Part 1 Topics and Questions
For The IELTS Speaking Tests, September to December, 2019
Notes
The pages PAST_PART_ONE_TOPIC_INDEX.htm is also useful as a guide to when different topics were used in the past. That page is connected to PREVIOUS_PART_1_QUESTIONS.htm.
I don't always keep those four pages up-to-date so you might also need to specifically look at Part 1 pages that have not yet been added to the Past Part One Topic Index or the "All Part 1 Questions" pages. See "Older Materials" for that. This applies just to the past couple of years.
Perfume (May-Sep 2019)
Social Media (May-Sep 2019)
Exercise and Sport (May-Sep 2019)
Reading (May-Sep 2019)
Travel (May-Sep 2019)
Time Management (May-Sep 2019)
Smiling and Laughing (May-Sep 2019)
Rubbish (May-Sep 2019)
Places to Play (May-Sep 2019)
The Weather (May-Sep 2019)
Cities (May-Sep 2019)
Mathematics (May-Sep 2019)
Visiting Relatives & Friends (May-Sep 2019)
Street Markets (May-Sep 2019)
Transport (May-Sep 2019)
Borrowing and Lending (May-Sep 2019)
Tea & Coffee (Jan-May 2019)
Patience (Jan-May 2019)
Holidays (Jan-May 2019)
Bags (Jan-May 2019)
Haircuts
Voices
Wild Animals
Jeans
Walking
Amusement
Parks
Concentration
Languages
Sunshine
Friends
Music
The
Countryside
You should check the page Vocab_Lists_Index.htm to see if there is any useful vocabulary for each of the topics listed below.
See important information here and click the link for "student" or "work" at the bottom of that page. The grammar points apply both to students and people working, of course.
Do you work or are you a student?
WORK
Main Questions
What work (or job) do you do?
Do you enjoy that work?
Why did you choose to do that type of work (or,/that job)?
Would you recommend this job to other people?
Do you like your job?
What do you do in this job?
What do you find interesting about your work?
(Similar to above) What's the most interesting part of your work?
What are your responsibilities at work?
Where do you work?
What is your work environment like?
How much (how many hours) do you work every week (or, every day)?
Are you satisfied with the place where you work?
Would you say that's a good place to work?
Would you like to change the place where you work? See Note 18
(The question above might be this) Would you like to make (or see) any changes to the place where you work?
(Similar to above) How do you think your workplace could be improved?
What's the most important part of your work?
Do you do anything that especially helps you in your work?
How do you think you could improve your efficiency at work?
What work do you plan to do in the future?
What’s your dream job like?
(Similar to above) What is (or, would
be) your ideal job?
Possible Other Questions
Is that what you wanted to do when you were a child?
Do you work part-time, or full-time?
What do you do in that job? (= What are your responsibilities in that job?)
What does that company do?
How long have you been working?
What did you do to get your first job? *
Did you enjoy your first day at work?
(Similar to above) How did you feel on your first day at work?
Are you friends with the people you work with with?
(Similar) Have you made many (or any) friends at work?
Do you think it's important to be friends with the people you work with?
What time of the day do you work the best?
(Similar to above) Do you work better in the morning, or in the afternoon?
Did you have any training for this job?
Would you like to have some (or, more) training in the future?
Will you always do this job? ( = Will you continue to do this job / this type of work?)
STUDY
Main Questions
What subject are you studying?
Why did you choose to study that?
Do you like it (your subject)?
What do you do/learn in this subject?
What's the most enjoyable part of your studies?
Is it (your subject) interesting?
What's your favourite subject? (for high school stds)
(Similar to above) What classes do you like the most?
Do you like to study? (= Do you like studying?)
How much study do you do every week?
What would you say is the most important part of your studies?
Where do you usually study? See Note 1
(Possible question) Where did you do your studying yesterday?
Do you do anything that especially helps you to study?
How do you think you could improve your
efficiency as a student?
What school/university do (or, did) you study at? (= Where do you study?)
Do you like your school / university? See Note 20
What do you like most about your school / university?
Why did you choose to study at that school/university?
How do you think your school/university could be improved?
Would you like to change your school (or university)? See Note 21
What will you do (or, what do you plan to do) after you graduate from university / finish secondary school?
Do you prefer strict teachers, or fun
teachers?
Do you like your teachers and classmates?
Who do you think are the more important
in a school, the students or the teachers?
Would you say that communication is
important when/for studying?
Possible Other Questions
Do you think it (your subject) will be helpful for you in the future?
Is that a popular choice among your friends?
Do you plan to (or, will you) continue your studies in the future?
Do you plan to (or, will you) continue studying this subject?
Have you made many (or any) friends at school/university?
See some extra vocabulary here
Main Questions
Where are you living (where do you live) at the moment? See Note 25
Have you lived there for a long time? See Note 26
Do you like it?
(Similar to above) Do you like the environment around where you are living?
Are there any people living around you?
What do you like about the area around where you live?
Is there anything you dislike about your city?
Where do you like to go to in your area?
Who do you live with?
Do many people live in your neighbourhood?
Do you know the people (or, many people) living around you (living nearby)?
Do you have many friends there?
Are you planning to move to another area to live? See Note 27
What changes have you seen in this area (since you have been living there)?
What changes (= what improvements) would you like to see in this area?
(Different to above) What changes are you expecting (to see) in this area? See Note 28
Possible Other Questions
Is that far from here (the test centre)?
Please describe the area you live in.
Would you say it's a good place to live?
Is this place famous for anything? See Note 6
Are there any interesting places near (or, in) this area?
Do you live in a house or a flat?
Have you lived there for a long time?
What do you do at home?
How long have you lived there?
What's your favourite room?
What kind of places would you like to live in (in the future)?
Which do you (or, would you) prefer living in,
a house or a flat?
Possibly this is a broader topic, "Makeup".
See some extra vocabulary here
Do you like perfume?
Do you use / wear perfume?
How much money do you spend on perfume?
Have you ever given perfume as a gift?
Would you ever give perfume as a gift?
See also these questions from 2018 - Part_1_Questions_May_to_Aug_2018.htm#APPS
and #Social Media Websites (from 2016)
See some extra vocabulary here
Which do you prefer (to use), an information app or a chat app?
See some extra vocabulary here
What’s the most common sport in your country?
(Possible question) What’s the most popular sport in your country?
(Possible question) What’s the most common form of exercise in your country? See Note 33
Do you like outdoor sports / exercise?
What do you think are the benefits from doing outdoor sports/ exercise?
Are there many celebrity athletes (who are popular) in your country? *
Did you prefer team sports or individual sports when you were young? See Note 34
How do we teach children to live a healthier life nowadays?
In your opinion, how many times a week should people go running? How long each time?
See some extra vocabulary here
Do you like reading? See Note 35
What kinds of books do you usually read?
What kinds of things do you usually read?
(Similar to above, but different) What kinds of books do you like to read?
(Similar to above, but different) What kinds of things do you like to read?
Do you like E-books?
Do you ever read professional books? See Note 36
Have you ever lent or borrowed a book?
See some extra vocabulary here
Do you travel very much/very often (as a tourist)? *
What’s the most beautiful place you’ve been to (in your country)?
Where would you like to travel for a vacation? (Why?)
Would you prefer to travel to one place or to different places on a vacation?
Do you think travelling is difficult?
See some extra vocabulary here
Do you make plans for each day?
What was the latest plan you made?
Are you the kind of person who likes to manage your time? (Why?)
Would you say you manage your time well?
What’s the biggest difficulty you have when managing time?
What's (an example of) one thing you plan to do every day?
Do you like it when it's (you're) busy? = Do you like being busy?
See some extra vocabulary here and here
See Important Note - Note 38
Do you like to smile? * (An unlikely question)
Do you often smile?
Do you often laugh?
When was the last time you laughed?
In what situations do people smile?
In what situations do people laugh?
Do you smile when you are having your picture taken? See Note 39
Can you sense (or feel, or tell) if someone’s smile is fake? See Note 37
See some extra vocabulary here
Do you think it's important to keep the city clean?
What do you do when you see rubbish on the street?
Can you suggest why some people throw their litter on the ground?
(Similar to above) How would you feel if you saw someone throw litter on the ground?
(Similar to above) How do you feel when you see someone throw litter on the ground?
Do you think plastic bags are a serious environmental problem?
Do you think it's important to protect the environment?
Do you do anything to protect the environment?
Do you think schools should educate children to protect the environment?
See some extra vocabulary here
Where did you play when you were a child?
Did you play at your friend's home?
Did you prefer to play outside or inside when you were young?
Do you think it’s important for children to play outside?
See some extra vocabulary here
See also THE SEASONS and WEATHER (from 2018)
What's the weather like in your city?
Does the weather in your country change often?
Do you have a favourite type of weather?
Would you move to another city because of the weather?
What cities have you ever travelled to?
What kind of cities do you like to travel to?
Would you ever move to another city for work?
In what ways do you think a city can be designed to best suit the needs of pedestrians? See Note 40
Who would you say uses public transport more, young people or old people? See Note 40
See some extra vocabulary here
See also these 2015 questions
Note: "Mathematics" is used in both British & American English. Short forms - "maths" (Br. Eng), "math" (US. Eng.)
Do you like maths?
Do you often use a calculator?
When did you start to use a calculator?
(Similar to above) How often do you use a calculator?
Do you think maths is important?
Do you think females (girls) are good at maths?
Some people think that maths isn’t needed in our life. What do you think?
16. Visiting Relatives & Friends
See some extra vocabulary here
See also these 2014 questions
Do you often visit your relatives? (Why?)
What do you do when you visit them?
When was the last time you visited them? what did you do?
Do you (ever or often) go to your friends' homes to visit them?
See also #Street Markets (from 2015)
Do you like visiting street markets?
Are street markets very common in your country / where you live?
Would you be interested if you saw a street market in a foreign country?
Do people in your country prefer to shop at a street market, or in a shopping mall?
Are there many shopping malls in your living area?
What kind of transport do you most often use?
How do you usually go to school / work?
How long does it take to travel to school / work?
How did you go to school when you were a child?
Do you prefer to use public, or private transportation?
Do you think you'll use public transport more in the future?
See some extra vocabulary here
Do you like to lend things to others?
Have you ever lent a book to others?
Would you lend money to someone else?
Have you ever borrowed money from someone else?
Have you ever borrowed a book from others?
How do you feel about others borrowing things from you?
20. Tea & Coffee (Jan-May 2019)
See some vocabulary here
Do you prefer to drink tea, or coffee?
When was the last time you drank some tea or coffee?
When you go out do you most often drink tea, or coffee?
(Similar to above) When people in your country go out do they most often drink tea, or coffee?
Which is more popular in your country, drinking tea or drinking coffee?
(Possible question) Do people in your country ever give tea as a gift? *
When people (in your country) entertain others (or guests) do they usually drink tea, or coffee?
(Similar to above) Do people in your country usually offer tea, or coffee to guests who visit them at home?
See also Part_1_Questions_SEP_to_DEC_2013.htm#Patience
See some vocabulary here
Would you say you are a patient person?
Do you think you are more patient now than when you were younger?
When (on what occasions) are you impatient?
(Possible question) Are you patient in your work or study? *
(Possible question) Do you think people should be patient? *
Can you explain why some people are not very patient?
How do you feel when other people are impatient?
Can you give any examples of work (or jobs) that require patience?
Would you say young people are more patient than older people?
Do you think you will be more patient in the future?
Do you like holidays?
Which (type of) holiday is your favourite, a public or personal holiday?
Does your country have many public holidays?
Do you have a favourite holiday?
What public holidays do you have in your country?
(If you don't say this in answer to above) Why do you have those holidays?
Would you say most people in your country know why you have those holidays?
What do you usually do during a holiday?
Which would you prefer, a city break or a beach holiday?
Which do you prefer, a long holiday or a short one?
(Similar to above) Which do you prefer, long holidays or a short ones?
What kinds of places do you want to travel to on holiday?
(Similar to above) What kinds of places would you like to travel to on holiday?
Do you think holidays are important?
Do you think holidays are becoming more and more important?
Do you think there should be more public holidays? (public holidays)
(Similar to above) Do you think people should have more holidays? (personal holidays)
Are there many tourists in your country?
What do most people do during their holidays in your country?
Do you prefer to travel alone or in group?
Do you often use bags?
What types of bags do you like?
Do you usually carry a bag when you go out?
Do you have different bags for different occasions?
This topic has never been used before.
See Note 41
See some extra vocabulary here
Do you like your current hair style?
How often do you have your hair cut?
When was the last time you had your hair cut?
How much do you usually spend on a haircut?
Do you often (or, ever) change your hairstyle?
What's your favourite hairstyle?
Would you like to change the colour of your hair?
On what occasions do people in your country usually get a haircut?
This topic has never been used before.
See some extra vocabulary here
Do you like recording and hearing your (own) voice?
Do any members of your family have a similar voice (or, similar voices)?
Has your voice ever changed? (When?) See Note 42
Have you ever seen any wild animals?
Do you have a favourite wild animal?
Do you think wild animals should be protected?
Do you like going to the (or, a) zoo?
This topic has never been used before.
See Note 43
See some extra vocabulary here
Do you wear jeans?
(Similar to above) Do you like wearing jeans?
(Possible question) When did you start wearing jeans?
Is there any brand of jeans that you prefer?
How often do you wear jeans?
Would you say jeans are popular in your country?
This topic was last used in Sep. 2016. See also here
See some extra vocabulary here
Do you walk very much?
Do you walk more often now than (you did) in the past?
Do you think people will be walking more in the future?
What do you think are the benefits of walking?
29.
Amusement Parks
This topic has never been used before. It is possible that the topic is the more general, "Parks" and that there were one or two questions about amusement parks.
See some extra vocabulary here
Do you like amusement parks?
How often do you go to an amusement park?
What do you usually do at amusement parks (or, at an amusement park)?
This topic was last used in Sep. 2014. See also here
When do you need to stay (or, be) focused?
Do you ever find it difficult to stay focused (= hard to concentrate)?
What distracts you (= What are some examples of things that distract you) when you're trying to stay focused?
Do you
ever do anything to help you concentrate?
This topic was last used in May 2014. See also here
What is your mother tongue (or, your first language)?
What other languages can you speak?
Will you learn other languages in the future?
(Similar to above) Do you intend to learn other languages in the future?
(Similar to above) Do you think you might learn other languages in the future?
Would you say it' s difficult to learn a new language?
The examiner might introduce this as, "Sunny Days".
This topic was last used in Sep. 2017. See also here
What do you do on sunny days?
Do you like sunshine?
Do you ever use sunscreen?
What kinds of people do you like to make friends with?
What do you usually do when you are with your friends?
Do you keep in contact with any of your friends from your childhood?
What do you think makes a good friend?
Would you say you are a good friend to others?
Do you prefer to spend time with your family or with your friends?
Which do you think is more important, your family or your friends?
What's your favourite type of music?
When do you listen to music?
Do you prefer to listen to music alone, or with others?
Has your preference in music changed since you were younger?
See previous questions here
Do you prefer to live in the countryside or live in a city?
Have you ever been to the countryside?
Have you ever lived in the countryside?
Would you consider living in the countryside in the future?
(Similar to above) Do you think you will ever move to live in a countryside area?
(Similar to above) In the future, would you prefer to live in a city or tin the countryside?
What would you (like to) do if you lived in a countryside?
What kinds of people do you think like going to the countryside?
Where do you usually study?
This question means, "Where do you do such activities as studying your textbooks, writing essays and class assignments etc?" For example, "I usually study at my desk in my bedroom" or, "I usually study in the university library." The inclusion of the word, "usually" indicates that the question has this meaning.
If the question is simply, "Where do you study?" then it could have two possible meanings, either, a) What educational institute or school do you attend? or, b) Where do you do your private study, such as writing essays?
"Would like" Questions
Would you like to be a teacher?
Most likely this question uses the words, "Would you like" but possibly the question is, "Do you want to be a teacher?" These two are not exactly the same! See HERE for an explanation.
We never say, "A sunglasses" or "a sunglass"; it's always, "a pair of sunglasses".
Here, "take" = "travel by", "travel on", "go by" etc
Is this place famous for anything?
"Famous" more or less means the same as, "well-known". This question means, "Is there some fact that many people in your country (or, in the world) know about this place?" The question is not really asking about something famous that the people who live in this place know. It is possible to include that in your answer, but you should actually say something like, "... But as for the people who live there, almost everyone in the city knows the famous XYZ market, which ...."
"Painting" and "drawing" are activities (verbal nouns) that people do. These are from the verbs, "to paint" and "to draw". But "a painting" and "a drawing" (paintings and drawings) are nouns, the things that are created by those activities.
"eat out" = eat away from home.
To say, "eat outside" means to eat out of any building, i.e., to eat in the fresh air such as when you have a picnic, eat in your back yard, eat on your veranda or balcony, or eat at a restaurant table that is outside the restaurant, such as on the footpath (sidewalk).
"Strictness" here refers to the teacher strictly controlling the behaviour of the students, including strictly enforcing rules such as rules concerning homework. For example, a teacher not allowing the students to play games on their mobile phones while he or she is teaching is being strict or, strictly enforcing a rule.
A "strict" teacher is not the same as "an expert" teacher who teaches very well. A strict teacher may, or may not necessarily do a good job at teaching (be skilled at teaching) just as a lenient teacher may or may not necessarily do a poor job in teaching.
How often do you hire a taxi?
This might be, "How often do you travel by taxi?" or, ""How often do you take a taxi?"
Do you think everyone should get a drivers' licence?
This question might be worded as, "Do you think everyone should learn how to drive?"
The two questions do not always have exactly the same meaning. Some people say, "Learn to drive!" when they really mean, "Learn to drive properly!" or "Learn to drive correctly!" And some people "get a driver's licence" by paying someone but not sitting for a test! But generally speaking the two different questions represent the same idea.
This question might be,"Would you say that's a good company to work for?"
Do you have the same routine every day of the week?
That might be, Do you have the same morning routine every day of the week?
If this topic is just "Sport" or "Sports" I suggest you be very careful about using any of the following words in your answers: "exercise", "exercises" or "gym". This is because "sport" and "exercise" are not the same thing. Although most sports involve physical exercise, exercise itself is not considered to be a sport.
Do you like sports?
This can mean either, a) "Do you like to play any sports?" b) "Do you like to watch sports, for example, on TV?" or, c) both a & b.
This question is asking you to express your feelings. If you simply say, "... because I want to keep fit" that is not wrong but it is not really expressing your feelings.
Would you like to change the place where you work?
This probably means, "Would you like to change your job?" = "Would you like to get a different job?" = change your employer.
The question might be expressed as, "Have you thought about changing job?"
How much study do you do every week?
This most likely means, "How many hours of private study (e.g., at home) do you do?
However, it might mean, "How many hours of classes do you have every week?"
Do you like your school / university?
This might be expressed as, "Do you like your current learning (or studying) environment?"
Would you like to change your school (or university)?
This means, "Would you like to change the school (or university) you attend and go to a different school (or university)?"
The question might be expressed as, "Have you thought about changing your school (or university?"
Do you do anything that especially helps you to study?
This is referring to your private study.
The question might be, "Is there anything that especially helps you when you study?"
How do you think you could improve your efficiency as a student?
This might be expressed as, "What would (or, could) help you study better?"
Do you do anything that especially helps you in your work?
The question might be, "Is there anything that especially helps you in your work?"
Where are you living (where do you live) at the moment?
This is asking for the name of the place (the city or town). You should also add what part of your country this is in if it is not where you are doing the test.
Two common errors that people make when answering this are:
i) Saying the province instead of the hometown. For example, "My hometown is Heilongjiang". That's your home province, not your hometown. Of course, you can and probably should include the name of the province when you say where it is. An example of a good answer to the question is: "It's a small city in the north of China called ..... That's about 100 kilometers north of Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province."
Note that in English we first say the city, then the province or state. For example, we say, "Harbin, Heilongjiang Province." That's the opposite to the way Chinese people speak.
ii) "It's north of China". That should be, "It's in the north of China. "It's north of China" means it's outside China, for example, in North Korea or Siberia.
Have you lived there for a long time?
This might be expressed as, "Have you been living there (for) a long time?", "How long have you been living there?" or, "How long have you lived there?"
Are you planning to move to another area to live?
This wording could be interpreted to mean either, a) "Are you planning to move to a different part of this city or town to live?" or, b) "Are you planning to move to a different part of your country to live?" or even, "Are you planning to move to a different place to live, (including in a different country)?"
The question might also be, "Would you like to move to another area to live?", which is not the same as planning to move.
What changes are you expecting to see in this area?
The changes you are expecting in this area could either be improvements or a deterioration in conditions.
Do you prefer a park with open space or recreational facilities?
This has also been reported as, "Do you prefer a park with open space or entertainment facilities?" That question is possible but I think the examiner is more likely to use the word, "recreational". The two are not exactly the same.
Do you prefer a warm, or a cool climate?
This question has also been reported as, "Do you prefer a hot, or a cold climate?" but I think the other choice of words is more likely to be the real question. "Hot" and "cold" are more extreme than "warm" and "cool".
Would you like to attend the Olympic Games?
It is not 100% certain that the word, Attend" is used in this question. If it is used, it means to be a spectator at the Olympic Games, not to compete in the games. However, it is possible that the wording is, "compete in the Olympic Games".
The three words, "exercise", "exercises" and "sport" mean different things, although they are related and the usages sometimes overlap.
See: vocabulary_lists_6.htm#80. Sport
This can mean or include, "prefer to watch", not just, "prefer to play".
Do you like reading?
This does not necessarily or only mean, "Do you like reading books?"
"Professional" books = specialist books
Example: technical journals
Textbooks could be included in this category.
= "Can you detect a fake/false smile?"
= "Can you distinguish between a fake/false smile and a real smile?"
Do you smile when you are having your picture taken?
Several people have reported this question as, "Do you smile when you are taking a photograph?" To :"take a photo" means to operate the camera; to "have your photo taken" means to be the subject of the photo, or in the photo.
Of course, it is possible to smile when you are photographing something (= taking a photo), including when you want children to smile if you are taking a photo of them. It is also typical for people to smile when they are taking a selfie on their mobile phone!
Conclusion: Although the question is most likely to be, "Do you smile when you are having your photo (= picture) taken?", it is certainly possible that the question is, "Do you smile when you are taking a photograph?" Be prepared for either question.
These two questions might be under a separate topic which is not included in the current list, "Transport".
Some people, especially some Americans, say things like, "I cut my hair yesterday" when they did not really cut their hair themselves but actually "had their hair cut" or "got their hair cut". In the IELTS test, you should use one of those two forms, which are how educated people speak. It's the same as saying, "I'm going to get my car repaired today" or "I'm going to have my car repaired today". Those two correct statements mean that someone else is going to repair your car. If you say, "I'm going to repair my car today" it means that you are going to do it yourself.
Of course, the voices of males change when the males reach the age of puberty, at about 13 or 14. Their voices become deeper and more "manly". When this happens, we say the boy's voice "breaks". But I strongly recommend that you DO NOT use that expression in the test unless you know for sure you are Band 7+ for speaking. For most of you. if you use that expression, you will be telling the examiner that you knew what topics are in the test and had prepared your answer before the test. The examiner will not like to be told that and will possibly REDUCE your score if you show that several of your answers were prepared before the test. Just say your voice became "deeper". https://young.scot/get-informed/national/what-happens-when-my-voice-starts-breaking
The word, "jeans", like "pants" and "trousers" is a plural noun. There is no singular form. So we say things like, "I started wearing them when I was about 13." We refer to those nouns by saying "a pair of". such as, "a pair of jeans"."Glasses" (that you wear to help you see) is another example of a plural noun.