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Speaking

Sample Questions

Sample Questions

Types of Questions

Sample Questions based on the 5 most common categories
Most of the questions in Part Two of the test are about:

PEOPLE    PLACES    OBJECTS    ACTIVITIES      EXPERIENCES

PEOPLE

Many of the questions in this part of the test are about people. As well as this you can often discuss a person when you are answering other types of questions. For instance, if you are describing a place you might describe the person you go there with.

Describe someone you had an interesting conversation with.
You should say:
*   who the person was
*   where the conversation took place
*   what you talked about
and explain why you found the conversation interesting.
Describe an intelligent person that you know.
You should say:
*   who this person is
*   when and where you meet him/her
*   what you usually talk about
and explain why you think this person is intelligent.
Describe an artist or entertainer you admire.
You should say:
*   who they are and what they do
*   how they became successful
*   how you found out about them
and explain why you admire them.
Describe someone in your family who you like.
You should say:
*   how this person is related to you
*   what this person looks like
*   what kind of person he/she is
and explain why you like this person.
Describe your best friend.
You should say:
*   what your friend is like
*   why you like this friend
*   what do you usually do with this friend
and say why this person your best friend.
Describe an old person you admire.
You should say:
*   who this person is
*   how long you have known him/her
*   what qualities he/she has
and explain why you admire them.

PLACES
Many of the questions are about places. As well is this you can often discuss a place when you are answering other types of questions. For instance, if you are describing an activity you might describe the place you do it.

Describe a historic building you know.
You should say:
*   where this building is
*   what you can do in this building
*   how old this building is
and explain why you went to this building.

Describe an interesting modern building you have seen.
You should say:
*   What building it is,
*   Where it is located,
*   Why it is interesting.
and explain why you went there.

Describe a city that you would like to travel to.
You should say:
*   where this city is
*   how you would travel there
*   who you would go with
and explain why you want to go there.

Describe a school that you went to when you were a child.
You should say:
*   what school it was
*   what you remember about your teachers
*   what you enjoyed during the school time.
and explain why you went to this school.

Describe a room you spend a lot of time in.
You should say:
* where this room is
* what this room looks like
* what you do in this room
and explain why you spend so much time in this room.

Describe a home that visited and liked.
You should say:
*   where this home is
*   what this home looks like
*   who lives there
and explain why you liked this home.

Describe a restaurant you like.
You should say:
*   where it is
 *   how often you go there
 *   what food it has
and explain why you like it.

Describe an area of countryside you know and like.
You should say:
*   where it is
*   what it looks like
*   why you went there
and explain why you like it.

Describe a museum or art gallery that you have visited and liked.
You should say:
*   where it is
*   why you went there
*   what you particularly remember about the place.
and explain why you like it.

OBJECTS
Many questions ask you to describe an object. As well is this, when you answer other types of questions it may be useful to describe an object. For instance, if you are describing a sport you might describe some of the objects that are required to play this sport.

Describe a photograph or picture that means a lot to you.
You should say:
*   what the picture or photo shows
*   where you got it
*   when you got it and say why it is so important
and explain why it means a lot to you.

Describe a gift that you gave to someone.
You should say:
*  what the gift was
*  who you gave it to
*  why you chose this gift
and explain why it was a good gift.

Describe something special that you saved money to buy.
You should say:
*   what it was
*   how long it took you to save enough money to buy it
*   why you wanted to buy this thing
and explain how you felt when you bought it.

Describe a website that you often use.
You should say:
*   what type of website it is
*   how you found out about it
*   what it allows you to do
and explain why you find it useful.

Describe a song that you heard recently and liked.
You should say:
*   who the singer was
*   what the song was about
*   where and when you heard the song
and explain why you liked the song.

Describe a film that you really liked.
You should say:
*   what it was about
*   when you went to see it with
*   who you went with
and say why you really liked that film.

Describe a plant in or outside your home.
You should say:
* what the plant looks like
* where the plant is growing
* how long it has been there
and explain how you feel about this plant.

Describe a handmade object you particularly like.
You should say:
*   what it is and what it looks like
*   what it is made of
*   what it is for
and explain why it is special for you.

Activities
I recommend students to focus on people, places, and objects first. This is because these aspects can also be used when you discuss activities.
Who: get ideas from the previous section on people
Where: get ideas from the previous section on places
What you need: get ideas from the previous section on objects

Describe an outdoor activity you would like to do for the first time.
You should say:
*   what the activity would be
*   where you would do it
*   what preparation and equipment you would need
and explain why you would like to do this activity.
Describe an activity that you do to stay healthy.
You should say:
*   what you do
*   when you started doing this
*   how much time you spend doing this
and explain how this activity helps you stay healthy.
Describe a picnic or meal that you ate outdoors.
You should say:
*   where you had this meal
*   who was with you
*   what you ate and drank
and explain why you ate outdoors.
Describe a live performance or show you have attended
You should say:
*   where you saw it
*   the reason why you attended
*   what the performance or show was about
and explain why you liked or disliked it.
Describe something you would like to learn to do.
You should say:
*   what you would like to learn to do
*   where you would learn it
*   how you would learn it
and explain why you would to learn to do this.
Describe a typical festival or celebration in your country.
You should say:
*  what is the celebration about
*  what people do during this celebration
*  what you usually do at this time
and describe what this celebration means to you.
Describe a foreign language you would like to learn (besides English).
You should say:
*   what language you would like to learn
how you would learn it
what difficulties you think you might (or would) have when learning this language.
and explain why you would like to learn this language.
Describe a job you have done in the past.
You should say:
how you got the job
what the job involved
how long the job lasted
and describe how well you did the job.
Describe a sporting event you enjoyed watching or playing.
You should say:
*  what event it was
*  what happened at this event
*  who you watched or played it with
and explain why you enjoyed it.

Experiences
Experiences often occur with other people, in particular places, and involve objects such as equipment. Therefore, there are lots of ideas and language from the three previous sections on people, places, and objects that can be used here:
Who: get ideas from the previous section on people
Where: get ideas from the previous section on places
What you need: get ideas from the previous section on objects

Discuss a time you did something to help someone.
You should say:
 what you did
 who you helped
 how it helped them
and explain why you did this.

Describe a time when you heard some good news.
You should say:
*  what the news was about
*  when you heard the news
*  who else heard this news
and explain why it had a strong effect on you.

Describe a meal that you enjoyed.
You should say:
*  when and where it took place
*  who ate with you
*  what did you eat
and explain why you enjoyed the meal.

Describe a presentation or speech that you heard recently.
You should say:
*  who gave the talk
*  where you heard the talk
*  what the talk was about
and explain how you felt about the talk.

Describe a time when you were late for something important.
You should say:
*  what you were late for
*  why you were late
*  what was the result of being late
and explain how you felt about being late.

Describe a course you took at high school.
You should say:
*   what the course was
*   why you took this course
*   whether you were good at this course
and explain why you liked or disliked this course.

Describe an important decision you had to make in your life.
You should say:
*   when you had to make this decision
*   why you had to make this decision
*   whether you made a good choice
and explain how you felt when you were making this choice.

Describe an enjoyable event that you experienced at school.
You should say:
*   what the event was
*   when it happened
*   what happened at the event
and explain what was particularly enjoyable about this event.

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2 thoughts on “Sample Questions”

    • The focus should FIRST be on directly responding to the question about your favourite song/band,
      THEN, you might move on to explain how much you like the genre of classical music and how this contributes
      to your liking this song/band.

      Reply

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