IELTS TOPIC VOCABULARY FOR SPEAKING TEST

HOMETOWN

 Where are you from? / Where is your hometown located?

 How long have you been living there?
 Is that a big city or a small place?
 Please describe your hometown a little.
 What’s special about it? What is your hometown famous For?
 Is it easy to travel around your hometown?
 What do people in your town do?
 Do you like living there? Do you like your hometown? What do you like (most) about your
hometown?
 Is there anything you dislike about it? What do you dislike about the neighborhood where you
live?
 Do you think you will continue living there for a long time? Would you want to live in your
hometown forever?
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 NOUNS USED TO DESCRIBE CITIES

1. Heart of the city: Khu trung tâm thành phố
E.g: I really want to live in the heart of the city because this is the place which happens the most important
events.

2. Shopping centre = Shopping mall: A group of shops/stores built together, sometimes under one roof
- Khu trung tâm mua sắm
E.g 1: There are a variety of shopping centres in Ha Noi where I can buy anything.
E.g 2: I usually go to the shopping mall near where I live so that I can buy the most beautiful clothes.

3. High - rise flat: A building that is very tall and has a lot of floors - Căn hộ nhiều tầng
E.g: Most of my friends live in high - rise flats where there are a lot of other families living.

4. Sprawling city: /ˈsprɔːlɪŋ/ A city that has grown over time and which covers a wide area - Thành phố
lớn.
E.g: I am going to visit a sprawling city in Japan which is very beautiful and attracts thousands of tourists
because of its beauty at night.
5. Office block: A large building that contains offices - Tòa nhà văn phòng
E.g: I am working in an office block with all the mod cons.
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6. Multi - story car park: Car parks on several floors - Bãi đỗ xe có nhiều tầng
E.g: Most office blocks have multi - story car parks so that they can have enough places for vehicles of
all workers.

7. Chain store: Well-known brands with shops in multiple cities - Chuỗi cửa hàng đồ hiệu
E.g: One of the most well - known chain stores throughout the world is Walmart.

8. Fashionable boutique: /ˈfæʃnəbl/ - /buːˈtiːk/ Fashionable clothes shops - Cửa hàng thời trang
E.g: When you go to Ha Noi, you will see a number of beautiful fashionable boutiques but the price is
exorbitant.

9. Upmarket shop: Expensive fashionable shops - Cửa hàng đồ hiệu

E.g: Do you know Louis Vuitton, one of the most well - known upmarket shops in Germany?

10. Places of interest: buildings that have a particular interest for visitors - địa điểm thu hút khách du
lịch
E.g: I know many places of interest in Ha Noi where you certainly like when you come there.

11. Lively bars/restaurants: Bars or restaurants with a good atmosphere - Quán bar, nhà hàng sinh
động.
E.g: Young customers are passionate about lively bars because their atmosphere is very wonderful.

12. The rat race: /ðə ˈræt reɪs/ - The way of life of people living and working in a large city where people
compete in an aggressive way with each other in order to be more successful, earn more money - Lối
sống chạy đua nhau
E.g: The novel is about a couple who get out of the rat race and buy a farm in France.

NOUNS TO DESCRIBE THE COUNTRYSIDE

1. Suburb = Outskirt: /ˈsʌbɜːb/ - /ˈaʊtskɜːts/ An area where people live that is outside the centre of a
city - Vùng ngoại ô, hai từ này hai được dùng theo cụm như sau:

2. In the suburbs = On the outskirts of + a place

Có hai lưu ý cô muốn chia sẻ với các bạn khi sử dụng cụm từ này, đó là: Các bạn cần lưu ý về
giới từ đi kèm với 2 từ này, mặc dù có nghĩa giống nhau nhưng trước "suburb" phải sử dụng
giới từ "IN", còn trước "outskirts" được sử dụng trước giới từ "ON" và các từ "suburb" và "outskirt" được
sử dụng trong cụm từ này luôn ở dạng số nhiều.

E.g: They live on the outskirts of Ha Noi which has tons of people.
= They live in the suburbs of Ha Noi which has tons of people.

3. Out - of town shopping centre/ retail park: large shopping centres outside of the town or city - Khu
trung tâm mua sắm lớn ngoài thành phố
E.g: My hometown has an out - of town shopping centre which attracts a number of visitors each year.

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4. Inner-city: The central part of a city where people live and where conditions are often poor - Vùng
nội thành

5. Poor housing: Housing that is not in good condition - Khu nhà ở tồi tàn
E.g: Most people in Africa still live in poor housing.

6. Local facility: Local buildings or services serving the public - Cơ sở vật chất tại địa phương
E.g: The government should upgrade local facilites so that residents can benefit from better services.

7. Residential area: /ˌrezɪˈdenʃl/ - An area where people live - Khu dân cư

E.g: I live in a residential area which has just repaired and now it becomes a really beautiful and modern
place.

8. Neighbourhood: /ˈneɪbəhʊd/ - Vùng lân cận

E.g: We grew up in the same neighbourhood.

TRANSPORT-RELATED VOCABULARY
1. Public transport: Phương tiện công cộng
E.g: Public transport helps cities to reduce traffice jam, so the government should upgrade it.

2. Traffic congestion = Traffic jam: /kənˈdʒestʃən/ - Ùn tắc giao thông

E.g: Traffic jam is a big challenge that most developing countries are solving.

3. Rush hour: /ˈrʌʃ aʊə(r)/ - Giờ cao điểm

E.g: Don't travel at rush hour because it wastes a huge amount of time.

4. Bus route: Tuyến đường xe buýt

E.g: The house is not on a bus route.

5. Underground system/subway: /ˌʌndəˈɡraʊnd/ / /ˈsʌbweɪ/ - Xe lửa ngầm

E.g: I am taking a subway to go to Washington DC.

OTHER USEFUL VOCAB

1. Pavement café: /ˈpeɪvmənt/ /ˈkæfeɪ/ - Cà phê vỉa hè
E.g: Pavement café is an ideal place for those who want to hang out with their friends.

2. Tourist attraction: A place of interest to tourists - Địa điểm thu hút khách du lịch
E.g: Da Nang is the tourist attraction where there are tons of people not only local visitors but also
foreigners coming each year.

3. Boarded up shops: Shops that are no longer doing business - Cửa hàng không còn kinh doanh
E.g: There are a lot of boarded up shops near where I live.

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4. Cost of living: Chi phí sinh hoạt
E.g: Despite the high cost of living, London is a greate place to live.

5. Pace of life: Nhịp sống

E.g: I prefer the relaxed pace of life in the countryside.

6. Sense of community: Tính cộng đồng

E.g: I enjoy living in the countryside because they have a sense of community.

7. Overcrowding: /ˌəʊvəˈkraʊdɪŋ - Đông dân

E.g: Living in overcrowding is really uncomfortable in terms of traffic jam.

8. street vendors: quán ăn vỉa hè

VERBS WITH HOMETOWN

1. To close down: To stop doing business - Ngừng hoạt động kinh doanh
E.g: Some out - of - town shopping centres in my hometown have to close down because there are a few
customers.

2. To get around: To travel around - Đi loanh quanh

E.g: There is a fanstastic public transport system in Ha Noi, so it is very easy to get around.

ADJECTIVES WITH HOMETOWN

1. Quiet = Peaceful = Tranquil: /ˈtræŋkwɪl/ Yên bình
E.g: Most people want to live in a tranquil contryside because it can make people to reduce stress in their
life.

2. Green: Xanh, hay đi kèm với danh từ "city" - Green city: thành phố xanh
E.g: While some parts of Ha Noi are industrial, it is still a green city which is an ideal place for everyone
to live.

3. Lively = bustling = vibrant /ˈlaɪvli/ - /ˈbʌslɪŋ/ - /ˈvaɪbrənt/ Sinh động, rộn ràng, nhộn nhịp
E.g: Da Nang is a vibrant city worth living. That is the reason why there are a lot of people wanting to
live there.

4. Industrial (hay cụm industrial zone): (thuộc) khu công nghiệp

E.g: If you live in an industrial zone, it is very risky for your health because you have to breathe in a
polluted air.

5. Provincial: /prəˈvɪnʃl/ Thuộc về tỉnh

E.g: My hometown is a provincial town but it has changed a lot during the last five years.

6. Historic: /hɪˈstɒrɪk/ Có tính chất lịch sử, được ghi vào lịch sử
E.g: My hometown has many historic places such as …., so it attracts many tourists from all walks of
life.
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7. Cosmopolitan: /ˌkɒzməˈpɒlɪtən/ Containing people of different types or from different countries, and
influenced by their culture - Thuộc toàn thế giới, thuộc quốc tế
E.g: Ha Noi is a cosmopolitan city

Sample Speaking
1. Are you from a big city or a small town?
I come from a small province with slightly more than 1 million people. It has breathtaking view of
picturesque landscapes with rolling mountains and greenish lakes. However, due to the increasing
economy, a number of business, especially in sugarcane, are invested in my hometown that turns it into
a promising area.

2. Please describe your hometown a little?

My hometown is both traditional and modern. On the one hand, tradition is preserved by a number of
festivals celebrated by local people, and the locals and authorities preserve the historical sites for tourism
and education. On the other hand, a whole lot of high-rise buildings as residential places or shopping
malls are built, which turns our little hometown into a worth-living place.

3. What do you like about your hometown?

I like the hospitality and the love of people there which I hardly find them in my current place. Everyone
is living close together and willing to give others a hand when they need help.

4. Is there anything you dislike about it?

Personally, it’s a bit boring for me because as a small town, there is not much shopping mall or any other
means of entertainment. The streets are not very crowded as well. However, I believe that it has been
improving day by day and becoming a potential hotspot due to the increasing number of annual visitors.

5. Do you think you will continue living there for a long time?
To be honest, I hope I could come back there one day to visit my relatives and friends, but to settle down
my life there is not my plan. I am getting familiar with city life and there are more job opportunities for
my future career.

6. Are there any changes you would like to make in your hometown?
I would like to ameliorate the infrastructure conditions there so that I can avoid being stuck in the traffic
jam during the rush hours.

- Breathtaking /ˈbrɛθteɪkɪ/: đẹp mê hồn - Hotspot /ˈhɒtspɒt/: tụ điểm

- Picturesque /ˌpɪktʃəˈrɛsk/: đẹp như tranh - Settle down /ˈsɛt(ə)l daʊn/: ổn định cuộc sống
- Worth-living /wəːθ lɪvɪŋ/: đáng sống - Ameliorate /əˈmiːlɪəreɪt/: cải thiện
- Hospitality /hɒspɪˈtalɪti/: tính hiếu khách - Infrastructure condition /ˈɪnfrəstrʌktʃə
- Crowded /ˈkraʊdɪd/: đông đúc kənˈdɪʃ(ə)n/: điều kiện hạ tầng

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Sample questions and answers Part 1
1. Describe your hometown.
- My hometown is a small city. It is both traditional and modern because of having several festivals
celebrated by the locals, and at the same time it is starting to be developed with increasing number
of infrastructures and establishments.

2. Where is your hometown located?

- My hometown, Sorsogon City is located in the southernmost tip of the Bicol Peninsula and the Luzon
Island. Bicol is one of the regions in the Philippines and Luzon is the biggest island in the country.

3. Is it easy to travel around your hometown?

– Yes, it is. It is a small city but there are different kinds of transportation available.

4. What is it known for?

-It is known for “Pili nuts”. They are said to grow in volcanic soil.
5. What do people in your town do?
–Agriculture and fishing are common in my hometown. Also, with the latest modernization,
numerous office jobs have appeared in my town.

Sample questions and answers Part 1

1. What is it like where you live?
Well, I live in Toronto, which is a quite cosmopolitan city in Canada. You can see people from
different ethic backgrounds, from all over the world. It is also a very vibrant city. There are a lot of
artists, art galleries, and museums.

Where I live is a very lively place. People are always excited on the street, and bars are always
packed. But sometimes, I feel it is a bit too hectic on holidays.
I live in the suburbs. It is kind of a rural area. There are a lot of farms, and some of the buildings
are run-down. But it is a close-knit community.
I live in a residential area, in a town, in India. It is kind of an old city, really. A lot of buildings
are run-down, but we have got some quaint shops.

2. Could you tell me a bit more about your hometown?

My hometown is located in Italy. It is a sprawling city, so it takes a while to get around in it. But
it has developed better public transport recently.
My hometown, Tokyo, is a huge metropolitan city. People there are very urban, and there are a
lot of contemporary stores. It is also a very touristic city. You can see tourists all the time.

3. What do you like about your hometown?

What I like about my hometown is that there are many orchards and vineyards. It is a
truly picturesque place. Not many places in the world have that kind of view.
I like the convenience and modernness of my hometown. There are a lot of convenience
stores, pop-up stores, and futuristic shops. I also like the night view of my city. At night, the high-
rise buildings with lights on make for a really beautiful scene.
I like how the people in my hometown are so friendly. It’s a really close-knit community and
there are many mom and pop shops, which are hard to find in big cities.

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 I like its cultural atmosphere. Within the city, you can see beautiful pavement cafes. On the
outskirts of the city, there are some quaint stores that sell interesting handmade stuff.

4. What do you not like about your hometown?

I suppose my least favorite thing about it is the lack of fun things to do or see. Most shops
are boarded-up. It’s not the most exciting place, so sometimes I feel a little bored.
What I dislike about my hometown is how expensive it is to live in. The cost of living there is too high.
You can hardly find an affordable shop. Upmarket shops are all over the place.

5. How has your hometown changed over the years?

It has developed much better public transport, especially the metro, which has really improved the overall
accessibility of the city. In the suburb, there have been a few improvements as well: several new chain
stores and out-of-town supermarkets have appeared, which we didn’t have before.

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