IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 140
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
Modified copy of
Notes
See also the Part 3 of
Animals in Your Country
Do you like animals
What species of animal do people in your country like the most?
(Similar to above) Is there one animal that is a favourite animal among people in your country?
Do people in your country like birds?
What animals are most common around where you live
What are the differences between the animals in the countryside and those in the cities?
Do you think cities are suitable places for raising animals? See Note 2
Would you say that raising (or, keeping) animals today is different to the way it was in the past?
What animals are raised on farms?
Is there much difference between the way we use animals today, compared to the way we used them in the past?
Are animals today used for work as much as they were in the past
Can you think of any examples of work animals being replaced by technology?
Besides strong animals, are any other animals used in society to help people?
(Similar to above) What are some examples of working
dogs
In your country, how much do you think people's attitudes about animals have changed in the past few decades?
Animals in General (The Welfare of Animals)
Do you think it's important that some animals become extinct?
What do you think could be done to prevent an animal from becoming extinct?
What are the results of an animal becoming extinct?
Can you think of any ways to reduce cruelty towards animals?
(Similar to above) Do you agree
with using animals in medical experimentation
Can you suggest why some people
become vegetarians
Pets
What animals do people in your country most commonly
keep as pets
Do people in your country generally prefer to have a
pet dog, or a pet cat
Do you think cat owners are different to dog owners?
Can you suggest why pets are important to some people
(Similar to above) Can you suggest why some people want
to have a pet
Why do some people not want to have a pet
(Similar to above)
What do you think are the pros and cons of having a pet
(Similar to above) What are the benefits of having a
pet
Do you think there are benefits for elderly people to have a pet?
In general, how the old people's pets differ from young people's pets?
What problems are involved with having a pet
How should a person keep (take care of) a pet?
Who generally takes care of a pet in the home?
Which place is better for having a pet, a rural area or an urban area?
Do you think it's suitable to have a pet if you live in
a big city
Do you think it's suitable to have a pet if you live in
an apartment
What difficulties do you think people living in
apartments have when they have a pet
Do you think cities are suitable places for having a large pet?
Which would you prefer to have, an electronic pet or a real pet?
See also the Part 3 of
Who People Eat With
Do you eat with your friends regularly?
(Similar to above)
How often would you say people eat with their family?
Why do family members often eat together?
How important do you think it is for members of a family to eat together? FQx2
(Similar to above) What do you think are the benefits
of having a family eat together?
Why do some people not always eat with their family?
(Similar to above) Can you suggest why people today are
eating less often with their families than they did in the past?
What do you think are (or, will be) the results of this? *
What do you think has caused this change?
What do you think are the benefits of having three
generations of a family eating together
(Similar to above)
Are there any special times in your country when people eat together?
Where People Eat Their Meals
(Similar to above)
How often do people in your country eat out?
In what ways would you say eating at home and eating in
restaurants are different?
(Similar to above) What do you think are the advantages
and the disadvantages of eating at home, compared to eating in
restaurants?
What do you think has caused this change?
When people
Food
Do you think the food that people are eating today is different to the food that people were eating several decades ago?
Can you suggest why some people continue to eat unhealthy foods even when they know these foods are unhealthy?
Would you say that food is an important part of the culture of your country
Can you explain why people eating together is usually an important part of celebrating a special event?
Do people in your country eat certain foods during traditional holidays?
(Similar to above) Why do people think food is important on special occasions,
such as weddings
Do you think some people spend too much money on food for these occasions?
Notes
This might be a return of Topic 295. Something that was "given to you" could include a handmade piece of clothing, such as a woollen hat or scarf knitted by your grandmother, not always something that was bought in a shop.
Of course, children are given their clothes by their parents - they don't buy them themselves. But if "recently" is included in the wording then that is unsuitable as your example.
For Chinese people – make sure you know the differences between "give" and "send" in English.
See also the Part 3 of Topics
295,
515,
460,
Types of Clothing and Clothing for Different Occasions (especially formal vrs casual clothing)
Can you explain why people don't all wear the same (types of) clothes?
Can you explain why people wear different types of
clothes at different times (or, on different occasions)?
What are the different types of clothes that people wear for
different types of occasions (and at different types of places)?
(Similar to above) Do people generally wear the same
clothes at home as they do at work?
Why do people change their clothes (e.g., after work)?
(Similar to above) Why do people not wear the same clothes at
home and at work?
Do you think it is good to wear the same clothes at home as you do at work?
(Possibly)
In your country, people in what jobs generally wear a suit to work?
What would you say are the advantages and disadvantages of wearing these different types of clothes?
What would you say are the benefits of "dressing up"?
Do you think people feel more confident when they dress up?
On what occasions do people generally wear formal clothes?
Judging Others by Their Clothes
Do you think people pay attention to the clothes
that others are wearing
What do you think one can learn about a person by looking at the clothes this person is wearing?
How would others react if someone wore unsuitable clothes?
What would you think if you saw someone wearing dirty clothes?
Would you say that the clothes someone wears shows (reflects) their personality?
Fashion
What types of people tend to be most fashion-conscious in their choice of clothes?
What fashions in clothes are popular (or trendy) at the moment in your country? *
Where do people in your country buy their clothes?
Who do you think mostly buys designer clothes?
Do you think it depends on the age of the person?
Who mostly wears trendy clothes, young people or older
people
What do you think is the "fashion centre" of the world?
(Similar to above, for Asian people) Where do you think the fashion centre of Asia is?
Clothes for School and Work / Uniforms
Can you explain what the purpose of wearing a uniform is?
What are some examples of people who wear a uniform?
Do you (or, would you) like to wear a uniform
School
Do many school students in your country have to wear a school uniform at school?
Do you think schoolchildren should wear a uniform at school?
Do you think school teachers should also wear a uniform?
How do you think the state of mind of high school students is influenced (affected) by the fact that they are all wearing a uniform?
Would you say that's a good thing? *
Would you say (older) school students like wearing a school uniform
Do you think school uniforms look good (are attractive)?
Work
In what ways do work clothes differ from typical leisure wear?
Can you suggest why some people wear casual clothes at work?
Do you think it's a good idea for companies to have a dress code for what to wear at work?
Would you say that "dressing up" for work (wearing more formal clothes) provides benefits for the workers?
For example, what does a policeman's uniform represent?
Why do some big companies require their workers,
such as factory workers, to wear a uniform at work?
Do you think this is a good idea?
(Similar to above) What do you think are the advantages and the disadvantages of wearing a uniform at work? FQx2
Would you like to wear a uniform at work?
Do you think wearing overalls at work is a good idea? *
What kinds of workers wear overalls? * See Note 4
Clothes in Different Parts of the World / Traditional Clothes
(Similar to above) Can you suggest why people in different countries wear
different styles of clothes
What does the traditional clothing in your country look like? *
Do people in your country wear traditional clothes very often?
When do they wear traditional clothes?
Why don't they wear traditional clothes all the time?
Do you think all the people of the world might one day be wearing the same kinds
of clothes
With globalization, people today have more choices but some people continue to wear the traditional clothes of their country. Can you suggest why?
See also the Part 3 of Topics
Attitudes and Feelings About the Weather
How do you feel about the weather
(Similar to above)
How do people in your country generally feel about the weather?
Do people in your country talk about the weather very much?
How does the weather affect people?
How do people cope with different types of weather?
How can people know what the weather will be like tomorrow?
I
Which people (or, what types of people) do you think pay more attention to the
weather forecasts than other people
How do people get the weather forecasts
What apps do people use to find out the weather forecast?
(Similar to above)
Are weather forecasts in your country usually accurate
Do you think it's difficult for scientists (meteorologists) to forecast the weather?
Would you say that "climate change" has affected your country?
"Climate Change"
Do you think your government needs to do more about "climate change"? (See Note 6 on Page 133)
The Weather and the Seasons in Your Country
What's the weather usually like in your hometown?
How do you think weather influences people's lifestyles?
(Similar to above) What different activities do people do in different seasons?
Do people do different sports in different seasons
Do people change their activities as a result of changes in the weather?
The Influence of the Weather & Seasons on Work
In general, how does (or, how can) the weather influence the activities of people?
(Similar to above) What are some types of work in which workers especially
pay attention to (changes in) the weather
Notes
This might be similar to
It might not say, "in the future" because the words "a goal you have" automatically refers to the future.
See also the part 3 of
See also the Part 3 of the following topics about a success you would like to
have, or have had:
Topic 662,
See also the Part 3 of the following topics about your future (work) plans - Topic 499, Topic 217, Topic 97 and Topic 22.
Goals / Dreams
(Referring to your Part 2 answer) Do you think people in others countries also have that goal?
(Similar to above) Do you think young people should have a goal (or,
goals)?
What are some typical goals that
young people in your country have?
Do you think it would be easy to become a pop star if that was your goal?
Would you say that men and women (males and females) generally have the same goals?
(Similar to above)
In your country, what goals do young people generally have?
In general. what are the differences between the goals that males have and those that females have?
At what age do you think is the most suitable time for people to set their major goals for their life?
Do you think people's goals change as they grow older
For those people who don't have any goals, where could they get some suggestions for goals to have?
Do you think parents have a lot of influence on the goals that their children have?
Who do you think influences young people more
in the formation of their goals, their friends, their parents or their teachers?
Who do you think helps (or, can help) young people more to set a goal, their parents or their teachers?
Who do you think can better help young people achieve their goals, their parents or their teachers?
Why do you think many young people do not listen to the advice of their parents?
When did you start having goals for yourself?
Which do you think is the better time for for a person
to make decisions about their future goals (future career), in high school
on in university
What kinds of problems do people have in achieving their goals?
Can you suggest how they could overcome these problems?
Dreams
See Note 5
At what age do you think people start to have dreams (about their future, or changing their present situation)?
Would you say there's much difference between a "goal"
and a "dream"?
(Similar to above) What would you say is the difference
between a "dream" and a realistic goal
Do you think it's good to have a dream, or is it bad
What sorts of dreams do young people in your country have?
Which do you think is better, to have big dreams or small ones?
Do you think that some young people have dreams that are too big?
Do you think (young) people should have a
dream
If one's dream is to difficult to achieve, what do you suggest they should do?
Do you think there are any
disadvantages in having dreams
Do you think many people continue striving to reach a goal even after they realize it is unrealistic?
How do you think a dream can be turned into reality?
Ambition
Would you say everyone is ambitious?
Children and Goals
Do you
think it's good for parents to set (or, choose) goals for their children?
Do boys and girls usually have the same gaols, or different goals?
Spend a few minutes reading about the topic of, "animal testing" on the internet. It's not the same as the more general, "animal experimentation", which might include using animals in behavioural research. This topic also appears as an IELTS writing question from time to time. New chemicals, including pharmaceutical drugs, are tested on animals. The animals are usually or often in extreme pain during the test and are usually tested to find how much of the chemical will cause death.
The term, "raise an animal" is similar in many ways to the term, "raise a child" and, "raise a crop". It means to take care of an animal from birth until it has grown to maturity. "Raising animals" also usually includes breeding the animals. Most animals are raised on farms for the purpose of providing meat for humans and, in the case of chickens, to also provide eggs. The females (the cows) of dairy cattle are, of course, raised to provide milk.
These animals are usually not raised in cities for several reasons: reasons of hygiene (involving the waste of these animals and diseases that some animals might carry), because it's cheaper to raise them in the countryside, because some animals need to eat grass that grows in fields, and because some animals make a lot of noise, especially when there are many of them together.
Some people use the term, "raise a pet" but I think that usage is somewhat unsuitable because we don't always "raise" a pet during it's growing years – we might buy it when it has already grown to maturity. Additionally, people usually keep a pet until it dies, so they are not just taking care of it until it has reached maturity. Yes, some people breed and raise dogs, cats, birds etc. to sell as pets, which is the same as raising animals on a farm. When referring to pet owners, the best term to use is "keep a pet", or simply, "have a pet", not "raise a pet".
b)
Question a) can be interpreted to mean, "
Concerning wild animals: As people become more educated, they realize that the study of all living things is an important part of human knowledge. This realization includes understanding the importance of the preservation of endangered living species because, if a species becomes extinct, then it can no longer be studied.
Apparently the word, "overalls" has been used by at least one examiner but the exact questions have not been clearly reported.
The word "dream" can be used to refer to a goal that is rather long-term and is often idealistic. That is, people don't usually expect to see the fruition of their dreams to be achieved in the near future. An example of such as dream could be working as a doctor in one of the poorest parts of the world. But some "dreams" might be more selfish than idealistic, such as the dream of becoming a millionaire.
Another idea associated with the word "dream" is that many dreams are just fantasy.
Of course, this usage of the word, "dream" is not the same as the dreams that we have when we are asleep.