Updated July 28,
2013
IELTS Part 2 and
Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 79
391.
Something You Made Yourself (3) (Jan, 2012)
(Probably no longer used)
392. A Time When Someone
Helped You
(Jan. 12, 2012) (Probably no longer used)
393.
A Family
Photograph You Like (Jan.
8, 2011) (Probably no longer used)
394.
Your Ideal Home (2) (Jan. 8,
2011) (Probably no longer used)
395.
A Sports Event You Enjoyed
Watching
(Jan. 7, 2012) (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
***********************************************************************
391.
Something You Made Yourself (3) (Jan, 2012) (Probably no longer used)
Copy of
Topic 234
Describe
something you made yourself (either alone or with others) when you were a child.
*
You
should say:
what it
was
where (and
when) you made it
how
you made it *
what you needed to make it (e.g.,
what tools, equipment and materials)
and explain why you made it yourself. *
or
and explain how you felt after you made it. *
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 3
See also the Part 3 questions for
Topic 234 and
Topic 76
Hand-Made Products in Your Country
-
Is making things by hand common in your country?
-
Can tourists to your country buy hand-made products?
(souvenirs)
-
Do people nowadays prefer to buy hand-made products or do
they prefer factory-made (machine-made) things?
Children and Making Things by Hand
-
Do you think it's good for children to learn to make
things by hand?
-
What benefits can children get from making things by
hand?
-
Do children in your country ever learn (in class) to
make things by hand at school? *
-
What things do you think are more suitable for boys to
learn to make, and what things for girls?
Artists / Creativity
-
Would you say the arts play an important role in society?
-
Do you think government should finance the arts?
-
(Similar to above)
Do you think it is one of the responsibilities of government to give public
money to artists?
***********************************************************************
392. A Time When
Someone Helped You
(Jan. 12, 2012)
(Probably no longer used)
Notes
-
Originally I had the wording as Version B but
most people report something like Version A so that is probably closer to
the real wording. Basically, they are the same in meaning.
-
Possibly this is worded as, "Describe a person
who did something kind for you." But this would not basically change the
topic – the topic basically asks you to describe both a person and describe
what he or she did for you.
-
I suggest you do not use the example
of one of your parents for this topic - almost everything they do for you is
an attempt to help you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 3
See also the related questions in the Part 3
questions for Topics
104,
156,
210,
279 &
298.
(* = my guess at a possible question)
Helping Others
Family and Friends
-
Who do you think gives people more help, one's parents or one's friends?
-
Are young people more willing to accept help (or, support) from their
friends or from their parents?
FQ
-
At university (or high school), who do you think gives
more help to students, the university lecturers (or school teachers) or do
the students help each other more?
Kindness
-
Would you say you are a kind person? *
-
How can you know whether or not someone is a kind
person? FQ
-
(Similar to above) What sort of person would you say is
"kind"?
FQ
-
Do you think people are kinder to others today than
people were in the past? *
-
Why do you think some people are kinder towards others
than other people? *
-
How do you think society benefits from people being
kind to each other (and to animals)?
Selfishness
-
Do you think single children (= "an only child" = a
child with no brothers or sisters) tend to be selfish?
-
What do you think of selfish people?
-
If you knew a selfish person who needed help, would you help them?
-
Do you think the education system could be improved in
order to encourage children to be kind?
-
Do you think it's important to be kind to strangers?
Bring Up Children to be Unselfish
-
Do you think children should be brought up to have a
sense of kindness?
(Why?/Why not?)
FQ
-
How do you think children could be brought up to become
unselfish (or, kinder) people?
FQ
-
Do you think school helps teach children to be
unselfish?
FQ
-
Would you say school is a very competitive environment?
-
Is a competitive environment a good situation for
learning to be unselfish?
-
What are the pros and cons of bringing up a child to be
competitive?
International Help
-
Do you think it's important for nations to help each
other?
-
What are some examples of how nations help each other?
Volunteer Work
-
Is there much volunteer work done in your country?
-
(Similar to above) Are there many opportunities in your
country for people to do volunteer work?
FQ
-
What are some examples of volunteer work that people
can do?
-
How do these examples of volunteer work help people?
-
(Similar to above) What benefits do we (the community)
get from having people do volunteer work?
FQ
-
Do you think there is a need in your country for people
to do volunteer work? *
The Social Responsibilities of
Companies Frequent Sub-topic
-
What is the purpose of having private companies? *
-
Do you think private companies have a responsibility
to society to do some type of "public service"?
FQ (See
Note)
-
What are some examples of how companies can (or do)
"give back" to society?
-
Do you think some companies only do that because they
want to be kind or do they benefit in other ways from doing it?
***********************************************************************
393.
A Family Photograph You
Like (Jan. 8, 2011)
(This topic was moved from Topic
305 on Feb. 21, 2012)
(Probably no longer used)
Notes
-
(Note written February 21, 2012) This topic was moved from Topic 305
on Feb. 21, 2012. So far, I think it is the same topic, continuing in the
test for more than 12 months. (This happens sometimes.) However, it might
have been changed a little in January, 2012. Hopefully, after a few more
tests, it will become clearer if it is exactly the same topic or not.
-
(Note written February 21, 2012) A few people have
reported this as simply, "Describe a photograph you like". If this is the
real wording, I think you still should assume it is a photograph that you
own, even if the wording now allows you to describe a photo that is not
showing a family scene, or members of your family. But staying with a photo
of your family would still satisfy the wording, even if it has changed, so
it is a safe answer.
-
(Note written Sept. 24, 2011) People have been reporting that it is a
family photograph. Presumably, this means a photograph of your
family. Possibly the wording is simply, "Describe
photograph of your family that you like."
-
People at first reported this as, "Describe a photograph
of yours that you like". A "photograph of yours" is one of your photographs, not some photo
you've seen on the internet or in a magazine.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 3
See also the Part 3 questions for
Topic 33,
Topic 110,
Topic 161, and
Topic 219.
Make sure you know how to pronounce "photograph", "photography", "photographer"
and "photographic".
Note
The questions here are divided into two groups, a)
those questions that were reported in 2011 and b) those
questions that have been reported in 2012. Over time, it should become clear
if they really are the same or similar questions or if new Part 3 topics and
questions have been added in 2012. So far, it looks to be the same as in 2011.
Part 3 Questions after Jan. 12, 2012
(Most of these look to be very similar to the
questions in the topics listed above)
-
Is photography very popular in your country?
-
When and where do people take photos?
-
Why do people take photographs?
-
Why do people keep photographs for a long time?
FQ
-
On what occasions are people most likely to take family photographs?
-
Does everyone like taking photos?
-
What people (or, what kinds of people) like to take
photos?
-
Do you think people need to be trained to take photos?
FQ
-
People say, "A picture is worth a thousand words". What
do you think that means?
-
Do you think we can always trust a photograph (to
accurately show what really existed)?
-
Why do some people not like having their picture taken?
-
How do people share photos online?
-
Do you think photographs play an important role in the
news media?
-
Do you think there are any news photographs that can
have a negative effect on children?
The questions above were transferred to
Topic 454 on Sep. 8, 2012
------------------------------------------------------
Part 3 Questions in 2011
Photography in General
Liking / Disliking Taking Photos
-
Why do (some/most) people like to take photographs?
FQx2
-
What kinds of people don't (like to) take photos?
-
(Similar to above) Some people don't like taking photographs. Can you
suggest any reasons why they might feel that way?
FQx2
Photos of People
-
Do you think most people prefer to take photos of each other or photos of
scenery?
-
Do you think taking photos of people is important?
-
What is the purpose of taking photos of people?
-
Why do some people dislike having their photo taken?
FQ
Qualities of Photographs / Ability of People to Take
Good Photos / Photography Skills
-
In your opinion, what makes a "good photograph"?
FQx2
-
How can a person take good photographs?
-
Do you think
people need certain skills in order to take a good photographs?
FQx2
-
Do you think people need to be trained in order to take
good photographs?
FQx2
-
(Similar to above)
Do you think people need to attend a photography class in order to learn how
to take
good photographs?
-
Do you think some people are 'naturally' better than
others at taking photographs? *
-
Do you think such classes are a good idea? *
Professional Photographers
Keeping Photos
-
How do people keep (or, save) their photos?
FQ
-
Why do some people like to keep (almost all) photographs while other people
throw away (some of their) photographs?
FQ
-
(Similar to above)
Why do some people throw away some of their photographs?
-
What kinds of people like to keep (almost all) their photos and what kinds of
people throw away (some of their) photos?
-
Do you think that what's in the background of a photograph is important?
-
Are photos the only way a person can keep a memory of an event?
The Uses and Impact of Photographs
-
What kinds of photographs do you like to look at?
-
Do you think photography is very important?
-
What are the benefits of photography?
-
Some people might describe a photograph as "a rare photograph". What do you
think they might mean by that?
-
Do you think photographs are important to the study of history (or, important in
recording history)?
-
What are the various ways that photographs are used in modern society?
FQx2
-
What do you think is the impact on people of big photographs?
-
What do you think is the purpose of including photographs in news stories in
newspapers?
FQ
-
Is there anything unique (or, special) about those photographs?
FQ
-
Some photos of events are quite powerful. How
can a photograph have so much power? (Here, "power" = "power to affect the
viewer".) (See
this photo)
-
Do you think photos in
newspapers always give a reliable picture of a situation?
Photography as Art
-
Do you think photographs can ever be considered as art?
FQx2
-
What kinds of photographs could be considered as art?
FQ
-
What do you think is the difference between an artistic photograph and a
painting?
Technology for Photography
-
In general, how does a person use a camera to take a
photograph? *
-
What are the differences between taking photographs
today and in the past?
-
(Similar to above)
In what ways is photography ( = taking photos) today different to before?
FQ
-
Has photographic equipment changed? (compared to the
past)
-
What do you think are the differences between digital
photography and the old form of photography?
-
(Similar to above)
What do you think are the differences between digital
cameras and the older form of cameras?
FQ
-
Which do you think is better?
-
Which do you think is produces the better quality of photographs?
-
In general, do you think old people or young people
would be better at taking photographs (using hi-tech equipment)?
-
Do you think it's easier to take photos with a modern camera, or more difficult?
FQ
-
(Similar to above) Do you think it's easy to use a digital camera?
FQ
-
Do you think the self-timer on a camera is a good thing?
-
Besides cameras, what other ways are there for taking
photographs?
Computers and Photography
-
Do many people use computers in connection with their photographs?
-
What do they do with the photos on their computers?
-
Do you think it's good to use software such as
'Photoshop' to change photos?
-
How do people use computers to share photos?
Cell-phones Used for Taking Photos
-
What's the difference between using a cell-phone to
take a photograph and using a camera?
-
Are older people and young people the same when it
comes to taking photos with a cell-phone?
-
Why do young people today like taking so many photos
using their cell-phones?
***********************************************************************
394.
Your Ideal Home (2) (Jan. 8,
2011)
(Moved from Topic 308 on Feb. 21, 2012) (Probably no longer used)
Describe the ideal home (flat or house) that you would like to live in.
You should say:
where
it would be
what
type of home it would be (or, what it would look like)
who you would like to live with
(or,
how many people would live in this home)
and explain why you would like
to live in this (kind of) home.
This
is not trick photography - the building really looks like this! Details
See also
Jay
Shafer's tiny home.
Notes:
- So far, this is a
direct copy of
Topic 96.
-
See the
notes for Topic #102 for important information about grammar for
this question.
- It is
unsuitable to use the following expressions for this topic: "I hope
...", "I hope my
house will ..." or, "It will ...". These
are used to talk about the real future but this topic is asking you
to speak hypothetically.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 3
See also the Part 3 questions for
Topic 96 and
Topic 174
Architecture (=
Building Design)
Housing in Your
Country
-
What different types of homes do people in your
country live in?
-
In your country, what type
of home do most people live in?
FQX2
-
Do you think housing (=
the homes people live in) is the same in your country as in other countries?
-
Are there any problems
concerning housing in your country?
-
What do you suggest could
be done to solve these problems (or, this problem)?
-
Are there many high-rise
apartment buildings in your country? (Why?/Why not?)
-
Do you live in a flat or a
house?
-
(If you live in a flat)
What floor do you live on?
-
Would you like to live in
a high-rise apartment building?
-
What facilities do you
think an apartment (= a flat) should have?
-
Do people prefer to live
in modern homes or the older-style homes (e.g., from 50 years ago)?
FQ
(See
Note)
-
How are modern homes
different to older homes?
FQx2
-
(Similar to above)
How are modern homes
different to homes in the past?
FQx2
-
What does a "traditional"
Chinese house look like?
-
How are these traditional
houses different to modern houses?
-
Why do you think different
countries often have different styles of houses?
-
Do you think the weather (or, climate) affects what
type of home people choose to live in?
-
Do you think homes will be
different in the future from what they are now?
-
What do you imagine people's
houses will be like in the future?
FQx2
-
(Similar to above)
What do you think the interior of people's
houses will be like in the future?
Moving to a New Home / A
New Location
-
Why do people sometimes
move to live in a different home?
FQx2
-
Why do some people want to continue living in the same home for a long time?
-
Do you think moving to a
new home can ever create (or cause) problems for people?
FQx2
-
In general, how is the new
home (that someone moves to) usually different to the home they used to live
in?
-
Do you think it's reasonable for people to
share a house (with people who are not family)?
-
Do you think it's good for
young people to live away from their parents?
-
Do you think it's better
for children to share a bedroom with a brother or sister or is it better for
them to have their own bedrooms?
-
Do you think it's good
idea for housing to be privatized?
Homelessness
-
What can a person do if he
or she finds they don't have a place to live?
-
What do you think could be
done to help people who are homeless?
-
Do you think the
government should (or, has a responsibility to) do something to help
homeless people?
Community
Activities
Urban
and Rural Housing Differences
-
What are the differences
between living in a city and living in (a village or town in) the
countryside?
FQx2
-
(Similar to above)
What are the differences
between housing (or, houses) in a city and in (a village or town in) the
countryside?
FQx2
City People
versus Rural People/ City versus Rural Living
-
What do people who live in
rural areas do (for work)?
-
What do you think is the
biggest difference between urban and rural areas?
-
How are the lifestyles
different between the big cities and the countryside?
-
Do you think people in the
cities are better off than people living in the rural areas?
-
What are the consequences
of having large numbers of people moving from the countryside to the cities?
(moving at the same time, more or less)
-
What do you suggest could
be done to improve the quality of life for people in the countryside?
-
What kinds of people live
in the countryside?
-
Do people from the big
cities ever look down upon rural people?
-
Do you think the level of
education of rural people is the same as that of big city people?
City Living
-
Would you prefer to live
in a large city or in a rural area?
-
(Similar to above) Do people (in your
country) prefer to live in cities or in rural environments?
FQ
-
What are the differences between living in the countryside, compared to living in a
city?
FQx2
-
(Similar to above)
What are the advantages
and the disadvantages of living in the countryside and living in a
city?
FQ
-
Do you think cities (or,
city living) is becoming better and better or is it worsening?
-
How do you think cities
will change in the future?
FQx2
-
Do you think cities will
continue to become larger and larger in the coming years?
FQ
-
Will that be a good
situation? *
-
What problems do you think
such large cities would bring?
FQx2
-
(Similar to above)
What problems do you think the increasing
urbanization (of society) will bring?
FQx2
-
Do you think the big cities in your country are
too big?
-
Do you think the government should limit
the size of cities?
FQ
-
Can you suggest any ways to restrict the growth of
cities?
FQx2
-
In the future, do you think rural areas will
become more attractive as places for people to live in?
-
Do you think the rural environment will improve in
the future? (Maybe not just the physical environment but also the "general
living" environment, including facilities.)
***********************************************************************
395.
A Sports Event You Enjoyed Watching
(Jan. 7, 2012) (Probably no longer used)
Notes
-
(Note written August 9, 2012) Although some
people reported Version B on May 19, everyone has been reporting something
like Version A in all other the tests after May 19. So I'm pretty sure
Version A is the more likely wording.
-
Note that you need to say when
you saw this event, even if the card does not tell you to say that. The date
doesn't have to be too exact - you could say, "a few months ago" or
something like that.
-
Of course, this topic is about one specific
event, such as one specific basketball or football game or an event such as
the weightlifting competition at the 2008 Olympic Games. In fact, it
would be acceptable to use the entire Olympic Games itself as the event you
watched but the sensible thing to say would be that you didn't watch
absolutely every competition or race at the Olympics.
-
Since January 7, 2012, it seems that this topic
has replaced Topic 343.
-
One person on the internet added this point: -
You should say how you would get there.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 3
Sport in Your Country
-
Is sport very popular in your country?
-
In your country, what are the most popular sports that
people like to play?
-
Is there much difference between men and women when it
comes to playing sport?
-
Who (what kinds of people) are most interested in
sport? (Why?)
-
Do people in your country prefer to play team sports or
individual sports?
-
Do people prefer to attend sports events or to watch
them on TV?
School Students and Sport
-
Are school students in your country encouraged to play
sport?
-
Did you have P.E. classes at school?
-
Do boys and girls play different sports?
-
Why do boys and girls often prefer to play different
sports?
-
Do you think boys and girls should play
different sports?
-
Which do you think schools should encourage more, team
sports or individual sports?
-
Are there any benefits (or advantages) from playing
individual sports?
Old People and Sport
-
Do old people engage in sport very much?
-
What sports do (some) old people like to play?
-
What benefits do they get from playing a sport?
-
Do you think sport helps to keep old people healthy?
Sport and TV
-
Do people in your country like to watch sporting event
on TV?
-
Are there lots of sporting event played on TV?
-
Do you think there's too much sport on TV?
Sport and Advertising
-
Are there a lot of products that are advertised through
sport?
-
Why do sports event organizers sometimes look for
companies that would like to advertise their product at the sports event?
-
Do you like to see advertisements that feature (famous)
athletes?
-
What products are most often advertised by athletes or
at sports events?
-
Why do you think advertisers use athletes or sports
events to advertise these products?
-
Do you think it's good to use athletes to advertise
these products?
-
Do you think these athletes get paid too much money for
doing this kind of work?
-
Do you think there's too much advertising on TV during sports broadcasts?
-
(Similar to above but more general) Do you think
there's too much advertising on TV?
***********************************************************************