Category: Part 3

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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Practice Tests

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 6: Food

IELTS Speaking Test: Food

How important is food to you? Try this IELTS speaking practice test with a partner. You can also download a PDF of this IELTS speaking practice test for classroom use.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Interview (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about your personal habits and preferences.

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

Is that your typical breakfast?

Do you watch your diet carefully?

How important is food to you?

Who cooks usually in your family?

Are you a good cook?

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Individual long-turn (3-4 minutes)

You have 1 minute to read the instructions in the box and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.

Describe a dish you like to cook.

You should say:

The name of the dish

How you make it

If you use any special ingredients

And explain if this is a popular dish in your country.

Follow-up question: How many times a year do you cook it?

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)

Give your opinion on these food-related issues. Support your opinion with relevant examples and make comparisons where possible.

Food wastage

Do we waste too much food?

What can be done to reduce the amount of food we waste?

Would you eat food that was past its expiry date?

Obesity

Is obesity a major problem in your society?

Who is to blame for childhood obesity?

Some people say that seriously obese people should pay more to travel on planes. What’s your opinion?

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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 5: Money

IELTS Speaking Sample Questions: Money

How much money is enough? Try these IELTS speaking sample questions with a partner. You can also download a PDF of this IELTS speaking practice test for classroom use.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Interview (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about your personal habits and preferences.

Is this your first IELTS test?

How are you feeling right now?

Do you like shopping?

Have you bought anything interesting recently?

How important is money to you?

Do you think you will have lots of money in future?

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Individual long-turn (3-4 minutes)

You have 1 minute to read the instructions in the box and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.

Describe something you want to buy but can’t afford.

You should say:

What you would like to buy

How much it costs

Why you can’t afford it

And explain if there is any other way you could acquire it.

Follow-up question: Could you live without it?

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)

Give your opinion on various issues connected to money  Support your opinion with relevant examples and make comparisons where possible.

Money

How much money is enough?

What things can money not buy?

Do people care too much about money?

Money problems

What problems does money cause in your society?

Do children need better financial education?

Could human beings live without money?

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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Practice Tests

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 4: Marriage

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 4: Marriage

Describe your wedding! Try these IELTS speaking sample questions with a partner. You can also download a PDF of this IELTS speaking practice test for classroom use.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Interview (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about your personal habits and preferences.

Why are you taking the IELTS test?

How do you feel about today’s test?

Where do you live?

How many people live in your house?

Would you like to spend your whole life with one person?

How important is marriage to you?

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Individual long-turn (3-4 minutes)

You have 1 minute to read the instructions in the box and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.

Describe your wedding or a wedding you would like to have.

You should say:

Where the wedding takes place

Which guests are invited

What happens during the ceremony

And say if there is anything unusual about your wedding.

Follow-up question: Who planned or would plan your wedding?

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about weddings and marriage. Support your opinion with relevant examples and make comparisons where possible.

Weddings

What presents are suitable for a wedding in your country?

Do you think money spent on a wedding is wasted?

Why do non-religious people choose to get married in churches?

Marriage

How long should a couple wait before getting married?

What is the secret of a successful marriage?

Should unhappy couples get divorced?

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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Practice Tests

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 3: Family

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 3: Family

How large or small is your family? Try this IELTS Speaking practice test with a partner or practice IELTS speaking online with an instructor. You can also download a PDF of this IELTS Speaking practice test for classroom use.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Interview (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about your personal habits and preferences.

How large or small is your family?

What do you do together as a family?

Who are you closest to in your family?

Is yours a typical family?

Are there many different types of family in your country?

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Individual long-turn (3-4 minutes)

You have 1 minute to read the instructions in the box and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.

Describe a famous family in your country

You should say:

Who the family members are

How you know about them

Whether they get on well together

And say if you would like to be a member of this family

Follow-up question: Does your family resemble this one in any way?

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)

Give your opinion on some family issues. Support your opinion with relevant examples and make comparisons where possible.

Family members

What characteristics do elder siblings often have?

Is it better to grow up in a small family or a large extended family?

What role do grandparents play in a family?

Family values

Which are more important: family or friends?

What do you think about single parent families?

Should people be more accepting of alternative family types?

Next: Practice IELTS Speaking with a Teacher

IELTS TeacherWould you like to practice IELTS Speaking online with an experienced teacher? Discover your current IELTS score based on the four criteria of fluency, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Improve your technique while building confidence before the real test! To view available times and prices, go to IELTS Speaking Practice Test with Feedback».

 

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Classroom Resources Free Downloads IELTS Speaking Part 3

IELTS Speaking Part 3: 50 Practice Questions by Topic

IELTS Speaking Part 3

Let’s face it, nobody looks forward to IELTS Speaking Part 3! Giving your opinion on quite unfamiliar topics is a challenge, even for a native speaker.

But remember, the examiner doesn’t care about your opinions. He or she wants to know if you can respond in English to unfamiliar questions, that’s all. Read the three hints below before you attempt to answer the questions. 

You can also download these IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions as a set of cards for classroom use.

Hints for IELTS Speaking Part 3

Hint #1: Your opinions aren’t important. How you respond is. That means you should focus your preparation on key phrases and strategies to handle difficult issues. See some examples here.

Hint #2: The examiner isn’t interested in knowing your opinion, only your English ability. If you have no opinion, try to talk about other people’s opinion on the subject instead.

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

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #1: Role models

  • Which type of people are respected most in your society?
  • Do you agree with this situation?
  • What happens when young people lack good role models?
  • What standards of behaviour should teachers set?
  • Do you agree that you should never meet your heroes?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #2: Travel and transport

  • How easy is it to travel around your country?
  • Which method of travel do you consider safest?
  • Has travel become safer in recent years?
  • What are the pros and cons of low-cost air travel?
  • How do you think people will travel in the future?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #3: Universities

  • Is higher education too expensive in your country?
  • Should all students pay for their university education?
  • What advantages do universities bring to society?
  • Which is more important, research or teaching?
  • How should students spend their summer vacations?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #4: Sports and competition

  • Why are some sports fans so passionate?
  • Is there any violence at sporting events in your country?
  • Should athletes be better role models?
  • What benefits do international sporting events bring?
  • Is it important for a country to win lots of medals?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #5: Leadership and politics

  • Do you think people are born to be leaders?
  • Can leadership skills be taught?
  • Why are elected politicians often so unpopular?
  • What should a leader do to remain popular?
  • Do you think unelected heads of state are a good idea?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #6: Life experience

  • Do you agree that we learn best from our mistakes?
  • What’s the best way to gain experience in life?
  • Can we gain life experience from books and movies?
  • Which is more important, experience or potential?
  • What experience do you wish you’d gained?

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

  • At what age should people retire from work?
  • What problems can people face after retirement?
  • How important are retirees to your country’s economy?
  • When should you start saving for retirement?
  • Why do some companies encourage early retirement?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #8: Photography and the image

  • Is it easy to take good photographs?
  • What are the pros and cons of digital photography?
  • Should people share their photographs online?
  • When can an image be worth a thousand words?
  • Is a photograph a reliable form of identification?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 topic #9: Inventions and copyright

  • Which invention has transformed your country most?
  • Would you like to be an inventor?
  • How long should someone be able to profit from an idea?
  • Do you think intellectual property laws are too strict?
  • Should all medicines be free to manufacture?

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

  • Which websites are popular among your generation?
  • Is using the internet a social or solitary activity?
  • How has the internet changed social behaviour?
  • Should companies check job applicants’ online profiles?
  • What will be the next big development online?

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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Techniques

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Useful Language

IELTS Speaking Course

In the interview part of the IELTS Speaking test (Part 1), you’re simply asked questions about yourself and other familiar topics. The examiner will be listening for how well you express yourself in a few words or sentences.

Of course, you should try to do more than simply answer the question if you want to achieve a high score. The following useful language will give you ideas for expanding an answer by talking about the past, present and future. It will also help you speak more fluently and with an awareness of collocation and idiomatic speech. Some idiomatic expressions are explained in parentheses.

Asking for repetition

  • Could you say that again?
  • I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.
  • Did you say (          )?

Stalling for time

  • Well, let me see.
  • In my case, …
  • Hmm, I’d have to say …

Saying something negative

  • I’m sorry but …
  • I’m afraid (to say that) …
  • To be (perfectly) honest, …

Giving an example

  • For example, …
  • A good example is …
  • Maybe you’ve heard of …

Describing frequency

  • Every other day, … (= Frequently)
  • Once in a while, … (= Occasionally)
  • Once in a blue moon, … (= Rarely)

Continue reading “IELTS Speaking Part 1: Useful Language”

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IELTS Speaking Part 2 Techniques

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Useful Language

Personal Statement Editing

In the individual long-turn part of IELTS Speaking, you have to talk for one to two minutes on a topic chosen by the examiner. This is the only part of the Speaking module in which a time limit applies, so there’s more pressure to speak quickly and without hesitation. However, it’s also the easiest part to practice, as answers tend to follow a similar pattern regardless of the topic. The useful language below will help you structure a response in Part 2. How you use it depends on the question.

Beginning your response

  • I’m going to talk about …
  • I’d like to tell you about …
  • I’ve decided to speak about …

Indicating a time in the past

  • I think it was when I was around (age) years old.
  • When I was a (school) student, …
  • In my (school) days, …

Speaking hypothetically

  • If I could choose any (repeat topic), I’d choose …
  • Given a choice of any (repeat topic), I’d rather …
  • If money were no object, I’d …

Describing a book/film/story

  • It’s about a (person) who …
  • The story concerns a (person) who …
  • The main character is a (role) played by (actor) who …

Omitting some details

  • Briefly, …
  • I won’t go into detail here but …
  • There’s no time to explain fully here but …

Continue reading “IELTS Speaking Part 2: Useful Language”

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IELTS Speaking Part 3 Techniques

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Useful Language

For most people, the discussion is the toughest part of the IELTS Speaking test. Remember though, you’re NOT required to demonstrate any special knowledge of the topics discussed. The examiner is listening for how well you connect your ideas, expand your answers and cope with difficulty when it arises. The following useful language will help you speak with more fluency and coherence, which together are worth 25% of your speaking score in IELTS.

Asking for help

  • Could you say that in other words?
  • I’m not sure what you mean exactly.
  • Do you mean (          )?

Stalling for time

  • That’s a(n) interesting/tough/difficult question.
  • I don’t know much about this issue but …
  • I’ve never really thought about it before but …

Giving an opinion

  • Well, I think/suppose/would say …
  • … for two/several reasons.
  • I think most people would agree that …

Self-correcting

  • Or rather …
  • I mean …
  • Or, should I say …

 Rephrasing

  • What I mean is …
  • What I want to say is …
  • What I’m trying to say is …

Continue reading “IELTS Speaking Part 3: Useful Language”

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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Techniques Techniques

IELTS Speaking: Emergency Language

IELTS speaking

Can you get help from the examiner in the Speaking section of IELTS? Yes, you can! The kind of help you can receive depends on the part of the test:

  • In Part 1, the examiner can only repeat the question.
  • In Part 2, the examiner can answer your questions during the one minute preparation time.
  • In Part 3, the examiner can give an example or paraphrase the question.

However, you also need some useful phrases for asking for help. The following IELTS speaking emergency language will help you escape from any sticky situation in the test!

When you don’t hear the question

  • I’m sorry, could you repeat that please?
  • I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.
  • Would you mind saying that again?

When you don’t understand a particular word

  • What does (          ) mean?
  • Does (          ) mean (          )?
  • Sorry, I’m not sure what (          ) means.

When you don’t understand the question

  • I’m sorry, what do you mean exactly?
  • Could you say that in other words?
  • I’m afraid I’m not quite sure what you mean.

When you think you understand the question but aren’t sure

  • Do you mean (          )?
  • Are you asking (          )?
  • Am I right in thinking you mean (          )?

When you need more time to think

  • Just a moment, please.
  • Just give me a few seconds to think about that.
  • I’ve never really thought about that before.

When you get a bit lost while explaining something

  • What I mean is…
  • What I’m trying to say is…
  • Anyway, to get back to my original point…

When you need to finish an answer

  • Anyway, that’s my opinion.
  • Anyway, that’s all I have to say.
  • So, that’s why I think (restate opinion).

When you’re not sure if your answer was appropriate

  • Does that answer your question?
  • Is that what you were asking?
  • I hope that answers your question.
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Classroom Resources Free Downloads IELTS Speaking Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Practice Tests

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 2: Work

IELTS Speaking Practice Test 2: Work

Do you have a job right now? Try this IELTS Speaking practice test with a partner. You can also download a PDF of this IELTS speaking practice test for classroom use.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Interview (4-5 minutes)

Answer the following questions about your personal habits and preferences.

Do you have a job right now?

What kind of work would you like to do in the future?

What qualifications are required for this job?

How many hours would you like to work each week?

Do you consider it important to have a career?

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Individual long-turn (3-4 minutes)

You have 1 minute to read the instructions in the box and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic.

Describe a job that you consider highly important

You should say:

what the job is

what the job involves

why it is important

and explain if people who do this job are appreciated enough by society

Follow-up question: Would you consider doing this job yourself?

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussion (4-5 minutes)

Let’s talk about some issues related to work. Support your opinion with relevant examples and make comparisons where possible.

Jobs in your country

What jobs are most popular among young people these days?

Are there enough jobs for people who want to do this kind of work?

Is it easier to change jobs now than in the past?

Careers

Do people usually choose the right career?

Is it a good idea to leave a secure job in order to pursue a dream?

What career advice should be given to young people?