- where you live
- chocolates
- holidays
- something you shared with someone else
- sharing accommodation
- sharing ideas
IELTS Speaking Test
Part 1
What is your full name?
My name is …
Where are you from?
I’m from (name of city) in (name of country).
Can I see your identification, please?
Yes, sure, here you are.
Topic: Accommodation
Do you live in a house or flat?
I live in a flat, or an apartment as they call it here.
Do you like it?
Yes, it’s a great place and in a good location. I’ve only been there for about six months, but I love it.
What can you see through the windows?
Okay, so two large windows have views; the large window in the main living area looks out onto a park on the other side of the street, so it’s nice to see.
First thing in the morning the park is quiet, so it looks beautiful, and then throughout the day, you can see all the people and a lot of children walking through it or playing. In the evenings, they sometimes have events in the park like music concerts, so it can be quite interesting to watch.
On the other side of the apartment, there’s another big window, in my room. The view from it is somewhat less interesting; it looks out over a parking lot which is at the back of a large big-box store.
It’s a large hardware store, so it’s not very attractive, just a big warehouse-type building, and a large parking lot full of cars most of the day; not very interesting at all.
Topic: Chocolate
Do you like chocolates?
It depends on the type. My favorite is dark chocolate, although I don’t eat it that often, maybe a couple of times a week. I don’t like milk chocolates that much, I don’t know why; I’ve always preferred the bitterness of dark chocolate.
Is chocolate a good gift?
If the person you are giving them to likes chocolate, then yes. But if they don’t like chocolate or chocolates, then it’s probably not a great gift to give someone.
The thing with people who like chocolates is that they usually have their own favorites – so if you’re going to give chocolate or chocolates as a gift, you need to choose something you know they’ll like. Some people can be very fussy.
Why do you think people like chocolate?
Well, some people call it a comfort food because it makes you feel happy, you know, it releases endorphins in your brain, which scientists have proven make you feel happier. It also tastes fantastic, and, usually, there are lots of different varieties, so it can be fun to try different types.
Of course, like most things which are extremely delicious, eating too much of it, or too many of them if it’s a box of chocolates, can be unhealthy, but most people think of chocolate as a treat, something special, not something they eat every day, which is another reason to like it – it’s not something you eat all the time, so it’s kind of special food.
Have you ever given chocolates to someone?
Yes, lots of times. I’ve given just a simple bar of chocolate to friends sometimes, and also boxes of chocolates as gifts, especially extra special chocolates, like those imported from Switzerland or Belgium, things like that.
Topic: Holidays
Do you enjoy holidays? Why?
Absolutely, holidays are great! They’re a time to do something different or go and visit someplace different – or even just a time to relax and take life easy, you know, like recharge your battery.
I think holidays are perfect for a nice break from your normal routine and activities and it’s always nice to have more free time than normal.
How long is the perfect holiday?
Well, if we’re talking about a holiday like a vacation I guess it would be about two weeks or maybe three. One week just isn’t enough to fully relax and do all the things you might want to do.
But two or three weeks is sufficient to wind down and enjoy yourself without worrying about having to go back to work or studying in a couple of days.
Having more time allows you to plan more activities, and see more things, without being exhausted from trying to fit lots of activities into a short time. There’s nothing worse than coming home from a vacation feeling tired because you tried to do too many things and then feel like you need another holiday just to relax!
What makes a holiday perfect?
That’s a difficult thing to explain because there are so many possible things which can make a holiday perfect. For example, it could be the place, if you visit a sensational destination in a foreign country, for example, it might be amazing and be the perfect holiday because it’s so different.
And then there are vacations or holidays, which you might take with your friends and family and they’re perfect just because you’re with people you love and you have lots of fun together; it might not even be important where you are, you just have a great time – and that makes it perfect.
But I guess, personally, it would be a holiday in a location which is interesting, has good weather, and with someone I love spending time with, and we would do some interesting activities and also have enough time to just chill and relax as well, and stay at a great hotel, and not have any problems with flights being delayed or anything like that – that would be perfect.
IELTS Speaking Test
Part 2
Cue Card
Talk about something you shared with someone else.
You should say:- what you shared
- why you shared it
- who you shared it with
And explain why you decided to share it with this person.
IELTS Speaking Practice
Cue Card
Sample Answer
A few years ago, my friend and I shared a car. This was when we were both students. We were both living away from home and although we were both working and studying at the same time, neither of us could afford to buy a car individually.
So we decided to put our money together and share the ownership of the car – we set up a system where we would organize when each of us could use it individually and then other times either of us could use it, and if we ever needed to swap I would just confirm it was OK with him or he would ask me if he could use it.
It was quite an old car, but it allowed us both to go places we probably wouldn’t have if we hadn’t had it. But the most important thing was it made going home to visit our parents much easier.
We used to take turns; so for example, my friend would have it for two weekends each month I would have it for the other two weekends. It was so much easier than the long bus ride, which was the alternative.
It worked out really well while we were students, and then after we had graduated we ended up working and living in different parts of the country, so before we left we sold it and split the cash between us.
At the time I think we were the only people I knew who shared a car, but it worked for us, because I trusted him and he trusted me, and we both appreciated that without sharing the car, we wouldn’t have been able to do a lot of things.
So it was a mutually beneficial arrangement and certainly made life a lot easier at that time, so it was a good idea.
IELTS Speaking Test
Part 3
Topic: Sharing Accommodation
What are some of the advantages of sharing accommodation?
Well, a couple I can think of would be it’s normally cheaper than paying all the rent yourself, and some people prefer to live with someone else than be on their own.
If you share you can usually get a better place than if you tried to rent on your own. You know, you can get a bigger apartment or even a small house, and with better facilities or in a better neighborhood.
Sometimes, if you try to rent on your own, and your budget is limited, the accommodation options can be a bit limited.
Topic: Sharing Ideas
What are some situations where sharing ideas can be a good thing?
It’s interesting, I learned the value of this when I started working. We used to have problem-solving meetings where we would have to come up with solutions to a problem.
The amazing thing was the wide variety of ideas that people would come up with. It demonstrated just how many different ways a problem can be approached by different people.
Apart from dealing with a problem, sharing ideas can also work well when it comes to making a difficult decision or choosing a special gift for someone.
Even things like trying to decide where to go on a holiday; if you get your friends to share their ideas it’s a lot easier than trying to think of the best place on your own.
Is it better to share ideas working in a team or work on an idea individually? What are some of the benefits of this?
I think if you’re working in a team then the whole idea is to collaborate and do things together to get the best result, so sharing ideas should be a natural part of the teamwork process.
But I guess there can also be times when having an idea and working on it by yourself can be a good thing too. For example, if you have an idea about something very innovative, you might want to keep it to yourself until you have fully developed the idea.
You know, until you have everything clear in your mind, and then maybe share it with other people to make it happen.
There are benefits to both ways of dealing with ideas. In a team, sharing ideas can generate a better or more comprehensive solution to a problem or create an even better idea than the original one.
Working on an idea on your own gives you more time to refine it, develop it, and really make it your own creation, which can be extremely satisfying, and in some cases more successful – especially if it becomes your passion or it’s an idea for a business or something like that.