Example IELTS Speaking Questions & Topics

Hometown

Id just like to ask you some questions about your hometown or city.

1. What type of place is it?

2. What was it like growing up there?
3. Has it changed much since you were a child?
Studies

Id just like to ask you some questions about your studies.

1. What are you studying?

2. Why did you choose that particular course?
3. What job would you like when you have completed all your studies?
Work

Id just like to ask you some questions about your work.

1. What work do you do?

2. What do you enjoy most about your work?
3. What are your main duties?
4. Is there any other work you would like to do in the future?
Free Time

Id like to move on and ask you some questions about your free time

1. What type of activities do you like to do in your free time?

2. How long have you been interested in these activities?
3. Do you like to do theses activities alone or with other people? (Why)?
4. Do you think people have enough free time? (Why/why not)?
Family

Id like to move on and ask you some questions about your family.

1. How many people are there in your family?

2. Do you all live in the same house? (Why/why not)?
3. What things do you like doing together?
4. Who is your favourite family member?
Timing

Lets move on and talk about being on time for appointments.

1. Is being late acceptable in your culture? (Why/why not)?

2. Are you ever late for appointments? (Why/why not)?
3. What type of excuses do you think are alright for lateness?
4. How do you feel when someone is late for an appointment with you?
Neighbours

Lets change the topic and talk about your neighbours

1. Do you know the people who live next door to you?

2. How often do you see each other?
3. What kind of relationship do you have?
4. How can neighbours be helpful?
5. What kind of problems can people have with their neighbours in a big city?
Food

Moving to a new topic, Id like to discuss cooking and meals with you.

1. Do you enjoy cooking? (Why/why not)?

2. What type of things can you cook? (Why)?
3. What kinds of food are popular in your country?
4. Is it an important part of your culture to have dinner parties? (Why)?
5. Do you prefer to eat with other people or on your own? (Why)?
Dreams

Id now like to discuss your night time dreams with you.

1. Do you dream much at night?

2. Do you often remember your dreams?
3. Do you think we can learn anything from dreams? (Why)?
4. Do people in your country talk about their dreams? (Why)?
5. Do you think that dreams can come true?
Magazines and Newspapers

Okay, lets move to a different topic and discuss magazines and newspapers.

1. Which do you prefer reading, newspapers or magazines? (Why)?

2. What type of stories do you like to read about? (Why)?
3. Do you think reading a magazine or a newspaper can help you learn a
language? (Why)?
4. Why do you think some people prefer magazines to newspapers?
Humour

Lets change the topic and talk about comedy and humour.

1. What type of programmes do you find funny on TV?

2. Which types of programmes are most popular in your country? (Why)?
3. What kind of things make you laugh? (Why)?
4. Do you like to make people laugh? (How)?
5. Do you think it is important to have a sense of humour? (Why)?
 FAMILY
o Describe your family?
o Do you have a large or small family?
o How much time do you spend with your family?
o What do you like to do together as a family?
o Do you get along well with your family?
o Are people in your country generally close to their families?
WORK
o What do you do?
o What are your responsibilities?
o How many hours do you work each day?
o Do you enjoy your work?
o Is there some other kind of work you would rather do?
o If you could change your job or profession, what would you do?
o Describe the process of getting a job in your country.
o Describe the company or organization you work for.
o What is your position?
o What do you like about your job?
o What do you dislike about your job?
EDUCATION
o Describe your education.
o What kind of school did you go to as a child?
o Did you go to a co-educational school?
o What was your favourite subject as a child?
o Who was your favourite teacher?
o What is the education system like in your country?
o Do you think your country has an effective education system?
STUDIES
What are you studying now?
What is your area of specialization?
HOMETOWN
o Describe your hometown.
o Whats special about it?
o Where is your hometown located?
o Is it easy to travel around your hometown?
o What is it known for?
o What do people in your town do?
o What are the main industries in your hometown?
o What problems face your hometown?
o What languages are spoken in your hometown?
o What are the advantages of living in your hometown?
o What are some problems faced by your hometown?
o Compare your hometown with another city.
o What are some environmental problems faced by your hometown?
WEATHER
o Whats the weather like in your country?
o Does the weather affect your mood?
o How do rainy days make you feel?
o Whats your favourite season of the year?
o What do you like to do when its hot?
o What do you usually do in the winter?
o How many seasons does your country have?
HOME
o Describe your home.
o What kind of building do you live in?
o How long have you lived there?
WEDDING
o Have you ever been to a wedding?
o Whose wedding was it?
o Where was it held?
o What clothes do people wear?
o Describe the wedding ceremony.
o What sort of gifts do people buy for the bridal couple?
o What kind of clothes did the bride and groom wear?
TRAVEL
o Do you like to travel?
o What kind of places have you visited in your life?
o Which place would you really like to visit? Why?
o Whats the best place youve ever visited?
COMPUTERS
o Do you think computers help society?
o Do you think computers are bad for health?
o How do you think computers have changed the world?
INTERNET
o Do you use the Internet much during the day?
o What do you usually do on the Internet?
o What are some advantages of the Internet?
o What are some disadvantages?
o Do people in your country use the Internet a lot?
o Do you do any shopping on the Internet?
EMAIL
o Do you send and receive email regularly?
o Who do you usually communicate with?
o How often do you check your email?
o Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened peoples writing
skills?
o What are some disadvantages of email?
FRIEND
o Describe a friend.
o How long have you known each other?
o What do usually do together?
o What do you like the most about him / her?
o How often do you see each other?
PLACE
o Describe a place you like to go.
o Why is this place special to you?
o When did you first visit this place?
o Where is this place located?
o What language is spoken here? Do you speak this language?
SMOKING
o What do you feel about smoking in public places?
o Do you think smoking should be banned in peoples homes?
MARRIAGE
o What is the attitude toward marriage in your country?
o Do most young people plan on getting married in your country?
o What are some of the advantages of marriage?
o What are some of the disadvantages?
o Is the divorce rate high in your country?
o Do you think people should be allowed to get divorced?
HOBBIES
o Do you have any hobbies?
o What are some of your hobbies?
 o When did you first develop this hobby?
o What are some of the advantages of having a hobby?
o How much time do you spend on your hobby?
FILMS
o Do you enjoy watching movies?
o Whats your favourite film?
o Who are your favourite actors?
o How often do you watch films?
SHOPPING
o Do you enjoy shopping?
o How do you feel about shopping?
o Do you like shopping on the Internet?
o Do you have any favourite stores?
o What dont you like about shopping?
o Which is the most popular place to shop in your hometown?
SPORTS
o Do you like sports?
o Do you enjoy watching sports?
o Do you enjoy participating in any sports?
o Which sports are most popular in your country?
o Whats your favourite sport/
o When did you first become interested in sports?
o How often do you participate in sports?
o What equipment do you need for your favourite sport?
FOOD
o What are some of your favourite foods?
o What foods are popular in your country?
o What are some of the famous dishes of your country?
o Do you enjoy cooking?
FESTIVAL
o Whats the most important festival in your country?
o How do people celebrate this festival?
o What special food is associated with this festival?
o What special activities are associated with this festival?
o What do you enjoy most about this festival?
o Do you think festivals are important for a society?
TELEVISION
o Do you watch television a lot?
o What do you usually watch on television?
o How many hours of television do you usually watch?
o What are the most popular shows in your country?
o What kind of shows do you like to watch?
o What are some advantages of television?
o What are someof the disadvantages of television?
o What did you last watch on television?
o Why do you think certain TV shows are so popular?
TOURISM
o Which places would you recommend to a visitor to your country?
o Do a lot of tourists visit your country?
o What do they usually do there?
o How has tourism changed your country?
o Is your country expensive for most tourists?
o What are some famous landmarks in your country?
DAILY ROUTINE
o Describe your daily routine.
o What do you usually do?
 o What do you do on the weekend?
o What is you typical weekday like?
o Does your life change much from week to week?
o Do you have any free time during the week?
YOUR COUNTRY
o Which country are you from?
o Where is this country located?
o Which part of the country do most people live in?
o What are the main industries in your country?
o Is it easy to travel around your country?
CLOTHES
o What type of clothes do you like to wear?
o What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?
o How important is fashion to you?
o What kind of clothes do you dislike?
o Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?
o What kind of clothes do people wear to work in your country?
o Are clothes expensive in your country?
GOING OUT
o Do you like going out or staying at home?
o What do you like to do when you go out?
o How often do you go out?
o Do people in your country go out a lot?
o How and where do people in your country usually socialize?
o What kind of entertainment is popular in your country?
GAMES
o Do you enjoy playing any games?
o What kind of games do you play?
o Do you think adults should play games?
o What do children learn from games?
o What kind of games did you play when you were a child?
o What games are popular in your country today?
o What kind of games were popular when you were young?
o Do you think mental games like chess are good for you?
COLOURS
o Do you have a favourite colour?
o What are your countrys colours?
o Do you think colours affect our moods?
o Can you learn anything about a person from the colours he / she likes?
o Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were a child?
MUSIC
o Do you like music?
o What kind of music do you like?
o When do you usually listen to music?
o What kind of music did you like when you were younger?
o What kind of music is popular in your country?
o Do you play any musical instruments?
o Do you wish you could play any musical instruments?
o Which is your favourite instrument?
IELTS Speaking Part 2 - Cue Cards

Describe a child that you know.

You should say:

Who the child is

How you know the child
When you see the child
Explain why you like/dislike this child.

Describe someone who has had an important influence

on your life.
You should say:

Who the person is

How long you have known him/her
What qualities this person has
Explain why they have had such an influence on you.

Describe an old person that you know.

You should say:

What your relationship is to this person

How often you see them
What people think about this person
Explain why you like them.

Describe a lake, a river or a sea you have visited.

You should say:

Where the lake is

How often you have visited it
What activities you do there
Explain why you like this particular place.
Describe a present you have given someone.
You should say:

Who you gave it to

What kind of present it was
How it compared to other presents you have given
Explain why you decided to give this particular gift.

Describe a sporting event you attended.

You should say:

What kind of sport is was

How it compared to other events youve been to
How often it takes place
Explain why you consider this event to be of interest.

Describe a TV show that you enjoy.

You should say:

What type of show it is

How often it is on
How popular it is with other people in your country
Explain why you like it.

Describe a happy childhood event.

You should say:

When it happened
Who was involved
How you felt at the time
Explain why you remember this particular occasion.

Describe something you own which is very important to you.

 You should say:
where you got it from
how long you have had it
what you use it for; and
explain why it is important to you.

Talk about a person who can use or speak a second language.

Please say

Who this person is?

What language can he/she use?
How often does he/she use it?

2. Describe a sport that you would like to learn.

You should say:

what sport it is

how you would learn it

how difficult you think it would be to learn

and explain why you would like to learn this sport.

Band 8.5 Suggested Answer:

There are many kinds of sports which people like learning these days, such
as baseball, basketball, volleyball, and cricket but I would like to
learn football which is so-called the king of sports.

Football is the popular kind of sports in almost all countries in the world.
Basically, it is a collective game with 2 teams and each team has 11
players. The main purpose is that players try to keep their goal safe and
kick the ball to the net of their opponents. Scores are recorded and the
winner is the team having higher scores.
It is the most famous sports in my country and all of my family members
favor this sports, especially my father and my brother. Thus, I had a chance
to approach this sport since I was 7 years old. I really love learning it
because of the drama and surprise in each match.

From my perspectives, it is really difficult to learn to play soccer well. A

player needs to be very strong to compete with others, and be skillful
in ball controlling, heading as well as having team spirit. A good
football team needs to have solidarity as well as the ability to control the
game. Therefore, normally there is a coach for each team and this person is
not less famous than other players.

3.Describe one of your childhood toys that was special to you.

You should say:

what it was

who gave it to you

how you played with it

and explain why it was special for you.

Band 8.5 Model Answer for IELTS Speaking Part 2:

I have many toys in my childhood and at different stages, I prefer different

toys. However, among them, a Teddy bear is the most special one to me and
I still keep it at my closet until now.

I guess that all kids love a furry friend and so did I. However, what made
the bear really special to me was that this was a gift from my father on an
occasion of my 5th birthday. Everything about it was so different from other
stuffed bears. At that time, my father was working far away and I missed
him so much. I thought that he could not come back to celebrate my
birthday party as he had did before. To my surprise, on my birthday, he
suddenly came home and brought with him a lovely Teddy bear. Missing
him, I ran into him and my father gave me big hug, then kissed me. I was so
excited about the Teddy bear. When I squeezed it, it said I LOVE YOU by
the most sweet and lovely voice on Earth.

Looking at it made me immediately think about my beloved father. His

physical presence on my birthday was like gold to me. You know, it is really
hard to not have one of the most important people to you in your birthday. I
would never forget that special moment and the Teddy bear means so much
to me.

4.Describe a goal that you hope to achieve in the future.

You should say:

what the goal is

when you first began to have this goal

how you would achieve the first step of your goal *

how easy or difficult you think it will be to reach this goal

and explain why you have this goal.

Band 8.5 Model Answer for IELTS SPeaking Part 2:

I have a long desire to learn Chinese as a second foreign language, but even
with my passion, I still have not achieved it yet.

This passion grew in me just few years ago when I watched a very
inspiring movie about Chinese history and culture. Then I decided that I
had to learn Chinese in order to explore more about this incredible nation.
Besides, knowing more than one language is very beneficial to not only my
study but also my future career path.

Therefore, in order to achieve my target, I will register for a Chinese course

for beginners, which is held 3 times a week. I also intend to download
many apps on my phone with the aim to study at home by myself. I
have drawn my own schedule so that I can make time for self study,
at least 1 hour per day.

As currently, I have a full time job, I am so busy that there are days when
I have to work overtime or travel faraway to meet clients. Moreover, after
a tiring day, I often feel deadly tired and find it hard to concentrate on
studying at home. However, just thinking about the moments when I can
speak Chinese gives me a sense of satisfaction, which encourages me to
study harder and better. Thus, I always remind myself that I have to keep
up with my schedule at any cost if I want to make my dream come true.

5.Describe a happy family event from your childhood.

You should say:

what the event was

where it happened

what you saw and did *

and explain why you remember this event so well.

Band 8.5 Model Answer for IELTS SPeaking Part 2:

There are numerous happy events in my life that I can recall and among
them, I would like to talk about the time when my family gathered to make
the Chung cake for the Tet holiday.

The Lunar New Year, or Tet, is a very special traditional holiday in my

country. It was probably my most favorite holiday when I was a small girl as
my family had a lot of activities to celebrate this occasion. Among them,
making the Chung cake made me excited the most. The Chung cake is made
of glutinous rice, green beans and fat pork, wrapped in banana leaves in the
shape of a square. I often played with my older brother when my parents
prepared the ingredients for the cake. And then, my father lit a small fire to
boil the cake overnight.
It was perhaps the only time of the year when I was allowed to stay up late.
While my family was sitting around the warm fire, my grandmother would
tell the old legendary story about the Chung cake to commemorate the filial
affection of Lang Lieu prince to his father and remind us of the long
lasting Vietnamese tradition.

In recent years, my family has not had enough time for making the Chung
cake on our own. However, to me, a ready made Chung cake that we buy
from a local market cant bring the special feeling and replace the taste of a
Chung cake from my childhood. I hope that my family can continue our
tradition in the coming years.

6.Describe a useful app or computer program for a smart phone,

computer or tablet that you have used.

You should say:

what the app is

how long/how often you have used it (or, been using it)

what you use it for

and explain why you think it is useful.

Band 8.0 Model Answer for IELTS Speaking Part 2

Well, Im really into mobile apps so I set up at least 20 helpful apps on my

smartphone like Meditation, Tripadvisor, Ted, Lumosity, Dulingo,
Wunderlist. But maybe Money Lover is the most useful one and at the top
of my list.

Let me tell you about it in more detail. The symbol of the app is a very
cute piggy bank which impresses me a lot at the first sight. There are
many expenses for clothes, food, cosmetics divided so that at the end of the
month, I can know exactly what cost me a bomb, what are within my
budget to tighten the belt next month.
It is not an exaggeration to say that this way of saving money changes
my life for the better. Thanks to that, I am better at money management.
When talking about money saving, my friends consider me as a shining
model for them to follow. This makes me so proud of myself.

In addition, my mom always got shirty with me for my wasting money

but at the moment, she hardly loses her temper anymore and we seem to
have better relationship than in the past.

If anyone asks what application I like best, Money Lover is the first thing
that comes to my mind. Trust me, it is really helpful.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 - Questions and Topics

Eating habits

1. Tell me about the types of food that people eat in your country.
2. How are the eating habits now in your country different from eating habits in
the past?
3. How healthy is your countrys food?
4. Why do you think different cultures have different table manners?
5. How may eating habits change in coming decades?
Education

1. How are education priorities today different from those in the past?
2. What is your opinion on the way languages are taught in schools?
3. How can the type of school you go to affect career success?
4. What changes do you think will happen in the classroom in the near future?
Environment

1. Is water pollution a problem in your country?

2. What are some of the causes of water pollution?
3. What can individuals do to try and ensure water is kept clean?
4. Do you think problems with the cleanliness of water will improve in the future?
Influence of television

1. How popular is watching television in your country?

2. Tell me about the types of programme that are generally on television in your
country.
3. Why do people like watching television?
4. Do you think state or private television is better?
 5. What effects can watching television have on children?
Influences on the young

1. What type of people influence the young in your country?

2. Why it is important to have role models?
3. Do you think the education system in your country influences young peoples
behavior?
4. What type of person (parents, teachers, friends etc) are best to influence
young peoples behavior?
5. What do you think young people will be most influenced by it the future?
Leisure activities

1. What types of leisure activities are popular in your country?

2. Why it is important for people to have time for leisure activities?
3. Why are some activities more popular than others?
4. Are the types of leisure activities that are popular today the same as those
that were popular when your parents were young?
5. What types of leisure activities may become more popular in the future?
Shopping

1. Is shopping a popular activity in your country

2. How have shopping habits changed over recent years?
3. To what extent do you think advertising affects the way people shop?
4. Do you think shopping habits are likely to change in the future?
Sports

1. What types of sports are popular in your country?

2. What are the benefits of playing a sport?
3. Do you think the types of sport that are popular will change in the future?
4. how can sports bring people from different countries closer together?
Transport

1. How do most people travel long distances in your country?

2. Have the types of transport people use changed much over the last few
decades?
3. What kinds of improvement have there been in transport in your country in
recent years?
4. Do you think transport is likely to continue to improve in the future?

Lets consider first of all how peoples values have changed.

What kind of things give status to people in your country?
Have things changed since your parents time?

Finally, lets talk about the role of advertising.

Do you think advertising influences what people buy?
1. What are the benefits of learning a new language?

Language has long been considered as one of the main tools for
people to exchange information and culture. When a person is fluent in one
foreign language, almost every barriers to that countrys culture and
business would be taken down. He would have lots of chances in
networking, studying or doing business with foreign people without having
to use the third language. This is also crucial in giving foreign people a
sense of pride in their own country and hence create many more
opportunities for him.

2. Is it better to start learning a foreign language as a child or an adult? Why

do you think so?

From my personal perspective, it is way easier for a child to pick up a

new language than adults due to some reasons. The first point Id like to
give is that children have a perfect instinct for imitation, which is crucial in
learning a new language, especially with the new intonation and
pronunciation. Adults, on the other hand, are quite slow in eliminating
their routines and adopting new rules in speaking. Another factor that
needs taking into account is that children are on the way of developing
mental states, therefore, this is usually considered as the ideal phase for
learning everything, not just language. On the contrary, there are too many
things that occupy adults say work, family, financial matters and so on,
thus, its is not easy for them to just concentrate on learning and learning.

3. How can teachers help in learning a new language?

In every aspects of life, no one can deny the essential role of teachers
or mentors, and learning a new language is not the exception. Teachers are
the ones who guide learners the right method to take up new language and
therefore prevent the waste of time and resources. They also appear as a
fantastic source of reference besides books and Internet. However, the
thing that really makes teachers truly valuable is the power of inspiration
and encouragement that they spread to their students during the course of
learning.
Beautiful places

Part 2

Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.

Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe a beautiful place to visit in your country.

You should say:

where it is

how to get there

what there is to do when you are there

and explain why you recommend this place.

Part 3

Attitudes to tourism

Why do you think people like to travel to different places in their free time?

How do you see tourism changing in your country in the future?

Conserving the countryside

Why is it important to protect the countryside?

In what ways is the countryside in danger in your country?

Historic buildings and monuments

Why are historic buildings and monuments important to a city?

Is it better to keep old buildings, or build new modern ones?

Family

Part 2

Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.

Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe the person in your family who you most

admire.

You should say:

what their relationship is to you

what they have done in their life

what they do now

and explain why you admire them so much.

Part 3

Attitudes to family

In what ways have families in your country changed in recent years?

Should husbands and wives have different roles within the family? Why (not)?

Family or friends

Which are more important to you: your family or your friends?

What conflicts can arise between a person's family and a person's friends?

Family responsibilities

What responsibilities do parents have towards their children?

What responsibilities do children have towards their parents?

Shopping

Part 2

Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.

Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe your favorite shop.

You should say:

where it is

what things it sells

what sort of people are its customers

and explain why you like the shop so much.

Part 3

Things to buy

What typical things can visitors to your country buy?

What things do young people like to buy in your country?

Money

Is it a good idea to save money? Why (not)?

Do you think that people are happier if they have money? Why (not)?

Shopping

What can shops do to make shopping more pleasant for their customers?

Do you think that in the future people will do most of their shopping using the Internet? Why?/
Why not?

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe an open-air or street market which you

enjoyed visiting.

You should say:

where the market is

what the market sells

how big the market is

and explain why you enjoyed visiting this market.

Part 3

Shopping at markets

Do people in your country enjoy going to open-air markets that sell things like food or clothes
or old objects? Which type of market is more popular? Why?

Do you think markets are more suitable places for selling certain types of things? Which
ones? Why do you think this is?

Do you think young people feel the same about shopping at markets as older people? Why is
that?

Shopping in general

What do you think are the advantages of buying things from shops rather than markets?

How does advertising influence what people choose to buy? Is this true for everyone?

Do you think that any recent changes in the way people live have affected general shopping
habits? Why is this?

Eating and food

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe a special occasion when you had a really

enjoyable meal.

You should say:

what the occasion was

who was at the meal

what you ate

and explain why the meal was so enjoyable.

Part 3

Attitudes to food

What do you think a healthy diet consists of?

Which do people in your country prefer: traditional food or fast food such as hamburgers or
pizzas?

Learning about food

Do you think children should be taught about healthy diets and cooking at school? Why (not)?

At what age do you think children should be taught to cook?

Food aid

What can be done to prevent poor people in the world going hungry?

Should rich countries help poor countries with more than just food?

Travelling
IELTS Tip

Travel is a verb: I enjoyed my travel trip very much. It is only used as a noun in a general sense,
e.g. travel broadens the mind.

Trip refers to both a journey: the trip there was fine; or a short stay: a business trip; or a holiday: Im
going away on a trip.

Journey only refers to getting from one place to another: the journey there was very uncomfortable.

Part 2

Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.

Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe a memorable journey you have made.

You should say:

where you were going

how you were travelling

why you were making the journey

and explain what made the journey so memorable.

Part 3

Travelling and learning

What do people learn from travelling?

Do you think the growth of international tourism is a good thing? Why (not)?

Tourism and culture

How has tourism changed the way people in your country live?

How should tourists behave when they visit your country?

Ways of travelling
 What do you think is the best way for a tourist to travel if they want to learn about your
country?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by plane?

Part 2

Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.

Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe a journey that you remember well.

You should say:

where you went

how you travelled

why you went on the journey

and explain why you remember this journey well.

Part 3

Reasons for daily travel

Why do people need to travel every day?

What problems can people have when they are on their journey, for example to work or
school? Why is this?

Some people say that daily journeys like these will not be so common in the future. Do you
agree or disagree? Why?

Benefits of international travel

What do you think people can learn from travelling to other countries? Why?

Can travel make a positive difference to the economy of a country? How?

Do you think a society can benefit if its members have experience of travelling to other
countries? In what ways?
School

Part 2

Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.

Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe a school which you went to.

You should say:

when you went there

how many people studied there

how long you spent there

and explain what you liked and disliked about it.

Part 3

Attitudes to education

How has education changed in your country in the last ten years?

Is a good education more important to a boy or a girl? Why?

The focus of education

How well do you think schools prepare young people for working life?

Do you think schools should teach subjects like art, music and dancing? Why (not)?

Education and technology

How important is it for schools to have computers for their students?

Is the Internet a valuable educational tool?

Adventure
Part 2

Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.

Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe an exciting experience in your life.

You should say:

when the experience took place

where the experience took place

what happened exactly

and explain why the experience was so exciting.

Part 3

Safety and danger

In what ways is life becoming safer, and in what ways is it becoming more dangerous?

Should people always avoid danger, or is it a good idea sometimes to take risks?

Taking risks

What risks should people try to avoid?

Do you think people take fewer risks as they grow older? Why (not)?

Adventure

How important is it to have adventure in our lives?

What do people learn about themselves from having adventures?

Newspapers

Part 2
Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.
Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe a newspaper or magazine you enjoy

reading.

You should say:

what kind of newspaper or magazine it is,

e.g. fashion

how often you buy it

what articles and information it contains

and explain why you enjoy reading it.

Part 3

Attitudes to newspapers

In what ways are newspapers better for learning about the news than listening to the radio or
watching television?

Do you think newspapers should be completely free to say whatever they want?

Tastes in reading

What do people enjoy reading in your country?

Do you think it is important for people to read a lot? Why (not)?

Public and private lives

What sort of stories do newspapers and magazines publish about well-known or famous
people in your country?

Do you think the media should be allowed to publish stories about the private lives of public
figures?

Sport
Part 2

Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject.

Take notes if you like and remember to include reasons and examples.
You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Describe an exciting competition or sporting event

you have witnessed.

You should say:

what the competition or sporting event was

when and where it took place

who won

and explain why it was exciting.

Part 3

Sport & Health

What do you do to keep fit?

Are you good at sport?

What sports do you play?

What is the most popular sport in your country?

What are the best ways to keep fit?

Do you think most people consider exercise a chore or do they find it fun?

What is the most popular form of exercise in your country?

Do you think people in your country are less healthy than they used to be?

How can we encourage young people to stay healthy?

Should governments intervene to force people to be healthier?

Hints for IELTS Speaking Part 3
Hint #1: Your opinions arent important. How you respond is. That means you should
focus your preparation on key phrases and strategies to handle difficult issues. See
some examples here.

Hint #2: The examiner isnt interested in knowing your opinion, only your English
ability. If you have no opinion, try to talk about other peoples opinion on the subject
instead.

Hint #3: Hesitations are very bad for your IELTS Speaking score. Use filler
expressions to avoid any long silences. Our list of emergency language for IELTS
speaking may help.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #1: Role models

Which type of people are respected most in your society?

Do you agree with this situation?

What happens when young people lack good role models?

What standards of behaviour should teachers set?

Do you agree that you should never meet your heroes?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #2: Travel and transport

How easy is it to travel around your country?

Which method of travel do you consider safest?

Has travel become safer in recent years?

What are the pros and cons of low-cost air travel?

 How do you think people will travel in the future?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #3: Universities

Is higher education too expensive in your country?

Should all students pay for their university education?

What advantages do universities bring to society?

Which is more important, research or teaching?

How should students spend their summer vacations?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #4: Sports and competition

Why are some sports fans so passionate?

Is there any violence at sporting events in your country?

Should athletes be better role models?

What benefits do international sporting events bring?

Is it important for a country to win lots of medals?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #5: Leadership and politics

Do you think people are born to be leaders?

Can leadership skills be taught?

Why are elected politicians often so unpopular?

What should a leader do to remain popular?

Do you think unelected heads of state are a good idea?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #6: Life experience
Do you agree that we learn best from our mistakes?

Whats the best way to gain experience in life?

Can we gain life experience from books and movies?

Which is more important, experience or potential?

What experience do you wish youd gained?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #7: Retirement and old age

At what age should people retire from work?

What problems can people face after retirement?

How important are retirees to your countrys economy?

When should you start saving for retirement?

Why do some companies encourage early retirement?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #8: Photography and the

image
Is it easy to take good photographs?

What are the pros and cons of digital photography?

Should people share their photographs online?

When can an image be worth a thousand words?

Is a photograph a reliable form of identification?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #9: Inventions and
copyright
Which invention has transformed your country most?

Would you like to be an inventor?

How long should someone be able to profit from an idea?

Do you think intellectual property laws are too strict?

Should all medicines be free to manufacture?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #10: The internet and social

media
Which websites are popular among your generation?

Is using the internet a social or solitary activity?

How has the internet changed social behaviour?

Should companies check job applicants online profiles?

What will be the next big development online?

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Practice Questions

1. Is it better to make important life decisions on your own or is it better to
consult other people?

2. Do you think good decision-making can be taught?

3. Is watching TV a good way of forgetting about work or study?

 4. Should coworkers also spend their leisure time together?

5. Do you agree that English should be the main language of international

exchange?

6. What are the difficulties in creating a universal language?

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Sample Answers and Analysis

1. Is it better to make important life decisions on your own or is it better to consult
other people?

There are good reasons for both, I suppose. Ultimately, its your life so I
suppose you should make the decisions. On the other hand, any decisions
you make can affect other people so it seems only right to discuss things with
others first. Like many philosophical questions, theres no simple answer, Im
afraid.

2. Do you think good decision-making can be taught?

Well, if you go to a bookstore youll see lots of self-help books that claim to
teach decision-making. Im not sure any of them are effective though. I
suppose it depends on the type of decision you mean. If its a business
strategy, then Im sure some decisions are better than others and business
schools teach this. But if its a moral issue then Im not sure anyone can claim
to know the right decision, so how could anyone teach it?

This IELTS candidate scores highly by:

Giving balanced answers to both questions

Using a time-buying strategy before answering Question 2: Well, if you go to a

bookstore

Using it depends and conditional sentences to explore different possibilities

Using verbs of speculation such as suppose

Using you in the general sense to mean any person

Returning to the original question at the end of each answer

3. Is watching TV a good way of forgetting about work or study?

Absolutely, yes. These days theres so much choice available that we can
completely immerse ourselves in entertainment. I mean, you can turn on a
good drama or comedy show and pretty soon you forget about everything that
happened that day. I think that without TV wed all go a little crazy.

4. Should coworkers also spend their leisure time together?

Im completely against this. The problem with people going out together after
work is that they just gossip about certain people in the office or factory, and
this can hardly be a good thing for the company, can it? Another thing is that
theres always the risk that you will say something you regret after a few drinks
and then you have to face your colleagues again the next day. So, in short, I
would definitely advise people to think twice about socialising with colleagues.

This IELTS candidate scores highly by:

Using strong expressions of (dis)agreement: Absolutely, yes; Im completely

against this

Using ellipsis or substitution to avoid parrotting the question: Absolutely, yes;

Im completely against this

Supporting opinions with more than one reason

Using you, we and they to make general observations about people

Paraphrasing key elements of the question: entertainment; colleagues;

socialising

Summarising the main argument when an answer becomes quite long: So, in
short

5. Do you agree that English should be the main language of international

exchange?

Thats a very interesting question. Ive never really thought about it before,
actually. We all just assume that it should be English, dont we? But what other
languages could we use? I suppose Chinese is becoming quite an important
language, but the pronunciation is too difficult for most people. English is
already the main language of universities and business, so maybe it should
stay that way.

6. What are the difficulties in creating a universal language?

Do you mean inventing a completely new language? Yes? Well, I mean, er, its
never been done before, has it? There was Latin, of course, which was used
by people all over Europe, but Im not sure if it was really created for that
purpose. Actually, I think there used to be a universal language about a
hundred years ago. What was it called again, Esperanto? But that
disappeared quite quickly. Er, what Im trying to say is, I dont think anyone has
ever succeeded in creating a universal language, so I doubt if it will ever be
possible in the future.

This IELTS candidate scores highly by:

Using filler expressions to buy time: Thats a very interesting question; Well, I
mean, er

Thinking aloud rather than staying silent (both questions)

Asking a checking question rather than simply asking for help: Do you
mean?

Using a fluency expression to rephrase an idea: What Im trying to say is

Indicating an opinion at the end of each answer, even when uncertain at the
beginning.
Do you think advertising influences what people buy?

Yes, definitely. If there were no advertising and you went to a shop, then you would
just buy what you wanted based on maybe what others have told you, what the
product looks like, or, depending on the product, what it says on the label.
Advertising builds up a brand and people then trust a certain thing because they
have seen it on television or elsewhere. Also, there is so much advertising around it
must influence us. You cant escape it as it is fed to us constantly in our daily lives
not only in magazines, radio and television, but on billboards, on TVs installed on
trains and platforms, even in schools and universities. So yes, advertising influences
what we buy.

Do advertisements give correct information, or do they encourage people to

buy things that they may not need?

I think some do and some dont, but its difficult to know which are giving us the
correct information. For example, the skin whitening products I do not believe that
these work but we see them everywhere in Asian countries, and we are encouraged
to buy them even though they are not actually necessary. The adverts, though, tell us
they are necessary as they will improve our lives and we will become more accepted
and successful. This then, is an example of advertising encouraging people to buy
something they do not need. I do think there are checks in most countries these days
to make sure that adverts are giving the correct information and not lying to people,
but I think it is still easy for advertisers to exaggerate or to do this without breaking
the regulations.

Is advertising really necessary in modern society?

It could be seen to be necessary in terms of the fact that, as I mentioned before,

there is so much choice that we need someone to guide us in what to buy or to give
us some extra information about products. Without this, it would be difficult to know
where to start. However, that said, Im not sure that I would regard it as necessary
as overall I think it may do more harm than good. As we just discussed, advertising
encourages people to buy things they possibly do not need. We live in a consumer
society and many people are in debt because we are encouraged to buy and buy,
and Im sure advertising plays a major role in this. Without advertising we could just
do our own research and decide what we really need. So no, I would not say that
advertising in necessary in modern society.

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