TIPS for IELTS Speaking Part 1
Stay on topic
Listen carefully to the question and make sure you are answering it. Don't talk about
something completely different just so you can talk for longer.
Extend your answers
Give reasons for your answer. This can be a useful way to extend your responses.
Always explain WHY you have given the answer that you have.
Don't speak excessively
Extend your answers but don't go on too much. This will only mean the examiner will
have to keep interrupting you to move onto the next questions.
Be honest but positive
Try to remain upbeat and positive even if you are saying you don't do things or don't
enjoy things you are being asked about. You can always put a positive slant on your
answers.
Speaking Questions for IELTS
You can get various types of speaking questions for IELTS so it is important
to understand how to reply to them properly.
Take a look at this example question:
IELTS Examiner: How important do you think it is to learn English language?
Candidate: Oh, I really like learning English. I think it will really help with my career.
This candidate has shown that he did not listen properly, or
simply misunderstood the question.
These are the kinds of answers that would be expected.
It's very important because...
It's extremely important...
It's fairly important because..
It's quite important because...
I don't think it's very important because...
Now try this speaking questions for IELTS exercise to see if you know the
meaning of other common question phrases. Link the question phrase to its
correct meaning.
Types of Speaking Questions for IELTS Part 1 – Practice
1. How important...? a. Date or time
2. How often...? b. Frequency of something
3. How do you...? c. Methods / procedures
4. Would you rather...? d. Opinion about something
5. What kind of...? e. Person or institution
6. When...? f. Places
7. Where...? g. Preferences
8. Why...? h. Reason
9. Who...? i. Types
Match each question with the best answer.
FOOD
1. How important is having a. About once or twice a week. Mostly I eat in because I
breakfast to you? get back from work late and don't have time to get to a
2. Would you rather eat restaurant.
b. I prefer to eat in as I like home cooked food. You know
out or eat at home?
for sure what is in the ingredients, whereas at a
3. How often do you eat restaurant you can never be sure of what is in the food
out? and whether it is healthy or not.
4. What kind c. I think it is principally to do with diet and time. People
of restaurants do you don't have a lot of time so they eat fast food. The lack of
like to go to if you do eat time also means that people don't do enough exercise.
out? d. I think the supermarkets are good to get cheap things,
such as the everyday items like tinned food and
5. When did you last go toiletries, but local stores are better for meat and
to a restaurant? vegetables because they are always fresh.
6. Where is the best e. I usually go by car, but occasionally by bike if the
weather is ok and I don't need to buy too much. The car
place to shop for can obviously be better if it's the weekly shopping and
groceries? you need to purchase a lot.
7. How do you get to f. Not very important really. I often miss it as I never feel
that hungry when I first wake up. Lunch is often the first
the shops when you meal of the day for me.
go for food? g. Oh, it was probably about a week ago, last weekend. I
8. Why do you think went to a place called Chino's, down the road from me.
It does great Italian food.
there is a problem h. The government should do something, such as making
with obesity in many producers label food packaging clearly, but individuals
countries? also have to take responsibility for their own weight and
life-style.
9. Who should be i. Usually it is small family run places. They have a better
dealing with obesity? atmosphere than those big chains and often the price if
more reasonable too. You can also get to know the
owner which is nice.
Home
I’d like to ask you some questions about your home.
1. Do you live in an apartment or a house?
2. Who do you live there with?
3. What is your favourite room in your apartment/house?
4. Is it a quiet or noisy place to live?
5. What can you see from the windows in your apartment/house?
6. Where is the best place to build a house?
Work
I’d just like to ask you some questions about your work.
1. How important is work to you?
2. What work do you do?
3. What do you enjoy most about your work?
4. What are your main duties?
5. What do you normally do when you finish work every day?
6. What kind of work would you like to do in the future?
Free Time
I’d like to move on and ask you some questions about your free time
1. How do you spend your free time?
2. How long have you been interested in these activities?
3. Do you like to do these activities alone or with other people? (Why)?
4. Do you think people have enough free time?
