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IELTS Speaking Part 1: 'telephoning' topic

Here are some part 1 questions and sample answers from Cambridge IELTS book 9. Remember to make your part 1 answers short and simple. Just give a direct answer, followed by a reason or one extra piece of information.

1. How often do you make telephone calls?

I probably make three or four phone calls every day, usually just to make arrangements with work colleagues or to speak to family and friends.

2. Who do you spend most time talking to on the telephone?

I think it would be one of my closest work colleagues. We often call each other rather than meeting face-to-face.

3. When do you think you'll next make a telephone call?

My family are expecting me to phone them as soon as I finish this exam. They'll want to know how it went.

4. Do you sometimes prefer to send a text message instead of telephoning?

Yes. I prefer to send a text message when I'm arranging something simple, like a time to meet someone. In those situations, a phone call isn't necessary.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'library' topic

Several students shared their descriptions of a library below this lesson. Here are some sentences that contain mistakes. Can you correct them?

1. There was no any room to stay here for reading borrowed books.
2. I am going to talk about a library, where I used to go there every day during my graduation years.
3. I was accustomed to be there always because I found it very useful.
4. It is one of the biggest library in my country.
5. I used to went there when I was the student as it was at a walking distance from my campus.

PS. It's worth reading the descriptions by 'Librarian' and Martin below last week's lesson. Both are really good.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe a library

Has anyone had the following question recently?

Describe a library that you visited? You should say

- where the library was
- what facilities it had
- why you went there
- and explain whether you found the library useful or not.

This question might surprise you if you're not ready for it. However, I think it's actually quite an easy topic. The easiest way to answer would be to talk about a school or university library where you went to study for an assignment or exam.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: band 9 answer

When I wrote my funny situation description last week, I wasn't trying to use 'difficult' grammar or vocabulary. Maybe you read it and thought that it was too 'easy' to get a band 9. If you thought that, you would be wrong!

Here's why my description would get a band 9 (according to the IELTS criteria):

1. Fluency and coherence
The fact that I told a story made my answer really coherent (clear and logically organised). In terms of fluency, my description was written rather than spoken, so of course there are no pauses or hesitations.

2. Lexical resource (vocabulary)
The description might seem simple, but it isn't. A wide resource of vocabulary is used naturally and accurately. There are definitely some 'less common' and idiomatic phrases (e.g. engrossed, the time passed, I suddenly realised, get going, my leg was dead, tipped over, to my surprise).

3. Grammatical range and accuracy
Unless you can find any mistakes, it would be difficult to give my description anything less than 9 for accuracy. The range of structures used is also easily good enough to impress the examiner.

4. Pronunciation
Hopefully this wouldn't be a problem as I'm a native speaker!

IELTS Advice: storytelling

In Friday's speaking lesson I described a funny thing that happened to me. I found it really easy to write my description because I told a true story. I wasn't worrying about grammar or vocabulary; I just told my story in a natural way.

The key to a high speaking score isn't your use of 'complex' grammar structures, big words or idiomatic phrases. The key is to speak as naturally as possible, and real examples or stories help you to do this.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: funny situation

Describe a funny situation that made you laugh. You should say

- when this situation took place
- what happened
- how you reacted and why you found the situation funny.

Here's my example answer. It's a true story!

• I'm going to talk about a funny thing that happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I think it was a Saturday morning, and I was sitting having a coffee in a café near where I live.
• I was on my own so I decided to read the newspaper while drinking my coffee. I must have been quite engrossed in what I was reading because the time passed quickly, and I suddenly realised that I needed to get going. What I didn't realise was that I had been sitting with my legs crossed, and one of my legs had completely gone to sleep. As I stood up to leave the café, I quickly became aware that my left leg was 'dead', but it was too late; I started to fall. I thought I could catch myself on the table, but the table tipped over and I fell to the floor in front of everyone in the café!
• I can remember being on my knees in the middle of the café, looking up at the staff and customers around me. I felt really embarrassed and I expected the other people to find it funny, but to my surprise nobody was laughing. They were all worried that something really bad had happened to me! As I got up from the floor, I had to explain to the whole café that I was fine. I was embarrassed at the time, but I laughed about it later!

IELTS Speaking: correct the mistakes

Here are some sentences that students wrote about last week's describe a funny situation question. Try to find and correct the mistakes in each sentence.

1. Every person make happy at a one point or the other.
2. It was first time to go to the centre of the town from my village.
3. Nobody who were there stopped laughing include and me.
4. I’m going to talk about a funny but also embarrassed thing that I met.
5. As a child I was keen on the plays between the children with similar ages.
6. I could not held back laughter.

Tip:
Often, the best way to deal with grammar problems is by finding a completely different (and simpler) way to express the same idea.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: a funny situation

Think about this question and prepare some ideas:

Describe a funny situation that made you laugh. You should say

- when this situation took place
- what happened
- how you reacted and why you found the situation funny.

Tip: The best way to answer this question is to tell a story. If you can't think of a real situation, make one up!

IELTS Speaking Part 1: 'friends' topic

In part 1 of the IELTS speaking test, remember to keep your answers short and simple. Here are some example questions and short answers:

1. Are your friends mostly your age or different ages?

Most of my friends are about the same age as me because we met at school or university. I've got one or two friends who are older or younger that I met through work.

2. Do you usually see your friends during the week or at weekends?

I tend to meet up with my friends at weekends because everyone's too busy during the week.

3. The last time you saw your friends, what did you do together?

It was one of my friends' birthday last weekend. Six of us went out for a meal to celebrate.

4. In what ways are your friends important to you?

I think it's important to have friends that you can talk to and share experiences with. My friends make me laugh, but I know I can also rely on them whenever I need help or support.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: more long answers

Here are two more answers using the techniques I explained last week:

What do you think are the most important qualities for friends to have?

Maybe the most important things are that friends need to share common interests and be honest with each other. (why?) Friends are people we spend a lot of time with, so it definitely helps if they enjoy doing the same activities or talking about the same topics as we do, and of course we need to be able to trust our friends, so honesty is vital for a good friendship. (alternatives / example?) I think I would struggle to become friends with someone who didn’t have anything in common with me, or who wasn’t reliable or trustworthy.

How important do you think it is for a person to spend some time alone?

I’d say that it’s essential to spend a bit of time alone, even if it’s just a few minutes a day. (why?) When you have a few minutes to yourself, it’s a chance to take stock and reflect on things. (why?) Most of us live such busy lives that our brains need time to catch up every now and then. (example / alternatives?) Personally, I try to have a bit of “me time” every day; I’ll go for a coffee or find a quiet place to sit and read the newspaper. If I never had any time alone, I think I’d go mad!

IELTS Speaking Part 3: longer answers

Here are 3 techniques to help you give longer, more detailed answers:

1. Keep asking yourself "why?"
2. Explain the alternatives
3. Give an example

Question:
Do you think that school children should be encouraged to have their own ideas, or is it more important for them to learn what their teachers give them?

Answer:
I think that we should definitely allow children to be creative and have their own ideas. (why?) Children need to develop the ability to think for themselves and solve problems (why?) because as adults they will not always have somebody to guide them or tell them what to do. (alternatives?) If we don't allow children to have their own ideas, they will be less successful in the adult world; they will be too reliant on others. (example?) A doctor, for example, might encounter a situation that he or she hasn't been trained for, but will still be expected to make a decision that could save someone's life.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: team project

Describe a team project that you worked on. You should say:

• what it was
• 
what you did
• 
and how you felt about it.

Example answer (band 9):

I’d like to talk about a team project that I was involved in during my final term at business school. There were four of us on the team, and our task was to work with a local company to research a new market, in a European country, for one of their products or services. Our objective was to produce a report and give a presentation.

The first thing we did was split into two groups of two. We had been assigned a company that produced a range of bicycle accessories, so two of us spent some time getting to know the company while the other two researched the market and the competitors in the target country, which was Germany. In the end, I think it was a successful project because we managed to identify a possible gap in the market in Germany for one of the company’s products. Our group presentation also went really well.

Until that point, the course had been all about business theory, so it was quite a learning experience to work with a real company. I felt a real sense of accomplishment when we handed in our report and delivered our presentation, and I think all of us were proud of what we had done.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'team project' topic

I decided to do some research for last week's Describe a team project question. I typed "it was a team project" into Google.

Here are 3 links to project descriptions that I found:

1) Project about software failures
2) Student robotics project
3) Barack Obama's speech

You won't be able to use everything you read in these descriptions, but you should find some good vocabulary ideas that you can copy:

• a team project with 3 members on each team
• It was quite a learning experience
• In the end, I think it was a successful project
• Our task was to...
• We had to collaborate
• The challenges were intense but fun
• a real sense of accomplishment
• It was more rewarding than I could have imagined
• They were proud of what we had done
• Success is a team project
• share the burden

IELTS Speaking: it's ok to lie!

Students often ask me whether it's ok to lie or invent an answer in the speaking test. My advice is that it's usually easier to tell the truth; however, sometimes your only option is to make something up (to lie). Take this part 2 question for example:

"Describe a team project that you worked on"

If your job involves working in a team, this might be an easy question. But if you're still a student, or you work alone, you might be stuck for ideas. You might need to invent something!

Here's how you could adapt to the question above:

• Talk about a project or piece of work that you did alone, and pretend that other people were involved.
• Go back to your school days and talk about something you studied, pretending that it was a group project.
• Talk about an English lesson - most English teachers put their students in groups from time to time.

IELTS Speaking: if you don't know the answer

How do you answer a question when you don't know anything about the topic?
There are 2 things you can do:

1. Be honest and explain why you don't know
2. Guess, and tell the examiner that you are guessing

Example question:

How has technology affected the kinds of music that young people listen to?

My answer, using both tips above:

(1) To be honest I don't really know the answer to that because I'm completely out of touch with what young people are listening to, and I'm not a fan of pop music.
(2) However, I suppose that technology must have affected music. Maybe young people are listening to music that has been made using computer software instead of real musical instruments like the piano or guitar.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: questions about the future

When the examiner asks a question like the one below, you know that you are being tested on your ability to express ideas in the future tense.

How do you think the design of homes will change in the future?

Example answer:
I don't think there will be much change in terms of what houses look like from the outside. In this country, people still like traditional brick or stone houses. Having said that, the design of apartment blocks will probably continue to develop, with more and more experimental or futuristic buildings made of glass and metal. I imagine that it will be the insides of homes that change the most; houses will no doubt be full of technological devices to make our lives easier. Maybe we'll have things like voice-controlled doors, lights and appliances.

IELTS Speaking: a preparation technique

A good way to prepare for IELTS speaking is to take one topic area and practise possible questions for all 3 parts. Here are some examples:

'Home' topic

Part 1 - give short answers
1. Do you live in a house or a flat?
2. What's your favourite room in your home? Why?
3. What would you like to change about your home? Why?
4. Would you like to move house in the future?

Part 2 - speak for 2 minutes
Describe an interesting home that you have visited.

Part 3 - give longer answers
1. What factors do you think are important when choosing where to live?
2. Compare life in a city with life in the countryside.
3. How do you think the design of homes will change in the future?

IELTS Speaking Part 1: musical instruments

For IELTS speaking part 1, remember to give short, simple answers. Answer the question with a full sentence and give a reason for your answer. Here are some example questions and answers about musical instruments (from Cambridge IELTS book 6):

1. Which musical instrument do you like listening to most? (Why?)

My favourite musical instrument to listen to is the guitar. I like the fact that there are different types of guitar, like classical, acoustic and electric. I love the variety of sounds a guitar can make.

2. Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?

I took some guitar lessons when I was younger and still have a guitar at home. I don't play it much nowadays. I wish I had more time to practise.

3. Do you think children should learn to play an instrument at school?

Yes, I think it's a great skill and it's really enjoyable to be able to play a musical instrument. All children should be given this opportunity.

4. How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a teacher?

It would probably be more difficult without a teacher. You need someone to show you what to do and correct your mistakes. You need a lot of discipline to teach yourself.

IELTS Advice: speaking strategies

Here are some of the strategies that I used in yesterday's description:

1. Try to develop each bullet point in detail. If you don't say enough for the first two or three points, you'll find yourself with too much time for the last point.
2. Tell a story! My second point tells the story of how I was given the chair by a friend, and I could probably speak for 2 minutes about this point alone. When you tell a story about something real that happened, you'll find it easy to keep talking. Stories are also interesting for the listener (the examiner).
3. Add examples. In point 3, you can see that I added an example at the end ("last night I fell asleep in my armchair while I was watching a film"). I could easily take this example and develop it into another short story.
4. When describing an object, don't forget the simple things like size, colour (I forgot that one!), shape, material, position ("just under my living room window").

IELTS Speaking: describe a piece of furniture

Here are some ideas for last week's question:

• I'm going to talk about my favourite chair. It's a big, leather armchair that sits in my living room at home, just under my living room window.
• I didn't actually buy the armchair. One of my friends was moving house and was going to buy some new furniture. I had always liked his leather armchair, so he said I could have it if I managed to move it. The chair wouldn't fit in my car, and it was tricky to get it out of my friend's apartment. I had to hire a small van to take the armchair home.
• Obviously I use the armchair for sitting! It's my favourite place in the house to relax, read a book, watch TV or even do some work; the chair's arms are quite wide and flat, so my laptop fits nicely on either of them. Last night I fell asleep in my armchair while I was watching a film.
• The main reasons why I like this piece of furniture are that it's comfortable and it's in the perfect position in my living room. The only drawback might be that I enjoy sitting in the armchair too much, and sometimes I think it makes me lazy!

Remember to highlight any useful words or phrases that you found in my description. Also, did you notice some of the strategies that I used to make the answer more interesting?

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'furniture' topic

Think about what you would say for the following question. I'll share my ideas in next week's lesson.

Describe a piece of furniture that you own. You should say

- what it is
- where you bought it
- how you use it
- and explain why you like it.

IELTS Speaking: the importance of part 2

A few people have asked me what will happen if they do badly in part 2 of the speaking test. Is it still possible to get a high score?

In theory, it is still possible to get a reasonably high score (maybe band 7) if you do badly in part 2, but you would need to give excellent answers in part 3. In practice, candidates rarely recover from a bad part 2; I don't remember anyone who made a mess of part 2 but suddenly did a fantastic part 3.

My advice: You should consider part 2 as the core of your speaking test. It's your best chance to show how good your English is, and it's the examiner's best chance to listen carefully to your use of language (so it's probably the point at which most examiners get a clear idea of what score to give you).

The good news is that you can prepare for part 2. Click here to get started!

IELTS Speaking Part 1: clothes

1. Are clothes and clothing fashions important to you? (Why/Why not?)

No, clothes and fashions are not really important to me. I tend to wear clothes that are comfortable and practical rather than fashionable.

2. What different clothes do you wear for different situations?

Well, I have to dress quite formally for work, so I wear a shirt and trousers. At home I prefer to wear jeans and a T-shirt, and on special occasions I might wear a suit.

3. Do you wear different styles of clothes now compared to 10 years ago?

No, not really, because I don't follow fashion. I think I have dressed in a similar way for the last 10 years.

4. Do you think the clothes we wear say something about who we are?

Yes, they probably do. Some people are really careful about what they wear because they want to be seen as stylish. Other people wear clothes that show wealth or status, such as clothes by famous designers.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: ideal home

Several people shared their descriptions of an ideal home in the comments below last week's lesson. If you do some research online, you'll find lots of websites with pictures and descriptions of interesting homes. Click here to see my favourite.

"Perched on the edges of daunting precipices, these cliff and mountain homes are some of the scariest places you could possibly think to live. Some have survived for centuries while others are (quite literally) on the brink of destruction."

IELTS Speaking Part 2: ideal home

Describe the ideal home that you would like to live in. You should say

• what your ideal home would look like
• where it would be
• and why you would like to live there.

My advice for this topic is similar to the advice I gave for the vehicle topic:

1. Make a quick decision about the type of home you will describe.
2. Talk about each bullet point in as much detail as you can.
3. Maybe choose something adventurous like a castle or an apartment on the top floor of a skyscraper, even if it's not really your ideal home. You might find it easier to talk for 2 minutes about something more imaginative.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: 'communication' topic

Here are some more examples for IELTS speaking part 1. Remember to give short, easy, direct answers.

1. How do you usually keep in touch with members of your family?

I mostly keep in touch with my family by phone, and I've started using the Internet to make video calls. I also try to visit members of my family in person as often as I can.

2. Do you prefer to speak to people by phone or by writing emails?

It depends on the situation. I use email and text messages to communicate with friends, but my parents prefer it if I phone them.

3. Do you ever write letters by hand? (Why / Why not?)

No, I don't write letters by hand because it's so much easier to send an email that will arrive immediately.

4. Is there anything you dislike about mobile phones?

Well, I don't like listening to other people's conversations in public places, and I don't like it when someone's phone rings in the cinema or during a lesson.

IELTS Speaking: useful expressions

In this lesson I want to draw your attention to a few useful expressions that I used in last week's answers. Maybe you could try using them in your own answers.

1. An alternative way to say "and":
- Just as individuals can learn from their mistakes, societies can (also)...
- Just as we need to exercise the body, we also need to exercise the mind.

2. A nice way to introduce a personal example or opinion:
- From what I've read in the newspapers,...
- From what I've heard / seen / experienced,...

3. Giving an opinion when you're not sure:
- If I had to guess what might happen in the future, I'd like to think that...
- If I had to give my opinion, I'd say...

IELTS Speaking Part 3: 'history' topic

Questions in part 3 of the speaking test follow on from the topic you were given in part 2. So, after last week's historic event question, you might be asked some further questions about history and events. For example:

1. What do you think we can learn by studying events of the past?

I think we can learn a lot by studying history. Just as individual people learn from their mistakes, societies can learn from the mistakes made by previous governments or leaders. For example, from what I've read in the newspapers, many economists are looking back to the time of the Great Depression, around 80 years ago, in order to understand the financial crisis that is currently affecting many countries around the world. Even if we don't always learn from mistakes, I think it's fascinating to study history because it gives us an insight into who we are and where we come from.

2. What important events do you think might take place in the future?

It's really difficult to predict what will happen in the future; most of the big, historic events of the past would have been impossible to foresee. For example, I don't think that anyone living 100 years ago could have imagined that people would one day walk on the moon! If I had to guess what might happen in the future, I'd like to think that scientists will invent cures for diseases like cancer, and we'll all live longer.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: event in history

A student sent me this question from a recent IELTS test:

Describe an important event in history. You should say

• when it happened
• what the event was
• and what effect you think this event had.

I think this is a really nice question. If you choose the right event, it should be easy to talk for 2 minutes. Here are some suggestions:

• Don't talk about a personal event - that would be considered 'off topic'.
• Choose something that you know about - a recent event might be easier. For example, you could choose the invention of the World Wide Web or the election of Barack Obama.
• Prepare this topic before your exam. If you like the two examples mentioned above, click on the links and do some research.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: old building description

Describe an old building that you like. You should say:

• where it is
• what it is used for
• and why you like it.

The answer below is adapted from the modern building description I wrote last year. Can you spot some of the vocabulary that I've recycled?

1. I'm going to describe a very famous building in New York: the Empire State Building. People might not think of it as an old building, but the Empire State Building was built in 1931, so I don't think it can be classed as new. It's located on Manhattan island and it's probably the most distinctive and recognisable building when you look at New York's skyline.
2. As far as I know, the Empire State Building is an office building, but visitors can go up to an observation deck on the top floor, which is the 102nd floor. There's also a 360-degree observation area on the 86th floor. Apparently, the building makes more money from the sale of tickets to the observation floors than it does from office rentals.
3. I think the Empire State Building is still one of the most impressive skyscrapers in the world. It's such an iconic structure, and it's amazing to think that it was built around 80 years ago. The best thing about the building is the viewing deck on the top floor, which offers spectacular views of the city; it's definitely the best vantage point in New York. I'd recommend anyone who visits the city to go there and experience the view.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: old building

I've already done a description of a modern building here, but the examiner might ask you to describe an old building. How can we adapt the 'modern building' description?

Looking at the vocabulary I used to describe the modern building (famous landmark, spectacular views, best vantage point etc.), it seems that we should choose an old building which is tall or has great views of a city.

One possibility that comes to mind is the Empire State Building in New York. It was built in 1931, so I think that would be old enough.

Can you think of any other examples? If you choose a famous building, it will probably have its own Wikipedia page. Do some research, and plan your description.