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speaking about sports

 ELTS Speaking Samples

The following IELTS speaking samples will give you an idea of how to get a high score on Part 2 of your IELTS speaking test. This part of the test is also known as the long turn. This is where you need to speak by yourself for 1-2 minutes on a given topic. Make sure you cover all the points mentioned on the card you are given. In addition, you should develop the topic into a well-structured answer. Please look over our list of free IELTS speaking topics for parts 1 and 2. Then, familiarize yourself with the type of topics, and practice as many of them as you can. This way you will be more comfortable, relaxed and confident on the day of the exam.

 

Sample IELTS Speaking Topic 1:

Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing.

You should say:

        What kind of sport it is

        Who you play it with

        Where you play it

        and explain why you enjoy playing it

Sample IELTS Speaking Response:

I enjoy playing various kinds of brain games online. There are a number of different websites I visit on a regular basis in order to play these games by myself. The objective of the games is to exercise different areas of your brain so that you preserve and enhance your memory and also expand and develop your brain capacity.

The games are of various kinds. Some enable you to practice your verbal skills. Others test logical reasoning, spatial skills and visual memory. I can keep track of my scores, so that each time I play, my goal is to do better than in the past – to outdo myself, so to speak. In addition, if I want, I can compare my scores to others who play online. This aspect is intriguing, but frankly it doesn't interest me much. I don&'t regard this as a competition with anyone else. It is something I do simply to sharpen my mental abilities and improve myself.

In fact, one of my favorite games is supposed to be the best for brain fitness. It involves solving a number of simple math problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as quickly as possible. I really hope these games will enable me to preserve my intellect and my memory into old age.

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 

Sample IELTS Speaking Response:

The person in my family I really like and also love is my mother. She is a very special person and I cannot imagine what I would be without her.

Physically, my mother is petite. She is only about 5 feet tall, and weighs about 110 pounds. She has fine, black hair and a fair complexion. One thing people often notice is that my mother always takes pride in her appearance. Even now, at the age of 80, my mother is a well dressed, well-groomed and elegant woman, with her fine choice of clothes and matching accessories, jewelry and shoes. 

Intellectually, my mother always loves learning. Even after her busy day, she won't go to bed without reading the newspaper. She was one of the few members of her family that completed university. She also has many creative and cultural interests such as literature, music and dance. Through her own enjoyment, she passed on this love of culture to all her children, including me.

Emotionally, my mother has a heart of gold. All her life, she has been ready, willing and able to help anyone who needs anything, with a smile on her face.  She is of the old school - she remembers to wish friends and relatives on their birthdays and anniversaries, she attends their weddings, dinners and parties, and she visits them when they're hurt, unwell or in mourning. In fact, my mother has always been a kind soul and people of all ages love her as soon as they meet her. I think this is because she is good-hearted from her core, and her authenticity is what everyone relates to. She has taught me the meaning of being compassionate, loving, kind, helpful, supportive and so much more. In fact, thanks to the unconditional love of both my wonderful parents, I  feel I've been truly blessed in this lifetime.

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speaking supermarket street market open air air market

 There's one particular street market I remember visiting a few years ago. I was traveling with some friends in Mexico and we stopped off in a town called Cuernavaca. We went to explore the center of the town one morning and it was literally mobbed with people, I think it was a Tuesday morning if I remember correctly. Anyway we asked one of the locals what was going on and they explained that it was 'market day' which apparently is a big event for them. 

We strolled down the street to see what all the fuss was about. When we arrived at the market it was really impressive, it spanned about 5 blocks and there seemed to be all kinds of different things you could buy. We saw clothes, food, shoes, jewelry and many local crafts for sale as well.

I think we must have spent a couple of hours there just exploring all the market stalls and some of us bought some souvenirs for friends back home. It was a great experience because there were people from all over the region who had come to set up their stalls and sell their goods there. After we had finished looking at everything we stopped at one of the food stalls to have some lunch, some spicy tacos and a nice refreshing beer, it was excellent.

I think it's one of the biggest markets I've ever been to, and it was certainly one of the most colorful. They even had buskers there performing all day. As i said, we spent at least a couple of hours looking at all the offerings, but apparently it goes on well into the night as well. They run it for 2 days back to back once a month. 

I began to realize why it was such a big event for the locals, it was really amazing and I've certainly never seen a market like it since then.

Market day is a big tradition for the town and the locals always look forward to it each month. Apparently it used to be quite a small affair when it first started hundreds of years ago, but it's grown and grown, and when we were there it was almost like a supermarket, but out on the street.

Cambridge IELTS 9 Test 1 Sample Speaking Answers 

IELTS Speaking Test | Part 3

Discussion topics:

Shopping at markets

Example questions:

Do people in your country enjoy going to open-air markets that sell things like food or clothes or old objects? Which type of market is more popular? Why?

Do you think markets are more suitable places for selling certain types of things? Which ones? Why do you think this is?

Do you think young people feel the same about shopping at markets as older people? Why is that?

source: Cambridge IELTS 9 Practice Tests Test 1

Cambridge IELTS 9 Speaking Test 1 Sample Answers Part 3

No not, really. I think that's mainly because of the weather. Living in a cold country we like to do most of our shopping indoors in a supermarket or shopping center normally. There are some specialized markets that exist, but even they're usually only active during the summer months or they're housed indoors in a warehouse or other large building during the winter if they're very popular. 

I think nowadays small local markets are disappearing for many different reasons. I can remember my parents selling junk and other household things they didn't want anymore at a garage sale, but I know people now who do the same thing but on eBay and other internet sites like that. I think internet auction sites are more popular than traditional markets especially for young people.

Yes, markets can be a good option depending on the kind of items you want to sell. I think that if you're selling food then it's a good idea to try and sell it at a local market if you can. After all, it's a little difficult to taste food on an internet auction site, so it's much easier at a market. A lot has to do with the local culture, I think produce markets are more popular in agricultural areas of the country, but not so common in cities and town nowadays. I suppose another item might be furniture which is handmade or antique, you know, the type made by local crafstmen, that still seems to be popular at some markets.

No, I don't. Most young people aren't really interested in going to markets and places like that. Most of my friends buy things on the internet and rarely go shopping like our parents used to. It's just so much easier, maybe it's not as interesting as meeting people in a market, but it's certainly more convenient and it doesn't depend on the weather, and you can also get a better choice when you look on the internet. I think the future of traditional markets might be somewhat limited to certain items which are very specialized. 

Shopping in general

Example questions:

What do you think are the advantages of buying things from shops rather than markets?

How does advertising influence what people choose to buy? Is this true for everyone?

Do you think that any recent changes in the way people live have affected general

shopping habits? Why is this?

source: Cambridge IELTS 9 Practice Tests Test 1

Sample Answer:

Well, the obvious one is the shop is a permanent location while the market is not. I guess it depends on what you're buying though, but for example, would you buy domestic appliances from a market? Imagine you had a problem with it and never saw the person who sold it to you again. Shops don't depend on the weather either, I mean if it was raining I definitely wouldn't go strolling round a market looking for things to buy. With a shop, that's not really a problem. I suppose you usually get a better selection of goods in a shop as well, because they can carry more stock. 

I think advertising only influences a certain group of people, normally younger people who are easily influenced. Older people don't seem to find advertising as interesting. They seem to buy things based on their needs rather than some smart and catchy marketing campaign. The big brand names are expert at trying to influence young people with their slick advertisements and publicity and they are always trying to convince us that we need to have the newest and latest of everything, even if the item we have at the moment is perfectly good. But that's the economy now isn't it? If we stop consuming, we will have serious economic problems.

Absolutely, this generation and the internet is changing the game totally. Almost half the population in this country have a smartphone or other mobile device now and most of them buy things on the internet. We can already see the decline of business in the high street in many cities. 

Lots of small shops have already gone out of business and even some large chain stores that couldn't compete with online shopping. 

It was the same some years ago when we first started to see the development of out-of-town hypermarkets, and now they are beginning to suffer too thanks to the amount of online shopping. Let's face it, most people are quire lazy. If you give them options they'll usually choose the one which means not having to leave the house or get in the car and travel - that's the internet. It's hard to beat it, and yes, it's changed shopping habits totally. 

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Labels: IELTS speaking topics and answers, markets, online shopping

job interview

 Job interviews

Vocabulary

work duties and Gerunds - and other activities - nouns end in ING - repairing - Analysing - Giving presentations - planning - Designing - Meeting Clients - Selling - typing or writing reports

Interview diologue

Could you tell us about yourself?

I have been working in finance for about 12 years with a variety of duties and responsabilities in various jobs and companies and now I'm looking for a new challenge.

Can you tell us about your last job?

My last job involved talking to clients, writing reports, managing eleven people and giving presentations.

What are your strenghts?

I am good at analysing data and planning.

What are your weaknessess?

My weakenesses it's being too detail-oriented.

What can you bring to this job?

I can bring ten years of experience managing people in a similar role in this industry.

Thank you for your time Mr. Smith

opposite of weakness - strength

What does challenge mean?

a difficult but interesting activity

What are duties?

Tasks you must do.

What word is closest in meaning to role?

job.

Part 2

the most common interview questions

In the last lesson

there are related to:

streght and weaknesses

we are going to look at

thank  you for coming today. To start with, could you talk me about your CV?

Could you talk about your CV.

After i finished my degree in business, I went to work for AB Co as a Marketing Assistant . then after two years i was promoted to supervisor. Then i decided to study a Masters degree, and I thought an MBA would be the best thing to advance my career.

So when i finished the MBA, I found a job as Marketing Coordinator for RonaldLand Consultancy.

What were your duties and responsabilities in that position? 

My duties included writing marketing material, SEO, social media, and coordinating advertising.

One of my main responsabilities was managing the company website.

Why should we hire you?

I believe I could bring a lot to your company. My skills and experience are well-suited to this role.

Why are you the best person for this job?

I have 2 years experience in a very similar role to this in the same industry .

What interests you about this job?

This role looks like a logical step forward in my career.

Why do you want to work here?

I would like to work in a company such as yours as it has a good reputation and loyal customers.

What do you know about our company?

I know it is a successfull advertising agency specialising in construction that has several large multinational clients.

Do you have any question?

Yes, what are the main challenges of the role?

The main challenge would be reaching the objectives.

What are the objectives?

They would be related to the amount the client spends on advertising.

How would I be evaluated? 

There is an appraisal once a year related to your objectives.

Are there any opportunities for career development?

It is possible to get a promotion if you prove yourself in the role.

Tasks or responsabilities

responsabilities - having a key to open the shop and managing people.

well-suited means appropriate.

Hire in this case - closest in meaning to hire is recruit.

appraisal - is an evaluation.

Business call

Could I speak to

Could you say I called

To leave a message

to be away from your desk.

Good mornig.

Good morning could I speak to John Harris please?

Certainly. Who's calling, please?

It's Barbara johnson from Johnson limited.

Just one moment.

I'm sorry but he'sAWAY FROM HIS DESK at the moment.

Can I take a message?

Could you say I called?

Certainly, Can I say what it's regarding.

Yes, it's about the meeting today.

And can I take your number?

So, that's 555 0001?

That's right.

Thank for your calling.

Thanks. Bye.

Business call 2

to dial/to make a call

to hold

What day suits you?

Who's calling?

Speaking..

I'm calling to..

I have to make a call.

Hello, couls I speak to Jack Harris, please?

Speaking. Who's calling?

It's Ronald taylor from IO systems.

Hello! How are you? 

Fine! I'm calling to arrange the meeting

Could you hold a second? I need to find my diary.

So, what day suits you?

How about wednesday?

Wednesday

Can we make it tuesday?

I think that should be ok

Fantastic at 10:30?

OK. At our offices here in the centre?

That's fine with me. See you then.

speaking bussiness

 What day suits you?

I have to make a call.

Hello, could I speak to Mr. Jack Harris, please?

Speaking. Who's calling?

It's Ronald Taylor from IO systems.

Hello there! How are you?

Fine! I'm calling to arrange a meeting.

Could you hold for a second?

I need to find my diary.

Yeah, right...

So, what day suits you?

How about Wednesday?

Wednesday is a bit busy for me. Can we make it Tuesday?

I think that should be ok.

Fantastic, at 10:30?

Ok. At our offices here in the centre?

That's fine with me. See you then.

Small talk in English

What is Sall talk - is used to start a conversation before getting to details.

It is particularly important in business as it helps to form a relationship.

It is necessary to "break the ice"(open a conversation) with colleagues, clients etc before starting negotiations.

topics can include:

The weather;

Travel to the meeting

Recent news/sport

Recent emails etc

Small talk is often used in business when greeting a client, or on the way to a meeting room.

How was the journey here?

Yes, it was good. I came by fast train from the airport.

How long did it take to get to the office from here?

It only took 20 mins and the train was very comfortable.

Ok. That's good. The meeting room is just over there.

It has to fill the time so it's important to know what to ask and what to say.

What do you do when you find yourself in a lift with a colleague you hardly know?

Afternoon, Mr Smith.

Afternoon, Walbert.

Lovely weather, isn't it?

 It certainly is. Very warm for this time of year.

Any news today in the paper?

Yep. ZR Holdings are be bought by CT Co.

Really!...That's interesting.

Oh, look! Here is my floor.

See you later!

Work & Jobs

Work vocabulary.

To attend meetings.

To make a call.

To take calls.

Send emails.

Paperwork.

Filing. (failing

Colleagues.

 Office.

Factory.

Desk.

Computer.

Asking about someone's job(in a social situation) What do you do?

I'm a PA to the CEO.

That must be interesting.

What does that involve?

I have to send emails, do filing, take calls and organise meetings.

What's your job?

I'm a financial manager.

Where do you work?

In Edinburgh.

What company do you work for?

I work for Harris Associates.

What hours do you work?

I work 9 to 5

Do you enjoy it?

Yes, my colleagues are very nice.

What do you do?

What duties does that involve?

Where do you work?

What company do you work for?

What hours do you work?

Do you enjoy your job?

Colloquial or Formal?

It is important to know the appropriate level of formality to use in different situations.

Here are some examples from different language functions.

Greetings

Alright mate, how's it going?

Good afternoon, how are you today?

I'm off. See you later.

I have to go I'm afraid. 

I have a meeting to attend shortly.

Requests

Could you possibly send the minutes of the meeting?

Give me a hand with this stuff, would you?

Suggestions

Let's go to a disco, shall we?

I suggest we look at the report.

Telephone language

Could you hold for a second? I need to find my schedule.

schedule (chedule)

Just a sec, I gotta get my diary.

Good morning, Could I speak to Linda Harris please?

Hi! Is Linda there?

Giving Opinions

In my opinion we need more data.

Look, I reckon we need more time to decide.

Other ways

What are you doing currently?

What are you up to?

Formal English uses the Passive more frequently.

The match was seen  by thousands of people.

Loads of people saw the match.

Your order has been delivered.

A guy came round with your stuff.

Colloquial English uses more Phrasal Verbs.

My specialism is innovation.

 I'm good at coming up with new ideas.

Send letters and postcards in English.

Describe how to order in a restaurant in English.

Describe how to reserve a hotel room in English.

Sending letters and postcards.

Essential vocabulary