Essential Speaking Skills. Part 1
A free guide to the essential skills for IELTS Speaking Part 1. Learn the simple Answer → Reason → Example pattern, 20 phrases to talk about your work, home and free time, and how to choose the right tense for every question. It also covers sentence stress and pausing, so you’re easy to understand. Includes model answers, a practice test, a self-check list and a one-page summary.
Fillable PDF – type your answers directly into the lesson.
Audio for the Start IELTS lesson Speaking – Part 1: Familiar Topics. Listen first, then open the audio script to check.
Track 1 – Model Conversation
Section 1. Listen to the examiner and the candidate. Notice how each answer gives two or three sentences and a reason.
Show the audio script
Examiner: Do you work or are you a student?
Candidate: I work as a nurse at a hospital in the city centre. I’ve been doing it for about six years now, and I really enjoy it, mainly because every day is different.
Examiner: What do you like most about your job?
Candidate: What I enjoy most is the people I work with. We’re a really close team, so even when it’s busy, we support each other. For example, last week we had a very difficult night, but everyone stayed calm and helped out.
Examiner: Where is your hometown?
Candidate: I’m originally from Porto, which is a city in the north of Portugal. I lived there until I was eighteen, and then I moved to Lisbon for university.
Examiner: Do you like living in Lisbon?
Candidate: Yes, I do, although it’s a lot busier than it used to be. The best thing about it is the weather. It’s sunny for most of the year, which means I can spend a lot of time outdoors.
Examiner: Let’s talk about weekends. What do you usually do at the weekend?
Candidate: It depends on my shifts, to be honest. When I’m free, I tend to meet friends for lunch or go to the beach. I used to go out every Saturday night, but these days I prefer something more relaxing.
Examiner: Do you prefer spending weekends with friends or alone?
Candidate: I’d rather be with friends, I think. I spend a lot of time with people at work, but it’s different when you’re relaxing together. Having said that, I do need a quiet Sunday sometimes!
Track 2 – Sentence Stress and Pausing
Section 3. Listen and repeat each sentence in the gap. The | marks show where the speaker pauses.
Show the audio script
1. I work as a nurse | at a hospital | in the city centre.
2. I live in a small flat with my sister.
3. I’m really into photography at the moment.
4. I’ve never been to Japan, but I’d love to go.
5. The best thing about my town is the food.
6. I don’t have much free time.
7. What I enjoy most | about my job | is the people I work with.
8. I’m originally from Porto, | which is a city | in the north of Portugal.
9. When I was a child, | I used to play football | every day after school.
10. It depends on the weather, | but I usually go to the gym | on Saturdays.
Track 3 – Practice Test
Section 6. Answer each question aloud. You have 20 seconds after the tone; the double tone means stop.
Show the audio script
1. Let’s talk about your home. Do you live in a house or a flat?
2. What is your favourite room, and why?
3. Would you like to change anything about your home?
4. Now let’s talk about technology. How often do you use your phone?
5. What do you use the internet for most?
6. Did you use computers when you were a child?
7. Let’s move on to the weather. What’s the weather usually like where you live?
8. Do you prefer hot or cold weather?
9. Has the weather changed in your country in recent years?
Track 4 – Example Answers
Section 7. Compare your answers with these examples.
Show the audio script
Examiner: What is your favourite room, and why?
Candidate: Probably the living room. It’s the biggest room in the flat, and it gets a lot of sunshine in the afternoon, so it’s a great place to read.
Examiner: Now let’s talk about technology. How often do you use your phone?
Candidate: To be honest, all the time. I use it for work, for maps, and for staying in touch with my family. I’ve been trying to use it less in the evenings, though.
Examiner: Did you use computers when you were a child?
Candidate: Not really. We had one computer at home, but my dad used it for work, so I only played games on it at the weekend.
Examiner: Do you prefer hot or cold weather?
Candidate: I’d rather have cold weather, to be honest. I can’t sleep when it’s too hot, and I love walking on a cold, sunny day.
🎧 Audio: listen to the tracks for this lesson here: startielts.co.uk/speaking-part-1-audio
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