ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

Updated  July 27, 2013

 

Part 1 Topics and Questions

For The IELTS Speaking Tests, January - April, 2013

 

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Notes

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

1.  Your Work or Your Studies  

2Your 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.  Mobile Phones       

5.  Entertainment 

6.  Computers and The Internet 

7.  Dancing 

8Greeting Cards 

9.  Museums 

10.  Bags 

11.  Weather, Seasons and Climate

12.  Keeping Healthy  

13.  Art 

14.  Weekends 

15.  Leisure Time

16.  Photographs  N

17.  Names  N

18.  Sport and Exercise  N

19.  Family  N

20.  Sleep  N

21.  Transport  N

22.  Music  N

23.  Boats  N

24.  Buildings  N

25.  Concentrating  N

26.  Writing  N

27.  Housework  N

28.  Parks  N

29.  The News  N

30.  The Countryside  N

31.  Your Daily Routine  N

32.  Books  N

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1.  Your Work or Your Studies  

  • Do you work or are you a student?

1a) Your Work 

 See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 1b. Your Work

 

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

 

2Your Hometown 

    See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 3. Your Hometown

     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".

 

3.  Your Home (Your Accommodation)

    See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 2. Your Home (Your Accommodation)

 

4.  Mobile Phones 

  • Do you have a mobile phone (= a cell phone)?  

  • (Similar to above)  Do you use a cell phone?

  • Is your mobile phone important (or, useful) to you in your daily life?

  • What do you use it for?

  • When did you first have (or, get) a mobile phone?

  • (Similar to above)  When did you first start using a mobile phone?

  • Do you prefer sending text messages (texting), or talking on the phone?

  • (Possibly) Do you prefer to chat, or play games on your phone? N

  • Do people in your country like using mobile phones?

  • (Similar to above)  Are mobile phones very popular in your country?

  • Do you think people should turn off their phones in public places (or, in meetings)?

      

5.  Entertainment 

 See Note on the meaning of the word, "entertainment"

  • What do you do for entertainment?

  • (Similar to above)  What types of entertainment do you like? N

  • What did you do for entertainment when you were a child?

  • When you were a child, what places did you (like to) go to for entertainment? N

  • What do (other) people do for entertainment around where you live?

  • (Similar to above)  What do your friends do for entertainment?

  • What choices for entertainment are there for young people around where you live (or, in your hometown)?

  • (Similar to above)  Are there any entertainment places near your school (or university)?

  • Have you recently been to any place for entertainment?

  • What did you do for entertainment in the past week? N

  • Is there any form of entertainment that you'd like to try in the future?

 

6.  Computers and the Internet 

See also All Part One Questions 51. The Internet

  • How much time do you spend every day on your computer or on the internet?

  • Do you often use the internet?

  • (Similar to above)  How often do you use the internet?

  • What do you use it for?

  • (Similar to above)  What do you do on the internet?

  • How useful would you say the internet is for you? N

  • Do other people (at home, or) in your family also use the internet? 

  • What benefits can people get from using the internet? N

  • Would you say (or, would you agree that) the internet is essential for modern life? N

  • (Similar to above)  Would you say that the internet is essential for your life? N

  • Do you think there are any bad points about (using) the internet?

  • (Similar to above)  Do you think there are any shortcomings to using the internet?

  • Do you think some young people buy things online that they don't really need?

  • When did you first start using the internet?

    Other Reported Questions (reported once)

    Other Reported Questions (reported once)

7.  Dancing 

  • Do you like dancing?

  • What type of dancing do you like? (Why?) N

  • Do people in your country like to dance?

  • When do people in your country (or culture) dance?

  • What dances are most popular (with young people) in your country?

  • Where do (young) people go to dance? N

  • Is traditional dancing very popular in your country? N

  • Do young people in your country like traditional dancing? See Note

  • (Similar to above)  What do young people in your country think of traditional dancing?

  • (Similar to above)  Do people in your country regard traditional dances as important?

  • What kinds of dance performances do people (in your country) like to see? N

 

8Greeting Cards 

Most people report this topic using the word, "postcard" but I think that is too restrictive. The examiner probably calls this topic, "Greeting Cards" or possibly just, "Cards".

Chinese students (and others) should take care to clearly pronounce the "d" in the word, "card", so that it doesn't sound like "car".

See here for some vocabulary.

  • Do you ever receive letters or cards?

  • (Similar to above) Do you receive many letters or cards?

  • Have you ever sent a postcard to a friend?

  • When was the last time you received a card?

  • Do you (ever) give cards to your friends?

  • (Similar to above)  Have you ever given cards to your friends?

  • Which do you think is better (to send or receive), a card, or an email?

  • (Similar to above) Do you prefer to send an email or a card?

  • Which do you prefer, to send a card, or to receive a card?

  • Do you keep (or, collect) any cards?

  • (Similar to above)  Do you keep cards that you receive?

 

9.  Museums 

  • Have you ever visited a museum?

  • (Similar to above)  What museums have you visited in the past?

  • Do you like museums? N

  • Do you often visit museums?

  • (Similar to above)  How often do you visit museums?

  • What benefits do you get from visiting a museum? N

  • Do you think museums are important?

  • What's the use of museums? N

  • Do you think museums are good for children?

  • Do you think visiting museums should be part of the curriculum for school children? N

  • What benefits do children get from visiting museums? N

  • Do you think the government should build more museums? (See Note) N

  • Is there any museum you'd like to visit in the future? N

  • What museum (or, what kind of museum) would you like to visit in the future? (See Note)  N

 

10.  Bags 

   

See here for some vocabulary

  • Do you like bags? N

  • What types of bags do you like? N

  • Do you usually carry a bag (when you go out)?

  • What types of bags do you use (in your everyday life)?

  • (Similar to above)  Do you have different bags for different occasions (or, different purposes)?

  • What do you put in these bags?

  • What sorts of bags do women like to buy?

  • When you are buying a bag, what factors do you consider?

  • (Similar to above)  How do you make your choice when you are buying a bag?

  • When you buy a bag, which is more important for you, the price of the bag or the quality of the bag? N

  • Do you think the style of a bag is very important? (Why?/Why not?)

  • Do you have a bag for special occasions? (Probably means a luxury handbag or an especially beautiful handbag.)

  • Have you ever lost a bag?

  • Do you usually take a bag when you travel? N

  • (Possible question) Do you think backpacks are important in life? N

 

11.  The Weather, Seasons and Climate

 See  also All Part 1 Questions 41, Weather and All Part 1 Questions 46, Seasons

Make sure you know the difference in meaning between "season" and "climate". "Climate" can be considered to be, "average long-term weather", especially in relation to temperature. Weather and climate are not exactly the same.      

  • What's the weather usually like in your country?

  • (Similar to above)  What's the weather usually like where you come from? N

  • Do you have four distinct seasons?

  • Is the weather the same in all parts of your country? N

  • Do you think the weather has changed much in recent years? See Note 

  • (Similar to above) Have there been any changes to the weather in recent years (where you live)?

  • (Similar to above) Have there been any changes to the climate in recent years (where you live)? N

  • (Similar to above) Do you think there has been a major change in climatic conditions recently? N

  • How is the weather different in different seasons? N

  • Do you like when it’s raining? N

  • What's your favourite season (or weather)?

  • Do you prefer hot weather or cold weather? (Or, "a hot climate or a cold climate".)

  • As a child, did you prefer hot weather or cold weather?

  • Do you wear different clothes in different seasons (or, in different types of weather)? N

 

12.  Keeping Healthy 

See Note

  • Do you do anything to keep healthy?

  • How do (or how can) people maintain good health?

  • What foods do you (or do people) eat for good health? N

  • What would you say is a "healthy lifestyle"? *

  • Is there any sport (or activity that promotes good health) that you would like to try (or do) in the future?

  • Did you (or do you) do any exercise at school?

  • Do you like doing exercise? N

  • Do you think people do enough exercise nowadays? N

  • Has your school/university taught you anything about how to live a healthy life?

  • (Similar to above)  Have your teachers at school taught you anything about how to live a healthy life? N

  • Do you think being overweight is an important health issue? N

 

13.  Art 

 

14.  Weekends

Make sure you know the difference in meaning between "a weekend" and "a holiday".

See also the Questions on this topic from January-April, 2012. Possibly some of those questions are also being used now.

15.  Leisure Time  

 

16.  Photographs  N

  • Do you like taking photographs?

  • When was the last time you took a photo?

  • Do you think taking photos today is the same as it was in the past?

  • Why are more and more people taking photographs today?

  • Do you think people are taking too many photographs?

  • Do you like to take photos when you travel?

  • Do you enjoy looking at photographs?

  • What kinds of photographs do you most like to look at?

  • Do you have a favourite family photograph?

  • What advantages and disadvantages do you think using a camera gives to students?

 

17.  Names  N

 

18.  Sport and Exercise  N

 

19.  Family  N

This topic was not often reported in China but I think it is (was) a real topic.

 

20.  Sleep  N


 

21.  Transport  N

 

22.  Music  N

 

23.  Boats  N

 

24.  Buildings  N

 

25.  Concentrating  N

 

26.  Writing  N

 

27.  Housework  N

See also the questions on this topic from Jan. - Apr. 2011

 

28.  Parks  N

 

29.  The News  N

 

30.  The Countryside  N

 

31.  Your Daily Routine  N

 

32.  Books  N

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