#56 - IELTS test in India – July 2016 (Academic Module)

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We are presenting a new different approach to the IELTS Speaking question solutions.

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Test # 56

Personal Questions
– Can you describe your place?

Agree politely first (Sure sir/ma’am!). Talk about the kind of house that you own (flat/bungalow…). Do not use words like 3 BHK, instead describe that it has three bedrooms. Do not get into very minute specifications. Keep your answer short and relevant.

– Is there anything special about your place? Why?

Talk about either a room that you like the most, or the interior that you feel is unique. Mention just 1 special feature (not 2 or 3) because of which you are mentioning all this in the question. You can also talk about the locality being a good one (posh/having a good environment/having all major and minor amenities nearby…).

– Which room in the house do you like the most?

The answer would be a little similar to the one above, but you will mention more details of the room that you like. Again, don’t try to explain everything that you are imagining. It is very important to know when to stop so as to not bore the examiner.

– What part of the day do you like the most? Why is it so?

Whatever you choose (morning, afternoon, evening or night), give a proper reason for that. The reasons should include activities that are usual for that time of the day. You cannot say that I like the afternoon because I get time to exercise at that time, even if you really do that. Say things that you can justify in counter questions.

– What do you usually do in that time?

As mentioned above, talk about your routine activity of that time of the day, not something that you might do once in a blue moon.

– What do you hate to do in that time?

Talk about any random activity that might be unsuitable for that period of the day. For example if you’ve talked about the afternoon being your favourite part of the day then you may say that you don’t like to work in the afternoons as you take lunch and feel like taking a nap after that. So if you have to work or study, you really hate it.

Cue Card

Describe an item of clothing that you received as a present. Please say

– What was it?

– Who gave it to you?

– What comments did you receive while wearing it?

First mention the clothing that you received – a t-shirt, a dress, a tie….then mention the occasion when it was given to you – a birthday, celebration of success….take more time in describing the clothing and the occasion (at least 50 seconds) and then proceed to the next two questions. Talk about both good and bad comments. Do not mention another present and another occasion if you feel your answer will end before time. Always focus only on one concept in the Cue Card.

Discussion

– Do you still have that piece of clothing?

You can either agree or disagree based on your answer in the cue card. If the present was an old one you may say you don’t have it now.

– Do you think office dress code is necessary? Why?

It is better to give a positive answer here. Always take a broad minded view in the discussion part of the speaking test and give answers for which you can easily give examples to support your point. Giving an out-of-the-box answer will work only if your supporting statements are strong enough and you are efficiently able to convey them to the examiner.

– What kind of dresses do women wear in your country?

Give a realistic answer here. Many students answer only about women wearing traditional clothes, or they start listing out the items like jeans, shirt, saree, salwar, etc. This is a childish way of saying this. You can say-

Women in my country wear all kinds of dresses. There are dress codes for certain places, like traditional ethnic outfits at traditional occasions, and formals at the workplace. My country is a very active participant in globalisation so western and contemporary clothing like jeans and tops and gowns are also an inseparable part of the Indian attire now.

– Do you think that dressing up in offices is beneficial for workers?
Say yes. The reason for this can be a more significant one for those kinds of employees who have to constantly meet clients and therefore need to be very presentable. Also if employees are allowed to dress more comfortably according to how they feel they look good, their confidence – and therefore their productivity – will increase.