Part 1 Questions MAY to AUG 2011

ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

Updated Aug. 27, 2011

Part 1 Topics and Questions

For The IELTS Speaking Tests, May - August, 2011

*****************************************************************************

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. (Actually, 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.

*****************************************************************************

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) N

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. Birds N

5. Colours N

6. Names N

7. Hand-made Things N

8. Photographs N

9. Your Primary School N

10. Numbers

11. Computers N

12. Weekends N

13. Public Holidays

14. Meals N

15. Weather and Seasons N

16. Happiness N

17. Swimming N

18. Television N

19. Animals

20. Collecting

21. Concerts

22. Flowers

23. Housework

24. Outdoor Activities

25. Painting and Drawing

26. Family and Friends N

27. Science

28. Time Management

29. Films

30. Gifts

31. Travel

*****************************************************************************

1. Your Work or Your Studies

Do you work or are you a student?

1a) Your Work

What work do you do?
Why did you choose to do that kind of work (or, that job)?
What do you do in your job?

Liking Your Job

Do you like (or, enjoy) your job?
What part of your job do you like the most?
Do you intend to (or, want to) continue doing this kind of work (or, this job)? (See Note)
If you had the chance, would you (like to) change your job?
Is the salary of a job (or, the salary of your present job) very important to you? (Unclear question)

Interesting

Is your work very interesting?
What's the most interesting aspect of your work?
(Possibly) What's the most interesting thing about your work?

Work or Colleagues

Which is more important to you, the people you work with or the work itself?

1b) 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" will be used.

What subject(s) are you studying?
Why did you choose to study that? / Why did you choose to study those subjects?
What do you learn in that course? / What do/did you learn in _________ (one of your high school subjects)?
(Similar to above) What have you learned in your course?
Would you like to continue your studies in the future?
(Similar to above) Do you plan to continue your studies in the future?

Liking Your Subject

Do you like your subject? (Why?/Why not?)
(Similar to above) Do you enjoy studying that?
What do you like most about it?
(For High school students) What subject (or, subjects) do you like the most?
Do you think it's important to study something that you like? (See Note)

Future Work

(Possibly) What kinds of jobs can people do after studying _______ (your subject)?
What do you plan to do after you have finished your studies?

Interesting

Is your subject (or, your course) very interesting?
What's the most interesting part about it?

The Other Students or the Teachers

(In a classroom,) who do you think is more important, the students or the teacher? (See Note)
(Similar to above) (In your class, your course or, your studies) who do you think is more important, the students or the teacher?
(Similar to above) (In your class, your course or, your studies) who is more important to you, the students or the teacher?
Who gives you more help, the teachers or other students?
What do you get from your teachers?

2. 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.

– 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".

Where is your hometown?
Is that a big city or a small place (or, a small town)?
Which do you prefer, to live in a big city or a small place?
(Similar to above) Do you like living in a big city/small place (whichever you said in your previous answer)?

----------------------------

Where are you living now, in your hometown or another place?
How long have your been living there/here?
(Similar to above) How long have you lived there/here?

Interesting

Would you say your hometown is an interesting place?
(Similar to above) Is it an interesting place to live in?
What's the most interesting thing about living there/here?

Good Place to Live

Would you say it's a good place to live?
(Or) Would you say it's a good place to grow up?

3. Your Home (Your Accommodation) N

Do you live in a house or a flat?
Please describe your home a little.
Do you like living in that _______ (whichever you live in)?
(Similar to above) Which do you prefer to live in, a house or a flat?
What are the advantages of living in a _________ (whichever you said you prefer to live in)?
Do you share your room with anyone?
(Similar to above) Do you live with members of your family?
Do you like your home?
If you could change (or, improve) something about your home, what would it be?
(Similar to above) What changes would you make to your home (if you could)?

(Similar to above) Is there anything about your home you would like to change?

What's your favourite room in your home?
What part of your home do you like the best?
(Similar to above) What's your favourite room in your home?
How is this room decorated?
(In the future,) what sort of home would you like to live in?
Do you live in the city or the suburbs?
Do you like the environment around your home?

4. Birds N

See also All Part One Questions 5. Birds (It looks like the old questions are being reused.)

See some wild birds that are common in most Chinese cities

Do you like birds?
Are there (or, do you see) many birds around your home?
(Similar to above) Are there (or, do you see) many birds around your neighbourhood?
What kinds of birds are there where you live?
In your country, do different birds represent different things?
(Similar to above) In your country, do any birds have special significance (= meaning)?
Do people in your country keep birds as pets?
Are there any birds (in your country/where you live) that have disappeared?
(Similar to above) Are there any birds (in your country/where you live) that are much less common today than they used to be?
Do you think birds are important?
Do you think we should protect (wild) birds?

5. Colours N

What's your favourite colour?
(Similar to above) What colours do you especially like?
Are colours important to you?
(Similar to above) Do you think colours are important?
Were colours important to you when you were a child?
(Similar to above) Were any colours important to you when you were a child?
Is colour very important to you when you are buying clothes?
Do you prefer light or dark (or, bright) colours?
(Similar to above) Do you prefer to wear light or dark (or, bright) coloured clothes?
If you were to paint the walls of your room, what colour would you choose?
Is there any colour you would not want your walls to be? (Why?)

6. Names N

Who gave you your name?
Does your name have any particular (or, special) meaning?
Do you like your name?
Would you like to change your name?
(Similar to above) Have you ever considered changing your name?
Is it easy to change your name in your country?
(Similar to above) In your country, are there any problems that could occur if someone changed their name?
Who usually names babies in your country?
Do you have any special traditions about naming children?
(Similar to above) What do people consider when they are giving a baby a name in your country?

7. Hand-made Things N

Do you like making things by hand?
Did you ever make anything by hand when you were a child?
Did you ever make a toy when you were a child?
Do children in your country often (or, ever) make things by hand?
Was making things by hand common in your country in the past? (Why?)
Do you think it's good (or, important) for children to (learn to) make things by hand? (Why?)
At schools in your country, do children have any classes in which they learn to make things by hand?
What handicrafts do people in your country (like to) make?
Is there anything that you would like to (learn to) make by hand?
Why do you think people sometimes choose to buy hand-made things (rather than machine-made things)?

8. Photographs N

Do you like taking photographs?
How often do you take photographs?
When (or, in what situations) do you take photographs? (Why?)
(Similar to above) What do you like to photograph?
Do you prefer to take pictures of scenery or of people?
Is taking photographs very popular in your country? (Why?/Why not?)
What kinds of photographs do you most like to look at?
Which do you think is better to send to someone, a postcard that has a photograph on it or a photograph you took yourself? *

9. Your Primary School N

What was the first school you attended?
(Similar to above) What primary school did you attend?
Was it a good school?
Did you like it?
What were the good things about your primary school?
(Similar to above) What did you like most about it?
Was it far from your home?
How did you go to (or, travel to) school?

10. Numbers

In your country, do any numbers have special meaning?
How do numbers help your life?
(Similar to above) Are there any numbers or dates that you think are (especially) important to remember?
(Similar to above) What important numbers have you memorized?
How often do you need to memorize a number?
How do you remember a number (or, numbers)?
Which do you think are easier to remember, names or numbers?

(Similar to above, but different) Which do you think are easier to memorize, names or numbers? ("Memorize" and "remember" are different in meaning!)

11. Computers N

Do you often use computers?
When did you start using computers?
What do you use computers for?
Would you say computers are important?
(Similar to above) Would you say computers are important in your life?
(Similar to above) How important are computers to you?
(Possible) Do computers have much impact on your life?
What effect do computers have on children?
How do you think parents could minimize (or avoid) the negative effects of computers on their children?
(Possible) What can you learn from computers?
What computer skill(s) would you like to learn? (See note)

12. Weekends N

Possibly this topic is simply, "Leisure Time".

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

What do you do in your spare time?
What do you usually do on weekends? (See Note)
What did you do last weekend?
When do you spend time with your family?
What do other people in your hometown usually do on weekends?

13. Public Holidays

This meaning of "holiday" is 节日, similar to "festival".

(The other meaning is the same as, "vacation" or 假期. This is usually used in the plural form such as, "my summer holidays" = "my summer vacation". But this just means your "break from work or from school". If, during your "summer holidays" you go for a two-week trip to the seaside, that trip and that experience is usually spoken as "my summer holiday" not "my summer holidays". In other words, a special trip made for the purpose of relaxation or recreation is also called a "holiday".)

What public holidays do you have in your country? *
(Possibly) Do people in your country celebrate Christmas?
Do you like public holidays?
Which public holidays do you like the most?
(Similar to above) What's your favourite public holiday? (See Note)
What did you do during the last public holiday?
What do other people in your country usually do on public holidays?
What would you like to do during the next public holiday?
Do you think public holidays are important?
Do you think there should be more public holidays in your country?
(Similar to above) Would you like to have more public holidays?
What family holidays do you (or, does your family) usually celebrate? (See Note)

The following two questions might be part of this topic or they might have been erroneously reported using the word, "a holiday" when in fact the examiner used the word, "a weekend".

Do you prefer doing things indoors or outdoors on a holiday?
In your country, do old people usually do the same things as young people during a holiday?

14. Meals N

See also the questions about eating places at All Part One Questions 15. Food/Cooking and All Part One Questions 23. Meals

What food do people where you live (or, in your country) usually eat?
Do you know how to cook?
Where do people in your country usually eat their meals?
(Similar to above) Where do you usually eat your meals?
Do you usually eat your meals together with your family?
(Similar to above) Do you prefer to sit together with your family for a meal, or to eat separately?
What are the benefits of (or, what is the importance of) eating with the family?

15. Weather and Seasons N

Make sure you know the difference in meaning between "season" and "weather".

What's the weather usually like in your country (or, your hometown)?
(If doing the test away from your home country) How is the weather here different to the weather in your home country?
What season do you like best?
What do you do in that season?
(Possibly) What sort of weather do you like the most? (See note)
What season (or weather) do you think is most suitable for work and/or study?
Do you like sunny weather?
Has the weather in your country (or, hometown) changed much in the past few years?

16. Happiness N

(The wording of some of these questions is not very clear.)

Would you say you are happy?
What makes you feel happy?
(Similar to above) Do you do anything to keep yourself happy?
Do you think happiness is very important?
(Possibly) What do you think, "happiness" is?
What do you think makes people feel happy?
What do you do when faced with an unhappy situation?
Do you think unhappiness is always bad for you?
Why do people feel happy when they are at a natural place (such as in a forest)?
Do you think money plays an important part in people's happiness?
(Similar to above) Do you think people's wealth and their happiness are related?

17. Swimming N

Do you know how to swim? (= Can you swim?)
Do you prefer to swim in the sea or in a swimming pool?
Do many people in your country like to go swimming?
(Similar to above) Is swimming very popular in your country?
How do (or, how can) children learn to swim?
What do you think are the benefits of learning to swim?
(Similar to above) What do you think are the benefits of swimming?

18. Television N

Do you like watching television?
How much television do you watch?
(Similar to above) How often do you watch TV?
What's your favourite TV program? (Why?)
Do you prefer to watch TV alone or with others (or with friends/family)? (Why?)
Do you feel you watch too much TV?
Did you like to watch TV when you were a child? (If yes, include what programs you liked to watch.)
Do you think you watched too much TV when you were a child?

19. Animals

Do you like animals?
What's your favourite animal? (Why?)
Are people in your country fond of animals?
(Similar to above) Do many people in your country keep animals at home (or, keep a pet)?
(Similar to above) Do people in your country like to raise animals? (See Note)
Do people keep animals in your country? --> What kinds of animals do people in in your county (or, hometown) keep?
(Similar to above) What kinds of pets do the people have in your hometown?
Compared with the past, have there been any changes concerning pets in your country/hometown?
Do you think pets are important?
Do you think cities are suitable places for keeping a pet?
Do children like animals?
(Similar to above) What animals do children like?
What was your favourite animal when you were a child?
Did you have any pets when you were a child?
(Similar to above) Have you ever raised (or, had) a pet?
What do you think are the benefits of a child having a pet?
(Possibly the question above is this) What benefits did you get from having a pet?
If you have children in the future, will you allow them to raise a pet?
(Similar to above, but different!) If you had children now, would you let your children raise a pet?

Farm Animals

What farm animals do you have in your country?

Do you think farm animals are important?

How are these animals used?

(Similar to above) In what ways are animals used in agriculture in your country? (See Note)

(Possible question) Do you think raising farm animals is important?

Wild Animals

What's the most famous wild animal from your country?
What's your favourite wild animal (from your country)? (See Note)

20. Collecting

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 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
Would you collect something that you think will have value in the future?

21. Concerts

The wording for some of these questions is not clear. Listen carefully to the exact words of the examiner because a single change of word can completely change a meaning. For example, to "listen to a concert" can be done by watching it on TV, by listening to a CD or by actually going to the concert and listening to it live. But if the questions asks if if you have ever attended (= been to) a concert, it is asking you about going to and listening to a live concert.

What kind of music do you like to listen to?
Have you ever been to a (live) concert? * (See Note)
Or: Do you often go to concerts?
(Probably if you say no to the question above) Would you like to go to a concert in the future?
What sorts of concerts do you have in your country?
Are concerts ever held in your hometown?
When was the last time you attended a concert?
(Similar to above) What was the last concert you attended or saw on TV?
What's the difference between attending a concert and hearing it on a CD or on the radio?
Are there any differences between live music and music played on a CD?
Which would you prefer, to attend a concert of your favourite artist or to buy a CD of this artist?
Would you like to perform at a concert?

22. Flowers

See Note on the word, "send"

Do you like flowers?

What flowers do you like? (Why?)

Do you think flowers are important?

(Similar to above) Are flowers important in your country/culture? (Give examples)

Do any flowers have any special meaning (or, special importance) in your country?

Do people in your country ever use flowers for special occasions?

(Similar to above) On what occasions do people in your country give flowers to other people?

In your country, do people (ever) give flowers as a gift?

On what occasions do people in your country give flowers to other people?

When was the last time you gave flowers to someone?

23. Housework

See some vocabulary here

Do people in your country do much housework?
In your home, who does (most of) the housework?
Do you do much (or, any) housework? (If yes, what? Why?/Why not?)
What housework do you like to do?
Is there any housework you dislike doing? *
What housework did you do when you were a child?
Do you think children should (learn to) do housework? (Why?/Why not?)
(Similar to above) Do you think it's important for children to do housework?
(Similar to above) Do you think it's important for young people to help do the family housework?
Do people in your country have much time to do housework?
(Similar to above) How much time do people in your country spend doing housework?
(Similar to above) Do you feel people in your country have enough time to do housework?
Do you think people like doing housework their own housework?

24. Outdoor Activities

How much time do you have for exercise?
Do you like outdoor activities?
What outdoor activities do you (most) like to do?
What outdoor sports do you like?
(Similar to above, but different) What kinds of outdoor activities do you do in your everyday life?
How often do you do that?
Do people in your country prefer to spend time indoors or outdoors? (See Note)
What (types of) outdoor activities are popular in your country?
Do you think people in your country have enough time to spend on outdoor activities?
(Similar to above) Do you think people in your country have enough time to spend on outdoor exercise?

25. Painting and Drawing