UNIT 2

IELTS SPEAKING PART-1

A. Description

Part 1 of the speaking test is about you, such as your hometown and your family, so you
shouldn’t really need any time to answer questions about yourself. Common topics in part-1 are:
work, study, hometown, home, fashion, internet, weather, television, sport, food, etc.

B. Easy Ways to Extend Part-1 Answer

There is no definitive answer to this, but they should not be too short and not too long. They
shouldn’t be too short because you want to show the examiner that you can actually use English,
so ‘I’m a student.’ is not really long enough.

However, they should not be too long either, because Part 1 is on familiar topics (family, work,
hobbies etc.) and you don’t normally talk for 2 minutes when someone asks you where you are
from.

Here are some ways to lengthen the answers:

1. Showing Feelings and Opinions

You can easily extend your answer by saying how you feel about the question you were just
asked. It will also make your answer more interesting.

“What do you like to do in your spare time?”

Short answer: I like shopping.
Longer answer: I like shopping because I love trying on new clothes and I always feel more
confident when I’m wearing a new outfit.

2. Contrasting Details
One of the easiest ways you can extend your answer is to simply use the word ‘but’ to
contrast details.

“How long have you worked there?”

Short answer: I’ve worked there for three years.

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Longer answer: I’ve worked there for three years, but I’m going to change careers next
year.

3. Combining Details
Instead of giving a very short answer you can add in some extra details with ‘and’, ‘with’ or
‘also’.
“Do you live in a flat or a house?”
Short answer: I live in a house.
Longer answer: I live in a house with my two brothers and my mum. We’ve also got a dog
and a cat.

4. Past Comparisons
You can talk about what you ‘used to’ do and how that has changed now in the present.

“Do you play sport?”

Short answer: I play football.
Longer answer: I used to love basketball, but now I play football more because that’s what
my friends are in to.

5. Adding Reasons
Always try to explain why you think or do something in the test. You can do this using
‘because’ or ‘so’.
“Do you like your job?”
Short answer: Yes, I really love my job.
Longer answer: Yes, I really love my job because I get to help people with their problems
every day.

6. Future
If something will change in the future, you can use one of the future structures, like ‘will’ or
‘be + going to’.

“Do you work or study?”

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Short answer: I’m at university at the moment.

Longer answer: I’m at university at the moment, but I’m graduating next year and I will
hopefully get a job in advertising.

7. Contrast Opposite Opinions

You might be asked a question where you have to talk about your opinion or another
person’s opinion. Use ‘even so’ or ‘although’ to show that you have considered both sides.

“Is your hometown a nice place for tourists to visit?”

Short answer: Yes, it has a really nice beach.

Longer answer: Yes, it has a really nice beach, although it is getting really busy these days,
so it’s not as pristine as it used to be.

8. Giving Examples
Real life examples are always the easiest things to talk about because you can talk about
them naturally and in more detail.

“Do you get along with your brothers?”

Short answer: No, we’re not in to the same things.

Longer answer: No, we’re not in to the same things, like when we are both watching TV we
always fight about what show to watch.

9. Frequency
You can use words like ‘usually’, ‘never’, ‘always’ and ‘more often than not.’ to extend your
answers.

“What do you do at the weekends?”

Short answer: I watch TV and play computer games.

Longer answer: I usually watch TV and play computer games, but sometimes I go out for a
drink with my friends.

C. Sample Answer
Part-1
(Accommodation)

- X: Do you live in a house or an apartment?

Y: Actually, I live on campus … in a single room in halls of residence … all first-year
students are encouraged to do that as they’re close to the university. Next year I plan to
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move into student digs in town …

- X: Tell me about where you live.

Y: I live with my parents in the suburbs of Madrid … we only moved in recently … in
fact we had a house-warming party just a few weeks ago
- X: What kind of accommodation do most people live in your city?
Y: In the city itself the majority of people live in apartment blocks … that’s what
surprised me about England … most people seem to live in terraced houses with lovely
back gardens …

Part-1

(Weather)

- X: What’s the weather like in your country?

Y: It’s quite changeable really … we have periods of time with clear blue skies then all of
a sudden, we’ll have torrential rain.
- X: Which months have the best weather in your country?
Y: Well … I suppose it’s a matter of personal taste really … I like it around the end of
October and November … I’m not fond of the heat waves we often get during the
summer … it’s not freezing cold during these months and we still get lots of sunny
spells.
- X: Does it bother you much when it rains?
Y: It depends … if I get caught in the rain and I get drenched I don’t like it … but I’m a
gardener so a drop of rain is good for my plants.

Part-1
(Health)

- X: Have you got a relation you’re particularly fond of?

Y: Yes … my granddad … he’s 94 years old but generally he’s as fit as a fiddle … we’re
very close and see each other a lot … whenever he goes down with a cold or is under
the weather, I make a point of visiting him.
- X: Do you do any sport?
Y: Yes … I’m keen on skateboarding … but I haven’t done it for a while … I had a bad fall
recently and pulled a muscle and had a few cuts and bruises … but I’m on the mend
and hope to be doing it again soon.

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- X: Is there anything you’re particularly afraid of?
Y: The dentist … I hate going to the dentist … I only ever go if I have a toothache so it
usually means I have to have a filling or even have a tooth out … I really don’t like it.

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