PART 1 JAN-APR 2012

ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

Updated June 3, 2012

Part 1 Topics and Questions (Page 1 of 2)

For The IELTS Speaking Tests, January - April, 2012

This is Page 1 of 2

Page 2 is here.

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Notes

For some of these topics, there might be two sets of different but similar questions, for example, the "Sport" topic. Certainly the "Work/Studies" and the "Hometown" questions exist in different sets.

N = a new topic or question. "New topic" or "new question" means it wasn't used in Sep-Dec 2011. (Some of these "new" topics seem to be repeats of previous topics that were used months or years ago.)

Many of the questions have the words, "(Why?/Why not?)" written in the examiner's question book after the question. I have not always shown that here but you should include this information when you answer any questions about your preferences, opinions, likes and dislikes or any other answer that obviously needs you to state a reason for a complete, coherent answer. If you do not, the examiner will ask you "Why?" or, "Why not?". If the examiner is forced to ask that several times, you will be losing valuable time and you will not give a good impression.

* = A question that I have guessed is in the test OR a question that seems to exist but which has not been reported clearly so I have guessed the wording

Make sure you read HOW_TO_SPEAK_IN_PART_1.htm

See also Some General Notes for the Part 1 Questions Page.

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0. The four I.D. checking questions. (Not really part of Part 1)

1. Your Work or Your Studies

2. Your Hometown

3. Your Home (Your Accommodation)

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). (There's a 50% chance that you will get Topic 1, a 25% chance that you will get Topic 2 and a 25% chance of getting Topic 3.

4. Books & Reading N

5. Newspapers N

6. Indoor Games N

7. Parks and Gardens N

8. Transportation N

9. Clothes and Fashion N

10. Your Daily Routine N

11. Collecting N

12. Walking N

13. Birthdays

14. Children

15. Your Free Time Activities

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On Page 2

16. Driving & Cars

17. Dancing

18. Holidays

19. The Internet

20. Mobile Phones

21. Sport & Exercise

22. Swimming

23. Climate

24. Names

25. Languages

26. Noise

27. Outdoor Activities N

28. Schools

29. Television

30. Weekends

31. Photography

32. Visitors N

33. Letters & Emails

34. Neighbours

35. Meeting New People N

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1. Your Work or Your Studies

Do you work or are you a student?

1a) Your Work

See also the Work questions for May-August, 2009. This was the first time the "training" question was used and it might indicate that the complete set of 'Work' questions from May-August 2009 is being repeated.

See also the 'Your Work' questions from Sep-Dec, 2011. Some of those questions are probably still being used.

What work do you do?
Why did you choose to do that kind of work (or, that job)?
Did you always want to do this type of work? N
Is that job (or, that kind of work) a popular choice among people in your country?
What are your responsibilities at work? N
(Similar to above) What exactly do you do (every day) in that job/at work? N
Do you like your job? (See Note)
What do you like most about your job?
(Similar to above) What are the good points about your job?

(Similar to above) What benefits do you get from working (or, from your job)? N (See Note)

What's the most interesting part of your work? N

Is there anything you don't like about your job?
What qualifications are needed for your job?
Did you receive any training for this job (or, this kind of work)? N
Is it easy to find employment in that job (or, that kind of work)?
(Similar to above but more general) Is it difficult to find a job (= any job) in your country/hometown?
Would you like to continue doing this job (or, this type of work) in the future?

1b) Your Studies

See also the 'Studies' questions for May-August, 2009. It is possible some parts of this set of questions are being repeated.

See also the 'Your Studies' questions from Sep-Dec, 2011. Some of those questions are probably still being used.

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. For high school students (or recent high school graduates), the word "subjects" will be used.

What subject(s) are you studying?
Why did you choose to study that? / Why did you choose to study those subjects? (See Note)
Do many students in your country study that subject?
(Similar to above) Is that a popular subject to study in your country?
Do you like your subject? (or: Do you like your course?) (See Note)
What's the most interesting part of your course? N
What school/university are you studying at (now)? *
Why did you choose to study at (or, choose to go to) that school/university? *
Do you like your school/university? (Why?/Why not?) N (See Note)

2. Your Hometown

See also the Hometown questions from Sep-Dec, 2011. Some of those questions are certainly still being used.

Notes:

– Your 'hometown' is the place where you grew up, not necessarily the place where you were born or your ancestral family location. It's probably where your parents are living now.

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

– 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.

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

What's your hometown?
Is that a small town or a big city?
Do you prefer big cities or small towns?
What is life like in your hometown?
Do you like your hometown?
Would you say that's an interesting place to live in?
Is there anything famous about your hometown?
Does it have a good transportation system?
What's the most attractive (or, interesting) thing about your hometown?
Would you say it's a good place for young people to live?
Does your hometown have good entertainment facilities?
Do you think it's more suitable as a place for young people to live, or old people?
What advice would you give to the government to improve your hometown? * (Not a confirmed question)
If you had a chance to live in a different city, what would it be? (Why?) *

3. Your Home (Your Accommodation)

See also the Home questions from Sep-Dec, 2011. Some of those questions are certainly still being used.

Do you live in a house or a flat?
Please describe it a little.
Do you like your home?
(Similar to above) What do you like most (or, dislike most) about your home?
Is there anything you would like to change about your home?
What's your favourite room?
How is that room decorated? *
What furniture is in that room? N
What was your home (or, house) like when you were a child? * (Unclear)
(Similar to above) What sort of house did you live in when you were a child? * (Unclear)
What was your room like? * (Unclear)
In the future, what sort of home (flat, house etc.) would you like to live in? (See Notes)

4. Books & Reading N

(I am assuming the questions from January-April, 2011 are being reused)

Do you like reading (books)? (Why?/Why not?) (See note)
What types books do you like to read?
(Similar to above) What (kinds of ) books do you (like to) read for pleasure (or, enjoyment)?
Are you reading any books at the moment?
(Similar to above) Is reading books important for you now?
(Similar to above) Do you read a lot nowadays?
Did you read much when you were a child?
(Similar to above) Did you like reading when you were a child?
What (kinds of) books did you like reading when you were a child?
Do (young) children like reading books?
For children, what do you think are the benefits of reading?
(Possible) What do you think are the benefits of reading to children? (= someone else reading while the child listens)
Do you think children should learn to read at an earlier age than they do now?
Do you think it's important to have public libraries?
Did you borrow books from a library when you were a child? N
(If "Yes" to the question above) What books did you borrow?
Do you think the government has a responsibility to provide public libraries for everyone? *

Do you like to collect books?

Have you ever given someone a book as a gift?

(The question above might be this) Would you ever give someone a book as a gift? N

Do you know how to write a book?

Would you like to write a book?

Do you think reading books in a foreign language can help you learn that language? N

5. Newspapers N

This might actually be the topic, "News" from January-April, 2011

See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 55. News

Do you often read newspapers?
Do you prefer to read local news or international news?
(Possibly the question above is this) Which is more popular where you live, local news or international news? (Why?)

Do many people today read newspapers?

In the future, do you think more people than today will read newspapers, or fewer people?

(Possibly the question above is this) Do you think newspapers will be very important to you in the future?

Do you think newspapers influence (or, can influence) the opinions of people?

6. Indoor Games N

See Notes

Do you play any indoor games?
Do you prefer to play indoor games or outdoor games?
What indoor games did you play when you were a child?
Is there any particular indoor game that you liked (when you were a child)?
What sorts of indoor games do children play now?

Did you play electronic games when you were a child? (If yes, what games or why? If no, why not?)

Do you think electronic games are good for children?

What sorts of (indoor) games do you think children will be playing in the future?
Is there any indoor game you'd like to learn (how) to play?

7. Parks and Gardens N

Are there many parks and gardens in your hometown?
Do you often visit these parks or gardens?
How often do you go there?
What do you do in these parks and gardens?
(Similar to above) What do people do in these parks and gardens?

8. Transportation N

What form of transport do you usually use (to get around your city)?
How often do you use public transportation?
What form of public transport do you prefer to (or, most often) use? (Why?)
What do you like to (or usually) do while you are traveling?

What do you usually take (or carry) with you when you are traveling?

Is the transportation (the trains, buses, trams, etc.) very crowded in your city?

Do you ever have problems with noise when you are traveling?

Are you ever disturbed by the noise from other passengers?

Do you like traveling by car?

Who do you prefer to travel with?

9. Clothes and Fashion N

Make sure you know the differences between "fashion" and "fashionable". Don't say, "I like to wear fashion clothes." That should be, "I like to wear fashionable clothes," or "I like to wear clothes that are in fashion."

Are you very interested in fashion and clothes?
Do you have a lot of nice clothes?
What kind(s) of clothes do you usually wear? *
Do you like to wear fashionable clothes?
(Similar to above) Do you usually wear clothes that are in fashion?
(Similar to above) Do you ever wear designer (or, name brand) clothes?
(Similar to above) Do you ever buy designer (or, name brand) clothes?
Is there anything that you used to wear in the past that you don't wear now?
How often do you go shopping for clothes?
Do you like shopping for clothes?
Do you plan to buy any designer (or, name brand) clothes?
Do you think people pay too much attention to fashion?

10. Your Daily Routine N

What do you do on a typical day?
What part of the day do you like best?
What's usually your busiest time of the day; the morning, noon, or evenings? (Why?)
(Similar to above) Do you prefer to do things in the mornings or the evenings? (Why?)
What time of the day are you the most efficient?
Do you (usually) plan your week?
If you could change one thing about your daily routine, what would it be? (Why?)

11. Collecting N

Did you collect anything (such as stamps or CD's) when you were a child?
Do you still collect them now?
(Similar to above) Do you collect anything as a hobby now?
Why do you like collecting things?
Do people in your country like to collect things?
What are some examples of things that some people (in your country) collect (as a hobby)? See Note
Why do you think these people like collecting things?
Do you think it's good for children to collect something (as a hobby)?
Do you think you will collect anything in the future?
If you had a lot of money, what would you like to collect? See Note
(Similar to above) If you had a lot of money, what would you collect? (Don't use, "will".) See Note
(Similar to above, but a little different) Is there anything you would like to collect?
Would you collect something that you think will have value in the future?

12. Walking N

Do you like walking? (Why?/Why not?) (See Note)
Where do you walk?
Would you say your hometown is a suitable place for walking?
Did you like walking when you were a child?
(Possibly the question above is this) Did you walk a lot when you were a child?
In the future, do you think you will (continue to) enjoy walking or will you prefer to use some form of transportation?
What do you think are the benefits of walking?

13. Birthdays

Do you like birthdays?
Do people in China celebrate birthdays?
(Similar to above) Are people's birthdays very important in China?
Are any birthdays ( = reaching a certain age) especially important in your country?
How do Chinese people celebrate birthdays?
(Similar to above) Do people in China do anything special to celebrate birthdays?
(Similar to above) Nowadays, how do young people in China celebrate their birthday?
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
(Similar to above) Do you usually do anything special on your birthdays?

Do people in China have birthday parties? (Why?/Why not?)

Do you prefer birthday parties with your friends or with your family?

What did you do on your last birthday? See note

Do you think it's important for people to celebrate birthdays?

(Possibly the above question is this:) Do you think it's important to remember people's birthdays?

Do you think it's important to give a (special) gift to someone on their birthday?

Are birthdays more important for children or for adults?

(Similar to above) Do you think it's more important for children to celebrate birthdays than adults?

Do children and adults celebrate birthdays the same way?

What do children do when they have a birthday party?

14. Children

Do you often come into contact with children? (Where? When?)
What do you do when you are with these children?
Do you get along well with children?
How often do you play with children?
What kind of child were you (when you were little)?
(Similar to above) Were you very active when you were a child?
What did you like to do when you were a child?
(Similar to above) What did you like to do for play when you were a child?
(Similar to above) What activities did you like to do when you were a child?
Do you think children today are the same as (or, different to) those in the past?
(Similar to above) Do children today like to do the same things when they play?
How do you think children in the future will play?
Do you think children today benefit from modern technology?

15. Your Free Time Activities

What do you do in your spare time?
How do you usually spend your evenings?
Do you prefer to stay at home in the evenings or do you prefer to go out?
(Similar to above) Do you go out much at night?

Continue to Page 2

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