PART 1 SEP-DEC 2014

ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

Updated Nov. 9, 2014

Part 1 Topics and Questions

For The IELTS Speaking Tests, Sept. - Dec., 2014

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Notes

N = a new topic or question. "New topic" or "new question" means it wasn't used (or was never reported) in the previous 4-month period. (Some of these "new" topics seem to be repeats of previous topics that were used months or years ago.) If a topic is new then all the questions are considered to be "new", even if some of those questions have been used in previous tests months or years ago. But if a topic is "new", the questions listed for that topic will not be labeled with N .

Topics without N are topics that are continuing from the set of Part 1 topics in the previous 4-month period.. About two thirds of the topics are in this group. Usually the questions will be the same in the previous period but I might find some new questions. If that happens, I will label the question as N.

I don't label the topic of Work/Studies as new because it is always in the test. Some of the questions continue from the previous 4-month testing period but you can assume that there will also be some new questions at each test change time (January, May & September) When I find such new questions, I label them as N.

Similar to the Work/Studies topic, either one of the topics Hometown and Home is always in the test. Usually both are in the test at the same time but there have been rare times when only one of them is used for a 4-month testing period. Some of the questions continue from the previous 4-month testing period but you can assume that there will also be some new questions at each test change time (January, May & September) When I find such new questions, I label them as N.

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 (must 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.

"Similar to above" means the wording of the question is not clear or different people have reported slightly different questions. You might get one of those questions from any group that includes "Similar to above" but not more than one of them.

Where the question says, "in your country", the examiner usually uses the name of the country, for example, "China".

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. Where You Live

3. Your Home (Your Accommodation) N

One of the three topics above is a compulsory topic and you will be asked 3 to 5 questions on this topic. You will then be asked questions on two of the topics from below. (Again, 3 to 5 questions per topic).

Note (added Sept. 20, 2014): There are a few reports that some examiners are choosing two of the the topics above, not just one. So it looks like this rule might have been changed.

4. Shoes N

5. Colours N

6. Housework N

7. Teachers N

8. Writing N

9. Friends N

10. Natural Places N

11. Advertising N

12. Public Holidays N

13. Weather & Seasons

14. Concentration

15. Cars

16. Museums and Art Galleries

17. Street Markets

18. Maps

19. Gifts

20. Days of the Week

21. Parks

22. Food

23. Photography

24. Travel

25. Your Leisure Time

26. Television

27. Taking a Break N

28. Shopping

29. Birthdays

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1. Your Work or Your Studies

Do you work or are you a student?

1a) Your Work

Some of the questions below will possibly no longer be used in the Sep.-Dec. testing period.

What work do you do?

Why did you choose to do that type of work (or, that job)?

Was that an easy choice to make?

Have you always wanted to do that type of work?

(Possibly) Is that a very popular job in your country?

Would you recommend that job to others?

What do you do in that job?

(Similar to above) What are your responsibilities at work? N

Do you like you job?

Does your job keep you interested?

(Similar to above) Is your job very interesting?

Do you like challenges at work?

How would you handle a task that was very lengthy and time consuming?

Do you think you are more efficient (or, productive) in the mornings or in the afternoons? (Why?)

(Possibly the question above is this) Do you work better in the mornings in in the afternoons? (Why?)

Do you plan to continue doing that work? (or, that type of work / or, that job)

(Possibly the question above is this) Do you intend to change your job in the near future?

Do you prefer to work in a quiet environment, or in a place that has some noises (or sounds)? See Note

What do you do if there's too much noise (when you are trying to work)?

Your first day at work. See the questions for this topic at ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 1b. Your Work

Did you like your first day at work?

(Possibly the question above is this) What was your first day at work like?

(Possibly the question above is this) How did you feel on your first day at work?

What do you plan to do in the future? ( = What are your future plans?) N

Is it easy to find work (employment) in your country? N

1b) Your Studies

Notes: 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. For university students, the word "subject" will be used, which has basically the same meaning as the American, "major".

There are probably two or three different sets of questions for this topic, on two or three different cards in the examiner's question book. I have no way of knowing which questions belong to which set so all the "studies" questions are grouped together here.

Some of the questions below will possibly no longer be used in the Sep.-Dec. testing period.

What subject(s) are you studying?

Why did you choose to study that subject? / Why did you choose to study those subjects? (See Note)

Was that an easy choice to make?

Have you always studied that subject? (See Note)

(Possibly the question above is this) Have you always wanted to study that subject?

Do you like your subject? (Why?/Why not?)

Is it very interesting?

Is it very difficult to study that? N

Would you say you are good at that subject?

(Possibly) How was your summer vacation (summer holidays)? N *

What was/is your university like?

(For high school students & recent HS graduates) What was/is your high school like?

Why did you choose (to attend) that school/university?

How long will you continue studying there?

Would you say your school / university has a good learning environment? N

Will you (or, do you intend to) continue studying that subject?

(For high school students & recent HS graduates) What was /is your favourite subject at high school?

(Possibly) What was /is your most useful subject in high school?

(Continuing from the question above) Will you (or, do you intend to) continue studying that subject?

Was there/is there any high school subject that you didn't like?

Do you prefer to study in the mornings, or in the afternoons? (Why?)

(Possibly the question above is this) Do you study better in the mornings in in the afternoons? (Why?)

(For non-high school students & non-recent H.S. graduates) What are you going to (or, planning to) do in the future?

(For university students) What do you think you will do after you graduate?

Do you prefer to study in a quiet environment, or in a place that has some noises (or sounds)? See Note

What do you do if there's too much noise (and you want to study)?

Your first day at school / university. See the questions for this topic at ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 1a. Your Studies

Did you like your first day at university/high school?

(Possibly the question above is this) What was your first day at university/high school like?

(Possibly the question above is this) How did you feel on your first day at university (or high school)?

2. Where You Live

See also the question in September-December 2013 for this topic

Note: The questions below are about the city or place that you are living in now, regardless of whether it is your hometown or not.

Some of the questions below will possibly no longer be used in the Sep.-Dec. testing period.

Where are you living at the moment? (= Where do you live?)
Where do your parents live? N
Do you like living in _______ (your hometown, or where you are living now)?
What are the good points and the bad points about living here/there?
(Possibly) Is there anything you dislike about it?
Has it changed much since you were a child? N
Can you suggest how it could be improved?
Would you say it has good facilities?
Do you think it's a good place to grow up in? N
Does it have good educational facilities? N
Is the public transport system in your hometown convenient to use?
Would you say it's a good place for (families with) children to live? See Note
Do you have many neighbours?
Do you know your neighbours (or the local people) very well?
Would you like to change the place where you live?

Where would you take a visitor to your hometown? (Why?) N

(Similar to above) What would you recommend a visitor to your hometown see and do? N

3. Your Home (Your Accommodation) N

Do you live in a house, or a flat (= an apartment)?
How long have you lived (or, been living) there?
Do you like it (= like living there)?
What do you think are the advantages of living in a ______ ? (flat or house, whichever you live in).
Could you describe it a little?
Which is your favourite room? (Why)
(Possibly) Who do you live with? *
Do you live with your family?
Do you think it's good to live with one's family?
Has your family (or, have you) always lived there? See Note 1

4. Shoes N

(Possibly) Do you like shopping for shoes? (Why? / Why not?) *
How often do you buy shoes?
(The question above might be this) How long is it since you bought some (or, a pair of) shoes?
What kinds of shoes do you usually buy? (or, prefer to buy / prefer to wear)
Do you prefer comfortable shoes, or good-looking shoes?
Do you have a pair of shoes that you especially like?
Do you ever buy shoes online?
Do you think men and women are equally interested in buying shoes?

5. Colours N

People are reporting a lot of different variations of these questions!

Do you have a favourite colour? (If so, what colour and why is that your favourite colour?)
Was that also your favourite colour when you were a child?
Do you think colours are important?
Were colours important to you when you were a child? (See Note)
What colour clothes do you like to wear?
Did you wear bright coloured clothes when you were young?
Do you prefer light colours, or dark colours?
(Slightly different to above) Do you prefer light colours, or bright colours?
What colour would you choose to paint the walls of your room?
What colour car would you choose to buy?
Do you think the colour of one's car or walls is important (or, has any significance)?

6. Housework N

Do you like doing housework?
Do you do much housework? *
Is there any housework that you dislike doing? *
How do you think housework could be made more interesting (or, more fun)?
Did your parents ask you (or, make you) do any housework when you were a child?
Do you think children should do some housework?
In the future, do you think machines will replace humans for doing housework?

7. Teachers N

Do you (or, did you) like your teachers at school? (past tense if no longer a school student)
Do you (or, did you) have a favourite teacher?
Why do (did you) you like him/her?
How does (or did) this teacher help you?
(Possibly) How have our teachers helped you?
(Possibly) Have you stayed in contact with him / her?
Have you stayed in touch with any of your former teachers?
Would you like to be a teacher?
Do you think you could be a teacher?
(Similar to above) In the future, do you think you will be able to work as a teacher? See Note 3

8. Writing N

So far, this topic seems to be mainly about handwriting.

Do you receive many handwritten letters or cards?
Do you like writing cards and letters (by hand)?
Would you say you have good handwriting?
Do you think you (one) can judge someone's personality by looking at their handwriting?
(Similar to above) What do you think good handwriting or bad handwriting tells us about the writer?

9. Friends N

How much time do you spend with your friends?
Where do you meet your friends? ( = Where do you get together with your friends?)
What do you usually do with your friends?
How long have you known your best friend?
When will you see him/her next?
What do you (and your best friend) usually do together?
Which do you think is better, to have many friends, or just one or two close friends?

10. Natural Places N

Do you often visit natural places?
(Possibly) Do you like natural scenery?
(Possibly) What are some well-known natural attractions in your country?
How do people in your country come into contact with nature?
Do you (or, would you) prefer to travel to a natural place, or a place with many people (e.g., a city)?
Do you like the country life (or lifestyle)?
Have you ever gone camping?
Would you ever consider living in a place such as in the mountains?
Do you like to do outdoor activities? See Note 2

11. Advertising N

Do you watch the advertisements on TV?
Do you like advertisements on TV?
Where do you see more advertising, on TV or on the internet?
Do you like the advertisements that you can see on the street?
Have you ever bought anything after seeing it in an advertisement?

12. Public Holidays N

This topic might be simply about "holidays", not specifically "public holidays". If that is the case, most IELTS candidates could choose to talk about school or university holidays (= vacation periods). For most of these questions, I have inserted the word "public" although it might be used only in some of the questions.

Do you have many (public) holidays in your country?
What (public) holidays do you have in your country?
Which do you think is the most popular holiday?
(Similar to above but about you) Which holiday do you like the most?
What do you (like to) do during holidays?
What did you do during the last (public) holiday?
Do you think (public) holidays are important?
Do you think there should be more (public) holidays?

13. Weather & Seasons

What's the weather (or climate) like in your hometown?
Would you say the weather in your hometown is generally good, or bad weather?
How are the (four) seasons different in your hometown? N
Which season do you like the best (or, the most)? N
Would you prefer to live in a place with one season all year round, or four different seasons? N
Would you say there have been any changes in the weather (in your hometown) in the recent past?
Does the weather have much impact on your life?
(Similar to above) Does the weather ever affect your mood? N
(Similar to above but different) How does the weather affect you? N
Does the weather have much impact on (daily) life in your country?
Do you do different activities in different seasons? N
Do you ever ( or, often) talk about the weather with your friends?
(Similar to above) Do you like to talk about the weather? (Why?/Why not?)
What sort of weather (or, climate) do you prefer?
Do you like extreme climate? (Why?/Why not?)
Would you prefer to go to a hot place, or a cold place for a holiday? N

14. Concentration

Do you prefer to study/work in a quiet environment, or in a place that has some noises (or sounds)? See Note

What do you do if there's too much noise (and you want to work / study)?

When (or, at what times) do you find it easiest to concentrate? (Why?)
What do you do to help yourself concentrate when you are studying/working? N
(Similar to above) When you are studying/working, how long can you concentrate (or stay focused)?
How do you think a person could improve their ability to concentrate? N
Do you think children can concentrate very well? N
(Similar to above) Do you think children can concentrate better than adults? N
(Similar to above) Could you concentrate when you were a child? N
(Similar to above) Could you concentrate better when you were a child than you can now? N
(Similar to above) Did you learn how to concentrate when you were a child? N

15. Cars

Do you like traveling by car? See Note
(Possibly) Do you prefer to travel by private car, or by taxi? N
When was the last time you traveled by car?
When was the last time you traveled by taxi?
Do you prefer to travel by car, or to use public transport?
Is traveling by car popular in your country? N
(Possibly) Are cars popular in your country? N
Besides cars, what other forms of transportation are there in your town or city? N
Do you think it would be good if everyone had their own car?
Do you think it's important to have a driver's license?

16. Museums and Art Galleries

Do you like visiting museums and art galleries?
What did you learn from visiting these places?
(Similar to above) What have you learned from visiting these places?
(Possibly) Which did you (or do you) prefer to visit, museums or art galleries? *
What is the difference between a museum and an art gallery?
Do you think schools should take their students to visit museums and art galleries?

17. Street Markets

See here for information about street markets.

Do you like visiting street markets?
Are street markets very common in your country (or, where you live)?
What is usually sold in these street markets?
Do people in your country prefer to shop at a street market, or in normal shops and shopping malls?
(Similar to above) What do you think are the differences between a street market and a supermarket?
Would you visit a street market in a foreign country (if you were visiting that country)?
(Similar to above but different) Would you like to visit a street market in a foreign country?
In what ways do you think street markets in other countries are different to street markets in your country?
(Similar to above) In what ways do you think street markets in other countries would be different to street markets in your country?

18. Maps

Do you (ever) use a map?
When do you use a map?
(Similar to above) How often do you use a map?
Who taught you how to use a map?
(Similar to above) How did you learn to use (or read) a map?
Do you prefer to use electronic maps or those made of paper?
(In your city) have you ever asked others for directions?
(Possibly) Would you ever ask people for directions in your city?
(Possibly) Do you prefer to use a map, or to ask people for directions?

19. Gifts

Do you like to receive gifts? (Why?/ Why not?)
What kind of gifts do you like to receive? (Why?)
What gifts did you receive in your childhood?
(Similar to above, but different) What sorts of gifts did you like to receive when you were a child?
Do you like giving gifts to people? (Why?/ Why not?)
What gifts did you give to others in your childhood?

20. Days of the Week

Do you do the same things every day of the week?
Which is your favourite day of the week?
Which day (would you say) is your busiest day of the week?
Is there anything you would like to change about your weekly routine?
(Similar to above) If you could change one thing about your weekly routine, what would it be?
How many days off do you have every week? *
Do you usually have days off together or are they separated (by work/attendance at class)?
What do you usually do on weekends?

21. Parks

Do you like going to parks and/or public gardens? (Why?/ Why not?)
Who do you usually go there with?
How often do you go to a park or public garden?
When was the last time you went to a park or public garden?
Do you think the parks and gardens where you live could be improved in any ways?
Would you like to see (or, have) more parks and gardens in your hometown (or where you are living)?
Do you prefer to relax with your friends in a park, or an indoor place?
(Possibly) Would you prefer to entertain guests (or visitors) in a park, or an indoor place?
(Possibly) Would you prefer to visit a natural park, or an amusement park? N
(Possibly the question above is this) Would you prefer to visit a national park, or an amusement park? N

22. Food

See also the questions under "Food Preferences" for the topic ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS.htm#15. Food/Cooking

What kind(s) of food do you like to eat?
(Possibly the question above is this) What kind(s) of food do you usually eat?
What's your favourute food?
When do you eat that?
Did you also like to eat that when you were a child?
(Similar to above) What food did you (like to) eat when you were a child?
Would you give that food to your children if they asked for it?
Do you prefer to eat at home, or to eat out? *
Do you know how to cook?
Have you ever cooked for your friends? N
When do you usually eat?
(Similar to above) At what times do you usually eat? N

23. Photography

Make sure you know how to pronounce "photograph", "photography", "photographer" and "photographic". The word stress (i.e., which syllable is stressed more) is different in some of these words.

Do you like to take photographs? (Why?)
How often do you take a photo (or, take photos)?
Do you think it is better to take photos using a camera, or a mobile phone?
(Similar to above) Do you prefer to take photos using a camera, or a mobile phone?
What do you most like to take photos of?
Do you ever take a photo of yourself? N
What do you do with your photos after you have taken them?
Do you ever share your photos with other people on the internet?
Would you like to attend a photography class?
(Similar to above) Would you like to learn more about photography? N
Will you take (or, be taking) more photos in the future? N

24. Travel

This is about traveling as a tourist (旅行).

Do you like traveling?
In which season do you prefer to travel?
Would you say your country welcomes foreign travelers (or, tourists)?
(Possibly the question above is this) Would you say your country is a good place for travelers (or, tourists) to visit?

25. Your Leisure Time

Instead of the word, "relax", it is possible the examiner just uses words such as, "spend your leisure time".

In English, we do not add "self" after "relax" so don't say, "to relax myself" - just say "to relax".

See also ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS.htm#21. Leisure Time & Relaxing

What do you do in your free time? N
What do you do to relax (in your free time)?
Do you find it easy to relax? N
Do you do any healthy activities to help you relax?
(Similar to above) Do you think sport (or, exercise) is a good way to relax?
What did you do to relax when you were a child?
Do you think the way people relax today has changed, compared to several decades ago? N
Do you think going on a holiday is the best way to relax? N
Which do you think is better, spending your holidays in the countryside or in the city? N

26. Television

Do you like watching television?
How much TV do you (usually) watch? (See Note)
(Similar to above) Do you watch TV regularly? (possibly "often", not "regularly")
What types of TV programs do you have in your country?
What (types of) TV programs do you most like to watch?
(Possibly the question above is this) What's your favourite TV program?
In your country, have people's TV-watching habits (or, attitudes towards TV) changed much over the past few decades?
Do you think there will be a bigger variety of programs in the future?
Do you prefer to watch films (or, videos) on television, or on the internet?

Did you watch much TV when you were a child? (How much?)

What (types of) programs did you watch when you were a child?

Do you still like to watch those programs?

Do you think children's television has changed (much) since you were a child? (See Note)

In your opinion, how does watching TV affect (or, influence) children?
(Similar to above) What influence does TV have on children?
How much TV would you like your children to watch? (See Note)

27. Taking a Break N

British English most often is "have a break" while American English most often is, "take a break". Both are correct.

Do you usually have a break after (or during) your work/study?
(Similar to above) Do you usually have a break when you are doing your work/study?
What do you do when you have a break?
How do you feel after you have a break?

28. Shopping

Do you like (going) shopping?
When was the last time you went shopping?
When (e.g., what time of the day/week) do you prefer to go shopping?
Where do you go shopping?
(Similar to above) Do you prefer shopping in small shops, or in big department stores and supermarkets?
What do you usually buy when you go shopping?
Is there anything you dislike about shopping?
Do you spend much (money) when you go shopping?
Do you like buying things online?
Would you say the things you buy (or, can buy) on the internet are good quality?
How can someone judge the quality of goods for sale on the internet?
Would you like to work in a shop?
Do you think men and women have different shopping habits (or, different attitudes towards shopping)?
Would you say shopping is a popular activity in your country?
Who do you think prefers to go shopping, young people or old people?

29. Birthdays

The questions below are copied from May, Part_1_Questions_MAY_to_AUG_2014.htm#Birthdays

How do people in your country celebrate birthdays?
How did people celebrate birthdays when you were a child?
(Similar to above) How did you celebrate your birthdays when you were a child?
(Possibly) How do people celebrate children's birthdays today?
What did you do on your last birthday?
Do you feel that celebrating your birthday is important?
Do you think birthdays are more important for children, or for adults?
What's the most important birthday for people in your country?

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Note 1

The wording is unclear but I think the question is something like that. It might be, "Has your family lived in many other apartments/houses?" or, "Has your family moved often to different living places?" In that question, "family" means your parents & siblings but it could possibly include earlier generations living in the same house. Note that the examiner is most likely to use the British form, "have your family", not the American form, "has your family". The British consider family as "them" or plural while Americans consider it as one group, "it". When you speak or write, both are correct.

Note 2

That was how the question was reported but it is probably a bit different to that. Obviously the topic is about outdoor activities away from a town or city (such as fishing, camping, hiking, skiing etc), not outdoor activities that people do in a town or city, such as playing football. "Do you like the outdoor lifestyle?" would be more suitable.

Note 3

If this question exists, it is asking you whether you think will have the training and qualifications that will allow you to work as a teacher (if you want to) after you graduate from university.