Updated Sep 3, 2017
IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 155
771.
A Book You Want to Read
Again (Jan. 2017)
772.
An Interesting House or
Apartment (Jan. 2017)
773.
A Decision You Disagreed
With (Jan. 2017)
774. A
Well-Paid Job (Jan. 2017)
775. Your
Favourite Type of Weather (Jan. 2017)
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
Describe a book you read and want to read again. *
You should say:
how you first knew about it
when you last read it
what the book is about
and explain why you want to read it again. * .
Notes
This might be Topic
Possibly the words, "would like to read" are used instead of, "want to read". Make sure you know the similarities and differences between these two. "Want to" refers to something that you think about more, like a plan or a definite intention, and is stronger than, "would like to". Adjust your answer to best suit whichever ("want to" or "would like to") is written on the cue card.
People's Reading Habits
Is reading very popular in your country?
Do you think people read
more today than they did in the past
What materials do people read the most?
Do many people continue to read books after they have finished their formal studies at university or school?
Do you read before going to bed?
What do you think are
the main differences between e-books and 'normal' books made of paper
When learning a foreign language, do you think it's important (or, necessary) to also learn about that foreign culture?
Do you think people can gain an understanding of a foreign culture without reading some of the literature from that culture?
Books and Children
What types of
books do children in your country like to read? (Why?)
(Similar to above) What kinds of
books are popular among children in your country
Should parents
read stories to their children?
What do you think are the
benefits of reading (or telling) bedtime stories to little children?
What do you think is the
effect of parents reading stories to their children?
In general, would you
say
Describe an interesting house or apartment you visited. *
You should say:
where it was
what it looked like
when you went there
and explain why it was interesting.
Notes
If it says, "
"Interesting" means there was something different (to the ordinary) about this house or apartment.
See also the Part 3 of
Topics
670 and
512 and any relevant questions in the Part 3 of
Housing in Your Country
Note: Instead of, "in your country", the examiner might say, "around where you live".
In your country, what are the various types of
homes that people live in
Would you prefer
to live in a big, or a small home
(Similar to
above) What would you say are the advantages and disadvantages of living in
a big or a small home
Would you prefer
to live in a modern, or an old building
Why do most people
prefer to move to a newer building (rather than move to an older building)
(Similar to
above)
Can you suggest why some people choose to live in old homes?
Why are housing prices so high?
Do most people prefer to live alone or with their families?
Do you think the government should try to improve people’s living conditions?
Housing and Preserving the Natural Environment
What alternative energy sources can be used in the home?
How do solar water heaters save energy?
If government controlled how buildings are built, do you think the result would be less energy waste in these buildings?
Do you think wasting water in homes is a serious problem?
Describe a decision made by another person that you disagreed with.
You should say:
who made the decision
what decision it was
whether you told him or her your opinion (or, feelings)
and explain why you disagreed.
For "Decision" see also
the Part 3 of Topics
686,
For "Advice"
Decision Making in General
(Possibly the question above is this)
How do the decisions we make affect our lives?
Can you suggest how people can make good decisions in important situations?
Why do some people make wrong decisions?
Would you say it's a good idea to take advice from others?
What are some
examples of people making group or team decisions
Do you prefer to
make group or individual decisions
What do you do when you make wrong decisions?
Do you think political leaders should be more careful when they make decisions?
How do the decisions of politicians affect people in society?
Young People (and Children) and Decision Making
Do parents in
your country generally make the most important decisions for their children
even when their children are at the age of being young adults
What are some decisions that young people can make on their own?
What would you say is the difference between a "good decision" and a "bad decision"?
Can you suggest why people sometimes make the wrong decisions?
Describe a well-paid job you think you would be good at.
You should say:
what the job is
where it would be
what is required to get the job
and explain why you would like to have this job.
The following topics related to "company"
or "business" might also have similar questions:
744,
720,
Highly-Paid Work
What kinds of
jobs are well-paid in your country
(Similar to
above)
Some professional athletes and entertainers have very high incomes. Do you think it's right that they receive such large incomes?
(Similar to
above)
Can you explain why some jobs are well-paid, while others are not?
Why do you think managers are usually paid more than the people they manage (or, supervise)?
Why (or, how) do some people get high-paid jobs?
What abilities or skills do people need to have in order to get a high-paid job?
Why do people want to have high salaries?
Do you think it’s possible for every job to be paid equally?
How do you think a person would feel if they were paid a high salary but had no sense of achievement?
The Importance (or value) of Different Jobs
What would you say are the most important jobs in society?
Would you say that some jobs are not necessary at all?
The Motivation to Work
Can you explain why
many
people work even though they are not well-paid
Do you think
the pay is the most important aspect of a job
In addition to income, what influences people's choice of what job or career to do?
Do employers need to motivate their employees to do their jobs?
What are some ways
that employers could use to motivate their employees
Do you think all those ways to motivate people would benefit a company in the long term?
Do you think employees in companies (or other organizations) need to have a "company spirit" in order to do their jobs well?
Do you think employers should pay their staff well in order to motivate them?
What other things can employers do to motivate their employees (their staff)?
Do you think motivating employees is the responsibility of employers, or of the employees themselves?
What is the benefit of employees motivating themselves?
Describe your favourite type of weather.
You should say:
what type it is
what you do in this weather
how this weather affects how you feel (or, affects your mood)
and explain why you like it.
Previous topics called,
"Your favourite Weather" were
The Weather
Do you think many
people
Do you think the weather forecast is usually accurate?
Are the activities of young people and of old(er) people affected the same by the weather?
Does the weather ever affect your plans?
Do you like rainy days?
Can you describe what a rainy day is like?
How do people go to work when it's raining?
Do you think the economy is affected by weather
The Seasons
Clothing for Different Types of Weather
Do people dress
differently in different kinds of weather
Do you think it’s annoying (or, inconvenient) to wear different clothes in different kinds of weather?
What do you wear when it is cold outside?
Why do people need to wear thick clothes when it’s cold outside?
Why do people wear hats on sunny days?
Why do you think people wear raincoats?
Do people change their clothes on rainy days?
It is not clear whether this means:
a)
or
b)
Most likely meaning a) was the meaning.
"Overpaid" = paid too much money
The word "wages" tends to be applied to those people in less well-paid jobs, such as factory workers. Wages are usually or often quotes as a set amount of money per hour worked. On the other hand, the word, "salary" tends to be applied to people who are doing the better paid jobs. Salaries are usually quoted as a set amount of money per year.
Both words, wages and salary, apply to employees. One's "remuneration" for their work is a more educated word that includes both salary and wages. One's "pay" is an equally acceptable, more everyday word that also includes the meaning of both salary and wages. A more general word is, "income", which applies to everyone, both employees and employers as well as people living on investment incomes or pensions.
Since "wages" is used to apply to those who are less well-paid. and if the question above actually does include that word, then the question really means, "Do you think wage-earners are paid fairly?" = "Do you think those who are less well-paid are paid fairly?"
Overall, the question refers to the distribution of wealth in society, which is similar to the distribution of incomes in society.
This question is possible but usually the
question that is asked is,
Listen carefully to the exact words in these questions because the answer can be quite different, depending on the wording. For example, in question a), "main" means something like, "most". You could truthfully answer that most of the decisions that teenagers make nowadays are related to what pop song to listen to, or what game to play on their smartphones, or whether to eat at KFC or MacDonalds! But these are not important decisions.