IELTS PREPARATION - SPEAKING

LESSON 2 – Living habits and Transport – Phrasal Verbs

A. DISCOURSE MARKERS (cont.)

What do you remember about discourse markers in lesson 1? Share with your classmates.
Here are two other common types of discourse markers that we may use:
 Discourse markers – saying something in another way: what I mean is; the thing is; I mean;...
 Discourse markers – showing the speaker’s attitude or point of view: if you ask me,
obviously; I must say that; I must admit that;…

B. IELTS SPEAKING PART 1 – LIVING HABITS.

1. Look at the conversation below. Fill the appropriate phrasal verbs in the gaps and
discourse markers in the boxes.
A: Do you still smoke?
B: No, I (1)___________. But(1)____________, I still smoke occasionally. I’m just not a
frequent smoker anymore.
A: Well, that is definitely an improvement.
B: It’s just one of the few habits I need to (2)________________ to improve my life.
A: What other habits do you need to get rid of?
B: (3)______________ late. It’s really difficult to (4)___________ early in the morning
and (2) ____________, I will be late for work a lot if I don’t
(5)_____________ on time.
A: (3)_________, you’re right. I sometimes have trouble (6)_______________ early
and it’s because of sleeping too late.
B: And being late (7)___________ other people as well. (4)____________ if you are late,
the meeting will be (8)__________, people might be annoyed. If this goes on for a
long time, they’ll start ignoring your point of view.
2. Fill in the blanks with the given words and phrases.

Discourse markers Phrasal verbs Words

Actually sleep in free time / spare time
I must admit that hop on somewhere
If you ask me hang out online news
The thing is stay up daily routine
Obviously keep up circumstances

1) Q: What would you like to change in your daily routine?

A: , I would like to wake up early in the morning. I usually wake up
at around 9.00 am and that’s mainly because I ___________ late and I’d like to change
this one thing from my current .
2) Q: Are all your days the same?
A: Not really. For me, a day off is quite different from a working day in every aspect.
, different and events make my weekdays
different from each other, while the weekend is a time to spend with my family members
and to ____________ with friends.
3) Q: What do you like doing in your free time?
A: Usually, I love to read books, chat with my family members in my ___________. But
sometimes, I like to as well.
4) Q: What is one morning habit that you have?
A: One of my habits in the morning is reading after breakfast.
, It helps me to with what’s happening in my country and
the world.
5) Q: Do you ride a bicycle?
A: Yes, I do. , having a bicycle was like having the world in my hand. If
I want to go I only have to _______________ the bike. I have some
friends who love to ride bicycles too.
3. Try to answer the following questions in a different way. Use different discourse
markers and answer different sub-questions to make your answer more detailed.
1) What would you like to change in your daily routine?
2) Are all your days the same?
4. Answer the following questions using the given words.
1) Q: Do you have a habit that you picked up from someone in your family?
A: (To tell you the truth)
2) Q: Has someone ever complained to you about your bad habit?
A: (Actually)
3) Q: Have you ever tried to change someone’s habit?
A: (What I mean is)
C. IELTS SPEAKING PART 1 – TRANSPORT
1. Look at the conversation below. Fill the appropriate phrasal verbs in the gaps and
discourse markers in the boxes.
A: How do you usually travel?
B: I usually travel by private vehicles. I own a car and , it’s my primary means
of _________________.
A: Why don’t you use public transport?
B: I would use it if it was more reliable. The bus is the only public transport available here
but the bus drivers almost never _______________ on time.
A: Do you want it to be improved?
B: Yes, of course. ___________, this city used to have a train service. The government
really should ______________.
A: Do you ride a bicycle?
B: Yes, but only for exercising. ____________ it’s great for the environment because it
doesn’t ____________ any emission, but it’s not that great for long distances.

2. Fill in the blanks with the given words and phrases.

Discourse markers Phrasal verbs Words
Actually get on cycle
You see broken down infrastructure
If you ask me get around traffic jam
I’ll say that dropped me off destination
Obviously take off seats
1) Q: How did you reach the examination centre?
A: , after I left home, I called a taxi and it at the exam venue.
Luckily there was no , so I was able to get here on time.
2) Q: What are the most common types of transportation on the roads in your town?
A: private cars and motorbikes are the most two common vehicles in my
town. Buses are also available. To reach a far within the city, one can also
a metro rail.
3) Q: Do you think that new transportation system should be introduced in your
city?
A: I don’t think new transportation system would be required in my city right now.
________ , the real problem is in the roads. We have enough buses as it is but the
quality of public transport wouldn’t until the is really improved.
4) Q: What problems are there with public transport where you live?
A: , many people have complained about criminal activities inside
public transportation. And then, the schedule is never on time due to the fact that many
of the facilities have . During busy hours, the buses do not have
enough for people who wait for them as well.
5) Q: Do you think that there should be a separate lane for bicycles?
A: Yes, there should be a separate bike lane. , it will help bikers
more easily and encourage more people to . In fact, some countries
such as Japan have already made this possible, and nowadays a large proportion of
Japanese people use bicycles.
3. Try to answer the following questions in a different way. Use different discourse
markers and answer different sub-questions to make your answer more detailed.
1) Do you think that new transportation system should be introduced in your city?
2) What problems are there with public transport where you live?

4. Answer the following questions using the given words.

1) Q: Do you like taking the bus or taking the car more?
A: (I must say that)
2) Q: Do you prefer comfort or speed when it comes to choosing transport?
A: (You see)
3) Q: Do you want to change your current means of transport?
A: (Obviously)