lOMoAR cPSD| 47882337 IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY & SAMPLE ANSWERS Asiya Miart FasTrack IELTS Downloaded by June Lee (lenhungkttm@gmail.com) lOMoAR cPSD| 47882337
FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS TOPIC-SPECIFIC VOCABULARY
At the beginning of your IELTS Speaking test, your examiner
wil ask you several questions about one of these topics: your
work or studies, family, home, or hometown.
Below, you wil find some sample answers and useful
vocabulary. You should not learn them by heart as you may
be penalized for giving memorized answers. However, feel
free to learn any words and phrases that can help you improve your answers. FAMILY
Do you have a large or small family?
My immediate family is small as I’m an only child. It’s just my parents, my
husband and I, but I have two uncles and many cousins. immediate family
= parents, husband or wife, and children extended family
= grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins… spouse = husband or wife only child
= someone who has no brothers or sisters
I grew up in a large family with three younger siblings: two brothers and a little
sister. Now I’m married and have three children myself. siblings = brothers and sisters
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Well, I have a half-sister. My parents got divorced when I was 18; my father
remarried and has a daughter with his wife. half-sister or half-brother
= you have only one common parent divorced
= no longer married because the marriage has been legally ended 2 Downloaded by June Lee (lenhungkttm@gmail.com) lOMoAR cPSD| 47882337
FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS separated
= no longer living with your husband or wife to remarry = to marry again widow
= a woman whose husband has died widower = a man whose wife has died
Do you think it’s good to be an only child in the family?
With me being an only child, I guess there are pros and cons. There’s this
stereotype that only children are selfish and spoilt, but I think it real y depends
on their personality. I do agree that only children get more attention from
their parents, but may stil feel a bit lonely. pros and cons
= (informal) advantages and disadvantages selfish = caring only about oneself spoilt
= a spoilt child behaves badly because
they are given everything they ask for
Could you tell me something about your family?
It was actually my granny, my mum’s mum, who brought me up ‘til I was
seven. That’s because my parents worked in geology and spent most of their time on expeditions.
to bring up (brought up) = to care for a child My
grandmother brought up three sons.
My father was brought up to respect authority. upbringing
= the way a child is cared for and taught
how to behave while he/she is growing up I
grew up with five siblings. My upbringing prepared me for everything. What are your parents like? What is someone like?
= Describe their appearance, character, and behaviour What do your parents do?
= Describe their occupation/jobs
My parents are both well-educated, intelligent people. My mum’s kind,
attentive and likes taking care of the family. My dad’s real y energetic and
never says no to a challenge. 3
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FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS
Do you enjoy spending time with your family?
I definitely do. Unfortunately, my family live far away and I don’t often get a
chance to see them. My in-laws are in Brussels though, so it’s easy to spend a weekend together. in-laws
= relatives of your husband or wife mother-in-law
= your spouse’s mother brother-in-law = your spouse’s brother
Do you get along well with your family?
Generally yes, especial y with my mum. My dad’s a little short-tempered.
That’s why we used to quarrel a fair bit when I was younger, but our
relationship has improved in recent years. to get along
= to have a good relationship, to like each other short-tempered
= becoming angry quickly and easily a quarrel
= an argument between people who usually get along well
a quarrel with somebody about/over something I
sometimes quarrel with my sister over domestic chores.
There’s always been a bit of sibling rivalry between my elder sister and me,
but I guess it’s inevitable. sibling rivalry
= competition and arguments among brothers and sisters
Who are you close to in your family?
I’m very close to my mum. Even though we live in different countries, we
speak several times a week. I was also real y close to my grandfather and
used to spend my summer holidays with him when I was at school. Sadly, he
passed away two years ago. to pass away = polite for ‘to die’
Are people in your country generally close to their families? 4 Downloaded by June Lee (lenhungkttm@gmail.com) lOMoAR cPSD| 47882337
FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS
Very. It’s not uncommon for three generations to live together. Elderly parents
usually move in with their children and grandchildren rather than spend their
last years in a care home. generation
= all the people of about the same age
within a society or within a particular family three generations
= parents, children, grandchildren to live under the same roof = to live together HOME
Do you live in a house or a flat?
I’ve never lived in a house in my life. A few months ago, I moved to a
twobedroom flat on the second floor in North London. Could you describe it?
It’s quite spacious for London, with a south-facing living room, a wellequipped
kitchen, a master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, a small guest bedroom and a study. spacious = with a lot of space an open-plan living room
= your kitchen and living room are together a master bedroom = the main bedroom an en-suite bathroom
= it’s directly connected to a bedroom a guest bedroom
= a spare bedroom for your guests a study = an office a conservatory
= a room with glass walls and a glass roof
What kind of building do you live in?
I live in a four-storey red-brick mansion built in the 1930s. It has nice
architecture and a private garden that we share with other residents.
I live on the second floor of a four-storey building. 5
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FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS
I live in a modern high-rise building in a gated development. We have a good
range of facilities on its territory: a supermarket, a gym and a couple of coffee-shops.
I live in a typical single-storey house with a small garden at the back and a
parking space at the front. Our neighbours’ houses look very similar.
What do you like about living there?
I like that most of the rooms face south, which means we get a lot of natural
light. The living room has an open view overlooking a green lawn. What’s
more, the location is really convenient. All the facilities are within walking
distance and it takes half-an-hour by Tube to get to central London.
Could you describe your favourite room?
I would say it’s the living room because it’s the most spacious room in the flat,
with two big windows, a comfy sofa and a big glass table where we eat
dinner every night. That’s the room where the whole family gathers together.
Would you change anything about your home?
There’s quite a lot, actually. Before we moved in, we only had time to do a
basic refurbishment. We changed the floors and repainted the walls a creamy
colour. We stil need to buy lamps and decorations and at some point, redo the bathroom completely.
I love my house a lot the way it is. But there’s always scope for improvement, I guess. I would…
Would you like to move to a different home in the future? What sort of
accommodation would you most like to live in?
One day I’d like to live in a house with more space and privacy. My dream
house would have a large open plan living-dining area, a garden with a BBQ
and a conservatory, to make the most out of sunny days.
There’s no place like home. … feels like home. 6 Downloaded by June Lee (lenhungkttm@gmail.com) lOMoAR cPSD| 47882337
FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS
I was born in Kazakhstan, but I’ve lived in London for so long that it feels like home now. HOMETOWN
Are you from a town or a village?
I’m from a city called Almaty. It’s the former capital of Kazakhstan.
I’m from a small vil age called Teke in south Kazakhstan. What is your hometown like?
It’s quite a large and modern city of over two mil ion people. It’s growing fast
because many people move there to work or study; I like its hustle and bustle.
The city is located in the foothil s of the Alatau mountains, which means that
the views are beautiful and we can easily go hiking in summer and skiing in winter. hustle and bustle
= a large amount of activity and
work, usually in a noisy surrounding
a bustling city/neighbourhood
= full of people moving about
What kinds of public transport are there in your hometown?
There are buses, electric trolleybuses and trams and one metro line, which
took over twenty years to build. That’s definitely not enough for such a large
city. As a result, most people use cars and traffic congestion is a major problem.
public transport (Br) to
= public transportation (Am)
travel by public transport = buses, trains, taxis, etc. traffic congestion
= there are so many cars on the
roads that they move very slowly traffic jam
= cars stop as a result of congestion, snow or an accident 7
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FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS
What are people like in your hometown?
I find that people are generally friendly and quite open. I mean they share
personal information with you freely, so it’s easy to make friends. But I must
admit that not everyone respects the queue, so queue jumping is quite
common, which stresses me out. talkative = like to talk to respect the queue
= to wait in line for your turn to jump the queue
= to go to the front of a line of
people without waiting for your turn What is it known for?
What is the most interesting part of your town?
What would you recommend a visitor to see or do in this town?
On the outskirts of Almaty, there’s an outdoor skating rink called Medeu. It’s
famous because of its high altitude, and it’s even hosted some international
competitions. I think it’s definitely worth seeing, even for people who don’t
skate, because the views from there are simply breathtaking. on the outskirts of the city
= near the edge of the city; far from to be worth seeing the city centre breathtaking = very beautiful a breathtaking view
What kinds of jobs do the people in your town/village do?
I suppose that most people work in manufacturing – I know that there are
some big factories in Almaty. Others work in small businesses, such as shops
and restaurants. Almaty is known as the financial centre of Kazakhstan, which
means that some of the country’s largest banks and the stock exchange are
also based in the city. small and medium-sized businesses = shops, restaurants, etc. 8 Downloaded by June Lee (lenhungkttm@gmail.com) lOMoAR cPSD| 47882337
FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS
Has your hometown changed much since you were a child?
A lot. When I see old photographs of Almaty I can hardly recognize it. It used
to be a quiet medium-sized town, but in recent years big developments have
sprung up like mushrooms. The city centre is now dominated by glass and
concrete offices and big shopping malls. I think the city has almost doubled in
size in the last twenty years and has completely changed its appearance. It used to be
= something was true in the past but isn’t true anymore to spring up like mushrooms
= to grow very quickly (talking about buildings) glass and concrete offices shopping malls to double in size
Would you say it’s a good place to live? Why?
I think there are a lot of great things about it. I like its climate – the hot, sunny
summers and snowy winters. I also think that Almaty’s universities are the best
in the country and the city offers good job opportunities. However, traffic
congestion and related air pollution are big problems in the city and need to
be addressed. great/limited job opportunities traffic congestion air pollution WORK Do you work or study?
I graduated last year and now I work full-time. to graduate
= to finish university to work full-time
= to work 30 or 40 hours per week to work part-time
= to work less than 30 hours per week
I’m employed full-time. I work for Coca-Cola.
I was unemployed for several months and have just joined a new company. 9
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FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS to be unemployed = not to have a job to join the company = to find a new job What is your job?
It’s just an admin nine-to-five office job. I’m a personal assistant at a law firm. nine-to-five
= the normal working hours in an office
I work nine to five.
I’ve been working in accounting for a few years and now I’m a senior
accountant at a big multinational corporation.
I have been working in (accounting)/as (an accountant) for…years = This is a
great opportunity to use the present perfect continuous tense. Why did you choose this job?
Both of my parents are lawyers. I guess it runs in the family. to run in the family
= If a quality, ability, disease, etc. runs in the
family, many members of the family have it
I needed a job and the office across the road advertised a vacancy. So I
thought, “Why not?”
I guess I chose to become a photographer because I’m deeply fond of
photography. In my occupation, no two days are alike.
to be fond of something = to like something for a long time an occupation = (formal) profession or job
Is it a popular job in your country?
Absolutely. Every company needs an accountant. I suppose it’s a popular job in every country.
Not real y. It seems that most people don’t think that being a YouTuber is a real job. 10 Downloaded by June Lee (lenhungkttm@gmail.com) lOMoAR cPSD| 47882337
FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS Do you like your job?
The perk of being a travel agent is that I’ve travel ed to so many destinations
for free. The pay could be better, though.
the perk = something you receive as well as your wages for doing a particular
job high-paid job low-paid job
Accounting can be a bit boring at times but the money is good.
Being a teacher is not a high-paid job, but a deeply rewarding one.
rewarding work/job/career = it gives the sense of doing something important
fulfil ing work/job/career = it gives you personal satisfaction or happiness
I find something satisfying in recording every little transaction correctly.
What do you dislike about your job?
I have to work overtime quite regularly and I’d prefer not to. overtime
= time worked in addition to one's normal working hours to work long hours overwhelming = very great in amount
Sometimes the amount of
work is simply overwhelming. At other times, it’s so quiet that I have nothing to do.
Do you get on well with your colleagues?
to get on/along with somebody = to have a friendly relationship with somebody
I’m lucky to work with very nice people, and we all sometimes have drinks together after work.
I have a good working relationship with most of my colleagues, but I prefer to
keep my private and professional lives separate.
What was your first day at work like? 11
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FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS
I had an induction day when my manager explained how things work in more
detail and took me around the office to introduce me to my colleagues. induction
= introducing somebody to a new job or skil
What responsibilities do you have at work?
I’m responsible for answering calls and booking appointments for new clients.
I also support more senior colleagues with any admin tasks, such as updating
reports, answering emails, or collecting information.
What is your typical day like at work?
I usually start at 9 am and take about an hour to answer all the emails or finish
any small but urgent tasks for the day. Then I start working on more important
projects, such as creating new courses or recording new videos, and the day
flies by. I only take a short lunch break and try to finish no later than 7pm.
Would you like to change your job in the future?
I’d like to progress with my career in accountancy and gain more
responsibilities in the future, so I may change jobs one day.
I’m thinking about moving to auditing in a couple of years. I just need to gain
the required skills and knowledge first. STUDIES Do you work or study?
I’m in the final year of my bachelor’s degree, and I’m graduating this summer. I’m a first-year student.
I’m in the second year of my master’s degree.
bachelor’s degree = undergraduate degree master’s degree
= postgraduate/graduate degree to graduate from university = to get a university degree What do you study? 12 Downloaded by June Lee (lenhungkttm@gmail.com) lOMoAR cPSD| 47882337
FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS
I am studying for a bachelor’s degree in international economics, which at my
university includes courses in economics, business, law, international relations
and two foreign languages.
to pursue a bachelor’s degree in economics
to study for a master’s degree in business to
do a master’s in law (British, informal)
I have a double major in economics and business. I believe this combination
gives me an understanding of how the economy works in general and also
equips me with more practical skil s to run a business.
I major in accounting. It is quite narrow but I feel that this degree can give me
an advantage when it comes to job hunting.
to have a double major in X and Y = to study two main subjects to major in X
= to study something as your main subject at a university job hunting
= the process of looking for a job
Is it a popular subject at your university?
Oh yes, I’ve heard that this is the most sought-after subject in the whole
university. Apparently, the competition is even higher than for medicine.
sought-after subject = wanted by many people, popular subject
Is there anything you don’t like about your programme?
Well, there are some courses that I don’t feel I need. At my university there’s
no division between compulsory and optional modules; they are all
compulsory, and sadly we have no opportunity to tailor the programme to our interests. compulsory modules = all students study them optional modules = some students choose to study them
to tailor the programme to one’s interests = to adapt the programme to suit your interests 13
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FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS
When it comes to your studies, what do you find most challenging?
Definitely the exam periods. The problem is that we study between 10 and 12
modules in each semester, which is a lot! What makes it worse is that most of
them are assessed based on final exams. This means that every January and
June we take around 10 exams over a period of three weeks. The workload is
just crazy.
semester or trimester/term = periods that the university year is divided into
to take an exam to appear for an exam to attempt an exam
It’s difficult to keep up with the workload because if I relax just a little and
don’t do my homework for a few days, I immediately fall behind with my studies. to keep up with the workload
= to complete all your tasks on time to fall
behind with studies = to fail to complete al your tasks on time
Do you get along with your classmates?
Generally, yes. I have two close friends with whom I spend a lot of time, and
I’m on friendly terms with everyone else. I do my best to avoid conflicts at university.
to get along with somebody = to be on friendly terms = to have a friendly relationship with somebody
to do one’s best = to do as much as you can to try to achieve something
If you could study a different course, what would it be?
Sometimes I think that I should have applied to study medicine. I wanted to
be a doctor and I had the required grades, but back then I was scared of the
long training and low salaries. Now I think that the most important thing is to
do what you real y like, even if it’s not easy. So if I could change my
programme now, I would study to become a doctor. I could have become a doctor. = I had a chance to become a
doctor, but I’m not a doctor.
I should have become a doctor.
= I regret that I’m not a doctor. 14 Downloaded by June Lee (lenhungkttm@gmail.com) lOMoAR cPSD| 47882337
FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS
What are you planning to do after you graduate?
I’d like to work at a bank. So I’m already applying for some graduate positions
in corporate banking and hope to secure a place before I graduate. to work at to work for
a graduate position/programme = a job for university graduates only
to secure a place = to get a job
Why did you choose to study at your university?
Why did you choose to study this subject?
Is it important to select a career while you are still young?
Are there many people with your profession in your city?
or use this link: https://fastrackielts.com/courses/ 15
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