Common IELTS Speaking Part 2 and Part 3 Sample Questions Set 1 of 11

In Part 2, the individual long turn, candidates have to speak for up to 2 minutes, while in part 3, they need to engage in a two-way discussion with the examiner on topics connected directly or indirectly to the topic in Part 2.

Describe a puzzle (jigsaw, crossword, etc.) you have played

You should say:

what it is like
how easy or difficult it is
how long it takes you to solve it

and explain how you feel about it

Part 3

Why do parents let their children play puzzles?
What kinds of puzzles improve people’s intelligence?
Why are detective stories attractive to people
Which do you think is better? A detective movie or its original novel?

Describe a town or city where you would like to live in the future?

You should say:

where it is
how you knew it
what it is famous for

and explain why you would like to live there

Part 3

Why do more and more people live in the city?
How does this affect the environment and nature?
What are some factors that attract people to settle down in certain places?
What are the differences between the young and the old in choosing where to live?

Describe a piece of local news that people are interested in

You should say:

what it was about
where you saw/heard it
who was involved

and explain why people were interested in it

Part 3

Do people read newspapers where you live?
Do people prefer local or international news
Do you think it is important to have a national identity?
How can people develop their national identity?

Describe natural talents (sports, music, etc) you want to improve

You should say:

what it is
when you discovered it
how you want to improve it

and explain how you feel about it

Part 3

Do you think artists with talents should focus on their talents only?
Is it possible for us to know whether young children will become musicians or painters when they grow up?
Why do people like to watch talent shows?
Do you think it is more interesting to watch famous people’s or ordinary people’s shows?

Describe a tall building in your city you like or dislike

You should say:

where it is
what it is used for
what it looks like

and explain why you like or dislike it

Part 3

What are the disadvantages of living in tall buildings?
Do you think there will be more tall buildings in the future?
Why aren’t there many tall buildings in the countryside?
Why do some people like to live in tall buildings nowadays?

Describe an occasion when many people were smiling

You should say:

when it happened
who you were with
what happened

and explain why many people were smiling

Part 3

Do you think people who like to smile are friendlier?
Why do most people smile in photographs?
Do women smile more than men? Why?
Do people smile more when they are younger or older?

Describe a time when you saw two of your friends argue

You should say:

what they argued about
why they argued with each other
what happened at the end

and explain how you felt about it

Part 3

Do you think the argument is important?
What do family members usually have arguments about?
Is it easier for you to have arguments with your family or with your friends?
Do you think people should change the way they think when having arguments?

Describe a time you helped a friend

You should say:

when it was
how you helped him/her
why you helped him/her

and explain how you felt about it

Part 3

How do people usually help each other?
How is online help different from real-life help?
Should schools be responsible for teaching students how to cooperate?
What are the differences between help from friends and help from family?

Describe a leisure activity near/on the sea that you want to try

You should say:

what it was
what you need to prepare
how easy or difficult it is

and explain why you want to try it

Part 3

What are the advantages and disadvantages of vacations to the seaside?
Why do people like spending time on the sea?
Why do children like the sea better than adults?
What types of job positions can be found on or near the sea?

Describe an older person that you admire

You should say:

who this person is
how you know this person
what kinds of things you like to do together

and explain how you feel about this person

Part 3

What can young and old people learn from each other?
Has old people’s life quality improved when compared to the past?
Why is there a generation gap between the young and the old?
What do old people usually do in their daily life?

Describe a time when you shared something with others

You should say:

what you shared
who you shared it with
why you shared it

and explain how you felt about sharing it

Part 3

Do Nepalese people like to share things with others?
What are the consequences if children don’t like to share?
Do you think students like to share accommodation with others on campus?
How could parents and teachers teach young children to share?

Describe your favourite film/movie

You should say:

when you watched it
where you watched it
what it was about

and explain why you like it

Part 3

What kind of movies do Nepalese people like to watch?
Are movie stars important to a movie?
Are foreign movies popular in Nepal?
Is it important that a country has its film industry?

Describe a company where you live that employs a lot of people

You should say:

what it does
how many people it employs
what kind of people work there

and explain how you feel about it

Part 3

Should big companies be punished more seriously if they break the law?
Should big companies donate more to charities?
What are the benefits of working for a big company?
What are the differences between big companies and small companies

Describe a quiet place you like to spend your time in

You should say:

where it is
how you knew it
how often you go there

and explain why you like the place

Part 3

Is it hard to find quiet places in cities?
Why is it quieter in the countryside?
Why do people go to quiet places?
Compared with young people, do old people prefer to live in quiet places?

Describe an art and craft activity (e.g. painting, woodwork, etc.) that you made

You should say:

what you made
how you made it
what it looked like

and explain how you felt about the activity

Part 3

What traditional handcrafts are popular in Nepal?
What do young people think of traditional handcrafts?
Do people in your country send handcrafts as a gift?
What are the benefits of making handcrafts?

Describe a law on environmental protection your country should have

You should say:

what it is
how you first learned about it
who benefits from it

and explain how you feel about this law

Part 3

Are there laws about education in Nepal?
What kinds of rules do schools in Nepal have?
What can teachers do to make students obey rules?
What should parents do to educate children about laws?

Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media

You should say:

when it was
where you saw it
what you saw

and explain why you think it was interesting

Part 3

Why do people like to use social media?
What kinds of things are popular on social media?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using social media?
What do you think of making friends on social media?

Describe a plan in your life that is not related to work or study

You should say:

what it is about
why you make it
what you need to do first

and explain how you would feel if it is successful

Part 3

Should parents make plans for children?
When should children start to make plans for themselves?
What things should be planned daily?
Are plans always necessary? Can people succeed without plans?

Describe a time you were at a farm or farmland or met a farmer.

You should say:

when it was
where it was
what you did or what was there at the farm

and explain how you felt being there

Part 3

Is the number of farmlands across the globe declining? Why?
Do people usually visit farms as a part of their leisure activity in your country?
What are the advantages of having large farmlands in a region?
Do you think that farmers and agricultural workers should be given more subsidies by the government?
How can we improve the skills of farmers in a region?
Do you think organic farming should be encouraged among people? Why? / Why not?

Describe a skill that you know well and can teach others

You should say:

what it is
when you learnt it
how it can benefit another person

explain why you think you can teach others this skill

Part 3

Do you think a helpful neighbourhood is better than being on your own?
Should children be taught helpfulness at home? Why? / Why not?
Do you think children learn alone or when they are with their friends? Why? / Why not?
Do you think people help others so that they get something in return? Why? / Why not?
Will you help someone even if they haven’t been of help to you? Why? / Why not?

Describe a time you felt bored or wasted

You should say:

what the occasion was
where it was
when this happened

and explain why you felt so bored

Part 3

What are the usual topics of conversation among people in your country?
Is there a popular culture among youngsters for chats and discussions in your country?
Are face-to-face interactions among people affected due to social media? Why? / Why not?
Has the way people interacted with each other changed in the past few years? Why? / Why not?
What is the disadvantage of people relying on technology or social media over those who still prefer to meet and talk?

Describe a time you needed to use your imagination

You should say:

when it was
where you were
what you imagined

and explain how you felt about it?

Part 3

Which subjects are helpful for a child to develop imaginative skills?
What kinds of jobs require you to be creative? Why?
Do you think people, in general, should have a sense of creativity?
Who do you think has better imagination- youngsters or children?
Do you think imaginative people are advantageous in the workplace? Why?

Describe a toy or an item you liked as a child

You should say:

what it was
who gave it to you
how you played with it

and explain why you liked it so much

Part 3

How do you think the media attract children to toys?
Do you think children learn something from toys?
Do the parents spend too much on buying toys for their children?
What should be the preferable toys for the children?

Describe an occasion when you ate food or dish for the first time

You should say:

what the occasion was
where it was
what you ate

and explain how you felt about it

Part 3

Have eating habits changed among people now as compared to the past?
Do you think there is a global culture of food now? Why? / Why not?
Do food delivery apps allow you to experiment with different cuisines affordably?
As travel has expanded, do you think people have acceptance towards foreign food cultures?
What are the benefits people have who try different foods?

Describe a time when your computer broke down

You should say:

when this happened
what went wrong
how you fixed it

and explain how the experience was

Part 3

Do you think computers are perfect now or do they still need some improvement?
Computers are being used in the educational needs of children these days. What are the advantages of this?
Do you think computer literacy is good or bad for children?
Do you think computers have changed our lives for the better?
Do you think a computer can give you better access to knowledge?
Are computers used in the public sector offices in your country? What is the benefit of this?

Describe a time when you saw a wild animal

You should say:

when it was
which wild animal you saw
what you did

and explain how you felt about it

Part 3

Do you plan to visit wildlife sanctuaries or have a desire to explore wildlife? Why?/ Why not?
Many exotic wildlife species are becoming endangered or have been extinct- Why?
Do you think effective conservation of wild animals is practised?
Animals are losing their natural habitat due to urbanization – What are the disadvantages of this?

Describe an occasion when you were standing in a line or a queue

You should say:

when this was
where you were
what you did when you waited in the queue

and explain how you felt about this

Part 3

Is it very common in your country to have people standing in queues and waiting?
Do you think technology has played an impressive role to reduce waiting time? How?
Do you have to wait in line for a long time at banks and supermarkets? Why?
How do you feel when someone breaks the line impatiently?
Do you think customer service helplines make you wait for a long time?

Describe a thing that you bought and felt very pleased about it

You should say:

what it was
when you bought this
What the function of this thing is

and explain why you felt so pleased about it

Part 3

Do people in your country try new gadgets and appliances in the market? Why? / Why not?
Some people find it easy to follow instructions while assembling a gadget, others find it difficult – Why is it so?
Do people feel uncomfortable using new products at home or work? Why? / Why not?
Do advertisements play a key role in promoting innovative and trendy products these days? Why? / Why not?
Do people now prefer to buy local products than imported items? Why? / Why not?

Describe a time when you advised another person

You should say:

when it was
who this person was
what you advised him/her to do

and explain how he or she felt when you advised them

Part 3

In Indian families, is it common for members to advise each other?
What kind of qualities does a sound advisor have?
Is it important to take advice from elders and experts in the community? Why? / Why not?
Who can be the best advisor at the workplace? Why?
Do you think nowadays people give a lot of advice? Is it because of technological exposure? Why?/ Why not?

Describe a short journey you usually take but dislike

You should say:

what your means of travel is
where you go
when you take this journey

and explain what you dislike about this journey

Part 3

Do you think journeys have become easier due to the use of navigation apps?
Why do people usually embark on journeys in your country?
As travelling has eased, do people nowadays plan their journey routes as compared to the past?
Has backpacking become popular nowadays?
What are the reasons people choose to travel and explore new places?
What are the most essential items to carry on a journey?

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