened to the  song, who recommended it, why
you like it etc.  

Note: 'Piece of music' just means a song.  

 
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Discussion  

In the third sub-part of the test you have a discussion with examiner. The topic  is somehow
related to the one from section two, but it is about more abstract  ideas. Your job is to express
and justify an opinion. It is called a discussion, but  
in reality you are the one who does most of the talking. To give you an idea  what it will be
like, here is a card you might get in part 2 of Speaking test cue  card:  

Describe a good friend of yours. You should say   

• Where and when did you meet   

• What did you do together  

• What do you like about him/her  

• Why is he/she a good friend of yours   

Then in third sub-part of the Speaking test the examiner may ask you these  kinds of
questions:  

1. Who cannot be a good friend of yours? Tell the properties of such a  person  
2. What do you value and not value in people?  
3. Can people, opposite in personality, be good friends?  
4. What do the children think about friendship? What about the adults?  Compare them.  
5. What do you think of friendship through internet? What good and  bad sides does it
have?  

Common question types  

Here are 3 common question types that the examiner could ask you:  
 1. Compare and contrast.  
2. Give an opinion.  
3. Imagine.  

 If the topic is 'cities', the examiner could ask:  

1. How is life different in cities compared to rural areas?  

2. How do you think life in big cities could be made easier?  3. What do
you think cities will be like in 50 years time?  

In my answers below I've underlined a few 'markers' that show comparisons,  opinions and
future predictions.  

1. Firstly, the cost of living in cities is much higher. Housing is much more  expensive in
cities compared to rural areas; everything costs more. I  think life in cities is more
difficult. There are more people, so there's  
more competition for jobs. Life is a lot slower in rural areas, everyone  knows each
other and there's a sense of community. I don't think rural  areas experience the
social problems that you find in cities, like crime  and homelessness.  
2. In my opinion cities need to be well-planned. Good public transport can  definitely make
life easier because there are so many people and it can  be really stressful just to move
around. Public areas like parks are also  important because people need space to relax,
and I think cities should  be made into healthier places to live and work.  
3. I imagine cities will be less polluted because we'll have electric cars and  better public
transport. More people might work from home so maybe  cities won't be so busy. But I
think there will probably still be problems  because more and more people are migrating
to cities. So I'm not so  optimistic about issues like crime, homelessness and
unemployment.  

 
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.  

Giving longer answers  

Here are 3 techniques to help you give longer, more detailed answers:  
 1. Keep asking yourself "why?"  
2. Explain the alternatives  
3. Give an example  

Question: 
Do you think that school children should be encouraged to have their own  ideas, or is it more
important for them to learn what their teachers give them?  

Answer: 
I think that we should definitely allow children to be creative and have their  own ideas.
(why?) Children need to develop the ability to think for themselves  and solve problems
(why?) because as adults they will not always have  somebody to guide them or tell them
what to do. (alternatives?) If we don't  allow children to have their own ideas, they will be
less successful in the adult  world; they will be too reliant on others. (example?) A doctor, for
example,  might encounter a situation that he or she hasn't been trained for, but will still  be
expected to make a decision that could save someone's life.  

 
Adding details  

These are the 3 techniques you can use to create longer, more detailed  answers:  

1. Explain why  
2. Give an example  
3. Explain the alternatives  

Question: 
Why do you think friendship is important?  

Answer: 
I think friendship is important for all sorts of reasons. (why?) We need friends  to share
experiences with, to talk to, and for support. (example?) In my case, I  like to meet up with
friends at the weekend to do something enjoyable, like  see a film or go out for dinner. I like
chatting with my friends about what we've  been doing during the week, or about what's
happening in the world.  (alternatives?) Without friends to talk to, life would be dull and
boring; we  would only have our families to talk to.  

Using what you already know well  

In parts 2 and 3 of the IELTS speaking test, you need to make quick decisions  about what to
talk about. Always try to talk about a topic you have prepared or  something you know about.
Here are some examples:  

Part 2: Describe a law in your country. 

Advice: Choose a typical IELTS topic like "guns". Explain why people in your  country
can/can't own a gun, and talk about the pros and cons of this law.  There is a chapter on
this topic in my ebook.  

Part 3: What new law would you introduce to improve life in your country? 

Advice: Choose an easy topic like "environment". Explain that the government  could
introduce new laws to reduce pollution from factories, cars etc. Explain  how this would
improve people's lives.  

 
The importance of verb tenses  

In part 3 of the IELTS speaking test, you will probably get some questions about  the past and
the future. The examiner will be listening carefully to make sure  you use the correct tense.  

ξ If the examiner mentions “50 years ago”, “when your parents were  young” or “when you
were a child”, you should answer using the past  simple.  
ξ If the question asks you to predict, or if it mentions “in 50 years” or “in  the future”, use a
future tense (will + infinitive).  

Do you think people had easier lives 50 years ago? 

Yes, maybe life was simpler and less stressful 50 years ago. The mobile phone  didn’t exist, so
I suppose it was easier to forget about work at the end of the  day because people couldn't
contact you so easily.  

Do you think life will be more stressful in the future? 

Yes, it probably will be more stressful. As the world gets smaller, employees  will probably
have to travel to different countries more often and stay in touch  with colleagues and clients
all over the world. There will also be more  competition for jobs and the cost of living will keep
going up.  

Questions about the future  

When the examiner asks a question like the one below, you know that you are  being tested
on your ability to express ideas in the future tense.  

How do you think the design of homes will change in the future? 

Example answer: 
I don't think there will be much change in terms of what houses look like from  the outside. In
this country, people still like traditional brick or stone houses.  Having said that, the design of
apartment blocks will probably continue to  develop, with more and more experimental or
futuristic buildings made of  glass and metal. I imagine that it will be the insides of homes that
change the  most; houses will no doubt be full of technological devices to make our lives 
easier. Maybe we'll have things like voice-controlled doors, lights and  appliances. 
If you don’t know the answer  
How do you answer a question when you don't know anything about the  topic?  
There are 2 things you can do:  

1. Be honest and explain why you don't know  

2. Guess, and tell the examiner that you are guessing  

Example question: 

How has technology affected the kinds of music that young people listen to?  The best

answer, using both tips above: 

(1) To be honest I don't really know the answer to that because I'm completely  out of touch
with what young people are listening to, and I'm not a fan of pop  music. 
(2) However, I suppose that technology must have affected music. Maybe  young people
are listening to music that has been made using computer  software instead of real
musical instruments like the piano or guitar.  

Make your answer personal  

In part 3 of IELTS speaking, it really helps if you give personal examples:  1. Do you

think it's important for people to have hobbies? Why? 

Yes, I think people need to have hobbies because we all need to do things we  enjoy in our
spare time. In my case, I find that playing football once a week  with some friends helps me to
relax, keep fit and forget about work. I think it's  the same for everyone.  

2. Can hobbies have any negative effects? 

Yes, if you spend too much time on your hobby, it can affect other parts of  your life. I
remember that one of my friends spent most of his time at  university playing computer
games instead of studying. In the end, he failed  most of his exams.