Updated Aug. 4, 2013
IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 85
425.
A Happy Person
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 child you know.
You should say:
how you know him or her
how often you see him/her
what kind of person he/she is (= what his/her personality is like)
what he or she usually does (or, is doing) when you see him/her
and explain what you like about this child.
or
See also the Part 3 questions for
Children
Do you think children are important?
How do you
think children and teenagers are different?
Do you think children today are happier than children in the past?
Being a Parent
For parents, what is important when bringing up their child?
What does a child need in order to develop well?
How do you think young parents can know how to (or, learn how to) bring up their child?
What influence do parents have on the way their children develop?
Who do you think has more responsibility to take care of a child, the mother or the father?
Do you think mothers and fathers have different roles to play in bringing up a child?
Who (or, which) do you think is more important for a child, the mother or the father? (See Note)
Why do mothers sometimes have a job outside the home?
Do you think it's good for a mother to also have a job? *
Single-Child Families
Do you have any brothers or sisters? *
(If you answer "No") Would you like to have a brother or sister?
For parents,
which do you think is better, to have one child or more than one?
Do you think parents of a single child treat their child differently to the way parents who have several children treat their children?
(Similar to
above, but different)
Describe a city or town you enjoyed visiting.
You should say:
where it was (or is)
why you went there
who you went with
and explain why you enjoyed visiting that town or city. *
or
and explain what you did there. *
Notes
Of course, in the real test there is no choice of what to say after the words, "and explain". I have two possibilities here because I am not sure which one is being used. It's best to plan to answer both of those points, regardless of which wording is being used.
"What you did there" can, of course, include the idea of, "what you saw there" if you just looked at different things and different places.
Previous versions of this topic had the choice, " ... a city you visited or lived in" but no-one is reporting that the words, "you lived in" are being used this time.
This website has many Part 3 questions related to the topic of cities, and you will see that some of these questions are repeated several times. Here is a list of previous topics that had questions in Part 3 about cities: 387, 313, 266, 246, 243, 235, 195, 183, 122, 102, 96, 35 and 24.
Cities in Your Country / Urban Development
What are some examples of important cities in your country?
Have cities in your
country changed much in the past few decades?
Have these changes caused any problems?
(Similar to above) Has urban development created any problems?
What causes air pollution in cities?
What do you suggest could be done about these problems?
Do you think these problems will, in fact be solved one day?
Do you think these problems will become worse in the future?
(Similar to above) How do you think cities in your country could be improved?
What do you think makes a city a good place to live? *
What essential facilities do you think a city needs to have?
Urban/Rural Differences
How do you think living in
a city and living in a rural environment are different?
Is transportation within cities the same as transportation in small towns or villages?
Is there more crime in the cities than in the small towns and cities? (Why?)
Is there much difference between the standard of living of people in both of those places?
Which is more developed in your country, the cities or the rural areas?
(Similar to above) Are the
facilities the same in the cities and in the countryside?
Can you suggest any ways
that this development gap could be narrowed?
(Similar to above) How do
you think the living conditions in the rural areas could be improved?
Problems in Cities and in the Countryside
Are there any problems
concerning cities in your country?
(Similar to above) How do
you think cities (in your country) could be improved?
How do you suggest these
problems could be solved (or, addressed)?
(Similar to above) What do
you think the government should do about these problems?
Cities of the Future
What do you imagine the cities of the future to be like?
Do you think the environment in cities will improve in the future or do you think it will worsen?
Traveling & Tourism
What are some of the various reasons why a person might visit a city or town?
What do tourists to a city or town usually want to see at that place?
Why do some people want to travel overseas?
In general, why do people like to visit other places as tourists?
How do (or, how can) people decide where to travel to when they want to go on a trip?
How do people decide what is a suitable length of time to spend in a place?
What's the cheapest way to travel?
How do people find the cheapest way to travel (or, the cheapest holiday destinations)? *
Do you think it's suitable for children to travel?
What do people (parents) need to consider if they want to take their children (or child) on a trip? *
What do you think are some of the benefits and, on the other hand, some of the negative results of tourism?
Do you think tourists prefer to see the old buildings in a city or the new buildings?
Do you think tourism to a particular city or place can help that place to develop?
How do you think tourism to a place can help the economy of that place?
Do you think traveling can help improve relations between (the people of different) countries?
Notes
The card might not tell to say when you gave it, but you must give some information about that.
Gift-Giving in Your Country
On what
occasions (or, in what situations) do people give gifts in your country?
What do people usually give
as a gift?
Are there any gifts that have a special meaning in your culture?
Do people in your country ever feel they are under pressure to give a gift?
Are there any things that people in your country feel they shouldn't give as a gift? (If yes, why?)
Do people in
your country usually open a gift immediately after they receive it?
(Similar to above) Do you
think that the more expensive a gift is, the better it is?
Do people feel that they
are a failure if they don't give an expensive gift?
Do you think there is
social pressure on people to give expensive gifts?
Have you ever been to a wedding? (If yes -->) What do people give as a wedding gift in your country?
Gift Giving in General
Do you think gift-giving
is important?
Do people feel the same
when they give a gift as when they receive a gift?
Which do you prefer, to
give or to receive a gift?
What gift would you like to receive?
What do you think are the pros and cons of giving money as a gift?
Do you think it's suitable to give the same kinds of gifts to both friends and members of one's family?
How can (or, how do)
people decide what gift to give someone?
What do you imagine people
will be giving each other as gifts in the future?
How do you think someone could choose gift that would be particularly meaningful or memorable for the other person (the receiver of the gift)?
Which do you think is better, a store-bought gift or a gift that the giver has made themselves (= himself or herself)?
What do you think are the pros and cons of giving a home-made gift?
Parental Gift-Giving
Do parents often give gifts to their children? (Why? On what occasions?)
What gifts do you think are most suitable for children?
What factors do parents consider when they are choosing a gift for their child?
Do you think it's good to give a toy gun to a little boy?
Notes
It might not use the word "impress" or
"influence" but one person reported this so be prepared for it. (Possibly this person was confusing a Part 3 question with the Part 2 wording.)
If the wording is "Describe a famous person you know" is does not necessarily mean that you personally know this person - here, "know" really means "know about".
Of the two words, "influence" and "impress", it is more likely that "impress" would be used (if one of those words is used).
Also see Notes
See also the related questions in Part 3 of Topics 342, 245, 172 and 86.
Famous People (in Your Country)
How do people become
famous?
What sorts of people are
famous in your country?
(Similar to above)
Are there any differences
between the people who were famous a few years ago (e.g., 10-50 yrs ago) and the people who are
famous today?
Has the internet had any influence on who is famous today?
Do you think the types of people who are famous in one country are always the same as the types of people who are famous in other countries?
Are politicians (or, government officials) famous in your country?
Who do you think is more interested in famous people, males or females?
Do you think males and females are interested in the same types of famous people?
(Similar to above) Do you think people are famous as a result of
some real talent or are they famous for some other reasons?
Do you think (all) famous people have things in common? FQ
(Similar to above) What
qualities do (all or most or many) famous people have in common?
Are most famous people male or female?
Do you think more females are famous today than in the past?
Do you think this might change in the future?
How can (or do) famous people continue to be well-known?
(Similar to above)
Do you think some people receive too much (= an excessive amount of) attention in the media?
Do you think these people deserve to receive so much attention?
Do you think information about what famous people do is really newsworthy?
Why do(es) the media focus so much attention on certain people (and not others)?
Wanting to Be famous
Can you suggest why some people want to be famous?
What are the good points
about being famous?
What sort of life do famous people have?
Do you want to be famous?
Why do you think most people are not famous?
The Privacy of Famous People (Frequent sub-topic)
In what ways are the lives of famous people different to the lives of ordinary people?
Do you think it's good for
a child film star to become famous?
(Similar to above) Do you
think it's good for someone to become famous at a young age?
Why do people care so much about the private lives of celebrities?
Do famous people have difficulty protecting their privacy?
Do you think it's possible to be famous and still keep your privacy?
Do you think the privacy of famous people should be respected?
Why do you think photo-journalists often follow famous people?
Do you think only good things should be reported about famous people or should everything, including bad things, be reported?
Do you think some people become famous (or increase their fame) as a result of scandal?
The Influence of Famous People
In general, what influence does the media have on people?
Do you think the media plays an important role in influencing public opinion?
Do you think famous people influence average people in any ways?
In what ways do famous people influence young people (and/or children)? *
Why do famous people often appear in advertisements?
Notes
Most people have reported this as, "Describe the happiest person you know" or "the happiest person you have seen" but you can simply describe a "very happy person". After all, how do you really know how happy another person is?
"Know" means you personally know this person, i.e., you have spoken to this person and you personally know him or her.
Several people said they got this topic on May 19/20 but only one Part 3 question was supplied.
See also the questions about happiness, and
personality, in the Part
3 of the following topics,
328,
321,
211,
The Meaning and Nature of 'Happiness'
What do you understand to be
the meaning of the word, "happiness"?
Do you think there are any differences between "short-term happiness" and "long-term happiness"?
Would you say you are a
happy person (at the moment)?
Would you say people are happier today than people in the past (e.g., 20-30 years ago)?
What causes people to feel
happy?
Do you think it's important to be happy?
Do you think a person's living environment can affect their level of happiness? (See Note)
How does the level of happiness of people affect society (as a whole)?
What causes unhappiness?
Do you think it's easy for unhappy people to change and become happy? *
(Similar to above) When someone is unhappy, do you think it's easy for them to change and become happy? *
Do you think the government
could (or, should) play a role in promoting the happiness of people?
(If yes to the above question) What policies would you suggest the government adopt to make people happier?
Do you think people will be happier in the future?
Happiness and Income Levels
Do you think people's
happiness is related to their standard of living?
(Similar to above) To what extent do you
think people's happiness is related to their levels of income (or, related
to how much money they have)?
Do you think people's happiness increases as their income increases?
Which do you think is more important for producing happiness, money (or material things) or something spiritual?
How can people's happiness be increased?
Happiness and Age Differences
Do you think the same
things make children happy as make adults happy?
Do children and adults
express their happiness in the same ways?
Do you think people become happier as they become older?