I like to ski and love going away to places that have warm weather. In London, I like to go to Covent Garden and Soho, both have such a lively, colourful, vibrant, buzzy atmosphere. I enjoy going to the theatre and we have amazing cinemas, libraries and bookshops in England. In Paris, my favourite places are the Café de Flore, the Shakespeare and Company book store and the banks of the Seine.
Talking about your hometown
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– Can you tell me about your hometown?
– Do you work or study?
– Do you enjoy meeting new people? Why or why not?
– How often do you meet new people?
– Do you have a lot of close friends or just a few?
– What do you usually do when you spend time with your friends?
– Do you prefer making new friends or spending time with old ones? Why?
– How important is friendship in your life?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe a place that you enjoy going to with your family and friends. You should say:
– what the place is
– where it is located
– what you do there
and explain why you enjoy visiting this place with your family and friends.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Why do you think parks are important in cities?
– How do parks benefit people’s health and well-being?
– Should governments invest more in creating parks and green spaces? Why or why not?
– Do you think working in a group is more effective than working alone? Why?
– What are the challenges people face when working in a team?
– How can people improve their teamwork skills?
✨ Useful Vocabulary & Expressions for IELTS Speaking: Friendship & Places
To help you score 7.5+ in IELTS Speaking, here is a list of advanced vocabulary, idioms, phrasal verbs, and expressions related to this speaking test. 🚀
🔹 PART 1: Personal Questions (Interview)
1️⃣ Talking About Your Hometown
✅ Common Expressions
- Bustling city → A lively and energetic place (My hometown is a bustling city with a vibrant nightlife.)
- Picturesque countryside → Beautiful and peaceful rural area (I grew up in a picturesque countryside surrounded by rolling hills.)
- Rich in history → A place with a strong historical background (My city is rich in history, with many old landmarks.)
- Close-knit community → A small, friendly, and supportive neighborhood (People in my town have a close-knit community where everyone knows each other.)
📌 Useful Phrasal Verbs:
- Grow up in → To be raised in a place (I grew up in a coastal town.)
- Be known for → To be famous for something (My city is known for its delicious street food.)
2️⃣ Talking About Work or Study
✅ Common Expressions
- Pursue a degree in… → Studying for a degree (I am pursuing a degree in engineering.)
- Have a demanding job → A job that requires a lot of effort (My job is quite demanding as I work long hours.)
- A rewarding career → A job that brings satisfaction (Being a teacher is a rewarding career because I help students grow.)
📌 Useful Phrasal Verbs
- Work on → To spend time improving something (I’m working on my final project for university.)
- Take up → To start a new activity (I recently took up a part-time job alongside my studies.)
3️⃣ Talking About Meeting New People & Friendships
✅ Common Expressions
- A social butterfly → A person who enjoys meeting new people (I would say I’m a social butterfly because I love making new friends.)
- Have an outgoing personality → Being sociable and friendly (I have an outgoing personality, so I enjoy meeting new people.)
- Form strong bonds → Build close relationships (I prefer to form strong bonds rather than have many acquaintances.)
- Like-minded people → People with similar interests (I enjoy meeting like-minded people who share my hobbies.)
📌 Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
- Hit it off → To become friends quickly (We hit it off the moment we met in college.)
- Get along with → To have a good relationship (I get along well with most of my colleagues.)
- Drift apart → To slowly lose contact (Over the years, we drifted apart due to our busy lives.)
- Catch up with → To meet someone after a long time (I love catching up with my childhood friends whenever I visit my hometown.)
🔹 PART 2: Cue Card – Describing a Place You Enjoy Visiting
✅ Common Expressions:
- A lively atmosphere → A place full of energy (I love visiting this café because it has a lively atmosphere.)
- A hidden gem → A great place that not many people know about (This beach is a hidden gem with crystal-clear water.)
- A breathtaking view → A stunning and impressive sight (The mountain offers a breathtaking view of the sunset.)
- A go-to place → A place you visit often (The park is my go-to place to relax and unwind.)
📌 Idioms & Phrasal Verbs:
- Hang out at → To spend time in a place (I often hang out at the mall with my friends.)
- Chill out → To relax (I go to this café to chill out after a long day.)
- Make the most of → To fully enjoy something (We made the most of our weekend at the beach.)
- Get away from it all → To escape daily stress (This park is perfect for getting away from it all.)
🔹 PART 3: Discussion – Parks, Teamwork & Green Spaces
1️⃣ Talking About Parks & Green Spaces
✅ Common Expressions
- A vital part of urban life → Very important for cities (Parks are a vital part of urban life as they provide a place for relaxation.)
- A refreshing escape → A place to take a break from stress (Green spaces offer a refreshing escape from city noise.)
- Boost mental well-being → Improve mental health (Spending time in nature boosts mental well-being and reduces stress.)
📌 Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
- Take a breather → To relax for a short time (I go to the park to take a breather after work.)
- Recharge one’s batteries → To regain energy (Spending time outdoors helps me recharge my batteries.)
2️⃣ Talking About Teamwork & Collaboration
✅ Common Expressions
- A collaborative effort → Working together (Success in business is often a collaborative effort.)
- Play a crucial role → To be very important (Good communication plays a crucial role in teamwork.)
- Effective communication → Clear and productive discussion (Effective communication is key to a successful team.)
📌 Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
- Pull one’s weight → To do your share of the work (In a team, everyone should pull their weight to achieve success.)
- Go the extra mile → To make extra effort (Great teams always go the extra mile to reach their goals.)
- See eye to eye → To agree (We don’t always see eye to eye, but we respect each other’s opinions.)
- Bring something to the table → To contribute valuable ideas (Each team member should bring something to the table.)
