IELTS Speaking · Part 3
Housing and community: IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions
Last updated 2 September 2026
In short
Discussion questions
The examiner usually opens the discussion with: "What makes a neighbourhood a pleasant place to live?", then works up from concrete to abstract.
Development (societal)
Why do you think people feel less connected to their neighbours than before?
Cause & effectHow has the kind of housing people live in changed over time?
ComparisonDo you think a strong sense of community is important?
OpinionWhat are the effects of people moving home frequently?
EvaluationIs it better to grow up in one place or to move around a lot?
Evaluation
Depth (abstract & hypothetical)
Should governments do more to provide affordable housing?
OpinionHow might the way people live together change in the future?
SpeculationIf everyone lived in large shared buildings, how would community life change?
Hypothesis
Useful vocabulary for this theme
Band 7+ language for discussing housing and community.
- a close-knit community
- a neighbourhood whose people are tightly bonded
- “I grew up in a close-knit community where everyone helped out.”
- a starter home
- a first, modestly priced house
- “Young couples now struggle to afford even a starter home.”
- get on the property ladder
- buy your first home to begin owning property
- “It's incredibly hard to get on the property ladder these days.”
- a sense of belonging
- a feeling of being accepted and fitting in
- “My neighbourhood gives me a real sense of belonging.”
- do up
- renovate or redecorate a property
- “We spent the whole summer doing up our old flat.”