IELTS Speaking : Suggested Topics : Part 2 & 3

In the second section candidates are given a topic card and then have one minute to prepare after which they must speak about the given topic. The third section involves a discussion between the examiner and the candidate, generally on questions relating to the theme which they have already spoken about in part 2.

Describing things (1 test item)
Describing people (3 test items)
Describing places (2 test items)
Describing media and communication (4 test items)
Describing celebration and leisure time (4 test items)
Additional test items (4 test items)

Describing things (1 test item)

1. Describe a piece of equipment you often use at home or at work.

You should say:

What it is
What you do with it/ How to use it
How long you have had it
How important it is to you

Discussion:

What are the impacts of electrical equipment on human’s life in the past ten years?
What are the differences of the life in the past and at the present?
What role does technological development play in people’s life?
How will technology develop in the future?
Do you have a mobile phone? What are its advantages?
Why do many foreign countries develop faster than China?
Why does the China’s West develop faster than China’s East?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of computer and internet?

Describing people (3 test items)

1. Describe a well-known person.

You should say:

Who he/she is
What makes him/her famous
Why you admire him/her

Discussion:

Do you want to become famous?
How to become a well-known person in China?
What kind of people can become famous in China?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being famous?
What do you think of the privacy of a well-known person?
What do you think of the relationship between a well-know person and advertising?
Would you be influenced by the well-known persons in TV commercials?
Do you often talk about singers with your friends? What do you often talk about?

2. Describe a friend in your school time you like most.

You should say:

Who he/she is
When did you became friends?
Why do you like him/her or why do you think that he/she is important to you?
How he/she influences you

Discussion:

What are the differences between adults and children in terms of making friends?
Can adults make friends with children?
What do you think are the most important factors when making friends?
What are the possible factors that cause the break-up of friendship?
Why is it difficult for adults to make friends?
What will the friendship become like when getting old?

3. Describe a person whom you like to work or study with.

You should say:

Who is he/she?
When did you work/study together?
What do you often do together?
Why do you like to work with him/her?/ What can you learn from him/her?
Why is he/she particular?

Discussion:

Do you like to work alone or with a partner?
What do you think of teamwork and team spirit?
What kind of people are good to work with?
Do you like group work or group learning?
What is your opinion on efficiency?
What are the advantages of studying by yourself?
What do you think of efficiency?

Describing places (2 test items)

1. Describe a restaurant or a cafe.

You should say:

Where it is
What it looks like
What kind of services are provided
What kind of food you like there/ What kind of food is famous?
Why you like it

Discussion:

Do you like cooking?
Will you cook for your friends when they visit you?
Who cooks in a Chinese family?
What do you think of the advantages and disadvantages of fast food?
Why is fast food so popular?
Where would Chinese go when they eat out?
What changes would take place in terms of Chinese eating habits?
What food is popular?
What is the difference between fresh food and canned food?
What can we do to solve the problem of food shortage?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of family food?

2. Describe an interesting building.

You should say:

Where it is located
What it looks like
What services are provided
How you like it

Discussion:

What role do old buildings and new buildings play in modern society?
What changes have taken place in architecture in the past two decades?
Do you think it necessary to protect old buildings?

Describing media and communication (4 test items)

1. Describe a kind of book you like.

You should say:

What kind of books you like most
What they are about
Why you like them most
What effect have books brought on you?

Discussion:

What is the difference between men and women when choosing what to read?
What kind books do children like? Why do they like reading?
What is the difference between reading and watching TV?
What is the relationship between reading and computer?
What are the advantages of reading books?
Why do children like pictorials?
What books are popular in China?

2. Describe one of your favorite books.

You should say:

What kind of books you like
What is your favorite book?
What it is about
When did you get it?
Why you like it

Discussion:

Do you like other books?
What kind of books do Chinese people like?
What kind of books do Chinese women like?
What kind of books do Chinese children like?
What kind of books do you recommend to others?

3. Describe a letter.

You should say:

When you received it
Who sent it to you
What it is about
Whether it is important to you

Discussion:

What is the difference between letter and e-mail?
Do you often keep diaries?
What is the difference between diary and letter?
What is the difference in the past and at the present as regards communications?
What is the role of letter 50 years ago and at the present?
What do you think of the role 50 years later?
What do you think of creative writing?
Would post office disappear 50 years later?
What role does computer play in our society?
What changes have been brought by the computer? What is professors’ attitude?

4. Describe a kind of music.

You should say:

Whether you like music
What kind of music you like best
What role music plays in people’s life

Discussion:

How long do you listen to music everyday?
Why is it easier for children to learn playing a musical instrument?
What are the benefits of learning to play musical instruments?
Discuss the impact of western music on the world music?

Describing celebration and leisure time (4 test items)

1. Describe a traditional festival in China.

You should say:

What it is
When is it celebrated?
How to celebrate? / what you usually do on that day
What you like and what you don’t like

Discussion:

What is the concept of holiday in China?
Why is holiday so important to modern people?
Do you think it is necessary to observe the traditional customs?
What changes in terms of spending festivals and holidays have taken place in the past decade?
What is the difference as regards celebration in different part of the country?

2. Describe a perfect trip/holiday.

You should say:

Where you would go
When would you go?
Whom you would go with
What you are going to do

Discussion:

What is the difference in the past and at the present as regards travelling?
How would the tourist industry develop in the future?
What should the government do to attract tourists?
What should the people do to attract tourists?

3. Describe an interesting trip you have taken.

You should say:

Where you went
When you went there
Whom you went with
What you did there
Why you like it

Discussion:

What is the difference in the past and at the present as regards traveling?
How would the tourist industry develop in the future?
What should the government do to attract tourists?
What should the people do to attract tourists?

4. Describe an interesting hobby.

You should say:

What it is
How long you spend on it
How often you do it
Why you like it

Discussion:

Do you think that surfing the Internet, watching TV, listening to music or keeping a pet are interesting hobbies?
Do you think it will cost too much time to do them?
Do you like hobbies requiring teamwork?
Why do people usually do in their spare time?

Additional test items (4 test items)

1. Describe an environmental problem.

You should say:

What it is
How long it has existed
What effect it has brought to people’s life
What we can do to solve it

Discussion:

What causes environmental problems?
What should the government do to protect the environment?
What should we do to protect the environment?
What other measures can you think of to protect the environment?
How should we educate children to protect environment?
What’s the difference between the old and the young as regards environmental protection?

2. Describe a kind of extreme weather.

You should say:

What it is
When did it happen?
Where you were
How you felt at that time

Discussion:

What should you do in a bad weather?
Will bad weather mould or change people’s personality?
What is the relationship between weather and culture?
The climate has changed these 50 years. Have you noticed the changes?
What changes do you predict in the following years?
Are the people interested in gathering the weather information in your place?
How does weather influence people’s personalities in your country?

3. Talking about learning English.

You should say:

When and where you began studying English
What is the most interesting thing in an English class?
What is the most effective way of learning English?
What difficulties you have when learning English
What are the advantages of learning English?

Discussion:

What problems do you have when studying English?
Do you think that English is the most important language in the world?
Can English take the place of Chinese in China?
What other languages are taught in China?
Do you think that age is the most important factor of learning English? Why?
What difficulties would a foreigner have when he learns your native language?
What problems would Chinese people have when communicating with foreigners?
When would be most suitable for children to learn English?
How will translation and interpretation develop in the future?

4. Describe different ways of getting news.

You should say:

Whether you get news every day
Whether the news is national or international
How you get news (via newspaper, TV, Internet, radio or other people?)
How do most Chinese people think about the importance of getting update news everyday?

Discussion:

Do you think the information on the Internet believable or not?
What is the most effective way of getting news?
How do reporters gather information?
What do you think of the importance of privacy?
How do journalists entertain their customers?
What role do media play in people’s life?
How do Chinese people gather information?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of different media?
Do you think it necessary to control the news coverage?
What kind of news do you think should be controlled?

5. Describe a skill you want to learn.

You should say:

What it is
Why you think it is important
How you are going to learn it
What role it will play in you future life

Discussion:

What do you think of the traditional skills?
What skill do you think the university has provided for your job?
What skills can you learn in school?
What kind of skills have your parents learned?
What do you think of the role of family for children to learn skills?
What is the most popular skill that people want to learn?
What kind of school would you send your children to? Why?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of school education and family education?

IELTS Speaking : Suggested Topics : Part 2 & 3

Describing things (1 test item)

1. Describe a piece of equipment you often use at home or at work.You should say:

Discussion:

Describing people (3 test items)

1. Describe a well-known person.You should say:

Discussion:

2. Describe a friend in your school time you like most.You should say:

Discussion:

3. Describe a person whom you like to work or study with.You should say:

Discussion:

Describing places (2 test items)

1. Describe a restaurant or a cafe.You should say:

Discussion:

2. Describe an interesting building.You should say:

Discussion:

Describing media and communication (4 test items)

1. Describe a kind of book you like.You should say:

Discussion:

2. Describe one of your favorite books.You should say:

Discussion:

3. Describe a letter.You should say:

Discussion:

4. Describe a kind of music.You should say:

Discussion:

Describing celebration and leisure time (4 test items)

1. Describe a traditional festival in China.You should say:

Discussion:

2. Describe a perfect trip/holiday.You should say:

Discussion:

3. Describe an interesting trip you have taken.You should say:

Discussion:

4. Describe an interesting hobby.You should say:

Discussion:

Additional test items (4 test items)

1. Describe an environmental problem.You should say:

Discussion:

2. Describe a kind of extreme weather.You should say:

Discussion:

3. Talking about learning English.You should say:

Discussion:

4. Describe different ways of getting news.You should say:

Discussion:

5. Describe a skill you want to learn.You should say:

Discussion:

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1. Describe a piece of equipment you often use at home or at work.

You should say:

1. Describe a well-known person.

You should say:

2. Describe a friend in your school time you like most.

You should say:

3. Describe a person whom you like to work or study with.

You should say:

1. Describe a restaurant or a cafe.

You should say:

2. Describe an interesting building.

You should say:

1. Describe a kind of book you like.

You should say:

2. Describe one of your favorite books.

You should say:

3. Describe a letter.

You should say:

4. Describe a kind of music.

You should say:

1. Describe a traditional festival in China.

You should say:

2. Describe a perfect trip/holiday.

You should say:

3. Describe an interesting trip you have taken.

You should say:

4. Describe an interesting hobby.

You should say:

1. Describe an environmental problem.

You should say:

2. Describe a kind of extreme weather.

You should say:

3. Talking about learning English.

You should say:

4. Describe different ways of getting news.

You should say:

5. Describe a skill you want to learn.

You should say: