SOME COMMON QUESTIONS FOR PART 1

Hometown
I’d just like to ask you some questions about your hometown.
1. Where is your hometown?
2. What was it like growing up there?
3. Has it changed much since you were a child?
4. What do you like most about living there?
5. What kinds of things can visitors to your hometown go and see?
6. Do you think you will live there when you are older?
Home
I’d like to ask you some questions about your home.
1. Do you live in an apartment or a house?
2. Is it a large apartment/house?
3. Who do you live there with?
4. What is your favourite room in your apartment/house?
5. Is it a quiet or noisy place to live?
6. What can you see from the windows in your apartment/house? 
7. If you could change anything about your apartment/house, what would you change?
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 is your favourite subject?
4. Are you friends with many other students on your course?
5. What job would you like when you have completed all your studies?
6. Will you have to do further studies in the future?
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?
5. What do you normally do when you finish work everyday?
6. Will you have to do more training for your work 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 theses activities alone or with other people? (Why)?
4. Do you think people have enough free time? 
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? 
3. What things do you like doing together?
4. Who is your favourite family member?
Timing
Let’s move on and talk about being on time for appointments.
1. Is being late acceptable in your culture? 
2. Are you ever late for appointments? 
 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?
Neighbours
Let’s change the topic and talk about your neighbours
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 neighbours be helpful?
5. What kind of problems can people have with their neighbours 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? 
2. What type of things can you cook?
3. What kinds of food are popular in your country?
4. Is it an important part of your culture to have dinner parties? 
5. Do you prefer to eat with other people or on your own? 
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? 
4. Do people in your country talk about their dreams? 
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? 
2. What type of stories do you like to read about? 
3. Do you think reading a magazine or a newspaper can help you learn a language?
4. Why do you think some people prefer magazines to newspapers?
Humour
Let’s change the topic and talk about comedy and humour.
1. What type of programmes do you find funny on TV?
2. Which types of programmes are most popular in your country?
3. What kind of things make you laugh? 
4. Do you like to make people laugh? 
5. Do you think it is important to have a sense of humour? (Why)?
Museums
Let’s move on and talk about museums.
1. Are museums popular in your country?
2. Did you visit museums when you were a child?
3. Do you like to visit museums nowadays?
4. Do you think you should pay to visit museums?
Mobile Phones
Now lets talk about mobile phones.
1. Do you have a mobile phone?
2. At what age did you first get a mobile?
3. What do you most use it for?
4. Is it a nuisance if people use mobiles in public places such as trains and buses?
Television
We'll now talk about television.
 1. How many hours a day do you spend watching television?
2. What type of television programs do you like to watch? 
3. Do you think children in your country watch too much television?
4. Do you think television is useful for education in schools?
The Sea
Now we'll talk about the sea. 
1. Do you like to go on holiday by the sea?
2. Are there many hotels by the sea in your country?
3. What kind of activities can people do by the sea?
4. How long do people normal visit the sea for when they go on holiday?
Flowers
Now we'll talk about flowers. 
1. How you ever given anybody flowers?
2. Is it popular to give flowers to people in your country?
3. On what special occasions do people give flowers in your country?
4. What kinds of flowers would you like to receive as a present?
The Weather 
Now we'll move on to talk about the weather. 
1. What kind of weather do you like the most?
2. Does the weather affect the way that you feel?
3. Do people like the weather in your country?
4. Do the kinds of outside activities people do in your country change when the weather
changes?
Public Transport
Now we'll move on to talk about public transport 
1. What kinds of public transport do they have in your country?
2. What kinds of public transport do most people use?
3. What is your favourite type of public transport?
4. What do you do when you are travelling on public transport?
5. How could public transport in your country be improved?
Sport 
Now we'll move on to talk about sport. 
1. What is the most popular type of sport in your country?
2. Is there a lot of sport on television in your country?
3. What sports do children normally do at school?
4. Do you think people do enough sport these days?
Writing 
Now we'll talk about writing  
1. Do you enjoy writing?
2. What age do children normally learn to write in your country? 
3. Did you used to write a lot when you were a child?
4. Do you ever write letters?
5. Do you prefer writing letters or sending emails?
Animals 
Now we'll talk about animals.  
1. What is your favourite animal?
2. What types of animals do you have in your country?
3. What types of animals are kept as pets in your country?
4. Do you think animals should be kept in zoos?
Dictionaries
Now let's move on to talk about dictionaries.   
1. Do you ever use a dictionary?
2. Do you prefer paper or electronic dictionaries?
3. Are dictionaries used a lot in schools in your country?
4. Do you think dictionaries are useful for learning a language?
Fashion and clothing
Now let's move on to talk about fashion and clothing.   
1. Were you interested in fashion when you were a child?
2. Is fashion important to you now?
3. What types of clothes are fashionable for young people in your country these days?
4. Does fashion change for people as they get older?
Birthdays
Now let's move on to talk about birthdays.   
1. What did you usually do on your birthday when you were a child?
2. How do you normally celebrate your birthday now?
3. Is your birthday now still as important to you as when you were a child?
4. Do you think it's important to give someone a card when it's their birthday?
5. Do you think the price of a gifts/presents is important?
Books
Now let's move on to talk about books.   
1. Do you like reading books?
2. What kinds of books do you like to read?
3. What is the best book you've ever read?
4. Is reading books a popular activity in your country?
5. Do you think that electronic books / eReaders are better than real books?
Exercise
We'll now talk about exercise.
1. Do you do much exercise?
2. Do you do more exercise now than when you were a child?
3. Do people in your country do a lot of exercise?
4. What do you think is the best exercise to keep fit?
5. Have the types of exercise people like to do changed since you were a child?
The internet
We'll now talk about The Internet.
1. Do you use The Internet?
2. Are children allowed to use The Internet at school in your country? 
3. Do you think that The Internet is useful for study?
4. Have you ever used The Internet to buy something?
5. Are there any dangers of buying things online?
Daily Routine
We'll now talk about daily routines.
1. Tell me about your daily routine?
2. Has your daily routine changed since you were a child?
3. Is your daily routine different at the weekend to during the week?
4. What would you like to change about your daily routine?
5. Do you think it's important to have a daily routine?
Musical Instruments
We'll now talk about musical instruments.
1. Do you think it's important for children to learn to play a musical instrument?
2. Do children have to learn to play a musical instrument at school in your country?
 3. Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?
4. What do you think is the best age to start to learn to play a musical instrument?
5. What do you think would be the most difficult musical instrument to learn to play?
Pets
We'll now talk about pets.
1. Do you have a pet? 
2. What types of animals do you think make the best pets?
3. Why do people have pets?
4. Should dogs be left in the house alone while their owners are at work?
5. Is there any types of animals that you think should not be kept as a pet?
Seasons
We'll now talk about seasons.
1. What is your favourite season? 
2. Tell me about the different seasons in your country.
3. How do the clothes people wear in your country change with the seasons?
4. Do any types of jobs people do in your country change with the seasons?
5. Is tourism popular in a particular season in your country?
Photographs
We'll now talk about photographs.
1. Do you enjoy taking photographs?
2. Do you prefer to take photos with a phone or with a camera?
3. Do you take many photographs when you travel?
4. Do you like looking at photographs of yourself?
5. Have you put any photographs you have taken on the walls in your house?
Trees
Now let's talk about trees.
1. Do you like trees?
2. Are there many trees in your hometown?
3. Do you think there are enough trees in most cities?
4. What are the benefits of planting more trees?
Email
Now let's talk about email.
1. Do you email people often?
2. Do you chat with friends or family more with email?
3. Do you think people prefer to receive an email or a letter?
4. Do you think it's easier to write an email or a letter?
5. Do you think email will eventually replace letter writing?

PART 2
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Sample Answers and Analysis
Question 1
Describe a major decision you have taken in your life.
You should say:
– What the decision was
– What other choices were available to you
– Why you made the decision you did
And explain if you think the decision was a good one.
A really important decision I’ve made recently is to study abroad, which is the reason I’m
here talking to you now. No-one from my family has ever had the chance to study abroad
before. My parents were actually hoping I’d start working for our family textile business as
soon as I graduate. I think it’s too soon to join the family business though. I really want to
study marketing – especially fashion marketing – and English so I can sell our company
products to buyers all over the world. If I study fashion marketing in the UK, I can learn how
to do business in the fashion industry, which is of course very competitive and fast-moving.
As for whether it was the right decision, I’m pretty confident it was and I can’t change my
mind now anyway because I borrowed money from my parents to pay for my tuition. I’m
going to do my best to finish my course and I will go back to my country with new ideas that
will help expand our business. All I need now is to get a good score in IELTS. So, anyway,
that’s an important decision in my life.
Like many questions in IELTS Speaking Part 2, this one deals with an event or action in the
past. There is, however, a switch to the present when the candidate is required to reflect on
the decision.
This IELTS candidate scores highly by:
 Getting straight to the point and saying what the decision was in the very first
sentence
 Paraphrasing the topic: A really important decision
 Using a range of tenses – past simple, present simple and present perfect – with great
accuracy
 Using a wide range of grammatical forms such as a conditional sentence (If I…) and a
cleft sentence (All I need now is…)
 Signalling parts of the question: As for whether it was the right decision…
 Avoiding over-formality and using expressions such as actually and pretty that are
appropriate to conversational style
 Providing a summarising sentence to wrap up the response

Question 2
Describe something you do to forget about work or study.
You should say:
– What the activity is
– How often you do it
– How it helps you forget
And say whether you would recommend other people try the same thing.
I’d like to talk about horse-riding, which has been my hobby since I was around ten years
old. I’m actually the joint owner of a horse with two of my friends and we take turns looking
after him, cleaning out the stable and so on. I don’t have a part-time job so I spend most of
my weekends at the stable. Taking care of a horse is quite a dirty business so it’s obviously
very different from studying at college. That means I can forget about my classes during the
week when I’m at the stable on the weekend. There’s quite a large field next to the stable and
I just get a wonderful sense of freedom when I’m riding around on my horse. College seems a
million miles away! Do I think other people would enjoy horse-riding? Yes, absolutely. I
think everyone should give it a try. Horses are absolutely wonderful animals, very gentle and
intelligent. If you ever have the chance to ride a horse, you should definitely give it a try.
This is a much trickier question because the words work and study in the first sentence may
lead some IELTS candidates to speak about either of those topics. In fact, you should speak
about some kind or leisure activity or other form of relaxation that helps you forget about
work or study.
This IELTS candidate scores highly by:
 Showing a clear understanding of the question
 Getting straight to the point by mentioning the activity in the first sentence
 Using present simple verbs throughout to show that this is a regular activity
 Sticking to the question even though the topic might be a very enjoyable one to speak
about
 Showing awareness of hyperbole (a million miles), phrasal verbs (give it a try) and
other forms common to spoken English
 Using a rhetorical question to move from one part of the question to another: Do I
think…?
 Ending with a clear concluding sentence, in this case a recommendation

Question 3
Describe a language you would like to learn.
You should say:
– What the language is
– Where it is spoken
– Why you are interested in this language
And say if you think you will ever actually have the chance to learn it.
Let me tell you about a language I’ve always wanted to learn, which is Russian. It’s spoken
in Russia, obviously, but also in many other countries which have been influenced by Russia
including places like Mongolia and Kazakhstan. It’s quite a difficult language to learn
because the alphabet is not the Roman one, which means that you have to learn to read and
write from scratch, a but like studying Chinese or Japanese. Well, the reason I would like to
learn Russian is that the energy industry is huge and there are lots of jobs. A lot of my
country’s oil and gas comes from Russia so it’s really useful to be able to speak that
language if you want to work in the energy field. I have actually been to Russia before so I
know from experience that a lot of Russians can’t speak English very well, so that’s another
good reason to learn their language. The only problem is I’m already thirty years old and
I’ve spent more than fifteen years learning English. I don’t know if I would ever be able to
learn Russian successfully because it’s a difficult language for anyone to learn, especially
someone older like me. But it would be really great to try.
One problem IELTS candidates have with hypothetical questions such as this one is that they
fail to recognise them as hypothetical. Since candidates are already learning English, they
should talk about another language that is neither English nor their first language. This can be
realistic (e.g. Spanish) or unrealistic (e.g. Ancient Greek). It doesn’t matter as long as the
language is not one you are currently learning.
This IELTS candidate scores highly by:
 Beginning with an impact sentence: Let me tell you about…
 Using would to show that the response is hypothetical
 Signalling parts of the question: The reason I would like to learn Russian is…
 Using reference links to avoid overuse of the topic word ‘Russian’: that language;
their language; it
 Giving more than one reason
 Returning to the main point of the question in the final sentence

Some more topics:

Describe an artist or entertainer you admire.
You should say:
 Who they are and what they do
 How they became successful
 How you found out about them
 And explain why you admire them
 
Describe a subject you enjoyed studying at school.
You should say:
 When and where you started studying it
 What lessons were like
 What made the subject different from other subjects
 And explain why you enjoyed the subject
Describe an important choice you had to make in your life.
You should say:
 When you had this choice
 What you had to choose between
 Whether you made a good choice
 And explain how you felt when you were making this choice
Describe a job you have done.
You should say:
 How you got the job
 What the job involved
 How long the job lasted
 Describe how well you did the job
Describe an area of countryside you know and like.
You should say:
 Where it is
 What its special features are
 What you and other people do in this area
 And explain why you like it
Describe an object you particularly like.
You should say:
 What it is and what it looks like
 What it is made of
 What it is for
 And explain why it is special for you
Describe a newspaper or magazine you enjoy reading.
You should say:
 What kind of newspaper / magazine it is
 Which parts of it you read regularly
 When and where you read it
 Explain why you enjoy reading it
Describe something healthy you enjoy doing.
You should say:
 What you do
 Where you do it
 Who you do it with
  And explain why you think doing this is healthy
Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing.
You should say:
 What kind of sport it is
 Who you play it with
 Where you play it
 And explain why you enjoy playing it
Describe someone in your family who you like.
You should say:
 How this person is related to you
 What this person looks like
 What kind of person he/she is
 And explain why you like this person
Describe a museum or art gallery that you have visited.
You should say:
 Where it is
 Why you went there
 What you particularly remember about the place.
Describe an enjoyable event that you experienced when you were at school.
You should say:
 When it happened
 What was good about it
 Why you particularly remember this event.
Describe a song or piece of music you like.
You should say:
 What the song or music is
 What kind of song or music it is
 Where you first heard it
 And explain why you like it
Describe a festival that is important in your country.
You should say:
 When the festival occurs
 What you did during it
 What you like or dislike about it
 And explain why this festival is important
PART 3
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Practice Questions
1. Is it better to make important life decisions on your own or is it better to consult other
people?
2. Do you think good decision-making can be taught?
3. Is watching TV a good way of forgetting about work or study?
4. Should coworkers also spend their leisure time together?
5. Do you agree that English should be the main language of international exchange?
6. What are the difficulties in creating a universal language?

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Sample Answers and Analysis

1. Is it better to make important life decisions on your own or is it better to consult other
people?
There are good reasons for both, I suppose. Ultimately, it’s your life so I suppose you should
make the decisions. On the other hand, any decisions you make can affect other people so it
seems only right to discuss things with others first. Like many philosophical questions,
there’s no simple answer, I’m afraid.
2. Do you think good decision-making can be taught?
Well, if you go to a bookstore you’ll see lots of self-help books that claim to teach decision-
making. I’m not sure any of them are effective though. I suppose it depends on the type of
decision you mean. If it’s a business strategy, then I’m sure some decisions are better than
others and business schools teach this. But if it’s a moral issue then I’m not sure anyone can
claim to know the right decision, so how could anyone teach it?
This IELTS candidate scores highly by:
 Giving balanced answers to both questions
 Using a time-buying strategy before answering Question 2: Well, if you go to a
bookstore…
 Using it depends and conditional sentences to explore different possibilities
 Using verbs of speculation such as suppose
 Using you in the general sense to mean ‘any person’
 Returning to the original question at the end of each answer

3. Is watching TV a good way of forgetting about work or study?

Absolutely, yes. These days there’s so much choice available that we can completely immerse
ourselves in entertainment. I mean, you can turn on a good drama or comedy show and
pretty soon you forget about everything that happened that day. I think that without TV we’d
all go a little crazy.
4. Should coworkers also spend their leisure time together?
I’m completely against this. The problem with people going out together after work is that
they just gossip about certain people in the office or factory, and this can hardly be a good
thing for the company, can it? Another thing is that there’s always the risk that you will say
something you regret after a few drinks and then you have to face your colleagues again the
next day. So, in short, I would definitely advise people to think twice about socialising with
colleagues.
This IELTS candidate scores highly by:
 Using strong expressions of (dis)agreement: Absolutely, yes; I’m completely against
this
 Using ellipsis or substitution to avoid ‘parrotting’ the question: Absolutely, yes; I’m
completely against this
 Supporting opinions with more than one reason
 Using you, we and they to make general observations about people
 Paraphrasing key elements of the question: entertainment; colleagues; socialising
 Summarising the main argument when an answer becomes quite long: So, in short…

5. Do you agree that English should be the main language of international exchange?
That’s a very interesting question. I’ve never really thought about it before, actually. We all
just assume that it should be English, don’t we? But what other languages could we use? I
suppose Chinese is becoming quite an important language, but the pronunciation is too
difficult for most people. English is already the main language of universities and business,
so maybe it should stay that way.
6. What are the difficulties in creating a universal language?
Do you mean inventing a completely new language? Yes? Well, I mean, er, it’s never been
done before, has it? There was Latin, of course, which was used by people all over Europe,
but I’m not sure if it was really created for that purpose. Actually, I think there used to be a
universal language about a hundred years ago. What was it called again, Esperanto? But
that disappeared quite quickly. Er, what I’m trying to say is, I don’t think anyone has ever
succeeded in creating a universal language, so I doubt if it will ever be possible in the future.
This IELTS candidate scores highly by:
 Using filler expressions to buy time: That’s a very interesting question; Well, I mean,
er…
 Thinking aloud rather than staying silent (both questions)
 Asking a checking question rather than simply asking for help: Do you mean…?
 Using a fluency expression to rephrase an idea: What I’m trying to say is…
 Indicating an opinion at the end of each answer, even when uncertain at the beginning

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #2: Travel and transport

 How easy is it to travel around your country?
 Which method of travel do you consider safest?
 Has travel become safer in recent years?
 What are the pros and cons of low-cost air travel?
 How do you think people will travel in the future?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #3: Universities

 Is higher education too expensive in your country?
 Should all students pay for their university education?
 What advantages do universities bring to society?
 Which is more important, research or teaching?
 How should students spend their summer vacations?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #4: Sports and competition

 Why are some sports fans so passionate?
 Is there any violence at sporting events in your country?
 Should athletes be better role models?
 What benefits do international sporting events bring?
 Is it important for a country to win lots of medals?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #5: Leadership and politics

 Do you think people are born to be leaders?
 Can leadership skills be taught?
 Why are elected politicians often so unpopular?
 What should a leader do to remain popular?
 Do you think unelected heads of state are a good idea?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #6: Life experience

 Do you agree that we learn best from our mistakes?
 What’s the best way to gain experience in life?
 Can we gain life experience from books and movies?
 Which is more important, experience or potential?
  What experience do you wish you’d gained?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #7: Retirement and old age

 At what age should people retire from work?
 What problems can people face after retirement?
 How important are retirees to your country’s economy?
 When should you start saving for retirement?
 Why do some companies encourage early retirement?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #8: Photography and the image

 Is it easy to take good photographs?
 What are the pros and cons of digital photography?
 Should people share their photographs online?
 When can an image be worth a thousand words?
 Is a photograph a reliable form of identification?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #9: Inventions and copyright

 Which invention has transformed your country most?
 Would you like to be an inventor?
 How long should someone be able to profit from an idea?
 Do you think intellectual property laws are too strict?
 Should all medicines be free to manufacture?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #10: The internet and social media
 Which websites are popular among your generation?
 Is using the internet a social or solitary activity?
 How has the internet changed social behaviour?
 Should companies check job applicants’ online profiles?
 What will be the next big development online?

SOME TOPICS FOR PRACTICE

Part 2+ 3
Beautiful places

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
Describe a beautiful place to visit in your country.
You should say:
 where it is
 how to get there
 what there is to do when you are there
and explain why you recommend this place.
Part 3
Attitudes to tourism
 Why do you think people like to travel to different places in their free time?
 How do you see tourism changing in your country in the future?
Conserving the countryside
 Why is it important to protect the countryside?
 In what ways is the countryside in danger in your country?
Historic buildings and monuments
 Why are historic buildings and monuments important to a city?
 Is it better to keep old buildings, or build new modern ones?

Family

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
Describe the person in your family who you most admire.
You should say:
 what their relationship is to you
 what they have done in their life
 what they do now
and explain why you admire them so much.
Part 3
Attitudes to family
 In what ways have families in your country changed in recent years?
 Should husbands and wives have different roles within the family? Why (not)?
Family or friends
 Which are more important to you: your family or your friends?
 What conflicts can arise between a person's family and a person's friends?
Family responsibilities
 What responsibilities do parents have towards their children?
 What responsibilities do children have towards their parents?

Shopping

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
Describe your favorite shop.
You should say:
 where it is
 what things it sells
 what sort of people are its customers
and explain why you like the shop so much.
Part 3
Things to buy
 What typical things can visitors to your country buy?
 What things do young people like to buy in your country?
Money
 Is it a good idea to save money? Why (not)?
 Do you think that people are happier if they have money? Why (not)?
Shopping
 What can shops do to make shopping more pleasant for their customers?
 Do you think that in the future people will do most of their shopping using the Internet?
Why?/ Why not?

Shopping

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
Describe your favorite shop.
You should say:
 where it is
 what things it sells
 what sort of people are its customers
and explain why you like the shop so much.
Part 3
Things to buy
 What typical things can visitors to your country buy?
 What things do young people like to buy in your country?
Money
 Is it a good idea to save money? Why (not)?
 Do you think that people are happier if they have money? Why (not)?
Shopping
 What can shops do to make shopping more pleasant for their customers?
 Do you think that in the future people will do most of their shopping using the Internet?
Why?/ Why not?

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
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 this market.
Part 3
Shopping at markets
 Do people in your country enjoy going to open-air markets that sell things like food or
clothes or old objects? Which type of market is more popular? Why?
 Do you think markets are more suitable places for selling certain types of things? Which
ones? Why do you think this is?
  Do you think young people feel the same about shopping at markets as older people? Why is
that?
Shopping in general
 What do you think are the advantages of buying things from shops rather than markets?
 How does advertising influence what people choose to buy? Is this true for everyone?
 Do you think that any recent changes in the way people live have affected general shopping
habits? Why is this?

Eating and food

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
Describe a special occasion when you had a really enjoyable meal.
You should say:
 what the occasion was
 who was at the meal
 what you ate
and explain why the meal was so enjoyable.
Part 3
Attitudes to food
 What do you think a healthy diet consists of?
 Which do people in your country prefer: traditional food or fast food such as hamburgers or
pizzas?
Learning about food
 Do you think children should be taught about healthy diets and cooking at school? Why
(not)?
 At what age do you think children should be taught to cook?
Food aid
 What can be done to prevent poor people in the world going hungry?
 Should rich countries help poor countries with more than just food?

Travelling

IELTS Tip
Travel is a verb: I enjoyed my travel trip very much. It is only used as a noun in a general
sense, e.g. travel broadens the mind.

Trip refers to both a journey: the trip there was fine; or a short stay: a business trip; or a
holiday: I’m going away on a trip.

Journey only refers to getting from one place to another: the journey there was very
uncomfortable.
Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
Describe a memorable journey you have made.
You should say:
 where you were going
 how you were travelling
 why you were making the journey
and explain what made the journey so memorable.
Part 3
Travelling and learning
 What do people learn from travelling?
 Do you think the growth of international tourism is a good thing? Why (not)?
Tourism and culture
 How has tourism changed the way people in your country live?
 How should tourists behave when they visit your country?
Ways of travelling
 What do you think is the best way for a tourist to travel if they want to learn about your
country?
 What are the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by plane?

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
Describe a journey that you remember well.
You should say:
 where you went
 how you travelled
 why you went on the journey
and explain why you remember this journey well.
Part 3
Reasons for daily travel
 Why do people need to travel every day?
 What problems can people have when they are on their journey, for example to work or
school? Why is this?
 Some people say that daily journeys like these will not be so common in the future. Do you
agree or disagree? Why?
Benefits of international travel
 What do you think people can learn from travelling to other countries? Why?
 Can travel make a positive difference to the economy of a country? How?
 Do you think a society can benefit if its members have experience of travelling to other
countries? In what ways?

School

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
Describe a school which you went to.
You should say:
 when you went there
  how many people studied there
 how long you spent there
and explain what you liked and disliked about it.
Part 3
Attitudes to education
 How has education changed in your country in the last ten years?
 Is a good education more important to a boy or a girl? Why?
The focus of education
 How well do you think schools prepare young people for working life?
 Do you think schools should teach subjects like art, music and dancing? Why (not)?
Education and technology
 How important is it for schools to have computers for their students?
 Is the Internet a valuable educational tool?

Adventure

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
Describe an exciting experience in your life.
You should say:
 when the experience took place
 where the experience took place
 what happened exactly
and explain why the experience was so exciting.
Part 3
Safety and danger
 In what ways is life becoming safer, and in what ways is it becoming more dangerous?
 Should people always avoid danger, or is it a good idea sometimes to take risks?
Taking risks
 What risks should people try to avoid?
 Do you think people take fewer risks as they grow older? Why (not)?
Adventure
 How important is it to have adventure in our lives?
 What do people learn about themselves from having adventures?

Newspapers

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
Describe a newspaper or magazine you enjoy reading.
You should say:
 what kind of newspaper or magazine it is, e.g. fashion
 how often you buy it
 what articles and information it contains
and explain why you enjoy reading it.
Part 3
Attitudes to newspapers
 In what ways are newspapers better for learning about the news than listening to the radio
or watching television?
 Do you think newspapers should be completely free to say whatever they want?
Tastes in reading
 What do people enjoy reading in your country?
 Do you think it is important for people to read a lot? Why (not)?
Public and private lives
 What sort of stories do newspapers and magazines publish about well-known or famous
people in your country?
 Do you think the media should be allowed to publish stories about the private lives of public
figures?

Sport

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.
Describe an exciting competition or sporting event you have witnessed.
You should say:
 what the competition or sporting event was
 when and where it took place
 who won
and explain why it was exciting.
Part 3
Sport & Health
 What do you do to keep fit?
 Are you good at sport?
 What sports do you play?
 What is the most popular sport in your country?
 What are the best ways to keep fit?
 Do you think most people consider exercise a chore or do they find it fun?
 What is the most popular form of exercise in your country?
 Do you think people in your country are less healthy than they used to be?
 How can we encourage young people to stay healthy?
 Should governments intervene to force people to be healthier?