An IELTS candidate reported that she was asked these IELTS speaking questions in her speaking test yesterday.
The same questions were also asked in some IELTS speaking tests last month, so there's a possibility they will still be in use for the rest of this month.
IELTS Speaking Part 1 Questions
HometownWhat did you like most about the town where you grew up?
It was a quiet place, and everyone knew everyone else. It was a very close community, and it was like having a really big family because everyone there was so friendly.
Where You LiveWhat do you like the most about the home you are staying in currently?
It's much larger than the house we used to have, and we also have our garden now, which is nice. The garden is probably the thing I like best about where I live because it's so nice to sit outside in the evening and relax, read or chat with my family. We often cook dinner outside at weekends to enjoy the view and the fresh evening air.
What kind of house would you like to build in the future?
I'm not sure - I haven't thought about that before. I had always thought that one day in the future, I would have my own house, but I'd never seriously considered building a house or what kind of house it would be. All I know is that it would have to have a large garden.
Public TransportDo you prefer public or private transport?
I prefer both, but for different reasons. I prefer using my car at home because it's easier than public transport. After all, we live some distance away from the main city, so having a car is more convenient.
But when I'm in the city, I much prefer to use the metro or buses because driving in the city is frustrating, especially if you're not from there. It's easy to take a wrong turn and then get stuck in traffic for ages. Taking the bus or metro is hassle-free, and you don't have to worry about parking either.
When did you last use public transport?
That would be last weekend when I visited my friend – I took the train.
What kind of transport would you recommend a visitor to your city to use? Why?
I would recommend a visitor to use the taxis, buses and metro system to get around. Taxis are relatively cheap, and you can hail one anywhere on the street.
The bus system is also easy to use, in that you can pay once and ride the bus all day to different destinations.
And for getting across town, the metro is by far the quickest and easiest mode of transport.
I think a visitor would find it very confusing and stressful renting a car and trying to drive around the city.
IELTS Speaking Part 2 Questions
Describe a day when you woke up early
You should say:
- when you woke up
- why you woke up so early
- what you did
and explain why you prefer waking up early or later.
Describe a day when you woke up early
Last weekend I woke up early, it was on Saturday morning. I was going to visit my friend in another city, and I had to leave early to catch the first train because she lives quite a long way away from me and it takes about three hours to get there.
So I got up at around 5 am and had a shower, had a quick breakfast, and then got ready to go to the station. I got a taxi to the station, bought my ticket and then had to wait around 20 minutes for the train.
On the train, I read a book I've been reading for the past couple of weeks. I also texted my friend a few times to let her know I was on my way and when I'd be arriving so she could plan to meet me at the station.
I also met someone I knew on the train. It was another girl who went to the same school as me, years ago.
So we chatted for maybe an hour, catching up on all the gossip and things we had done since graduating high school – I guess we must have talked for about an hour or so by which time the train arrived at the station.
My friend was waiting for me, and I was famished after the journey, so we went for something to eat and drink quickly and then we went into the city to spend the day together.
We visited some of her favorite places and did some shopping. Well, a lot of shopping actually and then we stopped at a nice little café to have a snack in the afternoon.
Later on, we went back to her apartment, close to the university where she is studying. We just hung out for a while, talking and catching up with what we had been doing since we last saw each other, about 6 months ago.
I stayed with her for the weekend. On Sunday we went to a big park. Many people were doing different activities, and some were just relaxing and sitting on the grass. It was a beautiful day, so we enjoyed being outside in the warm weather.
In the afternoon we went for lunch at one of her favorite restaurants and then in the evening we met up with some of her other friends, and we went to watch a movie. It was a great weekend.
I don't mind waking up early, especially if there's something special to do. But I also like to sleep late sometimes if I feel tired or don't have any special plans for the day.
IELTS Speaking Part 3
Sleep PatternsDo late working hours affect people's sleep patterns? How are they affected?
I suppose they might, but then it would depend on the rest of the person's daily routine. I mean, if the person normally works late at night but doesn't have to get up early the next day – it's their routine; working late – sleeping late. Maybe they manage to sleep fine during the day and get enough sleep to rejuvenate themselves.
After all, it's what people who work shifts have to do all the time – they might work nights for a couple of weeks or even a month and then switch to daytime shifts. So they have to get used to sleeping at different times of day or night depending on their work pattern.
But the important thing is that their routine is not irregular or changing every other day. Their routine is normally fixed for a while, allowing them to plan their life around it.
Now, it would be a completely different case if a person starts work early in the morning and is still working at 11 pm. They're not going to have enough time to sleep and recover before they have to return to work again.
In cases like that, the person may be able to manage such a demanding routine for a while. But it will catch up with them, and if they do it over a prolonged period, their health will probably suffer because of it.
So if it's a temporary thing, yes, the person might have trouble sleeping. They might find it difficult to relax when they arrive home or adjust their routine accordingly to get sufficient sleep.
And I guess they could become grumpy and irritable due to lack of sleep. But people who work late regularly probably don't have too many problems dealing with it.
Study HabitsDo you like studying late? Why?/Why not?
Sometimes, yes. It depends if I'm studying something interesting or not. I remember some nights when I was studying for my degree when I lost track of time and studied almost right through the night.
When it's a topic or subject that is interesting, the time just flies by. But, there are also times when I had to study certain things that I didn't find very interesting. I usually left those for the daytime, early in the morning, when I felt I had more energy to concentrate on them.
So it depends on what it is that I have to study. But when I study late, I quite enjoy the change of routine. Because there is a bonus – late at night, there are fewer distractions because normally all my family is asleep and the house is nice and quiet.
Why do you think some people like to study late at night?
Well, as I said, one of the advantages that I found was that I was interrupted less. So maybe people like the fact that they have more peace to study late at night. They've had time to relax a little after their day, had something to eat and showered, and are now feeling fresh and re-energized, ready to concentrate on studying.
Some people might like it because it's the only time of day they can find time to focus and concentrate without other people asking them something.
In the evening or at night, it's usually easier to study for an extended period. During the day there tend to be many more things which have to be done or maybe you can only find short periods to study during the day before you need to be someplace else.
Time ZonesSome places have fixed times of day and night, and in other places, it varies. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of both?
I would guess that, for example, in Europe where the days are longer in the summer and shorter in the winter, there are various advantages, especially in the summer. You might be able to take advantage of the additional daylight hours after work to do some kind of sport or activity outside with your family or friends. Or enjoy the summer evening outside in the garden.
A disadvantage would be that the winter days are shorter with less sunlight, so you get up in the dark, go to work in the dark, and go home again in the dark in some cases. That would mean that people who work inside all day might not see much natural daylight except at weekends.
As for places with fixed times, well, I suppose an advantage would be that you don't have to make any changes to your habits or adapt your routines to suit the seasonal changes.
I mean, we just have a dry season and a wet season, but we don't have to make much of an adjustment to the way we live. It's still light at the same time every day and dark at the same time of night every day all year long.
Maybe a disadvantage is that it's boring compared to experiencing seasonal changes in daylight hours. But I prefer to have it the same all year round without needing to change your daily routine or the things you do.
Good luck with your IELTS speaking test!