IELTS Speaking Part 1 Model Answer: Talking about School

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Model Answer: Talking about School

by | Apr 11, 2019 | Model Answers

There’s a really great chance that the topic of school or education will come up in the IELTS speaking test – here’s my model answer on it!

Check out some of my speaking sample answers for free on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howtodoielts

If you want to get my best materials and support me, please sign up for my exclusive IELTS Ebooks here on Patreon.

A couple of key tips for your speaking:

1. If you don’t understand the question, you can ask for clarification of specific words but you can’t ask ‘Can you explain that?’ The examiner will just repeat the question and then move on if you don’t understand.

2. There’s no task achievement for speaking so if you are not 100% sure about the question you can try answering it anyway as long as you get the topic.

3. Don’t talk forever or too little! Aim for about 10 – 30 seconds per answer and 2 – 4 sentences.

You can read some more tips here and about exactly what will happen on your test here.

I have also written some model answers for speaking about friends and free time and phones.

Enjoy!

Dave

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Model Answer: Talking about School by Dave!

Watch more like it on my YouTube Channel.

Practice Activities!

Listen and fill in the gaps:

What did you enjoy the most about your school in the past?

Well, if you _______________ – if you’re talking about my primary school – the _______________ I liked were my teachers. I don’t know if it was just because I was a kid at the time but they were really warm and friendly – and it was some of my teachers _______________ – that inspired me to have a life-long passion for reading. I remember in particular one teacher – I can’t remember her name – it was Mrs. Riley or something – and she would always encourage me to read books, _______________ me books, talk about books with me. And that really got me _______________ books at a time when I was really _______________ .

Answers:

What did you enjoy the most about your school in the past?

Well, if you put me on the spot – if you’re talking about my primary school – the number one thing I liked were my teachers. I don’t know if it was just because I was a kid at the time but they were really warm and friendly – and it was some of my teachers back then – that inspired me to have a life-long passion for reading. I remember in particular one teacher – I can’t remember her name – it was Mrs. Riley or something – and she would always encourage me to read books, loan me books, talk about books with me. And that really got me into books at a time when I was really impressionable.

Listen and correct the mistakes:

Do you stay in touch with school classmates?

Not really, I’ve got one better friend back in the United States, but we don’t actually walk all that much anymore. He recently got married and we used to be best buddies, we would hang out as school, we’d go buy pizza together, we’d ride around together, we chatted about girls and about school and about our future – all this stuff – but since I’ve moved to Vietnam we’ve kind of known apart and we’re not really as closely as we used to been.

Answers:

Do you stay in touch with school classmates?

Not really, I’ve got one best friend back in the States, but we don’t actually talk all that much anymore. He recently got married and we used to be best buds, we would hang out after school, we’d go get pizza together, we’d drive around together, we chatted about girls and about school and about out future – all that stuff – but since I’ve moved to Vietnam we’ve kind of grown apart and we’re not really as close as we used to be.

Listen and add in the grammar:

What were your best subjects when you were in school?

I – (donot have) that many good subjects at all but I  – (is) really good in literature because I  – (read) a lot so it just  – (come) naturally to me. I  – (is) also good in history. I never  – (study) but I  – (listen) in class and I  – (have) like a, like a brilliant memory, almost like a photographic memory but not quite. And I  – (can) just  – (remember) dates and names and everything – simple! So I never  –  (have) to study but I always  – (get) top marks in history. And besides that I  – (is) good in gym because I  – (is) very athletic but even if  – (you are) not athletic  – (it is) easy to get good marks when  –  (you are) in gym. I  – (is not) good at math or the sciences or anything like that – things where you actually  – (have) to  – (put) in real work, I  – (is) bad at those things.

Answers:

What were your best subjects when you were in school?

I didn’t have that many good subjects at all but I was really good in literature because I read a lot so it just came naturally to me. I was also good in history. I never studied but I listened in class and I had – like a – like a brilliant memory – almost like a photographic memory but not quite. And I could just remember dates and names and everything – simple! So I never had to study but I always got top marks in history. And besides that I was good in gym because I was very athletic but even if you’re not athletic it’s easy to get good marks when you’re in gym. I wasn’t good at math or the sciences or anything like that – things where you actually had to put in real work – I was bad at those things.

Choose the correct options:

What do most students in your nation do after school ends?

It’s a big country/county so I can’t really answer for everyone but the school I used to go to – most kids would play sport/sports after school. So girls used to/usually played soccer and depending on the season/reason guys would play basketball or soccer or hockey. If you weren’t doing that, there was like an after-school recreational community ‘club’ where a lot of outcasts in High School could/would go to play computer games or do art or something like that. Some kids would just head/lead home – that’s what I did most of the time. I wanted to get home, play computer games – be alone. So I’d just head home if I wasn’t hanging out with a friend or something like this/that. I think there might have also been some after-school classes but they’re actually not that commonplace/common in America. Most people when they finish school, they’re done with school and they’re moving on to do something fun/funny after school.

Answers:

What do most students in your nation do after school ends?

It’s a big country so I can’t really answer for everyone but the school I used to go to – most kids would play sport after school. So girls usually played soccer and depending on the season guys would play basketball or soccer or hockey. If you weren’t doing that, there was like an after-school recreational community ‘club’ where a lot of outcasts in High School would go to play computer games or do art or something like that. Some kids would just head home – that’s what I did most of the time. I wanted to get home, play computer games – be alone. So I’d just head home if I wasn’t hanging out with a friend or something like that. I think there might have also been some after-school classes but they’re actually not that common in America. Most people when they finish school, they’re done with school and they’re moving on to do something fun after school.

Key IELTS Speaking Vocabulary:

  • put me on the spot – make me say

  • at the time – back then

  • back then – then

  • inspired me – got me into

  • life-long passion – interest in

  • in particular – especially

  • loan me books – let me borrow

  • impressionable – easily influenced

  • stay in contact – keep in touch

  • the States – America, the USA

  • best buds – best friends

  • chatted about – talked about

  • grown apart – drifted apart

  • came naturally to me – was easy

  • photographic memory – n/a

  • not quite – almost

  • got top marks – straight As

  • put in real work – work hard

  • can’t really answer for everyone – can’t speak for everyone

  • depending on the season – if it was…

  • outcasts – loners, social outcasts

  • head home – go home

Grammar relative clauses with ‘where’:

‘There was like an after-school recreational community ‘club’ where a lot of outcasts in High School would go to play computer games’

If you want to get a band 6 and above for grammar you should include at least one relative clause in your IELTS speaking.

Luckily, the rules for relative clauses are simple and you probably use some already.

There are two main kinds: defining and non-defining.

A defining one is super important for the meaning of the sentence: ‘The place where I met him was really crowded.’

A non-defining one just gives extra information (and uses commas) and is less important – just an extra detail: ‘The club, where my friend also works by the way, was where I met him.’

Some words that you can use for relative clauses include: where, who, what, that, and which

Write some examples of the places you remember well from your childhood:

‘There was a library, where people mainly went to use the internet, and I….’

Full Sample Answers

What did you enjoy the most about your school in the past?

Well, if you put me on the spot – if you’re talking about my primary school – the number one thing I liked were my teachers. I don’t know if it was just because I was a kid at the time but they were really warm and friendly – and it was some of my teachers back then – that inspired me to have a life-long passion for reading. I remember in particular one teacher – I can’t remember her name – it was Mrs. Riley or something – and she would always encourage me to read books, loan me books, talk about books with me. And that really got me into books at a time when I was really impressionable.

Do you stay in touch with old school classmates?

Not really, I’ve got one best friend back in the States, but we don’t actually talk all that much anymore. He recently got married and we used to be best buds, we would hang out after school, we’d go get pizza together, we’d drive around together, we chatted about girls and about school and about out future – all that stuff – but since I’ve moved to Vietnam we’ve kind of grown apart and we’re not really as close as we used to be.

What were your best subjects when you were in school?

I didn’t have that many good subjects at all but I was really good in literature because I read a lot so it just came naturally to me. I was also good in history. I never studied but I listened in class and I had – like a – like a brilliant memory – almost like a photographic memory but not quite. And I could just remember dates and names and everything – simple! So I never had to study but I always got top marks in history. And besides that I was good in gym because I was very athletic but even if you’re not athletic it’s easy to get good marks when you’re in gym. I wasn’t good at math or the sciences or anything like that – things where you actually had to put in real work – I was bad at those things.

What do most students in your nation do after school ends?

It’s a big country so I can’t really answer for everyone but the school I used to go to – most kids would play sport after school. So girls usually played soccer and depending on the season guys would play basketball or soccer or hockey. If you weren’t doing that, there was like an after-school recreational community ‘club’ where a lot of outcasts in High School would go to play computer games or do art or something like that. Some kids would just head home – that’s what I did most of the time. I wanted to get home, play computer games – be alone. So I’d just head home if I wasn’t hanging out with a friend or something like that. I think there might have also been some after-school classes but they’re actually not that common in America. Most people when they finish school, they’re done with school and they’re moving on to do something fun after school.

IELTS Writing Task 1: Bar Chart Owned and Rented Households (IELTS Cambridge 13)

IELTS Writing Task 1: Bar Chart Owned and Rented Households (IELTS Cambridge 13)

by | Apr 5, 2019 | Sample Answers

This is an IELTS Writing Task 1 Sample answer from the IELTS Cambridge books and it’s one of the easiest task 1s that I have ever seen on IELTS. But that’s a great opportunity for you to do an amazing job on it!

If you want to get my best materials and support me, please sign up for my exclusive IELTS Ebooks here on Patreon.

To impress the examiner on Task 1 writing, you not only need to describe all the data well but you need to use really strong vocabulary and grammar in a clear structure.

This graph is simple but it is a real challenge to describe it well. Even if you know what you have to do, it is always a challenge to actually do it.

Read on for analysis of what I did with it as well as some vocabulary that you can easily apply to your writing, links and more!

Here are some of my other writing samples for Task 2 and Task 1.

Enjoy!

Dave

 

IELTS Writing Task 1: Bar Chart Owned and Rented Households (IELTS Cambridge 13) by Dave (former IELTS examiner)

 

The chart below shows the percentage of households in owned and rented accomodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

IELTS Cambrdige 13 Writing Task 1: Households England and Wales

IELTS Cambrdige 13 Writing Task 1: Households England and Wales

 

The presented bar chart illustrates percentages of owned and rented English and Welsh accomodation from 1918 to 2011. Overall, owning and renting showed opposite trends with a sharp increase in ownership and a reciprocal decline in the percentage of renters. By the end of the period, overall ownership had overtaken renting by a wide margin.

In 1918, household ownership stood at around 23% compared to rentals, which were at nearly 80%. From that point there was a steady rise in ownership and decline in rentals. Rentals reached 69% in 1939 and held steady until 1953 before falling to 59% in 1961. Ownership rose to 31% in 1939, remained there in 1953 before becoming even with rentals at 50% each in 1971.

This trend continued for both percentages with rentals declining sharply to 40% and 31% in 1981 and 1991, respectively. Likewise, ownership rose to 60% and 69% in the same years. In 2001, the falling rate of rentals slackened to 31% (69% for ownership) and there was a small rebound that bucked the trend at the end of period with rented houses rising to nearly 40% and owned houses dipping to just over 60%.

 

Analysis

1. The presented diagram illustrates percentages of owned and rented English and Welsh accomodation from 1918 to 2011. 2. Overall, owning and renting showed opposite trends with a sharp increase in ownership and a reciprocal decline in the percentage of renters. 3. By the end of the period, overall ownership had overtaken renting by a wide margin.

1. The first sentence simply paraphrases (changes some of the words) from the task question. Don’t waste time on this sentence – write it as fast as your hand will move and the pencil will write without setting the paper on fire!

2. The second sentence is the most important sentence of the whole task, the whole writing test, all of IELTS and your entire life! My general overview covers the main trend (for both categories). You can read more about how to write an overview here.

3. The third sentence finishes my overview. Overviews should only be about 2, maximum 3 sentences, long. Do not mention any specific data or give any opinion/speculation.

1. In 1918, household ownership stood at around 23% compared to rentals, which were at nearly 80%. 2. From that point there was a steady rise in ownership and decline in rentals. 3. Rentals reached 69% in 1939 and held steady until 1953 before falling to 59% in 1961. 4. Ownership rose to 31% in 1939, remained there in 1953 before becoming even with rentals at 50% each in 1971.

1. I start with the logical place – the first year. I compare the rentals and ownership in that year. Every single sentence you write should have some sort of comparision. No exceptions!

2. My second sentence summarises the trend that I will continue to detail.

3. My third sentence gives the specific data and years. Always, always include the year and the key data or you could end up with a 5 for task achievement!

4. My fourth sentence continues the comparision of specific data.

1. This trend continued for both percentages with rentals declining sharply to 40% and 31% in 1981 and 1991, respectively. 2. Likewise, ownership rose to 60% and 69% in the same years. 3. In 2001, the falling rate of rentals slackened to 31% (69% for ownership) and there was a small rebound that bucked the trend at the end of period with rented houses rising to nearly 40% and owned houses dipping to just over 60%.

1. My first sentence continues to describe them as ownership overtakes rentals in the middle of the period.

2. The second sentence compares ownership’s data with rentals.

3. My final sentence includes all the data from the graph.

 

Vocabulary Practice

I put some mistakes into the writing below – can you find and correct the vocabulary mistakes? Some are too informal, others are just incorrect vocabulary…

The described presented bar chart illustrates percentages of owned and rented English and Welsh accomodation from 1918 to 2011. Overall, owning and renting showed opposites with a sharper increase in ownership and a reflecting decline in the percentage of renters. By the end of all the period, overall ownership had overcome renting by a big margin.

In 1918, household ownership witnessed at around 23% compared to rentals, which were at near 80%. From that point it was a steady jump in ownership and disaster in rentals. Rentals climbed 69% in 1939 and held straight until 1953 before dying to 59% in 1961. Ownership flew upwards to 31% in 1939, stayed put there in 1953 before equal with rentals at 50% each in 1971.

This trend continued for both percentages with rentals very down to 40% and 31% in 1981 and 1991, respectively. Likewise, ownership rose to 60% and 69% in the same years. In 2001, the ungrowing rate of rentals recovered to 31% (69% for ownership) and there was a upwards that went against at the end of period with rented houses rising to nearly 40% and owned houses going under to way over 60%.

 

Answers

The presented bar chart illustrates percentages of owned and rented English and Welsh accomodation from 1918 to 2011. Overall, owning and renting showed opposite trends with a sharp increase in ownership and a reciprocal decline in the percentage of renters. By the end of the period, overall ownership had overtaken renting by a wide margin.

In 1918, household ownership stood at around 23% compared to rentals, which were at nearly 80%. From that point there was a steady rise in ownership and decline in rentals. Rentals reached 69% in 1939 and held steady until 1953 before falling to 59% in 1961. Ownership rose to 31% in 1939, remained there in 1953 before becoming even with rentals at 50% each in 1971.

This trend continued for both percentages with rentals declining sharply to 40% and 31% in 1981 and 1991, respectively. Likewise, ownership rose to 60% and 69% in the same years. In 2001, the falling rate of rentals slackened to 31% (69% for ownership) and there was a small rebound that bucked the trend at the end of period with rented houses rising to nearly 40% and owned houses dipping to just over 60%.

 

Vocabulary Definitions

presented: illustrated or shown

opposite trends: reverse movement

sharp increase: increased quickly

reciprocal decline: decreasing in the opposite direction

by the end of the period: at the end of the graph

overtaken: to beat or go in front of or outrank

wide margin: by a lot

stood: were at

nearly: almost

from that point there was: from then on

steady rise: increasing slowly but at the same rate

decline: decrease

reached: were at

held steady: stayed the same

falling: decreasing

rose: increased

remained there: stayed there

becoming even: were level with/equal with

declining sharply: decreasing quickly

falling rate: decreasing trend

slackened: slowed

small rebound: came back up

bucked the trend: reverse the movement/momentum

dipping: decreasing

just over: more than

 

Grammar Practice

I put some grammar mistakes in it this time – can you find and correct the grammar mistakes? Check your answers with the original answer above.

The presented bar chart illustrating illustrates percentages of owned and rented English and Welsh accomodation by 1918 to 2011. Overall, owning and renting had showed opposite trends with the sharp increase in ownership and a reciprocal decline in the percentage of renters. By the end of the period, overall ownership has overtaken renting with a wide margin.

In 1918, household ownership stand at around 23% compared to rentals, who were at nearly 80%. From that point there was a steady rise in ownership and decline in rentals. Rentals reaching 69% in 1939 and held steady until 1953 before falls to 59% in 1961. Ownership rose to 31% in 1939, remained there by 1953 before becoming even with the rentals at 50% each at 1971.

This trend continuing for both percentages with rentals decline sharply to 40% and 31% in 1981 and 1991, respectively. Likewise, ownership rise to 60% and 69% in the same years. In 2001, the falling rate of rentals was slackened to 31% (69% for ownership) and there is a small rebound that bucked the trend at the end of period with rented houses rising to nearly 40% and owned houses has dipping to just over 60%.

 

Answers

The presented bar chart illustrates percentages of owned and rented English and Welsh accomodation from 1918 to 2011. Overall, owning and renting showed opposite trends with a sharp increase in ownership and a reciprocal decline in the percentage of renters. By the end of the period, overall ownership had overtaken renting by a wide margin.

In 1918, household ownership stood at around 23% compared to rentals which were at nearly 80%. From that point there was a steady rise in ownership and decline in rentals. Rentals reached 69% in 1939 and held steady until 1953 before falling to 59% in 1961. Ownership rose to 31% in 1939, remained there in 1953 before becoming even with rentals at 50% each in 1971.

This trend continued for both percentages with rentals declining sharply to 40% and 31% in 1981 and 1991, respectively. Likewise, ownership rose to 60% and 69% in the same years. In 2001, the falling rate of rentals slackened to 31% (69% for ownership) and there was a small rebound that bucked the trend at the end of period with rented houses rising to nearly 40% and owned houses dipping to just over 60%.

 

Links

Here is my live lesson on task 1 writing overviews from my YouTube channel.

To review about the topic here is a video about ‘Freedom from the Housing Trap.’

You can find some useful images for task 1 writing here on HowtodoIELTS’ Instagram.

Finally, here is a song about a house:

 

 

Comment Below:

Do you own a house? Or do you rent?

IELTS Speaking: How to Talk About Where You Live and Your Home/Apartment

IELTS Speaking: How to Talk About Where You Live and Your Home/Apartment

by | Mar 30, 2019 | Model Answers

IELTS Speaking Tips

This topic will almost definitely come up on the test. In IELTS Speaking Part 1 the examiner will either ask you about your work/study or about where you live.

Check out some of my speaking sample answers for free on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howtodoielts

So there is a 50% chance that it will come up at the beginning of the speaking test and a pretty good chance after that it will come up in part 2 or 3 of IELTS speaking.

My #1 tip for the speaking test is to be as specific as you can. Real places, people and experience. That will help your fluency and bring out more good vocabulary.

Avoid giving general, easy answers where you repeat the same vocabulary and ideas. Those answers will bore the examiner to death and lower your vocabulary and fluency scores.

Read below for some sample question and answers based on my experience as an examiner as well as a video of me answering the questions as best I can!

If you want some help with other speaking topics you can learn about free time questions here and talking about your friends here.

Be sure to avoid the mistakes that most students make on writing by signing up for my exclusive IELTS Ebooks here on Patreon.

Dave

Can the Examiner Answer the Questions? Listen and find out!

In my answers, I tried to be as specific and natural as possible, while still showing off a little bit.

Don’t give general, weak answers – name specific places, talk about real situations, give great examples.

This will help to improve your fluency because your speaking will have clear points and structure.

It will also improve your vocabulary score by expanding the range of subjects that you talk about.

IELTS Speaking Model Answer: Where you Live

Let’s talk about where you live.

Do you live in a house or in an apartment?

Right now I just moved into a brand new apartment on the outskirts of the city to save some money so I can afford the fee for this test. It’s a cozy studio and I share it with a family of 5 so it ends up being a bit too cramped for my liking. It’s only temporary and I expect I’ll move out as soon as I win the lottery or get hitched with someone rich. I don’t really fancy living in a big house but this living situation is also far from perfect.

What kind of home would you like to live in in the future?

I’m not that bothered about the type of home I’ll have in the future as long as it’s stuffed full of the things I like. It would be great to have a robot on hand to help with the cleaning up and lots of windows with decent views. The location is key too. Somewhere central would be ideal for me because I don’t like lazing around the house. I like having lots of things to get up to at night.

What do you most like about where you live now?

Where I’m living at the moment I really appreciate the convenience. There’s a supermarket just below my apartment that I can pop into quickly if I run out of something. It’s also a fairly quiet area – lots of families and older people live around there so I don’t have to deal with loud music or difficult neighbours. The other thing that suits me is the gorgeous views. From my balcony I look out over a river, nearby villas, a working-class neighbourhood, and some high-rises in the distance.

How long have you been living here?

Yeah, a bit longer than I’d like to be honest. I’ve been here the last 8 years. I’m keen on moving to a new city, somewhere with a touch of culture where I can integrate fully with the locals. I feel isolated now even though my life here is very comfortable. I reckon I’ll try out a new spot in the next few years if I get the chance.

What would you like to change about your current city?

There’s a lot of room for improvement where I live. Traffic drives me up the walls. The streets are packed during rush hour so I’d get rid of all the cars if I could. People could still get around by motorbikes, bicycles and on foot. And more music venues. There isn’t much of a music scene so I’d open some small theaters where promoters can bring in the live acts that we lack now.

Which neighborhood are you living in?

My neighbourhood is a mix of foreign expats, primarily from Korea, Japan and the West, and the local Vietnamese. It’s a good deal in the end – lots of different cuisine from all over the world but nothing too pricey. It’s also relatively quiet for a big city because my area is outside the hub of the city. Like many neighbourhoods in Vietnam, there is a lot of contrast – grotesque, tasteless mansions living side by side with cramped family homes.

Vocabulary:

brand new apartment new place

outskirts of the city suburbs, outer districts

afford the fee be able to pay

cozy studio small apartment

share it live with

bit too cramped not enough space

temporary impermanent

get hitched get married

don’t really fancy don’t like

living situation where you live

far from perfect not ideal

I’m not that bothered don’t care about

stuffed full of got lots of

on hand available

cleaning up tidying up

decent views good views/scenery

key important

central in the middle of

lazing being lazy

get up to do

I really appreciate am grateful full

convenience easy

pop into quickly go to

run out of something not have anymore

fairly decently

deal with handle

difficult neighbours annoying neighbours

suits fits

gorgeous views spectacular views

look out over can see

villas small mansion

working-class neighbourhood poorer neighbourhood

high-rises in the distance syscrapers far away

bit small

to be honest frankly

I’m keen on I like

a touch of culture some culture

integrate fully part of

locals local people/residents

isolated alone

try out try

new spot new location/place

if I get the chance get the opportunity

room for improvement space to get better

drives me up the walls makes me crazy

packed full of

rush hour traffic heavy period

get rid lose

get around go around

music venues music spaces

music scene the culture around music in a location

promoters advertisers

bring in find

live acts live bands

lack don’t have

mix combine

expats immigrants

good deal good opportunity

nothing too pricey cheap

relatively quiet fairly calm/quiet

hub central area

a lot of contrast lots of differences

grotesque ugly

tasteless mansions ugly big homes

cramped crowded

One Last Thing…

There’s one other point I want to make about IELTS speaking. A lot of students ask me about moving up to band 7 or 8 for vocabulary.

Let’s take a look at exactly what that means. In the band desriptors, to get to band 7+ you need to have lots of nuanced, specific, flexible meaning (in terms of both vocabulary and grammar).

Take a look at this answer again:

I’ve been here the last 8 years. I’m keen on moving to a new city, somewhere with a touch of culture where I can integrate fully with the locals.

That phrase is really flexible because I don’t just say that it has culture. I say a touch of culture, which means a little bit and is a very specific phrase.

I don’t just say integrate – I say integrate fully, which means completely.

If you use simpler vocabulary you might say something like this:

I’m keen on moving to a new city, somewhere with more culture where I can integrate with the locals.

This does not communicate the same depth of meaning and you will not be able to get band 7+.

Comment your own answers below for feedback!

IELTS Speaking: How to Talk About Your Friends (Part 1)

IELTS Speaking: How to Talk About Your Friends (Part 1)

by | Mar 30, 2019 | Model Answers

Talking about your friends is a common topic in part 1 of the IELTS speaking test.

Check out some of my speaking sample answers for free on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howtodoielts

If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t have any friends. Don’t worry!

Read below for sample questions and answers, vocabulary analysis and practice, sample notes and links!

Be sure to check out my post on what to do in your free time as well!

You can read (and watch) a sample answer talking about school here.

And follow me on Facebook and Instagram if you truly love me….

Be sure to avoid the mistakes that most students make on writing by signing up for my exclusive IELTS Ebooks here on Patreon.

Dave

Sample IELTS Questions: Friends

Before you read the sample answers below, practice answering yourself! If you comment your answers below I will give your feedback.

Do you like to spend time with lots of friends?

How often do you contact friends from childhood?

What do you do with your friends?

Do people in your country often visit friends at their homes?

Dave, Former IELTS Examiner, Sample Answer

Here is the audio from my answer. Listen and write down the keywords that I use. Listen again and again and write down as many words as you can.

Audio:

Now try giving my answer again using this vocabulary. Practice it throughout the day and when you go to bed at night – this type of practice is how you learn!

Sample IELTS Answers: Friends

Read and see if you can remember the vocabulary collocations that I use in my answer. Scroll below for the answers:

To be honest I don’t really have ______________ friends. I have 2 best friends that I usually ______________. One of them, Marcy, is really ______________. So whenever we hang out we go to a ______________ or ______________ usually. My other friend is just a normal guy so we’re more likely to ______________ or ______________ or something. I only really find myself in a large group of friends for work events or if I ______________ with old friends from high school or something.

I try not to but ______________ I get a Facebook message from an old classmate I’d rather forget about. ______________ a kid I used to ______________ in elementary school sent me a message asking if I wanted to get a cup of coffee so we met up and didn’t have that much to talk about. ______________ actually. If that happens again, I ______________ replying or anything. ______________ where I’m really trying to limit my interactions with people and increase the amount of ______________ I spend with my phone, computer, etc.

I told you a bit before but usually we will get a bit to eat or go to the cinema to watch ______________. Sometimes go out for drinks. I know a lot of people like to go shopping with their friends but I can’t stand doing that. I feel bad if my friends are ______________ while I spend way too much time obsessing over what to buy and I don’t enjoy watching them do the same. For me, shopping is a private, boring experience, why ______________ that?

Not really. That’s because I’m from Vietnam and most people live with their parents or have roommates so it is a lot more convenient to meet somewhere else, usually a coffee shop or, ______________, a Taiwanese tea shop because those are ______________ at the moment. I guess people spend so much time indoors on their computer nowadays it feels good to ______________. And you have to ______________ if a friend is coming over to visit and no one really wants that ______________. Cleaning gets in the way of my ‘______________‘ time.

Vocabulary Notes

‘Loaded’ is the word that I focused on:

IELTS Speaking Vocabulary

IELTS Speaking Vocabulary

You can find more vocabulary notes on my Instagram.

IELTS Vocabulary Answers

Here are the answers! All this vocabulary is for getting Band 7+ in IELTS speaking. To practice, go back to the top and try to remember my answers with the vocabulary below:

To be honest I don’t really have all that many friends. I have 2 best friends that I usually hang out with. One of them, Marcy, is really loaded. So whenever we hang out we go to a decent restaurant or out for drinks – make a night of it usually. My other friend is just a normal guy so we’re more likely to get coffee or catch a movie or something. I only really find myself in a large group of friends for work events or if I catch up with old friends from high school or something.

I try not to but every once in a while I get a Facebook message from an old classmate I’d rather forget about. The other week a kid I used to bully in elementary school sent me a message asking if I wanted to get a cup of coffee so we met up and didn’t have that much to talk about. Kind of weird actually. If that happens again, I won’t bother replying or anything. I’m at a point in my life where I’m really trying to limit my interactions with people and increase the amount of quality time I spend with my phone, computer, etc.

I told you a bit before but usually we will get a bit to eat or go to the cinema to watch whatever is out. Sometimes go out for drinks. I know a lot of people like to go shopping with their friends but I can’t stand doing that. I feel bad if my friends are hanging around while I spend way too much time obsessing over what to buy and I don’t enjoy watching them do the same. For me, shopping is a private, boring experience, why bring someone else into that?

Not really. That’s because I’m from Vietnam and most people live with their parents or have roommates so it is a lot more convenient to meet somewhere else, usually a coffee shop or, lately, a Taiwanese tea shop because those are all the rage at the moment. I guess people spend so much time indoors on their computer nowadays it feels good to get out the house. And you have to clean up if a friend is coming over to visit and no one really wants that hassle. Cleaning gets in the way of my ‘self-care‘ time.

IELTS Speaking Vocabulary: Talking about Cell Phones/Smartphones/Mobile Phones

IELTS Speaking Vocabulary: Talking about Cell Phones/Smartphones/Mobile Phones

by | Mar 25, 2019 | IELTS Speaking, IELTS Vocabulary

Phones (cell phones, smartphones, and mobile phones – they’re all the same thing!) are a really common topic on the IELTS Speaking test.

Check out some of my speaking sample answers for free on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howtodoielts

They could come up as personal questions in part 1 (‘How often do you use your phone?’) or in part 2 as personal or general questions (‘What apps are popular in your country?’) or in part 3 as general questions (‘Do people use their phones too much in your country?’).

In order to help you prepare for a smartphones topic, I have answered some questions, analysed vocabulary and grammar, made some notes and provided links to help you think of more ideas for this topic in case it comes up on the real IELTS!

Be sure to avoid the mistakes that most students make on writing by signing up for my exclusive IELTS Ebooks here on Patreon.

If you want to read more speaking topics you can check out this one on free time or this one on friends, this one on school, or this one on holidays.

Dave

 

 

The Examiner (Dave) Answers a Question

The question that I’m answering from my YouTube channel is: How many times a day do you look at your phone?

It’s a simple part 1 question, so I give a simple answer:

Here is the transcript:

Personally, it’s the first thing I check in the morning. I can’t live without it. I use it for everything – calling, texting, email, tinder – basically everything!

This isn’t a long or detailed answer. It could be better if I talked more specfically about what I do with my phone. Check the answers below for more detailed ‘show-off’ answers.

But there is still some good vocabulary.

You can use ‘personally’ as a way of starting questions where you answer about your personal habits.

‘The first thing’ is a good way to start lists or talk about your daily routine.

‘I can’t live without it’ is a common expression that indicates to the examiner natural, band 7+ fluency and vocabulary.

 

 

Sample Answers

My answer was simple and natural but not enough to impress the examiner.

Even if it is slightly unnatural, you should go out of your way to use complex grammar and vocabulary if possible.

Here are some better examples of ‘show-off’ answers:

How many times a day do you look at your mobile phone?

I’m trying to cut back massively on my phone (over)usage. But I can’t get away from it because it seems to have wrapped itself up in my life. I get notifications from friends all the time that kind of pull me back into it. If I had to make a guess, I probably look at it close to 50 times a day. That’s a conservative estimate though.

 

What do you usually use your mobile phone for?

I have to admit that phones have so many different uses. I message with friends, I have a Facebook chat group that I run for a weekly football match, I check my email all the time on it, I take tons of photos of things around me and selfies sometimes too, for my work I need to make voice recordings so I have an app for that too, if I need a taxi I use a ride-sharing app called Grab, I’m a big fan of Instagram and follow a lot of artists and comedians on there, I manage my finances through a banking app and I’m sure there are a bunch of things I’m missing out on too!

Have your mobile phone habits changed a lot over the years?

For sure. Mobile phones first came out when I was in university, some kids had them towards the end of high school. My first phone was just a cheap flipphone that could (slowly) send messages, make calls and play the earliest little games like ‘snake.’ Pretty soon after that I got a real smartphone for email and all that other stuff. I think I still wasn’t addicted to my phone then though. It wasn’t until the last 5 or 6 years when I got a new iPhone and started using more apps and as businesses and friends have taken on board an overriding digital lifestyle. Now it is like an extra arm or hand to me!

Do people in your country use mobile phones a lot?

I’m from the United States but I’ve been living in Vietnam for practically a decade. I imagine people in all countries, including the U.S. can’t put their phones down but I can only speak firsthand about Vietnam where cell phone use is an epidemic. Walk into any coffee shop and you’ll likely see individuals, friends and groups making more of an effort to check Facebook than talk to each other. It’s not uncommon to see people on their phones when they’re driving a motorbike. A lot of my friends here will sit down on Facebook after work or dinner and just scroll mindlessly for at least an hour. It taps into some desire to put our brains to sleep that phone makers and apps like Instagram have exploited, in my opinion.

 

 

 

Vocabulary Definitions

cut back: reduce or use less of

get away from: escape, leave

wrapped itself up in: deeply involved with

notifications: a signal that you have a message or update

pull me back into: bring back

make a guess: guess

conservative estimate: a guess that is not risky, likely to be true

I have to admit: use this to concede that the opposite argument has some truth to it

Facebook chat group: group for talking to each other on Facebook

run: am in charge of

tons: lots of

voice recordings: audio recordings

ride-sharing app: apps like Grab or Uber for booking rides

big fan of: really like/into something

manage my finances: in charge of your money

bunch of things: lots of stuff

missing out on: not getting to do

for sure: definitely

first came out: original appeared

towards the end of: at the end of

flipphone: old cell phones that flip open

pretty soon after that: right after

addicted: can’t stop using it

overriding digital lifestyle: using phones and internet a lot

practically: almost all

imagine: believe/think

speak firsthand: talking about something that you actually experienced

epidemic: all over the place/common/ubiquitous

making more of an effort: trying harder

It’s not uncommon: it is common

scroll mindlessly: look through your Facebook/Instagram/news feed on your phone

taps into: gets power form

exploited: take advantage of

 

 

Vocabulary Practice

Remember and fill in the blanks from my sample answer:

How many times a day do you look at your mobile phone?

I’m trying to _____________ massively on my phone (over)usage. But I can’t _____________ it because it seems to have _____________ my life. I get _____________from friends all the time that kind of _____________ it. If I had to _____________, I probably look at it close to 50 times a day. That’s a _____________ though.

 

What do you usually use your mobile phone for?

_____________ that phones have so many different uses. I message with friends, I have a _____________ that I _____________ for a weekly football match, I check my email all the time on it, I take ____________ of photos of things around me and selfies sometimes too, for my work I need to make _____________ so I have an app for that too, if I need a taxi I use a _____________ called Grab, I’m a _____________ Instagram and follow a lot of artists and comedians on there, I _____________ through a banking app and I’m sure there are a _____________ I’m _____________!

 

Have your mobile phone habits changed a lot over the years?

_____________. Mobile phones _____________ when I was in university, some kids had them _____________ high school. My first phone was just a cheap _____________ that could (slowly) send messages, make calls and play the earliest little games like ‘snake.’ _____________ I got a real smartphone for email and all that other stuff. I think I still wasn’t _____________ to my phone then though. It wasn’t until the last 5 or 6 years when I got a new iPhone and started using more apps and as businesses and friends have taken on board an _____________. Now it is like an extra arm or hand to me!

 

Do people in your country use mobile phones a lot?

I’m from the United States but I’ve been living in Vietnam for _____________ a decade. I _____________ people in all countries, including the U.S. can’t put their phones down but I can only _____________ about Vietnam where cell phone use is an _____________. Walk into any coffee shop and you’ll likely see individuals, friends and groups _____________ to check Facebook than talk to each other. _____________ to see people on their phones when they’re driving a motorbike. A lot of my friends here will sit down on Facebook after work or dinner and just _____________ for at least an hour. It _____________ some desire to put our brains to sleep that phone makers and apps like Instagram have _____________, in my opinion.

 

 

 

 

Grammar Analysis: Present Perfect Continuous

‘I’ve been living in Vietnam for practically a decade.’

Present perfect continuous is a great opportunity to use some ‘complex’ grammar that is actually very simple in terms of both its meaning and how you use it – easy points on IELTS!

The meaning of present perfect continuous is an action that started in the past and is still continuuing now in the present: ‘I have been living in Vietnam for 10 years (I still live here),’ ‘I’ve been waiting for more than an hour (I’m still waiting),’ ‘I’ve been having terrible nightmares the last two weeks (I’m still having nightmares even though when I say that sentence I am not literally having a nightmare).’

The way to speak/write with it is also very simple: Subject (I) + have/has been + Verb -ing (living) + prepositional/noun/verb phrase (in Vietnam for 10 years).

Simple meaning! Simple to use!

Just make sure that in your speaking you use the contraction ‘I’ve’ or ‘She’s/He’s’ and in your writing the full words ‘I have been’ or ‘She/He has been.’

Use it for a quick and easy boost for your IELTS grammar score!

 

 

 

Grammar Practice

 

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs:

Example: Dave _________ ____________ ___________________ (listen) to the same song on repeat for hours.

Answer: Dave has been listening to the same song on repeat for hours.

1. IELTS _________ _________________ _______________ (become) more difficult each passing year.

2. I _______ ____________ ________________ (sit) in this chair for too long.

3. You _____________ _____________ ______________ (read) this post for at least 5 minutes.

 

 

Fill in the blanks with more interesting verbs:

Example: IELTS has been making more and more money each passing year.

1. IELTS _________ _________________ _______________ each passing year.

2. I _______ ____________ ________________ for too long.

3. You _____________ _____________ ______________ for at least 5 minutes.

 

Write sentences about things in your life that you have been doing recently:

Example: I have been watching a lot of boring TV shows on Netflix lately.

 

 

 

Grammar Games

This is a simple game that you can use to practice by yourself, in writing or speaking.

When you’ve got a free moment (getting to work/school, in the elevator, at lunch, etc.) write down or say to yourself some sentences.

1. Start with your work (I’ve been working here 5 years. I’ve been sitting in this chair for about 2 hours.)

2. Then move on to where you live (I’ve been living here for…)

3. Then you relationships with friends/lovers.

4. Then write/talk about your hobbies.

5. Then about the books/TV shows/music you’ve been listening to/watching.

6. Then anything else going on in your life that you haven’t talked about yet.

7. Repeat once or twice a day and try to add more detail each time.

 

Here is another fun game for practicing present perfect continuous that you can do with friends, either in person or by messaging:

Hold up 5 fingers and say sentences about yourself. The other people have to guess whether or not they are true.

If they are right, you must put down a finger. When you don’t have any fingers left, you lose.

For example, ‘I’ve been thinking about getting a new job.’

Of course you have to be honest to play this game!

If they are not sure if you are honest they can ask follow-up questions to try to catch you.

 

Links

Watch here about How your Phone is Changing You and here about What a Smartphone is Made of.

 

Comment below:

How many times a day do you look at your mobile phone?

What do you usually use your mobile phone for?

Have your mobile phone habits changed a lot over the years?

Do people in your country use mobile phones a lot?