IELTS Writing Task 1: The most important skill

Probably the most important skill for task 1 is to be able to describe numbers correctly. Look at the table below.

It's useful to think about how to start your sentences. For example, here are some sentences about the year 1970:
1) 60 million tonnes of goods were transported by road.
2) The amount of goods transported by road totalled 60 million tonnes.
3) Road vehicles were used to transport 60 million tonnes of goods.
You should notice that it's much easier to begin with the number (sentence 1). This is how I usually prefer to write sentences for task 1.
Number 2 is good, but you might find that you repeat "the amount of goods" too many times if you only use this type of sentence.
Number 3 is the most difficult. You can't say "Road was used", so you have to add the word "vehicles". Most students make a mistake here.


From:IELTS.Simon.com

5-Paragraph Essay

IELTS Speaking Part 1: strange questions

In part 1 of the speaking test, the examiner will ask around 10 easy questions. However, students have reported some strange questions, such as:

1. Do you like parks?
2. Do you think different colours can change our moods?
3. When do people give flowers in your country?

Don't be shocked by these questions. Just give a simple answer with a reason. Don't worry about using fantastic grammar or vocabulary; just try to answer without hesitating. For example:

1. Yes, I like parks because they are great places to relax. I think all cities need green areas.
2. Yes, I think bright colours, like red, can make you feel energetic. Some greens and blues can be more relaxing.
3. People give flowers on special occasions like birthdays or on Valentine's Day. In my country, giving flowers is seen as romantic.

From: IELTS-Simon.com

IELTS Speaking Test in Australia – August 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- What do you do at work?
- Does your name have a meaning?
- Is your name popular in your country?
- What are the common names in your country?

Cue Card
Talk about your experiences with public transport. Please say

- Where did you use it?
- Why did you take the public transport?
- Describe your experience.

Discussion
- Do you think people should use public transport more often?
- What should the government do to encourage people to use public transport?
- What environmentally-friendly public transport solutions should the government invest in?
- What should the government do to discourage people from buying private cars?

IELTS Speaking Test in the UK – July 2013 (Academic Module)

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?

Cue Card
Describe a library that you visit. Please say:

- Where is the library located?
- When did you go there?
- Why do you visit this library?

Discussion
Don’t remember.

IELTS Speaking Test in Canada – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- What do you do after work?
- Do you use public transport?
- What type of transport do use most often?
- How can the city transport system be improved?

Cue Card
Talk about online shopping. Please say

- What did you buy online recently?
- Why did you buy online?
- Were you happy with the product?

Discussion
- Do you see a difference between restaurants here and in your home country?
- Would you like to be a news reporter?
- What qualities should you have to become a news reporter?
- Do you watch local or world news mostly?
- Do you prefer to read news in a newspaper or online? Why?
- Do you share news with your co-workers or friends?

IELTS Speaking Test in the USA – July 2013 (Academic Module)

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you prefer international or local news?
- Would you like to become a news reporter?
- Do you discuss news with your friends?

Cue Card
Talk about an old person whom you know. Please say

- How did you meet him/her?
- Why is he/she important to you?
- What personality does this person have?

Discussion
- Why are elderly people important for us?
- Is it better to care for the elderly at home or in a nursing home?
- What qualities should one have to take care of the elderly?
- What can the elderly teach young people?

IELTS Speaking Test in Australia and New Zealand – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- What was your favorite toy as a child?
- Why did you like it so much?
- Do you still have it?
- Would you buy the same toy for your children?

Cue Card
Describe your favorite street in the city/town where you live. Please say:

- Where is it?
- What do you like about it?
- How often do you go there?

Discussion
- What do you know about internet shopping?
- Do you shop online?
- Do you find it useful?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of online shopping?
- How often do you shop online?

IELTS Speaking Test in India – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- When is your most productive part of the day?
- Why can’t you maintain the same level of energy during other parts of the day?
- Why don’t you like mornings?
- Do you like to walk in the forest or bush?
- Do you like hanging out with your friends a lot?

Cue Card
Describe a country that you would like to visit (other then your own country). Please say

- Where is it?
- What do you know about it?
- How did you become interested in this country?
- What is the most interesting thing about this country?

Discussion
- Should countries spend money on international tourism?
- What are the benefits of international tourism?
- Why do people travel to foreign countries for holidays?
- What damages can be done to a country by international tourism?
- Why do you think so?

IELTS Speaking Test in Singapore – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you like music?
- What music do you like the most?

Cue Card
Describe the most polite person that you know. Please say

- Who is this person?
- How did you meet him/her?
- Do you enjoy his/her company?

Discussion
- Do people behave politely were you live?
- Is it in the culture of your country?
- Is there a difference between your own and other countries in that respect?

IELTS Speakig Test in Australia – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- What kind of buildings do you have in your country?
- Are there more ancient or modern buildings?
- Describe one of the buildings’ designs in your country.
- Describe the building you live in.
- Is it important for you to relax?
- What do you do to relax?
- Why do we need to relax?

Cue Card
Describe an old friend that you have met recently. Please say

- Who is he/she?
- Where did you meet him/her?
- How did you meet in the first place?

Discussion
- Is there a difference in friendship with people you meet occasionally and friends you made in school or university?
- Are you still in contact with your friends from school/university?
- On what occasions do we usually meet new friends?
- In your country, where do usually children meet new friends?

IELTS Writing Task 1: language for comparing

IELTS Reading; Collocations

 

IELTS Speaking Test in Dublin, Ireland – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Where do you live?
- Do you write a lot?
- Did you write a lot when you were at school?
- What did you write most of the time?
- Describe your dream home.

Cue Card
Talk about an incident when you were late for something. Please say

- What and when was it?
- How did you manage it?
- How did you feel about it later?

Discussion
- How important is it for people to be punctual, nowadays?
- What is the difference in time management between the young generation and older people? - People in some countries are more punctual than in others, why?

IELTS Speaking Test in the UAE – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you have friends at your work place?

Cue Card
Talk about cooking at your home. Please say

- Who usually cooks in your home?
- What did you cook in your first time?
- Do people watch cooking programs in your country? Why?

Discussion
- Tell me about a place in the seaside of a country that you would like to visit.
- What do people do there?
- Who told you about this place?
- Have you ever traveled by ship?
- What are the benefits of traveling by ship?

IELTS Speaking Test in the USA – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- What do you do ?
- What do you do around the house?
- Did you do any household work as a child?
- Did you find it difficult? Why?
- Do you think children should help around the house?

Cue Card
- Describe a situation when you were late. Please say

- What was the occasion?
- What was your reason for being late?
- How did you feel after that?

Discussion
- What happens when somebody comes late to the office ?
- How do you manage your time on a daily basis?
- How do you think technology can help in time management?
- Do people actually benefit from using this technology?
- What do you usually do after coming home from work?
- What time do you usually wake up in the morning?
- Would you say your sleeping time varies?
- How does workload affect people’s lives?
- How are relationships affected by it?

IELTS Speaking Test in Singapore – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- What do you do in your spare time?
- Do you like traditional performances, shows or dances?
- Do you watch news on TV or prefer to read it online?
- Are you interested more in international or local news?

Cue Card
Talk about a TV program or a show that you saw lately. Please say

- What was it?
- How did you feel about it?
- Would you recommend it to others?

Discussion
- Are there many performances in your country?
- Do you think young people like to watch traditional performances?
- How can the government support local artists?

IELTS Speaking Test in India and Sri Lanka – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you live in the countryside or town?
- How is the countryside different from town?
- How has life changed over time in the countryside?

Cue Card
Describe a game (not a sport) which you liked to play in your childhood. Please say

- Why did you like it?
- Whom were you playing with?
- Where and when were you playing it?

Discussion
- How have these games changed today?
- Do you think children nowadays still like to play those games?
- Has technology affected their playing habits, in your view?
- What games do adults play nowadays at parties?
- How has technology affected their choice of games?

IELTS Speaking Test in Australia – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Do you work or do you study?
- What do you do at work?
- Does your name have a meaning?
- Is your name popular in your country?
- What are the common names in your country?

Cue card
Talk about one of the occasions when you used public transport. Please say:

- Where did you go?
- Why did you use public transport?
- Describe your experience.

Discussion
- Do you think people should use public transport more often than driving their own car?
- What do you think the government should do to encourage people to take public transport more often?
- What environmentally-friendly public transport solutions do you think the government should invest in?
- What do you think the government should do to discourage people from buying private cars?

IELTS Speaking Tests in India, Saudi Arabia and Iran – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- What kind of home would you prefer?
- Why don’t you like living in a flat?

Cue Card
Talk about a country that you would like to visit. Please say

- What country is it?
- Why do you want to go there?
- What would you be doing there?

Discussion
- What are the advantages of global tourism?
- How does tourism help the economy of a country?
- What are the disadvantages of tourism?
- Do you agree that cultural differences of tourists may affect locals?

IELTS Speaking Tests in Iran and India – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- How close are you to your friends?
- Did your parents choose your clothes for you when you were young?
- What kind of clothes do you prefer now?
- Did you ever have to choose clothes for anyone?

Cue Card 1
Talk about an interesting advertisement that you saw. Please say

- What was it?
- When and where did you see it?
- How did it affect you?

Discussion 1
- What forms of advertisements are popular?
- Did you ever have a boat trip?
- Is it popular in your country?
- Do you enjoy spending time on a boat?

Cue Card 2
Describe a book that you are interested in. Please say

- What is the book about?
- Why are you interested in it?
- How did you know about that book?

Discussion 2
- Can reading books be a hobby for everyone?
- What kind of books are famous in your home country?
- Why do people prefer to buy old books?
- What kind of books were read in the past?
- What do you think about e-leanring?

IELTS Speaking Test in Canada – June 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Do you live in a house or a condo? Why?
- Which part of your daily routine would you like to change?
- How is your daily routine different now from when you were a child?

Cue Card
Talk about a foreign language (except English) that you would like to learn. Please say

- What language would you learn?
- Why would you learn it?
- How would you learn it?
- How would you use it?

Discussion
- Do you think it’s possible to learn a country’s culture without speaking the language?
- Do you think children learn foreign languages faster than adults?

IELTS Speaking Test in Nigeria – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Where do you live?
- Is it your own house or rented?
- What is your favorite place in your house? Why?
- What form of advertisement do you prefer: newspaper, radio or TV?
- What do you think about such a rapid development of mobile phones?
- Would you buy the latest mobile phone available? Why?

Cue Card
Talk about a comedy movie that you have watched recently and that made you laugh. Please say

- What movie was it?
- Why was it so funny?
- Would you recommend it to others?

Discussion
- What is your opinion about humour?
- How important is it in life?
- Do you think it is important to use humour when teaching children in school?
- Do you think it is important to learn other people’s culture to be able to understand foreign comedy/humour?
- Do you think it is important to introduce humour in international business?

IELTS Speaking Test in Malaysia and Australia – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Did you play with toys when you were a child?
- What kinds of toys did you like? Why?
- In your country, do boys and girls play with the same types of toys?
- Do you still have your toys? Why?

Cue Card
Describe a party that you would like to arrange for your friends or family. Please say

- Who would you invite to the party?
- When and where would you hold the party?
- What would you and the guests do at the party?
- Explain why you would hold this party.
- What preparations would you need for this party?

Discussion
- What kind of parties do people like to give in your country?
- Is there any change in this trend at present compared to the past?
- What reasons do you think can bring such changes?
- What is the relevance of international festivals or celebrations to the world’s community?

IELTS Speaking Test in Australia – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?

Cue Card
Talk about a person in your life who is very polite. Please say

- Who is that person?
- How long have you known him/her?
- Why do you think he/she is so polite?

Discussion
- Why is it important to respect each other?
- In what ways teachers can teach children to respect others?
- Do you think it should be learnt in schools?
- To what extent do teachers succeed in this process?

IELTS Speaking Test in Auckland, New Zealand – July 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- How many hours do you spend studying every day?
- Did you make some new friends in the place where you study?
- Do you watch TV in another language normally?
- Tell me about a TV program that you find interesting.
- Do you think TV helps you to learn a new language?

Cue Card
Talk about a historical event that interests you. Please say

- What is the event?
- How did you know about it?
- When and where did it take place?

Discussion
- Why do you think people study history?
- Do you like history?
- How can teachers improve the way they teach history?
- What do you think future historians will study about us?
- Tell me about a building constructed recently that might be considered an historical symbol in the future.