Home & where you live: IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions

1. Answer→
2. Detail→
3. Feeling

I live in a flat, on the fourth floor of a fairly new block near the river. It's got two bedrooms and a small balcony, which is plenty of space for the two of us. After years of sharing a cramped place with three other students, it feels like a real luxury.

plenty of space for

more than enough room for

feels like a real luxury

seems like a special treat you're lucky to have

52 words · about 23 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Reason→
3. Feeling

I share it with my younger sister, who moved to the city last year to start university. Our parents were keen for her to live with someone she knew rather than in halls. We get on really well, although we do bicker about whose turn it is to do the washing up.

were keen for her to

really wanted her to

get on really well

have a very friendly relationship

whose turn it is to

which person should do a shared job this time

52 words · about 23 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Reason→
3. Example

Without a doubt, it's the kitchen, even though it's tiny. It gets the morning sun, so it's the brightest spot in the flat, and that's where I have my coffee before work. On Sunday evenings my sister and I cook something together there, usually a big pot of curry that lasts us half the week.

Without a doubt

definitely, with no uncertainty at all

gets the morning sun

receives sunlight in the morning

lasts us half the week

is enough food for several days

55 words · about 24 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Example→
3. Feeling

I'd love a bit more storage space, because we're slowly running out of places to put things. Our hallway cupboard is crammed with suitcases, a vacuum cleaner and winter coats, so you have to open it very carefully. Apart from that, I wouldn't change a thing.

running out of places to put things

having less and less room to store things

is crammed with

is completely full of

wouldn't change a thing

am completely happy with it as it is

46 words · about 20 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Detail→
3. Feeling

Mainly that everything I need is within walking distance. There's a supermarket on the corner, a decent gym and a lovely riverside path where I go running. It's also surprisingly quiet for somewhere so central, which is exactly what I want after a long day.

within walking distance

close enough to walk to

surprisingly quiet for somewhere so central

quieter than you'd expect so near the centre

after a long day

when you're tired after work

45 words · about 20 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Reason→
3. Detail

Probably not for more than a couple of years, as we're only renting. Ideally, I'd like to buy a place of my own eventually, maybe somewhere with a garden. Property prices round here are sky high, though, so I'll need to save hard or look further out of the city.

a place of my own

a home that belongs to me

sky high

extremely high

further out of the city

in areas a long way from the centre

50 words · about 22 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Detail

My hometown is a small fishing town on the south coast, about two hours by train from the capital. It's got a population of around forty thousand, so it's big enough to have everything you need but small enough that you keep bumping into people you know.

about two hours by train

describing distance as journey time

keep bumping into people

often meet people you know by chance

47 words · about 20 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Reason→
3. Detail

It's a lovely place to live, especially if you like a slower pace of life. The air is clean, the seafront is beautiful, and you can walk almost anywhere in twenty minutes. The downside is that well-paid jobs are thin on the ground, so a lot of people commute or move away.

a slower pace of life

a calmer, less hurried way of living

The downside is that

the disadvantage is

thin on the ground

scarce and hard to find

52 words · about 23 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Example→
3. Detail

Most people spend their free time outdoors, because life there really revolves around the sea. In summer, families head down to the beach after work, and there's a sailing club that's always packed at weekends. When the weather turns, people tend to gather in the cafés along the harbour, chatting for hours over tea.

really revolves around

has something as its main focus

packed at weekends

very crowded on Saturdays and Sundays

When the weather turns

when it becomes cold, wet or windy

54 words · about 23 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Detail→
3. Feeling

Yes, quite a lot, mostly because it's become popular with tourists. Several old warehouses by the harbour have been turned into boutique hotels and seafood restaurants. I've got mixed feelings about it, because it's brought money into the town, but locals are being priced out of the housing market.

been turned into

been converted into something different

mixed feelings about

both positive and negative feelings about

priced out of the housing market

unable to afford a home because prices rose

49 words · about 21 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Reason→
3. Example

Honestly, not really, unless you're into water sports. There's no university and very little nightlife, so most teenagers can't wait to leave once they finish school. I was exactly the same, and I moved to the capital at eighteen, although I appreciate the place much more now.

unless you're into

except if you really enjoy

can't wait to leave

are very eager to go away

47 words · about 20 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Detail→
3. Feeling

Definitely, particularly in late spring or early autumn when it's not overrun with tourists. I'd tell anyone to walk the cliff path to the lighthouse and then eat freshly grilled fish on the harbour wall. It sounds simple, but watching the boats come in at sunset is something I never get tired of.

overrun with tourists

far too crowded with visitors

never get tired of

always enjoy, however often I do it

53 words · about 23 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Reason→
3. Detail

In my city, it's mostly high-rise apartment blocks, especially in the newer districts. Land is so expensive that developers build upwards rather than outwards. You do still see some older terraced houses near the centre, but they're increasingly rare and cost a fortune.

build upwards rather than outwards

make tall buildings instead of spreading across more land

increasingly rare

becoming less and less common

cost a fortune

are extremely expensive

43 words · about 19 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Detail→
3. Example

Almost everyone I know lives in an apartment, including me. Most of my friends rent a room in a shared apartment, since that's all they can afford on a starting salary. The only exception is my aunt, who has a house with a small garden on the outskirts, and we're all a little jealous of her.

on a starting salary

with the pay someone gets in their first job

The only exception is

the one case that is different is

on the outskirts

at the edge of a town or city

56 words · about 24 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Reason→
3. Detail

For me, it's mostly about light and space rather than expensive furniture. A room with big windows and not too much clutter instantly makes me feel calmer. Beyond that, I'd say a place feels homely when it reflects the people living in it, with photos, books and plants rather than things straight out of a catalogue.

too much clutter

too many untidy things lying around

reflects the people living in it

shows the personality of the people who live there

straight out of a catalogue

looking new and impersonal, like an advert

56 words · about 24 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Reason→
3. Feeling

I'd go for an older one, as long as it had been properly renovated. Older buildings tend to have far more character, with high ceilings, thick walls and wooden floors. Modern apartments are practical, I admit, but a lot of them feel a bit soulless to me, as if they'd all been built from the same template.

I'd go for

I would choose

have far more character

are much more interesting and distinctive

feel a bit soulless

seem to lack warmth or personality

57 words · about 25 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Reason→
3. Detail

It really depends on what stage of life you're at. When you're young and single, the centre is hard to beat because work, friends and nightlife are all on your doorstep. Once children come along, though, the edge of town makes much more sense, since you get more space and cleaner air for your money.

hard to beat

better than almost any alternative

on your doorstep

very close to where you live

for your money

for the price you pay

55 words · about 24 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Detail→
3. Feeling

I live in a leafy residential suburb about twenty minutes from the city centre by bus. It's mostly semi-detached houses with small front gardens, and there's a big park right in the middle of it. It's not the most exciting place, but it feels safe and friendly, which matters more to me.

a leafy residential suburb

a quiet area of homes and trees outside the centre

right in the middle of

exactly at the centre of

not the most exciting place

a polite way to say somewhere is rather dull

52 words · about 23 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Example→
3. Feeling

I know the ones on either side of us quite well, but hardly anyone further down the street. The elderly couple next door often take in our parcels, and we keep an eye on their house when they're away. I do wish there were more of a community spirit, though, because most people just nod and hurry inside.

take in our parcels

accept our deliveries when we're out

keep an eye on

watch something to make sure it's safe

more of a community spirit

a stronger feeling of togetherness among local people

58 words · about 25 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Detail→
3. Example

There's a decent range of facilities for a suburb. Within a ten-minute walk we've got a library, a medical centre, a couple of small supermarkets and a primary school. The one I use most is the leisure centre, because it has a swimming pool and I try to do a few lengths before work twice a week.

a decent range of

a fairly good variety of

Within a ten-minute walk

close enough to reach on foot in ten minutes

do a few lengths

swim from one end of the pool to the other several times

57 words · about 25 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Detail→
3. Feeling

It's generally very quiet, apart from the school run. Between about eight and nine in the morning, the main road is completely gridlocked with parents dropping off their kids. Once that's over, the street is so peaceful that the loudest thing you hear is birdsong from the park.

the school run

taking children to and from school each day

completely gridlocked

so full of traffic that nothing can move

dropping off their kids

taking their children somewhere and leaving them there

48 words · about 21 seconds spoken

1. Answer→
2. Reason→
3. Detail

The main thing would be better public transport, especially in the evenings. After eight o'clock the buses only run every forty minutes, so a lot of people end up driving into town, which makes the traffic even worse. I'd also like to see a few independent cafés or a small market, somewhere people could actually meet and chat.

The main thing would be

the most important change would be

end up driving into town

drive to the centre in the end, though not ideal

I'd also like to see

I would also want there to be

58 words · about 25 seconds spoken