Updated June 17, 2015
IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 112
558. A Good Law
FQ = frequent question = a question that has frequently been reported = a question that is probably in the examiner's question book
* = my guess at a question
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Describe something you bought but don't often use. *
You should say:
when you bought it
where you bought it
what it is used for *
why you bought it
and explain why you don't often use it.
Notes
The first line might say, "
Shopping & Consumerism
Do you think many people are many things that they don't really need?
What do you think has caused these people to love shopping so much?
Do you think people (or, these "shopaholics") will change their attitudes in the future?
How often do you go shopping (or, buy something)?
Do people in your country like to go shopping?
Do many people buy things in street markets?
What do you think are the pros and cons of shopping in
a large department store?
What factors do people consider before they decide to buy something?
For you (or, for most people), which is more important
when buying something, the price or the quality?
Do you think more expensive, brand-name clothes are always better quality than cheaper clothes?
Why do some people prefers to buy things online?
(Similar to above) Do you prefer to buy things online or in the real world?
Do you think there are any problems associated with the quality of products when buying online?
Do many people in your country buy fake (fake brand name) goods?
Do you think it's safe to use credit cards?
Recycling
See Note 1
Do you often use products made from recyclable materials?
(Similar to above) In your country, is recycling considered to be important?
Do you think it's important to recycle things made of plastic?
Have people's attitudes towards recycling changed in recent years?
When did people in your country start recycling?
Why do you think more people are promoting and practicing recycling nowadays?
What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages
of recycling?
Advertisements
What do you think about advertisements?
Are they effective?
Are they useful (or beneficial) for people?
Can you compare advertisements on TV and those in magazines?
Do you think advertising methods always ethical?
What do you think are the pros and cons of having government supervision of the advertising industry?
Describe an indoor game that you played when you were a child.
You should say:
what the game was
who you played it with *
how you played it *
and explain why you played that game. *
Notes
This might be a repetition of Topics 179 & 100 but, for that topic, the word "indoor" did not seem to be specified, so this might be a variation on that previous topic.
There are certain games that young children (e.g., 4 to 7 years old) play inside but older children (e.g., 8 to 12 years old) often start to play the same games that adults play. Many of these are board games or table games. See here. Of course, a computer game might be suitable as an answer here.
Games in General
See some vocabulary
Do people of all ages play games, or is it only children?
Which do you think are better, indoor or outdoor games?
What are the most popular indoor games in your country?
How do people learn to play games?
Do you think it's hard to learn the rules of games?
Children's Games
"Games" here includes all games, not just indoor games unless the examiner specifies "indoor".
"Indoor games" does not mean "indoor sports".
What games do children play today?
Are those the same as the games kids used to play in
the past?
Do you think it's good for children to play games?
What can they learn from games? FQx2
(Similar to above) How do you think children can
benefit from playing games?
Do you think children can learn new skills from games?
Which do you think is more beneficial for children,
indoor games or outdoor games?
How can (or how do) children benefit from outdoor games (or, outdoor activities)?
How do children's (indoor) games and those of adults differ?
What do you think would be some of the qualities of a good game for a 3-year-old child (or, 3-yr-old children)?
Do you think it's necessary for children's games to be
competitive?
How do competitive games at school affect children?
How important would you say it is to develop a sense of competition in children?
Do you think playing (some) games can help children develop their imagination?
Do you think games can be useful when teaching children in the classroom?
Do you think it's good for children to play competitive games (i.e., games with winners and losers)?
Do you think electronic games are good for children?
Some traditional games that are hundreds of years old are still popular with children today. Can you suggest why (or how) that happens?
Children's Play See Note
These questions were reported only once, so they might be mistakes. "Play" and "play a game" are not exactly the same thing.
Do you think it's good for children to play?
What benefits do children get from playing?
Do you think children's play is more for fun or for learning?
Recreational Facilities / Parks
Do you think parks play an important role in the lives of people?
Can you suggest how parks could be improved?
Do you think your city should have more parks?
Copy of
Describe a good law in your country.
Notes
This appears to be a repetition of Topic 152
Someone has reported this as "a popular law". If this is the real wording, it means a law that many or most people like. However, although there are some laws that people dislike, some people don't really "like" any laws because all laws involve restrictions on our behaviour!
Make sure you read the notes for Topic 152.
The Law
(Similar to above) Why do you think we need
to have rules and laws?
How do people benefit from having rules and laws?
What types of work particularly involve the law?
In relation to the law, what is the difference between the work of government officials and that of lawyers? (Difficult question)
Do you think all laws are fair?
Would you say that the behavior of people is restricted by the laws we have?
Is that a good situation? *
In your country, do people generally feel that they should obey the law?
(Similar to above)
Are rules and laws strictly obeyed in your country?
Do you think it's OK to
occasionally break the law, (in a small way)?
(Similar to above) Do you think we should obey all laws, all the time?
(Possibly) Can you suggest any occasions when a person cannot obey a law?
Lawyers and the Police
Several of these questions are asking you to make comparisons between lawyers and the police.
Lawyers
What are some of the situations when a person needs to use a lawyer?
What qualities does one
need in order to be a good lawyer?
The Police
What do you think is the purpose of having police?
(Similar to above) What do you think are the duties / responsibilities of the police (Br. = policemen & policewomen, U.S. = police officers)?
Are there different types of police?
What do you think is the difference between a policeman directing traffic on a road and other policeman?
Do you think the police should carry guns?
Who do you think is more suitable for being a police officer, men or women?
Do many people in your country want to be police officers? FQx2
(Similar to above) Do you
think being a police officer would be a good job?
Which job do you think would be (or, is) more interesting, being a police officer or being a lawyer?
Which do you (or do people) respect more, lawyers or the police?
Who do you think provides more of a service (or better service) to society (or, the people), police or lawyers?
Which would most parents prefer their children to marry, a police officer or a lawyer?
Who do you think earns more money, lawyers or police officers?
What qualities does one
need in order to be a police officer?
Do you think it's important for a police officer to be punctual (or, have good time management skills)?
What sorts of training do you think trainee police officers receive?
International Law
Do you think it's
important to have international law?
Can you give any examples of international law?
Who decides what the international laws should be?
How can international law be enforced?
Do you think there are any difficulties (or, problems) concerning the enforcement of international law?
Version A (past tense)
Describe something that you have shared with others (or another person) *
You should say:
what you shared
who you shared it with.
why you shared it
and explain how you felt about sharing it.
Version B
Describe something that you share with others (or another person) *
You should say:
what you share
who you share it with.
why you share it
and explain how you feel about sharing it.
Notes
There are some hints that this might be a present tense topic (Version B). You should prepare for both versions.
It might be possible, depending on the exact wording, to talk about sharing an experience or sharing the same feeling, belief or thought with another person or with others.
To "share" and to "lend" are two different verbs and two different ideas, although there are some similarities between the two.
Kids share toys; kids or people might share a bed (= sleep together); maybe you shared (some of) your lunch at school with a friend who didn't have any lunch; two or more people living in the same flat are sharing a flat (= sharing the cost of the rent); several students living in the same dormitory room are sharing a room; maybe you shared one computer in your home with your brother or your parents; maybe two or more people traveled in the same car on a trip (sharing the cost of petrol) .... etc.
Sharing in General
Do you like sharing things with others?
Can you suggest why some people don't like sharing?
Besides the example that you just spoke about (in Part 2), what are some other examples of sharing in everyday life?
Do people in your country (or, you) prefer to share
public transport or do they (you) prefer to use private transport?
How do (or can, or could)
people share transportation?
(A little different to
above) How do you think more
people could be encouraged to share public transport?
Do many people in your country share their home with other or do they mostly live alone? *
Why do you think people
share some things with others?
(Similar to above) What are the benefits of sharing?
Do you think rural people share more than city people?
Do you think there are any advantages to sharing your home with other (non-family) people?
When people share a house, do you think it's important
to have some "house rules"?
(Possibly) Do you think there should be (or are) some general rules for people when they share things? *
Do you think it's good to share personal information
with others on the internet?
Do you think online privacy is important?
Would you share your clothes with a friend if they were cold?
Do you think sharing food is important?
Do people (in your country) share food during
celebrations (or, festivals)?
How do people share information online?
(Possibly) Can you think of any things that people don't usually share with others? *
Children and Sharing
In general, are children willing to share things?
Do you think there are any things that children should not be expected to share with others?
What are some examples of things that children don't like to share?
Do you think children like sharing their parents with their brothers and sisters?
How do you think children could be taught to share?
International Sharing
Do you think countries should share things? (If so, what?)
Note that recycling a material is not always the same as reusing something. For example, large beer bottles are reused a few times until they become scratched and old-looking. Then they are melted down in order to recycle the glass.