ielts-yasi.englishlab.net  

Updated May 30, 2010

 

Part 1 Topics and Questions

For The IELTS Speaking Tests in Mainland China, January - April, 2010

Important Notes

Both the "C" questions, and the "N" questions are the most likely questions that you will get for that topic but they might not be exactly the same words as shown here, just the same meaning.

You should also understand that questions without a "C" might also be in use now – they simply haven't been reported yet as being used since January 9 but they were (reported as) used in the recent few months when these same topics were used.

A small number of the questions marked "N" are probably mistakes, i.e., what the candidate thought he or she heard as the question but which were actually misunderstood questions. Another possible source of error with these questions is this: The examiners are not allowed to make their own questions in Part 1 and must only use questions from the question book but it is possible that an examiner occasionally breaks this rule and asks a question that is not in the question book. Such questions are unlikely to be asked in your test. From now (Feb. 15) on, whenever a second person reports that they got one of the questions that is marked as "N", I will add "C" so that it looks like this: "NC". This label means that you can be quite confident that this is a real new question, not somebody's guess at a new question.

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Summary of Part 1 Topics

0The four standard introductory questions.  (Not really part of Part 1)

1.   Your Work or Your Studies 

2.     Your Home (Your Accommodation)  

3.  Your Hometown 

One of the three topics above is a compulsory topic and you will be asked about 4 questions on this topic. You will then be asked questions on two of the topics from below. (Again, about 4 questions per topic).  

4.  Neighbours

5.  Computers

6.  No Topic

7.  Traveling

8.  Magazines and Newspapers

9.  Advertisements

10.  Fruits and Vegetables

11.  Films

12.  Transportation

13.  Writing

14.  Flowers  

15.  Weather 

16.  Shopping

17.  Clothes

18.  Time 

19.  Art

20.  Leisure Time

21 No Topic

22.  Sport (and Exercise)

23Television

24.  Cooking

25.  Reading

26.  Friends

27.  Sounds (Noises) N

28.  Daily Routine

29.  Collecting N

30.  Languages N

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1. Your Work or Your Studies

 

1a) Your Work

 See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 1b. Your Work

 General Description of Your Job

Feelings about the Job    

Difficulties at Work N

Working with Others    

Work Training  C  See Notes on this sub-topic

Future     

Your First Day at Work N

Your Relationship with Your Colleagues (workmates) N

 

1b) Your Studies

 See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 1a. Your Studies

Note: For high school students or recent high school graduates who have not yet started university, the word "school" or the words, "high school" or "secondary school" will be used instead of "university". If you are no longer a student now and have not yet started to work, the questions will be about the last time you were a student, either high school or university, and the questions will be asked in the past tense.

General Description of Your Studies

School/University    

Liking/Disliking Your Studies     

Easy and Difficult    

Interesting C

Specific Course Content   

For University Students

For High School Students

Study Efficiency    

Studying with Others

Future    

Future Work

Further Studies

Your First Day at University (or high school) N

(The word, "university" is probably replaced by the words, "high school" or "secondary school" if you have not been to university yet.)

Your Relationship with Your Classmates N

 

2.     Your Home (Your Accommodation)  C

 See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 2. Your Home (Your Accommodation)

General Information

Preference: Flat or House       

Favourite Part / Decorations      

Surroundings / Neighbourhood / The Location of your Home C     

 

3.  Your Hometown 

        See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 3. Your Hometown  

        Notes:

v     Your 'hometown' is the place where you grew up, not necessarily the place where you were born.

v     Don’t say your hometown is “Henan” or some other province. That is your home province, not your home town.

v     Sometimes the questions below are used not for your hometown but for the place where you are living now, even if the word, "hometown" is used in a question below.

v     Several questions here are similar because there is more than one set of questions for the topic, "Your Hometown"

 The Place

General Information about the Place

Size / Countryside or City

Your Feelings about the Place

Past Tense or Present Perfect Tense

Future Plans

Transportation in Your Hometown or Where you are Living Now C

 

4.  Neighbours 

See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS - Your Neighbours

See Note      

 

5.  Computers C

      Notes

v     There might be two separate topics, "Computers" and "The Internet" or maybe only one of these topics is being used. It is not clear because people sometimes report the word, "computer" was used when probably the words, "the internet" were really used. You need to understand that the internet is just one usage of computers.

    See also All Part 1 Questions 8. Computers

 

6.  No Topic

   

7.  Travelling

      See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 40. Travel

Almost certainly, this means long distance travelling, not travelling (commuting) to work or school in your city or town. 

The emphasis of this topic seems to be on tourism, although the word "travel" can apply to simply going somewhere, not necessarily as a tourist. For example, you might sometimes make long trips to go from your hometown to another city where you attend university.   

See Note on word usage.    

 

8.  Magazines and Newspapers

    See also 'All Part 1 Questions' 25. Newspapers

 

9.  Advertisements    

    See Note about pronunciation    

    See also Part 3, Topics #170 & #190

 

10.  Fruits and Vegetables

See Notes 

 

11.  Films 

       See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 13. Films

 

12.  Transportation

See Also 'All Part 1 Questions' 39. Transport

Transportation Where you Live (or, in your hometown)

Having/Driving a Car

Driver's License

For the words, "get (or have) a driver's license" the words, "know how to drive" or "learn to drive" might be used.

Driving Skills / Safety

Age

High School Driving Classes

 

13.  Writing 

See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 22. Letters & Emails

What You Most Often Write          

Comparisons

 

14.  Flowers  

    See also All Part 1 Questions 14. Flowers

    See Note on the word, "send"

 

 

15.  Weather 

      For some questions, either the word, "weather" or "climate" is used.

        See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 41. Weather

        See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 46. Seasons

 

16.  Shopping

        See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 34. Shopping

 

17.  Clothes

         See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 6. Clothes

 

18.  Time 

See some vocabulary

See also these Part 3 questions.       

 

19.  Art

    See Also 'All Part 1 Questions' 49. Art

    and See Also 'All Part 1 Questions' 11. Drawing and Painting

    Note: For some questions it is unclear whether the word, "painting", "drawing" or "art" is used.

 

20.  Leisure Time 

See Note about pronunciation

See also ALL PART 1 QUESTIONS 21. Leisure Time and Relaxing 

 

21 No Topic

 

22.  Sport (and Exercise) 

   

     See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 35. Sport and Exercise

      In the questions below, the word "sport" might be replaced by the word, "exercise" for some questions.

 

23Television

    See Also 'All Part 1 Questions' 38. Television and Radio       

 

24.  Cooking

        See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 15. Food and Cooking

 

25.  Reading

    See Also 'All Part 1 Questions' 32. Reading

 

26.  Friends

    See Also 'All Part 1 Questions' 16. Friends   

 

27.  Sounds (Noises) N

           Also see All Part 1 Questions 26. Noise

        See Note on the meaning and usage of the word, "noise".

 

28.  Daily Routine

        See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 9. Daily Routine          

 

29. Collecting N

         See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 7. Collecting

 

30. Languages N

       See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 20. Languages

       See Notes

 

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