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Written May 18, 2018

IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

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796. A Happy Marriage (May. 2017) (Probably no longer used)

797. A Helpful Person (May. 2017) (Probably no longer used)

798. An Invention (May. 2017) (Probably no longer used)

799. Moved to a New School or Home (May. 2017) (Probably no longer used)

800. A Work of Art (May. 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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796. A Happy Marriage (May. 2017) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a happily married couple that you know.

Describe a couple you know who have a happy marriage.

You should say:

who they are

how you met them

how long they have been married

and explain what (you think) makes them happy together.

and explain why you think they are happy together. .

Notes

Those choices shown by "or" really mean the same as each other, in slightly different wording.

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Possible follow-up questions:

Do other people also think this marriage has been successful?

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Part 3

See also any relevant Part 3 questions at Topics 413, 714, Topic 357 & Topic 522

Marriage

How old are most people when they get married people in your country? FQ
Is that age suitable for you, personally?
What do you think is the most suitable age to get married? FQ
In your country, has the average age of marriage changed, compared to the past?
What is the legal age of marriage?
Can you suggest why many people today are getting married later than in the past?
(Similar to above) Why are some people still unmarried after they reach the age of 30?
In your opinion, what makes a happy marriage? FQ
Do you think compromising is important in a happy marriage?
What would you say are the advantages and disadvantages of a marriage between two people from different countries (or cultures)?
In your culture, do parents of a girl usually have any special requirements for the man before their daughter can marry him?

Weddings

How are weddings celebrated in your country? FQ
Is music usually part of wedding celebrations in your country?
Can you explain why people generally like going to wedding receptions (or weddings, or wedding celebrations)?
As far as you know, are there any major differences between weddings in your country and in Western countries? FQ
Do you have any wedding customs in your country that other countries don't have?
In your country, what sorts of things do newly married couples receive as wedding gifts?
Do you think weddings should be simple. or should they be big and fancy?
Why do some people choose to have small (simple) weddings?
Can you explain why some people spend a large amount of money on weddings? FQ
Do you think it's suitable to spend so much money on a wedding?

Families

What is the size of the typical family in your country?

Why do married couples today have fewer children than was the case in the past?

Do you think this might change in the future?

In your country today, what are the responsibilities (or, the roles) of the man and the woman in a marriage (in a family)? FQ

Have these roles changed much in the past 20 or 30 years? FQ

Whose responsibility is it to take care of the children in a marriage?

Whose responsibility is it to make money for the family?

Can you suggest why society considers men and women to be different?

In traditional marriages (or families) in your culture, would you say the man and woman are equal? FQ

Is that the same today? FQ

Do you think the family is very important for producing responsible citizens in a country?

Would you say that parenting is a hard task?

Do you think it's reasonable for parents to be given maternity and paternity leave when they have a child?

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797. A Helpful Person (May. 2017) (Probably no longer used)

Version a)

Describe a person who helped you with your studies or at work.

You should say:

who this person was.

where they helped you

what they did to help you

and explain how you felt after they helped you. *

and explain why this person helped you. *

Version b)

Describe a person who is helpful to you with your studies or at work.

You should say:

who this person is

where they help you

how this person helps you

and explain how you feel about this help (or this person). *

and explain why this person helps you. *

Notes

Versions a) and b) are not the same and it is not clear which version is being used.

If the card says, "who helped you" then it refers to a specific event and a specific time or period in the past. It might have happened just once, or it might have happened many times, but the emphasis is on the past, not now. It is possible that this person still helps you now but your "story" should emphasize a past event.

But if it says, "who is helpful" then it refers to both the past and it is still continuing now and the emphasis is on the present, or now. An error in answering this using the correct tense might cost you a little in your grammar sub-score.

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also (for "You Helped Somebody") the Part 3 of Topics 78, 156, 279, 461, 550 & 705

See also (for "Somebody Helped You") the Part 3 for Topics 526, 461, 392, 279, 267, 210, 156 and 28

and see 104

Helping Others

Do you often help others?
How do you feel after you help someone?
Do you think it's good (or, important) to help others?
What are some examples of how people help others?
Can you explain why they do it?
Are the people around you generally helpful to you?
How do (or can) children be helped? See Note 8
Can you explain why some people do not help others very much?
Would you say people today help others more than in the past, or less than in the past?
Do you think people today are more selfish than in the past?
How would you describe the characteristics of people who help others? FQ
In general, who would you say helps others more (in the workplace), males or females? FQ
Do you think young people (e.g. aged 15 to 30) should be more helpful than they are?

The Helping Professions

Can you give any examples of jobs that involve people helping others? FQ
Ideally, what personal qualities should people in the helping professions have? FQ
Are these people usually paid very high salaries? FQ
Why do they choose to do these jobs?
Do you think they should be paid more? FQ
Do you think it's good to have some people in society doing voluntary, unpaid work helping others?
Who would you say contributes more to society, rich people or poor people?

Teaching Children to be Helpful

What are some ways that children can be helpful to others?
Would you say children (e.g., under the age of 5) tend to be selfish, or do they tend to be selfless?
(Similar to above) Do you think it's necessary to teach children to be helpful to others?
Can you suggest how children could be brought up (or, educated) to become helpful people? FQ
(Similar to above) What is the parents' role in teaching children to be helpful?
Do you think taking part in teamwork is useful in teaching children how to be helpful?
Are there any disadvantages from doing things in a team? FQ

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798. An Invention (May. 2017) (Probably no longer used)

Describe an invention that changed people's lives. *

You should say:

what it is

what it does (or, how it it used)

how popular it is among people of different ages

` and explain why (or how) you think it changed people's lives. *

Notes

The words, "changed people's lives" or or "changed our lives" might in fact be, "changed the world". Those two choices are almost the same but the emphasis is different. For example, the invention of plastic changed people's lives greatly amd it has also changed the physical world, especially the oceans, as a result of the amount of plastic pollution that exists today. The invention of television and the internet changed people's lives but their effect on the physical world has been less severe than the invention of plastic.

Someone has reported that the card says, "changed people's lives in a good way". Just to be sure, I suggest you talk about such an invention, not an invention such as the atomic bomb, which also changed people's lives but in a negative way.

Although no-one has reported that the card says, "you should say when it was invented", you should include this information.

The phrase, "changed people's lives" (or, "changed the world") is past tense. This is different to, "has changed people's lives" (or, "has changed the world"). If the word, "has" is included, then the emphasis is on a recent change. But if it is simply the past tense, "changed", then it could refer to something that primitive man invented that changed people's thousands of years ago but is no longer relevant today. For example, the invention of the wheel certainly changed people's lives but to say it "has changed people's lives" is not suitable since the change was so long ago.

For simplicity. the Part 2 cards in the IELTS test are usually written in the past tense, not the present perfect tense, (e.g., "has changed"). If the card is written in the past tense, (which seems to be the case here), you can still talk about a relatively recent invention (in the past 10, 100 or 200 years) that has changed people's lives, such as television. But you should use a phrase like, "after it came into use" or, "after people started using it" to specify the time when the past tense, "changed" happened. Whenever the past tense is used, the time (or time period) must be stated or already known.

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Possible follow-up questions:

Do you often use that invention?

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Part 3

Inventions and Inventors

Can you name any other inventions that have made a big impact on human society?
Do you think that the most useful and important inventions have already been made?
Do you think the invention of the wheel was very important?
What leads a person to invent something?
What do you think makes an invention "useful"?
What new invention(s) would you like to be available in the future? FQ
What inventions would make work easier?
Can you make a prediction about what new inventions we might see within the next 20 or 30 years?

Modern Technology

What are some examples of inventions that are used in the home? FQ
Which of those do you think is the most useful?
Do you think these inventions tend to make people lazy? FQ
What benefits do people get from these modern inventions? *
Can you think of any other things, not yet invented, that might appear in people's home within the next 20 or 30 years?
Do (or did) your teachers at school use any modern technology in the classroom? See Note 1
What are some examples of electronic or electrical equipment that are used in schools (in classrooms)? FQ
Do you think the invention of the mobile phone is useful for teenagers?
What kinds of new technology connected to health do you think might appear in future?
Do you think inventions using sunlight are important?

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799. Moved to a New School or Home (May. 2017) (Probably no longer used)

Copy of Topic 523

Describe a time when you moved to a new school or home

You should say:

when you moved

where you moved from and to

why you moved

and explain how you felt about this move

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also any relevant Part 3 questions at Topic 731 & Topic 523

Moving

What are some reasons why people move to live in a different place (or different home)? FQ
How do people decide where to move to?
Is it very common for people to move to a different home in your country?
On what occasions (or at what stages of life) do people commonly move to a different place to live?
Is it easy to move to a different home in your country?
Why do many people move to cities (or to different cities)?
What are the pros and cons of a child moving to a new school?
What sort of problems do people encounter when they move to a new home or school? FQ
Who do you think can adapt easier (or, better) to such a new situation, children or adults? FQ
What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of living in the same home for a long time (or a lifetime)? FQ
In places where people do not move very much, neighbours usually know each other. Is this a good thing? FQ

Changes

What important changes do people make (or, what important changes occur) during people's lives?
Can change be stressful?
Do you think students benefit form new experiences?
Do old people adapt very well to change? See Note 2
Do people in your country change their job very often? FQ
What are some reasons for people changing jobs, or changing careers?
If the government wants to make some changes that will affect people's lives and if some people are not happy about these plans, how do you suggest this problem could be resolved?
How are global changes affecting people nowadays?
In the (not too distant) future, do you think robots will be used as teachers?

Helping Children Adapt to Change

In general, would you say children like change in their lives, or not?

Who do you think adapt more easily to change, children or adults? FQ

Do you think parents should protect their children from change?

(Similar to above) Do you think parents should avoid any changes occurring in the lives of their children?

How can parents help their children adapt to changes such as a new school or home? FQ

What (types of) changes are most likely to make children feel uncomfortable?

Which do you think is better for children, a sudden change or a gradual change?

Do you think children should try new things?

Do you think more change should be encouraged?

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800. A Work of Art (May. 2017) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a work of art you have seen (such as a painting, statue or sculpture).

You should say:

what it is

when and where you saw it

what it looks like

and explain what impression this work of art made on you.

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also any relevant Part 3 questions at Topic 11, Topic 167, Topic 414 & Topic 506

Art in Your Country

Do you like art?
Did you have art classes in school?
Do you think art classes at school are beneficial to children?
What benefits do you think people get from painting as a hobby?
What kinds of (examples of) art have you come into contact with?
What kinds of art are produced in your country? FQ
What is the general attitude of people in your country towards art?
Do you think that all kinds of art are equally popular in society? See Note 4
What kinds of art are most popular in your country?
Do you think people's preferences in art have changed over the past 20 or 30 years?
Are art exhibitions often held in your country?
Do many people go to art galleries or art exhibitions in your country?
What kinds of people go to art galleries and art exhibitions?
Why do people go to an art gallery or exhibition? FQ
What do people in your country think of Western art?
Are there any major differences between artwork in your country and Western art?
How is the creation of artwork today different to the way art was created in the past? See Note 3
Is there any form of art in your country that you think might become popular in the future? See Note 6
Do you think people of different generations have differences in the types of art that they like? FQ
Do you think it's true to say that old(er) people appreciate art more than young people? FQ
Do you think the government should provide money for (some) artists to do their work, or is it better for art to be privately funded? FQ See Note 7
(Similar to above) Do you think the government should pay for statues and sculptures to be created, or is it better for this to be privately funded? FQ
(Similar to above) Should the government financially support the development of the arts? FQ
Should government fund art galleries (or should it be done privately)? FQ
Is good art always expensive to buy?
Why are some works of art expensive?
How can the value of a piece of artwork be assessed?
Some people say that artists only become well-known after they have died. Do you think that is true?

The Impact of Art

Do you think there's much difference between the impression that colourful art gives people, compared to that of colourless (or monotonic) art? FQ See Note 5

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Note 1

You could expand your answer to include the classroom at university.

Note 2

Don't forget that old people are usually not very comfortable with changes in technology such as the internet and mobile phones. One reason for this (but not the only reason) is that some old people can't handle the motor skills involved, for example because their hands shake or are not as steady as young people's hands.

Note 3

The question is obviously referring to the use of computers today. There might be other differences, as well.

Note 4

This question is probably introducing the idea that not all art is interesting to the broad masses of the population, while some examples of art are quite popular. Don't forget, comic books are a form of art!

Note 5

You might not get exactly that question but it seems there are questions about the impact of colour in art.

Note 6

Whenever you get a question about the future, quickly think if technology such as computers, the internet (or smartphones) might be relevant to this question.

Note 7

In general, these questions are an attempt to introduce the topic of the government's role in art, or how much the government should be involved in art, especially by funding it.

Note 8

"Children be helped" means someone helps children or a child.

But there is also the following question in this Part 3: "What are some ways that children can be helpful to others?"