IELTS Speaking Part II

Speaking Part II

                                                                                  Time: 3-4

It is also called a Task card (Cue card questions) where you need to

explain/describe a fix question with 3/4 bullet points.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: what happens?

•       In IELTS Speaking Part 2, the examiner will ask you to speak for between one and two minutes on a topic.

•       The IELTS examiner will give you a topic card. On the card, there will be a short description of a topic, with some ideas for what to include. The topic will be related to personal experience, for example a person you know or an event you participated in.

•       The examiner will give you exactly one minute to prepare your talk. The examiner will give give you a piece of paper and a pencil to write down some ideas. You could make a list of ideas and keywords, or draw a mind map.

•       After one minute, the examiner will ask you to  you to start your talk.

•       You give your talk. You are expected to speak, without interruption from the examiner, for up to two minutes. The examiner will listen and say nothing, but she/he might nod and gesture in order to encourage you to continue talking.

 

What is the IELTS examiner looking for?

    In IELTS Speaking Part 2, the IELTS examiner will assess your speaking task against the IELTS assessment criteria. There are 4 areas: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation.

    To get a band score of 8.0, this is what you must achieve in these 4 areas:

1. Fluency and Coherence: you should speak fluently. Occasional hesitation for language or ideas is acceptable. Your talk should be coherent and well-structured. Your talk should also be relevant to the topic given.
2. Lexical Resource: you should use a wide range of language appropriately with some idiomatic language (some mistakes are accepted). Your vocabulary needs to show that you can talk about a variety of different topics. This is what is meant by flexible use of language.
3. Grammar: you should be using a wide range of grammatical structures with only very rare errors.
4. Pronunciation: your pronunciation should be easy to understand throughout, and you should use a variety of pronunciation features, such as intonation, connected speech, word and sentence stress and a steady pace of speech (not too slow and not too fast). Speaking too fast will hold your band score down.

 

Some typical topics for IELTS Speaking Part II

The most common topics of IELTS are mentioned below:

1.  Person: Relating family member/ friend/famous person.

2.  Place: Relating to home town/ city/ village or country.

3.  Object: Relating to thing/instruments/ tools/ gadgets.

4.  Vocational: relating to an occupation or employment.

5.  Time: relating to especial event, occasion or period.

6.  Book: Relating to the most famous book / novel/ story.

7.  Film/Music: Relating to movie, music or television show/ program.

8.  Photography: Relating to memorable photographs or pictures.

 

What about the other topics?

There’s a wide range including general areas such as:

1.    The Arts (film, television, art, music, photography) 

2.    Education (history, mathematics, science)

3.    Communication (emails, contacting friends) 

4.    Technology (computers, smart phones)

5.    Free time (weekends, birthdays and national holidays, breaks and vacations) 

6.    Styles and tastes (jeans, shoes, colors, hairstyles)

7.    Relationships (friends, family, neighbors, pets, wild animals) 

8.    Environment (weather, the sky).

In the second section candidates are given a topic card and then have one minute to prepare after which they must speak about the given topic.

How to deal with part II speaking

Commencing phrases

•     I'd like to talk about…………

•     I'd like to tell you about……..

•     I've just decided to talk about……….

•     It's interesting to tell you about…………….

•     Talking about..........

•     Telling you about..................

 

IELTS Speaking Examples - Cue Card 1

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. 

I’m going to talk about a present that I gave to someone. The person that I gave it to was a very good friend of mine at the time. His name was Kaaliya and he came from India. I knew him because we studied together at a language school in Cambridge. Although we were from different backgrounds and cultures, we got on really well and we had the same sense of humour so we became very good friends.

The present was a picture that had been painted of the River Cam in Cambridge. It was not so big may be around 10 inches by 14 inches, but it was very beautiful.  It came in a gold-plated frame and the picture had been drawn by a particularly well-known Cambridge artist. It had been signed by this person as well. It’s the first time I have given this person a present, and I guess it’s quite different from presents that I have given to other people before – I don’t recall ever giving someone a picture actually. If I’m buying for family then I’ll usually buy clothes or maybe some jewelry if it is a special occasion. Normally when I’ve bought something for friends it’s something more jokey so we can have a laugh about it, nothing that serious. The reason why I decided to give this particular gift is because we had spent a lot of time together in Cambridge and we had had some really fun times punting on the River Cam – that’s obviously why I thought this was an appropriate present.  We used to go punting at least once a week, sometimes a couple of times. On one occasion there was a group of about ten of us that went down there, and we spent the whole day sitting by the river in the sun and as usual we went on a boat trip together.  We all have a lot of photos to remind us of this great day. So, my friend, Kaaliya, is the person that I gave a present to and this was because I felt it would always remind him of the fun times that we had and also of Cambridge.

 

IELTS Speaking Examples - Cue Card 2

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.

Thank you, sir /ma’am, for the question. Talking about a happy childhood event that I remember, and that event was my 13th birthday. It was 10 years ago now because I’m 23. My birthday is on the 7th May. What happened was my parents surprised me on my birthday by telling me that they were going to take me to a theme part that is a few hours from our house. I’d never been before - it had only been open a few months and they knew that I really wanted to go. As I recall it was a Saturday that we went. They didn’t tell me until the morning when I woke up that day. My whole family was involved in the event. I have a brother and a sister so of course they came as well as my Mum and Dad, and not only that, we also picked up my grandparents on the way so they could join us. They were too old to go on the rides but it was still a great trip out for them!

The theme park was really amazing. There was a huge roller coaster which I remember was really scary but still excellent fun. One particular thing I remember is the ghost train. My younger sister was not allowed to go on the ride because she was too young and she was really upset and jealous of me and by brother! I think it was lucky she didn’t though. It was really realistic – there were real people in there who were actually dressed up as ghosts and they jumped out just when you weren’t expecting it – it made us jump so many times! How I felt really depended on what I was doing. Obviously I was excited the whole day, but I remember that I felt really exhilarated when I was on the rides such as the roller coaster, and scared but still excited on the ghost train. The reason that I remember it so well is that I had been so desperate to go to the theme park and I’d been talking to my friends at school for ages about how I wanted to go. So it was so great when I found out that I could. Also I remember it so well because all of our family was together. My Dad was pretty busy most of the time with his work so we didn’t always have much time to do things together when I was a younger. So for these reasons, is was a really special occasion that I’ll never forget.

 

IELTS Speaking Examples - Cue Card 3

Describe an environmental problem that has occurred in your country.

You should say:

•      The cause of the problem

•      What effect it has had on your country

•      The steps, if any, that have been taken to solve this

Explain why you think this problem is so important to solve.

    I would like to talk about a problem with the environment in my country. One of the most serious problems at the moment is flooding. This is starting to happen every year and each year it seems to get worse. I think it may be caused by a number of factors. Firstly there has been a lot of deforestation in the north of the country, a lot of it from illegal logging. Because of this, when it rains the water has nothing to soak it up so it just runs down the mountains and into the villages and towns. Another factor may be global warming. Scientists believe that this is causing more severe weather so this may account for the increasing amount of rain that we seem to be seeing. It also means the soil is more dry so again the rain water runs off it rather than being soaked up.

      Unfortunately, there have been really serious effects on my country. As I said, the excess water runs into the villages and the towns through the rivers and the rivers then overflow causing massive flooding. This effects thousands of people who then become homeless. Several hundred usually die each year as well. It travels through the country as it starts in the north and goes down to the sea, so it can affect many towns and the capital city too. This also has repercussions for the government as they have to spend so much money managing the disaster each year. The government is trying to tackle the problem, but it is not easy. They are trying to stop so much deforestation but a lot of the damage has already been done so what can they do? They are also starting to build fences such as walls along some of the major rivers that run through the town to try to stop them overflowing. Another thing they are doing is trying to improve their response systems. In most towns there is now a government organization responsible for coordinating relief operations and making sure they are prepared in advance. I think this problem is a top priority to solve because it has such devastating impacts. As I mentioned before, it causes suffering for so many people and it is also a huge expense for the government and as we are not a rich country we cannot afford this. It means that other services suffer because of a lack of money. There are other problems that my country has but I think that is by far the worst. So, that is the serious problem in my country, and I only hope that it does not continue to get worse.

 

Describe a time when you gave someone advice.

You should say:

•       to whom you gave the advice

•       what the advice was

•       whether that person took your advice

And explain why you gave the person that advice.

    Thank you, sir, for the question. I would like to talk about one of the most memorable times I gave advice to someone was a few years ago when my younger brother was going through a difficult time in his life. He was struggling with anxiety and stress due to a variety of factors, including academic pressure and relationship problems. As his older sister, I felt responsible for helping him in any way I could, so I decided to offer him some guidance and support.

   I remember sitting down with him in his room one evening and having a heart-to-heart conversation about his issues. I listened to him attentively as he opened up about his worries and fears, and then I gently suggested a few strategies that could help him manage his stress better.

      These included things like setting realistic goals, prioritizing his time, and taking breaks when he needed them. I also encouraged him to seek professional help if he felt like he couldn't cope on his own.

    To my relief, my brother was receptive to my advice and took it to heart. He began implementing some of the strategies I suggested and slowly but surely, he started to feel more in control of his life. He also began attending therapy sessions, which proved to be a game-changer for him. Over time, I noticed a marked improvement in his mood and behavior, and I was so proud of him for taking charge of his mental health.

    The reason I gave my brother that advice was because I knew how it felt to be in his shoes. I had struggled with anxiety and stress myself in the past, so I could empathize with what he was going through. I also felt a deep sense of responsibility towards him as his sister, and I knew that I had the ability to make a positive impact on his life. It was a challenging situation, but I was glad that I could be there for him when he needed me the most.

Overall, the experience of giving advice to my brother was both rewarding and humbling. It taught me the importance of being there for the people you love and of offering guidance and support when it's needed. Most importantly, it showed me that sometimes, the most valuable thing we can give someone is our time and attention.

 

Describe a bike/motorbike/car trip you would like to have.

You should say:

•      where you would like to go

•      how you would like to go there

•      who you would like to go with

And explain why you would like to go there by bike/ motorbike/car.

Thank you, sir, for the question. I'm not much of a thrill-seeker, but I've always had a secret desire to take a road trip on a motorbike. Specifically, I'd love to travel along the coast of California, from San Francisco to Los Angeles. This would be a dream come true for me, as I've always been fascinated by the natural beauty and cultural richness of the Golden State.

If I were to make this trip, I would ideally travel on a sleek and powerful Harley-Davidson motorcycle. I would want to feel the wind in my hair and the sun on my face as I zoomed along the winding roads of California, taking in the stunning vistas of the Pacific Ocean on one side and the rugged cliffs and mountains on the other.

Although traveling solo would certainly be a liberating experience, I would love to share this adventure with my best friend, who is also a biking enthusiast. We have always talked about going on a road trip together, and I think this would be the perfect opportunity to make that happen. We could swap stories, listen to music, and bond over our shared love of adventure and exploration.

The reasons why I would like to make this trip on a motorbike are manifold. Firstly, I believe that traveling on a motorbike allows you to experience the journey in a more visceral and authentic way than other forms of transportation. You feel more connected to the road and to the environment around you, and you have a greater sense of control and freedom. Secondly, I think that the coastal route of California is best experienced on a bike, as it allows you to take in the sights and sounds at a more leisurely pace.

Finally, I believe that this trip would be an incredible way to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone. As someone who is normally risk-averse, I think that traveling on a motorbike would push me to confront my fears and embrace new experiences. It would be a chance to break out of my routine and have an adventure that I would remember for the rest of my life.

So basically, while I have never been a motorcycle enthusiast, the idea of taking a road trip along the coast of California has always appealed to me. The combination of stunning scenery, cultural richness, and the thrill of adventure make this an ideal trip to take on a motorbike. I hope to make this dream a reality someday and to experience the freedom and excitement of traveling on two wheels.

 

Describe a wedding ceremony you attended.

You should say:

•       when and where it was

•       who were getting married

•       what happened at the wedding

and explain what type of wedding ceremony it was.

    Thank you, sir, for the question. I would like to talk about one of the memorable wedding functions that I have attended and enjoyed the most was the wedding function of my cousin Vivan. I have always been an ardent fan of Indian weddings. I adore the kind of traditions and culture we follow during this time. Undoubtedly, organizing a wedding is nothing less than celebrating a festival in the house.

     So, talking about one of the memorable weddings I attended, it was in Udaipur. My eldest sister was getting married, and she always wanted a destination wedding. So, back in 2018, my parents had organized a lavish one in Bhairav Garh Palace, Udaipur.

     The wedding was organized in mid-November; thus, the weather was somewhat supportive. While we had to deal with scorching heat during the daytime, the nights were breezy and cool. One of the best things about this wedding was it was the first of our generation. Since we are just two siblings, the entire obligation for arrangement fell upon me. Right from shopping to ensuring everybody’s departure at the right time, I was on my toes throughout the wedding.

     We stayed in the palace for four days, overlooking every arrangement. This was the time when my sister simply sat back and relished her time of being a queen of the family. All in all, those days were enthralling, and the memories we created at her wedding are long-lasting.

 

 

Describe someone in your family who you really admire.

You should say:

•       what relation this person is to you

•       what are your first memories of this person

•       how often you see this person

and explain why you really admire this person.

                                  or,

Describe a family member that you go on well with.

You should say: who it is?

•       what relationship you have with that person

•       what that person is like

•       what you do together

also explain, why you get on so well.

 

    Thank you for letting me talk about a family member whom I like a lot. I'm going to talk about my grandmother because I love her. She has been one of the most influential people in my life and has always been a source of inspiration for me. My grandmother is my maternal grandmother, and she has been a constant presence in my life since I was born. I have a deep bond with her, and she has always been there for me whenever I needed her.

My grandmother is in her late 70s now, but she still looks young and energetic. She has a kind and gentle face, and her smile can light up a room. She has beautiful silver hair that she always keeps neatly combed. Despite her age, she is always impeccably dressed, and her sense of style is impeccable.

     My grandmother is a very kind-hearted person, and she is always willing to help others in need. She has a lot of life experience and wisdom, and I always feel like I can learn a lot from her. She is also very independent and strong-willed, and she has faced many challenges in her life with grace and courage. She has always been a great role model for me, and I aspire to be like her in many ways.

     I like and admire my grandmother for many reasons, but mostly for her resilience and strength of character. She has faced many difficulties in her life, including the loss of her husband and a child, but she has never given up or lost her sense of hope. She is also very wise and has a lot of life experience, which she is always happy to share with me. I feel very lucky to have her in my life, and I hope that I can be as kind, wise, and strong as she is when I grow older.

Study With BR Sir

Practice Using Sample Cue Cards

One way to prepare yourself for the Speaking Part 2 Test is by practicing while referring to sample cue cards. During the test, you’ll be given a cue card, also known as a task card. This card will consist of a personal question and supporting questions on the given topic. You can prepare yourself for this by referring to cue card samples and practice speaking about respective topics for 2 minutes each. While practicing you should try to focus on language fluency, grammar and vocabulary. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll be during the test!

 

·        Fluency and Coherence

·        Lexical Resource

·        Grammar

·        Pronunciation

Describe a present you received which was made by hand

You should say

·        what it was

·        what it was like

·        who gave it to you

and how you felt about the present

Sample Answer 1

Gifts are ways to commemorate special occasions and express happiness. Like most people, I like surprises and gifts, be it a bar of small chocolate or a trip somewhere new. For me, all that matters is the emotion attached to it. Therefore, when my grandmother gave me a handmade woollen scarf when I was leaving for college, I could not control my tears. 

It might seem to be a very simple gift to most, but for me, it held a special place because my grandmother was the guiding light and soothing presence for me till her last day. The scarf was predominantly blue, which is my favourite colour, with intricate patterns in peach and white. It was very soft to the touch and reminded me of my granny’s calming caresses. As my college was in Dehradun, it never left my side, even though I was not using it. 

When my grandmother passed away, a few years after she gave me the gift, the scarf became my go-to companion when I was in trouble or upset about something and wanted to feel my grandmother’s presence. I still preserved the scarf in the same condition, honouring the last gift from my dear grandmother, as it is one of the most cherished gifts from the most consequential person in my life.

 

Sample Answer 2

I’m going to tell you about a sweet and romantic period of my life- the story about my first boyfriend! I was 16 at the time and completely smitten (in love). Since neither of us worked at the time, we would always make each other gifts for special occasions, such as anniversaries, birthdays, or the holidays. I’ll tell you about one gift that I’ll never forget.

He made me a collage (art made with several cut up pictures) of all the stages of our friendship and relationship. He must have gone to a print shop to print out all these pictures that carefully cut them out and made a tasteful wall collage with them. The special part of the gift was that he formed the letters of our names out of pictures, Anna and Dave. I thought this was a really creative way to celebrate our love.

Looking back, this gift is a bit corny (foolish or not tasteful), but at that time I felt completely blown away (really happy and surprised) by it. We had been friends since we were children, so we had a ton of memories together. Furthermore, our relationship was 4 years long! I liked that he was thoughtful enough to put the effort into this kind of gift. Moreover, I felt really emotional looking at the way he told the story of our friendship that turned into love through photos. In conclusion, these sort of acts were the key to my heart as a teen girl!

 

Describe a quiz program or game show/Talk about a game show you watched on television

You should say

·        What programme is it

·        How did you know about it

·        How is it organized

Eexplain what do you think it is worth watching

Sample Answer 1

Since I was a young child, I have never been a fan of the idiot box. Instead, I used to spend my days playing outside and going on hikes whenever I got a chance, unlike children of my age. But the Cadbury Bournvita Quiz Contest was one of the few programmes I enjoyed watching.

This quiz show began airing live in various places in 1972, way before I was even born. It gradually moved to radio, and in 1994, when nearly every home had a television, it became the first quiz show to appear on television. One of my school instructors, who had a keen interest in quizzes, introduced me to it. I’ve been following it every Saturday morning ever since. Derek O’ Brian was the most well-liked host, and I thought his presentation was good, even though Hamid Sayani was the show’s initial host and was followed by his brother Ameen Sayani.

Being a quiz show, it appealed to individuals of all ages, although those seeking knowledge for their own development generally appreciated it the most. Cadbury Bournvita, in contrast to popular quiz programmes like Kaun Banega Crorepati, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, or Now You See It!, was exclusively designed for Indian school children. A selection of kids in groups of two to four from different schools competed against one another in preliminary rounds before competing in the finals. After the show’s cancellation from television in 2016, it transferred its distribution in later seasons from other Indian television stations, like Zee and Colors, to YouTube.

I regarded this programme as instructive since it provided a highly sought-after stage for young brains to demonstrate their broad knowledge. In addition, it evaluated their agility and clarity of thought in addition to their expertise. Although many of us are experts in specific fields or possess certain knowledge, it is only beneficial when put to use. Therefore, it helped the players’ overall development when they competed to hit the buzzer first or respond to the trick question as quickly as possible.

Sample Answer 2

I’m going to talk about a quiz show called “Who wants to be a millionaire?”. You should know what it’s like because the format is very popular all around the world.

At the start of the show contestants are gathered and will have to answer a multiple choice question to decide who gets to be in the Hot seat. Naturally it’s the person who answers accurately within the shortest time.

When a contestant is selected, he or she will proceed to sit in a chair in the centre – the hot seat – and have the opportunity to answer in total 15 questions that get harder over time. For every answer that you get right, you’ll be awarded an amount of money.  If you’re not sure about one particular question, you can always stop the game and go home with the money. But if you’re feeling adventurous you can just go with your instinct. And there’s always three aids or “”lifelines” you can use, for example you can call your friends for help, or choose to have half of the options eliminated.

It’s great fun to watch and I assume also great fun to play! I don’t remember if anyone managed to pass all 15 questions but there must’ve been a few people.

 

Describe a time that you got up early in the morning

You should say 

·        when it happened

·        why you got up early

·        who you were with

and explain how you felt about getting up early

 

Sample Answer 1

The first thing I want to say is that I hardly ever wake up early, so when I do it is for something important.

So the most recent occasion when I had to be up early was last year when I took the IELTS test. It started at 8 in the morning so naturally I had to get up at 6. When I got out of the house it was still dark outside. It took me 20 minutes by motorbike to arrive at the hotel where the test was going to take place. Some other test takers had already come and were sitting inside the lounge, all looking quite drowsy and nervous.

I found myself a seat and started taking out a book to read. I normally find it useless to cram right before a test so I just do something to relax. At 8 everyone was called into a large meeting room where the organisers would have a short presentation on the test process. We were all required to leave our personal belongings outside the exam room.

Anyway, the test went well and I got the result I needed. I think I could’ve done better if I hadn’t been sleepy at the start of the test.

Sample Answer 2

Mornings, undoubtedly, are the best time of the day since everything seems so fresh, zestful, and vibrant. However, I’m a night owl and not an early riser, so waking up early is an exhausting task for me. Here, I’d like to share an experience where I got up early. 

A couple of weeks ago, my friends and I had planned a trip to Kerala’s Kovalam beach to see the stunning sunrise, for which we had to start early. Kovalam beach is roughly 150 Kms away from my hometown, and requires at least 2 hours of travel. So, we planned to head out at the dawn of the day.

As a nighthawk myself, I found it highly challenging to rise early, but since I didn’t want to miss out on the breath-taking sunrise, I decided to sleep early a couple of days before the actual day to get into the rhythm of waking up. On that day, I woke up at 3 AM sharp, refreshed myself, and gathered my friends near my house. Thirty minutes later, we started off our road trip to Kovalam Beach. By 5.30 AM, we were already at the beach’s celebrated sunrise point, witnessing the most beautiful sight above the Arabian Sea’s blue drops. The picturesque beach sunrise was a fantastic sight to behold. The experience of watching the first golden-crimson rays of sunlight was splendid.

The early morning start to the beach offered an exceptional sunrise view, which left me spellbound because I’d never seen such incredible views before. It was quite fascinating to start the day with calm, and a spectacular view. That day, I discovered that the nicest part of getting up early is being to see the charming sunrise.

 

Describe a water sport you would like to try in the future

You should say

·        What is it

·        Where you will do it

·        Whether it is easy or difficult

·        Why would you like to try it

Sample Answer 1

I’m going to talk about snorkelling, which is quite popular nowadays but for some reasons, I haven’t had the chance to try. So you can do this sport pretty much everywhere provided that there’s a body of water, preferably a beach with some beautiful submarine landscape.
I’ve heard that the ideal place to go is Coron island where there’s gorgeous coral. If you can afford overseas travel, there’s plenty to choose from, like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

The equipment required for this sport is quite simple. You just need a snorkel to help you breathe underwater. It is better to wear a mask to prevent water from coming into your eyes and fins to swim faster.

I think that there are only certain areas off a beach where you can safely dive. And also we should not get too far away from the shore or the boat. Anyway, I think I’ll try this sport sometime this summer when it gets too hot in the city.

Sample Answer 2

I am a sportive personality and have a keen interest in water sports. I have experienced a few water sports already, such as boating and river rafting. However, the one activity that I am desperate to try is scuba diving. It is one of the best adventurous water sports that lets you go deep into the water and experience the depth of marine life. I got to know about this activity from a friend who had tried it in Singapore.
I researched more on it and found out that wearing safety gear and carrying an oxygen cylinder is necessary to stay in the water for a long time.

So, to try it out and enjoy the activity, I am planning a trip to Goa with my friends. Goa is indeed famous for water sports; hence, scuba diving will surely be a divine experience. In terms of the expenditure, it costs approximately 5-10 thousand for half an hour of experience. Also, I think it will be quite difficult as well. Although the cost is a bit on the higher end, I believe that the experience will be worth it.
With the required equipment, I will get into the deep water of the sea. And there, I can experience the best of marine life.

I surely don’t want to let go of an opportunity to know the ecosystem of coral reefs. Under the water, we can see a lot of creatures, such as jellyfishes, sea horses, octopuses, and a lot more. With the help of waterproof cameras, we can also shoot the entire experience.

 

Describe your favorite singer

You should say:

·        Who he/she is

·        Where and when you heard him/her sing for the first time

·        What types of song she/he sings and explain why you like his/her music

Sample Answer 1

I’ve recently got into Ariana Grande’s music, so I’m going to talk about her. Ariana’s been around for quite some time now, debuting in 2013, and achieving some success with that first album. I have been listening to her music since my high school days after my best friend introduced me to it during a sleepover.

However, although her songs have always been catchy, her voice sweet and tender, she wasn’t really a top star until recently. Her latest album is what launches her into superstardom, with the lead single “Thank u, next” topping music charts all around the world.

I think the reason the song catches on is that she has put her personal stories into it, being a kiss-off anthem, full of post-breakup nostalgia and hopeful sentiments at the same time.

I want to meet her just to see her in person, and maybe talk a bit about how she writes her songs. I know this is a long shot, but she did flirt with the idea of touring my country once. Hopefully, she’ll come here sometime in the future.

Vocabulary

Debut:A person’s first appearance or performance in a particular capacity or role.
Eg: He made his debut as a comedian

Catchy: (of a tune or phrase) Instantly appealing and memorable.
Eg: The earring was catchy.

Nostalgia: A sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past.
Eg: A nostalgia struck his grandfather when they visited their ancestral property

sentiments: A view or opinion that is held or expressed.
Eg: The mother asked the son to respect her sentiments

Sample Answer 2

If the truth is said, I am a huge melophile. I love listening to varying forms of music depending on the situation and my mood. Although I can listen to every type of song, my all-time favourite is Arijit Singh. I have tagged him as my favourite not only because of his melancholic voice but his sober and calm personality as well.

The first time I heard him sing was in the movie Murder 2. The song ‘Phir Mohabbat’ was his first-ever song. Generally, Arijit sings romantic and sad songs. One of the reasons why I love his songs is because they fill me up with calmness. I have a lot of friends settled and working in Mumbai. Once, when I was visiting them, I had a chance to be a part of Arijit’s concert. All throughout the concert, my levels of excitement had no limits. Standing in the crowd, right in front of the stage, I was only ogling at his generosity. His voice was too mesmerizing.

Fortunately, at the end of the concert, I got a chance to meet him since my friend had some connections with the organization. I was literally shivering while shaking hands with him. I can guarantee that I would have never smiled this big as I did when taking a selfie with Arijit.

Later, I got to know that he donated all of the accumulated money to treat a child fighting cancer. Hearing this, my respect for Arijit shot up manifolds. I wish there were more celebrities like him in our industry. He doesn’t believe in showing off. He is extremely humble and down-to-earth. That is one of the reasons why I admire him so much.

 

 

Describe something lost by others but found by you/ Describe a time you found something that someone lost

You should say

·        What it was?

·        When and where did you find it?

·        What you did do after you found it?

And explain how you felt about finding it.

Sample Answer 1

I am a fervent reader and prefer sitting in a cafe, sipping on my favorite coffee, and reading a book during weekends. So, last weekend, during one such regular trip to the cafe, I found an apple watch.

When I was engrossed in the mysterious story that I was reading, I unintentionally touched my foot on something. When I took a glance, the watch was laying aimlessly near the foot of my chair.

To begin with, I had never expected anything as expensive as an apple watch laying unclaimed. Subsiding the feeling of shock, I quickly picked it up. I tapped twice on the watch and it showed the picture of a woman set as the wallpaper. Without wasting any more time, I walked to the reception of the cafe and handed over the watch to them.

They recognized the lady from the wallpaper as she was one of their regular customers. Instantly, they dialed her up and gave her the news.

While I was a bit angry at the carelessness of the lady, I somehow felt relieved that the product reached its dutiful owner. At last, I felt happy and a sense of gratitude ran through me as I could be of huge help to somebody.

Sample Answer 2

Just last week, my dad lost his wallet. He was sure he had dropped it somewhere in the house, so he went everywhere looking for it but found nothing. I know my dad is a bit forgetful, so it could have been anywhere, in his room, outside the house, or in one of the restaurants that he frequents.

The wallet contained important identification papers and bank cards, and getting them redone is a big hassle, so he was bent on recovering it.

I thought I’d lend him a hand, looking first inside our house, then went out asking around to see if anyone has picked it up. Unfortunately, after hours of searching the wallet was still nowhere to be seen.

I’d gone home and almost given up hope when I noticed something in dark brown lying under a chest of drawers in our living room. It was none other than my dad’s wallet! He must’ve accidentally dropped it there.

 

Describe a time when you gave advice to someone

You should say

·        who you gave the advice to

·        what advice you gave

·        why this person needed your advice

Sample Answer 1

I have this friend who I’ve grown up with; we’re pretty close. And this advice I gave him had to do with his career.

Last year he was working in an international company and doing quite well, so he was offered a big promotion to become a manager. But he had also been looking for opportunities to study abroad, and received an offer from a prestigious university around the same time he got the job offer. It was a scholarship that would cover all expenses, including tuition and accommodation, an enviable package.

Apparently he was in a dilemma, not knowing whether to stay and further his career or to go and further his education. When he asked for my advice, I was like, If you want to go far in this field, you have to possess excellent qualifications, because if you don’t there’s a limit to how far up you can reach, this promotion may look good now, but as far as I see there’s little room left for development. He finally took my advice and is now studying in STANFORD.

Sample Audio

Describe an advice you gave someone.

You should say:

·        what advice it was

·        who you gave this advice

·        why you advised this person

and explain how this advice helped him/her.

I’m a very health-conscious person and want everyone in my circle to follow a healthy lifestyle. So, now and then, I offer my advice to those with a bad lifestyle. A couple of months ago, my colleague-cum-bosom friend, John, had a severe migraine and took a day off. His health condition disturbed me. So I decided to meet him at his residence. 

When I met him later that night, I was relieved to see him in a much better state. We gossiped and talked about many things, and suddenly, out of nowhere, he took out a cigarette and began smoking. I was disappointed since he had not changed his habits despite being afflicted by smoking. Immediately, I grabbed the cigarette and tossed it in the trash.

Although I was sorry for being rude, I couldn’t let my friend’s health deteriorate. So, as a responsible friend, I advised him to quit smoking. I apprised him of the consequences of smoking and the health risks involved, which would affect him and his family. He paid attention to every detail and promised me to quit smoking at the earliest. He took my advice seriously, tried changing his habit, and eventually quit smoking. 

Today, John is a non-smoker, and I feel extremely honoured to have played a key role in guiding him.

 

 

Describe something you do to help you study or work

You should say

·        what it is

·        how you learn it

·        when you do it

how you feel about the method

 

Sample Answer 1

I’m going to tell you about the thing which helps me the most in staying focused: exercise. I often get bogged down (busy) with work, and it seems like I cannot stay concentrated if I don’t take a short break to exercise. Thinking back, I didn’t exercise much during my teen years, which was the period when I did the worst in school. I believe there is a correlation here. When I first starting regularly exercising at about 18 years old, I was surprised to see how much my grades improved.

So, this is when I started incorporating this habit into my lifestyle. More specifically, when I know I have to get some work done or study for an exam, I deliberately (purposely) set my alarm for 45 minutes earlier so I can run on my treadmill and do some mat exercises before I begin. Since I work remotely from home, I tend to do this 5 days a week, during my work hours. When I fail to follow this routine of exercising before work, I seem to not be able to focus, or better yet even muster up (to get) the energy to start my day.

I feel like a new person after sweating a bit in the morning. Actually, I feel like I wouldn’t be able to function without exercise- it’s what gives me energy. I feel proud of myself that this is what keeps me focused, as it is also a healthy habit to have. I can re-charge my brain and work on my fitness simultaneously (at the same time)! All in all, I’m in love with this method and it makes me feel amazing!

 

 

Describe a time that you invited family or friends to have dinner at home or in a restaurant

You should say

·        Who organized this meal?

·        Where did you have it?

·        What did you talk about during the meal?

·        What did you eat and drink?

Explain why you had this meal with your friends.

Sample Answer 1

I am fascinated with the idea of spending quality time with friends or family, reminiscing good old times. That is why, once a month, I make sure to either organize a gathering or be a part of one. So, talking about the time when I had invited friends to my home for dinner, it would be last month.

I had prepared a lavish meal at my premises, which was a mix of Italian and Indian cuisines. To make this time more memorable, I set up the table and made some seating arrangements on my balcony. Since it is big enough, the balcony easily accommodates ten people at once.

Throughout the dinner, we spoke about a lot of things – going back into memory lane. We shared some of our secrets that were meant to be concealed. We spoke about our childhood memories. We discussed our present careers and future plans as well.

During this conversation, we relished home-cooked pizza, white-sauce pasta, and cheese balls. Along with that, we had simple yet delicious Rajma Chawal, Shahi Paneer, and Italian salad. All of these dishes were complemented with chilled Pepsi.

While the meet-up was due, one of the reasons behind this get-together was that a friend was going to Canada for her further studies the next week after this dinner. So, this had to be a special, remarkable gathering.

 

 

Describe a Film or TV program that made you laugh

You should say

·        What it is called and what it is about

·        Who the main characters are

·        What made you laugh

explain why you remember this film/TV program so well

Sample Answer

I’m going to talk about “Friends”, obviously. It’s a very famous comedy series aired in the 90s, but it’s still very popular today.

There are six main characters in the sitcom: three girls (Rachel, Monica, Phoebe) and three boys (Ross, Joey and Chandler). The stories revolve around their work life and love life. Each of the characters has very distinct personality traits that make them unique, and I guess that’s one of the reasons why they’re funny.

For example, Rachel was born beautiful and rich, so apparently she’s got a lot going for herself, but she’s sometimes oblivious to problems of people who are less lucky. Monica, despite being very beautiful as an adult, struggled with obesity as a teenager, so you can imagine there’s always some competition going on between these two girls. Phoebe, on the other hand, seems like a weird but carefree person, so I guess she’s there to smooth things out for everyone. Anyway the director and producer managed to turn their rivalry and friendship into something that is quite intriguing to watch.

And as the story develops, their dynamics evolve; they’ve even become lovers, breaking up and making up. It’s hard to elaborate how funny it is and maybe some of the jokes are no longer appropriate today, but all in all it’s still worth a watch.

 

Describe a piece of good news you heard (from TV or the Internet)

You should say:

·        what the news was about

·        when you got this news

·        where you got this news from

and why you think it was good news

 

Sample Answer 1

I would like to mention the news about the law to cut down the usage of plastic bags. A few years back, our government approved a law that stated the reduction of excessive consumption of plastic bags and polythene as they were the primary source of pollution, considering their non-degradable quality. A few weeks back, while shuffling through channels on the TV, I stopped on a news channel from where I got this news.

Earlier, getting plastic bags was not a huge deal as they were available in every shop. The excessive use resulted in high consumption for years that further degraded the environment. Thus, it is important to have a law to ban the use of plastic bags and polythene in shopping malls and supermarkets while encouraging people to use cloth bags.

Consequently, the situation is gradually improving. Large supermarket chains, such as Big Bazaar, and more have commenced the use of reusable bags and have even come up with rewards for customers who use the same. Along with that, the law has also raised environmental awareness among the masses with consistent efforts to decrease the carbon footprint.

 

Describe an exciting sporting event or competition that you took part in.
You should say:

·        What the sporting event or competition was

·        When and where the event took place

·        Who won

And explain why it was exciting

I’d like to talk about the most exciting racing competition I experienced when I was in elementary school – so 20 years ago. It was our sports day event, and I remember this particular sports day event because it was absolutely boiling.

It happened outside on the fields next to my school building. So we could sit on the grass and relax until it was our turn to race. It was still very hot though. My team had been winning all the races, such as long jump, egg and spoon race, 100 metre sprint and so on. The final race, however, had to be run by the teachers. 

Now, my teacher, and the head of my team, was not very sporty. We were all worrying about the teachers’ race as it was worth 100 points to the winner and, therefore, we could have lost the whole of sports day if another teacher won. We only had 67 points before this race took place. 

Now, the teachers were all lined up on the track and ready to race. The headteacher blew her whistle and off they all went. This is where it became really intense, but exciting at the same time. 

Our teacher had got to second place about halfway around the track and we were all thinking: “Is he going to do it?” Then, just as they were about to finish, Mr Stevens, who was in first place, tripped over his shoelace and fell to the ground. Our teacher, Mr Williams won the race! It was incredible and I remember all my team jumping up and cheering very loudly.    

Not now, no. I don’t have the time, unfortunately. I like to watch the athletics when the Olympics are on though.

Example ii

Describe something healthy you enjoy doing.
You should say:

·        What you do

·        Where you do it

·        Who you do it with

And explain why you think doing this is healthy

So, I would like to talk about running, which I believe has several health benefits. It can help to build muscle, improves your mood and is a very good exercise for your heart. I have also read that it can strengthen your bones, though many people argue that it damages them, particularly the knees. However, if you buy the correct running shoes this shouldn’t happen.

I love running, it’s definitely my favourite hobby. I find when I run in the mornings, I feel fresh and alive. It also wakes me up and prepares me for the day ahead. Running is a kind of aerobic exercise and helps to improve the body.

There are a good number of benefits with this specific exercise. For instance, running helps to build inner muscles and develops your breathing. It also helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and high cholesterol. Simultaneously, it also burns calories. 

Running can also help you lose weight. If you have the type of job where you’re sitting down all day, then you’re not burning many calories. If people continue to do this, they will increase their risk of heart and lung problems. Having any type of exercise will help to keep them fit, but I prefer running.

Generally, I run around Lumpini Park in Bangkok, which is close to my apartment. The park contains an ancient Chinese-style clock tower, ornamental lakes, playgrounds, and a public library. The most significant thing for me, however, is of course, the jogging track. I usually run on the track and sometimes jog at a slower pace when I feel tired or it’s hot.

I find running in the early morning is the most convenient as it’s usually cooler and I can watch the sunrise. The park becomes crowded with different health conscious people around the middle of the day. They go there to do some exercise and then go and get a cold drink.  

During the week I run alone, but at the weekends, Aranya, my wife, comes with me. Aranya and I run in the evenings though, as we are usually very busy seeing our family and friends during the day. 

Overall, when someone runs, it helps to build muscles, it helps to prevent different diseases and heart attacks, and tolerance levels improve by improving mood. So, considering all the aspects, it appears that running is very healthy indeed.

Do you eat anything before or after you run?           

I like to eat something small after I run, like a piece of fruit. If I eat before my run, I have a very strong pain in my stomach. This is not good as it takes a long time for the pain to go away and I can’t run.

Pay attention to the ‘tense’ of the questions. So many students make simple grammatical errors because they are not aware of the tense used in the questions. If the question is written in the past tense and you begin your answer with the future, you are already losing marks. Be aware of the type of question being asked: When=time, Where=place, What=thing, Who=person, Why=reason, How=method/process, How much/many/often=amount/frequency.

 

3. Work and Studies

Example i

Describe your perfect job role.
You should say: 

·        What qualifications and/or experience you need

·        What the job role would involve

·        What you think would be the most difficult part of the job

And explain why it is your dream job

I think my dream job would be to work in garden design. I have experience working as a landscape gardener, but I have never designed professionally before. The qualification I would need is a diploma in garden design which is not that difficult to get, but I don’t have a lot of time or money at the moment. So, I would have to save up, look at my schedule and attend a course at a later date. 

The job role would involve meeting up with a client and discussing what they’re going to be using their garden for. I would then have to apply that criteria to a first draft design, gain client feedback before finalising the design. 

I suppose the most difficult aspect of the job will be starting out and getting my first clients. It’s my dream job because I like looking at the before and after of a garden and seeing the joy on a customer’s face when they have the garden of their dreams.       

I started landscape gardening when I was 20 years old, so just over 5 years. I do enjoy it, but it’s hard work, especially when it’s cold outside.

Example ii

Describe a subject that you did not like in the past, but now you like it.
You should say: 

·        What it was

·        When you studied the subject

·        Why you didn’t like it before

And explain why you have interest in it now

As a high school student, I learned a number of subjects. There was one, I wasn’t really into though, and that was history. The reason was quite simple: I disliked the teaching method of my teacher. I found it to be boring and ineffective. 

To be completely blunt with you, he was a lazy teacher. All he did was copy words, facts and figures from our course book to the board and made us write down what he wrote. There was no actual teaching involved, or learning for that matter. He then told us that we had to memorise all the information if we didn’t want to receive a low grade for his subject. It was a joke!

When I was in my early twenties, I watched a film about Chinese history. The film is about the time Genghis Khan conquered northern China over a thousand years ago. I really enjoyed the film and realised that history is not as dull as I thought. After that I began reading more historical articles and watched more historical movies, and now I am really interested in history. 

I think the Department of Education should change the school curriculum to make it more accessible to students, or train teachers how to deliver history lessons that are exciting and engaging.

. Nature and the environment

Example i

Describe your favourite time of year
You should say:  

·        What the time of year is and when it occurs

·        What the weather is like during this season

·        What you usually do this time of year

And explain why it is your favourite time of year.  

My favourite time of year has to be autumn/winter or near the end of the year. The weather is cool and crisp, the leaves are turning all different colours and I also like that feeling of frost crunching under your feet. 

Also, around the beginning of November, we usually get our first snow and that’s a great excuse to have lots of hot chocolate drinks with marshmallows or some gluhwein. At this time of year, I’m usually hiking in the mountains in south west Austria in autumn and skiing and snowboarding around the end November with my family and friends.

I often like to  go to Christmas markets, where I meet up with friends for shopping whilst drinking a few gluhwein. Haha. You need it to keep warm, trust me. I think the main reason it’s my favourite time of year is because I love the cooler weather and relaxing by an open, wood burning fire with friends. It’s very cosy. 

Do you not like the summer, then?

I do, but I often find it’s too hot in Austria that time of year. If I am on holiday, on the beach or near a swimming pool, then it’s not so bad. Otherwise, it’s very uncomfortable for me.   

Example ii 

Describe an environmental problem that has occurred in your country.
You should say:

·        What is the cause of the problem

·        What effect it has had on your country

·        What steps, if any, that have been taken to solve this

And explain why you think this problem is so important to solve

There is an environmental problem that I would like to talk about. It’s the polluting of rivers, streams and canals in my city. I believe it’s mainly caused by the irresponsible disposal of waste by factories, utility industries and the people who throw or leave their litter by the water.

The pollution of our waterways has been brought on by many years of abuse and a lack of respect. At one stage, environmental scientists had done research on the waterways surrounding my city and said that were biologically dead, which means there are no fish or any other life, for that matter. 

Boats could not travel up and down the canals because there was so much floating plastic and other types of rubbish that were clogging them up. The toxic waste in the rivers gave off a very strong and disgusting smell. We were advised by the local governments to not swim in the rivers as there was a high chance to get an infection.

In the late 80’s, the government started to take action and began an enormous clean-up of the city’s waterways. They started to give out heavy fines to industries polluting the rivers. Police were also given the power to charge people if they were seen littering on the streets. Unfortunately, the authorities are unable to move the main polluters, who were the illegal settlers near the river. The reason is simple, they have their “human rights”. 

The problem is important to solve simply because water is the source of life. Water also helped life to survive and evolve and we also need water to live. 

Do you think your government has done enough to help the environment?

They are doing a good job and they are increasing awareness so people can begin to take responsibility for their damaging actions towards the environment.

It’s a good idea to think of part 2 as “telling a short story to someone”. Make it sound interesting by using a variety of intonation and pitch. Don’t forget to speak at a slower speed than usual so the examiner can hear every detail of your story. You don’t have to speak quickly to get a high band score. It’s more important to speak clearly and accurately.

 

5. Communication

Example i

Describe a person you know who speaks a foreign language well.
You should say:

·        Who this person is

·        What language(s) they know

·        What he/she uses this language (or, these languages) for

And explain why you think they (he/she) learned it well

I am going to talk about a person I know who speaks English as a second language fluently. That person is my boss. Due to the nature of her job, she has to travel a lot and therefore needs to use English regularly.

The thing is our company has a large international client base, and there are months when she has to travel twice a week to different parts of Europe and Asia to prepare for client meetings or to provide training to new employees. 

Being competent in English also helps her a lot in closing deals with international clients since nowadays English is considered to be the most common language in the business world. She speaks English so well that one of our clients in London asked her if she had ever lived in the UK because her spoken English was almost native.

Do you speak any languages, apart from English, fluently?  

Apart from my native language, no. I would like to be able to speak Mandarin Chinese fluently. It looks and sounds like a very difficult language and for that reason I would like to be able to speak it. It would be a challenge, but also a significant accomplishment.  

Example ii

Talk about when you spoke with someone in a foreign language for the first time.
You should say:

·        When it was

·        With whom you spoke

·        What language you used

And say how you felt about it

I’m going to talk about the first time I had to converse with someone in a foreign language. First of all, I have to mention that I have been learning English for many years, but I haven’t had many chances to practise speaking in English in my home country, let alone communicating with native English speakers. As far as I can remember, the first time I used it for communication purposes was at Easter in 2018. 

At that time, I was hanging out with my friends, talking about what our plans were for the Easter holidays, when suddenly a foreigner came up to me. She started asking me questions for directions to the national museum nearby. 

Honestly, she had such a strong accent that I couldn’t understand anything she was saying. I had to ask her to slow down and repeat herself several times before I was able to give her the information she needed. Then, I directed her to the museum. 

To be completely honest, my English-speaking skills were not the best. I had to use a lot of body language and gestures to make sure that she had all the information she needed. Luckily, she could take in what I said. She then thanked me for helping her before heading off towards the museum. 

That moment has helped me realise how important English is in our lives, even if we don’t actually live in an English-speaking country. English is spoken all over the world, and if we want to stay connected to people in other countries, we have to learn and practise using it. I think I need to brush up on my English skills, so I can communicate confidently with foreigners, no matter what the topic of conversation is.

Do you think English will be spoken by everyone in the future?

I really do, yes. English has been the lingua franca of international business and other countries for so long now that it’s inevitable. What I mean is that the idea of everyone speaking English is going to happen. 

 

Talk about a piece of technology that you have started using fairly recently.
You should say: 

·        What it is and what it does

·        How it makes life better or easier

·        How it is different to other similar technology

And say whether you think you will still be using it in ten years’ time or not, and why 

I bought a bike about two months ago from a shop near my house. At first, I thought of buying a large-sized bike. However, I wanted my other family members to use it too, so I bought a medium-sized one. 

My new bike is very useful to me because my weekly routine includes going to work, the supermarket, and visiting friends and family. These are all a short distance away from my house which I can get to without driving a car.

Life is a lot better now that I have a bike. For one thing, I am able to save money. I spend less money now on filling up the car because I don’t need to use it for small trips. Another benefit is I spend less money on car repairs because I don’t use it that much anymore. 

Riding a bike is also a form of exercise which gives your heart and lungs a good workout. This, of course, potentially protects me from diseases like high blood pressure, arthritis, heart disease and severe weight gain. These are also some of the main reasons I think bikes will be around for a few more years to come.

Well, I think technology like computers have their issues. I have a few friends who work as computer engineers and they hardly do any exercise. As a result, most of them have some health problems.  

Describe the effects of technology in your school.
You should mention:

·        What the technology is

·        When it appeared in your school

·        Whether it could replace a human teacher

And explain the negative and positive effects it has

Some teachers would assign some homework that had to be done by using the internet or software on the computer. 

For instance, there was the time our English teacher had asked us to find some reading and listening passages and texts from the internet and we had to share them with others. But these passages and texts had to be converted to PDF format before we could share them. Our maths teacher wanted us to look up websites related to maths problems and use them to help us improve our maths skills. Which it did, for the most part.

Now, about the third question; whether it could replace a human teacher? I don’t think that technology will ever replace human teachers, well, at least not at lower levels of the education system. Teaching isn’t just giving students problems to solve on a computer or looking things up on the internet. There’s so much more to it than that. 

Teaching and learning needs to be based on human relationships. The way a teacher interacts with his or her students has a significant influence on their learning. There are many, who chose to become a teacher because they were inspired by their own teacher, or they chose that career because their teacher recommended it to them.

At present, people are saying that computers are able to express emotions and feelings, but I believe they can never really have real human qualities and characteristics. There will always be that synthetic aspect to them. I would find it very difficult to build a rapport with a robot or a machine.

In contrast, when you see your primary school teacher after, I don’t know twenty years, and depending on the type of relationship you had with them, you will feel an emotion or feeling connected with that teacher. Of course, technology is progressing so quickly that we can’t even begin to imagine what will happen in the future. Maybe cloning technology will provide us with some extraordinary developments, but that’s a different topic.

To a degree, yes. I would say that kids today have it easier than most people, say 15 or 20 years ago. This is because technology helps them to do and learn things faster, such as, doing some research or getting the answer to, let’s say a maths or science problem. 20 years ago, you would’ve gone to the school library and spent hours going through books. Now students can do it by simply looking it up on the internet. 

 

Describe your favourite hobby or pastime.
You should say: 

·        How long you have been doing this hobby

·        How regularly you do this hobby

·        What benefits you get out of this

And why you enjoy it

In the past, I tried a number of hobbies, but I just couldn’t stick at them long enough. Probably because I was young and I wanted to try everything. But at this point in my life, I must say that I have found a hobby which I could probably enjoy for the rest of my life, without ever getting bored. 

The name of this particular hobby is called “internet surfing and collecting information from it”. Yes, I know it’s strange, but that is my favourite thing to do. I also think that more and more people should consider surfing the internet as their hobby because there are just so many interesting things to learn from the world wide web that it is almost impossible to get a better view of the world in which we live without surfing the net. 

The best thing about this hobby is that I can enjoy it anytime from the comfort of my home. You want to learn about a unique aspect of a particular culture or tradition? Well, the internet has it whether you want just some written/text information or an actual video of it. You are interested to learn about the recipes of some delicious foods? There are so many things that we can learn by surfing the internet if you really have the intellect to put all the information in the proper context.

I hope so! In fact, I think it will. It has given us so much in terms of connectivity and has allowed us to share ideas and gain information at a speed that in the past would have taken a long time to access.  

Describe a quiz program or game show on TV
You should say: 

·        What programme it is

·        How you came to know about it

·        How it is played

And explain why you think it is worth watching

I’m going to talk about a quiz show called “Who wants to be a millionaire?”. You might be familiar with it as I believe it’s shown here as well. In fact, I think it’s available to watch all around the world.

I came to know about it through YouTube before it was broadcast on TV in Germany. Anyway, the idea of the game is simple. At the beginning of the show the contestants are all together and they are asked a multiple-choice question that they have to answer in order to be in the Hot Seat. Clearly the contestant who achieves this is the one who answers the question correctly and within the quickest time.

When a contestant is chosen, he or she will proceed to sit in a chair in the centre of the studio and will have the chance to answer a total of 15 questions. These questions become more difficult as the game progresses.

For every answer that the contestant gets correct, they’ll be given an amount of money. The great thing is, you can always stop the game and go home with the money if you’re not sure about the next question. But if you’re feeling brave you can go with your gut. There are always three things you can use to help you as well if you’re finding a question particularly difficult to answer. 

For instance, you can call a friend to help you, or choose 50:50 which will eliminate half the choices on your screen, or you can ask the audience. I think the last one is a bit risky because I’m not entirely sure if I could trust the audience to give me the correct answer.

It’s great fun to watch as the music and the presenter are both good at building suspense during the game. The presenter will often try to mislead the contestant by saying “Are you sure that’s the correct answer?”. This usually makes the contestant doubt themselves and the answer they have given. I think it would be a great game to play for this reason! 

 

Describe a positive experience from when you were a teenager.
You should say: 

·        When and where you experienced it

·        What you did

·        Who you experienced it with

And explain why this experience was positive for you

I’ll tell you about my experience when I had to babysit when I was in secondary school. This experience was a positive one because I had the opportunity to prove that I can be responsible. Also, as a result of this experience, I was motivated to do other relevant things.

 

You see, I am the youngest person in my family, so I was used to being taken care of instead of looking after others, especially young children. One day, I was asked to look after my neighbour’s 3-year-old daughter, as she had an appointment to attend. As I wasn’t doing anything that day, I agreed to take care of her child for a while.

I had met my neighbour’s daughter before, but I didn’t know her. My neighbour told me some important things about eating times, what type of games her daughter enjoyed, but I didn’t really listen to what she said.

Anyway, in the morning, things were going well. We played some games and we had a very tasty breakfast. After breakfast, I was so exhausted I wanted to take a nap, but the girl had asked me to continue playing games with her. After figuring out that I didn’t want to play anymore, she immediately broke down into tears.

I was so tired, and I didn’t know what I could do to stop her from crying. So, I called my neighbour, and I asked what I could do to help calm her daughter down. She advised me to turn on the TV and allow her to watch some of her favourite cartoons. Thanks to her advice, the little girl calmed down, and I had time to rest. 

After I had rested and she had watched some of her cartoons, we played another game together. It turns out that the little girl enjoyed having me look after so much that my neighbour has asked me if I would like to babysit in the future. I said yes. Now that I knew her daughter a lot better and I knew how to look after when she was upset. This experience and the other babysitting duties I did, inspired me to become a preschool teacher.

 

Describe a school you went to in your childhood
You should say: 

·        Where it was located

·        What it was like

·        What you learned there

And how you felt about it

I went to Bomoon High School. I was around 16 years old when I first went to this school and I had been there till I turned 18 years old.

The school was Bomoon High School 5-story building in rectangular-shape with over 500 students and more than 40 fantastic teachers. Moreover, it even had a canteen which was my favourite place to be in the entire school. Mainly because I love the food. The snacks and drinks that the school provided us with were unbelievably tasty.  

There was also a large green field where we often played many different games. Not to mention the basketball court. I would have to say that was the most popular part of the school. I wasn’t too keen on sports though. I remember doing physical exercises every day on the field I mentioned earlier…I hated it. I was more of a nerd in high school.

What I was really impressed with was the high standard of education that I was given by the teachers at my school. They encouraged us to expand our horizons through interesting and engaging classes. I also undertook many extra-curricular activities such as drama classes, chess club and volunteer work. Our teachers were always able to adapt their teaching styles in order to help me and my fellow peers learn efficiently and effectively.

Overall, I loved high school. I know some people have a lot of negative experiences in high school, but I was very fortunate to attend a school that understood me as an individual and not just another number.  

No, not at all. I was very lucky to attend the high school I did at the time I did. I would like there to be more of the extra-curricular activities such as art and drama to be mainstream subjects. That’s the only thing I would change if I had to choose.

 

Describe an unforgettable experience you had in your country
You should say: 

·        What the activity was

·        When you did it

·        Who you did it with

And why it was enjoyable

It was two years ago when I had my very first motorbike trip with my friends to the first and most ancient village which is located in the Southern region of our country. It is the most unforgettable trip that I’ve ever had.

There were three people in our group: Juan, Adam and myself. We chose to visit a village because we wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and get off the beaten track. Moreover, the village is also the birthplace of my grandparents, and I felt excited to visit the village and get a closer insight into the lifestyle of local people as well as my grandparents. 

It’s a five-hour drive, so we set out quite early so we could make it there for lunch. I’ve always been a night owl, not an early bird, so leaving the city at 6am made me feel like I was sleep deprived. However, I was happy shortly after embarking on the trip to the village. 

On the way there we admired the stunning landscapes which are different from the city we currently live in. After a fantastic drive, we got to the picturesque village, which made me feel over the moon. We rented some bikes to cycle around the village with a lot of small alleyways filled with green grass. 

After riding a bike to the paddy field to get the vibes of the village, we visited some 400-year-old ancient house which was made of mud and laterite and had a look at communal houses where the local people gathered for festival celebrations or public meetings. 

After that, we had lunch with scrumptious food which is locally and organically grown. In the afternoon, we joined a cooking class with the villagers who were extremely friendly and talented at making traditional cakes. The highlight of the trip to the village was going to the paddy fields to help the farmers harvest the crop. It was such a once-in-a-lifetime experience which I enjoyed. 

That was our first motorbike trip outside of the city, and the first time in the countryside so we enjoyed every single moment there. Juan was like a dog with two tails while Adam and I were also on cloud nine. We liked everything in the village from the fresh air and cosy atmosphere to beautiful landscapes with small houses or paddy fields. We hope that we can go on a more extended trip to the countryside down the road if we have more spare time. 

Describe a house or apartment you would like to live in.
You should say:

·        Where this house or apartment would be

·        What it would look like

·        When you would like to live there

And explain why you would like to live in such a place 

I would love to live in a huge mansion in the countryside. I would like to have as many bedrooms with en suite bathrooms as possible, so I could have all my family and friends over for the summer. Not to mention all the surrounding land that we could use for leisure activities such as horse riding, clay pigeon shooting or for leisurely hikes around the estate.   

To be fair, the size of my country estate would also be perfect to raise a large family. I come from a large family and I’ve always wanted to have lots of kids. This would be a good time for me to acquire this house.

When it comes to cleaning the house, I would probably have to hire a cleaner. They could live with us with their family in my mansion though. If they wanted to.  

It would be fantastic if the estate I lived on overlooked a river or a large lake. I would also like it to be located not too far away from a major city, so I can have the best of both worlds – city and rural environments. As someone who loves colour and nature, I would decorate my house with a lot of paintings and plants. I think I would also like to have a large kitchen garden, where I could grow my own fruit and vegetables and harvest them to use in my own kitchen.  

If I get the chance, I would love to have my dream mansion when I get married and start having children.

The examiner will stop you after two minutes. However, you should practise keeping your part 2 speaking element between 1 to 2 minutes long. A good tip is to practise using cue cards and timing yourself with the timer function on your mobile phone.

 

Describe a foreign culture that you are interested in
You should say: 

·        What this culture is

·        How you learned about this culture

·        What you know about this culture

And explain why you feel this culture is interesting

I have spent pretty much most of my early twenties learning about Japanese and Japanese culture. But I did have an interesting experience about six years ago that inspired me to learn about Hawaiian culture. 

One of my friends spent a semester abroad in Hawaii in early 2014, and I spent two weeks at the beginning of the summer visiting him there. I knew absolutely nothing about the culture before going to stay with my friend, but staying there for a short time, really opened my eyes.

The Hawian culture is very different from Japanese culture. It’s an extremely laid-back and relaxed culture. Their main goal in life is to be happy. Workdays tend to be shorter, and since the country is very small and is surrounded by the Pacific Oceans on all borders, it’s really easy to get to the beach.

When I was there, it was a daily routine to see people getting up around 7am and go to the beach to surf for two hours or so. They would then work from around 10am and finish at 4pm, go home and eat, then go back to the beach to relax.

Do you think it’s a culture that most people would enjoy experiencing?

I don’t think it’s for everyone as it’s quite a relaxed culture and I’m aware that some people, especially in the west, prefer to get things done very quickly.

 

Describe an important day you celebrate in your country.
You should say: 

·        What day it is

·        How you celebrate this day

·        Why you celebrate this day

And how this is different from other celebrations

In Chinese culture, we celebrate something called the Lunar New year. It is considered to be the most important holiday for most, if not all, Chinese people. Today, I want to share with you how important this holiday is and what it involves.

Up until, say fifty years ago, China’s economy was mostly agricultural. Therefore, agriculture played and, to some extent, still plays a significant part in Chinese culture. As a result, people here are used to using the lunar calendar. Which, unlike the western calendar, which counts the days we rotate around the sun, we count the days according to the movement of the moon.

To the Chinese, the first day of the lunar calendar is very important. Not only does it mark the beginning of a new lunar cycle, but it is also the time when families gather together and make new year’s resolutions. Nowadays, people will often go and visit their immediate family members and relatives.

We all get together for a huge feast and wish each other a happy and prosperous new year. Adults will give children or their older relatives red envelopes with money inside. This is a tradition, which ensures that people have lots of luck and are financially looked after. Houses are also decorated beautifully in the hope of an excellent year that will come to all the family. 

On this day every year, I spend most of my time at home, helping my mother and other relatives prepare the food, or I will have long conversations with my brothers and sisters. This is a very good opportunity for us to catch up.

The problem is, we all live so far away from each other, and we’re all very busy with our own lives that we don’t have the chance to see each other regularly. Lunar New year is the perfect opportunity for this. Sometimes, in the afternoon, we will go to the temple to pray for good things to come, but not all Chinese people do this though.

For me, it is important that every nation has its own unique culture. As we celebrate the new lunar year, we’re remembering this tradition and passing it on to the next generation. This will ensure an important part of our culture is not lost or forgotten.

 

Describe an interesting journey you have been on.
You should say:

·        Where you went

·        How you travelled there

·        Who you went with

And say how it affected your life at the time

One of my favourite trips is the one I did in February to Amsterdam. It was a last- minute booking as I wanted to do something spontaneous with my partner. I also love nothing more than going on adventures without much thought. You know, having no purpose other than wandering the streets, looking at new and exciting places and allowing the journey to happen. This is exactly what happened on my journey to Amsterdam.

I paid for a round flight to Amsterdam. However, I had a bit of difficulty with my visa initially, so I had a bit of a problem at first but it sorted itself out quite quickly. After we finally landed in Amsterdam, a transfer driver picked me and my partner up and drove us to a hotel in the heart of the city.  

There was not only us, but also 50 other young people in the hotel – most of them were young couples from other European countries. They were all very accepting and kind, and we also spent some of our time walking around the city with two of the couples.

We have not only made friends from all over the world, but also have fantastic memories for life. Especially some of the night outs we spent with some of the other hotel residents. Drinking good quality beer and eating freshly made waffles were incredible.  

I think my favourite part of the whole holiday was when we went downtown. We ended up on this bar that was providing karaoke! Someone was singing “living on a prayer”, but in Dutch! Overall, it was a brilliant holiday and a memorable experience. 

Describe a perfect vacation away from home that you would like to have in the future
You should say:

·        Where you will go

·        Whom you will go with

·        When you will go

And what you will do there 

My idea of a perfect holiday is to be with family in a giant log cabin at Christmas. I am planning for us to do it this year. In fact, I am so excited about this particular dream vacation that I have to tell you all about it.

It’s always been a dream of mine to spend Christmas surrounded by snow, beautiful decor and have a wonderful wood burning fire in the living room. This is one of the reasons why I am really excited to be going to Finland with family this year. The scenery and the views there are incredible. 

I watched a documentary about Finnish Christmas on TV about two months ago and those images have stuck in my head ever since. The place we’re going to is quite near one of the main metropolitan areas, so it has quite a lot of shopping centres, where we can buy all the decorations and unique presents for each other. Plus, there are hundreds of places to try some local Finnish food. I am excited to treat my family members and be able to spend some quality time with them.

Of course, one of the main reasons I want to go on this trip is the snow. Most of my family members have never experienced snow before. I think we’ll have the time of our lives making snowmen and having snowball fights. Then we can all go inside our huge log cabin and get warm by the fire and drink hot chocolates with marshmallows. An added bonus will be the view of all of the trees covered in snow. This will not only be a perfect vacation for me, but a magical one as well. 

Why do you think most people never experience their dream vacation? 

I think the main two reasons are time and money. Often people have very grand ideas of a perfect holiday, but are unable to follow through with it due to not having enough money. Or they’re too busy either working or have other commitments that prevent them from going on their dream holiday.     

 

Describe a time when you met someone who you became good friends with.

You should say:

·        who you met

·        when and where you met this person

·        what you thought about this person when you first met

and explain why you think you became good friends with this person.

Oh, that's a really interesting topic to talk about, and it reminds me of one of the most serendipitous encounters that led to a lasting friendship during my travels to Japan. In the midst of a foreign land, I crossed paths with someone from my own country, and little did I know that this chance meeting would blossom into a profound friendship.

It was at a bustling train station in Tokyo where I first met Anika, a fellow traveller from my homeland. Both of us were navigating the complexities of Tokyo's railway system, and the shared perplexity at the intricate maps quickly became the icebreaker for our initial conversation.

This encounter happened during a warm summer afternoon. Initially, my thoughts were a mix of surprise and comfort. The surprise stemmed from the unexpected joy of finding a compatriot in a foreign land, while the comfort came from the familiarity of sharing the same language and cultural nuances. Anika, with her infectious enthusiasm, struck me as someone genuinely open to new experiences and connections.

Our shared nationality acted as the catalyst for our initial conversations, but it was our similar interests, values, and shared experience of navigating a foreign culture that cemented our friendship. As we explored Tokyo together, from the historic shrines to the vibrant street markets, we discovered a shared passion for cultural exploration and a similar sense of humour.

Our friendship deepened as we faced the challenges of navigating a foreign language, laughed over cultural misunderstandings, and marvelled at the beauty of blending our traditions with the richness of Japanese culture.

Over the course of our journey in Japan, what started as a chance encounter transformed into a meaningful connection. We exchanged contact information, promising to stay in touch once we returned to our homeland. True to our word, our friendship has endured beyond the borders of Japan, with shared memories becoming the foundation of a lasting camaraderie.

                                                          Thank you for your support

 

IELTS Speaking Part 2 and 3 Topics and Questions 2024

Computers

- Part 2
Describe a time when your computer broke down.
You should say
When it was
What you were doing
What you did about it
And how you felt about it.

- Part 3
What do people use computers for?
What should people do when their computer has problems?
Do you think computers make our life simpler or more complex?
Why can it be difficult for some people to use a modern computer?
Should students be allowed to use computers at school?
What do you think of people who are addicted to computers?
Do you think computers have changed our lives for the better or for the worse?
Will we have reliable computers/technology in the future?

---

Cycling

- Part 2
Describe a trip you took by bike.
You should say:
When and where the trip was
Who you went with
Why you went by bike
And explain how you felt about it.

- Part 3
Do you think cycling is a good form of exercise?
Do you think that bike commuting is better than driving?
What are the advantages of riding a bicycle and driving a car?
Is it important to teach children to ride a bicycle?
Has people's attitude towards bicycles and cycling changed over the years?
Is it popular to ride bicycle in your country?
Do people in your country often travel by bicycles?
Do you think a bicycle is very convenient for people to use?
Is it difficult to learn how to ride a bicycle?
Has people's attitude towards bicycles and cycling changed over the years?
Do you think more people will cycle in the future?

---

Boredom

- Part 2
Describe an experience when you got bored when you were with others
You should say:
When it was
Who you were with
What they did
And explain why you felt bored

- Part 3
Why do people get bored?
Some people say that it’s good to feel bored sometimes. What do you think
Are there any jobs that some people find boring?
Do you think all boring jobs will be done by robots in the future?
Why is it that some people work in boring jobs? Why do people agree to do boring jobs?
Why do some people get bored faster than others?
Nowadays, people have no one to blame other than themselves for feeling bored. Would you agree?
Do you believe that technology has made life to become more interesting?
Should people themselves be the ones who should make their lives to be more interesting?
Do you agree that it is impossible to feel bored in our today’s world?

---

Teaching/Learning

- Part 2
Describe a skill you can teach others
You should say:
what it is
when you learned it
how you taught others
how you feel about this skill.

- Part 3
What kind of people are good at teaching?
What qualities should teachers have?
What skills does a good teacher need?
Why do teachers need to be kind to students?
Which do you think is more important, practical skills or academic skills?
What things can young people teach older people?
Which age group is the best one at learning new things?
What skills do people take a long time to learn? Why?
What skills should children learn before school?
What’s the difference between the roles of teachers and parents in education?
How do adults learn a new skill?
Is the Internet good for learning new skills?
Is it more important for students to be taught academic skills or so-called soft skills?

---

Imagination

- Part 2
Describe a time that you needed to use imagination.
You should say:
when it was
why you needed to use imagination
what you imagined
and explain how you felt about it.

- Part 3
Is imagination important to children?
What subjects are helpful for children’s imagination?
What kinds of jobs require imagination?
Do you think imagination is essential for scientists?
Which requires more imagination: reading or watching cartoons?
What games require children to use imagination?
What games can develop imagination?
Should young children use and develop imagination?
How can teachers encourage children to use imagination?
What's the relationship between creativity and imagination?

---

Waiting

- Part 2
Describe a time when you waited in line for a long time.
You should say:
when it was
where you were
why you were there
and how you felt about it.

- Part 3
Why do people dislike waiting?
What are the daily experiences that people have to wait for?
What can people do when waiting in a line?
How can we manage our time better?
What do you think of those who jump the queue?
Are people in your country accustomed to waiting?
Are adults better at waiting than children?
Are people more patient than they used to be?
Do you think the development of technology has reduced the time people spend waiting?
How can companies improve their customer service?

---

Leadership/Motivation

- Part 2
Describe a time when you encouraged someone to do something that he/she didn’t want to do.
You should say
Who he or she is
What you encouraged him/her to do
How he/she reacted
And explain why you encouraged him/her

- Part 3
How could employers motivate their staff?
Do you think money is the most important motivating factor at work?
Is the role of a leader important in a group?
How could leaders encourage their employees?
Is it a good thing that a leader likes taking risks?
There are more male than female world leaders. Do you think this will change in the future?
When making decisions, should a leader discuss it with team members?
Why do many people want to be leaders?
Why are some people afraid of becoming a leader?
How do people become leaders?
Can everyone become a leader?
What are the qualities of a good leader?

When should parents encourage their children?
Should parents reward their children when they help others?
What kind of encouragement should parents give?
Do you think some people are better at persuading others?

---

Animals

- Part 2
Describe a wild animal you have seen.
You should say:
What it looks like
Where you can see it
What it likes to eat or do
And explain why you like it

- Part 2
Describe a time when you got close to wild animals.
You should say:
where you were
what the animals were doing
who you were with
and what your reaction was

- Part 3
Why do people like to keep pets?
Why do people like to take care of animals?
What problems will keeping pets bring?
Are zoos good places for wild animals?
What are the differences between the animals in zoos and those in the wild?
What’s the difference between zoos and the wild?
Why should the staff in zoos teach the public about animals?
Do animals cause more problems in the countryside than in cities?
How are pets different now from those in the past?
Is there any difference between the way animals were used for work in the past and today?
Is it safe for animals to live in cities?
Why do some people refuse to eat animals?
Why do more and more people become vegetarians?
Do you support experimentation on animals?
Do you agree that animals should not be used in experiments?
Why has human activity affected some kinds of animals more than others?
Why do you think wild animals should be protected?
Do you think animals are important?
What should we do to protect endangered animals?
What could happen if some species disappear?
Is it important to preserve wildlife?
How saving wildlife benefit local people?
What's the impact of population growth on wildlife?

---

Getting Lost

- Part 2
Describe a time when you got lost.
You should say:
when and where it happened
who was there with you
how you felt when you got lost
and explain how you eventually found your way.

- Part 2
Describe something important that you lost in the past.
You should say:
– When this happened
– Where you lost it
– What it was
And explain why it was important

- Part 3
Why are there some people who never get lost?
What can people do not to get lost?
Do most people prefer electronic or paper maps? Why?
Losing Things
What kinds of people often lose things?
What are some common things people lose?
What can we do to prevent losing important things?
Can technology help us to prevent losing things?
Do you think people should have insurance to cover lost items?
What should people do if they find something valuable on the street?

---

Cities

- Part 2
Describe a city you've been to and want to visit again.
You should say:
when you visited there
what you did there
how long you stayed there
and explain why you would like to go back.

- Part 3
What are the benefits of living in the cities?
What are the problems that you find in the cities?
Is it good for elderly people to live in large cities?
Is it possible that most of the population will move to cities?
What are the main changes in modern cities in the 10-year period?
Will the size of the cities increase in the future?
Do you think people will live in an extreme environment in the future?
Do you think that people in the countryside are more friendly than people in the cities?
Do you think cities worth visiting are also suitable to live in?
What is the difference between the people living in the city and people living in the countryside?
What is the difference between big cities and small cities?

---

Behaviour

- Part 2
Describe a time when you saw a child behaved badly in public.
You should say:
where it happened
what the child was doing
how others reacted to it
and explain how you felt about it.

- Part 3
Children behaving badly
What do young children do when they behave badly?
How should parents stop their children from behaving badly?
Were parents in the past more strict with their children than parents these days?

Changing people’s behaviour
Whose influence on children is more important? Friends or parents?
The best way to change someone’s behaviour is to set a good example. What do you think?
People change their behaviour only if they want to. Do you agree?

Behaviour in today’s world
Why can it be difficult to behave ethically in today’s world?
Do you agree that people who don’t behave well towards others are more likely to be successful in life themselves?
Everyone is by nature both good and bad. What’s your opinion on this?

---

Wasting time/time management

- Part 2
Describe an occasion when you wasted your time.
You should say:
where you were
when it was
what you did
and explain why you think it was a waste of time.

- Part 3
Is time management important? Why?
How can we avoid wasting time?
Should parents help children manage their time?
How do you teach children time management?
Do you think young people organize their time in the same way?
Do you think planning is important for time management?
Why do some people find it hard to follow their plans?
Do you think relaxing is a waste of time?

---

Food/Cooking

- Part 2
Describe a time when you tried a new food for the first time.
You should say:
what you ate
Where you ate it
What it tasted like
And explain whether or not you liked this food.

- Part 3
What kinds of foreign food are popular in your country?
Why do people like to try new food?
What are young people’s opinions on new food?
Why do people prefer their local food?
What factors influence people's food choices?
Why do some people prefer to cook at home? Why do they like it?
More and more people are unwilling to cook. Why?
Do you think teachers or parents are responsible for teaching kids about food?
Is it expensive to eat out in your country?

---

Famous people/Celebrities

- Part 2
Describe a famous person you are interested in.
You should say:
who he/she is
how you knew about him/her
what he/she was like before he/she became famous
and explain why you are interested in him/her.

- Part 3
What kinds of people are famous in your country?
How do people become famous?
What are the differences between famous people today and those in the past (10-50 years ago)?
Do you think famous people are necessarily good in their fields?
Do you think the media pay too much attention to celebrities?
Are celebrities an inspiration to the younger generation?
Do you think that famous people ever have a negative influence on ordinary people?
What qualities do famous people have in common?
Why is it easier for the youth to follow celebrities?
With the help of what kind of media can people become famous?

---

Promises

-Part 2
Describe a time you made a promise to someone.
You should say:
what the promise was
to whom you made it
whether it was easy or difficult to keep
and explain why you made it.

- Part 3
What kind of promises do people often make?
Do most people keep their promises?
Why do some people fail to keep their promises?
Do parents in your country often make promises to their children?
What kinds of promises do parents in your country often make to their children?
Do children keep their promises?
What prizes do children get when they keep their promises?

---

Shopping

- Part 2
Describe a time you were pleased with your purchase.
You should say:
what it was
where you bought it
what it was for
and explain why it made you happy.

- Part 3
How often do people in your country/city go shopping?
What kinds of places are popular for shopping in your country?
Is shopping popular in your country?
How do people normally shop?
Why do some people like to go to big shopping malls and some like small shops?
Why is online shopping more and more popular these days?
Do you think online shopping will replace shopping in stores?
Do you think men and women have the same shopping habits?
Why do women like shopping?
Why can some people have a bad shopping experience?
What can people do if they bought something disappointing online?
How do shops attract customers?

---

Politeness

- Part 2
Describe a polite person you met.
You should say:
who the person is
how you know the person
what the person looks like
and explain why you think the person is polite.

- Part 3
How do people show politeness in your country?
What’s the standard of being polite?
What tips do you have about being polite?
How to be polite to others?
Do you think people are polite nowadays? Why or why not?
Are people today as polite as they were in the past?
Who is more polite, people from cities or those from the countryside?
Are there any differences between urban and rural people in terms of politeness?
Is there a country where people are particularly polite (the most polite country)?
Do you think politeness is different in different countries and parts of the world?
Are people more polite with non-family members than they are with their parents?
What should we do when people ignore us even if we behave politely with them?
Do you think it is rude to ignore the person who speaks to you? Why?

---

Bags

- Part 2
Describe a bag you want to own.
You should say:
what kind of bag it is
where you want to buy it
how much it will cost you
and explain why you want this kind of bag.

- Part 3
Why do you think women like to buy bags?
Is a backpack practical in life?
Why are some people willing to buy expensive bags?
Why do children need to have the same bags?
These days many women are spending more on a handbag than a holiday or even a car, why?
What's the future of bags? Will they change?

---

Important Things

- Part 2
Describe a thing that is most important to your family.
You should say:
what it is
when your family had it
how your family got it
and explain why it is important for your family.

- Part 2
Describe an old object which your family has kept for a long time.
You should say
- what the object is
- where it came from
- how long it has been in your family
- and why your family has kept it.

- Part 3
What things will families normally keep?
What things do people keep in their family for a long time?
In your culture, what things do people pass down from generation to generation?
Are there any differences in the most important things for people of today and the past?
What is the difference between what people cherish in the past and today?
What kinds of things are kept in museums?
What’s the influence of technology on museums?
Which do you think are better: old things or new things?

---

Weather

- Part 2
Describe your favorite weather/weather you like.
You should say:
what kind of weather it is
when this weather usually occurs
what you usually do during this weather
and explain why you like it.

- Part 3
How does the weather influence people’s life?
How does the weather affect people’s mood?
Does the weather have an impact on people’s daily activities?
Should people check the weather forecast every day?
Where can people get weather reports?
What are people’s opinions on the weather forecasts?
How can weather reports affect people’s life?
Why are people interested in the weather?
What do people wear in different weather?
Why do people need to wear warm/thick clothes when it’s cold outside?
Why do people wear hats on sunny days?
How many seasons are there in your country?
Has climate change affected your country?
Which festivals are related to the seasons in your country?
What’s the weather usually like in your homwtown?
What do people do on rainy days? What do they do on sunny days?
When it’s rainy outside how can people go to work?

---

Toys / Children / Advertisements

- Part 2
Talk about a toy which you enjoyed the most in your childhood.
What it was
Where you got it
Who you played with
How you enjoyed playing with it.

- Part 3
Why do children like collecting toys?
What toys are popular with boys and girls in your country?
What is the difference between toys kids play with now and those they played with in the past?
Do you think play is important for kids? Why?
Do you think parents have a responsibility for selecting Internet games for children?
Is there peer pressure among children to have the same toys or clothes as their friends?
Do you think parents should buy more toys for their kids or spend more time with them?
How do advertisements/ads influence children?
Should advertising aiming at kids be prohibited? (Do you think advertising that targets children should be banned?)
Do you agree that the fact that children are targeted by many companies as potential consumers spoils their childhood?
How does a brand influence parents purchasing decisions?

---

Public Places

- Part 2
Describe a part of a city or town you enjoy spending time in.
You should say:
where it is
what it is like
what you do there
and explain why you enjoy spending time there.

- Part 3
What are the purposes of public places in towns and cities?
What interesting public places are there in your hometown?
Why do many young people like to go to public places?
Which public places do older people usually go to?
Do you think more people will move to cities in the future?
Why do people who live in cities like public gardens?
What changes are there in cities/towns?
Do you think there should be more free public places?

---

Truth/Lies

- Part 2
Describe a time when it was important to tell your friend the truth.
You should say:
who your friend is
what the truth was
what your friend’s reaction was
and explain why you think it was important to tell your friend the truth.

- Part 3
Do you think we should tell the truth at all times?
How do you know when others are telling lies?
Do you think there are times when it's suitable to tell a smaller lie = a white lie?
In what kind of situations should people not tell the truth?
Are there any situations when it isn't polite, to tell the truth?

---

Visiting Others

- Part 2
Describe a home that you liked/visited but did not want to live in.
You should say:
where it is
what it is like
why you visited it
and explain why you would not like to live there.

- Part 3
Do most people in your country live in a flat or a house?
What kind of place do people in your country like to live in?
What are the differences between the homes in the city and those in the suburbs?
What are the benefits of living in a house?
What are the reasons for choosing a place to live?
Do people in your country like to visit others’ homes?
In your country what do people do when they visit others?
Are gifts necessary when visiting others? Do people in your country usually bring a gift?
How do people usually entertain their guests?
Why do some people prefer not to entertain their guests at home?

---

Conversations

- Part 2
Describe an interesting conversation you had.
You should say:
who this person is
what the conversation was about
why you had this conversation
and explain how you felt about it.

- Part 3
Today what is the most popular way to communicate?
Do people communicate more when they talk face to face?
Do you think nowadays texting is the most popular method of communication among young people?
Are communication skills important at work?
What conversations do young people normally have?
What topics do young people usually talk about?
Why do some people communicate more effectively than others?
Do you think we need to be good at communication at work?
What’s the difference between face-to-face conversations and phone conversations?
Are there any disadvantages of face-to-face conversations?

---

Travelling

- Part 2
Describe a short trip that you often take but dislike.
You should say:
where are you go
how often you do this
when you do this
and explain why you dislike it.

- Part 3
Do people prefer long trips or short trips?
How much time do you think people should spend on a trip abroad?
Do people in your country like to travel abroad?
Some people don’t like travelling abroad, why?
Is it good to travel internationally?
Who prefers traveling abroad, the young or the old?
Why is traveling abroad important for young people?
How much time do you think people should spend on a trip abroad?
What kind of problems do people have when travelling abroad?
Which is a better way of knowing more about a country: travelling, or reading books about it?
Do you agree that reading is the best way to know about a culture?
What’s the most popular means of transportation in your country?
What means of transport do people use when travelling in your country?
How do people travel to work?
Which mode of transport is more popular in your country: a car or a bicycle?
Do most people prefer to travel on their own or with family? Why?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of travelling alone and travelling with friends?

---

News

- Part 2
Describe a piece of international news you have just recently heard.
You should say:
what the news is about
where and when you heard it
what you were doing when you heard the news
and explain how you felt about it

- Part 3
Giving people good news
What kinds of news do people like to give their friends?
What’s the best way of telling people good news?
Was it more difficult in the past to give people good news?

Giving information to the public
When do organisations need to give the public important information?
Is the written word the most effective way for organisations to give information to the public?
What skills does a good spokesperson for a company or public organisation need to have?

Communications in business
How can the Internet help individuals to develop new businesses?
Are there any negative effects of the Internet on international businesses?
Would you agree that international businesses will always need face-to-face interaction to be successful?

---

Advice

- Part 2
Describe a time when you advise someone.
You should say:
who the person is
what the advice you gave
what the person did after receiving your advice.
Do you think you gave the correct advice?

- Part 3
What kind of person is most suitable for giving advice to others?
Do you usually take advice from others/follow their advice or do you insist on your own opinion? Why?
Do you prefer advice from your family or friends?
Why do young people ask for advice?
Do teenagers take the advice seriously? Why?
Why do people seek advice from professionals?
Which is better: advice from young people or from older people?
Why do many young people refuse to accept the advice from older people?
Some people find it easier to accept advice than others. Why?
Will people continue to seek advice from professionals in the future? Why?
What type of advice do people usually seek?
Is it good to ask for advice from strangers online?
What are the personalities of people whose job is to advise others?
What are the problems if you ask too many people for advice?

---

Careers, Jobs / Salaries

- Part 2
Describe an ideal job you'd like to do in the future.
You should say:
what it is
how you can get this job
what kinds of work you would do for the job
and explain why are you want to have it.

- Part 3
What factors should people take into account when choosing a job?
Do you think that nowadays all jobs could be done by robots?
Do you think machines could replace human workers in the future?
What are the benefits of replacing human workers with robots?
How have robots and computers changed the way people work?
Which is more important for young people an interesting or well-paid job?
What kinds of jobs are well-paid in your country?
What jobs do young people prefer?
How can people find a perfect job?
What kinds of jobs are unpopular in your country?
Are difficult jobs more interesting to do than easy ones?
Do you think that people who do difficult jobs should get higher salaries?
What kinds of jobs deserve higher salaries in the future?
Do people like to talk about their salaries with their friends in your country?
What kinds of jobs need a lot of physical work?
What's the difference between payment for mental work and that for physical work?
Can physical workers get higher salaries in the future?
Why do some people keep changing their jobs?
What changes have occurred in your country in the last few decades?
Do young people complain more now than in the past?
Is it important for companies to deal with complaint from customers?
Why do most companies in your country refuse to deal with complaints?
What are the most popular jobs in your country?
What occupations are children more likely to choose?
Do people regret their career choices when they're old?
Do children like to choose the same profession as their parents?
What are other factors, besides money, should people consider when choosing a career path?

---

Changing Opinions / Ideas / Opinions

- Part 2
Describe a time when you changed your opinion.
You should say:
When it was?
What the original opinion was?
Why you changed it?
And explain how you felt about it?

- Part 3
Children and opinions
At what age do children begin to have their own opinions?
Who has the most important influence on children’s opinions: parents or friends?
Should teachers ask for children’s opinions in the lessons?

Opinions in everyday life
Who most young people discuss their opinions with?
There are situations when people should not give their real opinions. Would you agree?
Does culture affect the way people express their opinions?

Opinions in today’s world
Do social media have a great influence on people’s opinions today?
Do you agree that society needs more people who aren’t afraid of expressing their opinions?
Is it hard to distinguish fact from opinion?

---

Teamwork / Leaders

- Part 2
Describe a time when you worked with other people in a group
You should say:
When and where you worked with the group
What the group was doing
How successful the group was
And explain how you felt about working with the group.

- Part 3
Children and groups
What activities do young children do in groups at school in your country?
Is it important to teach children to work in groups?
Why do some children prefer not to work in groups?

Leading a group
What can be difficult about leading a group?
What are the qualities of a good group leader?
What personality should a good leader have?
Would you agree that the success of a group depends entirely on its leader?

International projects
What are the advantages of countries working together on joint projects?
Do you think there’s a continuing need for translators and interpreters for international projects?
Will technology be able to guarantee the success of international projects?

---

Friendship

- Part 2
Describe an old friend that you got in contact with again.
You should say:
who he or she is
what he or she is like
how you got in contact
and explain how you felt about it.

- Part 3
New friends and old friends
How can people make new friends in your country?
What’s the best way for people to stay in contact with friends?
How important is it to stay in contact with old friends?

Friendship at different ages
Why do students lose contact with their classmates after they leave school?
Do young people benefit if they have a small number of friends?
Do you agree that friendship is more important to younger people than to older people?

The future of friendship
What might people lose if they stop meeting friends face-to-face?
Do you agree that people are right to be optimistic about the future impact of social media on friendship?
Do you think it’s possible for robots to make very effective friends one day?

---

Expressing feelings, Communication

- Part 2
Describe a person you know who shows their feelings openly.
You should say:
Who this person is
How well you know this person
How you feel about this person
And explain why you think this person shows their feelings so openly.

- Part 3
How people show feelings
In what different ways do people show feelings?
Do children show their feelings more than adults?
Do mean and women show their feelings in different ways?
What’s the difference between males and females in terms of expressing their feelings?

Expressing emotions openly
How can people benefit from expressing their emotions openly?
Are there any disadvantages of expressing emotions openly?
Do people express their emotions more openly now than in the past?

Emotions and decision making
Why do employers hire staff who are more sensitive to people’s emotions?
Do you agree that people base most of their decisions on emotion not logic?
Is emotional maturity more important than intelligence for leaders?

---

Songs / Poems / Memorizing things

- Part 2
Describe a few lines from a song or a poem that you remember.
You should say:
-What they are about
-What song/poem they are from
-How you know about it
And say how you feel about it

- Part 2
Describe a time you had to learn the words of something (a poem, a song) and then say or sing it from memory.
You should say:
Where you were
Who was listening to you
What you had to say or sing
And explain how you felt about saying or singing something you had learnt.

- Part 3
Learning and young children
Why do children like learning songs and poems?
What can people learn from songs and poems?
Do you think it’s easier for children to learn a song or a poem than for adults?
Do you think that learning songs and poems is a waste of time?

Learning in school
How useful is it for schoolchildren to learn facts about the world (dates in history)?
What are the ways which can help schoolchildren remember new information?
Is it important to teach schoolchildren how to find or check information for themselves?

The value of knowledge
Should public money be used to fund museums today?
Do you agree that each generation depends on the knowledge acquired by previous generations?
Does society need more people with broad general knowledge or more people with specialist knowledge?

---

Jokes / Laughter / Comedies

- Part 2
Describe a film or movie that made you laugh.
You should say:
What the name of this film is
when you watched it
Who you watched it with
And say why it made you laugh

- Part 3
Watching comedy films/movies
How popular are comedy films in your country?
Why do people of all ages enjoy watching funny cartoons?
Do you agree that most people prefer watching comedy films to watching serious films?

Laughter in daily life
Should teachers use jokes and encourage laughter in the classroom?
Why are some people good at making other people laugh?
Does humour play a useful role in business?

The value of humour
Do professional comedians have an important social function?
Is humour universal?
Do you agree that laughter is not always a sign of happiness?

---

Communication

- Part 2
Describe a conversation you were not interested in (Describe a boring conversation you had)
You should say:
When you had the conversation
Who you talked with
What the topic was
And explain why you were not interested.

- Part 3
How do you know if others are not interested in your conversation?
Do men and women talk about the same things?
Do you think women chat more than men?
What topics do young and old people talk about?
What’s the difference between the topics popular now and those in the past?
Does technological development have a negative development on communication among people?
Do you think it’s polite to agree with another person during a conversation if you have another opinion?
Do you think that many children nowadays don’t want to communicate with children of the same age?
Do you think it is important to communicate with others?
What communication skills are important?

- Part 2
Describe a time when you had to listen to someone talking but you weren’t very interested
You should say
Who was talking
What this person was talking about
Why you had to listen to this person
Why you weren’t very interested in what this person was talking about

- Part 3
Talking to people
What are young people interested in talking to each other about?
Are young people interested in talking to older people?
Do you agree that conversations are more interesting if people don’t agree with each other?

Being a good listener
What problems may occur when someone doesn’t listen carefully?
How can someone who is talking know if the other person is really listening?
Would you agree that people who talk about themselves a lot are not good listeners?

Changes in communication
How has the use of computers and phones changed personal communication?
Does communication technology have a greater impact on the language young people use or on the language older people use?
Face-to-face communication is a basic human need. What do you think?

---

Music

- Part 2
Describe an event you attended in which you didn’t like the music played.
You should say
What was the event
Where were you
What music was like
And explain why you didn’t like the music

- Part 3
Music events in general
What kinds of music events are most popular in your country?
What do people enjoy about going to large music events?
Why you think older people and younger people may not enjoy the same music events?

Music in everyday life
Should children have music lessons at school?
Is it necessary for the government to encourage all children to learn music?
Why is music often played when people are doing physical exercise?
Why do you think shopping malls often have background music?
Do you agree that playing music in shops is an effective way of selling more products?

The arts and society
Do you agree that studying a country’s music and art is an effective way to learn about that country?
Should supporting the arts be a priority for governments?
Would you agree that a country that invests in the arts is likely to have happier citizens?

Behaviour

- Part 2
Describe a time you saw children/a child behave badly in public.
You should say
Where it was
What the children were doing
How others reacted to it
And explain how you felt about it

- Part 3
What factors affect children's behavior?
What kind of bad behavior do children usually have?
Do you think children are more likely to behave badly without strict discipline?
How should parents stop their children from behaving badly in public?
Are parents these days stricter than in the past?
Whose influence on children is more important, friends or parents?
Do you think a lack of discipline can lead to poor students’ behavior?
Do you think improving school discipline can be a solution to children's poor behavior?
How will teachers deal with children's discipline in the future, do you think?
How can they get control?
Do you think that children in general will get naughty in the future?

---

- Part 2
Describe an Energetic Person that You Know
You should say:
Who this person is
How you know this person
Why you think this person is energetic
And explain how you feel about this person.

- Part 3
Jobs that require physical energy
What jobs need a lot of physical energy?
Do you agree that jobs in the past needed more physical energy than jobs today?
Do you think that job that need a lot of physical energy should offer higher pay?
Physical energy at all ages
How can older people improve their physical energy levels?
Children of all ages should have sports lessons at school. What’s your opinion?
To what extent does developing physical energy gives people more mental energy?
Mental energy in modern life
Does life today lead people to have more mental energy?
Do you agree that people with greater mental energy more successful in life?
Great thinkers are needed less today than in the past. Do you agree or disagree?

---

Forgetting things / Memory

- Part 2
Describe a time when you forgot something important.
You should say
When it happened
What you forgot
What the result of your forgetting was
Why it was important.

- Part 3
Forgetting things
What kinds of things do people often forget to do in their home?
Why do people forget things?
What can happen when someone forgets a person’s name?

Ways of remembering things
How can people remind themselves to do certain things?
Is technology replacing traditional ways of remembering things?
Is it possible that technology will replace human memory?
Can people improve their memory? How?

Organisational skills
Some people say that people don’t learn organisational skills, they are born with them. Do you agree?
Organisational skills are the most important factor in working effectively. Agree?
How does good organisation contributes to the wellbeing of a society?

---

Ambitions

- Part 2
Describe an ambition you have had for a very long time
You should say
What this ambition is
why you have this ambition
When you will achieve this ambition
explain why you have had this ambition for a long time.

- Part 3
Ambitions and young people
What kinds of ambitions do young people often have in your country?
Why is it good for young people to have ambitions?
Should parent help their children to decide what ambitions to follow?

Being ambitious at work
Why are some people ambitious to take on higher positions at work?
Would you agree that it’s good to have ambitious people in a work team?
Are ambitious people always successful at work?

The need for ambitious people
Why does the world need ambitious people?
Is it true that someone who is not ambitious is at a disadvantage in life?
Society values ambition more than other qualities. What do you think?

---

Traditional festivals

- Part 2
Describe a tradition in your country.
You should say
What it is
Who takes part in it
What activities there are
And explain how you feel about it.

- Part 3
Are traditional festivals important?
Is it important to celebrate traditional festivals?
Is it important to maintain traditional festivals?
How do people celebrate festivals in your country?
What's the most popular festival in your country?
How do people value traditional festivals?
What's the difference between your traditional festivals and Western festivals?
What's the difference between the festivals now and festivals in the past?
Do you think that Western festivals like Christmas are replacing traditional festivals in other countries?
Do you think it's wrong for children not to celebrate traditional festivals?
Do you think customs and traditions are changing these days?
Do some countries celebrate traditions more than others?
Do young people in your country like to celebrate foreign festivals?
Why do more and more young people prefer to celebrate festivals with their friends rather than family?
Do you agree that the real meaning behind traditional festivals has been lost?

---

- Part 2
Describe an expensive activity that you enjoy doing occasionally.
You should say
What it is
Who you do it with
Why it is expensive
And explain how you feel about it

- Part 3
Why are some sports expensive?
Why do people buy fakes?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being rich?
What kinds of expensive things do people like to buy?
Why do people like to buy expensive things?
Do you think men and women have the same shopping habits?
In your opinion, why do many people derive pleasure from spending money?
Who do you think saves more money, men or women?
How can or how do young people learn to manage their financial affairs?
Do you think it's easy for young people to save money?
Can people live without money?

---

Helping Others

- Part 2
Describe a helpful Person You Know
You should say:
Who this person is
How you know this person
Why you think this person is helpful
And explain how you feel about this person.

- Part 3
Giving help
What kinds of help do children need when they are very young?
How can people help their elderly neighbours?
What are the differences between the help people give their friends and help people give strangers?

Receiving help
What do people do when they need help?
Why do some people refuse to accept help from their friends?
Do people expect to receive something in return for helping others?

Reasons for giving help
Do you agree that helping someone can be as rewarding for the helper as for the person who they help?
What makes someone want to help people they have never met?
Richer countries have an obligation to help poorer countries. What do you think?

---

Photo

- Part 2
Describe a photograph of yourself that you like.
You should say:
When and where the photograph was taken
What was happening at that time
who took the photograph
And explain why you like this photograph of yourself.

- Part 3
Taking photographs
What do most people in your country use to take photos?
What kinds of devices do people like to use for taking photos these days?
Is it easier to take pictures now than in the past?
Why taking photographs is such an important part of people’s lives?

Keeping photographs
Why do some people like to keep photos?
Why do some people don’t like to keep photos of themselves?
Why do some people like to delete photos?
Do you agree that people rely too much on the photographs to remember people and places?

Using photographs
How are photographs used to help people learn?
How are photographs used in textbooks and how are they used in advertisements?
Why can one photograph of an important news event be so powerful?

---

Intelligence

- Part 2
Describe an intelligent person you know.
You should say
Who the person is
What he/she does
Why you think he/she is smart
How you feel about him/her

- Part 3
Intelligence in children
What kinds of games can help children become more intelligent?
Do you agree that talking to children is the best way to develop their intelligence?
Does spending lots of time on computers make children less intelligent?
Who plays a more important role in a child’s development, teachers or parents?
What is the difference between the role of a teacher and a parent in the education of children?

Intelligence at work
In what jobs is intelligence particularly important?
What ways do people use to assess someone’s intelligence?
Should managers use intelligence tests when employing new staff?
Do you agree that being intelligent can sometimes be a disadvantage in the workplace?

Artificial Intelligence
In what areas of life will Artificial Intelligence play an important role in the future?
Will artificial Intelligence be able to match human Intelligence?
Are there any risks to humanity if we rely on artificial Intelligence?

---

News

- Part 2
Describe a time when you received some good news.
You should say:
What this news was
When and where you heard it
How you received it
Why you think it was good.

- Part 3
How do companies tell everyone their news?
What skills does a good spokesperson for a company need to have?
Is it easier to pass information now than in the past?
What do you think of news on social media?
How do people in your country get news?
What kind of news do people in your country usually watch or read?
Do you think it was more difficult to share good news in the past?
What's your opinion on people sharing good news on social media?
What is the best way to share good news with people?
How do people like to share good news?
Why do some people like to share news on social media?
When do people share good news?
Why do local people like to read local news?
Why do people like local news more than international news?
How does modern technology affect the delivery of news?
What do you think of fake news on social media?
What kind of good news do young people often receive?
Do you think the Internet influences the types of news stories people hear about? Why?
Do you think children should start watching news from a young age?
What do you think will happen to the news in the future?

---

Reading

- Part 2
Describe a book you have read that you found useful
You should say:
What the book was about
When and where you read the book
How long it took you to read this book
and explain why you found this book useful

- Part 2
Describe a book that you enjoyed reading because you had to think a lot.
You should say:
What this book was
Why you decided to read it
What reading this book made you think about
and explain why you enjoyed reading this book.
Or describe a book you found useful.

- Part 3
Reading books
What types of books do people your age enjoy reading?
Who reads more books: younger or older people?
Is it better to read a story than see it as a film?

The role of libraries
How has the Internet changed the way people use libraries?
Do you think governments should continue to provide people with public libraries?
What can libraries do to stay relevant in the future?

The importance of reading
Why is it so important today to be able to read well?
They say that children who read the most become the most successful adults?
Do you agree that books can change the world?
Do you think paper books will disappear in the future?
How will e-books affect paper books?

---

Decision making / Advice

- Part 2
Describe a good decision you made recently.
You should say:
What it was
When you made it
What the result was
And explain how you felt about it

- Part 3
Decisions in daily life
What decisions do most people have to make every day?
At what age do children start making their own decisions?
Why do some people find it hard to make every day decisions?

Decisions about the future
What helps people to make decisions about the future?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of making decisions about the future at a young age?
Do you agree that people should always stick to the decisions they make?

Life-changing decisions
How good is it to make important decisions alone?
Do you agree that the best decisions are always made by analyzing the facts?
The smallest decisions can make the greatest impact on people’s lives. What’s your opinion on this view?
How can older people or parents help young people make their own decisions wisely?
Do parents in your country allow their children to make important decisions about their future?
Do you think it's a good idea to make decisions when one is feeling strong emotions, or is it better to make decisions when one's emotions are not strong?
Which do you think is better to make decisions quickly or to make decisions slowly?
How can people improve their decision making skills?
What skills are necessary when making decisions?
How do you think computers will change the way people make decisions?

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Languages

- Part 2
Describe the time when you had to communicate in a foreign language (not your first language).
You should say:
when you first used this language to communicate
who you communicated with
what you talked or wrote about
and explain how you felt about using this foreign language for the first time.

- Part 3
Using a foreign language
Why do people want to learn a foreign language?
Is speaking in a foreign language easier than reading it?
Is it necessary to write in a foreign language well nowadays?
When learning a foreign language which is easier, speaking or writing?
Is spoken language more important than written?

Learning languages at school
What’s the best age to start learning a foreign language at school?
What can teachers do to make learning a foreign language interesting?
How important are school trips to countries where the foreign language is spoken?

Benefits of speaking more than 1 language
What are the benefits of growing up speaking more than one language?
Do you agree that promoting the learning of foreign languages in schools can improve international relations?
Why is it important to preserve a wide variety of languages in the world?
Do you think minority languages will disappear?
Do you think English will be the mainstream language of the world in the future?

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Science/Inventions

- Part 2
Describe an area of science that interests you/that you are interested in
You should say
What it is
What you learn from it
When you started become interested in it
Explain how this area of science helps you.

- Part 3
Learning about science
How popular are science subjects at school?
How important is it for everyone to learn about science at school?
How can museums help young people to understand science better?
Do you think science is?
How does science influence our life?
Should children learn science?
How can museums help children learn science?

Science in daily life
Does science affect our daily lives? How?
What do you think have been some of the most important inventions in the past 100 years?
Do you agree that individuals have a responsibility to contribute to scientific research?

Science and the future
What great advances in science might there be in the future?
What are the benefits of scientific collaboration between countries?
Will science alone be able to solve urgent global problems?

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Parents and grandparents

- Part 2
Describe a family (not your own) that you like and are happy to know.
You should say:
whose family it is
how many family members they have
what are they like
and explain why you like this family.

- Part 3
Families
In your country, what kinds of family members live together?
Who is usually the head in the family in your culture?
Is a grandmother important in the family in your culture?
What’s the most important quality of a good parent?
What makes a good parent?

Grandparents
How can grandparents help to bring up children?
What can a child learn from grandparents?
What kinds of things can young people learn from old people?
Do you agree that grandparents had more influence on family decisions in the past than they do today?

Media, changing work patterns influences on the family
How can the media affect family relationships today?
What’s the impact of changing work pattern on the family?
Do you agree that the state should provide support for the family unit?

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Rewards and Prizes

- Part 2
Describe a prize you received.
You should say
What the prize is
When it was
What you needed to do to get it
And explain how you felt about it

- Part 3
Prizes and awards at school
What do children often receive prizes for at school?
Why do children like to receive prizes?
Is it better for children to receive a prize for school work or for sport?

Competitions for adults
Why do many companies run competitions with prizes for customers?
Why do some people like to enter many competitions?
It’s only worth entering a competition if there’s a valuable prize. Would you agree?

National and international awards
How important is it for a country to recognise its most successful citizens?
What could be the impact of winning a major prize such as a national award/Nobel prize on a person’s life?
Is making a positive contribution to society more important than being rewarded for the contribution?

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Working abroad

- Part 2
Describe a short-term job you’d like to do in a foreign country.
You should say
What time of work you’d like to do there
What country you’d like to work in
Why you’d like to work there

- Part 3
What jobs can people do in another country for a short period of time?
Will it be beneficial for young people to work in another country for a short time?
Why is it good for young people to work abroad for a short period of time?
Why might some people not want to work in another country?
What are the difficulties that people might face when working abroad?

Working for an international company
What are the benefits of working for an international company?
What personal skills do people need to work for an international company?
Do you agree that practical experience is more useful than qualifications when working for an international company?
Is it difficult for people get a job at an international company?

International companies in the future
How important will it be in the future for an international company to understand the cultures of other countries?
Will the location of the workplace become increasingly irrelevant because of the advances in technology?
Do you think international companies should become more environmentally friendly?

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Health / Eating Habits

- Part 2
Describe a time when you suffered from disease/sickness.
You should say:
what it was
what problems it caused you
what you did to control it
and explain how you felt about this health problem.

- Part 3
Do you think the lifestyle of a person affects his health? Why?
Do you think people become more conscious about health nowadays? Why?
How do you think people’s eating habits have changed over the years?
How to teach healthy Eating Habits in children?
What should people do to stay healthy at home during the Coronavirus Pandemic?
What do the people of your country do to remain healthy during the Coronavirus Pandemic?

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Hotels

- Part 2
Describe a special hotel you have stayed in.
You should say:
where it is
when you went there
why you went there
and why you think it is a special hotel.

- Part 3
What can influence people’s choices of hotels?
What are some good hotels in your city?
Do ratings of hotels influence people’s choices?
Are there any advantages to staying in a hotel rather than staying with a relative in their home?
What are the factors which make a good hotel?
What’s the difference between the hotels in your country and those abroad?

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- Part 2
Describe a computer/phone game you enjoy playing in your childhood.
You should say:
what the game was about
when you played it
where you played it
and explain how much you enjoyed playing this game.

- Part 3
Why do computer/phone games are becoming more popular?
What kind of computer/phone games are popular in your country? Why?
What are the advantages of computer games?
What changes have you noticed between computer games in the last decade and these days?
Why do some adults like computer games?
What are the positive and negative effects of playing computer/phone games for children?

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- Part 2
Describe a singer that you like.
You should say:
who this person is
what type of songs he/she sings
what type of people listen to/her songs
and explain why you like him/her.

- Part 3
How important is music for young people nowadays?
Is music important to people your age in your country?
Do you think it is true that anyone can sing with the right training? Why?
What do you think about music education in your country?
What do you think about the illegal downloading of music?
Is music from your country popular elsewhere?

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- Part 2
Describe a live sports event you enjoyed watching (OR a live sports event you attended)
You should say:
what event you watched
where you were
who you watched it with
and explain why you enjoyed watching it.

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- Part 2
Describe a person who wears unusual clothes.
You should say
Who he/she is
How you know him/her
What kind of clothes he/she wears
Why you consider that his/her clothing choices are unusual