THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS TÀI LIỆU LUYỆN THI NÓI IELTS

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

TÀI LI U LUY N THI NÓI IELTS

NHÀ XU T B

I H C QU C GIA HÀ N I 1


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

STRUCTURE Bài thi nói IELTS kéo dài trong kho ng th i gian 11-15 phút và chia làm 3 ph n: Education Ph n 1 INTRODUCTIONS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT GENERAL TOPICS GI I THI U T NG QUÁT (4-5 PHÚT) Gi m kh o s h i m t s v b t p, n n giáo d c, tình tr Topics 1. Warm up/ 2. Yourself 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Family

câu h

tài quen thu

n ng h c

truy n th Questions What is your (full) name? Can I have your name please? Could you tell me your full name please? What shall I call you? How can I address you? Does your name have any special meaning? Is your name important to you? Have you ever changed your name? Why or why not? 9. Why do so many people change their name? 1. Describe your family. 2. Do you have a large or a small family? 3. How many brothers and sisters do you have? What do they like doing in their free time? Which order are you in your family? 4. Can you tell me something/ a little about your family? 5. What do your parents do? 6. Do you have strict parents? Are your parents strict? 7. Do you live with your family? 8. How much time do you spend with your family? 9. What do you like to do together as a family? 10. Do you get along well with your family? 11. Which part of your parents do you most resemble/ take after? Why do you say that? 12. When was the last time you met your extended 2

Study

Work

family? What was the occasion? 13. Are people in your country generally close to their families? Are people/ they generally close to their families in your country? 1. Describe your education. (education background) 2. What kind of school did you go to when you were a child? 3. Did you go to a co-educational school? 4. What was your favourite subject when you were a child? 5. Who was your favourite teacher? 6. What is the education system like in your country? 7. Do you think your country has an effective education system? 1.What are you studying? / Where are you studying? 3. Why did your choose that major? 4. What do you find most interesting about your course? 5. What is your favourite subject? 6. What do you dislike about your study? 7. What do you plan/ intend to do after your graduation? 8. What are your ambitions for the future? 9. Do you/ expect to receive any qualifications? 10. What are the advantages of studying instead of working? 1. What do you do? Can you describe your job to me? 2. What are your responsibilities? 3. What do you do for a living? 4. How long have you been doing it? 5. Describe the company or organization you work for. 6. How many people does your firm employ at present? 7. Can you have some time off whenever you want? 8. If they offer you a well-paid job, will you take it? 9. 10. Can you tell me something/ a little about your boss? What kind of person is he/ she? Like? 11. Have you ever had any serious work? Do you enjoy your work? 12. Can you describe one of your typical working days? 13. 3


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Hometown

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

14. Why did you choose to do that job? 15. Are there any kinds of work you would rather do? 16. What things do you like about your work? Why? 17. What do you think is the attraction of your work? 18. What is your ideal job? 19. What do you dislike about your job? 20. Do you want to change your current job? Why or why not? 21. Are you willing to do your job permanently? 22. If you could change your job or profession, what would you do? 23. Describe the process of getting a job in your country? 24. What are your plans for the future. 1. Can you describe your hometown or village to me? 2. Tell me something about your hometown. 3. What are you from? 4. Where is your hometown? 5. Where do you come from? 6. 7. What is the name of the street you live on? 8. What kind of street do you live on? 9. Is it easy to travel around your hometown? 10. What do you like about your town? 11. What is the weather like in your town? 12. What building is considered famous in your town? 13. What do people in your town do? 14. What are the main industries in your hometown? 15. How has your town changed over the last twenty years? 16. What problems does your hometown face? 17. What are the advantages of living in your hometown? 18. What changes have taken place in your city in recent years? 19. Compare your hometown with another city. 20. What are environmental problems faced by your hometown? 21. Do you think better to live in the center of town or outside in the countryside? 22. Would you like to live in your hometown when you retire/ get older? 23. When are you next going back to your hometown? 4

Weather

House

Friends

Wedding

Travel

24. Do you often visit your hometown? 25. How often do you go back to your hometown? 26. Is your hometown famous for anything? 27. What is the name of your hometown? 28. What kind of transport do people usually use in your hometown? 1. 2. Does the weather affect your mood? 3. How do rainy days make you feel? 4. Wha 5. 6. What do you usually do in the winter? 7. How many seasons are there in your country? 1. Describe your house. 2. What kind of building do you live in? 3. How long have you lived there? 1. Do you have many friends? (How about close friends?) 2. How long have you known them? 3. What do you usually do together? 4. What do you like the most about them? 5. How often do you see them? 1. Have you ever been to a wedding? 2. Whose wedding was it? 3. Where was it held? 4. What did people wear? 5. Describe the wedding ceremony? 6. What sort of gifts did people buy for the bridal couple? 7. What kind of costume did the bride and groom wear? 1. Do you like to travel? 2. What kind of places have you visited in your life? 3. Which place would you really like to visit? Why? 4. 5. Have you visited many foreign countries? What was your favourite place? Why? 6. What countries would you like to visit (in the future?) 7. Would you like to live abroad? Why/ Why not? 8. What things would you recommend a foreign tourist to do in your country? 9. Have you ever had any problems while you were 5


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Computers

Internet

Email

Smoking

Marriage

Hobbies

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

travelling? 10. When you think you will next travel abroad? (Where would you like to go?) 11. Have you been to any English speaking countries? (What do you think about it/ them?) 12. Have you travelled much? 13. Have you visited any foreign countries? 14. Which part of the world would you most like to travel? 15. If you could live in another country/ travel somewhere, where would you choose? 1. Do you think computers help society? 2. Do you think computers are bad for health? 3. How do you think computers have changed the world? 1. Do you the Internet much during the day? 2. What do you usually do on the Internet? 3. What are some advantages of the Internet? 4. What are some disadvantages? 5. Do people in your country use the Internet a lot? 6. Do you do any shopping on the Internet? 1. Do you send and receive email regularly? 2. Who do you usually communicate with? 3. How often do you check your email? 4. Do you think writing email has strengthened or 5. What are some disadvantages of email? 1. What do you think about smoking in public places? 2. homes? 1. What is the attitude towards marriage in your country? 2. Do most young people plan on getting married in your country? 3. What are some of the advantages of marriage? 4. What are some of the disadvantages? 5. Is the divorce rate high in your country? 6. Do you think people should be allowed to get divorced? 1. Do you have any hobbies? What are your hobbies? 2. Have you got any interests or hobbies? 3. What are some of your hobbies? 4. What are some of the advantages of having a 6

Films

Free time

Places

Transport

hobby? 5. How much time do you spend on your hobby? 6. Are there any new leisure activities you would like to take up? 7. Do you prefer corrected stay at home in the evening corrected? (Why?) 8. How do you usually spend your weekends/ days off? 9. What do you usually do in the evening? 10. Do you prefer going out or staying at home? Why? 1. Do you enjoy watching movies? 2. 3. Who are your favourite actors? 4. How often do you watch films? 1. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? 2. How much time do you spend week for doing these things? 3. Why do you like doing these activities? 4. How did you start doing these activities at first? 5. Are there some other hobbies or sports you would like to try? Why? 6. How has the way people spend their free time changed over the years? 7. What do you do when you have a holiday? 8. Who do you usually spend holiday with? 9. Where do you like to spend your holidays? Why? 10. Can you describe a typical day in your holidays? 11. Why are holidays important to you? 12. If you could take a holiday anywhere in the world, where would you do? Why? 13. What do people usually do during holidays in your town? 1. Describe a place would you like to go. 2. Why is this place special to you? 3. When did you first visit this place? 4. Where is this place located? 5. What language is spoken there? Can you speak that language. 1. How did you come here today? 2. What is public transport like in your town? 3. How do you think it could be improved? 4. Do you think people should use public transport more? Why (not)? 7


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS Shopping

Neighbourhood

Reading

Sports

Games

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

1. How much time do you spend shopping every week? 2. Do you enjoy going shopping? Why (not)? 3. How do you feel about shopping? 4. Do you like shopping on the Internet? 5. Which is the most popular place to shop in your hometown? 6. What is your favourite shop and why do you like it? 7. What problems are there with shopping in your area? 1. Can you describe the house where do you live to me? 2. What is there to do in the area where you live? 3. What do you like about the area where you live? 4. How do you think it could be improved? 5. Do you think it is better to live in the centre of town or outside in the countryside? Why? 1. Do you enjoy reading? Why? 2. What sort of things do you read? 3. What kind of books do you like to read? 4. Tell me something about your favourite book. 5. Where do you like to read? 6. What are the advantages of reading instead of watching television or going to the cinema? 1. Do you like sports? 2. Do you enjoy watching sports? 3. Do you enjoy participating in any sports? 4. How often do you participate in sports? 5. What equipment do you need for your favourite sport? 6. What sports are most popular in your country? 7. What sports and games did you enjoy playing when you were a child? 8. Do you take as much exercise as in the past? 9. Why is exercise good for you? 1. Do you enjoy playing any games? 2. What kind of games do you play? 3. Do you think adults should play games? 4. What do children learn from games? 5. What kinds of games did you play when you were a child? 6. What games are popular in your country nowadays? 7. What kinds of games were popular when you were 8

Colours

Music

Country

Clothes

Going out

young? 8. Do you think mental games like chess are good for you? 1. Do you have a favourite colour? 2. What are your national colours? 3. Do any colours have a special meaning in your culture? 4. Do you think colours affect our moods? 5. Can you learn anything about a person from the colours he/ she likes? 6. Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were a child? 1. Do you like music? 2. What kind of music do you like? 3. When do you usually listen to music? 4. What kind of music did you like when you were younger? 5. What kind of music is popular in your country? 6. Do you play any musical instruments? 7. Do you wish you could play corrected musical instruments? 8. Which is your favourite instrument? 1. Which country are you from? 2. Where is that/ the country located? 3. Which part of the country do most people live in? 4. What are the main industries in your country? 5. Is it easy to travel around your country? 1. What type of clothes do you like to wear? 2. What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear? 3. How important is fashion to you? 4. What kind of clothes do you dislike? 5. Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes? 6. What kind of clothes do people wear to work in your country? 7. Are clothes expensive in your country? 1. Do you like going out or staying at home? 2. What do you like to do when you go out? 3. How often do you go out? 4. Do people in your country go out a lot? 5. How and where do people in your country usually socialize? 9


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Festival

Celebrations

Tourism

Daily routine

Television

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

6. What kind of entertainment is popular in your country? 1. l in your country? 2. How do people celebrate that festival? 3. What special food is associated with that/ the festival? 4. What special activities are associated with that/ the festival? 5. What do you enjoy most about that/ the festival? 6. Do you think festivals are important for a society? 7. Are there any festivals would you like to go to? 8. When did you last go to a festival? 9. Does your hometown have any famous festivals? 1. How do you usually celebrate your birthdays? 2. How did you celebrate your last birthday? 3. How do you think you will celebrate your next birthday? 4. What is the most important day of the year to you? (Why?) 5. What is the next big celebration in your family? (What are you going to do?) 1. Which places would you recommend to a visitor to your country? 2. Do a lot of tourists visit your country? 3. What do they usually do there? 4. How has tourism changed your country? 5. Is your country expensive for most tourists? 6. What are some famous landmarks in your country? 1. Describe your daily routine. 2. What do you usually do? 3. What do you do on the weekend? 4. What is your typical weekday like? 5. Does your life change much from week to week? 6. Do you have any free time during the week? 1. Do you watch television a lot? 2. What do you usually what on television? 3. How many hours do you usually watch television? 4. What are the most popular shows in your country? 5. What kind of shows do you like to watch? 6. What are some advantages of television? 7. What are some of the disadvantages of television? 8. What did you last watch on television? 9. Why do you think certain TV shows are so popular? 10

Food and drink

House

Future plans

1. What are some of your favourite foods? 2. What foods are popular in your country? 3. What are some of the famous dishes of your country? 4. Do you enjoy cooking? 5. Who does the cooking in your family/ house? 6. What is the most famous dish in your country? Can you describe it? 7. What is your favourite dish? 8. What kind of food do you like? 9. Which is your main meal of the day? 10. Do you prefer eating at home or in a restaurant? 11. On what occasions do you eat special meals? 1. Do you live in a house or a flat? / what sort of home do you live in? what kind of accommodation do you live in? 2. Where do you live now? How long have you been living there? 3. Where are you living now? 4. Do you live near here? 5. What do you like about your home? Is there anything you would like to change/ improve about your home. 6. What would your dream house be like? 7. Can you tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in? what do you like about living there? 8. What is your local area like? 9. What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in? 10. Do you still live in your family home? 11. Can you tell me about where are you living at the moment? 12. Would you like to move house? Why/ why not? 13. What is your favourite room in your house? Why? 14. How long do you think you will continue living in your present accommodation? 15. Who do you live with? / Do you live on your own? 1. What are your plans for your next holiday? / do you have any plans for your next holiday? 2. What are you going to do at the weekend/ on your next days off? 3. time. 11


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Language studies and IELTS

Laughing

Visitors

Dancing

Traffic

Fruits

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

4. Do you have any plans or ambitions for the future? 5. Do you have any plans to travel or live abroad? 1. Do you speak any other languages? / How many languages do you speak? 2. Why are you taking the IELTS exam? 3. Do you have any for after you take the IELTS exam? 4. What will you do if you pass the IELTS exam? 5. How long have you been studying English? 6. Why is it important for you to learn English? 7. Do you enjoy English at school? 8. Do you enjoy studying English? 9. What do you find most difficult about learning English? 10. What activities do you find most useful for learning English? What do you think the best way to study a language is? 11. How much time do you spend studying English every week? 1. What kinds of things make you laugh? 2. Do you like making other people laugh? 3. 4. Is laughing the same as feeling happy, do you think? 1. What would you suggest a visitor should see and do in your country? 2. Are there any traditional arts or music you would recommend? 3. Tell me about the kinds of foreign visitors or tourists who go to your country. 4. In what ways has tourism changed your country? 1. Do you enjoy dancing? 2. Has anyone ever taught you to dance? 3. Tell me about traditional dancing in your country? 4. Do you think that traditional dancing will be popular in the future? 1. How do most people travel to work where you live? 2. What traffic problems are there in your area? 3. How do traffic problems affect you? 4. How would you reduce the traffic problems in your area? 1. Do you eat fruits? 2. How often do you eat fruits? 3. Where do you buy your fruits from? 12

Telephone calls

Technology at home/ office

Photographs

Timing

Dreams

4. 1. How often are you on the phone? 2. Do you like calling friends or family more often? (Why) 3. Did you call your friends a lot when you were a child? 4. Do you think children should have to pay their own telephone bills? 1. How often do you use electric appliances at home/ office? 2. How do you think they help you with your chores? 3. Are there any other advantages? 4. Are there any drawbacks to using these appliances? 5. Do you think people should use electric appliances more often or less often than they do now? 1. How often do you take photographs? Why?/ why not? 2. Why do people take photographs? 3. Do you prefer photographs or people or places? Why? 1. Is being late acceptable in your culture? (Why/ why not?) 2. Are you ever late for appointments? (Why/ why not?) 3. Why type of excuses do you think are alright for lateness? 4. How do you feel when someone is late for an appointment 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?

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Ph n 2 TALK ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC BÀI THUY T TRÌNH NG N (3-4 PHÚT)

Giám kh o s tài (topic card) ng u nhiên mô t n b n, trong yêu c m t s vi c, hi thí sinh có th d dàng phát tri có 4 g -2 phút. Ví d :

Describe a special occasion when you had a really enjoyable meal. You should say: What the occasion was Where you are the meal What you ate And say why you enjoyed it so much. - Describe a book that impressed you. - Describe a book you have never read but would like to do in the future. - Describe a dish you know how to cook. - Describe a festival that is important in your country. - Describe a film you have never seen but would like to see. - Describe a film you have seen which you remember well. - Describe a friend you had when you were a child. - Describe a game you used to play when you were a child. - Describe a garden you remember visiting. - Describe a happy childhood event. - Describe a happy event in your life. - Describe a historical place. - Describe a hobby you were interested in when you were a child. - Describe a hotel you have stayed in. - Describe a lake, a river or a sea you have visited. - Describe a language you would like to learn. - Describe a museum or art gallery that you have visited. - Describe a new sport or hobby you would like to take up. - Describe a newspaper or magazine you enjoy reading. - Describe a party. - Describe a piece of modern technology you own.

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Describe a place that you would like to travel. Describe a place where you often go on your days off. Describe a practical skill you have. Describe a present you have given someone. Describe a restaurant you know. Describe a shopping centre you often visit. Describe a special occasion in your life. Describe a sporting even you have attended. Describe a subject taught in your school. Describe a subject you enjoyed studying at school. Describe a thing which is important to you. Describe a TV programme that you often watch. Describe a wedding you attended. Describe a wild animal that can be found in your country. Describe an activity you like doing. Describe an advertisement you like. Describe an area of countryside you know and like. Describe an artist or entertainer you admire. Describe an enjoyable event that you experienced when you were at school. Describe an environmental problem. Describe an important choice you had to make in your life. Describe an important letter that you received. Describe an item you often use in your free time. Describe an old person you admire. Describe one of your neighbours. Describe someone in your family who you like. Describe something who has had an important influence on your life. Describe something healthy you enjoy doing. Describe something special you want to buy in the future. Describe something that you collect. Describe something you can do on a computer that you think is enjoyable. Describe something you like doing at home. Describe something you often do in the evening. Describe something you often do or used to do in your free time with your friends. Describe something you or someone you know collects. Describe what you are going to do or will probably do on your next day off. Describe your favourite film. Describe your favourite photograph. Describe your favourite animal. Describe your favourite free time activity. 15


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS -

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Describe your favourite item of clothing. Describe your favourite magazine, newspaper or comic. Describe your favourite movie. Describe your favourite news source. Describe your favourite place to eat out. Describe your favourite song or piece of music. Talk about a house or an apartment you would like to live in.

10.

ld and the young as regards the environment? Influence of television 1. How popular is watching television in your country? 2. Tell me about the types of programme that are general on television in your country? 3. Why do people like watching television? 4. Do you think state or private television is better? 5. What effects can watching television have on children? Influence on the young 1. Why type of people influences the young in your country? 2. Why is it important to have role models? 3. Do you think the education system in your country influences young

Ph n 3 DISCUSSION

TH O LU N

(4-5 PHÚT) t câu h i chi ti nh Giám kh o s th o lu bày ph n II ho c th o lu n v m t n i ph n này ng là các lo i sau: 1. Discussion (bàn lu n); 2. Compare (so sánh); 3. ( Speculate (d i thích); 6. Evaluate (ý ki n) Eating habits 1. Tell me about the types of food that people eat in your country. 2. How are the eating habits in your country different from eating habits in the past? 3. 4. Why do you think different cultures have different table manners? 5. How may eating habits change in coming decades? Education 1. How are education priorities today different from those in the past? 2. What is your opinion to the ways languages are taught at schools? 3. How can the type of school you go to affect career success? 4. What changes do you think will happen in the classroom in the near future? Environment 1. Is water pollution a problem in your country? 2. What are some of the causes of water pollution? 3. What can individuals do to try and ensure water to be kept clean? 4. Do you think problems with the cleanliness of water will improve in the future? 5. What causes environmental problems? 6. What should be the government do to protect the environment? 7. What should we do to protect the environment? 8. What other measures can you think of to protect the environment? 9. How should we educate children to protect the environment?

5. What do you think young people will be most influenced by in the future? Leisure activities 1. What types of leisure activities are popular in your country? 2. Why is it important for people to have time for leisure activities? 3. Why are some activities more popular than others? 4. Are the types of leisure activities that are popular today the same as those that were popular when your parents were young? 5. What types of leisure activities may become more popular in the future? Shopping 1. Is shopping a popular activity in your country? 2. How have shopping habits changed over recent years? 3. To what extent do you think advertising affects the way people stop? 4. Are there any differences between shopping in rural areas and shopping in urban areas? 5. Do you think shopping habits are likely to change in the future? Travel and transport 1. How easy is it to travel around your country? 2. Which method of travel do you consider safest? 3. Has travel become safer in recent years? 4. What are the pros and cons of low-cost air travel? 5. How do you think people will travel in the future? 6. How do most people travel long distances in your country? 7. Have the types of transport people use changed much over the last few decades? 8. What kinds of improvement have there been in transport in your country in recent years? 9. Do you think transport is likely to continue to improve in the future?

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4. What types of people (parents, teachers, friends etc) are best to influence


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Universities 1. Is higher education too expensive in your country? 2. Should all students have to pay for their university education? 3. What advantages do universities bring to society? 4. Which is more important, research or teaching? 5. How should students spend their summer vacations? Sports and competition 1. Why are some sports fans so passionate? 2. Is there any violence at sporting events in your country? 3. Should athletes be better role models? 4. What benefits do international sporting events bring? 5. Is it important for a country to win lots of medals? 6. What types of sports are popular in your country? 7. What are the benefits of playing a sport? 8. Do you think the types of sport that are popular will change in the future? 9. How can sports bring people from different countries closer together? Leadership and politics 1. Do you think people are born to be leaders? 2. Can leadership skills be taught? 3. Why are elected politicians often so unpopular? 4. What should a leader do to remain popular? 5. Do you think unelecting heads of state is a good idea? Life experience 1. Do you agree that we learn best from our mistakes? 2. 3. Can we gain life experience from books and movies? 4. Which is more important, experience or potential? 5. Retirement and old age 1. At what age should people retire from work? 2. What problems can people face after retirement? 3. 4. When should you start saving for retirement? 5. Why do some companies encourage early retirement? Photography and the image 1. Is it easy to take good photographs? 2. What are the pros and cons of digital photography? 3. Should people share their photographs online? 4. When can an image be worth a thousand words? 5. Is a photograph a reliable form of identification? Inventions and copyright 1. Which invention has transformed your country most? 2. Would you like to be an inventor? 18

3. How long should someone be able to profit from an idea? 4. Do you think intellectual property laws are too strict? 5. Should all medicines be free to manufacture? The internet and social media 1. Which websites are popular with your generations? 2. Is using the internet a social or solitary activity? 3. How has the internet changed social behaviour? 4. 5. What will be the next big development online? Role models 1. Which types of people are respected most in your society? 2. Do you agree with this situation? 3. What happens when young people lack good role models? 4. What standards of behaviour should teachers set? 5. Do you agree that you should never meet your heroes? Leisure time 1. Compare how adults spend their leisure time with how children spend their leisure time. 2. Compare the way men spend their leisure time with the way women spend their leisure time. 3. Compare the role of women in society today to their role several generations ago. 4. Do old and young people like to do the same things? (Why/ why not? What do both groups like to do?) Learning English 1. What problems do you have when studying English? 2. Do you think that English is the most important language in the world? 3. What other language are taught in Viet Nam? 4. Do you think that age is the most important factor of learning English? Why? 5. What difficulties would a foreigner have when he learns your native language? 6. What problems would Vietnamese people have when communicating with foreigners? 7. When would be most suitable for children to learn English? 8. How will translation and interpretation develop in the future? Radio 1. Compare the impact of local radio stations with that of national radio stations. 2. Compare listening to the radio to watching TV. (What are the differences and advantages of each?) 3. Compare radio and TV as a source of news. 19


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

4. Do young people and old people like listening to the same kind of radio programs?

5. If you had to choose one of two different jobs, one being well-paid but not interesting and the another being poorly-paid but interesting, which job would you choose? Films 1. In what ways are documentary films and films only for entertainment different? 2. (Similar to above) Films in cinemas are all for entertainment. How do you think these films compare to documentary videos or documentary TV shows? 3. Compare the films that older people (e.g.,over 35) like to watch with those that younger people (e.g., 13 to 25) like to watch. 4. Compare animated cartoon films with films that have real actors. Which is better? (Or: Which do you prefer?) (Why?) 5. What kinds of people like to watch different types of films? 6. How are movies and real life different? 7. Do different age groups like the same kinds of films? 8. Do men and women like to watch the some kinds of films? 9. In genera, when films are made of novels, how do the films differ from the novels? Games 1. Are there any differences between the games boys like to play and those girls like to play? 2. Do different age groups of people like to play different games? (Give examples What games?)

1. Compare the leisure-time activities of children when you were a child with the leisure activities of children today. 2. attitudes of parents in the past? 3. How are the behaviour pattern of children different to those of teenagers (or adults) News 1. Are young people and older people interested in the same news content? 2. Are women and men interested in the same news content? Saving 1. Is saving money in the city and in rural areas the same or different? 2. How is the way people save today different to the way people used to save many years ago? Gift-giving 1. Do you think people should wait for a special occasion to give gifts or should they give gifts whenever they feel like it? (Compare the value of each.) 2. Do people give the same kinds of gifts to both boys and girls? 3. (As above) Compare the kinds of gifts that boys like with those that girls like. 4. Compare the kinds of gifts that well-educated people like with those that less educated people like. 5. How are gifts that people give each other today different to gifts when you were a child? 6. Do men and women have the same attitude towards gift giving? (Or: Do men and women give the same kinds of gifts?) Family life 1. How has family life (or, families) changed in Viet Nam in the recent past, for example, in the past 20 or 50 years? 2. Have these been changed for the better or for the worse? 3. (Similar to above) Has the influence of family on people changed, compared to many years ago? Factors when choosing a job 1. Why do different people choose to do different kinds of work? 2. Compare some of the different types of work that you know. 3. What are 4. What do you think is the most important factor when choosing a job or a career-the salary, how interesting the job is, or how much power one can gain from the job? 20

Part 1 INTRODUCTION & INTERVIEW Warm up 1. Could you show me your identification card please? Hello. Sure, here you are. 2. Could you tell me your full name please? My full name is Bui Ngoc Mai. I am also called by my English name, which is Vivian. 3. What shall I call you? You could call me Vivian. 4. How are you? I am well, thank you, and you? 5. ld are you? 21


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

I am 24 years old. In other words, I was born in 1990 on the twenty-first of July 1990, to be exact. 6. Does your name have any special meaning? symbolizing the richness. My English name was given to me by one of my high school teachers, and it does not have any special meaning really. 7. Is your name important to you? work out his own life. I am planning to do this as well as I can. - Not really. I am a part of the new generation who do not attach too much significance to our names. Names were important to the older generation as they have the opinion that I will determine your destiny to some extent. However, I personally believe that I myself will determine my destiny irrespective of what my name is. I will do this by acquiring good qualifications and by working hard. 8. What kind of person are you? - I am a simple and straightforward person. I am a very hard working person and believe in hard work and persistence. I am an optimist, always think positively about everything. I am also very sensitive to nature and have a lot of patience for everything. - I am basically an extrovert. I love socializing and making friends. I am also honest and sincere, not only with my work but also with my friends. I am always ready to help any person who is in trouble. My friends trust me a lot. I do not like liars and people who take advantage of others. I lose my temper with such people and so get very angry. 9. What are your strong points? What is your weakness? - No man is perfect in this world and similarly I have certainly positive and negative aspects as well. Talking about the positive aspects. I am a very hardworking person and believe in hard work and persistence. I believe that with hard work everything is achievable. Secondly, I am a positive person who thinks positively. Besides that I am an honest person who believes in honesty because without honesty nothing can survive for a long time. I am a good listener, too. And hence I absorb many things from others. - As far as negative aspects are concerned, I trust people very fast and this sometimes creates problems in my life. I am also very sensitive to nature and this creates a lot of tension in my life. I am also quite a cool person When I am involved in my work I cannot think of anything else, y also. I know that this is not good, and so I am trying to rectify the same.

Hometown 1. Where are you from? (Where is your hometown?) I come from Nam Dinah. My parents have been living there for the past forty years and so. I grew up there and I attended a well-known school called Le Hong Phong High School. We live in a respectable area with many shops, restaurants, and a variety of other businesses. The people in our building are generally friendly and gentle, which makes it a pleasure to live there. 2. Do you like your hometown? (Why?) friends live, and because there are plenty of things to do there. The only thing 3. Where do you live now? I am living with my aunt in Ha Noi at the moment. To be more exact, we live in an apartment building in one of the northern suburbs of the city. I have my own room and enjoy the privacy that it brings, but I am looking forward to the day that I can have my own apartment. Although my aunt is very good and I love her very much, I would like to be more independent soon. 4. Is there much to do in your current city? going out in the evening, there are a lot of good restaurants and bars. If you prefer cultural activities there are museums and art galleries. But if you like nature there are lots of other things outside the city which are easy to reach. 5. Can you tell me something about your hometown? Yes, certainly. Nam Dinh is in the northeast part of my country. It is the capital of Nam Dinh Province. Its population is about one million people. It has many industries such as textile and garment industries, mechanical and processing industries, and traditional trades. In addition, it is rich in history and culture. For example, from August 18 20 of each year, there is a festival held in Nam Dinh called the Co Trach. The celebration honors General Tran Hung Dao, a 13th-century national hero who led Vietnamese forces to victory over the invading Mongols. 6. Can you tell me some famous landscapes or scenic spots in your hometown? one of the biggest stadiums in Vietnam. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Nam Dinh FC. The stadium holds 30,000 people. Thien Truong Stadium is located in Dang Xuan Thieu Street, Nam of Nam Dinh. Nearby is Vi Hoang Lake, with a large natural gas field 115 metres by 72 metres, just behind My Dinh National Stadium. It has been Stadium was one of many venues to participate in organizing 2003 Southeast Asian Games, the female football matches were also held here. The national

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

football teams and the Olympics have chosen Thien Truong for international matches. Thien Truong Stadium is one of the best on the scale of the level 2 city. The stadium has 20 doors, four stages divided into A, B, C and D. Each stage A, B has seats for 7,000 people, the stage C and D has 3000 seats. There are four rooms for athletes, four rooms for the coach, three rooms for health car, VIP rooms, and cafeteria area. Grass on the field is of a pure, fine cultivar imported from Thailand, in accordance with the climate in Vietnam. 7. What are the people like in your hometown? For example, here we also have good and bad people, secondly, like everyone else, they are trying to work out a good life for themselves and their children. For example, parents are trying all they can to ensure that their children receive a good education. - They are mostly quite friendly, but as with most big cities everyone is often busy so it may seem as if they are not interested in speaking or having a chat. But if you live there you will know that most people are quite happy to have a chat if they have time and will help you if needed.

We learn about many things from the past as politics and wars, but I like

Studies 1. Are you a student or do you have a job?

our lives have changed so much from the past up until now. In some ways our lives have got much easier now, but in other ways the simplicity of life in the past people much happier. Learning about all that is fascinating. 5. Can you tell me about your study habits? I have well established study habits. For example, I have start promptly at eight in the evenings. I study for two hours, have a ten-minute break, and then study for another two hours. I follow this habit from Mondays to Fridays, but over the weekends I put in more hours. For example, I study in the mornings and afternoons, and then take the evenings off to relax with my family or friends. 6. What do you hope to do in the future when you have finished? the IELTS, as I intend to carry on and do a Masters in a specific area of that.

Job 1. What is your job?

I am a student at the moment. I am studying English at University of Languages and International Studies. We have classes in the mornings and afternoons. We have a number of foreign teachers who help us pronounce and use grammar correctly. 2. What are you studying at the moment? sad to finish. 3. What is your major? My major is English. So, we have chance to practice your skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing everyday. I choose English as my major thanks to its international popularity, especially in the business world. What I mean to say is that when I am able to communicate well in English, I will not only be able to study abroad and improve my qualifications, but also master a very necessary tool for my future career. 4. What do you like most about your study? Well, I guess the speaking part. Language is all about communication. So when I am able to communicate with someone in English, I feel that I have achieved something. I particularly like our free talk sessions with foreign teachers. It gives me the opportunity to question them about their countries and cultures.

ssigned to work with a specific business in order to improve their sales through various marketing strategies. I am working in a workshop of a large manufacturing plant at the moment. I graduated from high school two years ago, and went to work immediately. I am an assistant to one of the automotive electricians in the workshop. I have to assist my artisan in getting his jobs done. For instance, I have the responsibility to see whether the tools are in good order, and that the workshop is always kept clean and tidy. 2. Do you have to work with other people? want to achieve results. I have colleagues I need to liaise with such as the graphic designers and I also have administration staff who work under me. And of course I also have to work alongside the companies that we provide marketing for. So yes, I definitely have to work with other people. 3. Do you think you will change jobs in the future? about at the moment as I really enjoy they have other good benefits such as flexi-time and end of year bonuses. But there forever. 4. What do you do for living?

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

I work in the foreign trade department. I am a salesman. It is my job to bring foreign investors to the city to open up a business here. 5. Do you like your job? I love my job because I have to talk to other people and tell them information regarding different products. 6. What kind of job do you prefer in the future? I am planning to become a Hotel Manager for two reasons. Firstly, I believe that the hotel industry will be growing greatly in future. For example, people are becoming more affluent, and spend more and more their money on holidays. In addition, I believe that after graduating I will be able to find a good job anywhere in the world. What I mean to say is that all hotels and resorts have the same objectives irrespective of where they are situated. Their aim is to ensure that their guests have a good time and return again.

I resemble my mother. Many of my facial features are like her. When people other not only by our facial features but also our nature. My mother is a cool person. She rarely get angry. Even if we do something wrong, she will explain it to us but not get angry. I am the same. I always keep cool, always enjoy myself and accept life the way it comes. 5. What is an ideal family? An ideal family should be a family with lots of true love. There should be intimacy among the members. Each member should be ever ready to help each other in times of difficulty. They should be co-operative, understanding, loving and caring. 6. Are people in your country generally close to their families? to say yes. My country people are very friendly with their family members and they have a strong bond between them.

Family 1. Do you live with your family? Yes, I do live with my family. For a few years my parents had admitted me to a hostel. That time I did not live with them. Life was quite difficult at that

extremely far from my college so which I live in is a beautiful place and my roommates are very friendly and kind but I always feel homesick because nowhere is better than home. 2. In your family whom do you like the most? I have a small family. I like all the members very much. But I get along best with my younger brother. There is only one-year difference between my brother and me. So we can share our experiences with each other. He is not only my brother but also a great friend and guide. He gives me good advice for my life. I love him very much. I like my mother most because of many reasons. Firstly, she loves me very much and understands me very well. Secondly, she always encourages me to do better jobs and to be a good human being. Thirdly, my mom has a very 3. How much time do you spend with your family members? I am a working person, so it is difficult to spend a lot of time with my family. But I try to spend most of the evenings with them. I also plan to do something with my family on Sundays. It is a rule in my house to have dinner together. So however busy we are, we have to meet during dinner. When I get spare/ free/ leisure time, I spend time with my family members. Generally, at the weekend, we enjoy our time together. 4. Whom do you resemble in your family? 26

Hobby 1. Do you have any hobbies? Yes. My hobby is stamp collecting. I have been collecting stamps for the past two years now. That is to say, for two years I have chosen stamp collecting to be my only hobby. I regularly spend time working on my collection. I guess I spend about two hours every week on my hobby. This mainly over weekends, as I do not have time during the week. 2. What have you chosen this hobby? First of all, when you collect stamps, you are able to learn more about the world, and you will not get bored easily. What I mean to say is that you can get stamps from every country in the world, and the stamps often say something about that country and its people. Secondly, you are able to meet new friends through your hobby. For instance, you have a common interest with someone else, and you can discuss your collections together for many hours. Lastly, the hobby will teach you some self-discipline and how to be very systematic. That is to say, you have to tend to do your collection regularly, and you have to sort the stamps according to internationally recognized systems. 3. Do you prefer to say alone or with your friends? - I prefer to be alone. I like reading, which takes a lot of my time. Reading to me is a way of studying, so I have to do it alone. I often have to check the meaning of unfamiliar words in my dictionary, which is a slow process taking a lot of time. - I prefer to stay with my friends. Please allow me to explain. At work, I spend most of my time alone in my office. So after work I like to be with other people. I often invite some of my friends over, and we listen to our favourite music, or just chat the whole evening. 27


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

- Sometimes I prefer to be alone. For example, after a hard day at work I just want to relax without anybody disturbing me. Those are the times that I might meditate on the meaning of life or just savor some good memories. For example, over weekends, I like to go our with them and enjoy delicious food together. 4. What do you usually do on weekends and weekdays? On weekdays I go to school. On weekends I like to go out with my friends. For example, we will go and visit new shopping malls in the city. Then we will browse around all the shops. Sometimes, we will sit in a restaurant and have something to drink. I like the feeling of drinking and seeing the crowds of people go by. 5. What do you usually do when you go out? I usually go shopping with my mother. The reason for this is simple. We are women. We need a lot of clothes to make us beautiful, so we love to go und looking at all the clothes and comparing prices and quality. 6. What do you usually do with your friends? We usually go to the cinemas. My friends and I like cartoons very much, so n or not. In addition, we like to watch a good action movie from time to time. We find the spectacular crashes and explosions very exciting. These movies are from Hong Kong and Hollywood, and have famous actors like Jackie Chan and Tom Cruise playing in them. 7. What are good hobbies and bad hobbies? Why? In my opinion, good hobbies are those that give you the opportunity to develop a new skill. For example, collecting stamps teaches you to be systematic. Bad hobbies, on the other hand, may result in you acquiring bad habits. For example, TV and computer games will result in you neglecting your studies.

parts of the world. I particularly like to watch the polar bears playing with their cubs. - Leisure time activities are very important to everyone. It is the time when people can do what they like. It is a good form of relaxing. It is good for the mind and the body. I like to watch television of socialize with my friends in my leisure time. I watch different things on television. It all depends on my mood. Sometimes when I am in a sad mood I like to watch some comedy programs to induce me to be jollier. I watch a lot of movies on television, especially action films. I also watch some music channels, which revitalize me. I also love to socialize with my friends. We meet and enjoy ourselves by cracking jokes and sharing our experiences of life. I love my leisure time. 2. How your leisure activities changed since you were a child? Not a great deal actually. I used to love playing football when I was young as well I played a lot at school. Though of course I did all the other things kids loved to do such as going out on bike rides after school and things. 3. Do you prefer to spend your free time alone with other people? It depends on my mood really. I think most people need some time on their own. Sometimes my work is quite stressful and I spend a lot of time there

Leisure time 1. What do you like to do in your free time? - I do quite a lot of sports actually. I play football mostly on Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons with a local team. I also play tennis and

unfortunately. - Well, these days, I surf on the Internet in my spare time. I have just bought my first computer, and love to look for exciting websites that I have not time for anything else. I have to mention that it is an educational activity. For example, by means of web cams (video images from cameras set up at certain places) I am able to watch what wild animals are doing in many 28

something. But I get bored if I am alone too much so I like to go out and meet friends in the evening or play football.

Future plan 1. Why do you take the IELTS test? - I am taking the IELTS exam because I want to get admission in a Canadian University. - Well, IELTS is very important for me because I want to apply for studying overseas. Besides, having an English certificate will help me get a better job with high salary in the future. 2. What are you planning to do in the next five years? - My goal is to become a lead in five years. Although not everyone gets promoted to this level, I believe that I can achieve this goal through hard work. - Five years from now, I would like to see myself in a management position. eventually I want to become a marketing manager. I know there are a lot

one of them. 3. What are you planning to do in the next ten years? 29


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

management position soon. After gaining several years of experience as a sales manager, I want to be in a position where I can train and provide my expertise to newer sales manager.

Travelling 1. Do you like travelling? Yes, I like travelling. Firstly, I believe that travelling is a good way to learn something. Also, you have chance to meet different kin really interesting. 2. 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. 3. 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 traffic. 4. 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. 5. 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

Reading 1. Do you like reading? - Yes, I like reading a lot. I read all sorts of things, including novels, newspapers, magazines, and online articles. able to read a book from start to finish. Maybe the books I have tried are not interesting enough. 2. What kind of books do you like to read? they have had interesting lives and have had to deal with many problems. I do read fictions as well, but I often find it difficult to get hold of a book that really like. I also like reading about books to do with current affairs. - I like novels. Firstly, I like to read a storyline that is full of intrigue and suspense. For example, many love stories have characters who are involved in all sorts of conflicts among them. The most common one known all over the world since ancient times is the so-called love triangle. 30

- I like to read novels, autobiography, drama, short stories and fiction. Sometimes I also like to read spiritual and religious books. When I am sitting doing nothing, I read magazines on various topics: fashion, healthy, films etc. 3. Do you often read the newspaper or hear the news on television? - No, I never read a newspaper. I often watch TV if I want to know what is happening in Viet Nam and the world. Newspapers take too much time to read. Especially, the news on TV is short and to the point, and th want to know. - Yes, I do. I normally use the Internet to read some electronic newspaper if example, websites like CNN contain all the latest news on world events. Secondly, I like to read about stories in depth, and this I cannot find in newspapers. For example, I often would like to know the history behind a story. On the Internet I can do some research right away, and so gain a broader perspective on the subject at hand. - I like to read the newspaper. I read the newspaper everyday early in the morning. But I also listen to news on the television. It is different when we listen to the news on the television. But it does not give all the details of the news. In the paper, we get all the statistics about a particular situation. So, I like the television and the newspaper. 4. Do you usually read for leisure or for work purpose? 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. 5. What was your favourite book or story when you were a child? The first book that I remember really enjoying was Conan Detective. It only took me a few days to read because I liked it so much that down. 6. 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. 7. When do you think is the best time to read? a short time like on a bus like some people do. I like to put time aside to enjoy it. So if I have some free time at the weekend I might read for a few hours. And I nearly always read before I go to bed this really helps me to sleep. 8. What is the importance of reading? Reading gives the highest kind of pleasure. When we are tired or our brain is wear, it is a healthy recreation to read. By reading we can get knowledge, information and exposure to various subjects and studies. By reading we can share experiences of other people. We can also relax and get entertainment.

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

1. Are your friends mostly at your age or different ages? Most of my friends are about the same age as me because we met at school or

downs and he is the person with whom I can share my personal feelings. This is my brief description of my best friend. 7. What do you dislike about your friend? My friend is very impulsive. He makes quick decisions without thinking about the consequences or thinking about the future. He is otherwise very understanding towards others. But for himself, if he likes something one day, he will do it. But he may change it the very next day. And he may be doing another thing the third day. Every time he starts something he feels that it is good for him, but changes when he feels that something else is better. I do not like this attitude of his. 8. What is the importance of friend in our life? Friends have a very important role to play in our lives. Friends are people we grow up with. We need friends in our life to share our feelings, thoughts, ideas, emotions etc. We can also share some plans of our life and also so many other things, which we cannot discuss with our family members. It is friends who are with us all our lives, in happy times as well as sad times. They are there to advise and guide us at all times. They understand us and our feelings and are the best people to motivate and encourage us.

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 beca during the week. 3. The last time you saw your friends, what did you do together? to celebrate. 4. In what ways are your friends important to you? 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. 5. Who is an ideal friend? An ideal friend should be very understanding. He should be ready to help his friend at any time. (He should be with his friend at all times, in times of happiness as well as in time. He should be with his friend at all times, in times of happiness as well as in times of sorrow.) He should be with his friend at all times, in times of happiness as well as in times of sorrow. He should be sensitive towards the feelings of his friend and always assure him of his friendship. 6. Can you talk about your best friend? - My best friend is Hoa. We were in the same class for 10 years. At that time, we often gather together to study and play. Now, we work in the same company. She is like my sister, but even more than that. I mean, I will do nearly anything for her and so will she. - Thanh is my best friend. He has been my friend since my childhood. We have grown up together. He knows everything about me, my likes, my dislikes, my different moods etc. So, he understands me very well. Since we know each other since my childhood, he has become like a family member. We are always together. We do everything together. Sometimes

- Among all my friends, Long is my best friend. We are friends since our school days. We studied together in the same class. We went to college together. We sat on the same bench for attending our lectures and went to the library or canteen of the college together. After our college we usually went together to watch movies, attend parties or even go shopping. There are lots of qualities of determination and sincerity. He is committed towards his job. He is very much important to me in my life because he is a person whom I trust the most. He always stands by me in all ups and 32

Communication 1. How do you usually keep in touch with members of your family? I mostly keep in t 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 by writing emails? It depends on the situation. I use email and text messages to communicate with friends, but my parents prefer if I phone them. 3. Do you ever write letters by hand? (Why/ Why not?) that will arrive immediately. 4. Is there anything you dislike about mobile phones? conversations in public places, lesson.

Music 1. Do you like music?

2. Do you think music is important? Yes, of course. That is to say, I cannot imagine what my life would be like without music. Firstly, I believe music play 33


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

lives. For example, we can use it to soothe our minds after a hard day at work, or it can provide us with the rhythm to dance to. 3. What are the benefits of listening to music? Just as other kinds of art, music has become an indispensable part of human culture. It brings us with nutritious spiritual foods and enriches our leisure life. In addition, music can do well to us very much. It can elicit the

- Yes, I go to the cinema as often as possible. I believe that films are a wonderful form of art. Please allow me to explain. Firstly, in films there are a wide range of genres ranging from comedy and drama, to horror and science fiction. For example, recently I have seen the drama Titanic, which has been described as the most expensive film ever made. The extent to which the producers attended to the details of the original ship was astounding. Another example would be the thriller with my favourite actor Anthony Hopkins in the lead role called Silence of the lambs. It had me on the edge of my seat for most of the time. 3. Do you often go to the theatre? No. I have never been to the theatre, firstly, it is too expensive for me. I prefer to go the cinema. Secondly, I believe that the theatre is boring. What I mean to say is that the actors are on the same stage the whole time. I cannot see how that can be as exciting as a good movie. 4. Who is your favourite movie star? My favourite movie star is Jackie Chan. He is handsome, and very funny. He always has a smile on his face, and never seems to be worried about the situations that he finds himself in. So I love him very much.

4. What kind of music do you like best? I like pop music very much. First of all, pop music is lively, and suits me at my age. Secondly, it usually has a good rhythm. For instance, it is suitable for us to dance on. Lastly, pop music is simple to understand. That is to say, I like it because it is not difficult to understand, and it helps me to relax after I have been studying hard for some time. 5. How long do you listen to music everyday? Oh, let me think a bit. I guess I listen to music for about half an hour every day. I would, for example, listen when I get home from school, or in the evenings before I go to bed. On weekends, however, I listen to music much more. For example, I would invite my best friend over to my place, and we would listen to our favourite CDs for a few hours at a time.

Going out Dancing 1. Do you like dancing? feel uncomfortable and self-conscious. 2. Has anyone ever taught you to dance? lessons or asked anyone to show me how to do it. 3. Do you think that traditional dancing will be popular in the future? dancing world! I suppose it will always be popular with some people.

Movie 1. What kinds of movies do you like best? I like comedies. First of all, comedies are great fun. What I mean to say is that I have good laugh while watching. Secondly, comedies seldom contain violent scenes. For instance, you would not easily find murders, shooting, fighting, and so on in a comedy. Lastly, comedies often contain excellent acting by famous stars. For example Robbie Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire is considered one of the most extraordinary performances ever by an actor. 2. Do you often do to the cinema? - Yes, I go to the cinema as often as possible. I usually go with some friends to watch the latest action movies or comedies. We have a great time, like for example when our favourite star is playing a lead role in the movie. 34

1. Do you like going out or staying at home? / Do you like to go outside in your free time? I like to go outside in my free time with my friends and family members. I do not stay home in my leisure time because it is boring. 2. What do you like to do when you go out? My favourite is to visit beautiful places such as mountains, seas, rivers, forests. I like to enjoy the rolling wave of the blue ocean, pinnacle of the mountains, the silence of the forest. 3. How often do you go out? / When do you go out? It depends on many things such as available time, partner etc. but generally when I get spare time I go out for visiting beautiful places. 4. How and where do people in your country usually socialize? There are many places such as parks, beaches, stadiums where people meet together and these places play an important role for socialism. 5. What kind of entertainment is popular in your country? There are many ways for entertainment in my country but travelling, watching movies, playing games, visiting relative houses are very popular in here.

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

exercise. 35


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

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

Yes, I used to wear a uniform when I was at my school. 2. Do you think uniform is important? Yes I strongly believe that uniform is very important. Uniform gives us discipline. I used to love my school uniform because it showed us that we were together. Uniform also shows unity. Moreover it is not possible for everyone in the school to buy expensive clothes, so uniform eradicates the problem of inequality.

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. 5. Can you swim? Yes I can. I learnt at school when I was about 7 years old. My father taught me and now I can swim very well. 6. Are there many places to swim near you? Yes, there are a few public swimming pools. There is the main indoor one at a big sports complex in the centre of town. There are also a couple of outdoor ones, but you can only use them in summer as it is too told in winter. One is a big one in a park, the another is a much smaller one. 7. Do you think everyone should learn to swim? , you spend much of your life on holiday by water, for example, when you go to the beach on holiday, so you

Accommodation 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 2. How long have you lived there? 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? buy a bigger house near a beach or in the mountains, preferably somewhere with a warm climate.

Clothes 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? 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 carefully 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.

Neighbours 1. How well do you know your next-door neighbours? stop to talk whenever I 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 ing. 3. What problems do people sometimes have with their neighbours? to people who have a dog that barks at night, or who play loud music or have too many parties.

Numbers 1. Do you have a favourite number or a number that is special to you? born my lucky number.

Uniform 1. Have you ever worn uniform? 36

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

2. Do any numbers have special importance in your country? Yes, certain ages are special. For example, your 18th birthday is important 3. Are you good at remembering numbers? Why / why not?

effectively because you could miss deadlines or miss appointments. You could lose your job. So at work is when it is most important to manage your time.

Internet to learn them by heart; I just save them on the phone. 4. What numbers do people often have to memorize? The most important number on a daily basis is the pin number for your bank

Art gallery 1. Are there many art galleries where you live? though we do have a few museums and other cultural institutions. In our capital city there are quite a few art galleries, however. 2. Did you like to go to art galleries when you were a child? Yes, I liked to go to art galleries because everything seemed so vibrant with colour and energy. It has a lot of paintings from famous artists of our country. And I could stand almost close enough to touch many things. 3. Should people have to pay to go to art galleries? I think it depends really. If possible they should be free because if people do have to pay they are less likely to go and see it. But on the other hand, these things cost money so a small fee many be necessary if it can keep the art gallery going and keep it open. Ideally though the government should pay for this as I believe this kind of thing is paid for by our taxes.

Time 1. Are you good at managing your time? ystem in place to organize things. I know some people have an electronic organizer or use some I am on time for appointments and thinks like that, and I meet deadlines and get things done. 2. How do you manage your time? example, if I am at work and I have a lot cases, I just go through them each day and decide which I need to tackle first. At work we do have an online diary which I guess I use, so in that sense I do manage my time to an extent. 3. When is it most important for you to manage your time? going to affect things too much, or at least only yourself, if you are late to meet friends or for an appointment, or if you are getting things done in your 38

1. Do you use the Internet much during the day? least 5 hours internet per day. 2. Why do people use the Internet? People use the Internet for communication, education, games, movies, news and information. 3. What do you usually do on the Internet? I mainly use the Internet for educational purpose as well as for recreational purpose. I also watch live games, music videos, concerts in net. I found important eBooks and documents for my education in the Internet. I usually use the Internet to communicate with my friends and family. I also use the Internet to watch and download movies. 4. What are some advantages of the Internet? Internet is one of the greatest gifts of the modern science. There are tons of merits of the Internet. It is very helpful for communication and it brings revolutionary change in far education. Internet is a storehouse of important information and music, videos and others. 5. What are some disadvantages? Everything has its pros and cons. Internet has some dark sights also. There are many bad videos and adult contents available in the Internet which is very dangerous for young people. One may get addicted to net which is very bad for his future. 6. Do people in your country use the Internet a lot? The thing has changed a lot in the past two decades. All of the valuable information available on the Internet has helped people in ways that no one could ever have imagined even many many years ago. From the Internet, people can get a lot of information in a short period of time. Now people use the Internet much more than before. 7. Do you do any shopping on the Internet? Internet shopping is very much popular around the globe. It saves time and money. People can access many websites within a very short duration of time popular. I do not do any shopping on the Internet the quality of online services. 8. Do you think Internet is gaining more popularity than TV? Yes, I agree with you. I think that internet is gaining popularity day by day. I personally believe that internet is more convenient. For instance, if I want to 39


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

watch a program on the Internet then I can watch it at anytime. But if I want to watch a program on TV then I will have to wait for it.

Email 1. What is email? Or what do you know about email? Email means electronic mail which can be sent and received via internet. It s a system for receiving, sending, and storing electronic messages. It is one of the popular ways of communication around the world with the spread of the Internet nowadays. In many cases, email has become the preferred method for both personal and business communication. 2. Do you send and receive email regularly? Yes, email is indispensable part of my life and I regularly send and receive email for communication. Everyday I send at least 2 to 5 emails to different people for different purposes. 3. Who do you usually communicate with? I communicate with my relatives who live in different countries as well as with my friends. Sometimes I have to send emails to my clients. 4. How often do you check your email? I check my email everyday. In fact, I check my mail inbox at least twice a day. 5. writing skills? It is obvious that writing or composing emails is very beneficial for improving writing capability. Anyone can improve his capability by writing email regularly. 6. What are some disadvantages of email? I do not think it has many major disadvantages. Only one think that comes in my mind is that the tradition of writing letters has disappeared gradually due to email and mobile message.

What your job involves 4. in charge of e.g. a big company m responsible for e.g. some workers in that department. 6. I have to deal with e.g. any complaints/ overseas clients, mainly 7. I run e.g. the company/ a restaurant 8. I manage e.g. a shop in downtown

Daily duties/ routines 9. I have to go/ attend (informal) e.g. (to) a lot of meetings/ conferences 10. I visit/ see/ meet e.g. patients/ clients 11. I advise e.g. p 12. It involves e.g. writing letters/ filling in forms/ doing a lot of paperwork/ using computers a lot of time

Getting a job get/ find work e.g. in big cities/ round these parks do e.g. marketing/ this kind of work make a living as a/ an e.g. freelance writer offered a job e.g. in that company/ in London applied for a job e.g. in a local company/ in the accounts department

Working hours

SOME USEFUL PHRASES

18. I have a nine-to-five job/ I work nine-to-five (regular working hours in Britain) 19. I do/ work shift work (nights one week, days next) 20. I am on flexi-time. (flexible working hours) 21. I have to do/ work overtime. (work extra hours) 22. I only work part-time/ take a partime job.

What you do 1. m a/ an (+ job). e.g. a nurse / an accountant/ a builder 2. I work in (+ place or general area). e.g. a hospital/ an office marketing/ social 3. I work for ( + name/ place of the company) e.g. Union Bank/ IBM/ Fiat/ an international bank 40

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS (part of a day or a few days a week) 23. I am a workaholic. I work full-time. (work too much) 24. I took early retirement. (retire at 55 in Britain) 25. I am on/ take sick leave. (a period spend away from work, etc. because of illness) 26. I am on/ take maternity leave. (expecting a baby) 27. I gave up work e.g. in order to study 28. I was laid off (informal) e.g. when the factory went bust 29. I was made redundant. (no longer needed and therefore out of work) 30.I was dismissed (informal) e.g. for refusing to obey orders 31. I was fired (informal) e.g. for always being late 32. I am on/ off duty. (to be working/ not working) 33. We usually take a break e.g. for lunch/ for ten minutes 34. We normally knock off work (informal) e.g. about 5.30 p.m and go off to a restaurant nearby 35. I get some rest. (a period of time when you relax after working) 36. I was rather inexperienced e.g. for that kind of work 37. I have a lot of experiences e.g. in this area/ of this kind of problem 38. I am sufficiently qualified e.g. for this position 39. This a job requiring (a period of time when you relax after working) 40. I try to be hardworking. (work hard) competent e.g. at my job 42. I try to work efficiently. (work quickly without making mistakes and wasting time) 43. Efficiency is very important e.g. in my job

44. A lot of people do voluntary work. 45. I was promoted. (get a higher position) 46. It is a demanding job. (needing a lot of effort, care, skill) 47. I fill in for/ stand in for/ cover for e.g. her while she is off sick 48. I am acting e.g. as a manager for the next couple of months 49. I will take the place of e.g. our manager when he leaves 50. This morning shift takes over from e.g. the night shift to 9 a.m. 51. It is great teamwork e.g. that helps get the job done on time 52. We teamed up e.g. with another group to finish our project 53. We cooperate e.g. with a German firm on this project 54. I was employed e.g. as a secretary for a couple of months 55. I do casual work. (not regular, usually paid hourly) a temporary job e.g. working in a newspaper office 57. This factory has 200 employees. ( a person who is employed) 58. The staff e.g. are so polite and friendly 59. They promoted e.g. me to office manager on leave 61. the post has been vacant e.g. for some time Payment 63. I am paid e.g. every month and this pay goes directly into my bank account monthly 64. My salary e.g. is 20.000$ a year 65. I earn e.g. 200$ a week as a hairdresser 42

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

66. With many jobs you get holiday pay and sick pay.

1. I live in a one-parent family/ single-parent family. (a family where the children live with only one parent) 2. I really enjoy my family life. (the way a family lives) 3. I come from a big family of eight children. (the group of people who are related to you) 4. I grew up on a farm. (develop from being a child to being an adult) 5. I grew up knowing that my elder brother would take over the family business one day. (the job your parents and probably your grandparents used to do) 6. Nuclear family (a family consisting of mother, father and their children) 7. Extended family (all the people in a family including aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.) 8. Family background (the sort of family you come from) 9. (informal) (used to say that someone is related to you) 10. A large household (all the people who live in one house) 11. My domestic (connected with the private family home) 12. family. (the group of people who are related to one another) 13. e but are not related. (the way you are connected)

14. not related/ unrelated. (a person who is not a member of your family) 15. He is close/ distant relative of mine. (near or not in a family relationship) 16. I really take after my mother. (to look like or be like a parent or older member of your family) 17. hereditary. (a quality which is passed from parents to children) 18. All her children are very artistic. It must run in the family. (something which is passed children a common feature in a family) 19. Bringing up/ raising children is never easy. (to look after children in a family until they are adults and to teach them how to behave) 20. My parents really tried to give me a good upbringing. (the way somebody is brought up) 21. breadwinner now. (a person who earns all or most of the money in family) 22. I need a job so that I can support my family. (to have enough money to be able to look after a family) 23. I am getting married next year and hope to start a family straight away. (have children) 24. My father is really a family man. (a man who enjoys being at home with his wife and children) 25. fatherly concern and duties. (behaving like a father) 26. Motherhood really suits her. (the state of being a mother) 27. She is a motherly sort of person. (behaving like a mother) 28. Danny is my foster brother. (having different parents, but being brought up in the same family) 29. My step father is a nice man. (the man who is married to your mother but is not your father) 30. Paul is my big brother/ older/ elder brother. (older than you) 31. Anna is my little sister/ younger sister. (younger than you) 32. identical twins. (twins who look exactly the same) 33. My twin sister is a dentist.

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pay rise. (my pay goes up) 68. My average income e.g. has risen 2% this year m poorly paid/ badly paid/

.

70. I have a high income/ earn a lot/ am well-paid. 71. My take-home pay/ net income is 150$. (money left after deductions) 72. My gross income is more than that. (before deductions)

Family


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

(either of the children who have the same parents and are born at the same time) 34. in-laws. (the parents of your husband or wife) 35. Next of kin (Your closest relative, who should be told if you are injured or killed) 36. I closely resemble my father. (to be closely similar to, or look like someone) 37. You can see the resemblance between Susan and her sister. (a similarity between two things, especially in the way they look) 38. He bears a remarkable resemblance to my father. (to be or look somebody/ something else) 39. My parents live apart from each other. (if married people decide to separate, then they live apart)

(you bring your belongings to a new house and begin to live in it) 14.We have got used to a better standard of living. (the level of money and comfort that people have in their everyday lives) 15.Some people live on bread and water. (to have something as your only food) 16.In most big towns, there is a commercial centre. (an area with lots of banks and company offices) 17.People who prefer the countryside to big towns often say towns are noisy, dirty and polluted, stressful, and crowded; however, the countryside is quiet and peaceful, clean; calm and relaxing, and has lots of open space and is safe. People who prefer big towns have a different point of view. They say, in towns, there are plenty of things to do, and life is exciting; there is a wide range of shops and lots of nightno night-life. 18.Everyday, particularly in the rush-hour, we are/ get stuck in a traffic jam. (the times each day when there is a lot of traffic because people are travelling to or from work not able to move because of heavy traffic) 19. The streets get so packed with traffic that travel is very slow or even comes to a standstill. (extremely crowded; a situation in which there is no movement or activity at all) 20. This is really stressful for commuters who travel to work in the

Hometown 1. We left home and set up house together in another part of town. (informal) (begin to live independently in a house) 2. The first thing you must do is to find some accommodation. (somewhere to live or stay) 3. The town has 20000 inhabitants. (people who lives in a country, town, etc.) 4. Are you resident in the UK? (If your home is in a place) next-door neighbour. (a person who lives in the house nearest to yours) 6. I am a native of London. (a person who was born in a particular place) 7.If you get lost, ask one of the locals. (a person who lives in a particular place) 8.Homelessness is a growing problem in inner-city areas. (the condition of being homeless) 9.A lot of people/ homeless sleep rough/ live rough in cardboard boxes. (you sleep outside because you have no home) 10.The families were evicted for not paying the rent. (to force a person to leave the building or land where they live) moving house next week. (you go and live in another house) 12.We must vacate the flat by the end of the year. (you stop living in a house and take your belongings away) moved in next door. 46

(someone who travels a long distance to work everyday) 21.Vadalism is one of the major problems of big cities. (the crime of deliberately damaging things, especially public property) 22. He grew up in the East London slums. (a house or an area of a city that is in a very bad condition and is poor) 23. a picturesque new England village in the fall. (pretty and interesting, especially in an old-fashioned way) 24. These are a lot of historic building in the village. (old) hectic social life. (very busy or full of activity) 26. In big towns, you can see a continual bustle of people coming and going. (energetic activity) 27.It is a run-down inner-city area. (an area that is in a very bad condition) 28.A lot of people are moving from rural areas to urban areas. (connected with a village; connected with a town or city) 47


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

inhabitants/ citizens. (a person who lives in a town or city) 30.The (whole) town was on the streets. (the people who live in a town or city) downtown. (to or in the centre of a city) 32. Which part of town district do you live in? (an area of a town) 33. Many people live in the suburbs and travel to work in the centre of town. (an area of a town where people live, outside the centre) 34. I live on the outskirts of Bradford. (the parts of a town or city that are farthest from the centre) 35. We lived on the other side of the square. (on open space in a town or city that has buildings all around it)

chair of/ professorship of European History. (the position of a professor) lectures on molecular biology. (to talk to a group of people on a particular subject) 12. All the students have to give a seminar paper at least once. (a talk which is given for a seminar) 13.She was my tutor at Durham. (a person who teaches as small group of students) 14. My dissertation is being supervised by professor Holroyd. (to work as a supervisor) 15. supervision (when you supervise someone) doing some research into animal behaviour. (to study something carefully and in detail) 17. student. (a person who is studying at a college or university) undergraduate course. (a student who has not yet taken his or her first degree) 19.They have brought new computer facilities for the postgraduates in the department. (a student who is studying for a second degree at a university) go to university. (to attend universe year regularly as a student) 21.I got a place at Manchester University. (an opportunity to study at university) 22. I live in hall. (to live in a hall of residence { university building where some students live}) 23. This course consists of six modules. (a part of course {a complete series of lessons or classes}) 24.I need another four credits to complete this course. (a part of a course that a student has completed and that appears on his/ her record) 25.I have to take a maths exam. (to take a written, spoken or practical test of what you know or can do) 26.I have to hand in an essay on biology. (a short piece of writing on one subject) 27.You need to do well in your assignments as well as in the exam. (a piece of work that you are given to do by university teachers which counts towards your final degree) thesis at the moment. (a long piece of writing on something which you have studied or researched, especially as part of a university degree)

Study 1.The government wants to make it possible for most people to onto higher education. (education at a university) college he was at. (an independent institution which has its own teachers, students, and buildings) department of sociology. (one of the parts into which a university is divided) 4.You should start revising for your exam as soon as possible. Any delay will result in vital time being lost. (to read or study again something that you have learnt, especially when preparing for an exam) 5.The candidate paced nervously up and down waiting to be called for the interview. (a person who is taking an exam) passing the exam. (to achieve necessary standard in an exam, test, etc.) 7.He is the dean of the Arts Faculty. (the head of a faculty {a group of related department in a university}) 8. The academic year begins in October. (the part of a year at university when students have classes and exams) lectureship in the Sociolody Department. (the position of a lecturer) 48

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

degree in psychology. (a qualification gained by successfully completing an academic course at a university) majoring in English. (to study something as your main subject at college or University) diploma in management. (a qualification of a lower level than a degree) graduate in engineering. (a person who holds a (first) degree from a university) 33.I graduated in History from Sussex University (to receive an academic degree or diploma) 34.after graduation, I plan to do a postgraduate degree. (the time when you complete a university degree course) upper second in politics from Surrey University. (grades for a university degree in Britain: first (class), (upper) second (class), third (class) e.g. a first class honours degree) MA (Master of Arts) in English literature. (a degree taken after a first degree in an arts subject) 37.MSc (Master of Science) (a degree taken after a first degree in science subject) 38. BA (Bachelor of Arts) (a first university degree in an arts subject) 39. BSc (Bachelor of Science) (a first degree in a science subject) 40.PhD, DPhil (Doctor-of Philosophy) / (doctorate) (the highest university degree e.g. to get a PhD, to work for a doctorate) grant. (money that is given (by the government) to help you for a university or college education) scholarship, to study music. (an amount of money that is given to a person who has passed an exam or won a competition in order to help pay for their studies) 43.He started university but dropped out after two years. (to leave university without finishing your studies) read up on (informal) the third chapter for my exam. (to read a lot about something so that you learn about it) 45.I did (informal) Archaeology for two years at university. (to study a particular subject) field. (a general area of study or knowledge) 47.There are a lot of people with expertise in this field. (special knowledge or skill which a person has) 48.She specializes in family law.

(to give most of your attention to one subject) study of modern American society. (a piece of scientific research into a particular subject) statistics relating to air pollution. (information about something in the form of numbers) 51.We are gathering data on graduates without jobs. (facts or information used in research) 52.Da analysis now. (studying or thinking about the different parts or details of something in order to understand it better) 53.The theory needs to be tested by experiment. (a thorough test using scientific methods to discover how someone of something reacts under certain conditions) 54. Joule carried out/ performed a series of simple experiments to test his theory. (to do a task or something)

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Hobby (become a member of a club) (a person who collects stamps for pleasure) 3.I often go camping in the summer. (to live in a camp or outdoors) 4.I do a bit of / a lot of climbing. (go mountain climbing) 5.I make my own clothes. 6.I like photography. (the skill or process of taking photographs)

(do it yourself; the activity of making and repairing things yourself around your home) 8.I took up golf when I was at school. (to start a hobby for the first time) 9.I gave up photography. (to stop doing a hobby) 10.I collet antiques. I really enjoy going round the shops looking for a bargain. (you collect stamps, coins, antiques) 11.I try to practise playing the guitar everyday. (to make music with a musical instrument)


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

12.I usually go jogging two or three times a week. (run slowly, especially as a form of exercise) 13.I took up hiking because I wanted to get more exercise. (a long walk in the country) (time when you are not working) 15.In winter, I do quite a lot of skiing. (in English you normally do a lot of / a bit of sport) 16.In summer, I play tennis and cricket. (in English you normally play a game)

Holiday making 17.My aunt is a great traveller (a person who is travelling or who often travels) 18.We toured/ went/ were on a tour round the United States last summer. (to make a journey for pleasure during which you visit many places) 19.I will be going overseas in my new job. (to travel to another country across the sea) tourism. (the business of providing Holidays for people) 21.We went on an excursion to the mountains. (an organized trip with a group of people) holiday/ vacation. (time when you do not go to work for a special reason) break and go (a short period of time when you do not work) 24. You look exhausted. You should take a few days off and relax. (not present at work) on holiday/ off that week. (to leave your home and go somewhere else for a holiday) going away or a few days. (to live the place where you leave at least one night) booked two weeks in Australia in July. (to reserve and pay for a holiday before you go) 28.They run a small resort hotel in Vermont. (a place where a lot of people go on holiday) 29.I brought a model of the Eiffel Tower as a souvenir of Paris. (something that you buy on holiday {for your friend} as a reminder of that place) 30.We travelled overland to Delhi and then flew on to Singapore. (by road or rail) 31.The voyage from England to India used to take six months. (a long journey by sea) 52

32.We decided to go cruising in the Mediterranean. (to travel by sea, visiting a number of places as a holiday) 33.We take/ get/ catch the train/ bus, to Leeds and then got a bus to where she lives. (to travel to a place by train, bus, plane) 34.We headed for/ made for (informal) the town centre. (to travel towards somewhere) 35.We stopped off in Paris en route to Nice. (on the way to somewhere) 36.The travel agent suggested some changes to my itinerary. (a plan of a journey, route, etc.) 37.One of the most famous landmarks (an object especially a building, that can be seen from a distance) 38.We had been on the move for twenty four hours and were absolutely exhausted. (to be travelling) 39.We made a stopover at Frankfurt on the way to Tokyo. (a short stop on a journey) for fun. (you do something for enjoyment and pleasure) 41.I think I get more pleasure from doing my garden than anything else. (the feeling of being happy) 42.Let your hair down (informal) for once! (to allow yourself to enjoy something freely, without worrying about what other people think) 43.We had the time of our lives. (to enjoy something very much) entertainment for young people in this town. (things to do that interest and amuse people) 45.I had a great time last night. (to get pleasure from doing something) 46.I have to amuse myself for a few hours while I was waiting for her to arrive. (to keep yourself entertained)

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS crosswords, etc. This helps us learn English easily and quickly. In a word, I do admire her very much.

Part 2 INDIVIDUAL LONG TURN

Topic 3: Describe a classmate or colleague you often meet or met. You should say: - Where you usually meet or met - When you first met - What topics you talk or talked about - And say whether you would say this person is a close friend or not, and why?

Topic 1: Describe a family member who you admire most. You should say: - Who he/ she is - What he/ she does? - What his/ her personality is like - And explain how you like him/ her.

Model Answer:

Model Answer: The person I admire most I my father. He is 50 years old. He is a farmer. He works very hard but he smiles all the time. Everybody likes him very much because he has a great sense of humour. My father and I have many similar hobbies. For example, watching TV, listening to music, and enjoying food made by my mother. I love my father because he is the person who I can rely on. In every aspect of my life, my father always pushes me to excel. Whenever I feel discouraged, he always encourages me and tries to help me

I have a lot of friends, but Nam is one of my closest friends. He comes from Nam Dinh City. He is the person who can share all kinds of difficulties and happiness in life. Not only is he helpful, but also he is intelligent. He is also good at both teaching English and using computers. I first met him when we were at Hanoi National University of Education. Although we are living far from each other, I often contact with him by e-mail, chatting, or phone calls. Sometimes, on special occasions I come along his family and so does he. We often talk to each other about our family, hobbies and work. We are really good friends.

Topic 4: Describe a singer or musician that you admire. every member of our family. He is a very good father as well as a wonderful husband. So, I do admire him most.

Topic 2: Describe a teacher who has greatly influenced you. You should say: - Where I met them - What subject they taught - What was special about them? - And explain why this person influenced you so much

You should say: - Who the person is - What type of music/ songs he/ she plays/ sings - Why you admire this person - Whether this person is popular in your country

Model Answer: Music is one of my favourite hobbies. Of all the singers in Viet Nam, I admire Trong Tan most. I think that he is the best singer of traditional music in Viet Nam. He always attracts every audience and makes them satisfied by his clear and warm voice. Not only is he good at traditional music, but also he can sing songs about love, hometown, country. His songs really make me feel relaxed.

Model Answer: Among the teachers who have taught me through my school life, Miss Le is the one that I admire most. She was my English teacher when I was in high school. She is very friendly. Her vitality always refreshes the atmosphere in vable. No matter what the weather is like and how she is feeling, she is always in high spirits when she goes into the classroom. Besides, she encourages us to interact with her. Therefore, we are not timid anymore. Miss Le also uses clever techniques to inspire our interest in learning English such as: English songs, quizzes,

Topic 5: Describe a character from a story/ film/ TV program. You should say: - Who he/ she is - What makes him/ her famous - Why you admire him/ her - Whether or not you would like to meet him/ her and why?

Model Answer: 54

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

-known martial art film star as well as being a successful director. In fact, he was probably the first Chinese actor to achieve

meet one of my childhood idols, it would make a dream come true.

- What it looks like - What it can do - How it helps you in your life -

Model Answer:

character was played by Tom Hanks. He is an American actor, producer, if

made me a courageous person. The character showed me that we as human beings should always do the right thing. The character in the movie went through very hard times, but still he did not leave the right way. I have learned that if a person stands up for the right thing then God gives him the courage to fight till the end. I wish I had a chance to meet him and express my admiration and affection.

Topic 6: Describe someone who is famous in your country. You should say: - Who he/ she is - Why he/she is famous - Why you admire him/her - Why you want to meet him - And whether this person is popular in your country

In our modern life, each item plays important and different roles. However, in my view, I suppose that my laptop is the most important thing. My laptop is work, but also it helps me relax a lot. It can store important documents and helps me to prepare for work effectively. Moreover, I can read newspaper, listen to music, watch movies or send emails and chat with my friends by

Topic 8: Describe something you use for your work or studies. You should say: - What it is - What it looks like - What it is used for - How often you use it - And say if you would be able to do your work or studies without this thing, and if so how?

Model Answer: One of the most important things which I often use for my work or studies is

learners must own it.

Model Answer: Of all the famous people in the show biz, I admire Xuan Bac most. He is not only a famous actor, an MC, but also he is a famous comedian. I first knew him when I the main character. I think that it is one of the most successful films which he attracts millions of viewers on TV. If I had a chance to meet him one day, I would invite him to take some photos with me and I would ask him for his signature.

Topic 9: Describe an item of clothing that you often wear. You should say: - What it looks like - When and how you got it - When you wear it - And say how it compares to other clothes you have.

Model Answer:

Topic 7: Describe an electric item that is important to you. You should say: - What it is

fashionable, but also it has a special meaning. My wife offered me that shirt 56

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

on the occasion of my 35th birthday. I often wear it when I attend wedding, parties or whenever I am in good mood. I really like it.

Topic 10: Describe something you bought which you were not happy with. You should say: - What you bought - Why you were not happy with it - What you did with it - And explain how you felt about the situation.

-

What it would be What it would look like How much it would cost What you would do with it And explain why you would buy this

Model Answer: One of the most important things which I wish I would buy is a car. I think it is an important means of transport in our modern life. It is quite safe and more convenient than other means of transports. With this car, I can go to work or

Model Answer: I often satisfy with the things I bought, but the shirt that I bought last week I p near my house. What attracted me most to the shirt was its colour. However, after being washed at the first time, that shirt became faded and now its colour has changed a lot. I t away.

Topic 11: Describe something useful you use everyday. You should say: - What it is - When, where and how you got it - What it looks like - What it can do - How it helps you in your life -

weather (sunny or rainy). Besides, it can protect me and my family from the dangers of accidents happening everyday.

Topic 13: Describe a gift or present you have received. You should say: - What the gift was - Who gave it to you - What it was for - When you received it - And explain why it is special for you.

Model Answer: I think that getting a present usually makes us feel happy and so do I. Last month, on the occasion of my 24 th birthday, I was very surprised to get a for a long time. I got that gift from the post office. When I opened the box, I was very surprised and happy. They are some music disks that are my favourite ones. My friend remembered my birthday and gave that present to me. It is a meaningful present.

Model Answer: 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 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, nstant access to my favourite it.

Topic 12: Describe something expensive you would like to buy.

Topic 14: Describe a toy that you loved playing with as a child. You should say: - How and when you got it - What length of time you kept it for - What condition it was in when you disposed of it - How you feel about the toy now - And explain why you loved playing with it.

Model Answer:

You should say: 58

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

When I was a child, I had a lot of toys. But the toy which I loved playing with was Barbie doll. I received it on my 12th birthday. My friends gave it to me as a birthday gift. I liked it very much. I made a lot of different clothes for it. I always brought it beside me, even when I was in bed. For until now, I have still been keeping it in my souvenir box. Each time I saw it, it reminded me of my childhood memories. At that time, I loved playing with it because it was the same as my younger sister. It always brought me joy and happiness. Nowadays, there are many modern toys but for me I still liked Barbie doll.

Topic 15: Describe your favourite book. You should say: - What your favourite book is - What it looks like - How you first knew about it - What it was about - What influence the book has on you - And say why it is your favourite book.

- And why you enjoy it.

Model Answer: In our country, there are quite lots of different holidays every year. However, I think Tet holiday is the most typical holiday for most Vietnamese people. Though we can live or work far from our family, we still try to get together at Tet. Tet holiday often occurs in late January or early February. It is a good chance for us to have days offs and have time to visit relatives to each other. For some people who are rich, they can go on a trip somewhere in Vietnam or in foreign countries to enjoy Tet holdiay.

Topic 17: Describe your favourite festival or celebration. You should say: - What it is - When it is celebrated - How to celebrate it - And what people often do during the festival or celebration.

Model Answer:

Model Answer: - a talented Singaporean author and a successful businessman as well. He has become a millionaire in his 26 years old. At the present, Adam owns and controls 4 companies with $20 million in total revenue. I first knew it by chance when I saw my roommate reading it. I was . Unhesitatingly, I borrowed and read it at once. This book is a series of skills and methods bringing Adam with a spectacular success. From a 12 year-old child with disabilities, Adam got excellent grades in his exams by exploring himself and finding out study method based on successful formula. He became and excellent student and was classified as one of the most talented students in National University of Singapore. I found it really interesting and useful because it taught me a lot of valuable lessons such as: how to motivate the confidence and own the life, how to mind map, how to develop super memory to recall events and numbers easily; how to manage time and set goals, and how to gain the highest result

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.

reading.

Topic 18: Describe a party that you attended.

Topic 16: Describe a typical holiday in your country.

You should say: - Who invited you? - Where you were invited - What the party was celebrating - And say if you took anything with you to the party or not, and

You should say: - What the name of holiday is - When it takes place - What people often do during the holiday 60

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

why?

this cake because not only is it tasty, but also it is special cake that is enjoyed at Tet holidays. I like this cake, too.

Model Answer: Blowing in with the cold wind of winter, a new year was coming. Last year, our class held a New Yea beautifully with coloured lamps and paper flowers. Desks were set in a circle. After a brief congratulatory speech by our monitor, the recreational programs began, consisting of singing, dancing, instrumental performance and comic dialogues. How funny they all were! We were both the performance and audience. I sang and English song. As the climax to this joyful atmosphere, the clock struck 12 and the New Year was born. Then we exchanged the greetings for happiness with each other.

Topic 21: Describe the transport system in a place you know about. You should say: - What means of transport there are - Which kind of transport most people use - What the good points and bad points of the transport system are - And say if you think most people are happy with the transport system or not, and why?

Model Answer: Topic 19: Describe your favourite season or time of the year.

Nowadays, the transport system in our country is developing quite fast. In my neighbourhood, there are many popular means of transport such as: motorbikes, bicycles, taxis, buses. Of which, buses are the most popular means of transport that people use most. The main good point of this means of transport is quite cheap and convenient, but it has bad points, too.

You should say: - When it is - Why you like it - What the weather is usually like - What you like about the season or the time - And what you usually do at that time.

have to suffer some troubles from other passengers or drivers.

Model Answer: In the North of Viet Nam, there are four season every year. However, I like autumn most. In this season, the weather is often cool, so it is very convenient for outdoor activities. I can go fishing, go camping or play some sports such as football, badminton, volleyball, etc. besides, I can take part in some festivals in this season.

Topic 22: Describe a country you would like to visit. You should say: - Where the country is - How you first heard about the country - Who you would like to visit the country with - What would you do there? - And explain why you would like to visit that country.

Topic 20: Describe a famous food from your hometown or country. Model Answer:

You should say: - What it is - What it looks like - What it tastes like - When and how it is usually eaten - And say why you think it is famous.

Singapore is the country I want to visit in the future. Through magazines and TV programs, I know that Singapore is very beautiful, safe and the crime rate is low. People are attracted by stable conditions, amazing places and delicious

Model Answer: I think the sticky rice cake is one of the most famous foods which most reen leaves and sticky rice, beans, pork, pepper, salt inside. Vietnamese people like 62

it has established good study environment. The study period, physical exercise and relaxation are in balance. The curriculum is practical; so many students in Asia want to study there. Secondly, there are many interesting places in Singapore without visiting museums, parks and nature preserves. Besides, you can take some photographs or go sightseeing around the city. I think it will be funny.

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Then, I will talk about traffic. Street is not too crowded. When you go out, you will have fresh air because people always use buses and trains to reduce the amount of smoke and dust. People here always have a good sense of smoke in public places and air conditioning places. They plant trees around their houses and take other actions.

There are lots of famous cities all over the world. However, I would like to visit Paris most. That is a famous capital city of France attracting millions of tourists every year. Paris is famous for not only its beauty, but also the

diversified as Vietnamese cuisine with foods such as chicken rice, ice cream, fried noodles. Besides, it has some food from France, Italy and China, etc. I think it is very delicious and have a good smell. Singapore is a very interesting place. I hope I can visit Singapore in the near now and tomorrow.

Topic 23: Talk about a foreign country you have been to You should say: - What the country is - Where it is - Why it is a good place to go on holiday - What things there are to do there - And say whether you think you will go there again in the near future or not, and why?

River and Khai Hoan Mon Square. Paris is also know as the royal city of light, so nothing is more interesting for us to go shopping in the evening and enjoy the atmosphere there. Therefore, I hope I will visit Paris one day if I have a chance.

Topic 25: Describe a place of natural beauty that you have visited. You should say: - Where it is - Who you went with - Why it impressed you - What you did there - And say why it is famous

Model Answer:

Model Answer: I was lucky to have a good chance to visit Thailand last summer. This country me four hours to get there. I was really attracted by beautiful views and churches there. However, the most interesting thing that made a great impression on me is Thailand food. I must say that I like Thailand food very

Last summer, I was lucky to have a chance to visit Sa Pa with my colleagues. It took us 10 hours by train and 1 hour by car to get there. I was very surprised at the cool weather and magnificent views there. Sa Pa is in Lao Cai province and it is near China. It is very famous for its cool weather in the summer and falling snow in the winter. Besides, Sa Pa has some local special foods attracting a lot of tourists every year. In Sa Pa, I visited some famous places such as Bac waterfall, Ham Rong mountain with some flowers gardens. Sa Pa made a great impression on me and maybe I will never forget this trip.

Topic 26: Describe a city or town where you have lived. there. I thi

You should say: - Where it is located - What it looks like - What kind of people live there - What the most important landmarks and places to visit are - And explain what makes that city or town special to you.

Topic 24: Describe a city you would like to visit. You should say: - Which city it is - Where it is - Why you want to go there - What things you could do there - How you first heard about it - And say if you think you will go there soon or not, and why?

Model Answer: Hanoi, which is the capital of Viet Nam, has a long history of culture and development. Situated in the Northeast of Viet Nam, it has a population of more than 6.5 million people and covers an area of about 3.344 square km. Hanoi is famous for many things. Visitors from every corner of the world can enjoy many historical and beautiful places such as Sword Lake, West Lake,

Model Answer: 64

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

the Temple of Literature, One Pillar Pagoda, etc. They can also visit Ho Chi

executor and operator of this complex are the South Korea-based company named Keangnam Enterprises, Ltd. The investment capital for this complex is estimated $1.05 billion USD. The complex features a 5-star InterContinental hotel, offices, entertainment areas, retail spaces, clinics and convention centres. The complex opened for th -highest building

some hand-made and traditional products. The best thing about Hanoi is the peaceful atmosphere and friendly people. Coming to Hanoi, visitors can enjoy the peace of daily life where people work hard to earn their living and schoolgirls in Ao Dai go to school. In a word, Hanoi is not only the political and commercial centre of Viet Nam but it is also the cultural heart of our country.

Topic 27: Describe a shopping street in your hometown.

famous landmark in Viet Nam.

Topic 29: Describe your idea of an ideal house.

You should say: - What things you can buy there - What the most popular shops are - And changes there have been over the years - And say if you think shopping there will become more or less popular in the future, and why?

You should say: - What your ideal house would look like - Where it would be - And why you would like to live there.

Model Answer:

Model Answer: My hometown is one the move of last development. It has some busy shopping streets with many kinds of different goods. Near the house, there is a shopping clothes street which attracts a lot of people, especially young people. They come here not only for shopping clothes, but also for relaxing. I suppose that different clothes shops make our street more colourful and lively step by step.

I suppose that houses are one of the most important things for everybody. For my ideal house, I would like it to be a typical house which has three floors and enough rooms for all my family members to live and enjoy. Those rooms would be 4 bedrooms, one living room, one dining room and one study room which are all furnished with enough essential furniture. If I have a house like that, my wife will be more comfortable. I will have more good conditions to take more care of my family and my work.

Topic 30: Describe your favourite room. Topic 28: Describe a landmark in the place you are living now.

You should say: - Where it is located - What you use the room for - How the room is decorated - What objects there are in the room - And explain why it is your favourite room.

You should say: - What it is - Where it is - What it looks like - What makes it stand out? - And say if it is popular or not, and why?

Model Answer: Model Answer: a super tall skyscraper in Pham Hung Boulevard, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Viet Nam. The area is reserved for major companies to set up their headquarters there such as KPMG, Standard Chartered Bank, PWC, LG Electronics and so on. The complex consists of one 72-story office tower with the height of 350m and two 48-story residence towers. Landmark 72 is located on an area of 46,054m2 and the total floor area is 609,673 m2, ranked 5th as the largest floor area of a single building in the world. The investor as well as the

my house. My bedroom is decorated simply. It has pink walls with green curtains and wood floors. In my bedroom, there are a table, a chair and a mattress bed. All of them are in white. My bedroom is small, but it is very

66

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there are 2 reasons which make me really like this room. The first, I can see everything from my bedroom. Especially, I can see the twinkling stars in the


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

relaxed when I lie on it. It helps me to release stress and pressure from my studying as well as have good sleep.

Topic 31: Describe an important decision that you made.

- What was it about? - Explain why you liked this movie.

Model Answer:

You should say: - What it was - When it was - How it happened - Why you made it - And explain why it was an important decision for you.

Model Answer: For all my decisions that I have ever made, I think that getting married to my lover is the most important decision in my life. Why is it so important? To answer this question, I suppose that this decision has changed my life a lot. I have started my new life with a small family to take care of. Above all, I never regret my decision

Topic 32: Describe an event that changed your life. You should say: - What it was - When it was - What happened at that time - How you felt - And explain why it was important for you.

-fiction film. I watched with my family about 2 weeks ago. To be exact, it was on Thursday night that I met my family and we decided to watch a movie together. Well, this movie stars many famous Hollywood actors and it is a set in America. In the plot of the film, global security is threatened by some enemies, and some superheroes should get together in a team to save the world from disaster. I found this film quite entertaining because the plot was interesting and there were so many scenes with great special effects. I should say it is one of the best sci-fi

Topic 34: Describe a film that you enjoyed watching. You should say: - What sort of film it is - When and where you saw it - What your favourite part of the film is - And why you enjoy it.

Model Answer: I have enjoyed lots of k

Model Answer: Everyone has different events that happen in different times and so do i. however, for me, the birth of my first daughter is the special event that has changed my life a lot. Being a father makes me have wonderful feelings and I have changed my mind and arranged my work suitably to have time to take care of my family as well as my daughter. I also have to be more responsible for my family by trying to earn as much money as possible and giving up some of my bad habits. I always try to be a good father who can bring happiness and good things for my daughter and my family as well.

me. I first watched this film about 10 years ago on Hanoi Television. This film is about the life of Nui the main character of the film. He had a very difficult life after his mother died and then his father got married again. He was unlucky to have a father who has no responsibility, no feeling and a cold heart for his own children. This film ended with a happy ending when Nui has a small happy family. I think this film not only has a good plot, but it also performance known as Nui.

Topic 35: 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.

Topic 33: Describe a film that you have recently seen. You should say: - What was the movie title? - Whom did you see it with? - When did you see it? 68

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Model Answer: Music is one of my favourite hobbies. I like both Vietnamese and international songs. However, I like the songs with its nam

There are a lot of advertisements that appear on television everyday. However, the advertisement for Vinamilk has made a great impression on me by the way they advertise. I first saw this advertisement two months ago and scenes of funny cows dancing on the grass. Not only do children like this advertisement, but also I like it very much.

ago. That song not only has nice words, but also makes me recall the story of that film. I really like that song very much.

Model Answer 2:

Topic 36: Describe a TV program or channel that you enjoy watching regularly.

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 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 necessary 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.

You should say: - What is it called and what is it about? - When do you usually watch it? - Why do you prefer it to other programmes or channels?

Model Answer: I rarely watch traditional television channels nowadays; I much prefer normal TV chan

-Cola, which is one of the

Topic 38: Describe a website that you have used.

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 train. The reason I like watching online videos on TED is that I learn something y sums up the appeal of the site for me. Instead of spend 10 minutes watching someone talk about a breakthrough in technology, science or healthcare.

Topic 37: Describe an advertisement that you have seen.

You should say: - What type of website it is - How you found out about it - What it contains and allows you to do - Why you find it useful

Model Answer: Faceboo 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 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 You can upload photos and videos. I find Facebook most useful for organizing my life, keeping in touch with friends and storing photos. I think social networking websites have become a part of everyday life.

You should say: - Where you saw it - What it was about - And why you think it was an interesting advertisement.

Topic 39: Describe a game that you have played and enjoyed.

Model Answer 1: 70

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS playing you keep thinking about the game. So it is great fun and I always wait for the evenings to play soccer.

You should say: - What you last played the game - Who you played it with - How you felt when you played it - And explain why you enjoyed it.

Topic 41: Describe some help that you received.

Model Answer: A game t a game online. I play it every day after finishing my homework. I often play it with my roommates. We think and answer all the questions together. The rules of the game are very simple. Players have to answer 15 questions in turn. You will certainly receive a bonus for each of the right answers. If you have correct answers from 1 to 15, you will win a bonus of 120000 points. There are three helps. The first is 50/50, the second is to make a phone call to relatives and the third is to ask the audience. When I play it, I feel very excited and interested. I wonder if the answer choice is right or wrong. I like teaches us how to make decisions and allows us to make the right decisions in

You should say: - What the help was - Who gave you the help - And explain how useful you think the help was.

Model Answer: year, my leg was broken when I rode my bike to school. I felt terrible and very busy at work. Fortunately, one of my classmates living near my school volunteered to give me a lift to school everyday. I am very lucky to have a good friend like him who is never afraid of difficulties to help his friend. After two months later, my leg was recovered and I could o everything by myself. Therefore, I never forget that time and the help from my good friend.

to learn something new. Moreover, it helps me to relax after school. So I do really like it.

Topic 42: Describe something difficult that you did well. You should say: - What it was - When it happened - Why it was difficult - And explain how you felt after you did it.

Topic 40: Describe a sport you enjoy doing. 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.

Model Answer:

Model Answer: Football is one of my favourite sports. It is usually played in the evening when the sun is not very hot and that saves me a lot of energy. I usually play with my college mates. We will break into two teams and sometimes the numbers will vary from seven to twelve, depending on the number of people who are interested in playing the game. We play in the football ground, just in front of our college. It is quite a big ground and so we have to run around a lot, but that gives us a lot of physical fitness. I enjoy playing soccer because there is a thrill in scoring goals and winning. You keep improving with every game and that gives you a great deal of motivation and competitive spirit. Even during the day, when you are not

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I will never forget the time when I was in hospital. It happened nearly 10 years ago when I was at high school. I suffered from a serious disease before I graduated from high school and took the college entrance exam. At that time, to be in hospital, so I had to revise my lessons by myself on the bed in the time in my life.

Topic 43: Describe something you would like to succeed in doing. You should say: - What is it? - How would you make it happen? 73


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

- Why do you want to do it? - Do you know someone who has achieved it?

lesson.

Model Answer:

Model Answer:

Everyone sets goals in life and works hard to achieve them. I also have set many goals for myself. One of my long term goals is to become a successful business entrepreneur. I k competition. But, nothing is impossible and I am sure that with diligence and perseverance I can make it happen. I want to achieve it because I want to raise the standard of living of my family and give them a better future. I have seen my father sweat and toil to provide us with good education and fulfill all our other requirements. I want to give my parents a stress-free and happy old-age. I have completed my senior secondary and now I wish to pursue my higher education from Australia in Business Management. After graduation, I would like to work in a big company for 2-3 years to get business know-how. Then I shall do MBA and after that I plan to start my own business. I really wish to succeed in this venture.

best. Because this activity contains some funny games which make me excited and relaxed before I start my hard and long lesson. In this activity, I can revise some vocabularies, learn some more new words or get some relaxation. I suppose that we should have this interesting activity before we start a new lesson.

Topic 46: Describe a skill you would like to learn. You should say: - What the skill is - Why you want to learn it - Why you think it is important - How you are going to learn it - And what role it will play in your future life.

Topic 44: Describe something good about your personality. Model Answer:

You should say: - What your good personality is - How it helps you in life - And explain why you think it is your good personality.

Model Answer: To tell something about myself, I suppose that I have some good points. Firstly, I think that I am hard-working. I can work for a long time without having a rest, even I can do many kinds of work, including hard work. I not only spend time on my work, but also on taking care of my family members. I also never mind doing the housework. For the second good point, I think that I am helpful, too. Helping other people is my favourite hobby. I am always ready to give someone a hand if he/she needs my help. My two good points help me to have good friends around me and be successful in my life.

A good teacher of English should be good at all four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. However, for me, I suppose that my speaking skill is the worst. I often find it very difficult to speak English although some speaking enough to speak English well. Besides, my vocabularies are not rich enough to help me speak English easily. I think that I should spend more time to improve my speaking skill.

Topic 47: Describe a skill that you have learnt. You should say: - What the skill is - How you learnt it - Why you leanrt it - And how this skill has helped you.

Topic 45: Describe an activity in an English lesson that you enjoy. Model Answer:

You should say: - What the name of the activity is - How it is useful for you - Who you do it with - Why you enjoy it - And say why you think we should have this activity in an English

every day. 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 74

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

mirrors, then we practised things like reversing and parking. I also had to learn the Highway Code. 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 so somewhere. I also knew that driving would be an extremely useful skill. Being able to drive has helped me in so many ways. The public transport

I have well established study habits. For example, I always start promptly at eight in the evenings. I study for two hours, have a ten-minute break, and the study for another two hours. I follow this habit from Mondays to Fridays, but over the weekends I put in more hours. For example, I study in the mornings and afternoons, and then take the evenings off to relax with my family or friends. For me, this study habit is quite effective because I always get good marks at school.

car makes my life much easier when it comes to things like shopping or visiting family and friends.

Topic 50: Describe your dream job. Topic 48: Describe your experience in learning English.

You should say: - What the job would be - What the pay and conditions would be like - What kind of place you would work in - And explain why you would like to do this job.

You should say: - How long you have learned English - What methods you have used in learning English - What aspects of English you find the most difficult - And explain whether English is important in your work or study.

Model Answer: Model Answer: My mother tongue language is Vietnamese. Therefore, it is really a tough challenge for me to speak and to write English as a native. However, it is not difficult for me to pronounce English when I fully understand the English phonograms. In addition, I can try to use the Vietnamese pronounce to simulate the English words. But it has another problem for me to communicate in English that I cannot remember all the vocabularies. So, I just can use some simple and easy understanding vocabularies to express my ideas or thoughts to other people. Beside the speaking ability, English has another grammar system and writing style. In other words, I have to learn the tense of the grammar and rhetoric in English writing. These two parts are the most ve to use this in my mother language. I feel very confident interacting with native speakers in our school right now, and it is the reason I choose to study in the US. I want to practise English and to improve my English ability.

Topic 49: Describe your study habits. You should say: - What time you usually start your studying - How you study - How long your studying last why?

My dream job is to work as a Hotel Manager in a 5-star hotel. I would like to become a Hotel Manager because of the following reasons. Firstly, I believe that the hotel industry will be growing greatly in future. For example, people are becoming wealthier, and spend more and more of their money on holidays. Secondly, I believe that after graduating I will be able t find a good job anywhere in the world. What I mean to say is that all hotels and resorts have the same objectives irrespective of where they are situated. Their aim is to ensure that their guests have a good time and return again. Thirdly, I think I will get a good pay for Hotel Manager in the future.

Topic 51: Describe a restaurant that you enjoyed going to. You should say: - Where the restaurant was - Why you chose this restaurant - What type of food you are in this restaurant and explain why you enjoyed eating in this restaurant.

Model Answer: About a year ago, I was invited by a friend of mine to go for lunch at local restaurant. He usually chose it, not me, but it was very good and it is one of ten in. everything was excellent, the service, the ambience, the food, and obviously good company as well, so it was a perfect afternoon we spent together.

Model Answer: 76

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS The restaurant was may be about 5 kms outside the city where we live. It was in the country and situated next to a lake with a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. Like I said, it was actually my friend who chose the mention its name before. It truly was a spectacular location, quite breathtaking in fact. Maybe the place.

varied and includes something for everyone. There are traditional meat dishes, different types of fish and they cater for vegetarians too with plenties of I decided to have one of the local salmon, which is supposedly caught from the lake in front of the restaurant. My friend had steak, he likes his red meat! ing to other The whole experience was very good, from the food, the scenery and of course having an opportunity to catch up with my friend, so there were many reasons that I enjoyed eating there, and it was actually better than I thought it would be- which is always a nice surprise!

Topic 52: 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 why if you think you will ever actually have the chance to learn it.

Model Answer: which have been influenced by Russia including places like Mongolia and Kazakhstan. The reason I would like to learn Russian is that the energy

Topic 53: Describe a wild animal that you have seen. You should say: - What I looked like where you saw it - How often you see it - What you were doing when you saw it and explain how you feel about this animal.

Model Answer: I remember when I was younger, we went to the local zoo as a part of a school expedition. We spent most of the day there and saw many different animals, and we learned a lot about them for the class project we were doing. it was in a large cage, which was full of enormous rocks and some large trees too. It was bigger than tigers on TV, in movies and TV programs, but it seemed a lot bigger in real life. It was really like watching a big cat, the way it moved around. The colours were amazing, the yellow, white and black stripes on its body were spectacular. As I was watching, it jumped up and started climbing up one of the big rocks. When it reached the top it slowly turned around and then looked down at everything, moving its head from side to side, like it was looking at me, it was really amazing! I saw the same tiger a few more times over the years, because I used to live quite close to the zoo, so I would go and visit, maybe a couple of times a year. Unfortunately, one day when I went to visit, the people at the zoo told me that the tiger had died, apparently it was very old. I was sad for a while it was so beautiful to watch; elegant and powerful. I think the tiger is one of the most impressive creatures, just watching it mo back to the zoo last year with my nephew, it was his first visit and he was very excited. I took him around the zoo and showed him all the animals and we saw a different tiger this time, but it brought back a lot of memories for me- my nephew was impressed by the tiger too! The above example is a little bit complex, please have a look at another one that is simpler.

Topic 54: Describe an interesting lesson that you attended. you want to work the

w if I would every be able to study Russian because it uses a completely different alphabet and sounds really difficult. But it would be really nice to have the chance to learn it. 78

You should say: - Where you attended this lesson - What it was about - And why you found it interesting

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS - Why do you particularly like it

Model Answer: science lesson that I attended at secondary school when I was 14 or 15 years old. It was quite a long time ago, t 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 effect 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

Model Answer: when I was a young girl, in fact I think it was the first thing she showed me how to cook so I think also change it quite a lot and add some extra things into it and keep it very make. and generally better quality than other parts, though you can use any chicken

remember this lesson.

Topic 55: Describe a situation that made you angry. You should say: - When it happened - What happened - How you felt

Model Answer: A recent situation that made me angry was getting stuck in a traffic jam on the th usually very busy. Everything was going well until suddenly I saw a queue of cars on the roads 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. knew that my friends were waiting for 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.

Topic 56: Describe a dish that you frequently have. You should say: - What is this dish - How is it prepared 80

cooking the chicken I also precook the rice. I use a rice cooker as it gets the best results, but you can use just a pan of water if you want. While the rice and chicken are cooking I prepare the vegetables or anything else I want to put in the dish. Sometimes I put some extra things like some ham or mushrooms, but I normally just include a little onion, sliced up really thin, some green peas, and some tomatoes, again chopped up really fine with all the seeds removed. When everything is ready and the rice and chicken have cooled down, I start to prepare for frying the rice and mixing everything together. I add a little oil to a large frying pan along with some seasoning and beaten eggs, and then add the rice, stir it up and then add the chicken. After cooking it a little I add the vegetables and any other ingredients, mixing it all the time. When I think

One of the other reasons I like it so much is because you can make it for one person or many people, just by changing the amount of ingredients accordingly and almost everyone I know loves it

Topic 57: Describe your favourite person in your family. You should say: - What is your relation with the person - When did you realize that he or she was your favourite person in the family - How do you spend time with the person

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Model Answer: There are 4 members in my family other than me. I have good relation with all of my family members but my favourite person in the family is my brother. I like my brother a lot because he is not only my brother, but also my friend. The strange thing is that approximately 3 years ago I used to think that he is my enemy because he always made fun of me, but one thing happened in my life which changed opinion about him. The thing is that I needed money for my business and asked my father for the initial investment. My father said that my ideas would not develop into a viable business so he rejected my my rescue. I never expected this thing from him. He sold his car to give the money for the business. That day I realized that he loved me a lot because when everyone gave up on me he was the only one who helped me. I mostly play cricket with him. We have been playing cricket for the last 10 years. I really have fun when we play cricket with each other. The only thing which I do not like is that he starts cheating whenever he realizes that he is going to lost the match. Other than that we live in the same house so we are together in most of the family events and occasions.

Topic 58: Describe the saddest moment in your life. You should say: - What happened - How did it change your life - How did you cope with it

Model Answer: I have had a lot of sad moments in my life but the saddest moment in my life is when I failed my Math exam. It was grade 9. I was struggling a lot with my math so my father came to rescue and he taught me. He used to teach me well but I never revised the concepts. I got 49% in the math exam and I came back to my home. My father asked me about the result as he had great expectations from me, but I told him that I had failed the exam. At that moment I saw his face, his face showed as if he was blaming himself for my failure. He did not even scold me and he went straight into his room. That moment I realized that not taking my revision seriously was not only hurting me, but also my parents. I did not make any fake promises this time and I made a true promise to myself that no matter what happens I will work very hard for my exams and I will try my best to achieve good grades in the exams. know what was happening I was getting a kind of strength to work harder and 82

I was fully determined to show to the world that I was capable of something good and ultimately I passed the next math exam with an A grade.

Topic 59: Describe your favourite means of communication. You should say: - Different means of communication - What is your favourite means of communication - What are the advantages and disadvantages of using it.

Model Answer: Communication is very important to impart information from one person to another. In the medieval times people used to communicate via birds, signs and fire. Now means of communication have changed, but the purpose of communication is the same. Languages were made to facilitate communication and people learnt languages to make communication better. There are many means of communication in this world. I would like to tell you about the means of communication which I use, I use phone, laptop, emails and letter. I personally feel that phone is the best means of communication. I remember that once I met with an accident and I was travelling alone in a rainy night. I did not know what to do, but I had my phone and I straight away called for help and I was able to get the help because of the phone. There are many advantages of using a phone as I mentioned earlier that I can help a person in emergencies other than that the phones are operating as mincomputers as they have all the features which are available in the computer. We can catch up with a friend without actually meeting the friend personally. Phones tend to save time if they are used properly, for instance if I have to cancel a class I simply send a message to the students and they come to know that there is no class today. This would apply if you are a teacher. There are also some disadvantages of using the phone. The most obvious ones are that people waste a lot of time and money by talking on the phone for hours. I also hate the ring tones of the phones so I mostly keep my phone silent.

Topic 60: Describe the most embarrassing moment in your life. You should say: - Describe the event - Why did you feel so much embarrassed - Can we avoid these kinds of incidents

Model Answer: 83


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

The most embarrassing moment in my life was when I went to school without my books. I was studying really hard all night, actually I was pulling an allnighter, and I forgot to bring my books to school. As I was sitting in the class my match teacher asked all the students to take their books out, and as the students were taking their book out the principal entered the class. I put my hand in the bag and I realized that I had forgotten the books at home. Everyone in the class had brought the books and I was the only one who had not brought the books? I told him that I was studying late, so I forgot the books in house. He said to me that the only one reason you have to study at home is that you do not bring your books to school and you do not study over hear. It was such an embarrassing moment for me that I felt like crying. The entire class started laughing at me and I was the new dumb of the class. I do not think we can avoid these embarrassing moment in our life. They are beyond our control as in my situation, my hard work for the night was not acclaimed and a slightest mistake just turned out to be a blunder and I had to face embarrassment in front of the whole class. Some people say that we can avoid certain things to avoid these incidents but I do not think in a similar way.

not. If Youtube goes out of my life I would not be able to provide this free service and it would be bad not only for me, but also for all the people who are benefiting from it.

Topic 61: Describe your favourite website. You should say: - Why is it your favourite website - How often do you use it - What would your life be without it

Model Answer: My favourite website is youtube.com. A lot of people in this world regard Youtube to be their favourite website and I feel in the similar way. This is a website in which a person can watch or upload videos for free, and the great part is that the user can even create his or her channel and then earn money by the videos he or she has uploaded. We can find almost everything on Youtube and everything is available over there free of charge. I started using Youtube 4 years ago and it has been a really great experience. I spend most of my time on Youtube. I have to upload my own video lectures on Youtube and these video lectures are provided to the people for free, I also stay on Youtube to watch trailers and songs. You can find almost every song of this world on Youtube. These was a day when I missed a cricket matched because I was busy in something, but because of Youtube I was able to watch the entire match again because someone had uploaded the match and it made me very happy. My life would be hell without Youtube. I would not be able to function without it. I am running an educational institute, and I provide free online video lectures to everyone irrespective of the fact that they are my students or 84

Topic 62: Describe your favourite drama character. You should say: - What is the name of your favourite drama - Why do you like the person - Can you find a similar kind of person in the world

Model Answer: My favourite drama character is Michael Scofield. His is the main character of Prison Break. My favourite drama is Prison Break, so I consider Michael Scofield to be my favourite drama character. He is playing a role of an architect in the drama, and he had to break the prison in order to get his innocent brother out of the prison. Michael is a very intelligent person and he thinks about the situation and tries to make the right decision. I have seen a lot of dramas, but I consider Michael to be my best character because he is different from the other drama characters. I have seen that most of the drama character are wannabes and they tend to be very aggressive, but Michael is very subtle. I started liking the character a lot when he left his life to save the life of his innocent brother. This is something which is very hard to see in this world. I also liked the way Michael made the plans. His planning was so good that his plans always worked and his enemies where left astounded by the way he disguised them. It is just because of Michael that I saw this drama 4 times and strangely I am even thinking of watching in the 5 th time. As I told you earlier it is quite impossible to find a person like Michael in this present world. Everyone is so much occupied with his or her that one has the time to care of another person.

Topic 63: Describe a musical instrument you like. You should say: - Which musical instrument can you play - Did you get training for it - How do you feel after playing it

Model Answer: 85


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

I am very good at playing the piano and I regard it as my favourite musical instrument. When I was a child I was really inspired by the guitar because I thought it was for boys, but when I played it I did not like. My finger used to hurt a lot whenever I play the guitar, I though do out trying something else. I bought the piano with the money I had received on my birthday. It was not a very expensive piano, but it still has all the good features which one would expect in a good piano. I did not get any training for the piano. I used to spend 3 to 4 hours on the piano and I used to try some tunes. For the first 2 weeks I was not successful, but as the time progressed I started learning it. It would not be wrong to say that I did not take any help from anywhere because I used to watch some free online piano tutorials on Youtube. There is also a website by the name of www.bornsinging.com which has a lot of articles to help the amateur piano learners. This is a very famous website because it has a lot of music videos of new singers. I feel so good after playing the piano that I cannot even describe in a words. I mostly like to play the tune of my favourite song and I also sing while I am playing the song. Sometimes I do commit some mistakes and that is the most irritating part, but the people who practise it well never make these kinds of mistakes.

I live a very isolated life. I do not have much friends and I do not know to relate to this fake world. I think that the only original and true feeling I have is for the dog. I can share both good and bad times with the dog.

Topic 64: Describe your favourite pet. You should say: - Which is your favourite pet - How do you take care of the pet - Why do you like it

Model Answer: My favourite pet is a dog. There was a time when I used to be afraid of dogs. My uncle gifted me a dog 2 years ago and I told him that I was too afraid of dogs and I could not keep it. He did not agree and he told me to keep the dog with me for some time and eventually I would develop a liking for the dog. I used to see the dog sitting in my garden, and every time I passed the dog stood up and got happy. I knew the dog had started loving me and after that it was impossible for me to ignore it. After that I also gave a name to the dog and the name which I gave to it was Ki. I spend most of my time with the dog after coming back from work. I go on a walk with the dog. The dog feels very happy whenever I take it for a walk. I also have to take care of the medicines of the dog because it was remained very ill in the past. I also have to bathe the dog. The moment I put water on the dog becomes very happy and the feeling of seeing the dog happy is simply sweet.

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Topic 65: Describe a meeting you remember going to at work, college or school. You should say: - When and where the meeting was held - Who was at the meeting - What the people at the meeting talked about and explain why you remember going to this meeting.

Model Answer: I remember a meeting I attended about 3 months in particular, because it was a very long one and a lot of people were getting stressed out during it. The meeting was at work, in the conference room where we all gathered to discuss some problems with a very important project we were working on. There were about eight people who attended the meeting; the general manager, the head of the design department, the company accountant, the project manager and two of the company directors, my boss who is the president of the company, and me as one of the project engineers. Basically the project we were working on was not going well; it was overdue and over budget due to some unforeseen problems and delays with suppliers and contractors. The worst thing about that particular project was that is was for our most it was causing problems for potential new projects that we were trying to obtain from the same client, so the consequences of not delivering the project as promised could have had serious long term effects for the company as a whole. The meeting started with an update of what had been completed so far and the unexpected problems encountered and already solved. The project manager and design engineer presented some information about some existing problems and some possible ways of how they could be solved. The accountant took her turn to explain various aspects of the budget and how costs had exceeded the project budget so far, and the final part of the meeting was all about forming an action plan to get the project back on track and hopefully recover some of the overspending in the final stages of the project. the meeting. Most of the people who participated were very nervous about the situation and several times they tried to blame other people and other

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

wo eventually solve a lot of problems so it was certainly productive even though it lasted for over 5 hours. out all the problems, the whole project could have been a disaster in the end. I it can be to get everyone involved in something together at least once to discuss all the different aspects and come up with workable solutions which can then be auctioned.

Topic 66: Talk about your favourite subject at school/ university. You should say: - What was the subject? - What did you learn about? - Why was it your favourite subject?

subject because I c mathematical seem connected to real life. Another reason I liked Geography as a subject was because, as I said, my teacher was great. She made everything seem interesting and had an excellent way of explaining things to her students. The time always seemed to fly past in those classes because they were so interesting.

Topic 67: Describe how you would organize a surprise party for your friend. You should say: - Where would you do it - How would you do it - What arrangements would need to be done for the party.

Model Answer: Well, I did it for a friend of couple of months ago. It was for my best friends, we have been friends ever since we were little girls. I organized it at her home so she wou

Model Answer: When I was at school, my favourite class was Geography. I used to have an excellent teacher who made everything seem very interesting. I also enjoyed learning about many different things related to our lives such as where we live, how we are affected by the weather, farming and other topics and how we can learn so much from rocks, trees and other items around us which can tell us about past events many thousands of years ago. I can distinctly remember many lessons about agriculture and how it was developed in many different regions of the world. The difference between farming needs in different parts of the world and how the products could be exported from one country to another. I also remember learning about rock formations and how rivers can form valleys and erode rock, and the earth, over a long period of time and change the landscape. I thought it was fascinating at the time when you could learn so much about something which seemed to be so simple. My Geography classes made me look at everything differently. What I had previously seen as just a river or rock became something much more interesting when I realized how much information I could tell us and how many different aspects there were to them. Even now, I think I still look at things and think about always so much more involved than what we can simply see every day. Really, I think it was my favourite subject at school because it dealt with real things. I mean, we learned about mountains, rivers, countries, populations, social migration and many other things like that. You can see these things in,

I arranged for her friends from university to come to her house, and I helped prepare the food with some of her aunts, but we did it in the home of one of them so that my friend would have no idea about the preparations. I wanted to have some special music for her party so I arranged with one of her friends who plays in a musical group and play modern music but with traditional influences and I knew that my friend would love it. All the arrangements were done in about a week, after telling her parents about it I had a lot of help from her family and also her friends and on the day of the party we did a lot of cooking and prepared all the food and then took it and my friend loved it all. It was a very special day for us.

Topic 68: Describe something naughty you did when you were a child. You should say: - What you did - Why you did it - What happened after that and why you remembered this incident

Model Answer: I can remember one situation which I thought was funny at the time but it were playing soccer in the street one afternoon in our neighbourhood and I

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS kicked the ball badly and it broke a window in one of the houses close to where we were playing. It was an accident, but the old man who lived in the like children playing near his home. I was scared, he would come out and see who had broken his window so we all ran when I was walking home he came out of his house and walked up to me and asked me if I knew anything about his broken window. I lied to him and told him it was another moment, but unfortunately the old man went to see the found out that I had lied to him and then he came to see my parents and told

soccer for two weeks. I had to go straight home from school and study all the time. My parents also made me apologize to the old man, which was scary. Looking back now I can laugh about it, but I remember it well because it was the first time my parents got really angry with me and punished me.

Topic 69: Describe a place where you go shopping for clothes. You should say: - What you shop for clothes - How often you shop for clothes - How you choose your clothes - And explain why you go there

Model Answer: When I

Topic 70: Describe a newspaper or magazine you like to read. You should say: - What kind of information you get - Explain why you like it.

Model Answer: One of my most favourite magazines to read is Cosmopolitan. This is a fashion magazine that is sold all over the world, published in many different languages and it is one of the most famous and well-known publications in the world, especially amongst women. I like to read Cosmopolitan because I can learn about the latest fashion trends around the world. I love fashion and by reading Cosmopolitan I can keep up-to-date and buy clothes that are fashionable for the season. Even though some of the clothes they feature are expensive I can still get ideas and find similar clothes at a cheaper price. Cosmopolitan also features many interesting articles, not just about fashion very informative and are relati the many pages of advertisements that are featured. I once counted 20 pages of advertisements before I even got to the content pages, and then there were even more after that before the actual articles. I find this annoying as most of the advertisements are for very expensive labels, such as Gucci and Prada, which are items that I, and the average woman, cannot afford. Despite this I still read Cosmopolitan for the interesting articles, healthy and beauty advice and fashion features.

n Hanoi

Topic 71: Describe an interesting person you recently met. reasonably priced outlets. I like to go there because I can buy more expensive, high quality clothes that I know will look for a long time as well as cheaper items that I may only wear for a season. I like to buy clothes at the beginning of each season as I can buy clothes that are appropriate for the weather. I also buy clothes at these times of the year so I can keep my wardrobe updated and therefore stay in fashion. Mostly I buy clothes that I have seen in magazines fashion. I also buy clothes that I feel comfortable and make me look good. When I feel comfortable I also feel confident. What I most like about the stores I like as well as having a large variety of clothes to choose from. I want. I recommend to anyone who wants to experience great shopping to go

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You should say: - Who the person was - When and where you met this person - What you did together - And explain why you think the person was interesting

Model Answer: I know many interesting people but I would like to talk about a person who often sells snacks at the food standing near my home. He is called Mr. Quang and is about 60 years old and he started selling snacks on my street this year. He has a long face with a lot of wrinkles and a thin body. One of the first things you will notice when you see him is his thick beard which makes him look a little like Santa. We often have brief conversation and I think he is a fun person to talk to. He lly act his age and usually tells a lot of jokes and has an open mind. 91


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

I sometimes tell him about my life and he would tell me about his. In fact he

y saw a TV programmer 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 programmer was a small, blue, two-seater and it seemed quite easy to fly-

at home alone. His snacks are delicious, especially his fried chicken wings and tofu-other stores really cannot compare with his. I guess it because the ingredients he uses are better quality. I guess that sums up Mr. Quang, the person who I believe is quite interesting.

Topic 72: 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 - Explain why the meal was so enjoyable

fantastic to be able to avoid traffic jams, and get everywhere in a fraction of th over cities or mountain tops, and maybe I could even use it to do the shopping! runway or an airport like you would do - if I had a of tall buildings- I think it would be fun to land on top of a building. A I might win lottery.

Model Answer: I can remember having a really enjoyable meal on Christmas when I just started my new job at a company I had always wanted to work for, about two years after I had graduated from university. It was on Christmas Day and my whole family was there including my parents, my brother and my grandparents. Also was a chef, had also decided to join us. Everybody come to our house and bought with them a different dish. We ate ham, lamb, turkey and chicken as well as many vegetables such as pumpkin, potatoes, yams, carrots and peas. My mother make the best gravy so we put that on everything. For dessert we had a traditional plum pudding with brandy sauce. We also had the most

Topic 74: Describe a situation where you found yourself dealing You should say: - Who he/ she was - Why he/ she - How your behaviour was - And say what his or her reaction was

Model Answer: chef. I remember it being most enjoyable because the food was so delicious. Not only was the food good but also the company. Everyone talked and there was so much laughter that sometimes we had tears coming out of our eyes and our stomachs hurt. It was a really great day with terrific food.

Topic 73: Describe a vehicle you would like to buy in the future. You should say: - What kind of vehicle is - What you would like use it for - And why you would like to buy it

Model Answer: 92

staff. At that time, I was only 22 years old and had just graduated. On the first day of my work, I met an older woman who was really familiar with the ins and outs of the place. When I was introduced by the manager of the department, she barely acknowledged my presence, and through word of mouth I realized that she thought that I was too young and immature to take up the job and be able to do my duties successfully because I was so inexperienced. To prove my abilities, I did my best and took every opportunity to make a good impression. I worked so hard and behaved in a highly professional manner at all the times; so motivated to get the things done successfully. After about two weeks of silent treatment from her, she came up to me and told me how well I had worked, and how impressed she had been with my performance. She apologized to me for ignoring me, shared

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS what she knew with me and took me under her wing. In spite of the fact that

A list of prompt words that you can use in part 2 Topic 75: Describe a foreign food you would like to try. Introductory phrases when you start your talk:

You should say: - What it is - Where you can eat it - How you know about this food - And explain why you would like to try it.

Model Answer: what to say just now, the first dish that popped into my head was Indian curry, As for where you can get this dish, well, apart from obviously going to India to eat it, there are, as far as I know, a number of Indian restaurants dotted around my hometown which serve curry, although for some reasons, I h

Developing phrases when you want to expand your argument:

restaurants here in my hometown! Anyway, moving on to how I know about this dish, well to be honest with t I guess it in various books and magazines. In fact, I remember reading, only a few weeks ago, a review in the local paper about a recently-opened Indian curry house which apparently check it out some time! dish, well thinking about it, I would say that one of the main reason would be that I haven seeing as most people at my age have probably tried it at some stages or other. And as for other reasons, well I suppose I should also mention the fact that nd if Thai curry is anything to go by, I reckon I

Anoth

Background phrases when you want to add some detail:

different. much for listening.

Impression phrases - when you want to say something that made an impression on you:

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Part 3 TWO-WAY DISCUSSION

Discussion topic 1: Hometown 1. Why do people have a very strong bond with their hometown? Things you like phrases when you want to describe or talk about things you like:

People have a strong bond with their hometown because that is the place where they are born and that it is the place where all their friends or loved ones dwell. 2. In what ways can you improve your hometown? My hometown is one of the biggest cities in my country, but there is one problem in my city which is traffic congestion.

3. Some people want to live in their hometowns for the rest of their lives. Why? People desire to live in their hometowns because they are well connected and well aware of the place. Some people feel that staying close to a family member can be a distraction and they want to go far from them a achieve their set goals objectives.

4. What is the main reason for liking a hometown other than the fact that you were born there? Yes, you are right, the first reason people like their hometowns is the fact that they were born there. The other reason for liking the hometown is that people are.

5. the current city? Why? Hometown defines how a person behaves and the current city defines how a person want to change. I think that the hometown has a much greater impact on a person than the current city.

6. Most people in this world do not live in their hometowns. Why? Most people in this world have to leave their hometowns because they have to achieve their dreams which requires from them to leave the city. Other people are so much flooded with family problems that they have to leave the city in order to run from the social and family problems. 96

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

7. What do people do to remember their hometowns or to keep them alive in their hearts? One thing people might do is that they try to meet the people who were of the same city or they can also keep their hometowns alive in their hearts by celebrating the carnival or festival which were celebrated in the hometown.

8. Do people with the same hometown have a similar thinking? Why? That is not possible. I agree that people living in the same area might agree on something, but there is no way that people living in the same hometown would have a similar thinking. Even the people who are living in the same place would have conflicting views.

Discussion topic 3: Family 1. What do you think about the differences between families in the past and today, and what have caused these changes? In the past, there were several children in a family. But now, government has f the family. So, there are only one or two children in a family. Couples will be punished financially if they have -

2.

-

I agree which two-child policy. In fact, if

Discussion topic 2: Friend people. So, government must control the population. Also, it is the best way that we can find to control population.

1. Do you think it is easy to make friends in Viet Nam?

3. What has your government done to support families?

Yes, of course. Nowadays, transportation and communication are easy and convenient. We have more opportunities to meet all kinds of people and make friends with them.

Our government has issued many policies such as student loans. It means that our government supports the students in poor families to continue their schooling and improve their education conditions. In addition, our government gives charity houses to old people having more difficulties or no families to take care of them.

2. What do you think the difference between adults and children making friend is? As far as I concerned, attitude or mindset is the difference between adults and children making friend. Particularly, children like to make friends with good students because they can help each other in studying. But adults often make friends with anyone they like.

3. What is the most important thing in friendship? Maybe the most important things are that friends need to share common interests and be honest with each other. Friends are people we spend a lot of time with, so it definitely helps if they enjoy doing the same activities or talking about the same topics as we do, and of course we need to be able to trust our friends, so honestly is vital for a good friendship. I think I would ing in common

4. How have family structures changed in Viet Nam? Are the changes for better or worse? Family structures in Viet Nam have considerably changed in recent years. In the past, extended families were popular; each family had more than two children. But now nuclear family with one or two children are popular. And I think the changes are good for our society.

5. What do you think the main problem of family life in Viet Nam these days? In my opinion, the main problem of family life in Viet Nam these days is that

children become autistic or commit crime.

4. What makes friendship break up? In my opinion, misunderstanding can make friendship break up. For example, when I studied in University, one day, my roommate lost his watch. He thought I had taken it. At that moment, I was very angry but I said nothing, and then I helped him to look for the watch. Finally, we found it in his pocket. My roommate apologized to me. I forgave him for his rudeness. So, I think trust is the most important thing between friends.

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Discussion topic 4: Favourite person in the family 1. What is the strongest relation in this world? It is very difficult to define the strongest relation in this world. It basically does not depend on the relation but on the association with another person. Some people think that we can only have strong relation with another person he is a brother or friend, but I believe that a strong relation can be with anyone in the world. 99


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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

2. Can you love a person in one moment and hate him the next moment?

Yes, I think that parents differentiate between family members. I have been a victim of differentiation inside my family. Parents tend to have a soft corner for the children who are more successful or the children which have been able to live on the path defined by the parents. I fail to comprehend the reason for it as I would do it, but there are some people who do it.

Yes, it definitely happens. There was a time when I used to like friend a lot but I started hating him after he dumped my best friend, so it can happen that we might like a person one instance and hate the same person the next moment.

3. For some people, family members have played a very important role in their lives, but I cannot say the same for myself. I have always live an isolated life and my family members have not played any kind of role in my life.

4. Would you prefer a family member over a very close friend? Yes, I would prefer a family member over a close friend because I have had bad experience with friends. I do not think that friends stay in life. As a matter of fact I think that friends change as the time progresses.

5. What is the basic reason when people are not in good terms with their family members? The basic reason people do not have good relation with their family members is that they expect a lot from the family members and when do not get what they expect they feel deprived and they start hating family members. I believe that we would never hate a family member as long as we do not expect things from him or her.

6. Do you consider the concern shown by family members as interference? It depends on the situation. For instance, when I am taking my own decision and I believe in a particular thing then the concern would definitely be perceived as interference by me. If I am trapped in a situation which was not anticipated, the concern would never be deemed to be interference.

7. Would you do anything for a family member? Why? It depends on how close I am with the family member. If I have close relationship with the family I would no doubt do anything for the family member irrespective of what the family member has done or what the implications of his acts might have. I think that if I trust or love a person, we cannot go back from responsibilities or obligations.

10. Would you ever turn down a request of a close family member? Why? There are times when I feel I could do anything for a close family member and there are instances when I feel that why should I be the one forcefully getting 11. Rich families stay happy and poor families stay bad. Do you

agree or disagree? Yes, I agree with this statement. All those people who say that money cannot buy happiness do not actually know how to use it. I lived in a privileged life in my teens as I turned twenty by circumstances changed and I had to live a life of deprivation and depression. I think after getting poor most of my days have gone in sadness.

Discussion topic 5: Gift-giving 1. In Viet Nam, when will people give presents? In Viet Nam, people often give presents on holiday such as Tet holiday, give gifts when attending parties such as Wedding Party, Birthday Party and so on.

2. Compare the gift which people have received 10 years ago to the present that people now are receiving difference between them? Oh, I think the gift was simple before. For example, I often received a notebook as a gift. But now, there are various gifts to choose from such as flowers, wine, food, clothes, etc.

3. Just image the gift in the future children will receive.

8. What are the different ways you could help a family member in trouble?

In the future, I think more and more children will receive intellectual gifts such as electronic dictionaries, notebook computers, tablets, cellphones and so on.

There are many ways we can help a family member. We can help a family member emotionally or financially. The strange part is that the world only acknowledges the help which has monetary value.

From my point of view, people will give flowers each other. I think flowers will be the most popular present.

9. Do parents differentiate between different family members? How and why? 100

4. Just image the gift in the future people will receive.

Discussion topic 6: Music

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

1. What role do you think music plays in our life? Just as other kinds of art, music has become an indispensable part of human culture. It brings us with nutrious spiritual foods and enriches our leisure life. In addition, music can do well to us very much. It can elicit the imagination of us. And, it teaches us how to distinguish beauty from nature. Listening to the

2.

Watching games can enrich our leisure life. Also, it is very exciting to watch a close game. But over-indulgence in watching games can affect our rest.

4. What are advantages and disadvantages of playing games/ sports? Taking part in sports can build our bodies and keep us healthy. But overindulgence in physical exercises can affect our rest.

5. Do you think which sports demand enough courage? music?

Oh, it is a difficult question, the western music is definitely great, and it plays an important role on the world music. Many musical talents and eminent musicians have been trained in western countries such as Beethoven, Mozart and so on.

3. school? Yes, of course. There is usually 1 or 2 hours each week used for teaching music. I think there should be more, such as at least 3 or more.

Oh, I think it is boxing. It is very dangerous and it can do harm to health of boxers. 6. Do you think famous sportspeople are good role models for

children? I think that sportspeople should be good role models. Children look up to their favourite football players, like David Beckham for example, so I think that these people have an enormous responsibility. They should try to be a good influence, and behave in the right way.

7. Do you agree that sports stars earn too much money?

4. Can you tell me why? palm to learn how to play musical instruments such as guitar. So, children have more flexible fingers and they are more likely to find the correct feeling.

top sportspeople requires hours of practice, and there are millions of sports fans who are willing to pay to see them play. If we .

5. Do you like music or not? Why? I like music. I like singing, especially in front of many people. I often sing for my friends. When they praise me, I feel happy. Also, listening to the music, I

Discussion topic 8: Education 1.

6. Describe the music you like most and tell me why? I like classic music. It usually has a slow rhythm and a pleasant melody.

Discussion topic 7: Sports 1. Why do you think sport is important? I think sport is important for different reasons. For me, doing a sport is about having fun. When I play football, for example, I forget about everything else and just enjoy myself. Also, doing a sport helps you to keep fit and healthy,

2. Is it dangerous for people to spend too much time on sports? Yes, over-indulgence in physical exercises can do more harm than good. I have noticed that some of my friends spend too much time on sports making them too tired to stay awake during the work.

I think it is computer skill. Computer skill is considered to be a very important skill to possess in developed countries. Employers want their workers to have basic computer skills because their company becomes ever more dependent on computers. Many companies try to use computers to help run their company faster and cheaper. So, computer skill plays an important role in our lives.

2. Do you think it is necessary to learn these skills? Yes, I do. 3. Do schools teach non-academic courses? Yes, of course, such as music, physical education, and painting etc.

4. Should schools be responsible for teaching these nonacademic courses? physical development in a comprehensive way.

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

5. Compare the differences between education in the past and today?

people take notice of them. Advertising on the internet is a practice most companies partake in now, and they have to pay quite substantial sums to advertise on highly ranked sites. Of course, they would not do this if I were not attracting customers for them.

tions were very poor. But now, government provides 9 years compulsory education. Each 6-year-old child must go to school. Also, government provides much better facilities and staff. Schoolyards are more beautiful than before.

6. Compare the differences between university and high school? We study basic knowledge in the high school. But the courses of university are practical and special, such as computer and business courses.

Discussion topic 9: Books 1.

2. future? Buying from the internet is becoming more and more popular. For example, cheaper prices from sites such as Amazon. It makes life much easier if products can be delivered directly to our door, especially with our busy modern lifestyles. I think this will only increase in the future as more people feel safe to buy online and online shops make it easier to purchase this way. Also, I think our lives are only going to become busier, so more people will choose to shop this way.

3. Are there any disadvantages to shopping on the internet? 1. What kind of books do you like to read? I mostly like have had to deal with many problems. I do read fiction as well, but I often find it difficult to get hold of a book that I really like. I also like reading about books to do with current affairs.

2. Do you read the same kind of books now that you read when you were a child? was mainly fiction books, such as fairy tales. Things like The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and so on.

3. When do you think is the best time to read? a short time like a bus ride like some people do. I like to put time aside to enjoy it. So, if I have some free time at the weekend I might read for a few hours. And I nearly always read before I go to bed this really helps me to sleep.

Discussion topic 10: The internet 1. Do you think people take notice of advertisements on the internet? Despite the fact that there are many adverts on the internet these days, I think actually many people tend to ignore them, or at least that is my experience. People usually go onto the internet to find something specific that they are looking for, which may be a product, or to read about something, so they will ignore what is not relevant to that. But of course there is no doubt that some 104

There certainly are some. Firstly, buying clothes can be a problem. When you go into a shop you check what you are buying fits you and suits you, but it is obviously not possible to do this online. Shopping does not become less hassle if you have to send something back in the post. Another problem is the have been several recent reports in the press about sites that have had their security breached and credit card details have been stolen. So far this is fairly uncommon, but it is a risk none the same. Another disadvantage is to the society as it could destroy local shops and businesses if people are not going out to shop in their local town.

Discussion topic 11: Advertising 1. Do you think advertising influences what people buy? Yes, definitely. If there were no advertising and you went to a shop, then you would just buy what you wanted based on maybe what others have told you, what the product looks like, or, depending on the product, what it says on the label. Advertising builds up a brand and people then trust a certain thing because they have seen it on television or elsewhere. Also, there is so much advertising around it which must influence to us constantly in our daily lives- not only in magazines, radio and television but on billboards, on TVs installed on trains and platforms, even at schools and universities. So yes, advertising influences what we buy.

2. Do advertisements give correct information, or do they encourage people to buy things that they may not need? the correct information. For example, the skin whitening products

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

believe that these work but we see them everywhere in Asian countries, and we are encouraged to buy them even though they are not actually necessary. The adverts, though tell us they are necessary as they will improve our lives and we will become more accepted and successful. This then, is an example of advertising encouraging people to buy something they do not need. I do think there are checks in most countries these days to make sure that adverts are giving the correct information and not lying to people, but I think it is still easy advertisers to exaggerate or to do this without breaking the regulations.

can travel without the use of the car. There has also been an increase in air travel, but like I said, this is quite expensive in my country so most cannot afford it.

3. Is advertising really necessary in modern society? It could be seen to be necessary in terms of the fact that, as I mentioned before, there are so many choices that we need someone to guide us in what to buy or to give us some extra information about products. Without this, it verall, I think it may do more harm than good. As we just discussed, advertising encourages people to buy things they possibly do not need. We live in a consumer society and many people are ertising plays a major role in this. Without advertising we could just do our own research and decide what we really need. So no, I would not say that advertising in necessary in modern society.

Discussion topic 12: Transport

3. What kinds of improvement have there been in transport in your country in recent years? There have been several ways that transport has improved. More major roads have been built which means it is easier to travel long distances, though of course some would argue that more roads are not an improvement. They can be an eyesore in the countryside and they have encouraged more people to because there are more cars using the roads. As I mentioned before, there has been the introduction of mass transit in many cities, such as trams and trains. In our capital city they have also extended the underground system so it now links many more areas of the city. This has helped many people as commuting times are horrendous if you have to travel on the roads. Those are the main improvements.

Discussion topic 13: Natural Scenery 1. What measures does your government take to protect natural scenery? The government establishes protective zones of natural scenery. Besides, it educates people natural environment. People who destroy natural scenery will be punished.

1. How do most people travel long distances in you country? think this is their preference because to be honest the trains are not that much cheaper where I live. Also, there are often delays with the trains which can be a real pain, so you may end up with a really long journey. The buses are a bit option to travel by plane as well of course, but most of the bucket airlines go abroad that cheaply by plane within the country. So then, cars are really the best option, and of course they give you the most freedom when you are travelling.

2. How the types of transport people use changed much over the last few decades? many decades now in my country, and it is much the same today. Of course, accounts for the problems we see on the roads today such as congestion and more accidents and pollution. This has probably led to some changes within cities. Many have now introduced environmentally friendly forms of transport

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2. Do you think it is effective? Yes, of course. Establishing protective zones can prevent pollution.

3. Tourism is playing a more and more important role in our Since the opening up, the number of tourists has increased quickly, and this is a useful source of foreign currency for the country. Also, tourism can accelerate other industries to develop.

4. What should you pay attention to when travelling? Safety, weather, and I think it is necessary to bring some medicine.

Discussion topic 14: Time 1. Are you good at managing your time? organize things. I know some people have an electronic organizer or use some lways make sure I am on time for appointments and things like that, and I meet deadlines and get things done. 107


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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

2. How do you manage your time?

also a sign of status. If you have a nice house in a nice area, then this shows you have money and are someone important.

example, if I am at work and I have a lot of cases, I just go through them each day and decide which I need to tackle first. At work we do have an online diary which I guess I use, so in that sense I do manage my time to an extent.

2. Has it always been the same or were different possessions thought of as valuable in the past?

3. When is it important for you to manage your time?

think it was different. For example, cars as I mentioned before only really came to our country in the last ten years or so. That kind of consumerism is a been used as a representation of something valuable. I think it was things like gold and jewelry that were seen as valuable. Of course these are still seen as valuable today, but previously it was these things over anything else as a lot of the modern day possessions were not available.

I think it is p going to affect things too much, or at least only yourself, if you are late to meet friends or for an appointment, or if you are getting things done in your house. But at work, it will cause p effectively because you could miss deadlines or miss appointments. You could lose your job. So at work is when it is most important to manage your time.

Discussion topic 15: Art Galleries 1. Are there many art galleries in the place where you live? No, do have a few museums and other cultural institutions. In our capital city there are quite a few art galleries, however.

2. Did you like to go to art galleries when you were a child? taken to one as a part of a trip when I was at school. It has a lot of paintings of

3. Why do you think people need to show their status in society? ty to show you have money or are successful it is nature, or the way we are brought up, that makes us feel like this, but also the pressure that society puts on everyone to be successful. And showing status is basically showing that you have money and you have success, so this is what people want to do. Going back to the example of the car, driving around in a Mercedes is a very conspicuous show of status or respect. In may cultures, if someone has high status, then they will be respected by others and they may receive preferential treatment.

Discussion topic 17: Shopping at markets

not been to any since.

3. Should people have to pay to go to art galleries? I think it depends really. If possible they should be free because if people do have to pay they are less likely to go and see it. But on the other hand, these things cost money so a small fee may be necessary if it can keep the art gallery going and keep it open. Ideally, though the government should pay for this as I believe this kind of thing is paid for our taxes. OuDiscussion topic 16: Values

1. What kind of possessions give status to people in your country?

1. Do people in your country enjoy going to open-air markets that sell things like food or clothes or old objects? Which type of markets is most popular? Why? country we like to do most of our shopping indoors in a supermarket or shopping centre normally. There are some specialized markets that exist, but

very popular. I think nowadays small local markets are disappearing for many different reasons. I can remember my parents selling junk and other household things

and who you are with. If you are out in public, it is things like the car you are driving. If you have the latest Mercedes Benz model, then in my country that is a sign of status, as most pe make. Property, or the house you own, and the possessions you have in it are

same thing on eBay and other internet sites like that. I think internet auction sites are more popular than traditional markets especially for young people.

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

2. Do you think markets are more suitable places for selling certain types of things? Which ones? Why do you think this is? Yes, markets can be a good option depending on the kind of items you want to seal. I

local culture, but not so common in cities and town nowadays. I suppose another item might be furniture which is handmade or antique, you know, the type made by local craftsmen that still seems to be popular at some markets.

3. Do you think young people feel the same about shopping at markets as older people? Why is that? and places like that. Most of my friends buy things on the internet and rarely

choice when you look on the internet. I think the future of traditional markets might be somehow limited to certain items which are very specialized.

we will have serious economic problems.

3. Do you thin any recent changes in the way people live have affected general shopping habits? Why is this? Absolutely, this generation and the internet are changing the game totally. Almost half the population in this country have a smartphone or other mobile device now and most of them buy things on the internet. We can already see the decline of business in the high street in many cities. Lots of small shops compete with online shopping. It was the same some years ago when we first started to see the development of out of town hypermarkets, and now they are beginning to suffer too

having to leave the house or get in the car and travel

Discussion topic 19: Restaurants 1. Why do you think people go to restaurants when they want to celebrate something?

Discussion topic 18: Shopping in general

I guess everyone has their own r

1. What do you think are the advantages of buying things from shops rather than markets? Well, the obvious one is the shop is that a permanent location while the market is not. I g example, would you buy domestic appliances from a market? Imagine you had a problem with it and never saw the person who sold it to you again. raining I definitely not really a problem. I suppose you usually get a better selection of goods in a shop as well, because they can carry more stock.

2. How does advertising influence what people choose to buy? Is this true for everyone? I think advertising only influences a certain group of people, normally advertising as interesting. They seem to buy things based on their needs rather than some smart and catchy marketing campaign. The big brand names are expert at trying to influence young people with their slick advertisements and publicity and they are always trying to convince us that we need to have the newest and latest of everything, even if the item we have at the moment is 110

important occasion. The other big benefit is that nobody has to do the cooking or clearing up afterwards so everyone can simply enjoy the celebration or

2. Which are more popular in your country: fast food restaurants or traditional restaurants? in different ways and for different reasons. I think fast food restaurants are popular for grabbing a quite bite or snack, as they are popular for special occasions or going out for lunch or dinner at the weekend when people have more time to sit and enjoy the food and the ambience or r going to a fast food place for a special occasion birthday party or something similar, in that case it makes a lot of sense, as some of these places cater specially for such events.

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Why are they both popu things about them they both cater for different needs and situations, and they both do what they do well, I suppose it depends on what you are looking for when you want to eat.

the moment looks like there are going to be some major changes which could affect everyone in terms of how we look at our ability to survive in the event of another world conflict where food and possibly water become scarce in certain areas of the world where it has never been the case before.

4. Some people say that food in an expensive restaurant is always better than food in a cheap restaurant would you agree?

Discussion topic 21: History

cheap restaurants and some disgusting bad food in a supposedly classy and expensive

1. What do you think we can learn by studying events of the past?

that looks expensive and charges a lot of money will indeed offer a better during experience than a cheaper restaurant with fewer frills. The service can be just the same and the quality of food the same too it might only be the surroundings that are more upmarket in reality.

I think we can learn a lot by studying history. Just as individual people learn from their mistakes, societies can learn from the mistakes made by previous rs, many economists are looking back to the time of the Great Depression, around 80 years ago, in order to understand the financial crisis that is

Discussion topic 20: Producing food

s fascinating to study history because it gives us an insight into who we are and where we come from.

1. Do you think there will be a greater choice of food available in shops in the future, or will there be less choice?

2. What important events do you think might take place in the future?

becoming more and more consolidated that there are less and less independent producers of anything, you could safely say that the choice will probably be less, as it will be dictated by only one or two giant global conglomerates in the food industry.

historic events of the past would have been impossible to foresee. For

2. What effects has modern technology had on the way food is produced? Well, apart from mechanization and the implementation of technology at the cultivation level, such as in agriculture, I think the biggest impact on food production, as it as already, is the genetic modification of food for human out our knowledge. Food is now less natural than before and is full of things which we know nothing about. This obviously makes more money for the food production companies but we still the final consumers.

that people would one day walk on the moon! If I had to guess what might hat scientists will invent cures for

Discussion topic 22: Politeness 1. being polite? We really value politeness and good manners in the UK, and there are many types of polite behaviour. One of the things we learn as children as children to be too direct in the language we use. For example, we would never say kind of direct instruction

3. How important is it for a country to be able to grow all the food it needs, without importing any from other countries?

bill, please?

anything that was required. Maybe in the future there will be more emphasis on being independent in terms of food production, as well as other essential resources such as energy and fuel. The ways things are going in the world at

s with family members. Most people tend to speak in a more informal way at home; in the

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS The stereotypical view is that women are more emotional, and in my experience there is some truth in this: my mother, for example, tends to show that there are exceptions to the stereotype.

know.

3. Why do you think men tend to show their emotions less than women?

Discussion topic 23: Competitions 1. Why do you think some school teachers use competition as class activities? sure that teachers try all kinds of activities to engage their pupils, and competition might be one of the best ways to keep children interested or get them excited. Children love winning things.

2. Is it a good thing to give prizes to children do well at school? Why? It might be a good idea to encourage children to do well in games or sports, Children need to learn that the reason for studying is to learn useful things inking that they will only work hard if there is a prize.

3. Would you say that schools for young children have become more or less competitive since you were that age? Why? now have to take exams from a much younger age, so I think there is more of focus on doing well in tests. Parents also seem to be getting more competitive. I think that many parents push their children to do extra homework rather than letting them play with friends.

taught from an early age not to cry. Also, boys are aware that their friends might see it as a sign of weakness if they show their feelings. Perhaps girls are

Discussion topic 25: Leisure activities 1. What is the relationship between leisure and the economy? Well, people send a lot of money on all sorts of leisure activities nowadays, so I think leisure is a very important part of the economy of most countries. Leisure could be anything that people do in their free time, such as eating out, going to the cinema, watching a football match, or staying in a hotel. Millions of people are employed in these areas.

2. activities? The leisure industry makes a huge contribution to the economy. As I said before, it keeps millions of people in employment, and all of these employees pay their taxes and have money to spend on other goods and services. At the same time, most people spend some of their earnings on leisure activities, and this money therefore goes back into the economy.

3. Do men and women enjoy the same type of leisure activities? Yes and no, I think both men and women enjoy things like eating in are more popular with one gender. For example, I think more men than women go to football matches.

Discussion topic 24: Emotions

Discussion topic 26: Parties

1. angry? I think it depends on the situation and how you show your emotions. I find hem

1. What types of party do people have, and why are parties important? People have parties to celebrate special occasions like birthdays, weddings, or because they are landmarks in our lives. Parties are a good way to bring

2. In your opinion, do women show their emotions more than men? 114

2. Why do you think some people like parties but others hate them? 115


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Most people like parties because they have a good time at them- eating a nice meal chatting to friends, or having a danc

2.

3. Do you think parties will become more popular in the future?

but you can learn a lot more quickly with the guidance of a teacher. For example, when learning a language, you really need someone to correct your mistakes, you can get the grammar and vocabulary from books, but books

ing will change. People have always had parties, and enjoy themselves and parties are one of the best ways to do that.

r to have a teacher or to teach yourself?

3. Do you think the traditional classroom will disappear in the future?

Discussion topic 27: Wildlife 1. What effects do you think humans have on wild animals? Humans have a huge impact on wild animals. We have destroyed a lot of natural habitats, and many animals are in danger of extinction. Tigers and rhinos, for example, become endangered species because of humans. The pollution and waste that we produce also have an effect on animals. In some places there are no fish in the rivers.

2. What measures could we take to protect wildlife? I think we need stricter rules to protect natural areas and the wild animals that live there. For example, we should stop cutting down trees in the rain forest. National parks are a good idea because they attract tourists while protecting wildlife.

3. Is it the responsibility of schools to teach children about protecting wildlife? Yes, schools can play a big part in educating children about this issue. Children should learn how to look after the natural environment. I think schools already teach children about endangered species and the destruction of rain forest, so hopefully future generations will do a better job of protecting wildlife.

Discussion topic 28: Lessons

mmon, I think more people will study independently, using different technologies rather sitting in a classroom. Maybe students will attend a lesson just once a week, and spend the rest of their time following online courses or watching video lessons.

Discussion topic 29: Technology at work 1. What technology or equipment is used in most workplaces nowadays? In most workplaces people use equipment such as computers, phones, printers, fax machines and photocopiers. I think the computer is probably the most essential piece of equipment because we rely on it for almost everything: communicating by email, writing reports, organizing data, and finding information on the Internet.

2. Does technology help workers, or does it make their lives more difficult? Technology definitely helps workers because it makes many tasks so much easier. For example, email is such a useful tool for communication between employees in different offices, or even in different countries. On the other hand, technology can make life more difficult, especially when it goes wrong. It causes a lot of stress when the Internet is down or a computer crashes.

3. What effect does new technology have on employment?

1. What do you think makes a good lesson? I think a good lesson is the one that is interesting and engaging. By should feel that they are learning something new that is relevant to them. In my opinion, a lot depends on how the teacher delivers the content of the lesson in a way that students like. My favourite teacher at university used to involve the students by making us teach some of the lessons ourselves.

I think technology is often responsible for people losing their jobs. Machines have technology people in areas like manufacturing and agriculture, and whenever a new technology is introduced, there are redundancies. At the same time, jobs might be created thanks to a new technology, there would be

Discussion topic 30: Favourite person 1. Does everyone in this world have a favourite person?

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

It is not necessary that everyone in this world should have a favourite person, but I think that everyone in this world is either impressed or affected by the work or personality of another person.

2. Are you ambivalent about a person in this world? Why? Yes, there are times when I like a person and at the very next moment I start hating that person. I guess it is not the people we hate or love it is the way they behave. I remember that I used to like my friend but after he insulted me I started hating him.

3. Is it necessary that the person whom you like should have the same likes and dislikes as you have?

9. What other things can influence you in your life? There are many things which can influence our lives. The primary thing would be the way life treated us and the other would be the kind of relationships we have with our loved ones. A successful man might only like eminent personalities and a child whose parents left him might only be due to blood relations.

Discussion topic 31: Flowers

Some people believe that people with similar interest or beliefs tend to connect better but I have an entirely different view. I think that in order to like a person we do not like them. Liking a person is a pure thing and it cannot be done thinking so much.

1. Do you like to have flowers in your home?

4. How much time does it requires to start admiring a person? Why?

bit of life to the apartment, which is something I like.

That would be my favourite question, as I believe that we can even start to like a person in the first second. There is a common myth that the strongest form of love is love at first sight so I believe that falling for someone or liking some can happen in a second and we do not even have the power to control our feelings.

5. What is the single thing which inclines you to get impressed from a person? The single thing which would force me to like a person is his or her honesty. I greatly impressed by the people who are honest. Honesty does not have boundaries so an honest person is a person who does not hide anything even if the truth is going to harm him or her.

6. Why do people always like successful people? Most of people in this world only get impressed from a successful people because their story is told to the entire world, but I do not look at the result. As a matter of fact that I like to look at the amount of effort a person put into a thing no matter whenever he won or lost. 7. How do you perceive people who idealize someone? Everyone in this world has a right to like someone but the liking should not result in copying the person completely. We should acknowledge the efforts of other people but we should not be just imitating them completely because the same decision might have different results for different people.

8. Has your choice changed over the years? My choice has persistently changed over the years. There was a time I used to like very successful people but as the time progressed I realized that life is not about being successful or unsuccessful. It is actually striving till the last breath for the things in which we strongly believe. 118

Yes, I do. I think they add a lo touch and as they only last about a week I usually replace them with some

they are important enough to go and buy them, then arrange them, and water house. If I want to something similar for my home.

2. Where would you go to buy flowers? It would depend on the occasion or event, and who I was buying them for. If it was ularly special event

fresh and good quality. If it was for a special event, or someone really special, then I gues person or event. I think each place is good depending on what you need. The supermarket is convenient and the flowers are good, but at the florist you can usually find something a little different or out of the ordinary, and they usually deliver them as well.

3. On what occasion would you give someone flowers? event and the person, but I usually take flowers with me when I visit my mother for example because she loves flowers. I would also buy them for my them. Then there are events such as funerals when flowers are normally sent or delivered to the family, and maybe other special occasions such as the graduation of my sister or cousin from university, because they both like flowers.

4. Are flowers important in your culture? (Why/ Why not?) 119


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

lture. They may be popular especially with women, but apart from the well accepted traditions of

you have a goo

any important special event or meaning. I think giving flowers is a common thin

go around laughing in front of everyone. Happiness and laughter are quite different, although the two are often combined.

think they are really that important in terms of the culture, unlike in some other countries maybe.

1. Which magazines and newspapers do you read? (Why?) I only read are there, and there is no other alternative. I prefer to get the news from the internet. I tend to read the news onli

Discussion topic 32: Laughing/ feeling happy 1. What kinds of things make you laugh? Funny things! I suppose there are many different kinds of things that make me laugh: something silly, something stupid and sometimes just ridiculous things that you see happen in every day life. The last time I had a good laugh was just yesterday when I watched a video of George Carlin, an American comedian, who was talking about saving the but you never know when something funny will happen sometimes when you least expect it.

2. Do you like making other people laugh? (Why/ Why not?) re if making people laugh is something really make people laugh if I say something and someone laughs because they t

wherever I am. As for magazines, I used to subscribe to several in the past, tion online nowadays, not to mention how much paper it saves when there are no old magazines and newspapers lying around the apartment for months.

2. What kinds of articles are you most interested in? (Why?) Really, it depends, as I said the latest news and articles of internet, that sorts of things. Other than that, I read what I need to for work, which covers many different areas and can be very diverse most of the time. For pleasure, I prefer to read either a good novel or maybe some of the alternative media coverage and their reports about world events. Most of my reading is for work though, background researches and such like, so I would have to say that I read more factual articles than anything else typically.

3. Have you ever read magazines and newspapers in a foreign language? (When/ Why?)

or trying to be funny all the time.

3.

Discussion topic 33: Newspapers and magazines

h? (Why/ Why not?)

you can only laugh if you find something funny, right, and there are some people wh

Yes, all the time. I lived in another country for several years, so reading in a foreign language was a normal activity for me, not just magazines and newspapers, but all kinds of documents and literature. I still do it to maintain my reading skills.

4. Do you think reading magazines and newspapers in a foreign language is a good way to learn the language? (Why/ Why not?)

4. Is laughing the same as feeling happy, do you think? (Why/ Why not?)

Yes, but it depends on your language level. If you are just beginning to learn the language then it can be very difficult and frustrating certainly not the best way to try and learn a foreign language but as you progress and develop your vocabulary it is a good way to learn expressions and phrases related to common topics in the news and current affairs, or related to a specific topic in the case of magazines.

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and others are generally more serious and rarely laugh.


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS routine. And instead, what generally happens is that they kind of just fall into a certain routine, if you know what I mean!

Discussion topic 34: Games

2. How do you think a person can find the right balance between work time and family time?

1. What games are popular in your country? (Why?) I think the most popular games, especially among the young people are online games really that interested in most of the traditional games, although we may play some board games sometimes with our families. Console games and online

thinking about it, I suppose one way would be to set a limit on the amount of time you spend working each day. So in other words, you would make sure to set aside enough time to be with your family every day, and that means not working crazy hours. Of course, on certain occasions it might be unavoidable, for example if you have to go on a business trip or something like that, but

year so we spend a lot of time inside at home or with friends, and gaming is good fun.

2. Do you play any games? (Why/ Why not?) Yes, some of my favourite are Final Fantasy and Medal of Honor because I used to play them a lot. I play them because I like the interaction and the intensity of it they are more interesting than watching TV or other activities. ming.

3. How do people learn to play games in your country? In general, as kids we learn to do all sorts of things. Some of us learn to game, others learn to play soccer or other sports. I started playing games with my older brother when we were both younger, then I had some friends at school that also played and right from university I always found other people who played the same games as me. Of course with multi-player online games you meet players from all over the world and we all learn from each other.

4. D Why not?) things like that which are important in life for your future and to make life

needs to do it. My parents never did.

Discussion topic 35: Time management

A list of useful expressions - In my opinion, I would think that, I would say that, I believe, I trust, I reckon, I suppose, in my view, as far as I am concerned, I agree that, it is Having - On the contrary, it is not true that, to my surprise, contrary to the fact, - In general, generally speaking, - There are a - For example, for instance, let me give an example, let me illustrate the point with an example, - In other words, to put it another way, let me express another way, let me rephrase this, that is to say, - To be more precise, to be more specific, - In comparison with, compared with, - To tell you the truth, as a matter of fact, in fact, in reality, to be frank, frankly speaking, to be honest, - (I beg your) pardon, excuse me, can you please say that again, excuse me, can you please clarify that, can you please explain it? - In a word, in summary, in conclusion, to sum up, to conclude,

1. How do people plan their daily routine? actually plan their daily routine. Because I mean, to me it seems that the majority of people go about their day according to their habits rather than consciously

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Useful Vocabulary Part 4 IELTS SAMPLE SPEAKING TESTS

Speaking Practice Test 1:

Health

Part 1 Sample Questions -

What do you do to stay healthy? Is it easy to keep fit where you live? What do you think is more important, eating healthily or doing exercise? Do you have a good public health system in your country? mprove about it?

Part 2 Sample Task Card Describe something you do to keep healthy. You would say:

-

Healthy activities / habits things that are good for your health taking regular exercise playing sport(s) (going) swimming (going) cycling going to the gym doing yoga/ pilates/ tai chi eating fresh fruit and vegetables eating organic foods eating regular meals drinking water having a balanced diet Unhealthy habits things that are bad for your health Smoking Binge drinking (excessive amounts of alcohol) Taking drugs Eating too much salt/ fat/ sugar Being overweight

-

a health farm a health centre a health club a health service a health risk/ hazard a health check a health problem a health visitor a health inspector health food health insurance healthcare health and safety (rules/ regulations/ guidelines) a healthy lifestyle a healthy diet a healthy appetite a healthy economy a healthy bank balance a healthy profit a healthy attitude

-

Health collocations

- What this activity is - When you do it - How often you do it your health.

Part 3 Sample Questions 1. What are the most popular ways of keeping healthy in your country? 2. Do you think people worry more about their healthy as they get older? 3. Why do you think some people continue bad habits when they know that they are damaging their healthy? 4. How can children be encouraged to adopt healthy eating habits? 5. Do you think people have become more conscious of their health in recent years? 6. Could governments do more to promote healthier lifestyle options?

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

- a healthy respect

Verb + Noun Collocations -

to look after your health to take care of your health to maintain your health to be in good/ poor health to regain your health

-

to feel healthy to look healthy to be healthy to keep/ stay healthy

Speaking Practice Test 2: Part 1 -

Verb + Adjective Collocations

Useful Linking Expressions

Work

Sample Questions

Do you work or study? What do you do for a living? Did you have any difficulty getting your present job? Do you enjoy your work? Which part of your job is exciting? What are the main tasks in your job? Do you plan to continue/ stay in this job for a long time? Would you like to change this job? Which is more important your job or the people you work with?

Part 2 Sample Task Card Describe the job you would most like to have. You should say:

Adding more detail -

- What this job would be - Where you would work - Which qualifications you would need - And explain why you would like to have this job most.

Part 3 Sample Questions Sample Answer: Question 6: Could governments do more to promote healthier lifestyle options? Yes, in my opinion the government has a big responsibility to try to persuade people to live more healthily. I think they could provide more education in schools to teach children how to eat more healthily and show them the importance of taking physical exercise. In fact need to be re-educated on these issues. Another thing, I think there should be more government warnings on TV showing people the dangers of obesity and poor diet, for example. Actually, they do have some that show the health risks of smoking and drinking, which are quite powerful, but not really about healthy eating. Finally, there could be more public facilities to help people to keep fit, like swimming pools, gyms and sports centers. More to the point, they need to be affordable so that everyone has the opportunity to use them. 126

1. Which jobs are most respected in your country? 2. Do you think that some jobs are still more suited to either men or women? 3. Do you think schools provide enough advice and support about future careers? 4. What changes have there been in recent years in employment in your country? 5. Do you agree that salaries should reflect the level of contribution to the community that the job makes? 6. Do you think more and more people will work from home in the future?

Useful Vocabulary Work - to apply for a job/ post/ promotion - to get/ have a part-time/ full-time job - to work in (field/ place) 127


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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

to work for (a company) to specialize in (field) to be a qualified (job) to work shifts/ unsociable hours to get/ have an interview to be shortlisted to be demoted/ promoted to be transferred/ to put in for a transfer to be fired/ sacked/ dismissed to be made redundant to retire/ to be retired to get a pension the perks of a job (benefits) to work from home (home-working) to be self-employed/ to work for yourself to work/ do flexi-time/ overtime

Part 1 -

Sample Questions

Which form of transport do you usually use? How do you prefer to travel on long journeys? Do people use public transport where you live? What are the benefits of public transport? Are there any problems with public transport?

Part 2 Sample Task Card Describe an interesting journey you have been on. You should say: - Where you went - How you travelled there - Who you went with - And explain what was so memorable about the journey.

Useful Linking Expressions

Part 3 Sample Questions 1. What methods of transport are most popular in your city/ country? 2. What are some of the problems of long-distance travelling? 3. Has the way people travel changed much in the last few decades? 4. Do you agree that governments should do more to encourage greener

Sequencing ideas - l -

methods of transport?

5. What measures could be taken to reduce problems of congestion in cities? 6. Do you think that transport problems are worse in urban or rural areas?

Sample Answer:

Sample Answer: Question 4: What changes have there been in recent years in employment in your country? I think there have been many changes in the types of jobs that people do nowadays compared to 20 or 30 years ago. First of all there much fewer jobs related heavy industry such as mining or ship-building or even manufacturing, secondly, there has been a big increase in the number of jobs in the service and leisure industries like shops, gyms, and hotels. And finally, since the launch of the internet there has been a big surge in the number of jobs related to IT, such as web development and design.

Speaking Practice Test 3:

Travel 128

Popular methods of transport in cities -

by metro by tram by bus by motorbike/ scooter/ by bike on foot to go by bus to catch the metro to take the tram to go on the motorbike 129


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

- to cycle - to walk

Question 5: What measures could be taken to reduce problems of congestion in cities? There are many ways that congestion could be reduced in big cities. In my city, for example, they have introduced a bike rental system where

Other methods of transport -

by plane by train by coach by boat/ ferry

-

long delays (in airports) lost luggage cancellations (of flights/ trains) missed connections traffic-jams/ congestion roadworks/ diversions breakdowns/ accidents pollution

-

road access charges in city centres bypasses/ ringroads park and ride schemes free rental of city bikes more cycle lanes more frequent buses cheaper public transport more pedestrianized streets more electric trams more accessible metro system

proving to be very popular and as a result more cycle lanes are also being provided.

Transport problems

Another example and ride scheme where you leave your car outside the city in a car par and then take a free bus into the centre. Another way to prevent people bringing their cars into the city would be to charge a special fee to access the centre, like they do in Lon with the residents.

Speaking Practice Test 4:

Tourism

Solutions to inner-city congestion Part 1 -

Part 2 Sample Task Card Describe a holiday you would like to go on. You should say: -

Useful Vocabulary Giving examples -

Sample Questions

Are there many public or national holidays in your country? Do you think there are enough public holidays? Do you like going away on holidays? Where did you go on your last holiday? Describe a place you like to go to during your holidays.

for example for instance such as like/ as another example/ way

What place you would like to go to How you would like to get there What you would like to do while you were there And explain why you would like to go on this holiday.

Part 3 Sample Questions 1. Which places in your country do visitors enjoy visiting most? 2. What are some of the benefits of going away on holiday? 3. Have there been any recent changes in the types of holiday that are popular in your country? 4. What kinds of benefits might a significant increase in tourist numbers bring to a location? 5. What are some of the negative effects of a dramatic increase in tourism? 6. What developments affecting international travel might there be in the future?

Useful Linking Expressions

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS - as well as -

Sample Answer: Positive aspects of holidays (personal) -

Chance to unwind Spend quality time with family/ friends Get away from work/ stressful environment Have a change of routine/ scenery Visit new places/ experience new things/ cultures Broaden your horizons Visit family and friends abroad

-

creates new jobs in tourist industry attracts media attention to the resort ensures good level of infrastructure improves services for local residents provides revenue to protect/ maintain local heritage

-

loss of earnings (if self-employed) can be stressful (to be out of your comfort zone) can be difficult to cope in foreign country/ unfamiliar place may encounter travel problems (plane/ train delays/ traffic jams) may not have access to health facilities may lose your luggage may not be able to speak the local language

-

can cause overcrowding tourists may not respect local customs/ traditions can cause excess of litter/ noise may cause damage to local environment area becomes too built-up due to increase of hotels/ shops etc. may cause increase in prices of local services and goods

Sample Answer: Question 2: what are some of the benefits of going away on holiday? There are many benefits of going on holiday. Besides giving you a chance to unwind and relax, it also allows you to spend some quality time with your family, not only in a different environment but more importantly, away from the routine pressures of work and daily life. In addition to this, it also gives you the opportunity to broaden your horizons by visiting new places and experiencing a different way of life.

Positive aspects of holidays (commercial)

Speaking Practice Test 5:

Negative aspects of holidays (personal)

Part 1 -

Negative aspects of holidays (commercial)

The Environment

Sample Questions

What is the climate in your country? Are there any problems with the climate in your country? What is your favourite type of weather? What kind of weather do you dislike? Would you prefer to live in a hot or cold country? What is the best/ worst weather for travelling in?

Part 2 Sample Task Card Describe an environmental problem. You should say: - What it is - How long it has existed - And explain how you think the problem will develop in the future.

Useful Vocabulary

Part 3 Sample Questions 1. Which environmental problems are people most concerned about in your country? 2. What are the main causes of these environmental problems?

Adding more reasons/ examples 132

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

3. Do you think it is the responsibility of governments alone to protect the environment? 4. What measures can individuals take to protect the environment? 5. Do you think large companies and business organizations should be environmentally friendly? Why? How? 6. How can we teach children about the importance of protecting the environment?

Explaining causes -

caused by due to because of a result of

Explaining effects - leads to - results in - causes

Useful Vocabulary Environmental problems -

rising see levels pollution of land, sea and air increase of natural disasters e.g. earthquakes, landslides, floods

-

excessive emissions of greenhouse gases, e.g. carbon dioxide chemical and industrial waste emissions from cars and planes improper dumping of household waste overuse of non-renewable fossil fuels genetic modification over-consumption over-urbanization

-

recycling using renewable sources of energy, e.g. solar heating, wind-farms replanting trees cutting carbon emissions cleaner waste disposal sustainable consumption and development buying products with less packaging buying organic products buying products made from recycled material/ renewable sources using natural remedies as alternative medicine

Useful Linking Expressions

destruction of the rainforests (deforestation) melting of the icecaps extinction of many species (loss of biodiversity) destruction of the ozone layer

Question 1: Which environmental problems are people most concerned about in your country? I think people in my country are most concerned about future shortages of fresh drinking water, which I suppose is both a result of poor water management and general global warming. I think everyone is feeling the effects of the latter problem which is causing us to experience more extreme temperatures, for example, much colder winters and much hotter summers. The long hot summers are particularly worrying in the south of the country where there is a real risk of drought due to the consistent lack of rainfall.

Causes of environmental problems

Speaking Practice Test 6: Part 1 -

Solutions to environmental problems

Technology

Sample Questions

Do you use a computer at work or at home? What do you use a computer for? Do you like using computers? When did you learn to use a computer? What is the importance of computers nowadays? What jobs do computers do better than people?

Part 2 Sample Task Card Describe a piece of technology that you find useful. You should say: -

Useful Linking Expressions 134

What it is What you can do with it How often you use it And explain why you find it so useful. 135


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Part 3 Sample Questions 1. What are some of the main uses of technology for communication? 2. Do you agree that some people use technology for communication too much? 3. What differences are there between the attitudes of older and younger people to technology for communication? 4. Do you think that the advance of technology has improved standards of education in schools? 5. Would you agree that the rapid development of digital technology has had a positive impact on the world of work? 6. Do you think that the rate of technological expansion will slow down in the years to coming?

Useful Vocabulary Uses of internet for communication -

-

interactive whiteboards e-learning online degrees self-access centres/ study online tutor blended learning (online + face-to-face)

-

offers more flexibility for the learner allows people in rural areas the same study opportunities cheaper for students (no travel/ accommodation costs) students & teachers are less bound by the time and space

-

automated processes automated manufacturing automated customer services high-tech computer systems computerized filling/ administrative systems huge databases intranet system/ internal emailing

-

has made some jobs redundant gives customers less personal service requires staff to be technically skilled may cause security issues/ files may be lost requires a lot of investment breakdown in the system may cause severe problems

Advantages

Technology and Work

Disadvantages

sending emails sending text messages tele-conferencing video conferencing online chatting social networking blogging posting messages on forums using an intranet system

Useful Linking Expressions

Advantages -

offer immediate communication cheaper than telephone calls/ face-to-face meetings allows global communication without the need to travel more convenient/ people can communicate on-the-above allows friends and family overseas to stay connected gives everybody the chance to have a public voice

Giving reasons - because -

Disadvantages -

people may spend less time socializing face-to-face people may become more introverted people may become addicted to social network sites people spend too much time in front of screen

Sample Answer:

Technology and Education 136

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Question 4: Do you think that the advance of technology has improved standards of education in schools? I think the growth of the internet has had a major impact on current teaching as a result. I strongly believe that the motivation for both learning and teaching has increased because of the phenomenal amount of information now available to both students and teachers. On the other hand, due to the danger of information overload, some people may be put off using technology in the classroom, wishing for a return to more traditional methods.

6. Do you think that technology will have a significant impact on the types of leisure activities we will enjoy in the future?

Speaking Practice Test 7: Part 1 -

Free Time

Sample Questions

How much free time do you have? How do you spend your free time? What kinds of things do you like doing in your free time? Do you prefer to spend your free time alone or with other people? Do you think people have enough free time these days? What do you usually do on weekends? What did you do last weekend? Do you have plans for the next weekend?

Popular Outdoor Leisure Activities -

playing / practicing/ doing sport(s) rambling/ hiking/ walking running/ jogging cycling fishing horse riding (wind) surfing (ice) skating sailing/ canoeing/ kayaking skiing snowboarding skateboarding hanging out/ meeting up with friends eating out/ going to restaurants or cafes

-

going to the gym/ keeping fit/ doing exercise doing yoga/pilates/ aerobics doing martial arts (karate/ judo) swimming going to the cinema/ theatre playing a musical instrument acting (amateur dramatics) dancing (ballet/ tap/ ballroom/ hip-hop/ freestyle/ latin) singing (in a group/ choir) playing computer games surfing the internet cooking reading playing board games doing puzzles listening to music

Popular Indoor Leisure Activities

Part 2 Sample Task Card Describe a leisure activity you like doing in your free time. You should say: -

Useful Vocabulary

What kind of activity it is How often you do it What equipment you need to do it And explain why you enjoy doing it.

Part 3 Sample Questions 1. What kinds of free-time activities are typical in your country? 2. Have there been any recent changes in the types of leisure activities that people find popular? 3. activities together? 4. In your opinion, who is responsible for encouraging children to take up different leisure pursuits parents or teachers? 5. Do you think people have less time for leisure activities now compared to the past?

Useful Linking Expressions Natural fillers

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

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- What kinds of TV programs do you like the most? - Do you have a favourite TV program at the moment? - What TV programs do you remember from your childhood?

Part 2 Sample Task Card Describe a film you found interesting. You should say: -

Sample Answer:

When you saw this film Why you decided to see this film What happened in the film And explain why you found this film interesting.

Part 3 Sample Questions do leisure activities together? U I think in some cases it could be important for people of different ages to do leisure activities together. For example, parents or even grandparents can enjoy doing fun things with their children or grandchildren, like, you know t require a lot of physical ability such as playing games, reading or cooking. I guess that sometimes it is very important for older people to do things with younger ones, especially more ial arts or playing a musical instrument.

Speaking Practice Test 8: Part 1

1. Is the cinema a popular form of entertainment in your country? 2. Which do you think is more enjoyable, watching films in the cinema or watching films at home? 3. Do you think that films shown in cinemas should have an educational value? 4. Is it important for governments to support film-making in their countries? 5. Do you think the Internet has already had a big impact on the entertainment industry? 6. In what ways do you think that entertainment media may develop in the future?

Useful Vocabulary

Entertainment

Cinema (advantages)

Sample Questions Cinema

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Do you like watching films? What kinds of films do you enjoy? Do you prefer watching films at home or at the cinema? Do people go to the cinema or the theatre in your home town? How often doo you watch films/ go to the cinema? When was the last time you went to the cinema or the theatre? What did you see? - When you were a child what kind of movie did you like to watch? - Would you like to be in a family/play? Why? / Why not?

Television - Do you watch TV much? - When do you usually watch TV? - Who do you normally watch TV with?

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the thrill of watching something on the big-screen more exciting / intense atmosphere big screen really brings the characters to life able to appreciate the cinematography can enjoy a night out with friends the excitement of watching a premiere screening

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can sit in the comfort of your own home can choose what you want to watch can flick through the channels can invite your friends round can watch a variety of programmes can switch it off if you get bored

Watching TV (advantages)

Film-making - social responsibility to make educational/ informative films 140

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS -

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

good media for reaching wide audiences has high impact on the public can get worldwide recognition can deliver social messages can bring widespread attention to social/ world problems Technology & Entertainment (examples) online gaming/ games/ gambling downloading films/ videos (Youtube) downloading music (iTunes) computer game consoles (PlayStation/ Wii) social networking (Facebook/ Twitter)

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What do you plan to do when you finish studying? At what age do most people leave school in your country? What was your favourite subject at school? Why? What do you are the most important subjects at school?

Part 2 Sample Task Card Describe a teacher that had a positive influence on you. You should say: -

Useful Linking Expressions Giving more exact information - to

What subject this teacher taught How long he/ she was your teacher What positive attributes this teacher had And explain why you remember this teacher in particular.

Part 3 Sample Questions

Sample Answer: Question 5: Do you think that films shown in cinemas should have an educational value? In fact, I think people go to the cinema because they simply want to be entertained, not always educated. Watching a film on the big screen is a form of escapism and

documentary, although actually I do enjoy historical films which teach me something about the past.

Speaking Practice Test 9: Part 1

Why did you choose this subject? What do you like most about this subject?

Education

Sample Questions

- Do you work or are you a student? - What subject are you studying? - Is it a difficult subject? 142

1. Is there a system of free state education in your country? 2. Do you think school and university prepares young people adequately for real life? 3. Do you think there is too much pressure on young people at school these days? 4. Do you agree that there is too much emphasis on formal testing? 5. Have there been significant changes in schooling methods in your country in recent years? 6. Do you think schools provide enough careers advice to young people?

Useful Vocabulary School -

nursery/ primary/ secondary schools/ education state school/ private school boarding school all girls/ all boys school to go to/ attend school the curriculum extra-curricular activities school trips to sit/ do/ take an exam 143


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS -

to resist/ retake and exam to revise (for an exam) to pass/ to fail an exam to get exam results to get qualifications/ to be qualified to leave school/ a school-leaver to drop out of school/ to be a dropout to study for (a qualification/ an exam) to be academic/ to be an all-rounder

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tertiary/ higher education colleges of higher education/ technical colleges/ universities to apply for a course to get a/an (un)conditional offer to do a course in (subject) halls of residence/ student accommodation student union/ student body an undergraduate a graduation ceremony to get a university degree / a Masters/ a Doctorate (Ph.D.) to graduate from university / to graduate in (subject) a university graduate a postgraduate student/ course to do a postgraduate student/ a Masters/ a Doctorate (Ph.D.) to be a qualified (job title) to qualify in (subject) to take a gap year to drop out of university

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Question 1: Is there a system of free state education in your country? In my country there is a state education system offering free education for children from 3-18, although parents still have to pay for food, materials, school trips and other extra-curricular activities. This is only one part of the system, however, because there are also private schools and semi-private schools, which are partly funded by the state. So on the one hand it appears that we do h everyone because places are limited.

University Speaking Practice Test 10: Part 1 -

Communication

Sample Questions

What languages do you speak?

When did you start learning a foreign language? Do you enjoy learning languages? Do you think young children should learn to speak a foreign language at school? - Are there any languages you would like to learn? What are they? Why? - What activity do you find most useful for learning English? - What do you find most difficult about learning English?

Part 2 Sample Task Card Describe a conversation you had which was important to you. You should say: -

Useful Linking Expressions

When the conversation took place Who you had the conversation with What the conversation was about And explain why the conversation was important to you.

Part 3 Sample Questions

Introducing a contrast

1. What differences are there when using various channels of communication (face-to-face, telephone, writing)? 2. To what extent do you think the media influences how people communicate with each other? 3. Do you think there are differences in the way men and women communicate? 4. Do you think that people become better communicators as they get older? 5. ability to communicate effectively?

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Sample Answer: 144

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

6. What impact has the growth of technology had on the way people communicate and how do you think this will develop in the future?

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asking for / giving advice (advising) making a complaint/ complaining making small talk/ building social relations exchanging views/ opinions gossiping

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writing a report/ proposal/ recommendation participating in a call conference participating in a video conference giving a presentation chairing a meeting

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maintaining eye-contact projecting your voice varying your intonation punctuating your sentences emphasizing/ repeating key words engaging the listener

Useful Vocabulary

Business communication

Common forms of communication -

speaking / talking face-to-face speaking/ talking on the phone/ by mobile phone sending a text message/ an sms (texting) sending/ writing a letter (snail mail) sending/ writing an email using an electronic messenger service social networking sending a tax

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lip-reading using body language using sign language using hand gestures/ signals using facial expressions

Effective communication skills

Non-verbal forms of communication

Useful Linking Expressions Giving opinions

Informal utterances -

give me a call call me send me a text/ an email text me/ email me drop me a line (letter/ email) give me a buzz (call) give me a bell (call) keep/ stay in touch l be in touch

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making / giving a speech speaking in public/ public speaking giving a lecture/ lecturing giving a seminar

In my experience

Other forms of communication

Sample Answer: Question 4: Do you think that people become better communicators as they get older?

Reasons for communicating

I think

- giving a demonstration / demonstrating - giving instruction/ instructing - asking for/ giving directions (directing)

generally speaking, people get more confident as they gain more experience of life and I believe that confidence is a major factor. On the other hand, 146

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

some people may become more self-conscious as they get older, particularly when they reach certain stages in their life such as adolescence. For me personally, I feel en I was younger.

Part 5 IELTS REAL SPEAKING TESTS IELTS Speaking Test 1 Part 1: Examiner:Hello. My name is Katrina Martin. Could you tell me your full name, please? Candidate:Hello. My name is Elisabetta Bortolotti. Examiner:Thank you. Can you show me your identification, pleas me about where you live. Candidate: being a romantic city, the city of love. Examiner:What are the advantages of living there? Candidate: of entertainment you can imagine, from pubs and clubs to museums and galleries. Examiner:What are the disadvantages of living there? Candidate: rowded and quite dirty in Venice. You have to know which areas to avoid too, as some areas have bad reputations, especially at night. Examiner: animal? Candidate:My favourite animal is dogs. I lo amusing to try to play with my dog. Examiner:Why do you think some people like keeping pets? Candidate: feel alone when they come home in the evening and they have someone Examiner:Are there any animals you are scared of? Candidate:I have a phobia of Scorpions. I reckon it because of the way the

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terrified of. I am afraid they will crawl on me. Examiner:Are zoos popular in your country? Candidate:Yes, they are, especially with kids. Kids love discovering new things, including new animals, and a zoo is the best place to do that. They can observe a wide range of animals in a safe environment. Examiner: about food. Do you think men or women make the best cooks? Candidate: The men in my family are really good cooks, and they enjoy talking about food as well as cooking and eating it. Examiner:Is it important to teach children to cook from a young age? Candidate: child a knife, but they can mix ingredients together and things like that. The be when they grow up. Examiner:What is a typical dish from your country or region? Candidate: typical dish is Pi Examiner:Do people in your country or region eat traditional food or international food? Candidate: We eat both. I regard it as very important to keep culinary traditions alive, but I also love Chinese food and Japanese food and Indian food, and loads of other cuisines. I like having variety in my diet. Part 2 Examiner it for one to two minutes. before you begin talking. You can make some notes if you wish. Here is a pencil and some proof of. All right, remember, you have one to two minutes to talk on the is up. Describe a personal achievement you are proud of. You should say: -What you achieved -When you achieved it -What was difficult about achieving it -And explain why you are proud of this achievement. 149


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS in sport?

Examiner Please start speaking now. Candidate particularly proud of, so I could have talked about when I passed end, I decided to talk about the only time I actually won a sports tournament. Only once did I win my village chess tournament. It was when I was sixteen years old. It was particularly difficult because, to be to have fun and not really to win. But that one year decided. So I played many games, lots of them against older players, much older than me, who were members of the club, at their fifties, and it was very difficult. Playing with older players is always tough. They have more experience, they do all these impression tricks and they definitely know how to beat their opponent. And they club. But anyway, I won a few games against older players and then ended up playing the final against my best friend. And that was it too mean with him but at the same time I wanted to win. At least the fact that he was my best friend meant that I knew exactly how to beat him, though, because I had played against him many times before. We had a very long game and it was nervet because I managed I reach the goal I set for myself and it was something that I know neither the spectators nor the other players would have expected me to accomplish. Examiner Thank you. Was your family proud that you won the tournament? Candidate Yes, they were. We had a big email to celebrate, and my dad

l sports people are looked up more in society at large as well as at school. Examiner Why do you think that is? Candidate Well, I think people who are good students are often thought of as nerds and are teased by their classmates, whereas being good at sp celebrity sportspeople, Francesco Totti being the most prominent among them in recent years. They are chased by the paparazzi, and given lucrative sponsorship deals and so on. Examiner Yes, I see. In my opinion, is it recognition and prizes that motivate students to succeed, or is it a personal sense of achievement? Candidate I would say they hanker after recognition from their teachers and perhaps envy from other students. I know that was the case with Candidate

particularly timid, they would actually shy away from any special recognition of their efforts. Examiner Right. And what do you think makes some students more successful than others? Candidate Although, as I said, most students are motivated by recognition, I do think that those who are the most successful in the long run are those who have intrinsic motivation. And that is because you u do, so someone who does things only for that would soon stop making an effort, you know? Examiner and achievement in the workplace. Some people think that a successful person is someone who earns a lot of money. Do you agree? Candidate Examiner Right. Can you explain what you mean? Candidate Yes, I mean that working just for the money could be considered selfish. Most people do it, that as their primary objective. Nevertheless, those who work to help others are more inspirational: nurses, for example, who

topic. First of education. Do you think that in your country academic success is more valued than other kinds of achievements, such as achievements

much appreciation for their hard work, or those who do volunteer work with the homeless or something like that. Examiner Yes, so you would say that most workers in your country were motivated primarily by money? , Candidate given the choice of a low-paid job that benefited others and a

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Part 3 Examiner


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

higher-

Examiner

those who choose the former kind of job are single or young, and s Ok, And what about how things in the workplace have changed? Do you think people in your country take the same pride in their work as they used to?

Candidate Examiner Why do you say that? Candidate Because many people in my country now work for huge companies. They may never even have seen their managing have any reasons to take pride in doing the job to a high standard because feedback is limited. In the past, companies were not only smaller but tended to be family run, so everyone had something invested. I mean personally speaking, in the business. They cared about the success of the business. Examiner Candidate Thank you very much.

Examiner Candidate

Examiner Candidate

benefits of healthy eating are well documented now. You know what they say you are what you eat Many children are overweight these days because of the amount of junk food they consume, so I would try to get them to eat food that is good for them you know a well-balanced diet. Is there any food that you liked when you were a child but you Yes, I used to like a lot of sweet things, in particular chocolate cake and ice-cream, but not anymore. I prefer to eat fruit and other healthy foods now. I actually feel a lot better for it. How has food in your country changed since you were a child? the food here was till

cosmopolitan and international. People here now eat food from all over the world on a regular basis and traditional food seems to be a lot less popular than it was. Part 2 Examiner Talk about an enjoyable family event (such as a birthday party or family dinner) you attended, please say:

IELTS Speaking Test 2 Part 1 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

Examiner

Describe an enjoyable family event You should say: -When and where did it happen -What happened at this event -Who were there at this event -And explain why the event was enjoyable

My name is Philip Morris. Do you work or study? I work as a Civil Engineer for a local company here. Where are you originally from? my parents when I was about 9 years old. What kind of food do you like? My favourite food is Italian pasta and in particular my favourite Italian dish is pasta carbora. Have you always liked that food?

Candidate A couple of months ago I attended a family wedding. It was my

develop healthy eating habits when they are young as the

getting married to her long time boyfriend John. They held the wedding ceremony in a local church, which was really picturesque, very old, and beautiful, set in the countryside a few hours from where they live. The ceremony was a small affair, just immediate family and very close friends. The marriage ceremony lasted about an hour and a half and was all very formal. After that, we all went to a local hotel for the wedding reception in the evening. At the reception there were a lot more people as normal. All their friends and colleagues from work and friends of the family and so on had all been invited. I think there must have been about 300 people in

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I travelled to Italy for the summer, but when I had it for the first time been my favourite Italian dish. In the future, if you have children, what food will you recommend they eat?

Candidate


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

total. It was a very good celebration everybody was very happy, especially the newlyweds, and there were dancing, singing and a lot of food. As usual we all sat down at the beginning and various people and other close friends including myself, toasting the bride and bridegroom. Then they served dinner, which was spectacular. I think it was one of the best meals I have ever had at a wedding. After the meal, people started to mingle and speak to each other, ceremony it was an opportunity to speak with my sister and her new husband and to congratulate them. Later there was an orchestra which play some beautiful music and people were dancing, it was all very elegant, like something out of a movie. My sister and John were delighted with everything and they just looked so happy that I really felt good for them. It seemed as if they really had the perfect wedding that so many people dream of. Definitely, it was one of the most memorable and enjoyable events I have ever attended. Everything went perfectly. Id like family lunches and things like that, for two main reasons. ily

Examiner Why do friends become more important than family? Candidate Possibly when someone is living a long distance away from their contact others than by phone or email. That kind breaks the bond a little bit. Alternatively not all families have great relationships, so if you have a dysfunctional family then I think under those circumstances friends do actually become more important than t we share things with, spend most time with. Examiner What is your opinion about old people who are living without their family? Candidate I think it depends on the circumstances. Many older people people nowadays are much more independent, both financially and health wise, than a generation ago and are not so dependent on their family when they get older. So they actually prefer to live by themselves. For a long time it was normal for old people to live by themselves or in sheltered housing or special communities with other people in the same circumstances. I think this may change back in the future though as families begin to integrate more again as a means of economic survival. Examiner Do you think there are any advantages to having a grandparent living with the family? Candidate Yes, of course, it offers many advantages, grandparents can be involved with their grandchildren more, they can offer

it was a very important day. Part 3 Examiner Do you think families are important? (Why? Why not?) Candidate I think families are important, especially when you are growing up. They provide a foundation for society and a stable environment where children can grow and develop, while learning, and being protected and feeling loved. Children learn so much from their families and a lot of what they learn from their parents in particular- they carry on into their adult lives.

living in separate places and there are other reasons why it could be advantageous depending on the particular circumstances of the family. Other people also have quite a different opinion on many things and can make family discussions more interesting they have a wisdom which comes from their own life experiences Examiner

Examiner Who are more important, friends or family? (Why?) Candidate I think as we get older sometimes friends become more important on a daily or short term basis. We may have more interaction with friends on a regular basis than our own family, but in the long term, family is family, and the bond between you is longer and stronger than between friends. Personally though, I think that both are important to have a well-balanced life.

percentage of old people in society increases and the percentage of young people decreases? Candidate This is a common problem, or will be a common problem in many countries. And major change in demographics requires planning on behalf of the government so as to avoid potential problems. An aging population could be the cause for an increased strain on health resources; this is probably one of the most serious worries at the moment. The fact that there will be considerably less young people working suggests that governments will not be able to collect the same amount in taxes

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

as before, and their policies for public services should reflect this otherwise they will encounter serious problems if they just try to continue on as they are now.

IELTS Speaking Test 3 Good afternoon, my name is Andy. Could you tell me your name please? Candidate Michael Galovic is my name. Examiner town or city please. Candidate It is Belgrade, the capital of former Yogoslavia, now Serbia. One and a half million inhabitants placed at the congregation of two big rivers the Danube and the Sava. Examiner Can you tell me about the most interesting things in Belgrade? Candidate Um probably its past a colourful past I would say. And then physically the configuration and dynamics of the place. Examiner And could you describe places of special interest I could visit near where you live? Candidate Oh yes, there are many wonderful, natural interest places to say, and places of historical interest. But mostly the famous monasteries medieval monasteries from say 13th century on. Examiner Hmm and what would be the best way for me to get to those places? Candidate agency that deals with err inter-Serbia tours, especially the monastery tours. And they are well guided, and you will be well taken care of. Examiner Hmm should I go there at any special time of year? Candidate Uh certainly, as in whole Europe, I think the best time is sometime in Spring or Autumn. Examiner H Candidate Yes, say April, May uh; and then perhaps September, early October. Examiner about food and diet now. What do you usually eat for breakfast? Candidate have a light breakfast. But say, people tend to eat a lot for -based and milk and milk hot milk, and hot tea is accompanying all that. Examiner Mnhmm and what is the most important meal of the day, in your opinion Michael? Examiner

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Candidate Uh well in my opinion, as I am told it should be the breakfast. But for me personally I love early dinners preference. I am not saying it is the m that I like the most. Examiner Mnhmm and what should we eat to stay healthy? Candidate Um I would say certainly not heavy food that make a lot to digest, so I would recommend a lot of vegetables and fruit, and err fish and chicken discard read meat just like that at all. Examiner Mnhmm will people diet change in the future? Candidate I have impression, because we are witnessing the obesity daily in serious problem. And I have impression that everybody starts attention to diets that will make us feel light and agile and err be able to perform. So I guess the clever combination of our food intake is more important than only what we eat. Err it is not just

Examiner

it and when. So we should maybe start our meals with easily digestible things such as fruit and finish with heavier stuff, rather than the other ways round. -to two minutes on topic, with one minute to plan answer.

Describe a celebration you recently participated in. You should say: -What event was being celebrated - What the celebration took place - Who was there - Why it was enjoyable Candidate Uh By the end of um January, precisely on 27 th of January last, I family feast, and he was celebrated celebrating sorry his family was celebrating, their family patron Saint day, which is a very important feast for the Serbs in the orthodox tradition. So it was interesting to see how that particular feast is being celebrated. Umm originated centuries ago, it is still very strong, going strong. And very few things have changed which I was amazed to witness. But the main thing was that err um over there in 157


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Europe err, given the time of the year, these feasts are usually celebrated in November, December, January it is cold, so the that you need to eat during that time. Whereas here we were sweating in the hot January and yet we had the same type of food that we would be eating in January in Europe. So that was interesting. But the most important thing about that type of feast and celebration is that the hosts, both my friend and his wife, were standing on their feet all the time-the whole day, absolutely umm err being impeccable hosts to every whom or need that we ah guests would have, some 20 of us. So um it was really a special day and all of us, 20 people there, felt very, very special. Examiner Thank you, Michael. Michael, are there many similar celebrations where you come to? Candidate Yes, but this is the most important one I think. Examiner celebrations. What role do traditional ceremonies play in the social life of people in your country? Candidate Umm they have always played an important role. But I have impression that it is err more to the case these days, when even the youth is embracing them simply feeling need to go back to their roots. Examiner And what traditions were important for your grandparents, say 50 years ago? Candidate -Apart from that Slava, or family patron saint day, all other major and secondary orthodox Christian festivities or err festive days are important or were important as well. Such as Christmas or Easter for instance, or that keeps being the major focus of my tradition and people. Examiner Mmmhmm. And which traditions are we likely to continue to celebrate in the future? Candidate Umm. But, I will say precisely those that we mentioned before. I have a feeling that they are simply going strong, that they err are not fading. Simply because in this time and era people are overwhelmed by by the velocity, by the speed, so at the same time they feel need to go back to their own beginnings and traditions, so it is simply err reviving what we already have. Examiner tradition? Candidate Um I would say that at the beginning many of young people would maybe not embrace fully the idea of going through every painstaking detail of preparations and behaviour codes for all these celebrations and feasts. But then uh, gradually it will 158

become a part of their lives, and um that would be their connection with their families and extended families, so they would kind of grow more and more into it, and try to adhere to every rule that tradition was brought to them by their parents and grandparents. So at the beginning maybe the youth would take it lightly on the surface only, but then later um I think the traditions will be embraced fully. Examiner And do you think customs and traditions are changing these days? Candidate Um, I would say so inevitably because of the adjustment to the urban living if you wish, and to the fast times that we live in. so definitely there are concessions to what err used to be done before. But the core, which is much more important, is always preserved. At least has been the case so far. Examiner Do you think traditions and customs are affected by advertising? Candidate I never actually gave it a thought. Uh there might be, but again in

Examiner Candidate

influence that would uh change or alter, take people from their original directions whatever the advertisement is about. Do some countries celebrate traditions more than others? celebrate traditions, or rather the people who live in these countries. Even in some new countries, a conglomerate of different people, and all these people would stick to their old traditio the traditions would do it in all sorts of countries, or in any country.

Examiner

IELTS Speaking Test 4 Good afternoon, my name is Anna. Could you tell me your full name please? Candidate Roberto Rossi. Examiner What should I call you? Candidate Robert. Examiner Thank you. Do you work, or are you a student? Candidate Examiner Can you tell me about your studies? Candidate Um well, uh my studies are in relation to cultures in the world. Uh when I was when I was young, my father used to travel a lot and used to come back home, giving me a picture of a very vast Examiner

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

world where people used to live and think and behave in different ways. So in comparison to what I used to study in geography, the world seemed to be a lot more interesting to go and explore. So as soon as I got rid of all that and I finished school I decided to uh go and experience uh first-hand what I really means to live in direct contact with a different culture. So in ended up looking for the most traditional and isolated cultures in the world at that time a few years ago, and uh I decided to go and live as one of the local people, which I did for a period of time. So that experience really changed my life and made me understand also, a lot better, what I wanted to study umm at University. Examiner What is your favourite subject? Candidate Anthropology and social anthropology in particular. So in reality

and younger than us. And uh hobbies generally for the young boys umm are sport and socializing and dancing. And the same for the girls, except that the girls are certainly a lot more into fashion and umm dancing. Examiner Do people usually continue their hobbies when they get older? Candidate When they can, they do. Generally that depends on what kind of commitments they are involved to and uh with, and if they can afford, only also in terms of time uh in what they like to do. Examiner on a topic. You have one minute to plan your answer.

the past and I see in what way the society changes as the rest of the world changes, and uh in what way it is affected by the outside world. So I ended up learning the language and I ended up understanding probably a lot more what really goes on in uh the inside of a person who lives in a little bit in the middle of the ocean, and all he or she knows is that and that is the universe in comparison to us, um being sort of constantly bombarded by a lot more information. Examiner What is your study plan? furthering my studies by Candidate

Describe a movie, which made a strong impression on you. You should say: - What kind of film it was. - When you saw the film - What the film was about - And explain why this film made such an impression on you. Candidate Well um, the name of the film is Nuovo Cinema Paradiso. It is a movie about the story of a kid who grows up in a small village in Sicily. And we can see very clearly through the film in the way the community influence him, and uh also his first love s actually a movie in retrospective because it goes back, and uh he tries to get in touch with the same girl. And by going that, you basically revisit the most important part or his life. And uh, it is really showing us in what ways all these things really affect all us. How much we keep on dreaming, and how much we keep on err what we really wish and desire to leave, especially when it comes to emotional things.

following umm what I started already. An err, and err, again, not only from my professional point of view, but also for a personal point of view I think it is very important to do things combined together, and what we learn and understand in life can really be of help to other people if we umm if we develop it to a certain extent. Examiner Thank you. Do you have any hobbies or interests? Candidate Oh yes, a number of them. I like to umm read a lot, and I also like to play soccer. Umm but err, I can say that lately, to do either of them. Examiner What hobbies are popular with young boys and girls in your country? Candidate Well, young boys and girls mm like to interact and meet and have a good time together. So, we start generally since we are very young by meeting at the end of the day when we get out of school at the local bar or com-corner in the area where we live in the square and in the same area with loss of other people, older

ber. Examiner Thank you. Do you do to the movies often? Candidate Yes, yes, most often as I can. I really like films, especially the

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very good way and we can see Sicily through 50 years of life. And from the end of the Second World War to today, which is also more or less perhaps, you know, the period of time of my


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

European movies- French, Italian, and English. I really like the way they represent the the European culture. Examiner films and movies. Are films popular where you come from? Candidate Yes, they are popular. Actually, cinema and movies is a big industry in Italy. And uh it has been the second major industry in

Examiner

seen yourself a number of Italian movies. But uh, actually, it is a particular kind of way of making films and they still remain very popular. Yes. Do you think people are going to the cinema more these days compared with 25 years ago?

Candidate and DVDs actually have replaced often what people used to do only going to the theatre. A few years ago when I was younger, I remember, there were a lot of people going to the cinema and it was packed, and the same movie was left there for weeks and weeks and weeks where now normally, a show in the same cinema for a lot less. Examiner What films are popular with young people these days? Candidate We have in Italy a very strong American influence and as well, so a lot of American movies, and a lot of high-tech movies with special effects. And uh but at the same time we also keep maintaining a kind of our own genre and some Italian movies they never get to the overseas market, they also remain- become very popular in Italy. Examiner Candidate I think so; I think movies you know, also a little mirror of how we change in life, what interests us and what we see in them. And, as you know, in our 20s we are perhaps a little more romantic and we like certain kinds of movies, and then perhaps kinds of films. Has technology made a difference in the quality of modern films? Candidate I think so, yes, a big difference. Um the effects now seem to really suck you in when you see a movie. And the way the film edited, they also keep your attention a lot better than in the past. You can see the way that they are put together, and also the Examiner

movies or movies in 3-D, we will find ourselves even more immersed in what for only at the moment only for our eyes and our ears can see in two dimensions. Examiner Why have the forms of popular entertainment changed over the years? Candidate Because the society has changed a lot. And how we seem to be rushing all the time, and we want to consume everything a lot faster. So I think every form-form of entertainment is also reflecting that kind of very fast, quick way of wanting something different, and wanting something very quickly. Examiner Will people still go to the cinema in the future? Candidate today, like to see not only the new movie but also the old movie because it represents what they have seen what they were younger and also what they were dreaming at that time and I think that remains within us all our life. Examiner Thank you. That is the end of the speaking test.

IELTS Speaking Test 5 Good afternoon, my name is Renee. Could you tell me your full name please? Candidate My full name is Jahan Verki. Examiner Can you check your identification? Candidate Sure Examiner Thank you. Do you work, or are you a student? Candidate Examiner Can you describe what kind of work you do? Candidate essentially a 24This station is going to be for the Persian people. And at the moment we are trying to televise some programs from America but we are trying to build our studio in Sydney as well. The plan Examiner

produce some programs from Sydney as well. So at the moment to organize for everything like subscription, studio, anything equipment, but a little bit later

technologically speaking, a big improvement there. Examiner How will technology be used to improve films in the future? Candidate Well, I am not an expert but I think that if we will ever get 3-D

and directing the program, which is going to happen later. Examiner What do you like about your job? Candidate I have to confess, this job is my passion from long time ago. Just I started from drama I studied drama in my country and then

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

when I move to Australia I continued in different course which was TV and film production and because all the time when I act, I really- finally I wanted just to make my film. I made some children program in my country for TV. Here I started to expand my experience and then I got lots of new experience: I made some filmsright pathway so I wanted to continue. So now I think I catch it, now I need a little bit more time just to do this job. Examiner What kind of job do you without having any Candidate problem, like life and the other problem that come to the anybody experience life experience, lots of things that I want to talk to the people. So, for me, film is a tool to talk to the people. Examiner Do you play any sports? Candidate Yes. Examiner What are the most popular sports in your country? Candidate Good question. In my country just the people are mainly I come from Iran in my country people mainly play soccer. Anywhere in the street- at home, anywhere you can see people play soccer. Examiner Is it better to play sport or to watch it? Candidate when you are in the right mood or the right time you are better just to play. But sometimes, particularly when it is when it is a professional sport, you would like to watch it. That depends on the situation, on you, and many many things. Examiner Can sport be dangerous? Candidate it could be dangerous for you, so I cannot say. But I can say

if

just affecting your healthy. But playing-accident could be anywhere this is my opinion. Examiner Do men and women play different sports in Iran? Candidate Of course, I mean, as you know during the last 24-years. Because of the government and the things that happen in my

Examiner or two minutes.

Describe a vacation you have really enjoyed. You should say: - When did you go there - How does the place look like - What kind of area it was in - And explain why you enjoyed that vacation. Candidate Alright, we went to the Tasmania actually, we went to the family. I liked Tasmania because when I went to the (unknown), which is about five hours far from Sydney, the road, the nature uh it was very similar to the scene that I had in my country and it remembered me the nature and the road that we have over there. I liked Tasmania, I liked everything over there, and I can tell you. The smoke, the fog, I liked the environment; I liked the friendship that was there. I loved the food, I loved everything over there the stars at night. I love the moon, I loved morning, and when it was morning it remembered the mornings that I had in my country it was very similar because nature is similar anywhere. So, I spent lots of time over there and it helped to mysterious feeling to me. So I loved them because it helped me more and more back to the memory that I had from my country. Animals, horse, you know farm everything, they really attract me- see the people who work in the farm. That was a nice thing. I like these things and I think this is my nature and I love to be in this nature and that nature was very similar to the things that I had before, and I liked just to be there. That was something that I had over there. So I spent time with my wife and I explained the things that had happened to my country and I told

soccer. However, recently, there has been a movement for the women, they have a chance. There is not enough facility for them just to do lots of sport.

Examiner Would you go there again? Candidate Examiner and holidays away. Are people taking more holidays and travelling more these days? Candidate I have to sa

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

people do what they want. They have to work more and more, and even you know when they got some family they have to enough time to pay attention to holidays. What did people go on holidays in your time, say, 50 years ago? Candidate I think in that time, you know, to go to another another city, which was very far like 5 to 10 hours, they go to visit their relative somewhere else in their country. Examiner Where do people usually like to go for a holiday away these days? very Candidate close and easy thing. If they can get to anywhere around themselves, you know, even if in Sydney they will go to Harbour Examiner

and it helps them just to stay sometimes out of the you know the routine of their life. Examiner Why do people want to travel, to go away for a holiday? Candidate Life is very hard. All of us need just to go to go out of this stress during the week. You know the technology, the government, the people, the boss and so on and so on and so you me you can say know, just pushing that okay, I am human so you can just do something that you like. Examiner Is tourism having an effect on the environment, do you think? Candidate Sure, I think tourism is just definitely affecting the environment because they bring the wave of the culture and you know, many, many things by themselves and they bring it and show to to the

more close together and find. If it was in the hands of a few countries just had the attraction for the tourism. Now, many people from far, they can just advertise themselves on the internet. They say look to that comp right. Examiner What do you think of tourism designed not to damage the environment? Candidate I think the government and the council all of them and all and all the policy has to help has to really have a close watch to this issue. If they think it is going to affect anywhere they have to put this policy to nothing- you know, to not do anything wrong. Examiner Thank you. That is the end of the speaking test.

IELTS Speaking Test 6

just the tourism when they

Good afternoon. My name is Deborah. Could you tell me your full name please? Candidate My full name is Pilar Montesdeoca. Examiner May I check your identification please? Candidate Will you like to see my passport? Examiner Thank you. Do you work or are you a student? Candidate Examiner And what are you studying at the moment? Candidate Examiner And why did you choose to study theatre studies Candidate Because I arrived here five years ago and my background is in theatre. In my home country in Ecuador I was also working as an actor and as a director. And then I had the opportunity to go overseas to England and study theatre there. But once I moved to Australia, I thought it was going to be a good idea to get into the profession again and to start all over again from the basics so I

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like when I come from my country, the food that have, the thing I interests, the way that I treat you know my family and the way that I love, the way that I dance all of these things when they some information about outside to anybody, to the other people. Examiner How important is the tourist dollar for the economy? Candidate have to think you have to think about this issue and just have some study. You have to prepare yourself for the tourist interest. You have to put these things in their hand. Not in the country, in their country. You have to advertise you have to show what things are Lots of countries just depend on the

Examiner Candidate

put their money. And you have to think about all the issues. To make the situation ready for them to let them to be happy to spend their money and when they back back again. For as it revisit again to advertise for the other people to come over here. Will the tourist industry grow in the next 10 -20 years?

Examiner


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

very excited about all these amazing teachers I have and I can understand now how the business works. And the main things a real theatre. I have to see how it works in real life in Australia. And I thought that was going to be important for me.

swimming, it Examiner Why? Candidate happy with everything else. I think your body is the base of your life. Mind and body are always connected and if you do not exercise your mind. And I think exercise your body you

Examiner current studies? Candidate teacher so I would like to combine my teaching skills with my theatre skills. I know as an actor anywhere in the world and in Australian as well. direct plays and to work on projects to work for the community and with the community some work as a teacher where I can combine also my skill in theatre. Examiner Mm. and how do you spend your spare time? Candidate Oh I love swimming and I love dancing so those are the two activities I mainly do when I have the opportunity. But then, novels or poetry or theatre as well. And when you go out, do you usually go out alone or with others? Candidate Mm it depends. Australian life is very busy, so ah sometimes I have to go on my own. Usually if I go swimming I go on my own, if I go to the beach sometimes I go with friends, so it Examiner

And is there a particular time in the week where you prefer to go out? Candidate Mm not really, mainly in the afternoon. It depends on the season. Sometimes in the morning, early morning, I love walking as Examiner

afternoon. Examiner Do you think it is important to do regular exercise? Candidate I think it is vital for everyone. I think it is part of life and the good thing about Australia I wish there were less cars but should do that really. We all should go out and enjoy ourselves and do a bit of exercise because this society is getting bigger as well. You know the size, people are getting bigger and bigger so I think it is important to do it you know jogging or walking or 168

Examiner Candidate

think who you are and what you want in life and what can you do. Thank you.

omeone you admire very much. Examiner Describe someone you admire very much. You should say: - Who the person is - What he or she is like - And why you admire him or her. -teacher from Candidate university. Her name admire about her is that she has time to look after her family and at the same time to teach kids at school and to teach kids at primary school as well and then she went on and was teaching at university. And I had the privilege to meet her when I was fifteen and when I was twenty I went to uni and she really encouraged me to write. She opened a lot of windows for me through the literature and she taught me how a analyze texts and she made me love literaturelearn a lot of literature, you just want to play around with your friends. But she was a teacher that really really kept us captivated by all these stories and all these composers and songwriters, and writers in general. And she played us some music and she reads poems for us, and we watched films and we discussed. And I think it was so important to have her as a teacher because she really made us see the world in a different way. We were studying mainly in a catholic school and we we were able to expand our whole world. And I think what she in a way they are very similar but in a way we are very different. 169


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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

So we interpreted life in a different way from that point. Examiner Thank you. Is this person admired by others do you think? Candidate Yes, definitely. I think she made a huge mark in this group that had the opportunity to have her as a teacher. We were like fifty of us and she did it for many many years. Examiner What makes a person famous? Candidate Mm I think there are different ways to see what makes a person famous. One is the machinery behind the publicity and the

n. Not just to be part of entertainment, but I think they should have a political voice in the community. Examiner Do you think that the children of famous people have an easy time? live Candidate in, in my home country I know a lot of famous people, and they always had to have bodyguards, or they have to live behind bars, you know or behind big walls.

famous for being honest, for being kind, and for trying to help and solve conflicts or problems in the world instead of being in a a famous person I would go for honesty and kindness. Examiner What kinds of peopl Candidate In my home country we had different, mainly two political parties and the heads of those political parties were very famous. Especially one guy called inaudible and he made a lot of changes in Ecuador du vote to women and he also made it compulsory, the vote for all the citizens in my home country. And he worked for the Liberal education, not ties with the religious or anything like that but very open to everyone. Examiner In your opinion, is being well known easy to live with? Candidate think to be famous sometimes you be anonymous I think. Examiner What kinds of people will be famous in the future? Candidate ones that people create. And you know the media has so much impact on that, and it has so much influence on who is famous or who is not famous, who is good or who is bad. The media makes us see the world and the people in different ways. So I guess, if you have machinery behind. You will be famous. Examiner What responsibility to society do famous people have? Candidate They have a huge responsibility because people really look up on them. You know they look upon and they want to copy models. I think we are a very sensitive and we would like just to copy. And if someone is famous they should have they should use this power to give things back to the community. Like you know,

Examiner W-Would you like to be famous? Candidate No, not really no. Examiner Would being famous change you? Candidate be popular

And should the media be able to invade the privacy of famous people? Candidate No, I think there should be a very strong and tough code that they they are famous. Examiner Thank you. This is then end of the speaking test. Examiner

IELTS Speaking Test 7 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

Good afternoon. My name is Darrell. Could you tell me your full name please? My full name is Shi-in-Lee. And what should I call you? You can call me Shi-in please. Thank you. Do you work or are you a student? I work. I do interpreting and translation. Oh. Can you tell me about your job? Well, there are different types of interpreting. There is medical and conference interpreting etc. And they are all very different and you get to meet different ty

to use this power to call for people to stop chicken detention, things like that you know, they should use that in order to make

English and you get paid for your job as well. So you get to learn a lot about current issues, and at the same time, you get a lot of

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headaches too, because you get to hear a lot of problems from still, after seventeen years. Examiner And, when is the busiest time in your job? busiest you know at a certain time of the Candidate say around, yea well summer is the busiest time of the year, or winter is the

Examiner Candidate

busiest. And if you could change your job, what would you prefer to do? without an interpreter I guess nothing much can happen, because

Examiner Candidate

Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

Examiner Candidate

between you know, two parties. But then again, interpreters are not supposed to give an opinion. So you are left with the feeling that you are not contributing at all towards the result of the session. So if I changed my job I think I would pick something which is completely different from interpreting and where I can actually contribute what I might do in the future, you never know. What kind of music do you enjoy listening to? Well actually, I like all sorts of music. My husband says I have Catholic taste in music. So I like classical music, of course, because I played the piano when I was a little girl. Actually, not just as a little girl, I still play. So I like classical music, and I like jazz, blues, you know, even heavy metal. What is good I can appreciate it. Do you play a musical instrument? Yes I play the piano and I play a little bit of the violin as well. And what musical instruments do most people play in your home country? In Korea, I think most girls from a proper family would play at least one musical instrument and which is normally piano. So, a lot of girls would you know, start playing the piano when they are give or say seven. And I started playing the piano when I was six I think. If you can play a musical instrument, does this help you to enjoy music more? Yes and no. In some ways it makes you, I guess take more interest I music and when you listen to music you know to appreciate it properly. But then again if you get to hear certain

as much. It suddenly, it becomes a chore, your mind is at work, analyzing and assessing the performance. So I guess yes and no.

Examiner a topic. You have one minute to plan your answer. Here is a pencil and paper to mak to describe your favourite teacher. Describe your favourite teacher. You should say: - Who is your favourite teacher? - What subjects did he teach you? - What did you like about him? Examiner Thank you. Can you start speaking now please? You have one to two minutes. I will tell you when the time is up. Candidate My favourite teacher, his name is Kwan Sing Pak. He was my English teacher when I was in High school in Korea. You know in Korea, all the English teachers are basically Korean. Umm, he was my teacher, for two years, year eleven and year twelve. You know the girls of that age they normally like teachers, you know good-looking, with the looks, with good sense of humor and all. But this specific teacher was not physically attractive at all. He this). But I really adored this teacher because I guess to start with I loved studying languages and he was teaching English and I really loved learning English from him. And he was very passionate about his job, teaching, and he was actually enjoying it, and I could tell he was enjoying it. He had good teaching skills. He encouraged and nearly coerced, you know, contribution from the students. And you could actually be quite sure sitting in his class that when you give answers, how silly they might sound, you would never be laughed at or anything. So you were feeling quite free to have a conversational discussion with the teacher or another students in the class. And what was also quite special about him was that he had good sense of humor, so much that you only remember his jokes when actually you have the test paper in

straight away you find yourself sort of analyzing the performer.

remember the answers but his jokes only! Examiner Thank you. And did other students also like this teacher? Candidate Oh yes. Yep. Most of students just loved this teacher. He was

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

very popular. Examiner questions about teaching and education. What are the qualities of a good teacher? Candidate I should say a good teacher is the one who always is well prepared for the class. And I guess if the person has a good sense of humor that would help because you know, boring, session, nobody would sit in the class, you know, hours after hours. Examiner And what differences in teaching styles have you experienced with different teachers? Candidate Some teachers can be very knowledgeable. I could tell that the person had a lot of knowledge and experience and everything. But the person just did not have the skills to convey all that to the students. And so the rendering was really boring and everybody was just falling asleep, whereas some teachers they knew how to pass that down to the students somehow and the session was completely enjoyable. Examiner Should teachers use discipline in the classroom? Candidate Coming from where I am, I think yes, teachers should discipline students. In Korea, students would respect the teachers. My generation was more so, and my mum had to say one are demiteacher, because you think same kind of respect is here and students sometimes misbehave during class hours and I just find it hard to understand. There is not enough respect for the teachers and also for the learning itself. Examiner And can students learn from computers? Candidate I guess yes and no. I see my children the computer sometimes writing their essays and getting information through the net. In that case, I guess comps can be educational and helpful. But sometimes I see my son sitting in front of computer hours after hours during you know, video

between two systems. Examiner When should children start formal schooling? Candidate Formal schooling, I guess it starts in Australia from the age of I see little K students looking a little bit tired, makes me wonder age. But, I really have no idea. Examiner the last twenty-five years? Candidate

Examiner

what education was like when my mum and dad, when they were at school. But definitely, situation, in Korea, you have to study many many more subjects than your father or your mother would have, you know, in the past. And you use like different equipment, like computer and things, all these audio-visual teaching material. I guess in that way education has changed a lot. Ok thank you. That is the end of the speaking test.

IELTS Speaking Test 8

healthy. Examiner Can you describe the education system in your home country? Candidate In some ways it is quite similar to the Australian education system. The only difference I can tell straightaway is that Kindergarten is not part of primary school education in Korea whereas here, we start from kindergarten. And three years we call it junior high. And then three years high school, and then four years, normally four years, we call it university education,

Examiner Good afternoon. Could you tell me your full name please? Candidate Good afternoon. My full name is Luo Xianjing; that is my Chinese name. Examiner All right. Can I see your passport, please? Candidate Ok. Here you are. Examiner to ask you some questions about yourself. Ah, l what you do. Are you a student or do you have a job? Candidate and then I am going to have the Masters of Commerce. Examiner Ok. And why did you decide to do a Masters of Commerce? Candidate Mm because I think, I can gain the Master degree maybe I will give a good job in China. And I will have a more opportunity, to get a good pay job which is more appealing. Examiner All right. Later in life do you want to study something else? Candidate Sorry? Examiner Later in life do you want to study something else? Candidate Yes, of course. Cause I think study is, better to me and I think I will continue my studies throughout my life.

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

ding magazines. What kinds of magazines are popular in your country? Candidate Maybe the magazine about the superstars such as movie star, TV star and the singer, the famous singer. A lot of younger people like to see the magazine about it. Examiner Right. Why do some people prefer to read magazines rather than books? Candidate I think one of the reasons is that in magazines, the people can see Examiner

Examiner OK. Can you learn much from magazines? Candidate Ok, something. You can gain some information about the magazine but I think I will not spend a lot of time to see the magazine. Examiner Ok. Do you often read magazines? Candidate No, not often. t drinks. What are the Examiner most popular drinks in your country? Candidate Beer, yeah Examiner Yeah, OK. Candidate And, maybe Coca Cola, but I dislike it. I always drink the orangey water and just drink the water. Examiner All right. Are there any drinks that people have at special times? Candidate Yeah, I think maybe in the parties such as birthday party or any, celebration kind of party, the people will drink a lot of such as, beer and alcohol, alcohol water. Yeah, alcohol drinks, sorry. Examiner All right. Are there any hot drinks you like? Candidate Examiner Ok an, what do you think are the healthiest drinks? Candidate In my country a lot of people believe that a little drink is better to ink the men always drink a lot and they cannot control, so I think drink is lot to their body. Examiner going to about it for one to two minutes. Before you start, you can have one minute to think about what you are going to say, and if you want to, you can make some. Do you understand? Candidate Yes.

Examiner

Describe something difficult that you are going to do and that you want to do. You should say: -What it is -Why it will be difficult -And explain why you want to do it. Examiner you when the time is up. Could you start speaking now, please? Candidate Yeah, now I will describe a house to you. Once I have been to Sydney I live in a big, very big house. The house was in Willoughby. You know Willoughby is quite far from the very beautiful. The house is very big. There are six bedrooms and two toilets, a kitchen, a living room, and a very big parking quite small so I always fix stress when I live in it. After the courses I always go to, go to my house, I prefer to stay in my bedroom instead of going outside because I have a few friends and I think the house is quite comfortable. Of course I have three, three housemate. Most of them come from China. We always chat but, one of the problems is that we always chat with Chinese. I think that is not good enough to me. In a word I like

Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner

So is that home similar to other places in the area? Sorry? Is that home similar to other places in the area? No, maybe not. OK. All right. Well thank you so much. Oh, thanks

lived in, and now I want to discuss a few more general questions connected How do people usually find a place to live in your country? Candidate In my country, always go to the, uh, look for the advertisement and to gain some information about the house. Maybe you, maybe the people can use a computer, collect the information from the internet or by some new newspaper, they always have some information about it. Ah, of course there are agents about

All right. So here is some paper and a pencil for making notes, question who want to have, who want to have, who want to have 176

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

looking for a house. All right. So what factors do you think determine where people choose to live? Candidate I think most of the important reasons are the comfort, the price and the convenience. Yeah. Examiner Right. And, how would you compare, then, living in an apartment with living in a house? Candidate Examiner

area? Candidate I think the both benefit and disadvantage to live in the city or the countryside. Uh, in the city the life will become very convenient friend and check bars at any place, but I think maybe the environment is not good enough and the traffic is bad too. If you traffic always block, it will waste a lot of time. However, if the person lives in the countryside, and the life is very leisure, but I think maybe you will feel lonely. Nobody can try to reach you, nobody can tell, can take care of you. You just live by yourself, and maybe you just stay at home and watch the TV and call your

apartment, I never find any insect because I live in the fifth floor of the building, the building is quite high and higher world than when I lived in the house. Sometimes they can find the insect All right. Well, not people in your country rent their home or do they own their own home? Candidate If they have a house or an apartment, most of people prefer to live in his own house because the rent of the house is quite expensive, especially in Shanghai and Beijing and in other big cities. I think people should not put some money to rent a house . Examiner So what do you think is the difference in attitudes towards a house if you are a renter and you are an owner of that house? Do you think their attitudes towards their homes are different? Candidate Towards Examiner No, do you think an attitude of a renter, of a house compared to the attitude of an owner of the house is different? Candidate Of course they are different. If I have my own house, I lived in it and I feel, that belongs to me. And I think I have a family, but if Examiner

worried maybe I will have to move to another house. Examiner Right. Candidate I think that they are quite different. Examiner So how does that affect how they treat the house? Candidate Treat? Examiner How they treat that house. So, do you think that they think of the house in a better way or a worse way, if they are a renter? Candidate Uh, I think the people can compare with others. If I have rent a but when I look with it to my friend, maybe I will find out that his house is better to me, so I will all think maybe I will have to look for another house. Examiner 178

OK. Well, tha Test. Candidate Thanks

Examiner

IELTS Speaking Test in Japan Part 1 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

What is your full name? My name is Asami Takashi. Can I see your ID? Do you work or study? I am a student. What city are you from? Where is it located exactly?

is located on the Yodo R city in Japan. Examiner Do you like living there? Candidate Yes, I do. I think Examiner Tell me some interesting facts about it. Candidate Okay, well. Osaka is considered to be one of the economic centres of Japan and in the past it was famous as a trading centre, especially for rice and was where the first modern futures market developed. Examiner Are there many large cities in your country? Candidate Not all of them are large, I think there are town cities which have more than 1 million people living in them. The three largest ones 179


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

are Tokyo, then Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya. These the are largest cities and have more than 2 million people living in them. The other cities are smaller.

Part 2: Describe the thing that you cannot live without (except phone and internet) You should say: -What is it - How long have you had it for - How did you feel when you were without it. Candidate I would have to say my car. Public transport in Japan is not so convenient and sometimes infrequent so having a car is the preferred choice for getting around, especially if you have to travel to various places. I use my car mainly to go from home to university and back. But all part-time intern in a local business so I have to go there three afternoons a week as well. Trying to do all that by using public transport would be almost impossible and would take a lot more equipped to do all the things to do normally without having a car. But a few months ago there was a problem with it. I noticed a strange noise coming from the front of the car one day. At first I ignored it, but then it gradually became worse and worse. I told my brother about it and he arranged for the car to be inspected by the nical person, but apparently there was a problem with the suspension and they had to replace a news was that they had to order the part specially and I was without my car for about ten days in total. It made my daily transport at all. It wasted so much time. I was surprised how quickly I had gotten used to having my car and just how convenient it is. I hope that in the future I problems with it. It is really an essential part of my life and I

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Why do you think teenagers always want to have the latest devices such as the iPhone 5? e natural. We live in a world that functions and Candidate centres around technology nowadays and having the latest devices which allow you to make the most of the advances and Examiner

have the latest model of car or a new apartment. People like to teenagers. Why do they often buy a new one even though they already have one? Candidate One reason could be that each new version normally has more functions or features than the older one and allows the user to do more and access more things. Some people also believe that the newest version of something is always better. Examiner What do they do with the old one after buying a new one? Candidate Many of my friends give their old devices to their younger brothers or sisters or to another family member. I have one friend who is a real technology freak and he always finds a way to use the old device for something else, another project or purpose. Examiner How hard is it for parents to convince their children not to buy an expensive phone? Candidate such digital devices being a normal part of life. They are still relatively new, so parents might not really appreciate just how important and interesting they are for young people. Examiner

IELTS Speaking Test in Australia Part 1 Examiner What is your full name? Candidate Examiner Can I see your ID? ssport. Candidate Examiner Where are you from? Candidate months. Examiner Do you work or study? -time. Candidate Examiner What subject are you studying? Candidate I Examiner Why do you think people choose such a subject in your country? Candidate In my country English is very popular, especially among young 181


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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

people because they think that it is a way to improve their opportunities for the future. If you can speak English well, there are better job prospects and you can maybe study at a university in a foreign country. Examiner Do you like reading books? Candidate Yes, I love reading. Examiner What types of books do you like reading? Candidate I like reading fiction, mainly thrillers? Examiner Are you reading a book presently? Candidate Examiner Would you like to write a book? Candidate good at writing, but I like the idea of maybe writing a book when

Part 2: Describe a city that you have visited. You should say: -Where the city is (and its name) -When you went there -What you like most about the city and explain why this city left an impression on you. Candidate some friends I met here and we spent the wee capital, but not of Australia, of New South Wales but it is the -east coast of the country next to the Tasman Sea. I think the population is something like four and a half mi such a famous city and everyone recommended that we go and visit it. We arrived early on Saturday morning and started by there are lots of ships to see and along the side of the harbour, there are lots of restaurants and cafes you can go to. Then we went on an open-top bus tour that took us around the city. We saw all the main Sydney attractions such as Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, The Rocks, the Opera House, Hyde Park, Kings Cross and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and there was another Sunday, but that one took us more out of the city to Bondi Beach and some other places. I particularly like the variety of things to see and do in and around the city, and the days we were there the 182

weather was just perfect, so we could really enjoy everything. I think what impressed me most was how clean and well keep all the different areas were, and like I said, the variety of activities and attractions. You can find sport, adventure, culture and lots more, and oh yes, the people we met that weekend were very friendly to us.

Part 3 Examiner

What do you think many people prefer to live in the city instead of in a rural area?

Candidate countryside, it is mainly agriculture and many younger people prefer to work in other types of jobs and there are better opportunities in the cities. In general, there are more facilities and more things to do in a city. I think they are more interesting as a place to live. There are many more things to do and people to meet. Examiner Would you agree that people living in rural areas have fewer problems than people living in cities? Candidate There is certainly less crime and living in a rural area is more peaceful and safe, but it depends on the types of problems you are talking about. People can get sick in a city or in the country, n both places. Life in the country is maybe simpler than city life and less stressful you live in a small village in the country maybe just a different kind of problem. I know some farmers, friends of one of my uncles that have some serious problems with their farms. Examiner is t live in the middle of the city? Candidate I think both places have some advantages and disadvantages. Living in the city centre is very convenient, everything is very close and you can find anything you want within walking distance. Living in the suburbs is maybe better for families all the facilities of the city. How do you think a town changes and grows to eventually become a city? Candidate Historically most places grew because of trade and business. Maybe because the town was near the sea or had a railways or something important to make people want to go there. Many of Examiner

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

their populations grew and they eventually developed into cities. technology and are able to work from anywhere and still communicate with people for work and business. Maybe in the past.

took the elevator up there. I had never been there before so it was all strange to me. I was looking around for the name of the c I was still standing near the elevators when suddenly the doors of very funny happened, a woman was coming out of the elevator and caught the heel of her shoe in one of the space between the elevator and the floor. I think her heel broke and she awkwardly

IELTS Speaking Test in Brazil Part 1 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

Examiner Candidate

Examiner Candidate

fall on the floor. But when I caught her, I lost my balance too and we both fell onto the door.

What is your full name? My name is Amanda Barbosa. Can I see your ID, please? Where do you live? I live here in Sao Paolo. Is it an apartment or a house? I live in a house, with my parents. city. What is your favourite room in the house? (Why?) lot of her time and I still have happy memories of spending days with her in the kitchen when I was a child. What is your favourite colour? (Why?) love black. Not everything in black, but I think colour. Do your friends like the same colour? anything black and they would joke about it. Now, not so I like other col just that black is my favourite colour.

other and started laughing about it. Some other people helped us up onto our feet again, and the woman thanked me and shook my hand and asked me if I was sure I was alright and not hurt, and then she turned around and walked away. Anyway, I finally arrived at the office, went to the reception desk and told the receptionist that I had arrived. She asked me to sit and wait for the person who would be doing the interview. I sat in reception for about ten minutes and read a magazine. I was very nervous because it was my first interview for a job in my career after university, so I wanted to make a good impression on everyone. I had spent a lot of time choosing what I thought were the perfect clothes for the interview and I thought I was very well prepared, but I was still very nervous and I felt a little messy after the incident with the woman. Then a door opened, and a woman came out of the room and came towards me, she looked very elegant and important. She looked at the receptionist who nodded, and then came towards same woman who I had caught as she fell out of the elevator just 20 minutes ago. She smiled at me and thanked me again for

Part 2: Describe a funny show you saw or a funny incident that happened to you. You should say: -What was it -Why was it funny -Who was there with you -And what you remember most about it Candidate Okay, so a couple of months ago I was attending a job interview in a building downtown. The office was on the sixth floor so I

Part 3 Examiner Is laughter important in our life? Candidate Yes, I think it is. Life can be very serious sometimes and having

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nervous because at least she understood why I looked a little messy. The best thing about the whole inci think I must have made a good impression on me!


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

a good laugh makes you feel better about everything, for a while anyway. Even experts and doctors say that laughing is good for you because it can reduce stress levels. I think life would be very laugh at anything.

Examiner How do you access your email? e office I normally use my laptop Candidate computer to read emails and search for information on the

Examiner Candidate The difference? Well, I think that women laugh at things which

something urgent. Examiner Do you have friends at your work place? usiness and we have quite a few family Candidate members who work there such as cousins and other family relatives who are also friends but the friends I spend more time with nowadays are people I met at university.

things which are funny for men. The problem is that many likewise men not meant to be the same. I think humor for men is more childish

Examiner Candidate

wrong. Does laughter help one to learn a language? to watch some American TV comedy shows when I was learning English, but there were a lot of things they said that were supposed to be funny lot of cultural references and things like that involved in humor, so unless you understand how the people think, their history and normal behaviours and everything, it can be hard to decide what is really funny. Now, I understand more, because I have more experience, so yes, I suppose laughter could help you learn a

IELTS Speaking Test in Lanka Part 1 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

What is your full name? My name is . Can I see your ID, please? my ID. Where are you from?

Part 2: Describe a nation (not your own) that you know well. You should say: -Which nation is it? -What and how did you learn about it? -Why are you interested in it? And explain what you like most about it. Candidate can remember learning about it first when I was at school. What amazed me most about it then was than it was so small but many years ago it was very important, in the ways of the British Empire, as it dominated the world trade. It also has a lot of cultural diversity now with many people from every different parts of the world living there. Many of them come from countries that were once colonized by Britain in the past. I visited London about 3 years ago and travelled around d like to go and study there in the future and maybe live and work there for some years before coming back home.

Examiner What do you do for a living? Candidate I help my father with business matters and the administration of our family business.

the times and transition from being a country built on one race of people to become a truly multicultural society nowadays. There are a lot of lessons that other countries could learn from this. The USA is similar, but it was founded upon immigration whereas the UK was not. g for me but the important contributions the country has made to the world development. The UK was responsible for much of the innovation of the industrial revolution and has been home of many important inventors and scientists as well as academics over the years. Even now, as a small independent country it continues to be an important one in the world and innovative and

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

creative. re time there, studying and working.

Part 3 Examiner

What are some of the benefits of international tourism for a country? Candidate Well, obviously the money which it can generate for the local economy is beneficial. It can help create jobs and foster cultural relations with other countries. It can also lead to more foreign investment in industry and commercial sectors as more people visiting and learning about the country. Examiner How important is international tourism for the economy of developing countries? Candidate Very important. It is sometimes the main catalyst for growth and development. When a country has a healthy tourism industry it needs to make sure it has a good infrastructure also to deal with all the visitors. This leads to many activities which can help stimulate and maintain the economy. Projects like the construction of hotels or expanding the airports can create many new jobs and help many people. Many medium and small businesses are started to cater for tourists and that is a good thing. Examiner What are some of the problems that can be associated with international tourism? Candidate Possible problems might include an overloading of the existing transport and accommodation infrastructure, cultural conflicts depending where the visitors come from, an increase in price for locals as result of foreign money entering the country, and there is also the possibility that other influences may begin to affect the local culture over a long period of time. This has been seen in many countries where the local culture adopts some of the ways of visitors to make them feel more comfortable. But on the whole I think the advantages of tourism are much greater than any problems that might develop over a long period of time.

Examiner Can I see your ID, please? Candidate Examiner Where are you from? Candidate Examiner Are you working or studying at the moment? Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

Are you fond of receiving gifts? Yes, I love getting gifts, and giving them to people too. What kinds of gifts do you like to receive most? Gifts from my friends mostly because they know me well and

too sometimes though. Examiner What was the last gift you received? Candidate It was a surprise from my father. He organized my tickets to come to the USA. I was planning to pay for them myself, but he surprised me by announcing that he had already bought them and taken care of all the arrangements. It was really nice of him. Part 2: Describe an outdoor activity that you did for the first time. You should say: -What did you do? -Where and when did you do it? -How did you feel later? And say if you recommend this activity to your friends. Candidate was invited by a friend to go rock climbing, well, to be honest it was rock of climbing but indoors (at the beginning), nor on a months and I had asked him about it once I was curious how you could climb use to practise and it all sounded very interesting. Anyway, I joked with him that I would like too try it someday, but I did not think he took what I said seriously at the time. So one weekend last month he just called me, on a Friday evening and asked me what my plans were for the next day. I anything special, but maybe I would go shopping or meet a girlfriend for lunch or something

IELTS Speaking Test in USA to take me to a rock climbing centre here in the city and show me what I was about he invited me to go with him.

Part 1 Examiner What is your full name? Candidate 188

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

It was great fun, although I was a little scared at first, apprehensive really more than scared, as the instructor was very good and I started practicing on the ground and very low on the wall to gain my confidence so there was very little risk. After training with the instructor for a few hours and learning all about the safety aspects and the basic techniques used in climbing I thought that was the end of the activity. But my friend had arranged for us to visit a place just outside of the town where we could actually climb on real rocks for practice. It was a beautiful day and after practicing on the indoor wall I really wanted to try and do it on some real rocks, so off we went. When we arrived, there were quite a few people climbing already. My friend helped me to get started and accompanied me all the time, he was really vey patient, and when I thought I was stuck at one point he showed me how I could overcome the problem and continue. I have to admit that it was a great day, something new and

els and when you finish you feel a little tired but very satisfied. Examiner Do people in your country usually do this type of activity? e. We have many Candidate mountains and there have always been climbers but here it seems to be a really popular activity, especially with young people. Examiner How do you think people should be encouraged to do more outdoor activities? Candidate

little point in trying to encourage them to do something they to try it What do you consider to be the main advantage of such activities?

Examiner Candidate

my level of fitness because it seems to be quite demanding get toned and fit which is a good thing. I have another friend who loves doing

Part 3 Examiner Was it an expensive activity? d Candidate everything of the special equipment then it could be quite expensive, but

Examiner Candidate

money. I suppose if you were really serious about it you could spend more money on travelling to climb in different places, that might be more expensive than any equipment you buy. Do you really like trying new things? adventure or extreme sports. The only reason I tried rock climbing was because my friend invited me to go with him. If he

might cost you some money. Most outdoor activities are healthy and many such as cycling or even just walking do not require you to be super athletic or anything like that, you can just enjoy being outside in the fresh air if you like that kind of thing. I think there are many more advantages than disadvantages associated with outdoor activities.

IELTS Speaking Test in Vietnam August 2013 Part 1 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

What is your full name? My name is Vo Hoang Yen. Can I see your ID, please? Sure, Where are you from? What is your hometown famous for? I guess that most people would know it as the capital of South Vietnam in the past when we were two separate republics. Most people agree that it is the economic heart of the country and makes possibly the largest contributions, as a business centre, to the overall economy of the country. And of course most people

own. Examiner Would you do the same activity again in the future? Candidate Yes, I probably will I really enjoyed myself and it seems like a great way to stay fit and enjoy the good weather outdoors at the

based on some of the historic events that took place here in the

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

past. Examiner Do you still live in your hometown? Candidate Yes, I do, I still live with my family there. Examiner What do you like about living there? Candidate

Examiner Candidate

one reason I like it. There are many people from other countries who live and work in the city and there is a lot of international influence which makes it more interesting than some other places in Vietnam. Are you working or studying at the moment?

model and actress sometimes. Examiner Do you enjoy your job? Candidate

younger but I think I learned a lot of self-discipline from dance classes when I was a little girl. I also learned that if you keep practicing then even something which seemed impossible can become easy or at least easier, so I guess I learned perseverance also. My teacher was an ex-ballet dancer trained in classical dance in France, but she also taught us modern dancing too so I grew up appreciating many different types of dancing. Even now I still

very grateful to my mother for giving me the chance to learn and take dance classes and to my dance teacher for giving me such a special gift that I can still enjoy now.

person so the theatre and working in drama are two things that I love. Examiner Is it difficult to get such a job in your country? Candidate It can be. I spent a lot of time doing part-time work and learning studying theatre, which covers many more aspects than just acting, is that it will give me more opportunities in the future for different projects.

Part 2: Talk about a skill you have learned to do very well (egg. Cooking or driving) You should say: -What skill did you acquaire? -How did you acquaire that skill? -How is it important for you? And if you want to learn more about this skill. Candidate When I was a little girl I used to love dancing to music so my mother took me to dance classes. I loved them and learned lots of different styles of dancing. I started when I was about 7 or 8 years old and practiced all through the time I attended school. I even entered some competitions but I never won, there were always girls better than me. dancing and the rhythm and the movements and stretching 192

Part 3 Examiner What are some practical skills that children acquaire at school? Candidate Well, they learn to read and write, and they learn analytical and thinking skills, and they also learn social skills as well. I think those are the main ones. Obviously as they get older they learn about specific subject in more details. Examiner How important do you think these skills are? Candidate Very important. Especially reading and writing. If a child can read then it is possibly the most important skill they can learn because they can learn about anything else by reading about it. The other skills are important too but I think reading is by far the it can make a person an independent most important one learner and then self-education is possible. Examiner Do children learn certain skills faster or easier than most adults? Candidate In some cases yes. Most people agree that children learn foreign languages easier and faster than most adults. Maybe adults might learn some skills faster that depend on previous experience, and advantage they would have over children. But in general I think children have more open minds and can accept information more easily rather questioning everything or comparing it to what they already know. Examiner Do you think that team building is important in the work place? (Why/ Why not?) Candidate Generally, yes, because in most working environments you need to collaborate with other people to get anything done. It is easier if everybody works together instead of against each other, so 193


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Examiner

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

knowing how to work in a team or how to manage a team is a good skill to have. Do you like learning new skills or learning about new things related to work?

Candidate know the more you can do or the easier things become and you can also help other people more if that is something you like doing. Examiner Is it important for employers to provide opportunities and pay for skill development courses for their employees? (Why/ Why not?) Candidate In an ideal world that wood happen, yes. However, not all employers have the resources to provide such opportunities for all their employees. I think it is something that large multinational companies do for the employees, or some of their employees, because they can see the benefits in the long term for constant training or provide the resources for employees to always be developing their skills. It is important, but not always practical, depending on the circumstances.

IELTS Speaking Test in Vietnam Part 1 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

feeding the family every day. I find it relaxing when I do it for fun and like to experiment with different ingredients. Examiner Do you think cooking programs on TV are useful? Candidate I think they are interesting and can give you some inspiration or motivation to try different things. My problem is that I can never remember all the details of what I see, only the idea, and so when I try to make something it never turns out the same as it did when the chef on TV did it. Examiner What are the advantages of a TV cooking program? Candidate I think they can give you lots of ideas about different cuisine to try and you can also learn some good cooking tips but I also like to have a cook book with recipes or download recipes from the internet it is easier to follow them like that.

Part 2: Describe your favourite room in the house. You should say: -Which is your favourite room in the house? -Why do you regard it as the favourite? -What changes do you want to make in it? Candidate Everyone in this world has a favourite place. Some people tend to say at their workplace and some people like to spend time at

What is your full name?

moment at the university of graduate studies here in Hanoi. Examiner Is cooking popular in your country? eir Candidate mother or grandmother how to cook the most popular dishes. Examiner Who normally does the cooking in your house? Candidate My mother does most of it although I often help when I have time, or if we are having a large meal together as a family. Examiner Would you like to learn how to cook? Candidate I would like to learn to cook food from other countries, maybe French cuisine, which is quite popular here among some people. Examiner Why do you want to learn cooking? Candidate I think cooking can b

at home. I love my house and my favourite room in my house is my bedroom. My bedroom is on the first floor of my house and it is a very beautiful room. I spend most of my time in my bedroom. The first thing is that I sleep in my bedroom, so it is the place which gives me the ultimate relaxation. I also like to watch movies in my room. Some people like to watch movies in their living room but I think otherwise. I want privacy and my bedroom is the only place where I can get it. There is no noise, no disturbance. My friends also like my room and whenever they come to my house they prefer to sit in my room. Well, if you want me talk about the room, I would say that my room has all the things which a person can dream of. It has a TV, an air-conditioner, a bed and a sofa. The interior of the room was done by my sister and she spent a lot of time decorating it in a very unique way and making it quite exquisite. I like my room but there are certain changes I would like to make in it. Firstly I am not satisfied with the size of the room. I want my room to be bigger because I would like to put more

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

stuff in it. The other change, I would like to make in my room is that I would like to put some paintings in the room. The wall looks empty and sad without paintings. I went to an exhibition recently and I was really impressed by the art collections and I am thinking about buying some stuff for my room. Part 3 Examiner Do you have festivals in your country? Candidate Yes, we do, we have many in our culture and as there are various ethnic groups within Vietnam. There are some celebrations which are universal and others which only certain groups of people celebrate. Examiner Tell me about a local celebration in your town. Candidate OK, there are a few, but apart from the big ones like Tet which is celebrated throughout the country, I can tell you about the Co Loa Festival which is a special parade which passes through several different locations throughout Hanoi and as part of the parade there are some interesting things to see such as wrestling and cockfighting. The parade normally happens in February each year. It is based on the legend about An Duong King who came from Au Lac and he had a magic crossbow. The legend says that a Golden Tortoise presented An Duong Vuong with a very powerful magic crossbow that could kill many enemy soldiers

Examiner

magic crossbow to her husbandthe legend says that when her father realized he had been betrayed by his own daughter, he killed her and then killed himself. What is the relevance of international festivals or celebrations to unity?

Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

Examiner Candidate

Examiner Candidate

Examiner Candidate

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specializing in Strategic Planning. Do you live in a house or an apartment? I still live with my parents in their house, our family house. Do you like your home? Yes, I love it. I have so many happy memories growing up there with my brothers and sister. What will your future house look like?

really know what type of house there I would like to get eventually. What public transport do you normally use? the moment. Maybe next a car. Why do you use them? one close to my home and it takes me all the way to the university. I only have to walk maybe one block. Like I said buses are convenient. Maybe if I lived out of town or had to go someplace different to work so good but for me at the moment, they are the most convenient, transport. Do you think people should use public transport more? have much choice. I remember when I spent a year studying abroad in South America, the buses and taxis were very similar to here. They were cheap and frequent and most people used cars more maybe

Examiner Candidate

IELTS Speaking Test in Vietnam

Do you work or study?

would like to have a traditional family home like my parents. But

Candidate allows us to learn more and understand more about different always interesting to read about these things but to actually see examples at festivals or international events is much better and sometimes you can meet and talk to the participants. It is a good thing for international relations and that is important as many people are becoming more mobile and need to be aware of different aspects of life in various parts of the world.

What is your full name? Elizabeth Thuy Tien Can I see your ID? Here is my passport. Where are you from?

and use buses less in the city.

people here in Hanoi, more than six and a half million people so of course there is going to be a lot of traffic so. Maybe, more bus lanes and 197


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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

restrictions would help reduce the volume of traffic. Or more control of the mototaxis; there are more of them than any other

other gold products. I had no idea that you could buy all these expensive well the price varies but you could buy gold for less than $100 and they shipped it directly to you. It thought it seemed like a good idea everybody loves gold and I though it would be a good investment for the future.

local authorities know what the plans are for the future. Examiner Do you think public transportation is expensive in your city? well buses are Candidate Taxis can be expensive if you use them a lot, or going long distances. But in general, transport is cheap. Examiner What time of the day do you like the most? Why? ith my family Candidate and relaxing. The air is fresh and everything is quiet and peaceful. I love to sit in our garden and look at the sky at night and see the stars sometimes Examiner How is the structure of your day now different compared to the past? Candidate I suppose a few years ago when I first started studying I was more relaxed and more sociable than now. doing my Masters Degree there is a lot of reading I need to do and I seem to have much less time for o

decide to do some more research about the buying. Over a week I visited some other websites and read a lot more about buying, selling, and investing in gold. I learned so much and began to get really interested in the topic. Eventually I decided to buy some gold rounds and coins, simply because I liked the design, and I learned that the price of gold is relatively low at the moment so it seemed I like a good time to buy. This was last week, and they delivered my order a couple of days ago. I think I must have spent about 20 minutes just looking at these gold items when I first opened them. They were so beautiful and I had never bought anything gold before in my life so it was like a special moment. Now, I have a plan to try and buy some more gold every month, little by little. There are some coins that are really interesting but

much in the last few years; it just feels a little busier at the moment than usual. I still live in the same place see the same people do the same things. Maybe if I go to Australia, I will be able to tell you about many changes in the future! Part 2: Talk about an advertisement which made you want to buy a certain product. You should say: -What was the product? -What was shown in the advertisement? -What did you like about the advertisement/ product? Why? -Why was the product important to you? Candidate Let me tell you about an ad I saw a few weeks ago. It was on the internet and it was advertising a service to buy and sell gold my friends told me about some time ago, but I never really thought about it seriously after he had told me about it. The image used in the ad was what caught my attention first. It was an image of a gold bar, gold bullion, and it just looked so beautiful. I clicked on the ad and it linked me to a website which sold gold. on the page and they were selling gold bullion, gold coins and 198

future. Part 3 Examiner Candidate Absolutely, a lot of people are very easily manipulated by advertising everyone knows that. Companies know it and take advantage of it to make money. We all buy things really need sometimes, just because of the marketing or the advertising which makes us think we need to have or buy a certain product. There are many products for sale which quite similar, but those companies who tend to spend more on marketing and advertising sell more of their product than the others, even though the actual product may be quite similar. Examiner Who shows advertisements in your country? Candidate magazines, I mean any company selling a product or service is advertising maybe they choose to advertise in different places,

Examiner

stopped to count them all, you would be counting hundreds of ads every day that you see just walking around or on TV. Apart from food and clothing, what products are advertised? 199


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Candidate cars, ads for property, for travel and vacation. And then there are ads trying to sell services to people. Mobile phone ads are very popular at the moment, well ads for the mobile network providers really. Examiner What are your views on showing or mentioning children in advertising? ildren then it makes sense. Candidate children anything wrong with children appearing in ads or marketing campaigns. In fact in some cases the child has gone on to have more opportunities in life, maybe they can become an actor or something like that or maybe a TV presenter. Examiner What are some other methods of advertising in your country? Candidate I think we have all the normal methods of advertising here, TV, radio, newspaper and magazines, then there are the paper leaflets some people hand out in the street, we have internet advertising, billboards on the street and other advertising activities. Some of the large car companies here sponsor events, like sports or maybe something similar. I think they type of company, or product, might have something to do with the way advertise it or where they advertise it. Examiner In your view, what is the most effective advertising media? Candidate company is trying to sell? That is why marketing companies get paid a lot of money to design the best plan to reach the right people. Maybe there are some products that can be advertised anywhere and be effective, but most have a preferred media or style of advertising depending on who they are aimed at. For quality magazine or advertise expensive cars in a poor neighbourhood. So each company has to decide what kind of product it is they are selling and choose the most effective channel for their advertising. Examiner Do you think any advertising could be harmful? Candidate No, not really, after all, ads only inform or suggest that make the decision to buy

Part 1 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

Where are you from? from here, Ankara Do you work or study? Why is patience important?

ple feel uncomfortable. Examiner What do you do when you get impatient? Candidate I count to 10. My grandfather taught me this whenever I feel impatient and maybe angry bout something I just count to 10 and it seems to make me calmer. Examiner Is it important to have good relationship with colleagues at your workplace? (Why?) Candidate situation than having to deal with a lot of conflict every day. If everyone is getting along well then normally everything else goes well also. Examiner What type of clothes do you prefer to wear? (Why?) pants or Candidate clothes, and when I have time off from work I usually just wear a T-shirt and jeans most of the time. Examiner What factors do you consider before buying any clothes? Candidate If i either, I usually just buy plain coloured shirts an some simple

Examiner 200

Can I see your ID?

fact it can sometimes cause more problems. Examiner Are you a patient person? Candidate Generally, yes I am, though I sometimes feel impatient in certain

or not. I can imagine how an ad could

IELTS Speaking Test in Turkey in July 2013

What is your full name?

consci clothes. Do you like shopping?

of time shopping for

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Candidate No, not really, I like buying gadgets and tech stuff but shopping for clothes and stuff like that not really. I try to avoid it until I really need something. It can be a problem sometimes because my girlfriend loves shopping me. Examiner How often do you go shopping? Candidate On my own, not very often, but my girlfriend takes me with her quite often to go shopping and maybe eat and drink something together.

Candidate We eat outside a lot, maybe at restaurants on the street and

Part 2: Describe an outdoor meal or picnic that you had. You should say: -Where did it take place? -What was the occasion? -What did you eat and drink there? meal/ picnic? Candidate Last summer I remember we went to the west coast to a town -known reserve for the loggerhead there were four of us and we spent the day there. It was beautiful and quite different from life in the city. doner from one of the local stores and took it to eat near the beach with some drinks. We found a quiet spot and enjoyed simply eating, talking and looking out over the Mediterranean Sea. I love going to the beach, and I wish I could do it more often. spending some time hday or anything like that. But it was a very nice day we spent there and I would like to go back again and explore that particular area some more. It was a great day because the drive there was good too, the scenery on the road was amazing. I had been there many years ago as a kid but I had forgotten just how spectacular some of the landscape is along the road to Dalyan. We all enjoyed the day and although it was quite simple, and the food was bought locally, it was still a day that made all of us happy.

Part 3 Examiner

When do people eat outdoors in your country? 202

you go to the tourist areas there are lots of people eating outside so normal for them. Examiner Do people often eat outdoors in your country? Candidate venders who sell all kinds of food in the street and many restaurants who have open areas next to the street or maybe a terrace outside where you can eat. We have good weather for Examiner What do you think about eating in fast-food chains? Candidate You know, I used to eat in them a lot when they first arrived here in Turkey, but not so much now the novelty has worn off. They can be more expensive than our own Turkish food and people with a lot of young people and visitors. Nowadays, I go maybe once or twice a year, no more. Examiner Do you think people are more healthy-conscious now than in the past? s a lot more information Candidate about healthy and fitness available now and more people are trying to live healthy lives. My best friend and I joined a gym last year and we are very interested in health and fitness now. Examiner Why do people try to eat healthier foods? Candidate I think many people have different reasons. I know that I feel big emphasis on being young now keeps you young

and being healthy and fit

Why do many countries have food/ cuisine exhibitions at international events? Candidate It could be to help promote their culture or even help encourage tourism to their country. Events like that are good ways to showcase the best of your country and maybe make people more interested in visiting some days to experience it for themselves. I think that kind of even has become popular because international cuisine has become more easily available in may other countries now many years ago that has made people more interested in knowing more about other countries and not just their own local food. Examiner

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Examiner Do you think that food can represent a country? Candidate Yes, just like music, food is very particular to certain countries like music and dance and language. Some are more famous than others, for example, Mexican food is known all across the world and Italian pasta too so yes, food can represent a country as part of the overall culture.

IELTS Speaking Test in Canada in July 2013 Part 1 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

What is your full name? Can I see your ID? Sure Where are you from?

months now. Examiner Do you work or study? Candidate to Business. Examiner Do you live in an apartment or a house? Candidate apartment. Examiner Do you like living in a big house? (Why/ Why not?) Candidate Well, my family house in Medellin, in Colombia is a lot bigger than the apartment here, and I miss the space sometimes and the garden, but I think living in an apartment is good for lots of reasons, especially to look after the house. Examiner Do you prefer to use public transport or a car? Candidate learning to use the public transport nt from back Examiner In your country do people use public transport a lot? Candidate Yes, they do, most people use it, either the buses or taxis which t afford them so public transport is the most common method people use. Examiner How can people be encouraged to use public transport? for example back home most people use it Candidate

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convenient than people will use public transport, so it has to be cheap, frequent and cover the entire city or area. Part 2: Describe a room where you stayed for a long period of time. You should say: -What was the room? -What did you do there? -Why did you spend so much time in there? Candidate house. I spent a lot of time there last year when I was studying for my Masters Degree. It was originally a bedroom but we converted it some years ago to be a study and installed a desk and chair, a computer and some other things so that my sister and I could either study or work there, my father too sometimes. It was a nice room with a view out over the garden at the rear of the house and there was a lot of natural light which cam in through a pair of glass doors. It used to be really nice to spend time in there because it was almost like sitting outside but much more comfortable. As I said, I used to spend a lot of time there reading and preparing assignments for my course. It was away from the main area of the house so it was always nice and quiet and easy to concentrate when I was in there. We used to have a sofa in there too so when I felt a little tired I used to have a little siesta on the sofa for maybe an hour and then continue studying. It really was very comfortable room to be in and I miss it sometimes.

Part 3 Examiner Do building differ from place to place? Candidate Clearly, yes, the styles and the way they are constructed also. and back home. Examiner What are the differences between old and modern buildings? Candidate I think maybe older building have what most people refer to as terms of cost, efficiency and nowadays in terms of energy and the environment. Examiner Do modern building offer any advantages? What are they? Candidate Yes, many of them are built using better materials and better construction methods. Also, now there are more and more 205


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

buildings, residential and commercial which are designed taking into account their long term environmental impact which is important for the future. One of the biggest advantages is that more people can now live in the same space as before which is much more efficient use of space and resources. Examiner What do you think buildings will look like in the future? Candidate They will probably look very different from what they look like

traditional buildings but the important thing is that these are buildings of the future not of the past and personally I think that new ideas and different concepts of how we live and occupy space.

IELTS Speaking Test in Bangladesh in June 2013 Part 1 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

What is your full name? Can I see your ID? Do you work or study?

sity for Women in Dhaka. What is considered typical food in your country? In general, the most common ingredients consist of flat bread and rice, but there are many regional foods which are also popular. We like to eat chicken, beef and mutton, and vegetables, dal and many dishes are prepared in the form of a curry. I think chapatti, mutton rezala and kheer are the favourites in my family. Examiner Do parents usually have dinner with their children in your country? Candidate Traditionally, yes, and in my house we always eat together unless my father away travelling on business. Maybe things are changing slowly as more young people seek employment in the large cities and develop their own lives independently of their families, but in general mealtimes are very important and sharing food together has a very strong tradition and is seen as important for families to share this time with each other. Examiner In your opinion, is it important that parents and children eat together? Candidate as a young girl I can still remember my father telling us about things while we ate together, I also remember when maybe some 206

other family members, like one of my uncles, would visit, eating together was always very interesting and an opportunity to share and learn more. I still like having meals with my family.

Part 2: Describe an unusual or interesting thing you did recently. You should say: -Where did you do it? -When did you do it? -Who did you do it with? -Why was it interesting? Candidate I can tell you about a trip I made a few months ago. I went to London in the UK with one of my professors from university. We were part of a research team that went from Bangladesh to meet with some other teams from around the world in London and discuss an international project that we have been working on for the last few years. I had never been to London before, so it was amazing for me. I had often seen pictures from my father, who used to spend a lot of time there on business, years ago, but I had never dreamed that I would be visiting it myself this year. My professor and I spent about a week in London, three of the days were basically for work and then we had one free day and the weekend to see some of the local sights and experience a little of the culture of see some of the famous places and see all the people from We spent hours looking at famous buildings and everyday now and then we would stop and sit in a cafĂŠ and drink something, to rest a little before continuing. On the second last day we actually Luckily for us, some local people helped us to get to where we all the time. It was a really wonderful and interesting experience for me, as I think it would be this year the trip was a surprise.

Part 3 Examiner

In your country, is travelling a typical activity people do during the weekend or in their free time? 207


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS computers. Business, banking, shopping, study, computers are everywhere nowadays and even in some aspects of life that we

Candidate the weekend, but now that many families have members living in different parts of the country, I think that travelling to visit family and maybe friends is a very common activity that most family here in different parts of the country. Examiner Do people have less free time now than in the past? (Why?) Candidate certain people, but there are still a lot of people that live and do the same things that they have always done

Examiner Do you use a computer often? Candidate Yes, every day. For work and pleasure. I use it as part of my studies and work at the university and I also use it for fun,

Examiner Candidate

you compare, for example, teenagers and their grandparents, then of course, young people are involved in much more than

chat with some of the other delegates we met in London on my recent trip. They come from different universities in countries all over t What kind of things do you use your computers for? I reserved tickets for the theatre once a couple of months ago. I use it to find information, send emails, watch videos and many other things. Oh, and of course, banking, although that is just

that their free time is often occupied with activities, while in the past people spent more time doing nothing, simply talking, and

IELTS Speaking Test in Nepal Examiner What do children do in their free time in your country? Candidate I think the normal things that children do play soccer play cricket computer games and things like that. Homework for school and chores at home if they have to. Examiner Do you think children should be doing these kinds of things in their free time? (Why/ Why not?) Candidate I think that children need to have a balance between things they ant that they important that they spend time with their friends and participate in sports or some kind of physical activity to keep them healthy. Examiner Should there be the same amount of free time for women and men? (Why/ Why not?) Candidate I think maybe women are still occupied more than men sometimes, though when I see my mother preparing a meal and

Part 1 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate

What is your full name? My name is Sunita langhome. Where are you from? Do you work or study? Is it easy or difficult to find jobs like that in your country? I found it quite easy, but my parents supported me. Some

lives that has not been affected by the increasing use of

Examiner Do you like your job? Candidate different peopl my family farm or in an office. But one day I would like to have my own small business. Examiner When did you first use the internet? Candidate When I was at elementary school. A few years later; my parents had an internet connection installed in their office, where they run their agricultural business from, and I could access to it almost every day. Examiner Do you buy things on the internet? l way of shopping Candidate for many people here. Examiner How often do you normally buy things on the internet?

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children at the same ti

think men are generally more occupied with work and so have less real free time. Examiner In your opinion are computers important? Candidate In the world we live in today essential! We could not live


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Candidate

Candidate for making purchases.

Part 2: Talk about a family photograph you like. You should say: -Who took the photograph? -Who is in the photograph? -Why do you like this photograph? Candidate I will tell you about my favourite photograph, which is a photo of my family, my parents, my brother and three sisters. It was taken by my uncle when I was still a small girl. We went on a family excursion to various places in Nepal. The photograph was in a place called Butterfly Valley and it a group photo and in the background you can see a spectacular waterfall. We were all much younger then but I can remember it was a very happy time for my family and a really special trip that we took together. Whenever I feel sad I like to look at this photo because it always reminds me of my beautiful family, how happy we are were, and how luckily we are to have the many blessing we have in our lives. I would like to return there someday in the future and visit that special place again. I have a copy of the photo which I keep in my room, but we also have a larger version of it which is framed and hangs on the wall in the main social room of our house.

Part 3 Examiner In your opinion, what elements make a good photograph? Candidate positioned. The colour and lighting can also affect how good a photo is. The of the moment or the spirit of the place where it was taken. So composition, lighting, focus and location can be very important. Examiner Do you think photography is a form of art? Candidate Yes, there are some famous photographers in the world, and some photographs are certainly very beautiful to look at. Like painting and sculpting, photography can be a very interesting way of expressing things, or capturing a special moment or place forever. Examiner Do people in your country attend photography classes? 210

Examiner Candidate

classes or do a photography course, but there are schools or colleges for art and fashion here in Nepal so I suppose that quite a lot of people must be interested in photography and may be study it or learn more about it then just taking snapshots of their family. Do you like to hang photographs on the walls of your home? choose the photographs and where exactly to hang them. You could call it her hobby. We are quite a large family and most of the photographs are of family members, cousins, nieces and nephews and so she always has a new photo which she wants to show everyone.

IELTS Speaking Test in Nepal in March 2013 Part 1 Examiner Where are you from? Candidate I come from Kathmandu City, I live there with my family. Examiner Do you work or study? Candidate network companies based here. Examiner What is the major challenge at your job? Candidate Well, apart from the daily technical problems associated with maintaining the network operational and solving problems, we need more resources to extend coverage to other areas. Mobile and internet coverage is growing rapidly here at the moment, last a lot of challenges related to network capacity. Examiner Would you recommend this job to others? Candidate person and there many changes happening at the moment driven by technology. It is an important time, and in the future I think it will be even more important for the development of my country. Examiner Do you like to take pictures? Candidate No, not really. I took a couple of photos last week, but that was for work, so that I could explain a technical problem to a shy. My sister loves to take photos though, she probably takes enough for both of us. Examiner Do you have a family portrait at home? Candidate There is an old family photo that we have in our main room. It shows three generations of my family, my grandparents, my 211


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

parents and me and my brother and sister. It was taken a long

activities that people do or are involved in during the period. People believe that Surya is responsible for maintaining life on earth so they pray and offer thanks and also make wishes for things they would like to hap worshipping the sun brings good fortune to families, farmers and many aspects of our lives. The first day of Chhath involves people bathing. Many people go to a holy river, and they sometimes take the holy water home with them to help in the preparation of the offerings. People clean their homes and only eat one meal during the day. People cook some traditional vegetarian food, some people even cook it on a special stove made from the earth and use wood to do the cooking, there are also some special beliefs that the utensils used for cooking should be wooden but nowadays many people use metal ones.

photographs. Examiner What is unique about it? Candidate grandparents in it. There are my maternal grandparents and paternal grandparents together. Only two of them are alive now, so I think that makes the picture even more special for my parents and the rest of the family. Examiner When was the last time you took a picture? Candidate The last time was last week, I took a picture of a network installation for by boss to show a problem with the way it had been done so that a technician could come and rectify it. Examiner Do you think people exercise a lot these days? Candidate A lot? No, not really, not here. People who live outside the cities walk a lot, especially those who live in the country and the mountains. And children play some sports and other activities. I

something in the evening once the sun has gone down. The traditional food includes rice and puffed-wheat as well as bananas. On the third day of this event, people spend most of the time preparing the special food, families might go to a pond or river and offer their prayers and offer milk to the sun as it sets. There is also chanting or traditional singing. It can seem like a carnival at times when friends and family all come together to celebrate it. There is also another tradition we observe which is Kosi when we make earth lamps and place them under a canopy which is supported by five sticks, the sticks represent earth, wind, fire, air and water, the five elements of the earth. Many people perform this ritual in the evening at home with their family. The next day you can see many people at the riverbanks making their offerings to the sun as it rises in the sky, and then they eat. This is one of the most important cultural events for many people in this part of the world and many families spend time together during this special time of year.

doing exercise like in some other countries. Examiner Do you exercise yourself? What exercises do you do? Candidate I do when I have time. I still play soccer with some friends from

book, I wanted to learn how to relax and I had heard that yoga can be very beneficial for you in the long term. I tried it for a again soon because it was quite interesting.

Part 2: Describe a major event in your country. You should say: -Who takes part in the event -What is important about the event -Why you like/ dislike this event. Candidate Every year in October or November we celebrate the festival of Chhath; it is and ancient Hindu festival which is dedicated to the sun god Surya. It lasts for four days and there are various 212

Part 3 Examiner

Do you think people from the countryside forget their local culture when they move to the city? Why? Candidate Sometimes, I think they lose some of the activities because life in the cities is quite different, but many people try to observe their old way of life the same as it was before when they first

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

company so we may make some celebrations but the actual rituals are adapted to be more convenient and less time consuming. Examiner How can people be encouraged to preserve the culture? Candidate I think that teaching young children about our history and culture is very

know about them and their significance in our culture.

IELTS Speaking Test in Philippines Part 1 Examiner What is your full name? Candidate Vilma Nicole Santos Examiner Can I see your ID? Candidate Yes, of course, here is my card. Examiner Where are you from? Candidate Examiner Do you work or study? Candidate I just started working, I graduated last summer. Examiner Do you live in an apartment or a house? Candidate I live with my parents in our family home the suburbs of Manila. Examiner Do you like your home? Candidate special place for me. Examiner What kind of house would you like to have in the future? Candidate I would really like to have a house like my parents I think. Maybe when I get married, but if I move to another country maybe I will change my mind and decide on something different.

Part 2: Describe an important plant in your country. You should say: -What is this plan? -How did you first learn about it? -Why is it so important? Candidate I can tell you about the Golden Shower Tree which is a well-

214

een 6 inches and 24

Golden Shower Tree, because of many golden and yellow coloured flowers it produces. It has fruit which has a very strong odor and inside it there are seeds, these seeds are poisonous. The trunk or the main part of the tree and its branches are very hard wood. Here, these plants, or trees, are very popular with butterflies and bees which seem to find them very attractive most probably because of the bright flowers on them. several in their garden and I can remember my grandfather telling me all about them. Later I noticed them in many different places and I seem to recall we learned about them at school as well. I think this is one of the most popular ornamental plants we have, and it is used in medicine as well. When the flowers blossom, there are lots of them and they cover the tree so you can hardly see the green leaves anymore. It seems to grow well even in dry weather and with lots of sun. from the fruit is sometimes used by people like a laxative and for sure it has more uses, but those are the ones that I can remember at the moment. Some people have said the root of the tree can also be used for medicinal purposes but other people say it very dangerous if you are not an expert, because it is very strong. Part 3 Examiner Do you like this plant? Candidate flowers. It also reminds me of my grandfather whenever I see one Examiner Is farming important for your country? Candidate people still live in the country and earn their living from working the land even though that may be changing now we have a long history of agriculture. The main crops that are grown here include rice and corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes and coffee and then there are some farmers who also produce other crops such as abaca which is like a banana plant and 215


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

grow rubber and cotton too. So yes, farming has always been very important here in my country. Examiner What measures should we take to protect our nature? Candidate One of the problems in this country is that there has not been enough funding and investment in irrigated land and protecting the soil which has been damaged over many years by using various pesticides and fertilizers which have now resulted in land which produces less than it did in the past. There is also a trend happening at the moment where many rural farmers are actually selling their land to developers and they are constructing residences or golf courses on the land. The farmers need the money and this is happening rapidly at the moment, so the government really should have some kind of plan to make sure that the countryside is protected and will not be overdeveloped. sure what measures exactly could be put in place, but there needs to be some kid of environmental policy which protects or limits that rate of development of such land or we could be making more problems for ourselves in the future. Examiner Do you think future generations will be interested in farming? Candidate Probably not, it has been difficult for many people to maintain their farms, paying for seeds and the workers to plant and harvest the crops, as I said; many small rural farmers sell their land if they are given the opportunity. I think the younger generation is more interested in commerce and other areas rather than farming struggling in recent years and technology has also changed things a lot hereinterested in farming and want to do something else for work.

IELTS Speaking Test in India Part 1 Examiner Where are you from? ntry, Candidate but my family move here to the city when I was very young. Examiner Where do you live? Candidate Examiner Is it an apartment or a house? Candidate apartment block in the central district here in the city, on the 7 th

Examiner What kind of accommodation do you prefer? Candidate have my our house someday in the future with a garden. I prefer a house because normally you have more space. I would also like to live in a quieter neighbourhood as the city centre can be quite noisy sometimes. Examiner Would you like to stay in a big house/ small house? Why? Candidate A big house, with a big garden and lots of space. I like spending eaceful. I also run and play without needing to go out in the street. Examiner In your country do people use boats? Candidate Yes, there are all kinds of boats, for personal use and comm Examiner What do they use boats for? Candidate Lots of businesses use boats, or ships, to transport their goods to other countries and I have several friends whose families have small boats for using their in their leisure time, mainly at weekends, they go fishing or diving or sometimes just to sail around the coast and visit one the many fishing villages that you can find. Examiner Would you like to own a boat? Candidate Yes, one day in the future maybe for an afternoon. Examiner What would you do with a boat? Candidate driving, take my friends along with me, maybe take some food and drink with us and have a picnic or sail around the coast and explore a bit. Examiner Would you shop online or in a store for a boat? Candidate different models and specifications, and then go to the dealer and

Examiner Candidate

want to take it for a test drive and make sure that I like it before buying it. If I found a boat I liked and wanted to buy then I wo maybe from a local boat dealer depending on the best price I could get. Have you ever been dissatisfied with an online purchase?

since we were at university so it works out well and we all get on together.

disappointing experiences with online banking than buying

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

products or other services.

Part 2: Talk about an interesting website you have come across recently. You should say: -Why you visited it? -How was it helpful to you? -Did you find the information that you were looking for? Candidate A couple of months ago I found an interesting site while I was looking for help to prepare for the IELTS tests, the site is by the British Council site and I found it when I was searching for resources to practice for the exam. It has lots of helpful information; IELTS practice tests and videos of IELTS candidates giving advice and tips about how do are even full IELTS preparation courses online if you pay a subscription charge. The site helped me learn all about the format of the exam, the different sections and skills that are tested and I got to see lots of examples of the types of questions that are used in the IELTS test. Before I started to prepare for the course that I could attend because I work a schedule of the classes. I think I learned most about the IELTS test from that website, even though I found some other sources for material and information on the internet also. After spending quite a lot of time on the site I had a very good idea of what was involved in the IELTS test and what skills I needed to develop. It was very informative, but I wish they had some more videos of the actual IELTS speaking test showing real people doing the interview. I found some videos like that on Youtube and I thought they were very informative and helped me learn more about what to do during the IELTS speaking test.

Examiner

find information to do research for projects and I also use it for fun and entertainment too, not to mention keeping in touch with all my friends on Facebook and things like that. I think older people use the internet more for different things, for example, my parents use it to email their friends and keep in touch with my sister who is studying in Australia at the moment. They sometimes use video to call her, but mainly they like to write all their news and send it in an email. In general I think almost ol much time in front of a computer whereas younger people probably get most of their information and entertainment through the internet either on their laptops or other mobile devices. Do you think the government should consider educating elderly people to become computer-literate?

Candidate to and needs to be computer literate, they just need to learn the basics of email and maybe how to pay things online, like bills. I think most kids are happy to show or help their parents if interested in searching the web for information. They like to do things the way they have always done by speaking to a person and asking questions. They know how to use email though. It might be a good idea if the government made basic computer classes available for anybody who wanted to learn think there is a need to plan a large scale national computer literacy curriculum or anything like that. Examiner Can we live without the internet? Candidate Well, we used to live without it, just like we lived without the ad and colour television. But nowadays everything is based on the internet. Business, commerce, banking, shopping, education, social interaction and almost anything you can think of. The even think how marvelous it is and how incredibly powerful it is. light bulb we take it for granted,

while looking for IELTS resources. you really want to, but your lifestyle would be very different. Part 3 Examiner

Do you think usage of the internet is different for different age groups? Candidate Yes, very different. For example, I use it for almost everything, every day I do my banking on the internet. I use it to shop and 218

IELTS Speaking Test in Uzbekistan

March 2013

Part 1 Examiner

Where are you from? 219


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS lost more. By the time I finally arrived at the university and went

Candidate Examiner Do you work or study? final year at the Tashkent Candidate State University of Economics. Examiner What type of transport do you usually use? Candidate I have a motorcycle and I also use the metro or trams depending where I want to go to. The metro is good for going to a lot of place and relatively cheap. If I want to go out of the city then I

waiting any longer. I saw him the next day and had to apologize to him. He understood the situation and we arranged to meet early this week. Of course, I made sure that I arrived early this time, so there was no problem. I felt bad about arriving late because I like my teacher and he

Examiner Do you think transportation in your country is good? Why? Candidate In the major cities the transport is Ok. The metro system is very destinations served. The old trolleys or trams can be slow sometimes and they can have problems when they disconnect from the electricity, but usually the driver can fix it and then continue. Outside of the cities in rural zones a lot of transport is by local taxi. Examiner How would you upgrade the transportation in your country? Candidate I think it would be good if the rail network were upgraded. The infrastructure is very old in many places and needs to be repaired or replaced to improve the service. Some of the older trolley buses should be renovated or replaced also to improve the overall reliability of the system.

Part 2: Describe a situation when you were late. You should say: -When was it? -Why were you late? -How did you feel about it? Candidate About a week ago, I was late for an important meeting with one of my teachers at the university. We were supposed to meet at ne of the

control everything and sometimes delays happen and you just happens a lot here. Part 3 Examiner

Do people in your country accept excuses for being late? Why/ Why not? Candidate It depends on the situation and if the excuse is genuine or not. We are very hospitable and respectful here and we believe that if a person arrives late it is better than not arriving at all, but most problem. I think excuses are only a problem if the occasions are too frequent or inconvenient for the other person. Examiner What type of excuses do people in your country accept? Candidate There are many reasons why people might be late arriving somewhere or attending a meeting or appointment. Problems with the family, having to help an older member of the family or look after one of the younger children in an emergency, problems with transport or delays in traffic are common and of course when you are sick or ill and have to postpone an event or appointment. Most other people understand these situations, because it has also happened to them at one time or another in their lives.

IELTS Speaking Test in Singapore go into the city and take care of some errands. One of the things is Eventually my uncle arrived at the shop, but I had been waiting for nearly an hour. When I left I thought I might be able to make it to the university on time, but then there was a problem with one of the buses that I too and we got stuck in a traffic jam, and I 220

Part 1 Examiner Candidate Examiner Candidate Examiner

What is your full name? Michael George Wilson. Do you work or study? At the moment both, I study full time and work part-time in the evenings and at weekends. Do you think that your job is too hard? 221


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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Candidate part-time to help fund my education. Maybe if I did all day every day I would find it more difficult. Examiner What do you usually do after work? Candidate Well, I usually finish work quite late at around 10.30pm so I normally get on the bus and go straight home to eat dinner and then study. Maybe on Friday night I might sometimes go out and meet some friends. Examiner Did you go to parks during your childhood? Candidate Yes, almost every day. We used to live right next to a park so it was one of my favourite places to play after school. It was big and had lots of things you could do there. It was always full of children playing. Examiner How often do you go to the parks now? Candidate Really, not very often, maybe when I go out with my family or

Describe an advertisement that made you want to buy a product. You should say: -What was the product? -What was the advertisement about? -Why did it make you want to buy that product? Candidate About a couple of months ago I saw an advertisement on the internet for a special pair of running shoes. It was the picture that caught my attention first because the shoes looked very different from normal running shoes. They were designed like a pair of gloves for your feet, if you know what I mean. synthetic sole grafted onto the body so that they fitted like a glove on your foot, but the bottom was quite similar to a normal running shoes so that it gripped well and provided protection for your feet. Unlike a normal running shoe each toe was separate. It was really strange to see something like that because I had just been ed a running shoe like this before and then a couple of weeks later

park like I used to before. It would be nice to go more often, but Examiner Do you think parks are important for people? Candidate office or at school. You can enjoy the scenery, the lake and enjoy the fresh air, take your dog for a walk if you have one, and my

looking for them or anything. Anyway, the ad was basically a 360 degrees colour photo of the shoes showing them from all angles and some technical and product information about them. There was also a video that was maybe 3 or 4 minutes long and showed a runner going up a rocky hill and the video explained how these running shoes allowed the runner to feel more of the ground underneath his feet and grip better because of the flexing motion of the bottom of the shoes. It was more an informative ad than anything arty or creative, but

peaceful when I go there. Examiner What do you do to relax? s Candidate year is very busy for me, but when I do get some free time I like to listen to music or meet up with my friends and go out somewhere to enjoy ourselves. I used to like reading a lot, but nowadays I do a lot of reading for my studies so I like to do something different when I have free time to relax. Examiner Do you think people have enough time to relax? Candidate I think most people would say no. I certainly feel that I have a lot less time to relax than in the past. I think the pace of life even ten years ago was much less frantic and people had more time for other things apart from studying and work. Life has become time for just relaxing. I think people tend to plan relaxation activities important.

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before and I wanted to try them, so I ordered a pair in my size couple of times so far and they seem really good. They cost me just a little bit more than some of the normal running shoes, but I ey. The running experiences is quite different from normal and personally I prefer it. Part 3 Examiner

What kinds of media are available for advertising in your country? Candidate All the usual channels such as TV, radio, internet, magazines, newspapers, hoarding and billboards and such like, really 223


THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

anything you can think of people will put to use to advertise products or a brand. Promotional gimmicks such as T-shirts and even cars are often used to promote an event or brand. Examiner Are there any other traditional kinds of media for advertising other than TV and newspapers. Candidate Yes, as I said, the large billboards are still very popular although they are mainly used by large well established brands because they are very expensive to pay for. Radio advertising is still very

CONTENTS

or newspapers. And then there are those sponsors who promote themselves at sports events using the traditional media of large displays or having their company name or brand on the sports equipment. There are lots of traditional ways that companies still advertise even though many companies are now spending a lot of money on internet advertising. Examiner What products are usually advertised using these different media types. Candidate In the case of radio I think they are mainly products that have a local appeal as there are many different local radio stations available. The large billboards seem to be mainly occupied by mass market products like fashion orientated goods or maybe food and drink type products, they are typically used by large companies that sell a product or service which appeals to the masses.

224

2 Ph

2

Ph

14

Ph

16

Part 1 INTRODUCTION & INTERVIEW 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 30 33 33 33 34 35 35 35 36 37 37 37 38 38 39 40

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Part 2 INDIVIDUAL LONG TURN Topic 1: Describe a family member who you admire most. Topic 2: Describe a teacher who has greatly influenced you. Topic 3: Describe a classmate or colleague you often meet or met. Topic 4: Describe a singer or musician that you admire. Topic 5: Describe a character from a story/ film/ TV program. Topic 6: Describe someone who is famous in your country. Topic 7: Describe an electric item that is important to you. Topic 8: Describe something you use for your work or studies. Topic 9: Describe an item of clothing that you often wear. Topic 10: Describe something you bought which you were not happy with. Topic 11: Describe something useful you use everyday. Topic 12: Describe something expensive you would like to buy. Topic 13: Describe a gift or present you have received. Topic 14: Describe a toy that you loved playing with as a child. Topic 15: Describe your favourite book. Topic 16: Describe a typical holiday in your country. Topic 17: Describe your favourite festival or celebration. Topic 18: Describe a party that you attended. Topic 19: Describe your favourite season or time of the year. Topic 20: Describe a famous food from your hometown or country. Topic 21: Describe the transport system in a place you know about. Topic 22: Describe a country you would like to visit. Topic 23: Talk about a foreign country you have been to Topic 24: Describe a city you would like to visit. Topic 25: Describe a place of natural beauty that you have visited. Topic 26: Describe a city or town where you have lived. Topic 27: Describe a shopping street in your hometown. Topic 28: Describe a landmark in the place you are living now. Topic 29: Describe your idea of an ideal house. Topic 30: Describe your favourite room. Topic 31: Describe an important decision that you made. Topic 32: Describe an event that changed your life. Topic 33: Describe a film that you have recently seen. Topic 34: Describe a film that you enjoyed watching. Topic 35: Describe a song or piece of music you like. Topic 36: Describe a TV program or channel that you enjoy watching regularly. Topic 37: Describe an advertisement that you have seen. Topic 38: Describe a website that you have used.

54 54 55 55 55 56 56 57 57 58 58 58 59 59 60 60 61 61 62 62 63 63 64 64 65 65 66 66 67 67 68 68 68 69 69 70

Topic 39: Describe a game that you have played and enjoyed. Topic 40: Describe a sport you enjoy doing. Topic 41: Describe some help that you received. Topic 42: Describe something difficult that you did well. Topic 43: Describe something you would like to succeed in doing. Topic 44: Describe something good about your personality. Topic 45: Describe an activity in an English lesson that you enjoy. Topic 46: Describe a skill you would like to learn. Topic 47: Describe a skill that you have learnt. Topic 48: Describe your experience in learning English. Topic 49: Describe your study habits. Topic 50: Describe your dream job. Topic 51: Describe a restaurant that you enjoyed going to. Topic 52: Describe a language you would like to learn. Topic 53: Describe a wild animal that you have seen. Topic 54: Describe an interesting lesson that you attended. Topic 55: Describe a situation that made you angry. Topic 56: Describe a dish that you frequently have. Topic 57: Describe your favourite person in your family. Topic 58: Describe the saddest moment in your life. Topic 59: Describe your favourite means of communication. Topic 60: Describe the most embarrassing moment in your life. Topic 61: Describe your favourite website. Topic 62: Describe your favourite drama character. Topic 63: Describe a musical instrument you like. Topic 64: Describe your favourite pet. Topic 65: Describe a meeting you remember going to at work, college or school. Topic 66: Talk about your favourite subject at school university. Topic 67: Describe how you would organize a surprise party for your friend. Topic 68: Describe something naughty you did when you were a child. Topic 69: Describe a place where you go shopping for clothes. Topic 70: Describe a newspaper or magazine you like to read. Topic 71: Describe an interesting person you recently met. Topic 72: Describe a special occasion when you had a really enjoyable meal. Topic 73: Describe a vehicle you would like to buy in the future. Topic 74: Describe a situation where you found yourself dealing with

71 72 73 73 73 74 74 75 75 75 76 77 77 78 79 79 80 80 81 82 83 83 84 85 85 86 87

Topic 75: Describe a foreign food you would like to try.

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88 89 89 90 91 91 92 92 93

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH ANSWERS

Part 3 TWO-WAY DISCUSSION

Part 4 IELTS SAMPLE SPEAKING TESTS

Discussion topic 1: Hometown Discussion topic 2: Friend Discussion topic 3: Family Discussion topic 4: Favourite person in the family Discussion topic 5: Gift-giving Discussion topic 6: Music Discussion topic 7: Sports Discussion topic 8: Education Discussion topic 9: Books Discussion topic 10: The internet Discussion topic 11: Advertising Discussion topic 12: Transport Discussion topic 13: Natural Scenery Discussion topic 14: Time Discussion topic 15: Art Galleries Discussion topic 16: Values Discussion topic 17: Shopping at markets Discussion topic 18: Shopping in general Discussion topic 19: Restaurants Discussion topic 20: Producing food Discussion topic 21: History Discussion topic 22: Politeness Discussion topic 23: Competitions Discussion topic 24: Emotions Discussion topic 25: Leisure activities Discussion topic 26: Parties Discussion topic 27: Wildlife Discussion topic 28: Lessons Discussion topic 29: Technology at work Discussion topic 30: Favourite person Discussion topic 31: Flowers Discussion topic 32: Laughing/ feeling happy Discussion topic 33: Newspapers and magazines Discussion topic 34: Games Discussion topic 35: Time management

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Speaking Practice Test 1 Health Speaking Practice Test 2 Work Speaking Practice Test 3 Travel Speaking Practice Test 4 Tourism Speaking Practice Test 5- The Environment Speaking Practice Test 6- Technology Speaking Practice Test 7- Free Time Speaking Practice Test 8 Entertainment Speaking Practice Test 9 Education Speaking Practice Test 10- Communication

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Part 5 IELTS REAL SPEAKING TESTS IELTS Speaking Test 1 IELTS Speaking Test 2 IELTS Speaking Test 3 IELTS Speaking Test 4 IELTS Speaking Test 5 IELTS Speaking Test 6 IELTS Speaking Test 7 IELTS Speaking Test 8 IELTS Speaking Test in Japan IELTS Speaking Test in Australia IELTS Speaking Test in Brazil IELTS Speaking Test in Lanka IELTS Speaking Test in USA IELTS Speaking Test in Vietnam August 2013 IELTS Speaking Test in Vietnam IELTS Speaking Test in Vietnam IELTS Speaking Test in Turkey in July 2013 IELTS Speaking Test in Canada in July 2013 IELTS Speaking Test in Bangladesh in June 2013 IELTS Speaking Test in Nepal IELTS Speaking Test in Nepal in March 2013 IELTS Speaking Test in Philippines IELTS Speaking Test in India IELTS Speaking Test in Uzbekistan March 2013 IELTS Speaking Test in Singapore

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