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.)

