ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

Updated May 16,, 2018

IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

Page 153

761.  An Interesting Neighbour (Jan. 2017)  (Probably no longer used)

762.  An Historical Event (Jan. 2017)  (Probably no longer used)

763.  Spent Time with a Child (Jan. 2017)  (Probably no longer used)

764.  An Exciting Activity (Jan. 2017)  (Probably no longer used)

765.  A Family Member who Made You Feel Proud (Jan. 2017)  (Probably no longer used)

 

RETURN TO PART 2 TOPIC INDEX

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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761.  An Interesting Neighbour (Jan. 2017)  (Probably no longer used) 

Describe an interesting neighbour of yours.

               You should say:

 who they are (= who he or she is)

 how you know them

 how often you see him or her

 and explain why you think this person is interesting.        .

 

Notes

  • You have to describe one person here. Don't be confused by the use of, "they" or "them". Those are shortcut versions of "he or she" and "him or her".

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Possible follow-up questions:

  • Do you know any other of your neighbours?

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 of Topics 455, 334 and 27

Neighbours

  • What would you say is the importance of neighbours in society?

  • Do you think it's necessary to deal with one's neighbours?   See Note 1

  • Do you think people in your country know their neighbours wellFQ

  • (Similar to above) Is it easy to know one's neighbours in your countryFQ

  • What kind of neighbours do you (or people in general) prefer to have?

  • Do neighbours nowadays differ from those in the past?

  • Do you think people's relationships with their neighbours in the big cities are different to neighbourly relationships in small towns and villages?

  • How can people get to know their neighbours (better)?

  • What would you say are the benefits of getting to know one's neighbours?

  • What do you think is the effect of (modern communications) technology on people's relationships with their neighbours?

  • Can you suggest any activities that would improve people's relationships with their neighbours?

  • What would you say are the benefits of having neighbours?

  • Would you say neighbours trust each other?

  • In general, is it easy, or difficult, to get along with one’s neighbours?

  • Can you explain why many people nowadays don't care as much about their neighbours as people did in previous times?

Communities

  • Do you enjoy living in your community?

  • What do you think are the benefits of people forming communities?

  • Can you suggest how local communities could be improvedFQ

  • (Similar to above) What can be done to improve neighbourhoods and communitiesFQ

  • How can (or, do) residents keep their communities clean and tidy?

  • Do you think there is better communication among people in small communities than in big ones?

  • What do you think is the impact of modern (communications) technology on communities?

  • Would you say people in small community do a better job of developing their community than people in big communities?

  • Do you think local businesses are important to a community?

  • What impact do businesses have on a community?

  • How do businesses work with communities?

  • How are businesses (both big and small) involved in the development of small communitiesFQ

  • (Similar to above) What can businesspeople do to improve the local communityFQ

  • (Similar to above) Can you suggest what benefits companies could offer local communitiesFQ

Rural and Urban Living

  • What are the differences between living in a village and living in a city?

  • Do you think people living in big cities are less likely to know their neighbours well than people living in towns and villages?

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762.  An Historical Event (Jan. 2017)  (Probably no longer used) 

Describe an important historical event in your country.

            You should say:

                        where it happened

                        when it happened

                        how you know about it

            and explain why it is important.

              .

Notes

  • It is possible that the first line is, "Describe an historic event in your country." The two words, "historical" and "historic" overlap in meaning and usage to some extent but the main difference between them is this: "historical" = "from or concerning  history" but "historic" = "important in history". Therefore, "important historical" and the one word, "historic" mean the same.

  • Even though we do pronounce the "h" in the adjectives "historical" and "historic", it is only pronounced lightly. So the word, "an" is usually used before those two words, as if the "h" was not pronounced at all. It's simply easier to speak that way.

  • Someone reported the wording to be something like, "Describe an historical event in your country that affected you" and, "explain how it affected you". This is possible, but I think only one person reported that wording.

  • Similar (or identical) topics used previously were Topics 491 & 411

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 of Topics 491, 411, Topic 603, Topic 188, & 264

Previous topics about historic buildings might also have similar questions to those below: 650 & 327

The Importance of History

  • Do you like history? FQ

  • What can we learn from history? FQ

  • Do you think people mainly remember the good parts, or bad parts of history?

  • What can we learn from the negative parts of history?

  • What would you say are the causes of war?

  • What are some ways to learn about historical figures (= people)?

  • Can you explain why some people in history are famous today while others are not? FQ

  • (Similar to above) Would you agree that only major historical figures are remembered while others are ignored? FQ

  • (Similar to above) Why are some people famous at first but not so famous later? FQ

Learning about History

  • How do (or, how can) people know about history? FQ

  •  Do you think (all) students should study history at school? FQ

  • What do you think your parents learned about history in school?

  • Do you think people in different countries learn different things about history?

History Museums

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763.  Spent Time with a Child (Jan. 2017)  (Probably no longer used) 

Describe an occasion when you spent time with a child. *

            You should say:

                            who the child is (or, was) *

                            what you did

                            when it was

            and explain how you felt. *

            .

Notes

  • Someone (only one person) reported this as, "Describe an occasion when you had a good time with a child" and, "explain why it was a good time". This wording specifies a positive experience while the wording shown above is neutral and would allow you to describe a time you spent with a child who was difficult to get along with. I think the neutral wording is most likely to be the true wording.

  • The meaning here is an occasion when you, as a "non-child", spent time with a child. Yes, it is probably possible to talk about a time when you were also a child, spending time with another child. But to talk about that situation is not a good idea because that would really be answering the task, "Describe an occasion when you, as a child, spent time with another child."

  • Remember, a "child" is normally understood to be a person between the ages of about 3 and about 12. On the other hand, when referring to the legal definition of "child", sometimes a person under the age of 18 is referred to as a "child" because 18 is the legal age in many parts of the world for doing many "adult" things such as driving a car, getting married, voting, serving in the military forces, being tried in court as an adult etc. That is, 18 is often considered to be the beginning of adulthood, although 21 is also considered to be the beginning of legal adulthood in other situations, such as signing a legal contract. However, instead of "child", the word "adolescent" is better when referring to someone between the ages of 13 and 18.

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Possible follow-up questions:

  • Do you know many children?

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Part 3

See also any similar questions to below at Topics 673, 421, Topic 311, 103 and Topic 40

Children Today in General

Bringing up / Taking Care of Children

 The Education of Children

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764.  An Exciting Activity (Jan. 2017)  (Probably no longer used) 

Describe an exciting activity you tried for the first time. *

            You should say:

                            when and where it was

                            what you did

                            how easy or difficult it was

            and explain why it was exciting.

           .

Notes

  • Make sure you know the differences (in meaning, usage and pronunciation) between the two words, "exciting" and "excited". The two words sometimes sound similar when some people pronounce them, so make sure you can pronounce them clearly and differently.

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 of Topics 753, 611, 431, 348, Topic 209, 82, 19, Topic 3, An Adventurous Person and Topic 317 An Adventurous Person (2)

New Activities

 Adventurous Activities

 Dangerous Activities

Notes:  For many of these questions, the general word, "activity" or "activities" is replaced by the more specific word, "sport". "Dangerous sport" might be replaced by "extreme sport".

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765.  A Family Member who Made You Feel Proud (Jan. 2017)  (Probably no longer used)

Describe a family member who did something to make you feel proud.

            You should say:

                            who he or she is

                            what he or she did

                            how often you spend time together *

            and explain why you felt proud.

           .

Notes

  • It is not certain that the words, "how often you spend time together" are used. If something like those words is used then this family member must be someone who is still alive.

  • In the English-speaking culture, "family" usually refers to the "nuclear family". That is, your parents, your brothers and sisters, your husband or wife, your children and even your grandparents and grandchildren. However, it is suitable for you to talk about a cousin, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece. But if you choose one of these, it might be a good idea to quickly explain to the examiner that this person is a member of your "extended family". It would not be suitable to talk about someone who is more distant from your nuclear family than those people.

  • If the line, "how often you spend time together" is not used then it might be possible for you to talk about an ancestor such as a great-grandparent, someone who probably died before you were born. Ancestors are considered to be past members of "your family".

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 of the following topics: 662, 595, 571, 379, 344, 296, 173, 109 & 43

Feeling Pride

 Giving Prizes and Rewards to Children

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Note 1

Do you think it's necessary to deal with one's neighbours?

This is how the question was reported and it might be accurate. But instead of the word, "necessary", it might have been, "important".