Topics For Speaking Part I

The first part of the speaking section, consist of general questions and lasts for 4-5 minutes. The questions asked are the ones that are usually related to the person, and are there, to  merely check, how well the person can express himself or herself in day to day situations. So, let us have a look at some of the topics asked in the first section of IELTS Speaking.

WORK

  • Where do you work?
  • Why did you choose that job?
  • Is it popular  in your country?
  • Do you like your job?
  • How well do you get along with your colleagues?
  • What was the first day at job like?
  • What responsibilities do you have at your job?
  • If given the chance, will you change your job? Why?

STUDY

  • What do you study?
  • Why did you choose that subject?
  • Is it a popular subject in your school?
  • Do you like that subject?
  • What kind of bond do you share with your subject mates?
  • How was the first day at your school like?
  • What are the main aspects of your subject?
  • Do you plan to getting a job in the same subject or you want to change your subject?

HOMETOWN

  • Where is your hometown?
  • Do you like your hometown?
  • How often do you visit your hometown?
  • What is your hometown like?
  • What are the places to visit in your hometown?
  • How can your home town be improved?
  • Has your home town changed with time?
  • How are the transportation facilities in your hometown?
  • Do you think your hometown is a good place for growing children?

HOME

  • Where is your home and of what kind?
  • Whom do you live with?
  • How many rooms are their in your home?
  • Do you have a single room or you share your room with someone?
  • How are the walls of your home decorated?
  • Is there anything you would like to change about your home?
  • Do you plan to live there in future?
  • What facilities are available near your home?
  • Do you plan to live there in the future?
  • What is your neighborhood like?
  • Do most people live in houses in your country?

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Home Schooling # Essay For IELTS

The question is of IELTS general.
Home schooling belongs to the past and is unacceptable in the modern society. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Use your knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Everything has two sides and home schooling is not an exception. In the past, it seemed like the most natural way of teaching, but in present times it has come under scrutiny.

The people favouring home schooling have come with various arguments. Firstly, a child learns from someone he/she is the most close to i.e. parents. When the kid learns from his/her parents, the bond between them increases. In addition, it helps him/her to learn things beyond a fixed curriculum. For instance, Angelina Jolie, home schools her kids. When asked her about it, she said, she has a job where she has to travel a lot. Home schooling her kids, help them to learn things that are more practical. They get to meet new people, see new cultures and understand how life operates. Secondly, when a child learns at home, he/she is saved from the unnecessary pressure that often school environment builds in. Even more, often kids get bullied or punished, a home provides them the best environment to study. Thirdly, it caters to the development of an individual aptitude and abilities. For example, a kid interested in music, need not to learn anything except music.

Nevertheless, there are even facts against home tutoring. The first major drawback is that it is not for everyone. In the past, at least one parent used to dedicate their time at home. However, in present times with both parents involved in making their own career, home schooling could stop the kid from learning at all. Secondly, often parents themselves are not very well educated. This might be possible because of the circumstances they have faced, however, they want their kids to follow their dreams. It is in these cases that the arguments favouring public school system, get their advantage. Thirdly, to an extent, restricting a child to house, reduces the exposure he/she might get, if he/she goes on and faces life on its own.

Overall, I believe that the decision must lie on the parents and even more so on kids. Both of the ways of teaching have their own benefits, but in the end it all boils down to this that every individual is unique and has his/her own unique circumstances and the teaching must be the one that helps the child in his/her individual growth.

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Family # Writing Practice

Have you found yourself in a situation when you had an idea in your head but you could not explain it? When you felt a choke in your neck, as if you want to say something but the word just doesn’t comes out and in that struggle you mumble different words which have no meaning all together. Well, this happens because you have a weak vocabulary or you don’t know how to use the words that you know. It might also be possible that you are not confident, but for now, we shall consider the previous two conditions i.e. either you have a weak vocabulary or you don’t know how and when to use those words.
So, be calm and delve into the new venture of learning words and using them in an exciting way.
In this first article, we will begin with something we all are part of and we all love, FAMILY.
Now, every topic has its own vocabulary( words related to it). And family is no different.
Check out the entire list of family vocabulary HERE.
Now, let us start using them.
About My family.
So, let us begin. When asked about your family, there are few things you have to tell.
1. Who do you live with?
Now, suppose you live with your parents and have a brother or a sister. You must write, I live with my mother, my father and a younger brother.
What have you done, you have used the verb- live, wrote the names of the people you live with. And that is all required to begin with.
2. Where do you live?
Now, there has to be some place where you are currently staying. State the name of the place. You must write, I live in Dehradun( now this place can be anywhere in the world).
3. Now, you need to elaborate.
Tell, more about your parents and your brother or sister.
My mum’s name is Catherine.
She is Indian and speaks Hindi and Kumaoni.
She is a home maker.
She is tall and a little plum, she’s got long brown hair, brown eyes.
My dad’s name is Philip.
He is an Indian as well.
He is tall and a little fat. He has got black hair and brown eyes.
He works in a Thermal Power Plant.
My brother is Mayank.
He is an engineering student and loves to read engineering books.
He is tall, and has got brown hair and eyes.

QUESTION TIME
Choose the correct option-

1.
  1. We lives in Dehradun.
  2. We live in Dehradun.
2.
  1. She speak Hindi and Kumaoni.
  2. She speaks Hindi and Kumaoni.
3.
  1. My mother is an indian.
  2. My mother is an Indian.
4.
  1. She is home maker.
  2. She is a home maker.
5.
  1. My father name is Philip.
  2. MY father’s name is Philip.
6.
  1. She has got long hair.
  2. She has got long hairs.
7.
  1. He works in Thermal power plant.
  2. He work in thermal power plant.

ANSWERS
1. 2
2. 2
3. 2
4. 2
5. 2
6. 1
7. 1

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Speed Writing # Practice Reading

Sometimes, certain things happen as if designed by a hidden hand, who’s working are not known to us. Well-crafted( to make something with special skills especially your hands in a very good way) places are suddenly over turned by unforeseen( that you did not expect to happen) events ( a thing that happens, especially something very important). Gifts(a thing that you give to somebody, especially in special ocassions), which one would have never imagined( to form a picture in your mind, of what something might be), land in your lap(top part of your legs that forms a flat surface when you are sitting down).
For me, writing a book on and called value was one such mysterious(difficult to understand or explain) gift. There was no intention(what you intend or plan to do) of ‘writing’ it to start with. It was more like a playful( full of fun, wanting to play) exercise ( an activity that you do to stay healthy). As the book unfolded( to be gradually made known), each session(a period of time spent doing a particular activity) of writing became a peaceful(quiet or calm; not worried in any way) joyful(causing people to be happy) experience(the knowledge and skill that you have gained through doing something for a period of time ). Every morning, one sat down and surrendered (to admit that you have been defeated and want to stop fighting ) to the flow of words pouring out (to express your feelings or give an account of something , especially after keeping them or it secretly )on to the pages of notebook bound beautifully(very well) in colourful hand-woven cloth. Every bit of writing was like a silent communion ( the state of sharing or exchanging thoughts and feelings) with a loving source.
The value book is an interweaving( put your facts, events, details etc. together to make a story or a closely connected whole) of randomly picked messages from two other books with the words that came to me using ‘speed writing’. I have enjoyed reading these two reference books( a book that contains facts and information, that you look at when you need to find out something particular) over the years. They are, a course in miracles( an act or event that does not follow the laws of nature and believed to be caused by God) and opening doors within. I have also enjoyed speed writing.
On the morning of October 3, 2007, my quest( a long search for something especially for some quality such as happiness) for a deeper understanding of values, my love for the two books mentioned above, experience with speed writing and a deeper surrender to the source, all came together. Work, began in a nice hand-bound notebook which had been gifted to me. Every morning some words would flow. The morning ritual (a series of actions that are always performed in the same way, especially as part of a religious ceremony ) ended on the last page of the notebook on June 28 2008.
Source: Life Positive

QUESTION TIME

Match the words in column A with their meaning in column B.
Make sure while doing this exercise you don’t cheat, or else the entire purpose of it will be lost.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. Well-crafted (i) that you did not expect to happen
2. Mysterious (ii) a period of time spent doing a particular activity
3. Imagine (iii) an activity that you do to stay healthy
4. Event (iv) causing people to be happy
5. Gifts (v) what you intend or plan to do
6. Unfolded (vi) to be gradually made known
7. Intention (vii) to make something with special skills especially your hand in a very good way
8. Peaceful (viii) something that give to somebody, especially on special ocassions
9. Joyful (ix) a thing that happens, especially something important
10.Lap (x) quiet or calm
11.Unforeseen (xi) full of fun
12.Playful (xii) difficult to understand or explain
13.Session (xiii) the top part of your legs that forms a flat surface when you are sitting down
14.Exercise (xiv) to form a picture in your mind of what something might be
15.Ritual (xv) to admit that you have been defeated and want to stop fighting
16.Miracles (xvi) a series of actions that are always performed in the same way, especially as part of a religious ceremony
17.Interweaving (xvii) a book that contains facts and information, that you look at when you need to find out something particular
18.Experience (xviii) the knowledge and skill that you have gained through doing something for a period of time
19.Pouring out (xix) very well
20.Communion (xx) put your facts, events, details etc. together to make a story or a closely connected whole
21.Beautifully (xxi) a long search for something especially for some quality such as happiness
22.Surrendered (xxii) ( an act or event that does not follow the laws of nature and believed to be caused by God
23.Quest (xiii) to express your feelings or give an account of something , especially after keeping them or it secretly
24.Reference Books (xxiv) the state of sharing or exchanging thoughts and feelings

ANSWERS

  1. vii
  2. xii
  3. xiv
  4. ix
  5. viii
  6. vi
  7. v
  8. x
  9. iv
  10. xiii
  11. i
  12. xi
  13. ii
  14. iii
  15. xvi
  16. xxii
  17. xx
  18. xviii
  19. xxiii
  20. xxiv
  21. xix
  22. xv
  23. xxi

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