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IELTS Speaking Part 1

20+ Topics 200+ Questions

These IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions have been organised into more than 20 different topics with more than 100 questions. 

 

In the IELTS Speaking Part 1 the candidate is required to answer the examiner's questions. This part lasts about 3-4 minutes. 

 

Practice the questions as much as you can so you are confident on the day of your exam. 

Part 1 Topics
(Updated June 2021)

work

Work, your job, study

 

Do you work or study?

 

What do you study, do you enjoy it?

What is your study routine?

How could you study better? 

 

What are your future plans?

 

 -

 

What job do you do?

 

Why did you choose this job?

 

Is there a lot of responsibility in your job?

Band 9 Audio and Tapescript Sample Answer: Work

 

 

 -

 

Can you tell me what you're doing right now?

 

What kind of job do you do?

 

Do you like your job?

 

What do you remember about your first day in this job?

 

 -

 

Do you study or do you work?

 

What job do you do?

 

Would you like to have more responsibility in your job?

 

Are you prepared to do any further study?

 

-

 

What do you do?

 

Why did you choose this kind of work?

 

What do you enjoy about your job?

What are your responsibilities?

 

 

 -

 

Do you have a job?


Do you like it? Why?


Why did you choose this job?


What kind of education or training did you need to get this job? 

 

 

 -

 

School subjects

 

What was your favourite school subject?

 

Which subject do you feel was most useful to you?

 

Do schools in your country concentrate more on academic subjects?

 

What new subjects do you think would be good for children to learn?

 

 -

 

Did you enjoy your time at school? Why?

 

What was your favourite part of school life? Why?

 

Would you say you were a good student? Why

-

Do you usually use a pen or pencil? 

Which do you prefer, pen or pencil? 

When was the last time you bought a pen or a pencil? 

How would you feel if someone gave you a pen as a gift? 

Change

Change

Do you like change? Why?

Do you plan to make any changes in your life soon?

What was the last major change you experienced?

Have you changed a lot since your childhood?

Have there been any positive changes in your country recently?

Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus Pandemic

I'd like to ask you some questions about the current coronavirus pandemic, is that OK?

Can you tell me what measures your country took to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus? 

What daily actions can individuals take to reduce transmission? 

How did the coronavirus pandemic affect your routine? 

Do you think these changes will stay with us or do you feel that daily life will go back to 'normal'?

-

 

In your country, which business sectors have suffered the most do you think due to the pandemic?

 

Have any business sectors seen growth in the pandemic? 

 

How do you think the coronavirus pandemic will affect the global community? 
 

Where you live

About where you live

 

Can you tell me about the accommodation you're currently living in?

 

Do you have a favourite part of the house?

 

Do you think you'll stay where you're living for a while?

 

 -

 

Tell me about where you live

 

(Is it an interesting place to live?)

 

Are there interesting things to do?

 

Will you live there in the future?

 

 -

 

Do you currently live in a house or an apartment?

 

What do you like about it?

 

Which is your favourite room and why?

 

How could you improve your home?

 

If you could have only one piece of furniture what would it be?

 

-

 

Describe the place you live in now.

 

Do you think it’s better to live in a house or in an apartment? Why? 

 

Describe your neighbourhood.

 

 -

 

Let’s talk about where you live, do you live in a house or flat? 

 

What do you like about your house?

 

What is the area like where you live?

 

Would you recommend this area as a place to live for young people?

-

What's the view like from your bedroom window?

Is it important for you to have a good view from your window?

Do prefer the aisle or window seat on a flight?

What sort of view would you like your house to have in the future?

Hobbies

Hobbies and free time activities, free time, indoor and outdoor

 

What hobbies and interests are popular in your country?

 

Which hobbies and Interests do you enjoy?

 

What hobbies and interests did you have as a child?

 

Do you think parents should encourage their children to have hobbies or an interest?

Band 9 Audio and Tapescript Sample Answer: Hobbies

 

 -

 

What do you like to do in your leisure time?

 

Let's talk about spending time outdoors

 

How much time do you spend outdoors?

 

Do you think you'll spend more or less time outdoors in the future?

 

Do you think it's important for people to spend time outdoors?

 

 -

 

Tell me about a sport that is interesting to you. What is it? Do you like to play this sport yourself? Do you follow a professional team?

 

Why do you like this sport?

 

Do you enjoy playing sports or doing other outdoor activities? Why, why not?

 

In your city, what kinds of places are available for sports or other outdoor activities?

 

What kind of things do you enjoy doing on the weekends?

 

Do you generally prefer to spend a day off from work at home, or do you like to go out to other places?  Why?

 

Who do you like to spend time with on your days off?

 

 -

 

 

Describe an activity you enjoy doing in your free time.


How long have you been doing this activity?


How did you learn it?


In your free time, do you prefer activities you can do with other people, or activities you can do alone? Why? 

 

Is having a lot of free time important to you?  Why?

-

Are sports important in your country?


Is your country famous for any sport?


Is practicing a sport a common hobby? What kind?


Do you prefer to play group sports or individual sports?


Do you think sports are more or less important and popular now than they were in the past?

Travel

Travel and holidays

 

Do you like travelling?

 

What’s your favourite type of holiday?

 

How often do you go on holiday?

 

What do you like to do when you’re on holiday?

 

Do you think it’s important to travel?

 

Does your country receive a lot of tourists?

-

What do people in your country normally do during a bank holiday?

Do you wish there were more or less bank holidays? 

Do you prefer to rest or be active during a bank holiday? 

Why is it important to have holidays?

-

Do you enjoy travelling by car? 

When was the last time you went on a long car journey? 

What are the advantages of travelling by car? 

Do you prefer to travel by car or by train? 

Family

Family

 

 

Can we talk about your family?

Describe your family. Are you married? Do you have children? Brothers and sisters? 

 

What are some things you enjoy doing with other members of your family?

 

Who in your family are you particularly close to? Why? 

 

Do you spend more time with your family or with your friends? Why? 

 

 -

 

Do you have a large family or a small family?  

 

Can you tell me something about them?

 

How much time do you get to spend with the members of your family?

 

What sort of things do you like to do together?

-

Would you say having strong family ties is an important part of your country's culture? 

When do people normally get to see their family? 

Can you think of any advantages or disadvantages related to having close family ties?

How do you and your family communicate with each other? 

Friendship

Friendship

 

Let's talk about friendships.

How do you spend time with your friends?

 

Is there one person you could call your best friend?

 

Can you tell me about a friend you remember from your childhood?

 

 -

 

Describe some things you enjoy doing with your friends.


Do you think it’s better to have a large group of friends or a few close friends? Why?


How do people choose their friends?


Have you remained friends with people from your childhood? Why?

 

How often do you see your friends?

 

What do you like to do with them?

 

Is there anything special about them?

 

Do you think it’s important to spend time with friends, why?

 

 -

 

Where do people usually make friends in your country?

Clothes

Clothes and Fashion

 

Let’s talk about clothing.

 

Does your country have a traditional costume?

 

What sort of clothing do you wear in different seasons?

 

Do people in your country follow fashion trends?

-

How important is fashion and being fashionable in your country?

Is shopping for clothes a common weekend activity? 

Do men and women care the same amount about clothes in your country?

Do you think what you wear is important? 

How and how often do you shop for clothes? 

Culture

Culture

 

Moving on to talk about culture.

 

Tell me about something that you feel is special about your country's culture, maybe food, art or literature.

 

Is there a traditional dish that is associated with your country?

-

How would you describe your country's culture? 

Are people very patriotic in your country? 

What are some cultural activities that you enjoy going to or doing?

Do you have a traditional dance or types of dancing in your country? 

Food

Food

 

Let's talk about food

What's your favourite kind of food?

 

Who prepares the food in your home?

 

How often do you eat in restaurants or cafes?

 

Did you ever do any cooking when you were a child?

 

 

 -

 

 

What kind of food do you enjoy?


What are some kinds of food you never eat? Why? 

 

Do you generally prefer to eat at home or at a restaurant? Why?

 

What are some reasons that people eat at restaurants?

Band 9 Audio and Tapescript Sample Answer: Food

 

 -

 

Do you often have dinner with your family?

 

What time do you usually have dinner?

 

Are there any fruits and vegetables you don’t like?

 

What’s your favourite cuisine?

Can you cook? 
if so, how did you learn?
If not, would you like to learn? 

Why do some people not enjoy cooking? 

Are ready meals popular in your country? 

Do you think cooking at home will become more or less common in the furure? 

-

Where is a good place to have a barbecue? 

Do you prefer to have a barbecue with your family or friends? 

Have you gone to many barbecues? 

Hats

Hats

 

Let's move on to talk about hats and caps

 

Do you ever wear a hat or a cap?

 

Why do some people where hats or caps?

 

Do you think head gear was more popular in the past?

 

Why was headgear more popular in the past?

Time

Time

 

Let's talk about time

When was the last time you were rather late?

 

How do you feel when other people are late?

 

Do you think these days people have enough time?

 

How do you think children perceive time?

Band 9 Audio and Tapescript Sample Answer: Time

Photograhy

Photography


Let's talk about taking photos, do you mainly take photos with your phone or a camera?

 

Is there anything in particular you like to take photos of?

 

Typically what do you do with your photos after you've taken them?

 

Would you like to take classes in photography?

 

 

Parks

 

Moving on to parks,

Do you go to any parks where you live?

 

Do you prefer a park with designated areas for leisure activities or one which has mostly open space? 

How often do you go to parks? 

What activites are popular in the parks in your country? 

Do special events ever take place in parks where you live? 

Do you think parks are important to have in cities? 

-

Are there many green spaces where you live?


What do people do in these spaces?


Do you like to go to them, what do you do?


Why are these spaces important?

 

The Weather

 

Let's move on to talk about the weather, what's the weather like where you live?

 

Do you prefer hot or cold weather?

 

Tell me about the weather in your country at different times of the year?

 

Which time of year did you enjoy as a child?

 

Has the weather changed much in recent years?

 

 -


Does the weather affect your mood?

 

Do you like wet rainy days?

 

Do you have a favourite season or a favourite time of the year?

 

How do you feel about winter, do you like it?

Parks
The weather
Music

Music

 

Can you tell me about the kind of music you like?

 

Where do you like to listen to music?

 

Why do you think music is important to many people's lives?

 

How often do you listen to music on a regular day?

 

Have you ever been interested in learning to sing or to play an instrument?

 

What qualities do you think are important to be a musician?

 

 

 

Transport

 

Now transport

What's the best way to get around your city?

How often do you take public transport? Why? 

Is owning a car important where you live? Why? 

 

 

 

Driving

 

Have you ever learned to drive?

 

Do you think everybody should learn to drive?

What are the benefits of driving?

Are there any difficulties associated to driving in your city?

How are the roads where you live? How would you improve it? 

Transport
Driving
Farms

Farms

 

How important is farming in your country?

 

Does your country still use many traditional farming methods?

 

Does your country need to import a lot of its food?

 

What animals are important in your country for farming?

IELTS Band 9 Audio and Tapescript Sample Answer: Farms Farming

-

Which are the major crops grown in your country? 

Is there a period of the year which is dedicated to celebrating harvests? 

Are there many family owned farms in your country? 

Is being a farmer a popular career where you live? 

How do you think farms will change in the future?

 

 

Is it common to grow your own vegetables where you live?

Do you grow your own vegetables? 

Have you ever visited a farm? 

Have farms in your country changed much recently?

 

 

Writing

 

What sort of things do people need to write about in your country?

 

Would you say people write more letters or emails nowadays?

 

How important is handwriting nowadays?

 

Do you think creative writing should still be taught in school?

 

 

 

Learning English

 

How long have you been learning English?

 

Where did you learn your English?

 

What was it like?

 

Is there anything you find especially difficult about learning English?

 

What opportunities do you get to use English?

 

How important is English to you?

Writing
Learning English
Environment

The Environment

 

Do you think pollution is a big problem these days?

 

What do you do to try and pollute less?

 

Have you ever participated in any environmental events?

How environmentally conscious would you say people are in your country? 

How can people protect the environment? 

Would you say people do more or less now to protect the environment compared to 50 years ago? 

Are there any particularly important environmental issues or challenges in your country at the moment? 

Do you think people in future generations will be more or less environmentally aware than we are now?  

 

 

 

Technology and the Internet

 

Do you use any gadgets on a daily basis?

 

How often do you use the internet?

 

Do you own a computer or laptop? If so, how often do you use it and for what purposes?

 

Do you think you can spend too much time online?

-

 

How important is it to have a personal smartphone or computer these days? 

Have you ever thought about getting rid of your smartphone? What would be the advantages?

Do you prefer to message or call people? 

Do you think we will be more or less connected to our electronic devices in the future? 

 

 

Books and Films

 

Do you enjoy reading? Why?

 

If so, when do you like to read?

 

What was the last book you read? Did you enjoy it?

 

 -

 

Do like watching movies?

 

Do you prefer to watch them at home or at the cinema? Why?

 

Can you remember the last time you went to the cinema? What did you watch it, did you enjoy the experience?

 

In general do you prefer to go to the cinema with friends or by yourself?

 

 

Health

 

Do you have any unhealthy habits?

 

What do you do to stay healthy?

 

In your opinion what is more important eating healthy food or doing exercise?

Tech
Books
Health
Money

Money and Possessions

How important is having a lot of money in your country? 

What possessions are considered to give status where you're from? 

Would you say people like to show off their wealth? 

Is shopping a popular pass time activity in your country? 

-

Which possessions are normally treasured where you're from? 

Do you have any treasured possessions? 

Is giving away clothes or possessions common in your country? 

Do you feel people's attitudes to materialistic possessions are changing?

TV Entertainment

TV and Entertainment

How popular is watching TV in your country? 

What kind of programs are popular?


Do you enjoy watching TV?


How often do you watch TV?


Do you ever watch foreign films or programs?


Do you think TV will become more popular in the future?

Would you say watching TV is the most popular way to pass free time where you're from? 

Are streaming services increasing in popularity in your country? 

Why do some people prefer streaming platforms? 

What other forms of entertainment are popular where you're from? 

Laughing

Are you the kind of person that makes other people laugh?

Do you like to make people laugh
?

When was the last time you laughed?


In what situations do people laugh?

-

Do you usually make your friends laugh? 


Do you like watching funny TV shows?


Do you think it's important to have friends with the same sense of humour? 

Laughing

Architecture

 

How would you describe the architecture where you live?


Do you prefer old buildings or modern ones?


Is it common for people to build their own houses where you live?


Do you think the way buildings are designed will change in the future?

Architecture
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