INVENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES

Part 1

Do you want to become an inventor in the future? (Bạn có muốn trở thành một nhà phát
minh trong tương lai không?)

Sample answer Vocabulary

(Answer) Actually I find myself not creative enough Technical know-how (n) Kiến thức về công nghệ
to be an inventor. (Reason) I don’t have a necessary
amount of technical know-how and patience to go
through a lot of trial and error. (Example) I would Trial and error (n) Quá trình thử nghiệm và thất bại
like to be a person who can enjoy the inventions
rather than the one who can invent them.
Part 2

Describe an inventor that you admire the most. (Mô tả một nhà phát minh mà bạn
ngưỡng mộ nhất)

Sample answer Vocabulary

(Answer) Wow, to be honest, today I would like to describe Practicability (n) Tính hữu dụng
Thomas Edison - an American and one of the greatest Nhà khoa học có rất nhiều phát
inventors of all time and he is considered one of the men that Prolific inventor (n)
minh
have changed the world. Patents (n) Bằng sáng chế
Phonograph (n) Máy hát
(Reason) I mention him for his perseverance through a lot of
trial and error and the practicability of his inventions. Light bulb (n) Bóng đèn điện
(Example) He is famous all over the world for being a Experiment (n) Thí nghiệm
very prolific inventor, who has more than 1,000 patents for Failure (n) Thất bại
more than 1,000 inventions throughout his life – a very Advent (n) Sự xuất hiện/sự ra đời
impressive number! It took him many years to invent those Milestone in
things and his inventions range Dấu mốc trong lịch sử
history (n)
from fluoroscope, phonograph,… but the most outstanding
one must be the light bulb, which is the thing that we still use
today. After a lot of experiment then failure and other
difficulties, he finally invented one of the greatest inventions
in humankind history. The advent of the light bulb in 1880
marked a milestone in history when it put an end to darkness
and people had a brand new household appliance to light.
Household
(Example) Moreover, the phonograph, or a record player, is appliance (n) Thiết bị gia dụng
also one of his famous inventions. Although now it is only
used by a small number of people, it used to be the most
popular entertaining application for millions of people around
the world. In addition, Thomas Edison is also famous for his
quote: “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine
percent perspiration”, which inspires people to work with
perseverance and passion then success will come to them.
Part 3
What should government do to encourage inventors? (Chính phủ nên làm gì để khuyến
khích các nhà phát minh?)

Sample answer Vocabulary

(Answer) Well, I think inventors are an indispensable part of an Innovations (n) Sự đổi mới, cải tiến
economy, where creativity is put in top priority
and innovations are made to serve the life of people so it is
crucial that inventors be encouraged. (Example) Government
should raise a fund for inventors and when each invention is Commercialized (adj
made, they will be awarded an amount of money. Moreover, Thương mại hóa
)
each invention should be examined carefully
and commercialized to assist inventors and make them feel
more motivated to create new things.
NOTICE

Glossary Box
Technical know-how (n)  /ˈtek.nɪ.kəl/ /ˈnəʊ.haʊ/ Kiến thức về công nghệ
Trial and error (n) /traɪəl//ənd/ /ˈer.ər/ Quá trình thử nghiệm và thất bại
Practicability (n) /ˌpræk.tɪ.kəˈbɪl.ə.ti/ Tính hữu dụng
Prolific inventor (n)  /prəˈlɪf.ɪk/ /ɪnˈven.tər/ Nhà khoa học có rất nhiều phát minh
Patents (n) /ˈpeɪ.tənts/ Bằng sáng chế
Phonograph (n) /ˈfəʊ.nə.ɡrɑːf/ Máy hát
Light bulb (n) /laɪt/ /bʌlb/ Bóng đèn điện
Experiment (n) /ɪkˈsper.ɪ.mənt/ Thí nghiệm
Failure (n) /ˈfeɪ.ljər/ Thất bại
Advent (n) /ˈæd.vent/ Sự xuất hiện/sự ra đời
/ˈmaɪl.stəʊn/ /ɪn/
Milestone in history (n) Dấu mốc trong lịch sử
/ˈhɪs.tər.i/
Household appliance (n) /ˈhaʊs.həʊld//əˈplaɪ.əns/ Thiết bị gia dụng
Innovations (n) /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃənz/ Sự đổi mới, cải tiến
Commercialized (adj) /kəˈmɜː.ʃəl.aɪzd/ Thương mại hóa
 

2. INVENTIONS (Các phát minh)

Part 1

Do you enjoy using technological devices? (Bạn có thích sử dụng các đồ dùng công
nghệ không?)

Sample answer Vocabulary

(Answer) Definitely yes. (Example) I have to Techie (n) Người hiểu biết nhiều về công nghệ
say that I am a techie and I love to browse Browse websites (v) Lướt mạng
websites in my free time to find information
about the latest technological innovations. I am
a big fan of them; for example, smart phone,
TV or computer. I think my life would suffer a
lot of difficulties if I don’t have these
 

Part 2

Describe an invention that changes people’s life. (Mô tả một phát minh mà đã thay đổi
cuộc sống của mọi người)

Sample answer Vocabulary

(Answer) Well, when it comes to invention, I would Revolutionary
Những sáng tạo mang tính cách mạng
choose smart phone – which is one of the revolutionary creations (n)
creations of human beings. Cost-effective (a
Tiết kiệm chi phí
dj)
(Reason) It is both convenient and cost-effective. Get in touch (v) Giữ liên lạc
(Example) In the past, when there was no smart phone, Various
people could only get in touch with each other through Nhiều mục đích
purposes (n)
telephone and it took ages to reach one person but now,
with only one smart phone, we can use it for various Surf the net  (v) Lướt mạng
purposes. Not only can we call others but we can also Barrier (n) Rào cản
see their face, keep updated with their daily activities or Online
Ứng dụng trực tuyến
do other kinds of entertainment; for example, listen to application (n)
music or surf the net. Moreover, there are available
applications such as Grab which helps us catch a taxi or
motorbike much more easily. With this smart device,
there seems to be little barrier in communication among
people.

(Reason) In addition, smart phone helps reduce the cost

Have them
of our call as we have online application such as Viber, Vận chuyển cái gì đến đâu
delivered to (v)
Skype or Whatsapp. (Example) We can also do the
shopping without going to traditional markets. With just
one screen and one touch, we can get whatever we want
and have them delivered to our home. People often say
that with only one smart phone, they can carry the
whole world with them. So you see, it is a wonderful
thing to have it in our life!
 

Part 3

What do you think are the drawbacks of technological inventions? (Đâu là những bất lợi
của những phát minh công nghệ?)

Sample answer Vocabulary

(Answer) Well, I have to say yes. (Example) Technological Technological
Những sự đột phá về công nghệ
breakthroughs help humans in many ways and our life is breakthroughs (n)
much more convenient. However, people now tend to rely a Automated Rô-bốt tự động
lot on those inventions, which might make us lazier. We will robots (n)
not do household chores on a regular basis as automated
robots will take over them. Moreover, smart phones may
hinder us from meeting face-to-face with our beloved people. I
  

NOTICE

Glossary Box
Techie (n) /ˈtek.i/  Người hiểu biết nhiều về công nghệ
Browse websites (v) /braʊz/ /ˈweb.saɪts/ Lướt mạng
Revolutionary creations (n) /ˌrev.əˈluː.ʃən.ər.i/ Sáng tạo mang tính cách mạng
Cost-effective (adj) /ˌkɒst.ɪˈfek.tɪv/ Tiết kiệm chi phí
Get in touch (v) /ɡet//ɪn/ /tʌtʃ/ Giữ liên lạc
Various purposes (n) /ˈveə.ri.əs//ˈpɜː.pəs/ Nhiều mục đích
Surf the net  (v) /sɜːf//ðiː//net/ Lướt mạng
Barrier (n) /ˈbær.i.ər/ Rào cản
Online application (n) /ˈɒn.laɪn//ˌæp.lɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ Ứng dụng trực tuyến
Have (St) delivered to (v) /hæv/ /dɪˈlɪv.ərd/  Vận chuyển cái gì đến đâu
/ˌtek.nəˈlɒdʒ.ɪ.kəl/
Technological breakthrough (n) Sự đột phá về công nghệ
/ˈbreɪk.θruː/
Automated robot (n) /ˈɔː.tə.meɪ.tɪd//ˈrəʊ.bɒt/ Rô-bốt tự động

PART 1

Mẫu câu hỏi và câu trả lời:

 Do you want to become an inventor in the future?

Actually, I find myself not creative enough to be an inventor. I don’t have the necessary
amount of technical know-how and patience to go through a lot of trial and error. I
would like to be a person who can enjoy inventions rather than one who can invent
them.

 Do you enjoy using technological devices?

Definitely yes. I have to say that I am a techie and I love to browse websites in my
free time to find information about the latest technological innovations. I am a big fan of
them; for example, smartphone, TV or computer. I think my life would suffer a lot of
difficulties if I don’t have these technological inventions.

 How has your mobile phone changed your life?

My smartphone has changed my life a lot. In terms of my study, I enrolled in one online
course to learn Korean thanks to this phone. I mean I don’t have to go to traditional
classes anymore, and it helps me save a great deal of time. Regarding relationships
with others, this phone enables me to easily make new friends and keep in touch with
them.
  Is your cellphone very important to you? 
 Is there anything you dislike about using cell phones?

Từ vựng:

 Technical know-how: kiến thức về công nghệ 

 Trial and error: quá trình thử nghiệm và thất bại
 Techie (n.): người hiểu biết nhiều về công nghệ 
 Browse websites: lướt mạng
 Enrolled in (v.): ghi danh

PART 2

Mẫu câu hỏi:

 Describe an invention that has changed the world in a positive way.

 Describe an inventor that you admire the most.
 Describe an invention that changes people’s life.

Mẫu câu trả lời:

Question: Describe an invention that changes people’s life.

You should say: 

 What it is? 
 What benefits it has brought? 
 How does it influence people of different ages? 
 And explain how it changed people’s lives.

Well, when it comes to invention, I would choose the smartphone – which is one of
the revolutionary creations of human beings.

It is both convenient and cost-effective. In the past, when there was no smartphone, people
could only get in touch with each other through the telephone and it took ages to reach one
person but now, with only one smartphone, we can use it for various purposes. Not only can
we call others but we can also see their face, keep updated with their daily activities, or do other
kinds of entertainment; for example, listen to music or surf the net. Moreover, there are
available applications such as Grab which help us catch a taxi or motorbike much more easily.
With this smart device, there seems to be a little barrier to communication among people.

In addition, the smartphone helps reduce the cost of our call as we have online
applications such as Viber, Skype, or Whatsapp. We can also do the shopping without going to
traditional markets. With just one screen and one touch, we can get whatever we want
and have them delivered to our home. People often say that with only one smartphone, they
can carry the whole world with them. So you see, it is a wonderful thing to have it in our life!

Từ vựng:

 Revolutionary creations: những sáng tạo mang tính cách mạng 

 Cost-effective (adj.): tiết kiệm chi phí 
 Get in touch: giữ liên lạc 
 Various purposes: nhiều mục đích 
 Surf the net: lướt mạng 
 Barrier (n.): rào cản 
 Online application: ứng dụng trực tuyến 
 Have them delivered to: vận chuyển cái gì đến đâu

PART 3

Mẫu câu hỏi và câu trả lời:

 What do you think are the drawbacks of technological inventions?

Well, I have to say yes. Technological breakthroughs help humans in many ways and
our life is much more convenient. However, people now tend to rely a lot on those
inventions, which might make us lazier. We will not do household chores on a regular
basis as automated robots will take over them. Moreover, smartphones may hinder us
from meeting face-to-face with our beloved people. I think that we should use these
devices wisely to avoid being victims.

 What should government do to encourage inventors?

Well, I think inventors are an indispensable part of an economy, where creativity is put in
top priority and innovations are made to serve the life of people so it is crucial that
inventors be encouraged. Government should raise a fund for inventors and when each
invention is made, they will be awarded an amount of money. Moreover, each invention
should be examined carefully and commercialized to assist inventors and make them
feel more motivated to create new things.

 What is the most helpful innovation at home?

There are a variety of innovations that can be used at home to help people with the
household chores nowadays, but I guess one of the most helpful ones would be
the vacuum cleaner. It can suck up any dust lying around the floor, therefore
cleaning it faster as opposed to people sweeping the floor and cleaning it later.

 What household appliances make us lazy?

 What kind of invention can be used at school?
 Do you think Al will replace human teachers? Why?

Từ vựng:

 Technological breakthroughs: những sự đột phá về công nghệ 

  Automated robots: rô-bốt tự động
 Innovations (n.): sự đổi mới, cải tiến 
 Commercialized (adj.): thương mại hóa
 A variety of: nhiều 
 Household chore: việc nhà 
 Vacuum cleaner: máy hút bụi 
 Suck up: hút 
 Dust (n.): bụi bẩn 
 Sweep (v.): quét nhà

1. Đề bài: Describe an invention

Describe an invention that has changed the world in a positive way. You should say:


o What it is?
o What benefits it has brought?
o How does it influence people of different ages?
o And explain how it changed people’s lives?

2.2. Take-note trong 1 phút (tiếng Anh)

What is it? The Internet – a life-changing invention

Connect people from all over the globe

What benefits has it brought?

 In the past: take ages to send letters
 Now: within seconds
How does it influence people of different
Make phone calls, send messages
ages?

Virtual meeting and classrooms

Recreational and education value

And explain how it changed people’s lives? → search engines: Google → find information

→ play games, listen to music, watch movies

3. Sample Speaking: Describe an invention

Dưới đây là bài mẫu IELTS Speaking Part 2 chủ đề Describe an invention, tham khảo ngay để ôn luyện
thi IELTS Speaking hiệu quả tại nhà bạn nhé!
There are so many life-changing inventions in this world that it is hard for me to choose one. However,
considering what springs to my mind at the moment, I think I would describe the Internet. 

Needless to say, the Internet helps connect people from all around the globe within a nanosecond. In the
past, it would take ages for us to send and receive messages from someone, as mailing was the
only means of communication back then.

However, thanks to the Internet, we can now send messages and make calls immediately. Moreover, we
can even communicate and work with people from different parts of the world, as shown in
how virtual classrooms and meetings have grown dramatically in popularity in recent years.

And of course, it is impossible not to mention the recreational and educational values that the Internet
brings. Should we struggle to find an answer to a specific question, using search engines such as Google
has been proven to be extremely useful here.

Most importantly, what I love about the Internet is that thanks to it, people nowadays are having better
access than ever to different entertainment programmes. We can literally do everything with the help of
the Internet, from watching movies, listening to music to playing mobile games. This is even better when
no fees are charged when we use such features on the Internet. 

Overall, I believe that there are so many inventions that have made our world a better place, and the
Internet is one of the most revolutionary one. 

Một số từ vựng ăn điểm được sử dụng trong bài mẫu IELTS Speaking Part 2 – Describe an invention that
has changed the world in a positive way:


o
 Life-changing (adj): đổi đời
 Spring to my mind (phrase): những ý tưởng nảy ra trong đầu trong thời điểm nói
 Needless to say (phrase) (thường dùng ở đầu câu): không cần phải bàn cãi
 Within a nanosecond (phrase): trong chớp mắt, rất nhanh
 It (would) take ages for sbd to do sth: tốn rất lâu, rất nhiều thời gian để làm gì
 Mailing (n): thư từ
 Means of communication (phrase): phương tiện giao tiếp
 Virtual (adj): ảo, trên mạng
 It is impossible not to mention.. (phrase): không thể không nhắc đến
 Most importantly (phrase) (thường dùng ở đầu câu): quan trọng nhất là..
 Literally (adv) (dùng để nhấn mạnh): thật sự, đúng là
  Revolutionary (adj): mang tính cách mạng

II. Câu trả lời mẫu IELTS Speaking Part 3: Invention

Cùng nghe bài mẫu IELTS Speaking Part 3 – Invention:

1. What is the most helpful innovation at home?

There are a variety of innovations that can be used at home to help people with
the household chores nowadays, but I guess one of the most helpful ones would be
the vacuum cleaner. It can suck up any dust lying around the floor, therefore cleaning it
faster as opposed to people sweeping the floor and cleaning it later. 

o
 A variety of (phrase): nhiều
 Household chore (phrase): việc nhà
 Vacuum cleaner (phrase): máy hút bụi
 Suck up (phrasal verb): hút
 Dust (n): bụi bẩn
 Sweep (v): quét nhà

2. What household appliances make us lazy?

Any kind of technology can make us lazy, but at the moment it is the cleaning robot.
Cleaning the house is basically a human job, but it has changed completely nowadays. The
robot is able to clean the entire floor of a house by itself, and all we have to do is to charge it
and throw away the dust that it has collected. 

o
 Cleaning robot (phrase): robot quét nhà
 Charge (v): sạc điện
Throw away (phrasal verb): vứt đi
Đừng bỏ lỡ:

Lộ trình học ielts online thiết kế riêng dành cho bạn !

3. What kind of invention can be used at school?

I think the idea of using different inventions at school has become much more common in
recent years. For example, computers are used much more frequently by the school, in order
for students to learn some basic IT skills. Moreover, I can also see projectors being present
 in every single class nowadays as it is an indispensable tool that facilitates the learning
process of students as well as the communication of knowledge by teachers. 

o
 IT skills (phrase): kỹ năng tin học
 Projector (n): máy chiếu
 Indispensable (adj): không thể thiếu
 Facilitate (v): tạo điều kiện
 Communication of knowledge: truyền đạt kiến thức

4. Do you think Al will replace human teachers? Why?

Although AI is somewhat more intelligent than us humans, I strongly believe that it can never
replace human teachers. I really don’t think that technological advancement has reached to
a point where robots can equal or surpass the teaching skills of human beings. Being a
teacher does not require only teaching skills, but also the ability to lend an empathetic
ear towards students and their difficulties. And I think this is something that AI fails to offer. 

o
 Technological advancement (phrase): sự phát triển, tân tiến về mặt công nghệ
 Reach to a point where.. (phrase): đạt đến một mức độ mà…
 Surpass (v): vượt qua
 Lend an empathetic ear (phrase): lắng nghe, đồng cảm với ai đó
Describe an invention that changed people’s lives
You should say:

What it was
Who invented it
When it was invented
And explain how it changed people’s lives

 
BAND 8 Sample
I would like to talk about the telephone which, in my opinion, is one of the most revolutionary
creations that has changed our lives.
As far as I know, Alexander Graham Bell was the father of this terrific device and he invented it
in the last century through a lot of trial and error.
It is no exaggeration to say that human life has completely changed since the first telephone
was devised. A few centuries ago people could only communicate long distances through
writing letters, which could take ages to be delivered. And in the case of emergencies
or confidential information, writing letters really wasn’t an effective way of communicating.
So, one of the main reasons that I believe that the telephone has changed people’s lives is
simply by making communication between people so much faster, easier and more convenient
than ever before. These days when you need to get in contact with somebody, all you need
to do is pick up your phone, dial a few numbers and wait for them to answer. And if they don’t
answer, then you can usually just leave a voice message for them to let them know what it is
you wanted to tell them.
Furthermore, I believe that communication is at the core of social development, and I think that
the advent of the telephone has made a great contribution to this area of life.
So, whether the information is urgent, confidential, or even down right unnecessary, I think that
the telephone has made a massive difference to people’s lives and our societies as well.
 

Vocabulary highlights:
– revolutionary creation – something that made a big difference in people’s lives
– the father of – the inventor or creator of something
– trial and error – trying a number of different methods and learning from the mistakes
– exaggeration – to over-state something, to say it is better or worse than it really is
– devised – planned or invented
– take ages – take a long time
– confidential – secret
– to get in contact with somebody – to contact someone by mail, email, message or phone
– at the core of – at the centre of
– advent – the arrival or beginning of something
– a great contribution – a big help
– down right – absolutely or completely
Từ vựng IELTS – Chủ đề Invention
1. INVENTORS (Nhà phát minh)
 Technical know-how (n) Kiến thức về công nghệ
 Trial and error (n) Quá trình thử nghiệm và thất bại
 Practicability (n) Tính hữu dụng
 Prolific inventor (n) Nhà khoa học có rất nhiều phát minh
 Patents (n) Bằng sáng chế
 Phonograph (n) Máy hát
 Light bulb (n) Bóng đèn điện
 Experiment (n) Thí nghiệm
 Failure (n) Thất bại
 Advent (n) Sự xuất hiện/sự ra đời
 Milestone in history (n) Dấu mốc trong lịch sử
 Household appliance (n) Thiết bị gia dụng
 Innovations (n) Sự đổi mới, cải tiến
 Commercialized (adj) Thương mại hóa
Sample answer
Part 1
Question: Do you want to become an inventor in the future? (Bạn có muốn trở thành một
nhà phát minh trong tương lai không?)
(Answer) Actually I find myself not creative enough to be an inventor. (Reason) I don’t have a
necessary amount of technical know-how and patience to go through a lot of trial and error.
(Example) I would like to be a person who can enjoy the inventions rather than the one who can
invent them.
Part 2
Question: Describe an inventor that you admire the most. 
(Answer) Wow, to be honest, today I would like to describe Thomas Edison – an American and
one of the greatest inventors of all time and he is considered one of the men that have changed
the world.

(Reason) I mention him for his perseverance through a lot of trial and error and the practicability
of his inventions. (Example) He is famous all over the world for being a very prolific inventor,
who has more than 1,000 patents for more than 1,000 inventions throughout his life – a very
impressive number! It took him many years to invent those things and his inventions range from
fluoroscope, phonograph,… but the most outstanding one must be the light bulb, which is the
thing that we still use today. After a lot of experiment then failure and other difficulties, he finally
invented one of the greatest inventions in humankind history. The advent of the light bulb in
1880 marked a milestone in history when it put an end to darkness and people had a brand new
household appliance to light.

(Example) Moreover, the phonograph, or a record player, is also one of his famous inventions.
Although now it is only used by a small number of people, it used to be the most popular
entertaining application for millions of people around the world. In addition, Thomas Edison is
also famous for his quote: “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent
perspiration”, which inspires people to work with perseverance and passion then success will
come to them.

2. INVENTIONS (Các phát minh)

 Techie (n) Người hiểu biết nhiều về công nghệ
 Browse websites (v) Lướt mạng
 Revolutionary creations (n) Sáng tạo mang tính cách mạng
 Cost-effective (adj) Tiết kiệm chi phí
 Get in touch (v) Giữ liên lạc
 Various purposes (n) Nhiều mục đích
 Surf the net (v) Lướt mạng
 Barrier (n) Rào cản
 Online application (n) Ứng dụng trực tuyến
 Have (St) delivered to (v) Vận chuyển cái gì đến đâu
 Technological breakthrough (n) Sự đột phá về công nghệ
 Automated robot (n) Rô-bốt tự động
Sample answer
Part 1
Question: Do you enjoy using technological devices?
(Answer) Definitely yes. (Example) I have to say that I am a techie and I love to browse
websites in my free time to find information about the latest technological innovations. I am a big
fan of them; for example, smart phone, TV or computer. I think my life would suffer a lot of
difficulties if I don’t have these technological inventions.

Part 2
Question: Describe an invention that changes people’s life
(Answer) Well, when it comes to invention, I would choose smart phone – which is one of the
revolutionary creations of human beings.

(Reason) It is both convenient and cost-effective. (Example) In the past, when there was no
smart phone, people could only get in touch with each other through telephone and it took ages
 to reach one person but now, with only one smart phone, we can use it for various purposes.
Not only can we call others but we can also see their face, keep updated with their daily
activities or do other kinds of entertainment; for example, listen to music or surf the net.
Moreover, there are available applications such as Grab which helps us catch a taxi or
motorbike much more easily. With this smart device, there seems to be little barrier in
communication among people.

(Reason) In addition, smart phone helps reduce the cost of our call as we have online
application such as Viber, Skype or Whatsapp. (Example) We can also do the shopping without
going to traditional markets. With just one screen and one touch, we can get whatever we want
and have them delivered to our home. People often say that with only one smart phone, they
can carry the whole world with them. So you see, it is a wonderful thing to have it in our life!

IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Describe an important invention that you think has positively influenced the human race.
You should say:
 what the invention is
 who invented it
 what changes it has brought
and explain how it has positively influenced the human race.
Follow-up Questions:
 Mention 2 famous scientists in your country?
 Why should we invest more in research?
 What is the single most important invention in your opinion?

Model Answer 1:
Over the last couple of centuries, our world has been lucky enough to see many important
innovations, which have brought many positive changes to the life of its inhabitants. However, I
would like to talk about one of those innovations here today which probably has done more to
influence the entire human race than anything else in the world.

The name of this particular innovation is “Telephone”. In plain English, it is a device that
converts sound and electrical waves into audible relays and is used for communication by using
a microphone and speaker.

Many people had tried to play with the idea of coming up with such innovation, but it was Mr
Alexander Graham Bell, who finally succeeded in doing it in 1876.  Of course, as with every
other thing, when the telephone was first introduced, only the rich people could afford it as the
materials, needed to use or connect the device, were quite expensive. But, as people slowly
started to understand its full potentials, the telephone became an every household item, as it
allowed them to communicate with each other seamlessly, no matter where they lived, whether
they were maintaining a long-distance relationship or doing a multi-million dollar business in
another country.  In fact, communication would never be the same after the introduction of the
telephone.

Anyway, the positive influence of telephone can be seen in the ease of communication and
carrying on with our daily activities 24 hours a day and 365 days a year without any
interruption. It also led to the development of city centres, office buildings and the concept of
an urban worker society. Besides, it has also lead to the creation of many jobs by changing the
pace of business. The telephone has also provided security and helped in emergencies. 
However, probably the most positive influence has come in the form of a whole host of new
inventions, like the smartphone and the internet, with which, we can now not only talk but also
see each other live on video at the same time.

Sample Answer 2:
It is really tough to pick one particular scientific invention that had positively influenced the
human race as there are possibly hundreds and thousands of such inventions. I would like to
pick the 'Light Bulb' as one such invention that has very positively influenced the human race.

This single invention of science has uplifted the human race towards prosperity and the modern
world. Think about the world without any lights in the dark and we would have been no
different than living in a cave. The great scientist "Thomas Edison" is credited to invent the light
bulb and till then many improvements have been done to it.
The bulb is the main source of illumination and light at night time when the Sun is hiding at the
opposite side of the world. We are so habituated with the electricity and light bulbs that we
might wonder if it is a life-changing invention or not.
But think about living your life for a few days without the bulbs and then you would realise the
true importance of this single invention. Some may argue that the fuel-powered lighting system
could have been alternative to it, but the reality is that that would have been too expensive and
could not have been an easy source for lighting the houses,
Think about the other living beings other than human; they mostly get back to their living place
in the evening and except some nocturnal animals and birds, most of them stay at their living
place till the morning.

They rarely do anything at night and that's because they are afraid of the dark and have no
vision to see at night. As the human, we could have some lighting system if we did not know
how to illuminate the light bulb but that would not have been so widespread without the
invention of the light bulb. Scientific inventions are interrelated and one invention or theory
inspired and accelerates the invention of other important inventions.

The Light bulb is one such invention that has inspired the invention and research of other
inventions. This is the single invention that has made us free from being active only at day time
when the sun is there.
 

Tips for answering this Cue Card Topic:

This cue card should be an easy one if you can talk about any important invention, a bit about
the inventor and how this invention has affected our lives. Note that invention and discovery
are different.

Discovery is exploring and finding out something that preexisted and nothing new to the
world. Only people did not know until the discovery if it existed or not. Meanings of discovery
are: to make known; reveal; disclose and from these meaning, we can find that discovering
means to reveal something of finding something that already existed but we did not know
where. For instance, discovering America.

On the other hand, Invention is creating/ giving an idea or making something entirely new
either using objects that preexist to create something entirely new or to create something that
is first of its kind. Meanings of the word invention are- to come upon, to create. From the
meaning, we can say that invention is creating something entirely new of its kind. To invent this
new thing the inventor may use preexisting materials but the final outcome has to be
completely new. For instance, we say 'invention of the telephone'.
You would need to talk about a famous invention as the cue card asks you to talk about that
has positively affected the entire human race. Very insignificant inventions may have affected
some people of a certain geographic location but there are many inventions like telephones,
computers and televisions have greatly affected the whole human race. So to perfectly talk
about such an invention you should talk about such an invention that has affected the lifestyle
of the people of the world and are widely used in the world.

Following are some of the most influential inventions that you can talk about. Pick an invention
and get some idea of this invention and practice talking about it.

1. Telephone
2. Computer
3. Television
4. Automobile
5. Camera
6. Sewing Machine
7. Steam Engine
8. Light bulb
9. Paper

There are several other important inventions in history that have changed the world. But in the
above list, you would notice that only the very common inventions that we know from our daily
use have been added so that you can talk about these known inventions. Pick an invention and
do some Googling. You would get details information about the invention and you should take
some notes from those details to prepare for this cue card topic.

If you can answer this cue card, you should also be able to answer the following
topics:

1. Describe something that has changed the world.

2. Describe a tool or device you know about or use daily.
3. Talk about an important invention of history.
4. Describe an electronic device that you use.
5. Talk about an invention that has made our life easier.
6. Describe an inventor who has a great contribution to the world.
7. Talk about an electronic device that you use at your home.
8. Describe an important modern invention.
IELTS Speaking Part 2&3 #25 Describe an invention that changed the people’s life

Describe an invention that changed the people’s life. You should say:
What it was Who invented it
When it was invented
And explain how it changed people’s life
Sample answer:

I would like to talk about telephone which, in my opinion, is one of the most revolutionary creations that
have greatly changed our life. As far as I know, Graham Bell was the father of this terrific device and he
invented it in the last century after countless numbers of trials and errors.

It is no exaggeration to say that human’s life has been totally changed since the first telephones were
devised. Few centuries ago, it took us ages to deliver letters. In case of emergency or confidential cases,
people could hardly contact with each other because no such instantly communicative means as
telephones were available back then. You know, communication enhancement is widely believed to act as
the central core of the social development. As the most obvious example, telephones made it much easier
for people to express their urgent messages to distant recipients. Moreover, when we want to find
someone without any ideas where he is, we just need to call him via telephones and problems may be
solved in no time. So, that’s why the advent of telephones has considerably improved our society by the
way we contact with our family, acquaintances or even strangers.

Follow-up questions:

1. What do you think is the most important equipment in schools?

At school, one of the most essential equipment is computer. As we know, computer is already a part of
modern teaching; teachers can use PowerPoint or Microsoft Word to present their lectures in class. By
doing so, the lecture can be more fascinating and fun than just simply talking in front of the students.
What is more, computer is used by students to make their research and do their paper works. Take me
as an example, I use Microsoft Office to deal with my homework as I can just copy paste some
information on the internet such as pictures or some important details I need to complete my
assignment. As a matter of fact, most schools has their own computer facility usually located in the
library where students can use it for free.
2. Which invention do you think is the most useful at home?
I can say that there are plenty of useful technologies out there but I guess that electricity is the most
valuable invention. This is because of the fact that we can do everything with electricity.
3. An example for that is, running our household chores such as doing the laundry and cooking. Another
point here is that, without electricity life will be gloomy. Obviously speaking, electricity makes
everything work, without electricity most of our devices such as printers, computers, TV and radio
won’t function.
4. How often do you wear jewelry?
There is no doubt that indeed it made people sluggish. As far as I am concern, due to the rapid
development of technology people’s life has become more convenient, as a result, people get used of
this convenience which make people more inactive. As we know, technology has brought comfort and
made our lives easier where people become dependent to different devices and equipment. I am guilty
of this statement, as I am too much attached with my mobile phone. I can sit all day playing mobile
games, scrolling through Facebook or playing videos on YouTube. It’s embarrassing to admit that this
made my life sedentary.
5. How can technology make our life easier?
Thank you for allowing me to answer this. Technology is a blessing for all and has made life easier.
With the use of the technology, you can do the unimaginable things now. Earlier, people had to
control their television set like increasing or decreasing the volume or changing channels manually.
But in the current days, you do not need to get up to the television set raise the volume or change the
channel and get back to the sofa again. It is the time to change channels or increase/ decrease the
volumes with the help of a remote controller. Moreover, people now can travel easily than the past and
travelling hours has been reduced to a great extent.
6. Can internet education replace teachers?
Though contemporary modern technology has a significant influence on our life, I personally believe
that the essence role cannot be simply replaced or subtract in favor of computerized lifestyle. This is
certainly true in dealing with children who need sensitive approaches to fortify their perceptions and
skills. Therefore, human instructors could not be replaced fruitfully with advanced apparatus.
However, we should utilize this equipment in order to reinforce the teacher’s contribution in the
educational progression.
7. Why should we restrict the use of mobile phone in public places?
Though there are no exact reasons to restrict the use of mobile phones in public places, it should be
accomplished for some reasons. Undoubtedly mobile phones help us to communicate with the world
and have numerous blessings, but there are some demerits as well. For instance, you are in a public
library and it is expected that silence should be maintained. But if a mobile phone cries out loud, it is
really annoying for the others who are busy with reading. The noise created by the phone and
discussion over the phone inside such places is really un-welcomed. In such situations, the use of
mobile phones is always unwanted. So, the use of mobile phone should be restricted in public places.
8. How easy is it for an adult to think of a new idea?
I would say, too an extent it is difficult. Because an average adult, often gets laid back, learning
becomes too tiring and there are so many other things going on that thinking of learning and putting in
ideas seems quite difficult. But, if someone is constantly learning and working on improving, I would
say it is not a big deal to get an idea and start working on it.
9. How can children be taught to become innovative?
Children must be taught to question to make them innovative. Often, we are not able to answer the
WHYs of a child and by force ask them to ask better questions. This leads in them not answering any
questions at all. So, instead of stopping them asking silly questions, we should answer these questions
and make sure they ask more of them.
10. What role should the government play in encouraging innovation?
Government has a very important role in making sure that an innovation takes place. Firstly, they
 should make some laws favoring it. So, may be the strict laws and implementations could be eased out
to make it easier for innovators to do things. Even more, sometimes funding is required in bringing a
revolution, I think in those cases government can and should help.
11. Most innovations have patents. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of patents?
Looking at the positive side, patents allow the inventor right to stop the manufacturing, copying and
selling the product of without his/her content. It also gives the inventor the commercial benefits. So,
an inventor can then earn all the money from the product. Even more it provides other benefits, like
recognition and hence provide opportunity for bigger discoveries. However, on the negative side, a
patent is only for 20 years, after which other individual or companies can use the product freely. Even
more, it is a very lengthy and time consuming process.
12. Other possible questions:
Mention 2 famous scientists in your country?
Why should we invest more in research?
What is the single most important invention in your opinion?
8 Useful Phrases to Talk About Inventions

To Catch On
To catch on = to become popular
This is a useful phrase to talk about new inventions in IELTS Speaking, such as electric cars or even
hybrid cars. For example,
Hybrid cars are really catching on

Electric cars will never catch on, there is no infrastructure for charging the batteries.

To Turn Something on its Head

To turn something on its head = to reverse or change the understanding of an idea
This is a great phrase to use with very powerful inventions that change how we traditionally do things.
Speaking generally, we can say,
This invention is turning the way we do things on its head 
Here are two more specific examples,
Cryptocurrency is turning the way we buy things on its head
Instagram is turning the way we communicate on its head
To Take the World by Storm
To take the world by storm = to become very popular
This expression is to do with popularity of an invention, so most likely applied to fashionable inventions,
for instance, wearables like the apple watch or fitness trackers.
Wearables are taking the world by storm
To be a Game Changer
To be a game changer  = something that significantly changes the way we do things
Again, this is a useful phrase to talk about big inventions that significantly change how we do things. For
example, 
The Internet has been a game changer
The invention of smartphones was a game changer 
To Take Someone by Surprise
To take someone by surprise = to surprise, astound, startle someone
This is a useful phrase to describe any inventions that were unexpected. For example, 
3d printers have taken everyone by surprise
To be Cutting Edge
 It’s cutting edge = it’s very advanced, innovative and leading the field (i.e. leading-edge)
This phrase is ideal to talk about inventions that rely on the latest technology. 
I think that robot waiters are cutting-edge. They can take your order, bring your food and even make
jokes.
It Won’t be Long Before
It won’t be long before ____ = In the near future ___
This phrase can be used to talk about inventions that we predict are going to happen.
Hybrid cars are great, but I think they are the tip of the iceberg, it won’t be long before we have flying
cars.
This Will Go Down in History
This will go down in history as ___ = In the future, we will see this as ___
At the moment of production, some inventions may not be recognised as being important. However, if
you want to express the idea that you think it will be very important in the future, you can use this
phrase. 
I think Virtual Reality (VR) will go down in history as the most important invention ever.
I think Artificial Intelligence (AI) will go down in history as the most expensive invention ever.