Updated Oct. 10., 2019
IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions
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901.
A Skill You Learned
902.
An Activity You Do Alone
903. A Talk or
Speech
904. A Family Business
905.
A Gift You Really Wanted
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
Notes
This looks like a new topic.
Of course, "a long time" is a relative concept. For some people or for some skills, 2 weeks can be called a long time while other people might think a year or more is called, "a long time". And does "the time" mean the total numbers of hours spent learning the skill, or the time period over which one learns the skill? For example, most of us learned the skill of riding a bicycle in just a day or two by spending perhaps a total of 2 hours practicing it. No-one would describe that as a long time. On the other hand, another person might spend only 3 minutes a day learning to ride a bicycle and need two weeks before he or she can be described as having learned the skill.
There are certain skills that all of us learn as part of the natural process of growing up. The time for these skills is usually a long time but this depends on what point you choose to say that a person has fully learned the skill, or depending on how well the person can do the skill. These skills include learning to speak, learning to walk, and even psychological or social skills such as learning how to be patient, learning how to cooperate with others, learning how to communicate well with others etc. See Note 1 for more examples of skills.
Past topics about a skill are:
Learning Skills
Can you give any more examples of skills that take a long time to learn? FQ
Why do people want to learn those skills?
(Similar to above) What is the value (or importance) of learning new skills?
Can you explain why some people need a long time to learn a skill?
In general, how
do you think people feel after they have learned (or, mastered) a skill
(Similar to above) Which do you think is more satisfying, to learn a skill that takes a long time, or to learn one that takes just a short time?
Some people are not willing to learn new skills. Can you suggest why?
Do you think it's worth spending a long time to learn a skill?
Would you say it takes a long time to learn a language? See Note 2
Do you think
there are any people who have a natural (inborn; innate) ability (or talent)
for some skills
Can you give any examples of careers that require practicing a skill over a long time?
Why do think talented athletes still need to spend so much time training?
Social Skills / Work Skills
Can you give any examples of what can be described as "social skills"? *
Can you think of
any skills that involve patience
Can you give any
examples of jobs that require people to be patient with others
Would you say that elderly people are more patient than teenagers?
Children Learning Skills
Do you think there are any essential skills that children should (or, need to) learn before they start school?
Do you think children generally learn new skills (or, new things) faster than adults?
902.
An Activity You Do Alone
Notes
This seems to be a new topic.
There's something about the first line that leads me to believe the words, "... that you do alone" possibly might not be actually part of the wording. It might be a follow-up question, such as, "Do you usually do that activity alone?"
The last line might be, "and explain why you like to do this activity". That's not the same as what is written above. For example, people wash their clothes in their free time; it's not an activity they do at work or as part of their studies. On the other hand, some people might say that housework is not a free time activity because it is a type of work. The point is, not many people would say they actually "like" washing their clothes, even though we all like to wear clean clothes.
Overall, it's probably best to describe a leisure activity (such as a hobby) that you do. In this case, it's your choice of what to do so you probably do like doing it.
Young People's Free Time
Do young people in your country
spend a lot of time alone
What do young people in your country usually do in their spare time? FQ
Do you think high school students in your country should have more free time (than they have now)?
Do you usually plan what you will do in your free time, such as what you will do tonight or next Sunday? *
How do you plan what you will do in your free time?
How do you choose what to do in your free time? *
Do young people do whatever they want to do in their free time or are they told what to do?
Should parents
help their children to manage their time
Do you think parents should spend more time with their children?
Why do you think some people prefer to spend their free time outdoors while others prefer to do indoor activities?
Would you say people nowadays are living
at a faster pace than they did in the past (e.g., several decades ago)
Work
In general, do you think young people in your country like their jobs?
Do you think people in your country spend too much time at work?
Would you say that people in
your country now work longer hours (per week or per day) than in the past
Do many people have to work overtime
What would you say are the advantages
and disadvantages of having a flexible work time
Would you say that busy people at work are always more productive than people who are not so busy?
Describe an interesting talk or speech you heard.
You should say:
who gave the speech
where it was
what it was about
and explain why you thought (or, think) it was interesting. *
Describe an interesting talk or lecture you heard (or, attended). *
You should say:
who was speaking / who spoke (or, who gave the talk or lecture)
where it was
what it was about
and explain why you thought it was interesting.
Notes
This is probably a repeat of one or
more of the following topics:
778,
This Topic 903 might be a new variation of the previous topic, shown as Version B. That includes the choice of talking about a lecture, not a speech.
Of course, university students have to attend many lectures.
If the first line says "you heard" but does not include, "you attended" then it might be possible to describe a lecture, talk or speech you heard on the radio, TV or the internet.
It's quite important both for Part 2 and Part 3 that you know the differences between, "a talk", "a lecture" and "a speech".
Public Speaking (e.g. Giving a Speech)
What types (categories) of people do you think usually give a speech?
What characteristics (or, traits, or qualities) do you think a person needs to have in order to give a good speech?
Would you say most people in your country would feel nervous if they had to speak (to a large) group of people?
What do suggest someone could do in order to reduce that nervousness?
What qualities
does someone need in order to speak
How important
would you say self-confidence is when speaking in front of a group (or,
speaking in public)
Which do you think is more important when speaking in public, confidence or knowledge?
Being a Listener
What are some
occasions when it's important to be a good listener
How can a person be a good listener when attending a talk or lecture (or a speech)?
Why do you think some people are not very good listeners (sometimes)?
(Similar to
above) What are some reasons why some people can't concentrate on a lecture
(or talk or speech)
Would you say most people prefer to be a listener, or a speaker?
What types of people usually attend a lecture?
Do you usually
remember everything you hear when you attend a lecture
How can you
remember what you have heard
Do you take notes
when you attend a lecture
Do you think
taking notes in a lecture would distract you from listening to the lecturer
What do you think
makes a lecture (or, a talk, or speech) interesting
Can you suggest how some lectures could be improved?
What preparations would you make if your were going to give a talk or lecture?
Giving a Talk to Children
Do you think it's important for children to listen to a speech (or a talk, or a lecture)?
Notes
So far, this topic has been reported as a "Family Business". That might be accurate and, if so, it is more or less a new topic. But many people don't always know when a business, such as a shop, is a family business. So it might be a repeat of one of the past topics about a "Small Business".
Previous topics called
"A Small Business" or similar topics are: 744,
Big & Small Companies
Do people in your country generally
prefer to work for a small company, or a big one
Why do some people choose to work in a small company?
Starting / Running a Business
Would you prefer to have your own business, or to work as an employee (in someone else's business)?
Why do so many people want to be self-employed?
What abilities does a person need to
have in order to successfully run a business
What do you think is the most important thing when running a business?
Do many women run businesses in your country?
What does someone need (to do, or have) in order to start a business in your country?
If you found your family member was not suitable to be your business partner, what would you do?
International Business
Do you think international trade is important?
What would you say are
Would you say globalization is a positive development? See Note 6
Notes
The first line might simply be worded as, "Describe a gift that someone gave you".
Two versions of this have been reported, "a gift you really needed" and "a gift you really wanted". They more or less mean the same thing but what we want is not always what we need. If either of those is true then this is a new variation of previous topics about a gift you received. However, I would not be surprised if the words, "you really wanted" or "you really needed" are not in the wording on the card but are actually a follow-up question or a Part 3 question. After I look at more data, I might change this wording a little. For now, you should assume that the wording above is (more or less) accurate.
The topic of "a gift" (either given or received) is almost always in the test. The following are the past topics:
Consumerism (Buying things) and Materialism
What are some examples of things that young people (in your country) typically buy (or, spend their money on)?\
When it comes to buying something (or not), are you ever influenced by other people?
Can you suggest why people sometimes buy things they don't really need?
Do you think that's a problem?
(If "Yes" to the question above) What do you think can be (or should be) done about that problem?
Do you think consumption is important for a country?
Does the government in your country do anything to encourage consumption?
Do you think it's good to chase after materialism?
Some Other skills: Learning to do basic arithmetic; learning how to cook a typical meal in your country; learning how to use a computer or smartphone; learning how to swim; learning how to read and write in your language; learning how to drive a car; learning how to program in a computer programming language; learning how to play a sport such as football or basketball; learning how to play a musical instrument, learning how to sing, learning how to draw or paint etc.
Chinese people could certain use the example of learning how to read and write in your language! But if an exceptionally large number of test candidates say that then the examiners might start to suspect you are speaking a rehearsed, memorized answer that possibly you learned in a classroom or on the internet.
This is certainly a question that requires a person to give a somewhat detailed, qualified answer, such as saying, "It depends on ..." This is one of the things that Part 3 is trying to test, i.e., your ability to use English to accurately define the meaning of the question while giving your answer.
For example:
At what point do we say the language is fully "learned"? Is it a foreign language or one's native language? Does it include all the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing? At what age is the person learning the language? Are we talking about the overall time period for learning a language or the total number of hours required to learn it?
In some countries and in some workplaces or industries, people are now able to start and finish work at times that are flexible. For example, these people might be able to start work at any time between 7 am and 10 am and finish work 8 hours later. Quite often government office workers are able to work this "flexitime". One of the main reasons for having this arrangement is to relieve the pressure on the transportation systems that exists when everyone starts and finishes work at the same time. Another advantage is that parents of young school-age children might be able to start and finish work early, allowing them to pick up their child from school at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
What are some occasions when it's important to be a good listener?
Would you say most people prefer to be a listener or a speaker?
So far, it is not
clear if these questions are referring to such situations as one-to-one
conversations or whether the questions refer to situations when someone
These questions seem to be mostly reported as, "run a business", not "run your own business. If the examiner just says, "run a business" then the most common meaning is to be the manager of a business, not necessarily the owner of the business. So the questions might just be about managerial skills.
The word "globalization" is used in two different senses - cultural globalization and business globalization. Obviously the second of those is the topic here. If you have no knowledge at all about this topic, it will be difficult for you you to give an opinion.