Speaking IELTS - Part 2 & 3 (Model notes)

PART 2

Describe a house or an apartment you have lived in and which you liked.
You should say:

• When you lived there (year, period of your life etc.)
• How it looked inside (furniture, rooms, decoration, colour, size, design etc.)
• What kind of area it was in (city centre, suburbs, residential area, quiet neighbourhood)
• and explain why you liked living there (comfortable home, good area, facilities in the area, convenient etc.)

PART 3

FINDING A PLACE TO LIVE

How do people usually find a place to live in your country? (signs outside buildings, estate agents, word of mouth, newspapers, internet)

What factors do you think determine where people choose to live? (cost, convenience, safety, facilities, income)

What is it like to live in an apartment compared to living in a house? (houses are spacious, for family and pets, have a garden and parking, no common expenses or problems with neighbours but are more expensive to buy)

HOME OWNERSHIP

Do most people rent their homes or own their homes where you’re from? (rent as owning a home is expensive and you need a big down payment)

Could you compare the attitudes of someone who’s renting a home and someone who owns their own home? (people who are renting don’t feel responsible for the property so don’t look after it. They treat it as something temporary)

Should the government help people buy their own homes? (the government could provide low interest loans for families seeking to buy homes)

RESIDENTIAL AREAS

Why do you think some residential areas are more pleasant to live in than others? (greener, safer, facilities close by, friendly neighbours)

Could you compare living in the centre of the city and in a suburban area? (city centre is crowded, polluted, noisy, dangerous, busy)

What are the benefits of planning a residential area before people start living there? (save on expenses to make changes later, able to make the area attractive to potential buyers)

Questions taken from Focusing on IELTS Academic Practice Tests p.101

Speaking IELTS - Part 2 & 3 (Model notes)

PART 2

Describe a time when you complained about something you had paid for (e.g. a restaurant meal, a product in a shop).

You should say:

• Why you complained (faulty product, late service, misleading information etc.)
• How you complained (face-to-face, email, asked to speak to the manager etc.)
• Whether it was useful to complain (problem was resolved, got a refund etc.)
• and explain how you felt after you had complained (satisfied, relieved, stood up for yourself, got what you paid for etc.)

PART 3

COMPLAINING

What are some things people often complain about these days?
(almost everything from not having enough money, the weather, bad decisions, delayed public transport)

What is more effective – complaining by writing an email or by talking face to face with the person responsible? (face to face is faster, direct and can solve the problem immediately but written communication might lead to greater compensation)

Are there situations when it’s better not to complain? (when something is too small to matter or make a difference, when complaining will not change anything)

BEING PATIENT

Could you describe some situations in daily life when people need to be patient?
(when waiting in a queue to be served, waiting for exam results, waiting for a bus or train to arrive)

Do you think technology such as email and mobile phones have made people less patient?
(yes as people expect an immediate response to everything)

What are some benefits of being impatient? (you get what you want sooner than expected, you get taken seriously)

BEING SATISFIED IN LIFE

Would you say most people are satisfied with their lives? (people compare themselves with others and look for ways to improve their situation in life, so are never satisfied)

Do rich people tend to be more content than poor people? (rich people do not have to worry about money but material products lose their value when they can be bought easily)

Do you agree that, in general, humans tend to be dissatisfied rather than satisfied? (most people are pessimistic and have a negative outlook to life. Very few are content with what they have)


Questions taken from Focusing on IELTS Academic Practice Tests p.115

Speaking IELTS - Part 2 & 3 (Model notes)

PART 2

Describe a film you have seen that made an impression on you.

You should say:

• What it was about (plot)
• How popular it was (blockbuster, low ratings, independent film)
• What you thought about the actors (performed well, convincing)
• and explain why it made an impression on you (storyline, acting, settling, special effect etc.)

PART 3

THE IMPORTANCE OF ENTERTAINMENT

What kinds of entertainment are popular in your country?

(cinema, theatre, clubs, restaurants, cafés, watching sports, paintball etc.)

Could you compare types of entertainment children like and adults like?

(children like fun activities where they are physically involved, activities that involve colour, music and other children)

Why is entertainment important in people’s lives?

(need time to relax and break-away from daily routine, time to forget their problems for a while)

FAMOUS ACTORS

Why do you think people are interested in the private lives of famous actors?

(gossip, believe their lives are better and more exciting than their own, time pass)

In your own opinion, is the amount of money earned by film stars justified?

(they earn too much for pretending to be other people, important life-saving jobs are not paid as much)

What would it be like to be a famous actor?

(receive a lot of attention but under pressure to maintain a public image, have money, power and influence but no private life)

GLOBAL CULTURE

How much influences does American culture have in your country?

(youngsters copy the language, dress style and music they find in Hollywood films and American music)

What are Hollywood films like in comparison with films produced in your country?

(Hollywood has a huge budget, professional actors, special effects and a great international audience so the films produced locally can’t be compared)

How can a country avoid being dominated by a foreign culture?

(they need to be isolated like North Korea, have no contact with the outside world, restrict movement of people)

Questions taken from Focusing on IELTS Academic Practice Tests p.123

Speaking IELTS - Part 2 & 3 (Model notes)

PART 2

Describe a river, lake or beach that you know.

You should say:

• Where it is (location)
• What it looks like (sandy, busy, clear water, deep, has fish etc.)
• What people use it for (fishing, swimming, water sports, transport etc.)
• and explain whether you like it or not (enjoy relaxing there/overcrowded, polluted etc.)

PART 3

HOLIDAYS NEAR WATER

Could you tell me about some places near water where people like to take holidays in your country? (resorts, camping sites, on house boats)

What are some activities people can do when they have a holiday near water?

(fishing, water sports, white water rafting, sun tanning)

Why do you think people often find it relaxing to be near water?

(the color and sound of waves is relaxing, water has a calming effect on people)

TRANSPORT ON WATER

How important is water transportation these days?

(useful to transport heavy containers and products like oil to and from islands and for cruises)

Could you compare travelling on water and travel by road?

(less traffic on water, sea sickness, few boat accidents)

In the future, how important do you think travel by water will be?

(same as today but people prefer to use planes)

WATER POLLUTION

What are some of the causes of water pollution? (factories, sewage, ships)

What can governments do to prevent water being polluted?

(limit activities that involve dumping waste into water)

What would happen if there were a global shortage of clean water?

(we cannot live without water or air. The value of water would exceed gold and it would become a rare commodity)

Questions taken from Focusing on IELTS Academic Practice Tests p.125

Speaking IELTS - Part 2 & 3 (Model notes)

PART 2

Describe a website you have used.

You should say:

• How you found that website (by accident, saw an advertisement, a friend told you about it )
• What that website is about (all the features found on the site)
• How often you access it (daily, weekly etc.)
• and explain how you feel about that website (useful, informative, user friendly)

PART 3

USING THE INTERNET

What are some of the main reasons people use the Internet in your country?

(information, communication, social networking, to find out the news, advertising)

Could you compare looking for information on the Internet and in a book?

(information in a book is limited, time consuming to read, difficult to locate exactly what you need)

How do you think the Internet might change in the future?

(accessed by more people, faster, more applications, free connection)

FINDING RELIABLE INFORMATION

Do you think we can generally believe what we see on the Internet?

(depends on the source)

Where can we find the most reliable reports: on the Internet, on TV or in a newspaper?

(most people have access to a TV and independent channels are reliable)

How is it possible to check whether information you receive is correct or not?

(you need to cross-check sources, review comments, use well-know sites)

MISUSE OF THE INTERNET

What are some ways people use the Internet to trick or deceive other people?

(fake profiles on social networking sites, steal credit card information, use false information)

What can governments do to try to stop Internet fraud?

(work with other governments, block certain sites, inform citizens about fake sites and dangers)

Do you think that misuse of the Internet will lead to less trust between strangers in the future?

(it is difficult to trust individuals or companies that don’t have a strong reputation)

Questions taken from Focusing on IELTS Academic Practice Tests p.119

Speaking IELTS - Part 2 & 3 (Model notes)

PART 2

Describe something interesting that you are going to do in your free time.

You should say:

• What it is (a sport, a hobby, a trip)
• When you’re going to do it (month, year)
• Why it will be interesting (something different, enjoyable, the first time you’re doing it)
• and explain how you feel about it doing it (excited, looking forward to it)

PART 3

MAKING PLANS

What are some things in life that people need to plan for carefully?

(studies, career, old age, wedding, family)

Are there any important things that people cannot prepare for?

(being a parent, unforeseen circumstances)

Why do you think some people don’t like making plans?

(they like to be impulsive and live for the moment, take things as they happen)

HOPES

In your country, what are some things that many people hope to achieve in life?

(personal success, professional success, to have family and friends)

Could you compare these with the hopes and ambitions people had when your parents were young?

(older generation placed importance on health and wished the best for their children)

Why do people need to have hopes and dreams?

(in order to have something to look forward to and work towards)

ATTITUDES TO THE FUTURE

Could you compare people who are optimistic and people who are pessimistic about the future?

(optimistic people have positive thoughts and believe things will be better while the opposite is true with pessimists)

How does a person’s attitude to the future affect their life?

(it affects their current life as their mental attitude has an impact on the decisions they make)

Do you think that people should be optimistic about the future of the world these days?

(we are bombarded with bad news and negativity daily so it is difficult to be optimistic but people will be healthier with positive thinking)

Questions taken from Focusing on IELTS Academic Practice Tests p.121

Speaking IELTS - Part 2 & 3 (Model notes)

PART 2

Describe an occasion when you bought a special gift or present for someone.

You should say:

• What you bought [Describe the gift – size, color, price, use]
• Where you bought it from [Shop]
• Why you chose that present [Person likes that item, reasonable price, fashionable]
• And explain how you felt when you gave the present to the other person [Happy to see their reaction, satisfied that choice was good]

PART 3

GIVING PRESENTS

When do people give presents in your culture? [Birthdays, graduation, New Year, weddings, Christmas etc.]

What kind of presents do you think adults should give children? [Small gifts, age appropriate, safe]

Is it ever acceptable to give money as a present? [At weddings, Chinese New Year, when a person needs money, when you don’t know what to get someone]

RECEIVING PRESENTS

What are some ways people show gratitude when they receive a present?

[Say 'thank you', invite you for a meal, give you something in return]

Is there anything people should avoid doing or saying when they receive a present in your country?

[It’s not polite to open a gift in front of someone or saying that you don’t like it]

Are there any situations where a person should not accept a gift?

[When the gift is given to bribe someone]

WHY PEOPLE GIVE AND RECEIVE PRESENTS

Would you agree or disagree with the statement that “people sometimes give expensive presents instead of spending time with a person”?

[Today people compensate for not spending enough time with a person by buying an expensive gift]

Do you agree that, when people give presents, they usually expect something in return?
[When they are celebrating an event they expect a gift in return]

Does giving and receiving presents sometimes have negative rather than positive results?

[Sometimes a person doesn’t want to accept a gift from someone especially if it is very expensive and they feel uncomfortable when it is offered to them]

Questions taken from Focusing on IELTS Academic Practice p.117