IELTS Speaking Part 1: Common Questions

Summary

In this IELTS speaking lesson, Liz focuses on the various types of questions that may be asked in Part One of the exam. She emphasizes the importance of preparing for different topics such as family, hobbies, and cooking, and understanding the different question words like 'how often,' 'who,' 'where,' 'when,' and 'what kind.' The lesson also covers common question formats including 'can you,' 'do you like,' 'what's your favorite,' 'do you prefer,' 'do you usually,' 'what do you usually,' 'do you ever,' and 'have you ever.' It highlights the need to listen for tense cues in questions and provides strategies for answering effectively, ensuring that students are well-equipped for the speaking section.

Takeaways

• 📝 The lesson focuses on preparing for IELTS Speaking Part One, emphasizing the need to be ready for various topics and question types.
• 🍳 A common topic discussed is cooking, which can include questions about frequency, people, places, times, and preferences.
• 🗣️ Question words like 'how often', 'who', 'where', 'when', and 'how long' are crucial for understanding the type of information required.
• ❓ The 'can you' question format is common, requiring a simple yes or no followed by additional information.
• 💡 'Do you like' and 'what's your favorite' questions are typical, asking for expressions of enjoyment and preferences.
• 🔄 'Preferring' questions address choices between two options, necessitating a clear preference and explanation.
• 🛎️ 'Do you usually' questions pertain to habitual actions, seeking confirmation and further details.
• 🍲 'What do you usually cook' inquires about common dishes prepared, aiming to understand regular cooking practices.
• 🏠 'Do you ever' questions explore occasional actions in the present tense, expecting a yes or no and rationale.
• 🌍 'Have you ever' delves into past experiences, looking for past tense responses about unique food experiences.
• 👶 Questions like 'did you ever cook when you were a child' are specific to past actions during childhood, testing grammar skills.
• 🧐 The lesson also touches on questions about people in general or in one's country, requiring a broader perspective beyond personal experience.

Q & A

What are the different types of questions that can be asked in IELTS Speaking Part One?

In IELTS Speaking Part One, the examiner might ask questions about various topics such as family, hobbies, going out, and birthdays. The questions can be about frequency, person, place, time, length of time, and preferences.

Why is it important to understand the question words in IELTS Speaking Part One?

Understanding the question words is crucial because they dictate the type of information you need to provide in your answer. Each question word focuses on a different aspect like frequency, person, place, time, or preference.

What does the question 'How often do you cook?' focus on?

The question 'How often do you cook?' focuses on frequency, asking for the number of times you cook in a week or a month.

What information does the question 'Who usually does the cooking?' require?

The question 'Who usually does the cooking?' requires you to identify the person who cooks, either yourself or someone else in your family.

Can you explain the difference between 'when did you learn to cook' and 'how long have you been cooking'?

The question 'when did you learn to cook' asks for a specific time or date when you learned to cook, while 'how long have you been cooking' inquires about the duration or length of time you have been cooking.

What is the significance of the question 'What kind of dishes do you like?' in IELTS Speaking Part One?

The question 'What kind of dishes do you like?' is significant as it tests your ability to express preferences and discuss specific types of food.

How should you respond to a 'Can you' question in IELTS Speaking Part One?

For a 'Can you' question, you should respond with either 'Yes, I can' or 'No, I can't' followed by additional information to support your answer.

What is the purpose of the question 'Do you like' in the context of IELTS Speaking Part One?

The question 'Do you like' is used to gauge your preferences and requires you to express what you enjoy or dislike in relation to the topic.

Why is it important to differentiate between 'Do you usually' and 'What do you usually cook'?

The question 'Do you usually' is about your common habits, while 'What do you usually cook' is specific to the type of dish you prepare. Differentiating between these helps in providing accurate and relevant information.

How should you answer a 'Do you ever' question in IELTS Speaking Part One?

For a 'Do you ever' question, you should answer with 'Yes' or 'No' and then explain why or give examples, focusing on current habits or actions.

What does the question 'Have you ever' focus on, and why is it important?

The question 'Have you ever' focuses on past experiences, asking about events or actions that occurred at some point in your life. It is important because it tests your ability to use past tense correctly.

Why might you be asked 'Why do some people dislike cooking?' in IELTS Speaking Part One?

The question 'Why do some people dislike cooking?' is asked to assess your ability to discuss general opinions and behaviors, not just your personal experiences.

Outlines

00:00

🍳 IELTS Speaking Part One: Question Types

In this lesson, Liz introduces the various types of questions that can be asked in the IELTS speaking part one. She emphasizes the importance of preparing for different topics such as family, hobbies, and birthdays, but also for different question types. The example topic of 'cooking' is used to illustrate how questions can vary by starting with different question words, which are crucial for understanding the part one format. Questions are categorized by frequency ('how often'), person ('who usually'), place ('where'), time ('when'), and length of time ('how long'). Additionally, Liz covers common question formats like 'can you,' 'do you like,' 'what's your favorite,' 'preferring,' 'do you usually,' 'what do you usually,' 'do you ever,' and 'have you ever.' She advises test-takers to listen carefully for these question words to provide accurate responses.

05:02

🗣️ Past Tense and General Questions in IELTS Speaking

The second paragraph delves into the importance of recognizing past tense questions in IELTS speaking part one, using 'did you ever cook when you were a child' as an example. It stresses the need for correct past tense usage to demonstrate grammar proficiency. The paragraph also mentions that while most questions in part one are personal, some may inquire about general behaviors or preferences of people in one's country, such as 'why do some people dislike cooking.' Liz advises candidates to answer such questions by explaining general trends rather than personal experiences. The lesson concludes with a reminder that the focus is on self-reflection and understanding the nuances of question types to excel in the IELTS speaking part one.

Keywords

💡IELTS

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. It is a standardized test designed to assess the English language proficiency of non-native speakers. In the context of the video, IELTS is the main theme as it discusses strategies for answering questions in the IELTS Speaking Part One section.

💡Speaking Part One

This refers to the initial section of the IELTS Speaking test where candidates are asked a series of questions related to familiar topics. The video focuses on this part, providing tips on how to handle different types of questions that might be asked.

💡Topic

In the context of the video, a 'topic' refers to the subject matter that the examiner might ask about during the IELTS Speaking Part One. Examples include family, hobbies, and cooking, as mentioned in the script.

💡Question Word

Question words are words that initiate questions and guide the type of response expected. The video emphasizes the importance of recognizing these words (e.g., how, when, where) to answer appropriately in the IELTS Speaking test.

💡Frequency

Frequency refers to how often something occurs. In the script, 'how often do you cook' is an example of a question that asks for the frequency of an activity, which is important for understanding the pattern of the candidate's cooking habits.

💡Person

This keyword is used to describe questions that ask about who performs a certain action. For instance, 'who usually does the cooking' is a question that requires the candidate to identify the person responsible for cooking in their context.

💡Place

Place in the video refers to the location where an activity is learned or performed. The question 'where did you learn to cook' is an example of a place-related question, which helps the examiner understand the candidate's background and experiences.

💡Time

Time in this context refers to when an event or activity occurred. The video mentions 'when did you learn to cook' as an example of a time-related question, which requires the candidate to provide a specific date or period.

💡Length of Time

Length of time indicates the duration for which an activity has been ongoing. The script uses 'how long have you been cooking' to illustrate a question that requires the candidate to specify the period they have been engaged in cooking.

💡Dishes

Dishes in the video refer to types of food prepared or enjoyed by the candidate. The question 'what kind of dishes do you like' is used to understand the candidate's food preferences, which can reflect cultural and personal tastes.

💡Can You

The 'Can You' question format is a common type of question in IELTS Speaking Part One that asks about the candidate's abilities. For example, 'Can you cook?' requires a yes or no answer, followed by additional information to support the response.

💡Do You Like

This question format is used to inquire about the candidate's preferences or enjoyment of certain things. In the script, 'Do you like spicy dishes?' is an example, which helps the examiner gauge the candidate's taste preferences.

💡Favorite

The term 'favorite' is used to ask for the candidate's most preferred option among a set of choices. The video gives 'what's your favorite dish' as an example, aiming to understand the candidate's top choice, which can be culturally revealing.

💡Preferring

Preferring indicates a choice between two or more options. The video mentions 'do you prefer eating at home or do you prefer eating out' to illustrate a preference question, which allows the candidate to express a personal choice and explain the reasons behind it.

💡Usually

Usually refers to regular or habitual actions. In the context of the video, 'do you usually cook for yourself' is an example of a question that explores the candidate's routine behaviors, providing insight into their lifestyle.

💡Ever

The term 'ever' is used in questions to inquire about past experiences. 'Do you ever order food delivery' is an example from the script, which is a present tense question asking about the candidate's current habits, requiring a yes or no answer with an explanation.

💡Past Tense

Past tense is a verb tense used to describe actions that occurred before the present. The video emphasizes the importance of using past tense when answering questions about past experiences, such as 'did you ever cook when you were a child', to demonstrate grammatical accuracy.

💡People in General

This phrase refers to questions that ask for opinions or behaviors of people in general, not just the candidate. The video gives 'why do some people dislike cooking' as an example, which requires the candidate to speculate on reasons beyond their personal experience.

Highlights

Introduction to different types of questions in IELTS Speaking Part One

Importance of preparing for various topics such as family, hobbies, and birthdays

Necessity of understanding different question types despite the variety of topics

Exploration of the common topic of cooking in IELTS Speaking Part One

Explanation of question words and their significance in structuring responses

How often do you cook? - A question about frequency

Who usually does the cooking? - A question about a person

Where did you learn to cook? - A question about a place

When did you learn to cook? - A question about time

How long have you been cooking? - A question about duration

What kind of dishes do you like? - A common question about preferences

Emphasis on listening for question words to provide accurate information

Common question types: Can you, Do you like, What's your favorite, Preferring, Do you usually, What do you usually cook, Do you ever, Have you ever

Instructions on how to answer 'Can you' questions with additional information

Guidance on responding to 'Do you like' and 'Do you dislike' questions

Advice on expressing preferences when asked 'Preferring' questions

Clarification on answering 'Do you usually' questions about habits

Discussion on 'Do you ever' questions in the present tense

Explanation of 'Have you ever' questions related to past experiences

Attention to past tense in questions about childhood cooking experiences

Differentiation between questions about oneself and general questions about people

How to approach questions about why some people dislike cooking

Conclusion of the lesson with a reminder to prepare for a variety of question types

Transcripts

hello my name is Liz and in this lesson

I want to look at the different types of

questions that the examiner might ask

you in IELTS speaking part one now as

you know you need to prepare lots of

different topics so for example family

hobbies going out birthdays but you also

need to prepare for different types of

questions so even though the examiner

will ask you about different topics the

questions are often the same so let's

have a look at some common questions for

IELTS speaking part one so let's take a

look at a common topic and that's the

topic of cooking it is a common topic to

get in speaking part one now you can see

a list of questions here so let's take a

look at these questions more closely

what you can see is that each question

begins with a different question word

and this is very important to understand

about speaking part one because every

topic that you get in speaking part one

can have questions let's start with

these question words so for example how

often do you cook this is looking at

frequency so the number of times you

cook in a week or in a month who usually

does the cooking this is a person so

either you or someone else in your

family where did you learn to cook so

this is a place did you learn to cook in

your own home or was it in a school or

on a course when did you learn to cook

this is for a time so for this you'll

need to give a date or for example 10

years ago or when I was a child how long

have you been cooking another common

question this is about the length of

time so you could say I've been cooking

for six years and that means I

started cooking six years ago and of

course what kind of dishes do you like

this is also a common question so for

example do you like spicy dishes chicken

dishes what kind

so these question words are very

important and you need to listen for

them in the speaking part one test so

that you can give the right information

in your answer and here are more

questions that are very common in IELTS

speaking part one so you can see the

first one which is a can you question

it's very common to get this for any

topic can you swim can you dance

can you cook and you need to answer yes

I can or no I can't and add some more

information also we've got do you like

so this is what you enjoy it could also

be do dislike so listen out for that and

what's your favorite a very common

question what's your favorite book

what's your favorite dish what's your

favorite newspaper it could be any

question like this and again you need to

express the dish that you like most

another one is preferring so this is all

about preferences do you prefer this or

do you prefer this so do you prefer

eating at home or do you prefer eating

out you need to choose one and explain

your preference we've also got do you

usually so this is about your common

habits what you do frequently so do you

usually cook for yourself and you need

to answer yes or no and again add more

information the next one what do you

usually cook this is about what dish so

for example I often cook Chinese food or

I often cook veg

therrien dishes the next one is a do you

ever and this is in the present tense so

this is now so do you ever order food

delivery and you need to say yes or no

and then explain why or give some more

examples and the next one is have you

ever and with this question this is

actually a past tense question so that

means we're looking at what you've done

in the past so have you ever eaten any

food from a foreign country and you can

say yes and you can explain when or what

kind of food it was so again very common

questions you can get in almost any

topic now there are a couple more so

let's look at the last few so here are

the last two types of questions for

IELTS speaking part one this one did you

ever cook when you were a child now it's

very important that you pay attention to

this question because this is a clear

past tense question about your childhood

and of course this is testing your past

tense your grammar so it's very

important that you listen for the tents

in the question because this is a

language test so if you don't give a

past tense answer that might be a

problem and the next question now of

course speaking part one is mostly about

yourself

what do you like what do you prefer can

you when do you what do you is mostly

about yourself but you can also get

questions about people in your country

or about people in general so here we've

got a question why do some people

dislike cooking now please if you get a

question like this don't talk about

yourself this is about other people

so with this question you'll need to

explain why there are people who don't

enjoy cooking well that's all for this

lesson I'll see you

again in another IELTS lesson

you