Updated Apr. 1, 2012
IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 67
331.
A Musical Event (May 7,
2011)
332.
A Garden
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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Describe a musical event you attended or saw on TV that you liked. *
You
should say:
what kind of musical event it was
where you saw it
who was with you *
and explain why you liked it. *
See Notes
See also the Part 3 questions for
Topic 186,
Topic 270,
Where People Hear Music
Do you think people listen to (or, hear) more music nowadays than in the past? FQ (See Note)
(Similar to above, but different) For the average person, do you think there are more opportunities today to listen to music than there were in the past?
Music (in Your Country)
Do you think music is important?
What is the role of music in our life?
What benefits do people get from listening to music?
What kind of music do you listen to?
What kinds of music are popular in your country?
Do you think music today is different to music in the past? FQ
Do you think people's music tastes today are the same as in the past?
Do you think there should be classes in school about pop music?
Music and (National) Culture
Note: Some questions might be about Western classical music (such as Beethoven's music) or they might be about modern popular music or other styles such as jazz from the West. Or the question might be open, allowing you to choose.
In general, what is the relationship between the music in a country and the culture of that country?
Is Western music popular in your country?
Do you like classical Western music (such as Beethoven's music)?
What effect is Western (or foreign) music having on your country? FQ
Do you think that is a good thing?
How popular today is the traditional music from your country (such as Beijing Opera)? FQ
What type of music do you think has the bigger impact on people (in your country) today, Western classical music or traditional music from your country?
(Similar to above) What type of music do you think has the bigger impact on people (in your country) today, modern popular Western music or modern music from your country?
What do you think would be the long-term effect if a person only listened to Western music?
Do you think music can have a positive effect on international relations? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think music can be used a tool to bring people together (to unite people)? FQ
Do you think music can promote the image of a country?
How do you think the music from your country could be made more popular (in the world)?
Do you think national anthems may sometimes be bad for multicultural countries?
Children and Music (esp. musical instruments)
("children" = 3 to 12 years of age)
Do you think we should encourage children to listen to music from a young age?
Are children more interested in (or prefer) traditional music or modern music?
Do you think children’s music today is different from that of the past?
Is there any difference between children studying music today and in the past? FQ
Why do some children learn to play musical instruments?
What musical instruments do you like?
What musical instruments do children prefer (to learn)?
Do you think it's good for children to study music? FQx2 (See Note)
(Similar to above) Do you think it's good for children to learn to play a musical instrument? FQx2
What are the benefits of a child learning to play a musical instrument?
If you had to choose a musical instrument to learn, which one would you choose?
In general, do boys and girls both like to study (or, learn to play) the same musical instruments? (Why?/Why not?) FQx2
Do you think it's important for some children to learn to play traditional instruments from your country?
Music Classes at School
(A general question) Do you think music should be incorporated into the classroom at school?
Do you think it's important to have music classes at school? FQx2
Are music classes in primary school the same as music classes in high school?
Should these classes include the traditional music of your country?
Do you think children should be taught to play a musical instrument in school?
Describe a (beautiful) garden that you have seen.
You
should say:
where it was (or is)
when you saw it
what people do (or, were doing) in this park or garden (or, what you did there) *
and explain why you thought (or, think) it was beautiful.
Notes
This looks like Topic 142 returning to the test. But even if Part 2 is the same, that doesn't mean that Part 3 will be exactly the same.If it just says, "garden" then you could choose to talk either about someone's private garden or a public garden, such as in a park or outside your university building.
Of course, some gardens are vegetable gardens!
See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 102, Topic 142 and Topic 246.
Public Parks & Gardens
Do people in your country often go to a park or a public garden?
Why do they go there?
What do people do when they go to a public garden or park? FQ
What do you think is the role of (or, the purpose of) parks in a city?
Why do people like gardens and parks?
Do you agree that every town and city should have at least one public park? FQ
Do you think there are enough parks and gardens in your hometown?
Do you think these parks and public gardens should be free of cost to enter? FQx2
What are some reasons why it might be suitable to charge people a fee to enter a garden or park?
Some cities in the world are called "garden cities". Can you guess why they are described that way?
Do you think it's good that sometimes homeless people sleep in public parks?
Almost every country has some 'national parks'. What are the benefits of having national parks?
Growing Things / Gardening
What would you say is the difference between a park and a garden?
Do many people in your country have their own garden?
Was this the same several generations ago?
(Similar to above) Did many people have their own garden several generations ago?
Children & Gardens
Do you think it's important for children to have some contact with (or, experience with) gardens?
(Similar to above, but different) Do you think it's important to teach children to love nature?
What can children learn from a garden?
Do you think children are interested in living things such as insects, animals and plants?
Do you think it's useful to teach children about growing things ( = how to grow things or, how things grow)? (or, teach children about gardening)? FQx2
How do you think children could be encouraged to learn about gardening and growing things? FQ
(Similar to above) How do you think children could be encouraged to love nature? FQ
What about planting trees? Do you think it's useful to teach children how to plant trees? FQ
Do you think planting trees is important?
The Natural Environment
(See here for my personal views about the theory of "man-made global warming")
Do you like to go to natural locations (= natural places such as a forest)?
In general, do you think people like natural places? (Why?)
Do you think the average person today has much contact with these natural places?
Do you think people should have more contact with nature? (If yes, how?)
What do you think is the main threat that is endangering plants and trees in the world today?
Do you think these natural places should be protected?
How do you suggest this could be done?
Do you think people today have much awareness about environmental problems?
How do you think people's awareness about these problems could be improved?
Do you think it's important to increase the awareness of children about these problems?
How do you suggest children's awareness could be enhanced?
Do you think it's important for children to have the experience of visiting natural places?
What can they do there?
Describe what you would do if you had a day off, free from work or study.
You
should say:
where you would go
what you would do there
who you would go with
and explain how you think you would feel at the end of this day.
Note
Don't use, "will", "can" or "must". Instead, use "would", "could" or "would be able to", and "would have to".
Of course, most people have at least one day off every week. In most countries this is Sunday but that varies from country to country.
Working
What do you think are the differences between the work that people (choose to) do today and the the work people used to (choose to) do in the past?
Working Hours
In your country, how many hours do most people work per week?
Most people in the world work about 40 hours per week. Do you think this should be increased?
Do they have any days off (days free from work = free time = spare time)?
Would you like to have more days off?
Do you think it's necessary (or, important) for people to have free time? (Why?) FQx2
Does the government in your country have a law stating how much free time employees must have per week?
Do you think it's good to have such a law?
Do people ever ask their employers for extra time off work?
What are the reasons for asking this?
Do you think these reasons are always true?
Do people today have more time off work than several decades ago, or less?
Which do you think most people would prefer, to work shorter hours per week and get less pay or to work longer hours and get more pay? (Why?)
If a (married) person has to work overtime, what effects do you think this might have on his or her family?
Free Time
What do people in your country usually do in their free time?
What do children do?
Do men and women generally do the same sorts of things in their free time? FQx2
Is the way people spend their free time today different to the way people spent their free time in the past? FQ
Do you think students should have more free time than they do now?
Holidays (= Leave = Vacations)
Do working people in your country usually have one long period of holidays (= one long vacation) every year, or several short vacations? FQx2
(Similar to above) Which do you think is better, one long holiday every year or several shorter ones? FQx2
In your country, is there much difference between today and the past concerning people taking leave from work (= holidays/vacations)?
What do people in your country usually do when they take their holidays?
What do children do when they have school holidays?
Women on Vacation
Do you think people ever have any problems (or, difficulties) when deciding when to take their annual leave from work?
Do married women and unmarried women generally spend their holidays the same way?
Is there much difference between men and women taking holidays from work? FQ (Hint: mothers of school-age children)
Retirement
Do you think the government should set a fixed retirement age for everyone? (Why?/Why not?)
What about people who have reached retirement age but would like to continue working?
What do you think is a suitable retirement age? *
Describe one of your neighbours who you know quite well. *
You should say:
how long you have known this neighbour
what sort of person he or she is ("they are")
how often you see him or her ("them")
and explain what kind of relationship you have with them *
or
and explain why you consider this person to be a good neighbour. *
Notes
So far (May 11), the only information is that there is a topic about a neighbour. It might be Topic 27, returning to the test. I have copied that topic to the wording above.
Even if "they" or "them" is used in the wording, notice that the first line says, "a neighbour". Virtually every Part 2 is one example of something, connected to your life.
Don't confuse the words, "neighbour" and "neighbourhood". Practice saying them correctly in sentences a few times.
Part 3
See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 27
Remember: "a neighbour" = a person / "a neighbourhood" = a place
Neighbours in Your Country
Do you think neighbours are important? FQ
Do you think it's important to have a good relationship with one's neighbours? FQ
Do you think people's relationships with their neighbours today is the same as it was in the past? FQx2
Would you say these are changes for the better or changes for the worse?
What do you think caused these changes?
What do you think are the qualities of a good neighbour and the qualities of a bad neighbour?
What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of having neighbours?
Do you think there can ever be problems if people become too close to their neighbours?
(Possibly) Do you think there can ever be problems if people live too close to their neighbours?
Do you ever get together with your neighbours, for example, at the New Year?
Do you think peoples' relationships with their neighbours are the same in the cities as they are in rural areas? FQx2
Why do you think so many city people do not know their neighbours very well?
Do you think wealth plays a role in how people relate to their neighbours?
Communities
What are some examples of the different communities ( more or less = "groups") that people can belong to today?
Are communities in rural areas different to communities in the cities?
Are there communities on the internet (= "virtual communities")?
How important do you think these virtual communities are?
Why are these virtual communities becoming more popular nowadays?
What are the benefits of belonging to a community? FQ
(Similar to above) What are the benefits of having community groups? FQ
(Similar to above) What are the benefits of having community activities such as a party or other group activities? FQ
Are there any disadvantages to being part of a community?
Community Activities
Around where you live (= in your neighbourhood), are there any activities that groups of people can participate in? FQ
Do you think these local events are very beneficial for people?
(Similar to above) What effects do these activities have on the people in the community?
Describe a street (in your hometown) that you know well.
You
should say:
where it is
what the main buildings are in (on) that street
what you usually do in (on) that street
and explain how you feel about this street.
Notes
The first line might say, "
There is a British/American difference in usage between "in a street" and "on a street". I think the British prefer to use "in the street". Both mean the same thing. A British or Australian examiner should not consider the American expression to be an error (even a small error). Strangely, both the British and American terms are used to say things such as, "There are many shops in/on that street" when the shops are not really in or on the street where the cars are moving along! We should say, "There are many shops on the side of the street", but we don't usually say that in English.
City Living
Do you like big cities? FQ
Many people prefer to live in a city rather than in a town or in the countryside. What do you think are the advantages of living in a city? FQx2
Do you think cities are more suitable for young people, or old people, (or is it equally suitable for both of them)? FQx2
For old people, what do you think are the good points and bad of living in a city? FQx2
In some Western countries, some people move out of the city to retire in the countryside. Why do you think they choose to do that?
Do you think most people, if they had a choice, would prefer to live in a house or a flat?
Do you think it's important for students to live in a city? (= to attend university or college in a city)
Do you think city living has any disadvantages?
What do you think are some of the important (or, necessary) leisure facilities that cities should have?
Do you think government should build more green spaces, such as parks in cities?
Do you this this is important?
Do people in big cities have good relationships with their neighbours?
Do you think relations with others in one's neighbourhood is important?
Why do so many people in cities want to own a private car?