Page 189

ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

Updated Jan 30, 2020

IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

Page 189

951. A Phone Call (May 2019) (Probably no longer used)

952. A Game Show or Quiz Program (May 2019) (Probably no longer used)

953. A Famous Foreign Person (May 2019) (Probably no longer used)

954. An Invitation to Dinner (May 2019) (Probably no longer used)

955. A Friend who Encouraged You (May 2019) (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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951. A Phone Call (May 2019) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a time you heard someone you don't know talking on their phone.

You should say:

when it was

where you were when you heard it

what the person was talking about

and explain how you felt (after) when you heard this person talking.

Notes

This topic has not been used before.

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 of Topics 329, 769 & 877

Speaking in a Public Place

What do you think would be the differences between hearing a conversation between two people sitting near you on a train, and hearing one person near you speaking on their phone?
Do you think it's good to talk loudly on a bus?
In your opinion, would it be a good idea to have laws prohibiting speaking loudly in public?

Rules in Public Places

What kinds of rules would you say are important in public places?
Why do some people always break rules in public places?

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952. A Game Show or Quiz Program (May 2019) (Probably no longer used)

Version A

Describe a TV game show or a quiz program you enjoy watching. *

You should say:

what type of program it is

when you watch it *

what happens in this program *

and explain why you enjoy watching it.

Version B

Describe a TV game show or a quiz program you enjoyed watching. *

You should say:

what ype of program it was

when you watched it *

what happened in this program *

and explain why you enjoyed watching it.

Notes

I think Version A is more likely to be the current topic. For that version, you should say the name of the program (the series) and describe it in general. Version A is referring to your current TV-watching habits.

For Version B, you could also talk about a series that you once watched in the past but no longer watch. Alternatively, in Version B, it is suitable to talk about a particular episode of a program (sometimes simply called, "a program"). This is more difficult because it requires you to remember one episode in detail.

Some extra vocabulary - http://ielts-yasi.englishlab.net/vocabulary_lists.htm#%C2%A03.%20Types%20of%20TV%20Shows, http://ielts-yasi.englishlab.net/vocabulary_lists_2.htm#25.%20Games%C2%A0

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also #294. A Quiz Show, #912. A Childhood Game

Television

Do people in your country like to watch TV?
Why do some people like to watch TV on their computer?

Games

What games did you enjoy playing when you were a child?
What games do children play nowadays?
Are there any differences between the games children's games and adults' games?
Why do you think children play games (or, are playing games) today?

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953. A Famous Foreign Person (May 2019) (Probably no longer used)

Copy of Topic 245

Describe a famous person (still living), not from your country, who you would like to meet.

You should say:

where this person comes from

how you first learned about him or her (See Note)

(or: how you know about this person)

why / how this person is famous

and explain why you would like to meet this person

Notes

This is probably a repeat of either #563. A Famous Foreign Person or #245. A Famous Foreign Person (3)

Some extra vocabulary - http://ielts-yasi.englishlab.net/vocabulary_lists_7.htm#Fame

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also #822. An Interesting Foreigner, #563. A Famous Foreign Person & #245. A Famous Foreign Person (3) and all the other "Famous Person" topics at COMPLETE_P2_LIST.htm

Fame

How do people become famous? FQ
In general, what kinds of people become famous?
Do you think it's possible for someone to become famous when they don't have any special talents?
What does "famous" mean to you?
What would you say are the benefits of being famous?
Do you think there are any drawbacks from being famous? FQ
How do some scientists become famous?
Can you suggest why some people want to be famous while others don’t want to be famous?
Do you have any ideas on why some people are only famous for a short time, while others remain famous for a long time? See Note 1

The Influence of Famous People

What kind of influence do famous people have on young people?
Would you say their influence on (young people) is positive or negative?
How do you think celebrities could make use of their fame to be a positive influence (on young people)? See Note 2
Do you think famous people can (or, could) become role models for young people?
(Similar to above) How do you think famous people can be a positive influence in society?
(Possible follow-up question) Do you think celebrities (or, famous people) should do that? * See Note 3

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954. An Invitation to Dinner (May 2019) (Probably no longer used)

Version A

Describe a time when you invited your friends or family to dinner (either at home or in a
restaurant).

You should say:

when it was

where it was

who you invited

and explain why you invited them to a meal.

Version B

Describe a time when you were invited to dinner (either at home or in a
restaurant) bt a friend or relative.

You should say:

when it was

where it was

who invited you

and explain why they invited you to a meal. *

and explain how you felt about that invitation.

Notes

Version A has been reported, but simply being reported doesn't always mean the wording is accurate. Young IELTS test-takers are more likely to have an experience of being invited to a meal than inviting someone to a meal. For that reason, Version B might be the real wording.
Although I haven't seen wording so far that asks you to say something about what you ate, that information is an obvious thing that you need to say, or at least mention in a few words, when speaking about a topic such as this.

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Part 3

Some extra vocabulary - http://ielts-yasi.englishlab.net/vocabulary_lists.htm#15.%20Restaurants%20&%20Food, http://ielts-yasi.englishlab.net/vocabulary_lists_2.htm#27.%20Cooking

Eating at Home or Eating Out

Do people in your country prefer to eat at home or in restaurants? FQ
What would you say are the benefits (and the drawbacks) of eating in a restaurant? FQ
What would you say are the benefits (and the drawbacks) of cooking at home? FQ
What do people usually cook at home?
In the future, do you think more people will be eating in restaurants (or fewer people)? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think there will come a day when (very few) people do any cooking at home? FQ
More and more people are having (or, getting) their meals delivered to their homes, so do you think people in the future will continue to cook at home?

Special Food for Special Occasions

(In your country) are there any festivals when people eat special food (or, dishes)? FQ
What do people usually cook for special festivals? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you have special food for festivals? FQ
What are the differences between the food for festivals and ordinary food in your country? FQ

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955. A Friend who Encouraged You (May 2019) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a friend who encouraged you to achieve a goal. *

You should say:

who this person was

how you know them

what your goal was

and explain what kind of support this person offered

and explain how this encouragement helped you to achieve the goal.

Notes

The first line might be this: "Describe someone who encouraged you to achieve a goal" or, "Describe a time when someone encouraged you to achieve a goal".

Some extra vocabulary - http://ielts-yasi.englishlab.net/vocabulary_lists_8.htm#Encouragement

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Part 3

Motivation

It is generally known that money motivates people. Can you think of anything else that motivates (some) people?

Encouraging Teenagers & Children

Is it important for teenagers to have goals?
What is the motivation for teenagers to learn new things?
What do you think would encourage young children to learn more?
Do you think parents or teachers have more influence on children’s goals?
Who do you think is more important for the education of children, their parents or their teachers?
How should we encourage (or, motivate) a child to do something?
Do you think children should be given rewards to encourage them?
How could we make children interested in things that they are not very interested in?

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Note 1

Be careful about using the word, "popular" when you answer this question. "Popular" and "famous" would be suitable if you were talking about such people as actors in movies or on TV and pop singers but there are other types of people who are famous such as political leaders, business leaders, outstanding scientists, writers etc. The word, "popular" may or may not be suitable when talking about them.

Note 2

a) How do you think celebrities could make use of their fame to be a positive influence (on young people)?

The question might be, "How do you think celebrities could make use of their fame to be a positive influence on society?"

b) The word, "celebrity" is not always an exact synonym for "famous person". A celebrity is famous in popular culture or the popular media. Famous entertainers, sports stars etc. can be called "celebrities". Even some political leaders, business leaders, outstanding scientists, writers etc. could be described as "celebrities" if, for example, magazine articles are written about their personal lives, or they are interviewed on TV and are asked questions of a personal nature, i.e., they don't just talk about their work.

Note 3

"Should do that" = "have a responsibility to do that"