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IELTS® Speaking 1 Practice 11

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In part 1, the examiner will ask you general questions on familiar topics, e.g. home, family, work, studies and interests. This section should help you relax and talk naturally.

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  • library_books Preview Questions
    1. Do you live in a house or a flat?
    2. Is it a big place?
    3. How long have you lived there?
    4. What do you like about living there?
    5. Is there a garden in the place you live in?
    6. Do you prefer to hot weather or cold?
    7. Tell me about the weather in your country in different times of the year?
    8. Which time of the year did you enjoy the most when you were the child?
    9. Do you (usually) pay attention to the weather forecasts?
    10. Has the weather changed much in your country in recent years?
 

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SAMPLE IELTS Speaking Report

SAMPLE Score Summary
5.5 / 9
Pronunciation
Fluency and Coherence
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)
Audio Feedback (Sample)
Audio Feedback (Sample)
  Audio feedback helps with pronunciation, intonation and flow of speech
SAMPLE Criteria Score Reports

Pronunciation   5/9

• can generally be understood throughout, though mispronunciation of individual words or sounds reduces clarity at times
• attempts to control features but lapses are frequent
• mispronunciations are frequent and cause some difficulty for the listener

Pronunciation is about how you form English sounds and how you use natural English intonation. Your pronunciation and intonation can damage your score if it is difficult for the raters to understand what you are saying.

How to Improve

Watch the following pronunciation video lessons to improve your pronunciation.

Vowel Video Lesson
Vowel ɪ and i ...
Vowel ɛ and æ ...
Vowel ə and ʌ ...
Vowel ɔ and ɑ ...
Vowel ʊ and u ...

Consonants Video Lesson
Consonant b and p ...
Consonant d and t ...
Consonant g and k ...
Consonant dʒ and tʃ ...
Consonant v and f ...
Consonant ð and θ ...
Consonant s and z ...
Consonant ʃ and ʒ ...
Consonant m, n and ŋ ...
Consonant l and r ...
Consonant h, w and y ...
...
...

Fluency and Coherence   5/9

• usually maintains flow of speech but uses repetition, self correction and/or slow speech to keep going
• may over-use certain connectives and discourse markers
• produces simple speech fluently, but more complex communication causes fluency problems

Fluency and Coherence is about how quickly you can speak, how much pausing and hesitation you use, and how well you use connection words to develop and organize your talk. You don't have to speak quickly, but just quickly enough to sound natural and explain all of your ideas. Raters want to hear natural rhythm and flow.

How to Improve

To improve your speech flow...

Unnatural Pauses and Hesitations Reduction Exercise

Practice any IELTS question and record your answer. Then listen to your recording and...

Speech Pacing Exercise

An important key to earning a high score on Speech delivery is pacing in your speech. A good pacing means using proper pauses and word stresses. Here is a step-by-step exercise that can help you improve the pacing in your speech:

  1. ...
  2. ...
  3. ...

Grammatical Range and Accuracy    5.5/9

• uses a mix of simple and complex structures, but with limited flexibility • produces basic sentence forms with reasonable accuracy • sentences usually contain errors and may cause some comprehension problems

Correct grammar usage is about how you use English grammar and sentence structure. Raters want to see that you can use what you know correctly. Your grammar doesn't have to be perfect to score high, but mistakes shouldn't interfere with your meaning.

How to Improve

Using right tenses is important in IELTS speaking. Every time you are not sure about what tense you should use, refer to our sample answer and...

Grammar topic Lesson
All past tenses ...
Present perfect tense ...
How to talk about future using right tenses ...
Mixed Verb Tenses in English: Conditionals and IF clauses ...

Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)    6/9

• has a wide enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length and make meaning clear in spite of inappropriacies
• generally paraphrases successfully

Lexical Resource (Vocabulary) is about how you use English words. Raters are looking for responses that use different words correctly and accurately, and that use a wide range of words that help listeners understand.

How to Improve

To improve your vocabulary in speaking, ...

Key Words Found in this practice
IELTS speaking LessonsCompleted: 0 / 64
Useful vocabulary for Part 1 questions about accommodation

Could you tell me about the type of accommodation you live in?  

I live in an independent house, which has a proper fence and a secure entrance. It has a nice front and a lavish green lawn. And it also comes with 3 storeys.

I live in a detached house. It is about 1,500 square feet. At the backside of the house, there is a parking space for two cars. Overall, it is a well-planned building.

I live in a flat (or apartment) in a 25-storey block of flats with my family. The building has some nice amenities such as laundry rooms, a foyer, a swimming pool, and a gym.

I am renting a big and luxurious condo in a skyscraper. There are 3 bedrooms and one big living room in it.

I am renting a nice serviced apartment. It has some handy hotel-like amenities, namely room service and housekeeping.

I live in a rented room in a paying guest accommodation. It is a superb building equipped with nice facilities, such as round-the-clock security, free Wi-Fi, and a common room made available to guests.

I live in a nice loft apartment. It has high ceilings and large windows. I use it for both living and working. It also includes some cool features like fitness rooms, club rooms, patios, and firepits.

I live on campus in a single room in a hall of residence. Next year I plan to move into student digs in town.

Do you plan to live there for a long time?

My answer would be yes. I have nothing to complain about with regard to my current accommodation. Everything is up to par, from the neighbours to the vicinity to the amenities. That’s why I have no intention of leaving this wonderful neighbourhood.

What would be your dream house if you could live in any type of accommodation?

My dream house would be a high-rise luxury condo in a metropolitan area. It should be on high floors, such as 15th storey or above. There should be a huge living room, an open kitchen, two bedrooms, a huge bathroom, and one spacious balcony. Every room should be equipped with mod cons so it is convenient to live there.

What kind of accommodation do most people have in your country?

In cities, the majority of people live in apartment blocks. People who do not have enough money to buy a house normally live in rental accommodation. In the countryside, people live in terraced houses with back gardens. I feel more and more people prefer to live in the suburbs because the environment there is much fresher.

Is it better to own your own home or to rent?

I think both have their advantages. Living in rented accommodation isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For one thing, you don’t end up with a huge debt, like when you take out a mortgage. On the other hand, it requires you to pay rent in advance. As for owning your own home, I suppose settling down and getting on the property ladder gives people a sense of security. Likewise, buying a property may turn into a nice investment in your future. There is a good chance that the value of your home will increase over time, so it could be seen as a safe investment.

Why are smaller homes becoming popular these days?

It is because the housing affordability is at an all-time low these days, and smaller homes are seen as a much more practical option. Also, people are starting to see the benefits of living a simple frugal life. People can enjoy a lot more peace and quiet in a mini home, compared with living in a noisy suburb or an apartment in a city.

What are some of the reasons people renovate their homes?

It’s very common in my country because it increases the value of a home. Another reason people renovate is to upgrade a home that is old. For example, by doing up a property, they can organize and decorate their house in a way that suits their expectations. Some professional builders buy old homes, renovate them, and then sell them for a quick profit. It has become popular these days because of a home-renovation reality TV programme in my country.

Useful vocabulary for Part 1 questions about weather

What is the climate like in your country?

The climate is fairly hot and humid most of the year, with a very mild winter and a rainy season. There are also typhoons that tend to come around at the beginning of summer.

It’s quite changeable, really. We have periods of time with clear blue skies, then all of a sudden we’ll have a torrential rain.

In my country, we generally have a very mild climate. During summer, we occasionally have torrential rains and flash floods.

What is the weather like in your country during summer?

Most of the time, it is warm, but when there is a heatwave, it is boiling hot (sweltering hot). We may have plenty of scorchers.

What is the weather like in your country during winter?

As a rule, it’s freezing cold in the winter. I can literally see my breath in my room. But we still get a few sunny spells, occasionally.

It is chilly during winter in my country. It is quite comfortable, but it can get frosty when it hails.

Well, it typically snows. Usually, we have snow flurries, but sometimes we may have a big snow blizzard. If you walk outside, you will just see sleet on the road and

slush on the pavement (AE sidewalk). You can even see icicles hanging from the roof.

What’s your favourite kind of weather?

I love cool, overcast weather. I like when I can wear a light jacket and not feel hot at all.

I like mild and windy weather, to some extent. I enjoy it when the weather is a little bit hot but when there is a breeze that can take away the heat from me.

Is there any type of weather you really don’t like?

Yes, I loathe hot and humid weather. It makes me feel sick and tired when I get too sweaty and hot. Besides, such weather can ruin my clothes.

I’m not fond of the heatwaves that we often get during the summer. It becomes super hot and dry. And I end up feeling thirsty and sweaty all the time.

I dislike gloomy weather. It makes me feel depressed. I also hate the weather with big gales. It turns my hair into a mess. Who could possibly like that?

Does it bother you much when it rains?

It depends. If it is just a drizzle, then it doesn’t bother me. But if it is a downpour, it bothers me a lot because I get so soaked.

Well! If it is just a gentle (light) rain, then I am okay with it. But if I get caught in a torrential rain and get drenched, that I really hate.

Apartment/Flat: “Flat” is used in British English, and “apartment” is used in North American English. In most of the rest of the U.S. and on the West Coast of Canada, the word apartment is reserved for a rented residence in a multi-unit building.

Condo: A condo is not much different from an apartment or flat. The structure itself is a private residence, but its key peculiarity is who owns it. A condo is a unit that is entirely owned by a single individual.

Serviced apartment: (also known as an extended stay apartment) is a fully furnished apartment available for short-term or long-term stay.

Loft/studio apartment: a large adaptable open space, often converted for residential use (a converted loft) from some other use.

In British usage, amenities means useful or pleasant facilities or services, and it is a plural noun. In American usage, “amenity” is preferred, and it is a countable noun.

Detached house/independent house: a house that is not physically connected to another property. The land on which the house is built belongs to the person who owns the house.

Terraced houses: a house built as part of a continuous study-content in a uniform style.

Townhouse: a narstudy-content, tall house.

Apartment block: a large building made up of smaller units - apartments.

Rented accommodation: a property owned by someone else and for which a person pays a fixed amount to live in.

Suburb: a residential district located on the outskirts of a city.

A paying guest accommodation is generally popular with students. As the name indicates, this type of accommodation is related to feeling like a guest. Generally, in a P.G. accommodation a person is treated like a guest, but it does not imply that one does not have to pay for their stay.

Hall of residence: a college building where students live (a “dormitory” in American English).

High-rise buildings are modern buildings that are very tall and have many levels or floors. A high-rise is a high-rise building.

Mod cons: technology at home that makes certain jobs easier, such as a washing machine, a dishwasher, etc.

Cottage: a small house, usually in the countryside.

Skyscraper: a very tall building.

Rented accommodation: property owned by someone else and for which a person pays a fixed amount to live in.

To take out a mortgage: to borstudy-content a large amount of money, paid back over several years, in order to buy a house.

To pay rent in advance: to pay weekly or monthly rent at the beginning of the week or month.

To get on the property ladder: to buy a property with the aim of buying another bigger or more expensive one later in life.

The term ‘housing affordability’ usually refers to the relationship between expenditure on housing (prices, mortgage payments, or rents) and household income.

People who are frugal or who live frugal lives do not eat much or spend much money on themselves.

To do up a property: to repair an old building.

Boiling hot (sweltering hot): super hot

Scorcher/sizzer: a very hot day

Mild: If you live in a mild climate, it's warm and sunny but not too hot.

Mild winter: a winter that isn’t particularly cold

Humid: When there is a lot of moisture in the air, it is humid.

Heatwave: a period of abnormally hot weather

Sunny spell refers to weather. It means it is going to be bright and sunny all day, with few clouds in the sky.

If the sky or the day is overcast, the sky is completely covered with clouds, and there is not much light.

 

Blizzard: a severe snowstorm with strong winds

Flurry: a sudden light fall of snow

Hail: When it hails, small hard balls of ice fall from the sky like rain.

Slush: snow that is lying on the ground and starting to melt

Sleet: wet, partly melted falling snow

Icicle: a hanging tapering piece of ice formed by the freezing of dripping water.

 

Gale: a very strong wind

Breeze: a gentle wind

 

Downpour: a heavy rainstorm

Torrential rain: intense rainfall

 

To get caught in the rain: to be outside when it rains unexpectedly

Drenched: completely wet

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