Leisure and relaxation: IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions & answers

Opening question

Warm-up: close to home

1. Cause and effect

   Why is it important for people to have time to relax?

   2
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   Sample answerBand 8Main causeAnother causeEffect

   1. Main cause→
   2. Another cause→
   3. Effect

   The most obvious reason is that our minds and bodies simply aren't built to run at full speed all the time, and without proper rest, stress builds up until it starts affecting our health. Relaxation also gives us room to think, since a lot of good ideas seem to arrive when we're walking or cooking rather than staring at a problem. As a result, people who protect their downtime are usually calmer, more creative and, ironically, more productive, whereas cultures that glorify overwork tend to pay a heavy price in burnout.

   run at full speed

   work at maximum effort

   protect their downtime

   keep their free time from being taken over

   pay a heavy price

   suffer serious consequences

   91 words · about 40 seconds spoken

Development: society

1. Compare

   Do you think people have more or less free time than in the past?

   3
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   Sample answerBand 8ThenNowWhy it changed

   1. Then→
   2. Now→
   3. Why it changed

   On paper, people in the past probably had less free time, since working weeks were longer and household chores took far more effort without modern appliances. Today we technically have more hours to ourselves, yet many people feel busier than ever, because those hours are broken up by emails, messages and a constant sense that we should be doing something useful. Technology is largely to blame, as it's erased the clear boundary between work and home that previous generations took for granted.

   On paper

   in theory, according to the official facts

   busier than ever

   more busy than at any time before

   took for granted

   assumed would always be there

   82 words · about 36 seconds spoken

2. Opinion

   Is modern life making it harder for people to switch off and relax?

   4
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   Sample answerBand 8My viewWhyExampleBut

   1. My view→
   2. Why→
   3. Example→
   4. But

   Without a doubt, and I'd single out the phone in our pocket as the main culprit. Because we're always reachable, there's an unspoken expectation that we'll reply to messages instantly, even late at night, so the brain never fully gets the signal that the working day is over. It's quite common now to see people on holiday by the sea, supposedly relaxing, but glancing at their work email every half hour. To some extent, though, it's a matter of choice, and I've noticed more people deliberately setting boundaries, like leaving their phone in another room in the evenings.

   the main culprit

   the thing most to blame

   an unspoken expectation

   something everyone assumes but nobody says

   setting boundaries

   creating clear limits on what you will do

   98 words · about 43 seconds spoken

3. Pros and cons

   What are the benefits of hobbies that people do with their hands?

   5
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   Sample answerBand 8UpsideDownsideOn balance

   1. Upside→
   2. Downside→
   3. On balance

   The great thing about hands-on hobbies like woodwork, knitting or gardening is that they absorb your attention completely, which gives the mind a genuine break from screens and worries. Admittedly, they can take a long time to master, and the early stages can be frustrating when what you've made looks nothing like what you imagined. Still, the benefits clearly outweigh that, because there's a particular satisfaction in producing something tangible that you just don't get from reaching the next level of a game.

   absorb your attention completely

   occupy your mind fully

   looks nothing like

   is completely different from

   clearly outweigh

   are clearly greater or more important than

   83 words · about 36 seconds spoken

4. Pros and cons

   Is it possible to have too much free time?

   6
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   Sample answerBand 8UpsideDownsideOn balance

   1. Upside→
   2. Downside→
   3. On balance

   In theory, more free time sounds ideal, and for anyone with a wide range of interests it can be a real gift, giving them the chance to travel, study or take up something new. The danger is that without some kind of structure, days start to blur together, and plenty of recently retired people, for instance, say they feel restless or even a bit lost once the initial excitement fades. So yes, I'd say it is possible, because what people need isn't endless leisure but a balance between rest and a sense of purpose.

   take up something new

   start a new hobby or activity

   blur together

   become hard to tell apart

   a sense of purpose

   a feeling that your life has meaning

   94 words · about 41 seconds spoken

Depth: the abstract and the future

1. Opinion

   Should employers do more to help people balance work and rest?

   7
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   Sample answerBand 8My viewWhyExampleBut

   1. My view→
   2. Why→
   3. Example→
   4. But

   Definitely, and not purely out of kindness, because it's in their own interest too. Exhausted staff make more mistakes, take more sick leave and are far more likely to quit, so a company that respects people's time off usually ends up with a more loyal and effective workforce. Some firms now have a rule that nobody sends work messages after a certain hour, and from what I've heard, employees there feel much less anxious in the evenings. There's a limit to what employers can do, though, and if someone chooses to check their inbox at midnight, no company policy is going to stop them.

   in their own interest

   good for them as well

   ends up with

   finally has, as a result

   There's a limit to what

   only a certain amount is possible

   104 words · about 45 seconds spoken

2. The future

   How might the way people relax change in the future?

   8
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   Sample answerBand 8PredictionBecauseBut

   1. Prediction→
   2. Because→
   3. But

   I imagine relaxation will become something people actively schedule and even pay for, rather than something that just happens when work stops. We're already seeing digital detox retreats and apps that remind you to breathe, which suggests people no longer trust themselves to switch off without help. That said, I suspect there'll be a backlash too, with plenty of people rejecting gadgets altogether and returning to simple pleasures like walking, fishing or reading a paper book.

   switch off without help

   relax and stop thinking about work unaided

   there'll be a backlash

   people will react strongly against the trend

   simple pleasures

   basic, ordinary things that bring enjoyment

   76 words · about 33 seconds spoken

3. What if

   If people had a much shorter working week, how would they use the time?

   9
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   Sample answerBand 8If soResultWider effect

   1. If so→
   2. Result→
   3. Wider effect

   If the working week were cut to, say, four days, my hunch is that most people would spend the first few months just catching up on sleep and errands. Once that novelty wore off, though, I think many would invest the extra day in things they currently squeeze into their evenings, like exercise, learning a skill or spending proper time with their children. Across a whole society, that could make a real difference, with healthier people, stronger families and perhaps more volunteering, although some would inevitably just take on a second job.

   catching up on sleep

   getting the sleep you missed earlier

   novelty wore off

   it stopped feeling new and exciting

   squeeze into their evenings

   fit, with difficulty, into the time after work

   92 words · about 40 seconds spoken