Shopping and consumerism: IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions & answers

Opening question

Warm-up: close to home

1. Cause and effect

   Why do you think online shopping has become so popular?

   2
   Answer it

   Get it scored
   Sample answerBand 8Main causeAnother causeEffect

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

   Mostly it comes down to how effortless it is, because you can compare dozens of products and prices in a few minutes without traipsing from one shop to another. On top of that, a lot of people who were sceptical at first, older shoppers in particular, have been won over by free returns, and once they've got over the initial hurdle they rarely go back. The upshot is that high streets in many towns have been hollowed out, with empty units where independent shops used to be, while warehouses on the outskirts keep growing.

   comes down to

   is mainly explained by

   got over the initial hurdle

   managed the first difficult step

   been hollowed out

   lost what was at its centre, leaving it empty

   94 words · about 41 seconds spoken

Development: society

1. Opinion

   Do you think people buy more than they really need?

   3
   Answer it

   Get it scored
   Sample answerBand 8My viewWhyExampleBut

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

   On the whole, yes, I'd argue that most of us in wealthier societies own far more than we could ever use. Part of it is that shopping has become a form of entertainment or even comfort, so we buy things for the brief lift they give us rather than because we lack them. Just think of how many clothes end up at the back of a wardrobe with the labels still attached. Still, it's hardly fair to blame individuals alone, since for many families on tight budgets, overconsumption simply isn't an option.

   I'd argue that

   I would claim, used to give a firm opinion

   the brief lift they give us

   the short burst of happiness something provides

   on tight budgets

   having very little money to spend

   92 words · about 40 seconds spoken

2. Compare

   How has advertising changed the way people shop?

   4
   Answer it

   Get it scored
   Sample answerBand 8ThenNowWhy it changed

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

   A generation ago, advertising mostly told people a product existed, through a billboard or a television slot, and the actual decision was made later, in the shop. These days the advert and the purchase are practically the same moment, because an ad can appear in your social media feed and you can buy the item with a single tap. What's driving this is personal data, which lets companies target people with uncanny precision, so the adverts we see are tailored to our habits and catch us when we're most likely to give in.

   practically the same moment

   almost exactly the same time

   with uncanny precision

   with an accuracy so exact it feels strange

   most likely to give in

   most likely to stop resisting

   93 words · about 40 seconds spoken

3. Pros and cons

   What are the advantages and disadvantages of shopping online?

   5
   Answer it

   Get it scored
   Sample answerBand 8UpsideDownsideOn balance

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

   The main attraction is choice and convenience, since you can find almost anything, read other buyers' reviews and have it delivered without setting foot outside. The drawback is that you can't touch or try things on, so a lot ends up being sent back, and all that packaging and extra transport takes a toll on the environment. So it makes perfect sense for practical, standardised items like batteries or books, whereas for clothes or furniture there's still a lot to be said for seeing things in person.

   without setting foot outside

   without leaving your home at all

   takes a toll on

   causes damage or harm to

   a lot to be said for

   has many advantages

   87 words · about 38 seconds spoken

4. Opinion

   Should there be limits on advertising aimed at children?

   6
   Answer it

   Get it scored
   Sample answerBand 8My viewWhyExampleBut

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

   Yes, I'm firmly in favour of stricter limits, because children simply aren't equipped to recognise when they're being sold to. Young kids tend to take what they see at face value, so a cheerful cartoon character promoting sugary cereal comes across as a friend's recommendation rather than a sales pitch. In my country, adverts for junk food used to be shown right in the middle of children's programmes, and teachers noticed pupils pestering their parents for exactly those products. Having said that, a total ban would be hard to enforce online, so teaching children to question what they see probably matters just as much as regulation.

   firmly in favour of

   strongly supporting

   at face value

   as it appears, without questioning it

   hard to enforce

   difficult to make people obey

   106 words · about 46 seconds spoken

Depth: the abstract and the future

1. Pros and cons

   What effect does constant consumption have on the environment?

   7
   Answer it

   Get it scored
   Sample answerBand 8UpsideDownsideOn balance

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

   If there's any upside at all, it's that consumer demand has pushed some manufacturers to develop greener materials and more efficient production, simply because buyers now expect it. But the overall impact is overwhelmingly damaging, since every product has to be extracted, manufactured, shipped and eventually thrown away, and cheap fashion and electronics have shortened that cycle dramatically. So, all things considered, greener products only scratch the surface, and the real solution is buying less, which is a much harder message to sell.

   all things considered

   after thinking about every side

   only scratch the surface

   deal with only a small part of a problem

   a much harder message to sell

   an idea people are less willing to accept

   83 words · about 36 seconds spoken

2. The future

   How might the way people shop change in the future?

   8
   Answer it

   Get it scored
   Sample answerBand 8PredictionBecauseBut

   1. Prediction→
   2. Because→
   3. But

   My guess is that shopping will become increasingly automated, with households subscribing to regular deliveries and smart devices reordering basics before they run out. The technology is largely there already, and people are generally happy to hand over routine chores they find tedious, like restocking washing powder. Even so, I doubt physical shops will vanish altogether, because browsing with friends is a social activity as much as a practical one, so I'd expect the ones that survive to feel more like places to spend an afternoon.

   My guess is that

   I predict, though I'm not certain

   hand over routine chores

   let someone or something else do boring tasks

   vanish altogether

   disappear completely

   86 words · about 37 seconds spoken

3. What if

   If people repaired things instead of replacing them, how would life change?

   9
   Answer it

   Get it scored
   Sample answerBand 8If soResultWider effect

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

   If repairing became the norm again, I imagine people would grow far more attached to their belongings and think twice before buying anything poorly made. Households would probably save money over time, and local repair shops, which have nearly died out in many places, could make a real comeback and create skilled jobs. On a broader scale, manufacturers would be under pressure to design products that can be opened and fixed, and the mountain of waste we send to landfill would shrink considerably.

   became the norm

   became the usual, accepted way of doing things

   think twice before

   consider carefully before doing something

   make a real comeback

   become popular or common again

   83 words · about 36 seconds spoken