Talking About Yourself

1
Dos

Think about the types of topics and questions you may be asked before the exam.
School, family, free time, daily routines and future plans are common topics.

Practise answering simple questions about yourself. Work with a friend to practise or
record yourself and listen to the recording.

Listen carefully to the questions. If you don’t understand the question, ask your
teacher to repeat it.

Give complete answers in full sentences.

Look at the examiner. His/her face may tell you when you’ve said enough and he/she
is ready for the next question.
Don’t

Memorise your answers. It’s good to have ideas ready, but it’s better not to
memorise long replies to typical questions.

Just reply with ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Panic if you are asked an unexpected question. Take a few seconds to think before
you answer it.
Here are some examples of things you can say about yourself:
My name’s ...
I’m from ... / I live in ...
I was born in ...
I’m ... years old.
I go to ... school.
I like ... because ...
I don’t like ... because ...
In my free time / After school, I ...
My best friends are ... because ...
My favourite (school subject, actor, pop group, sport) is ... because ...
I have ... brothers and sisters.
In the future, I’d like to ... because ...
What’s your name?
When were you born?
What’s your place of birth?
What is your gender?
What street do you live on?
What is your house number?
What is your father’s name?
What is your mother’s name?
Do you have any sisters?
Do you have any brothers?
Do your grand parents live with you?

Do you have any pets in your house?

When did you start to learn English?

What sports can you play?

Have you won any prizes in school?

Have you learned to play a musical instrument?

What computer skills do you have?

Do you surf the Internet?

Do you ever visit a chat room?

Have you ever downloaded music onto your
computer?
What kind of music do you like?

What kind of movies do you like?

What sports do you like to watch on TV?

What profession do you plan to enter?

Do you think you will fulfill your greatest
ambitions?
What is your greatest dream in life?

Would you like to be super-rich?

What would you do if you won the lottery?

If you could have anything you wanted, what
would it be?