Speaking part 1 question

types and responses.

Speaking practice document.

16-Jun-17
Dumaguete IELTS
Trevor Gordon
There are several types of questions in part 1 which you should learn to recognize.

1. List questions 2. Past experience 3. Comparisons 4. Opinions

5. Past and present comparisions. 6. Like/dislike. 7. Hypothetical questions

8. Description questions. 9. Frequency. 10 Preference. 11. Choice

12. Quantity. 13. Method.

All of these questions are structured to get the answers the examiners are looking for. When the
examiner asks you a question, they will be listening for your use of certain aspects of English.

1. List questions.

What are the most/least/best........?

What are your favourite......?

What do you like most about.....?

What types/kinds of....?

In what ways do you.....?

How many ways.....?

What clothes/sports/drinks/books/magazines....?

"What types of advertising are there in your country?" (What types..)

"There are many, such as/for example, social media, TV, radio, billboards, flyers, magazine
adverts, and internet ads. I would say that TV and social media are the 2 most popular and
effective these days".

The examiner is looking for you to make a list. Not a long list, but a list of a few items,
and explain one or two of them.
2. Past experience.
Did you....?
Have you ever....?
When did you last...?
When was the last time you...?

"Did you watch much TV when you were a child?"(past experience and tense check).
"Most children watched TV, and I was no different. I liked to watch cartoons and game shows.
My favourite program was Thunderbirds"
 Did your....?
When did you begin/start/first....?

Were (object) important to you when you were young/as a child...?

Books were part and parcel of life as a child. Our parents made us read at every opportunity and
it soon became second nature.

The examiner is looking for you to talk about a past experience, and to use the past
tense correctly.

3. Past & Present comparisons.

Has (topic) changed much over the years?

Do you feel that (object) is more important now than when...?

Are (topic) better or worse than before...?

"Are your weekends more important now than when you were a child?"

"Absolutely! My weekends now are vital to me, as they give me the opportunity to recharge my
batteries after a week at work, and allow me to spend more time with my family. Compared to
when I was a kid, the weekends then, just meant 'no school'
and more 'play time'' (present tense = green, past tense = blue, comparison = orange)

The examiner is looking for use of both the past tense, the present tense, and the use
of comparative language.

4. Opinions.

Do you think...? "I would say that..."

"My view is this....."
Should.....?
"I have strong views about this...."
In your opinion..? "The general concensus should be..."

How do you feel about....? examples of how to begin your answer

other than using "I think..."
How do you think you could...?

What suggestions would you make to....?

What would you say is/are....?

All of these types of questions are asking for your opinion. Be versatile when
answering. Do not say "I think..."
5. Comparisons in general.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of/to/in...?

What do older people do for (topic) compared to young people....?

What are the good and bad points of.......?

Do you wear/eat/play/listen to the same (topic) at different times of the day

(morning/evening)?

"What are the advantages and disadvantages to owning a car?"

"There are equal numbers on both sides. On the plus side, there is the convenience of
being to go wherever you want, whenever you want. In cold weather you can travel in
warmth and comfort. On the minus side, there is the cost of running a car, and the
depreciation". ( use of expressions to signify advantages and disadvantages, and the use of
present tense, and a comparison expression to begin).

"What do older people do in their leisure time compared to young people?"

"Young people and older people do completely different things. For a start young people
are more active, so do more physical things, but older people like to do more mentally
challenging activites like crosswords".(comparative expressions, along with present tense).

"What do you eat at different times of the day?"

"It depends on what I am doing. If I am working I eat a light breakfast of fruit, and in the
evening I will have meat and vegetables. When I am in training, I eat more rice and
potatoes throughout the day,for energy" (2 times being compared with ‘if/when’ clauses, and
present tense used).

What are the good and bad points about living in a city?

It has both good and bad points. I would say that the benefits are that there is more choice in
entertainment, and more opportunities work for, but the negative aspects are that is is more
expensive, and in most cases there is a lot more pollution, and less green spaces.

All of these questions are asking for you to use comparison language and present
tense.
6. Like/Dislike

Do you like....? What do you like about....? Is there anything you dislike about...?

"Did you like school?"

I loved school. It was where all my friend were, and I looked forward to seeing them
every day. I also was enthusiastic about studying, as I found most subjects really
interesting"

"I loathed school. For me it was extremely boring and I could not wait to get home each
day, and do the things I, wanted to do".( Expressions of like and dislike, with past tense
being used ).

These are asking you to talk about what you like and dislike. For these types of
questions the key is to expand the answers with information and examples. This also
gives you the opportunity to use vocabulary well, by using adjective and adverbs to
strengthen your answers.

7. Hypothetical questions.

If you could...? If you had the chance to....? What would you do if....?

These types of questions ask you to use a conditional tense. Because the situation is not
real, we use 2nd conditional (refer to the grammar awareness course).

"If you could travel back in time, what time period would you go to?"

(This is impossible to do, so we use 'imaginary' language).

"That is a difficult question because I would like to go forward in time, but If I had to go
back in time I would choose to go back to the Roman era, because I am a big fan of the
movie 'Gladiator' I would want to see what it was really like back then" (‘would’ and ‘past
simple’ used together to express hypothetical situations).
(Examiner: "Do you have children?" Student: "No I don't)

"If you had a child, what places would you take him or her to?"

"I would definitely take him or her to different countries to experience new cultures and I
would also take them to places with outdoor activities to ensure they have an appreciation
of nature"

The examiner is looking use of the 2nd conditional tense and good use of tenses
related to the situation (past/present).

8. Descriptions.
Describe......? Can you describe....? How would you describe...?

Asking you to describe an object, experience, place, or similar thing.

"Describe your hometown"

"I haven't lived in my hometown for many years, as I now live in Manila. My hometown is
small, quaint, peaceful, and historic. It has a lot of history, mixed with modern things
such as malls, restaurants, all the well-known clothes stores and food chains. It is not
too busy because it has a small population, and the traffic isn't a problem yet" ( learn
adjectives of description for a town or city, Use the verb ‘to have’ to talk about what your
town has. ‘Have/has uses ‘nouns’).

Learn adjectives for towns and cities, as this is a popular question in the test. When
talking be generic and specific.(more on that later in the lesson). Good use of
adjectives is important here.
9. Frequency.

How often do you.....? When do you usually...? Do you often....?

Asking for you to express how often something occurs.

"How often do you go to the cinema?"

"Because of my job, I rarely get a chance to go to the cinema. At most I go about once
every 2 months".

"I go 2 to 3 times a month. I am a real movie buff"

For this, use adverbs of frequency or frequency expressions.

This is one of the things the examiner will be listening for.

10. Preference.

Which do you prefer.....or....? What is your preference....?

Do you prefer..... or....? In which....do you prefer...?

"Do you prefer public transportation of private?"

"I am a huge supporter of public transport, because it is effective in reducing traffic levels,
and reducing pollution"
Public transport is my prefered method, but sometimes for convenience I use taxis.
For me, private transport is much better because I can get to exactly where I want to get. With public
transport I have to change, and often walk to my final destination.
"Which do you prefer, to make a phone call or write an e-mail?"

"My preference is always to make a phone call. I think they are more personal than an

e-mail."
Nowadays, most young people prefer e-mails and messaging, which is an extension of e-mails.
I tend to use this method.

No competition! I am so busy that it is easier for me to read e-mails when I am free.

Use ways to express preference, even without using the word 'prefer'

Use statements of support, or adverbs, or prefer in various forms (verb, noun,

adjective). (I prefer/as a preference/my preference….)

11. Choice.

Which (topic)......? Which would you choose out of.....?

Which...... do you prefer?

"Which time of the day do you like the most?"

"I like early morning the most. It is so quiet and there aren't many people about".

" I am really into the evenings. I love people watching and I enjoy the noise and sounds all
around me". (Use of ‘statements of choice, as above along with ‘prefer’)

This often is used in tandem with 'prefer' so if you use 'prefer' in your answer this is good.
Often this is also used with a 'superlative' (the most). Try to express you answer using a
form which expresses most or least.

12. Quantity.

"How long have you lived in your house?"(time)

"I have lived/ been living in my house for 3 years".(time)
"We have been here for 3 around/about 3 years"

How far do you have to travel to school/work/university every

day?
"Quite far. It is about 7km away and take me about 40 minutes, by bus and on foot.
Not too far. I can easily walk there in about 15 minutes. There is a bus but I rarely use it."

"How many people are there in your family?"

"There are 3 people / there are 3 of us.... in my family. My parents and me"(number)
"If you are talking about immediate family, then there are 3 of us, but extended family included
then sometimes there could be as many as 7 or 8"

How has other variations to it, but if it is followed by any of the words below, then the
response will be to provide a quantity or unit.

How - many- much - ways- days- people - long - big - small - old etc.., there are many
varieties to this question but the answer is always quantity or units.

13. Method.

This is one of the other 'how' questions.

How do you ... How can we....? How did you....? How does the....?

How do you spend...?

"how do you get to school/work?"(method)

"We have a bus which stops right outside my school/office, so I use this. It is the most
convenient"

"How did you meet your best friend/girlfriend/boyfriend?"(circumstances)

"By accident. She was waiting for her friends, and I was waiting for mine. We were in a
shopping mall sitting next to each other and we just got talking".

"How do you feel when you listen to music?"(feelings/emotions)

"I feel many things depending on what type of music I am listening to. I love jazz which
relaxes me. rock music which energizes me, while blues inspires me".(expressions of
emotions)

When answering these types of questions try to explore you experience and
knowledge about your life, and the things you know.

Using the Part 1 conversation PDF, practice identifying the types of questions. Also watch
the video which deals with 'WH- questions, and how to answer them.

Enjoy practicing. Don't make it a chore!!