IELTS SPEAKING PART 1

I. Samples and structures

1. What kind of perfume do you like?

...................................................., nothing can beat the .................. scent. You know, it perfectly
matches my ...................... as I’m kinda outgoing and cheerful. But that said, I rarely I put on
fragrance, only when meeting up with colleagues or my buddies.

Instead of “I like”, use these expressions ! Instead of “I don’t like”, use these expressions !
- ... is defo my favorite / fave. - I can’t stand ...
- Nothing can beat ... - I loathe ...
- I’m one for ... - ... isn’t my cup of tea
- I’m really into ... - I have a down on ...
- There’s nothing I like more than .... - There’s nothing I like less than ...

2. Do you like insects?

To be completely honest, they are the worst thing in this world to my mind. Thinking of cockroaches,
wasps and mossies just gives me goosebumps because these are gross. I still vividly remember that
one time when I literally fought with one flying cockroach in my room ... it was hair-raising and
hilarious at the same time.

3. Which one do you like, sunny days or rainy days?

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I’d ................. rainy days simply because I can sit on my comfy chair and ............................. my favorite
TV series. Also, I can sometimes stare out of the window from my room and ...................... about my
future. On the other hand, ............... days are a nightmare because they make me sweat like crazy.

4. Do you think math is difficult?

To be completely honest, learning math is nothing but a torture. I have a goldfish memory so it’s a
real challenge when I have to memorize the formulae / formulas. On the other hand, I find literature
more pleasant as a subject ... maybe because I’m right-brained.

5. What do people often do when it’s raining?

I reckon that it depends on ............................... Grandparents may bring the .................. in as they
often take care of domestic chores. In contrast, ................. are .................. so they may just shower in
the rain or jump in the puddles around their house.

6. Do you often look at the sky?

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Nah. I never imagine myself staring at the sky. Being super busy, I don’t even have spare time to
prepare decent meals for myself. What’s more, I’m quite down-to-earth so this activity is nothing but
a waste of time in my opinion because we can learn nothing.

7. Is going to concerts something you would do?

Yeah / Yep / Absolutely. I want to be there to root for my idols and live in the electrifying atmosphere.
But that said, it’s only a dream because paying for the ticket is something out of the question for a
student like me.

8. Would you like to visit historical places?

To be brutally honest, I’d rather stay at home and chill out because history is so dry and I was
bombarded with historical knowledge when I was at high school. Instead of looking at the past, why
don’t we focus more on the present and future?

5. Talk about time / money / interest

Time: I’m time-poor. = I’m up to my ears. = I’m working around the clock.

Money: Things are a bit tight at the moment. = I’m on a tight budget

Interest: It isn’t my fave. / It’s dry and dull. / It isn’t my main interest (concern).

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III. Practice

1. What’s your favorite kind of ... clothes/ haircut/ weather/ perfume/ food/ movies/ colour/
festival/plant/ season/ restaurant/ city/ sport?

2. Do you love ... history/ science class/ eating cakes/ dessert/ art/ running/ spending time alone/
making people laugh/ going to natural parks?

3. Which one do you prefer, ... natural parks or amusement parks/ pen or pencil/ dessert or the main
course/ water sports or the other kinds sports/ spending time alone or with other people/ running or
walking/ wearing jeans or shorts/ going to gardens or parks/ living in a flat or a house/ tea or coffee/
going to concerts or listening to music at home/ wearing shoes or sandals/ eating out or eating in /
watching movie at home or at the cinema / going to the forest or going to the beach?

4. What’s the most ... in Vietnam? (popular water sport/ popular kind of dessert/ common kind of
weather/ popular haircut for men/ popular kind of food/ popular kind of movies/ meaningful colour/
crowded place/ popular pet/ popular festival/ popular sport/ common plant)

5. Do Vietnamese like … learning a new language/ taking photos/ wearing perfume/ using social
media / buying shoes/ going to art gallery/ buying paintings/ going to public places/ wearing
sunglasses/ going to crowded places/ running/ attending festivals/driving cars/ cooking/ having pets/
growing plants/ dancing?

6. How often do you … have a break/ go to amusement parks/ run/ go to art gallery/ have a haircut/
wear makeup/ go to amusement park/ go to forest/ buy shoes/ buy paintings/ go to public gardens/
wear sunglasses/ go to the movie theatre/ cook/ drink water/ dance/ drink coffee/ drink tea/ look at
the sky/ go to crowded places/eat out?

7. Do you know much about … science/ cooking/ drawing/ photography/ shoes/ art/ the meaning of
colours/ foreign cuisine/ growing plants/ driving/ gardening/ other languages/makeup?

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IV. Speaking topics
1. Plants
1. Do you like plants?
2. Do you think plants can be a good gift?
3. Do you keep plants at home?
4. Do you know anything about growing plants?
5. Did you have plants when you were young?

Vocabulary:
 plant and vegetation
 green space/green surroundings = an area with plants or trees
 botanic garden = botanical garden: a garden, usually open to the public, where a wide range of plants
are grown
 houseplant (noun): a plant that is grown at residences or offices
 greenery (uncountable noun): green plants or branches, especially when cut and used as decoration
 to be time-poor (adj) -> can’t take care of the plants
 the scent that flowers give off -> the pleasant smell of flowers
 to beautify our surroundings + create positive energy
 to be grown/kept for decorative purpose
 to help with indoor air purification/ to purify the air
 have no clue about sth = do not know the ins and outs of sth
 some common examples: succulent (sen đá), cactus (xương rồng), bonsai (cây kiểng), aloe (vera) (nha
đam), snake plant (lưỡi hố), ivy (thường xuân), etc.

2. Save money
1. What can parents do to teach children to save money?
2. Why do young people tend to waste money?
3. What kinds of things do people in your country like to buy?
4. Do schools in Vietnam teach anything about financial management?
5. How do parents give pocket money in your country?

Vocabulary:

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  allowance = pocket money
 to cut down on = to reduce the weekly/daily pocket money of children -> appreciate the hardship of
earning money -> change their spending habits
 to be economical in one’s spending = to economize on your expenses
 to spend/use money wisely
 to squander money = to waste money = to lavish money on sth
 to limit/control wasteful spenidng
 parents are too lax/loose in controlling the spending of kids
 money management = financial management
 have/form a good spending habit

3. Physical exercise
1. Do you often do exercise?
2. What kind of exercise do you do?
3. In the future, do you want to try new ways of exercise?
4. Do young people in your country like doing exercise?
5. Why can’t some people do exercise?

Vocabulary:
 to be sort of a sporty guy/girl
 to work out at the gym day in, day out
 to keep fit = to keep myself in the pink = to stay in shape
 to be as fit as a fiddle = to be really healthy
 some kinds of exercise: to lift weight, to run on the treadmill, to go jogging, to do aerobics, to do some
push-ups, etc.
 to be exhausting/ grueling/ physically demanding + require much stamina
 to take up a new sport
 to be snowed under with work = to be up to my ears with work = to be working around the clock
 the fast-paced lifestyle + increased study pressure -> young people are time-poor

4. Name
1. Do you like your name?
2. Do you have a nickname?
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 3. Who gives the name in Vietnam? (What’s the tradition of giving names in Vietnam?)
4. Why are Vietnamese names so similar to each other?
5. Do people in Vietnam ever change their names?

Vocabulary:
 to match my appearance and personality
 to carry/have a special meaning
 to represent something (My name represents wisdom.)
 to give sb a name/ to name sb after sb/sth
 to have the right to do sth
 to consult the advice of somebody = to ask for the advice of sb
 to bring sb bad lucks + hinder their career progress -> change name
 a fortune teller: people who make future predictions

5. Phone apps
1. What kind of phone apps do you often use?

2. What mobile app do you want to have?

3. Are there any phone apps that you don’t like?

4. Do people like using apps? Why?

5. Do you want to make your own app?

Vocabulary:
 to gravitate towards sth = to be a sucker for sth = to live sth so much
 to have/download a bunch of apps
 to make good use of sth
 to be longing for sth = really want to have sth
 to cost an arm and a leg/to cost a fortune -> set aside to buy the app
 educational apps/ entertaining apps
 to be the in-thing = to be a dime a dozen
 to access a wide array of apps
 portable and convenient
 to be no easy feat
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  to make a fortune = to make a killing from creating apps

6. Newspaper
1. Do you still read newspaper nowadays?

2. Which newspaper do you often read?

3. What kind of newspaper do you have in your country?

4. Why do people love reading newspaper?

5. Which one do you prefer, reading traditional newspaper or accessing the news online?

Vocabulary:
 to read daily newspaper
 to have newspaper delivered to my home
 a host of websites = a great number of websites
 to be all the rage = to be popular
 my newspaper of choice is …. = my favorite newspaper is …..
 to be (not) in the habit of reading newspaper
 to come in all shapes and sizes
 to be my cup of tea = to be something that I like
 to provide me with a weath of information
 tabloid (noun) = tabloid newspaper: báo lá cải
 verified information >< unverified information
 to get myself updated of the current affairs
 to enrich my understanding

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