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Hang out is one of the first phrases that I encourage my students to practise for the speaking test.

That’s because it’s an example of idiomatic vocab (required for band 7+), so it’s natural and commonly used by native speakers. Also it’s extremely versatile – it can be used in a wide range of part 1 speaking and even writing topics.

So for example you are asked about whether you like cooking and you reply that you enjoy just hanging out in the kitchen. If the examiner asks you about your weekends, then you can say that you love  hanging out in the countryside. If they ask you about books, you can respond by saying that you like nothing more than hanging out with a good book. ..get it?

And by the way, your answers don’t have to be 100% true. It’s not a truth test. It’s an English test.

So what does ‘hang out’ mean? It means ‘To spend time with people or in a particular place’.

“Most people like hanging out with their friends or family. Some people like to hang out at a cafe, or the library, just people watching. Some people like to kill a few hours by hanging out with a good book. Others like to hang out in the park or at the beach, just watching the world go by. These days, a lot of young people enjoy hanging out on Facebook. Some people like hanging out with their pets. Others don’t like hanging out with anyone. I was hanging out at the park the other day and I ran into an old friend.”

Now it’s your turn! Put your answers in the comments.

Who do you like to hang out with?

Where do you like to hang out?

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