Social media and communication: IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions & answers
The discussion after the long turn: broader questions where you give views and reasons. Every question has a Band 8 sample built the way its type needs.
- 9 questions with sample answers
- 6 question types
- The examiner's voice on every question
Social media and communication
9 questions · Part 3
Take it as a mock interview
9 questions · 60 seconds each · about 10 minutes
Opening question
Warm-up
Why do you think social media has become so popular?
Sample answerBand 8AnswerReasonExample
- Answer
- Reason
- Example
Mostly because it gives people an instant audience and an endless supply of entertainment, all from a device that's already in their pocket. There's a deeply human need to feel seen and connected, and these platforms tap into that more efficiently than anything that came before. Even my grandmother, who barely used a computer, now posts photos of her garden every week and checks who's reacted to them.
- an endless supply of
- an amount that never runs out
- a deeply human need
- a basic desire that everyone shares
- tap into that
- make use of an existing feeling or desire
68 words · about 30 seconds spoken
Warm-up: close to home
- 2
Compare
How has social media changed the way people keep in touch?
Sample answerBand 8ThenNowWhy it changed
- Then
- Now
- Why it changed
Not so long ago, keeping in touch took a bit of effort, whether that meant a phone call on a Sunday evening or a letter that took a week to arrive, so people maintained fewer relationships but in more depth. These days you can follow the lives of hundreds of acquaintances without exchanging a single word with them, and a quick reaction to someone's photo often counts as staying in contact. What's driven that shift is how frictionless it's all become, since when contact costs nothing, people naturally do more of it, though each exchange tends to be shallower.
- took a bit of effort
- needed some work or trouble
- without exchanging a single word
- with no direct conversation at all
- What's driven that shift is
- the thing that caused that change is
99 words · about 43 seconds spoken
Development: society
- 3
Pros and cons
Do you think people communicate better or worse because of social media?
Sample answerBand 8UpsideDownsideOn balance
- Upside
- Downside
- On balance
In some respects it's made communication far better, because people who'd otherwise have drifted apart, like old school friends or relatives living on different continents, can now stay part of each other's lives. On the flip side, a lot of online exchanges are quite careless, and without tone of voice or facial expressions, a throwaway comment can easily be misread and turn into an argument. So I'd say we communicate more widely than ever, but not necessarily more skilfully, and it largely comes down to how thoughtfully each person uses it.
- drifted apart
- slowly lost contact over time
- On the flip side
- looking at the opposite side of it
- a throwaway comment
- a casual remark made without much thought
91 words · about 40 seconds spoken
- 4
Cause and effect
Why do some people share so much of their lives online?
Sample answerBand 8Main causeAnother causeEffect
- Main cause
- Another cause
- Effect
A big part of it is the craving for validation, because every like or comment gives a small boost to someone's self-esteem, and that feeling can become quite addictive. There's also a sense that sharing is simply what everyone does now, so people who grew up with these platforms often don't draw a clear line between private and public life. The result is that some people end up exposing far more than they intended, and things they posted on impulse at eighteen can resurface years later when they're applying for jobs.
- the craving for validation
- a strong desire for other people's approval
- draw a clear line between
- keep two things clearly separate
- on impulse
- suddenly, without thinking or planning
91 words · about 40 seconds spoken
- 5
Pros and cons
What are the dangers of spending a lot of time on social media?
Sample answerBand 8UpsideDownsideOn balance
- Upside
- Downside
- On balance
To be fair, a moderate amount isn't harmful at all, and it can even keep people informed and in touch with their community. The danger comes when it starts eating into sleep, study and proper conversations, because constant comparison with other people's polished lives can leave users, especially teenagers, feeling anxious and inadequate. So the platforms themselves aren't the villain, but the endless scrolling they're designed to encourage is a genuine risk, and it takes considerable discipline to keep it in check.
- starts eating into
- begins to use up time meant for other things
- other people's polished lives
- the perfect-looking versions of life others show online
- keep it in check
- control it so it doesn't grow too much
82 words · about 36 seconds spoken
- 6
Opinion
Should there be limits on how children use social media?
Sample answerBand 8My viewWhyExampleBut
- My view
- Why
- Example
- But
Yes, I'm firmly in favour of limits, at least for younger children. Their judgement is still developing, so they're far more vulnerable to online bullying, to strangers with bad intentions and to the pressure of constantly measuring themselves against others. A friend of mine who teaches at a primary school says that many of the playground fallouts she deals with now actually begin in group chats the night before. That said, an outright ban would probably backfire, since children are remarkably good at getting around rules, so teaching them to use these apps sensibly matters just as much as restricting them.
- firmly in favour of
- strongly supporting
- would probably backfire
- would likely have the opposite effect to the one intended
- getting around rules
- finding ways to avoid restrictions
101 words · about 44 seconds spoken
Depth: the abstract and the future
- 7
The future
How do you think the way people communicate will change in the future?
Sample answerBand 8PredictionBecauseBut
- Prediction
- Because
- But
My guess is that communication will become even more visual, with short videos and voice messages gradually replacing a lot of written text. People already seem to prefer recording a quick clip to typing out a long message, and as translation tools improve, language barriers will matter far less, so we'll probably chat with people all over the world without a second thought. Having said that, I suspect there'll be some kind of backlash, with more people deliberately switching off and valuing slower, more personal forms of contact, rather like the way vinyl records came back into fashion.
- without a second thought
- without hesitating or thinking about it
- some kind of backlash
- a strong reaction against a trend
- came back into fashion
- became popular again
98 words · about 43 seconds spoken
- 8
What if
If social media had never been invented, would people be happier?
Sample answerBand 8If soResultWider effect
- If so
- Result
- Wider effect
If it had never existed, I imagine some people would be noticeably happier, particularly those who struggle with comparing themselves to others or who feel pressured to be available all the time. They'd probably sleep better, concentrate for longer and invest more in a handful of close friendships rather than spreading themselves thin across hundreds of contacts. On a broader level, though, society would lose a powerful tool for organising, whether that's raising money for a neighbour's medical bills or spreading news during an emergency, so I'm not convinced we'd be better off overall.
- spreading themselves thin
- giving a little attention to too many things
- On a broader level
- looking at society as a whole
- better off overall
- in a better position in general
94 words · about 41 seconds spoken
- 9
Opinion
Is face-to-face conversation becoming less important than it used to be?
Sample answerBand 8My viewWhyExampleBut
- My view
- Why
- Example
- But
I'd argue it's becoming less common rather than less important, and those are two quite different things. So much of our routine contact has moved onto screens, but the conversations that matter most, like resolving a disagreement or comforting someone who's grieving, still need people to be physically present. After a long stretch of working remotely, a colleague of mine told me that endless video calls had left him oddly drained, and sitting across a table from people again felt almost emotional. Even so, I can see a risk that young people get less practice at reading body language, so they might find those crucial conversations harder when they do happen.
- less common rather than less important
- happening less often but still mattering as much
- oddly drained
- strangely tired and lacking energy
- reading body language
- understanding people's gestures and expressions
111 words · about 48 seconds spoken
