15 Something you bought but don't often use

Describe something you bought but don't often use. *

You should say:

        what it is

        when and where you bought it *

        what it is used for

        why you bought it

and explain why you don't often use it.

 

Possible follow-up questions:

·      Do you often buy things that you don't use?

 

Part 3

Consumerism

·      Do you think many people are many things that they don't really need?

·      What do you think has caused these people to love shopping so much?

·     Do you think people (or, these "shopaholics") will change their attitudes in the future?

Shopping

·      How often do you go shopping (or, buy something)?

·      Do people in your country like to go shopping?

·      Do many people buy things in street markets?

·      What do you think are the pros and cons of shopping in a large department store? FQ

·      What factors do people consider before they decide to buy something?

·      For you (or, for most people), which is more important when buying something, the price or the quality? FQ

·      Do you think more expensive, brand-name clothes are always better quality than cheaper clothes?

·      What are the differences (and similarities) between buying something in a shopping mall and buying something online?

·      Why do some people prefers to buy things online?

·      Do you think there are any problems associated with the quality of products when buying online?

·      Do many people in your country buy fake (fake brand name) goods?

·     Do you think it's safe to use credit cards?

Recycling

·      Do you often use products made from recyclable materials?

·      Do you thing recycling is important? (Why? / Why not?)  FQ

·      (Similar to above) In your country, is recycling considered to be important?

·      (Similar to above) Why did people in your country start recycling?

·      Do you think it's important to recycle things made of plastic?

·      Have people's attitudes towards recycling changed in recent years?

·      When did people in your country start recycling?

·     What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of recycling? FQ

 

16 Your first cellphone

Describe your first mobile phone .

You should say:

        when you got it (or, how old you were when you got it)

        how you got it *

        what you used it for *

and explain how the mobile phone changed your life.

Possible follow-up questions:

·      Are you still using this phone?

·     (Possibly) Would you say that cell phone (or, device) changed your life? *

Part 3

Mobile Phones in Your Country

·     What do you think are the main differences between cell phones today and the first cell phones (in the 1990's)?

·     Do you like having a mobile phone? FQ

·     (Similar to above) Is your mobile phone important to you? FQ

·     Are mobile phones very common in your country?

·     Do all types of people use mobile phones or is it mostly a case of certain types of people (certain groups) using them?

·     What do people use their mobile phone for? FQ

·     Would you say cell-phones are useful when one is traveling?

·     Do you think it is important for someone going on a business trip to use a mobile phone while on the trip?

·     Do many old people use mobile phones? FQ

·     (Similar to above) Who do you think uses mobile phones more, young people or old(er) people? FQx2

·     Do you think old people find it easy to use a cell-phone?

·     Do old(er) and young people use mobile phones in the same way?

·     Do you think there are any downsides (bad points) to using a cell-phone? FQ

·     Do people use their cell-phones more for speaking or more for sending text messages? FQ

·     (Similar to above) What are the differences between sending text messages and making calls on a cell phone? FQ

·     What can someone do if they lose their cell-phone?

·     What problems can result if a person loses their cell-phone?

·     What are the major differences between a fixed-line phone and a mobile phone?

·     Do you think the use of cell phones will increase in the future?

·     Do you think that you will be using a cell phone more in the future, or less?

·     Why do people (like to) use smart-phone apps?

Children and Mobile Phones

·      At what age do people in your country usually get their first cell-phone? FQx2

·      Why do you think kids aged about 11 or 12 need to (or, want to) have a cell phone?

·      Which do you think is more suitable for young children to use, a mobile phone or a fixed-line phone at home?

·     What do you think could be done to stop school students from using their cell-phone during class? FQ

 

17  A magazine or newspaper

Describe a magazine or newspaper that you like to (or, often) read.

            You should say:

                          what magazine or newspaper it is

                          what the magazine or newspaper is about

                          how often you read it

                          what kinds of people generally read this magazine or newspaper

             and explain why you like to read it.

 

Part 3

Magazines

·      In your country, what kinds of magazine are available?

·      (Similar to above) In your country, what kinds of magazines are most popular?

·      What sorts of magazines do young people like to read? FQ

·      Do older people also like to read those types of magazines?

·      (Similar to above) Do older people and young people like to read the same types of magazines? FQ

·      Do men and women like to read the same kinds of magazines? (Why?) FQx2

·      Do people in the countryside generally read the same kinds of magazines as people in the cities?

·      Do you think magazines might one day disappear?

·      What's the difference between (the information in) magazines and books?

·     There are some magazines that deal with reality and some that don't. Can you think of any examples of these?

Newspapers

·      What different types of newspapers do you have in your country?

·      What people today read newspapers?

·     Do young people read newspapers as much as old(er) people?

The Reliability of Information

·     What information can (or, do) people get from (or, learn from) books?

·     Do you (always) trust the information that you read in magazines and newspapers?

·     Where (or how) do you think you can find reliable information?

·     Do you think what we see on the internet is sometimes dangerous?

·     Why is this material on the internet?

**************************************************************

18 A photo of you

Describe a time when a good photo was taken of you. *.

You should say:

        when the photo was taken

        where the photo was taken

        who took the photo

and explain why the photo was taken. *

                       or

                    and explain why you think it is a good photo. *

 Part 3

The Usage of Photographs

·     Do you like taking photos? FQx2

·     Would you say photographs are important?

·     Are your personal photos important to you?

·     Besides personal photographs, can you think of any other uses of photographs?

·     What effects can photos have on people?

·     What effects can news photos have on people? FQx2

·     How important are news photographs? FQx2

·     In what ways are news photographs different to other photographs?

·     What do you think is the role of photographs in newspapers? FQx2

·     Why do you think photos are often used in newspaper, magazine and television advertising? FQx2

·     How are photos used in advertising? FQx2

·     Can you explain how a photograph in an ad can persuade someone to buy a product? *

·     What are the qualities that make a photograph suitable for an advertisement?

·     Do photos play a role in recording history? FQ

·     Do you think that's important? FQ

·     Do you think photos can be useful in teaching (in school or university)? (Why? or How?)

·     Which do you think are better, photographs or paintings?

·     Of course, many people take photos of the places they visit. Others prefer to buy postcards showing the same scenes. Which do you prefer? FQx2

·     Of course, many people take photos of the places they visit. Others prefer to buy postcards showing the same scenes. Why do you think they do that? FQx2

·     Do you think taking too many photos as a tourist can diminish the experience of being a tourist?

·     If you wanted to share your photos with others, how would you do it?

·     Would you prefer to have a photo of yourself on your office wall or on the wall of your home?

The Technology of Photography (or, of Cameras)

·     Why do some non-professionals like to use the same types of cameras that professional photographers use? FQ

·     (Similar to above) Why do some people buy an expensive camera? FQx2

·     Do you think it is worth the cost to buy these expensive cameras? FQ

·     Can you suggest why some people take more photos of landscapes than photos of their family?

·     Who you think prefers to use a camera, men or women? (Why?)

·     How has the technology of photography (or, of cameras) changed in the past few decades?

·     Which do you think are tare better, digital photos (e.g., on your computer) and printed photos (i.e., printed on paper)? FQx2

·     (Similar to above) What do you think are the differences between a digital photo (e.g., on your computer) and a printed photo (i.e., printed on paper)? FQx2

·     Do you think photos will continue to be printed on paper in the future? FQ

·     (Similar to above) Do you think non-digital photography will still be used in the future? FQ

·     Do you think it's important (or, necessary) for a mobile phone to have a camera (= have the ability to take photos)? FQx2

·     What are the benefits of having a camera built into a cell-phone?

·     Do you think the use of "photo-shopping" has influenced people's attitudes towards photographs? ("photo-shopping" = using Adobe Photo Shop)  FQ

·     (Similar to above) Do you think the use of "photo-shopping" has influenced people's trust in the reliability of the information in photos? ("photo-shopping" = using Adobe Photo Shop)  FQ

·     Would you say that anyone can become a good photographer nowadays? FQ

·     How do you think the technology of photography might change in the future?

Professional Photographers

Note: Make sure you understand that a "professional photographer" means, "a photographer who earns a living by taking photographs". An "expert" photographer is simply one who is skilled at taking photos.

·      Do you think it's important to have family photos? FQ

·      (Similar to above) Are family photos important to you? FQ

·      Why do many people like to have family portraits taken?

·      What are some examples of important family events that people record in photographs?

·      Do you think photographs of important family events are best taken by professionals?

·      (Similar to above) When there are important family occasions that people want to record in photographs, some people hire a professional photographer to do the job. Can you suggest why they do that? FQx2

·      (Similar to above) Some people hire a professional photographer on some occasions. Can you suggest why they do that? FQx2

·      (Similar to above) Some people hire a professional photographer on special occasions. What occasions are these? FQx2

·      How does (or how can) a person become a professional photographer?

·      Do you think anyone can learn to take professional-quality photographs? FQ

·      What skills and/or personal qualities does one need to be a professional photographer? FQ

·      Do you think you need to have a particular type of personality to be a professional photographer?

·      If you wanted to hire a professional photographer, how would you find him or her?

·      (Similar to above) If you were to hire a professional photographer, how would you find one?

·      (Possibly) On what basis would you choose/select a professional photographer? *

·      How is a news photographer different to other types of professional photographers?

·      Do you think it is necessary to be a professional (or, expert) photographer in order to take news photographs?

·      Would you like to be a professional photographer? FQ

·      Do you want to be a photographer? FQ  (The examiner might use "want" to see if you really understand the difference between "want" and "would like".)

·      What do you think would be the best part of being a professional photographer? FQ

·     (Similar to above) What do you think would be the most interesting part of being a professional photographer? FQ

**************************************************************

19  A Piece of good advice you received

Describe a situation (or time) when you received some useful advice. *

                You should say:

what the situation was

who gave you the advice

what the advice was

              and explain how this advice was useful to you.

Possible follow-up questions:

·      Do people ever ask you for advice? *

·      Do your friends often ask you for advice?

 

Part 3

 

·     Do your friends often ask you for advice?

·     Which do you think is better, advice from one's family members or advice from one's friends? FQ

·     On what topics do you think young people might ask their friends for advice? *

·     Do people, such as your family or friends, generally offer advice to you or do you usually need to ask for advice?

·     When you are given advice, do you usually follow that advice or do you make your own decisions? FQ

·     Do you think people should get advice from others before they decide on what career to follow?

·     Do you think that the advice that people gave 50 years ago is still relevant today?

·     Do you think it's a good idea to seek advice, or look for advice, on the internet?

·     What kind of people are suitable for giving advice to others?

·     What type of personality do you think someone needs to have in order to be a good advice-giver?

Government Advice / Information

·      What kinds of advice does the government give people?

·      Where (or how) can a person get advice from the government?

 

20  Something you saved money for

Describe something (special) that you saved money to buy.

                            You should say:

                                   what it was

                                   how long it took you to save enough money to buy it

                                  why you wanted to buy this thing

                                  how you got (or, earned) the money *

                             and explain how you felt when (or, after) you bought it.

    

 

Notes

·      It is not certain that it must be a "thing" but it probably does say that. So if you want to talk about saving for an event such as a holiday trip, the "thing you bought" could be the plane ticket. (We don't normally say, "buy a holiday" - we usually say, "pay for a holiday". But we can say, "buy a package holiday".) All Part 2 topics want you to talk about one thing so you cannot really include such things as the hotel costs etc. if you have said the thing you bought was a plane ticket. But you can mention them as extra information.

 

 

Part 3

Saving Money

·      Do you think it's easy for (young) people to save money?

·      Do young people nowadays believe in saving money?

·      In your opinion, why do many people derive pleasure from spending money?

·      How important do you think it is to save some money?

·      Do you think money can bring happiness?

·      What do (young) people in your country save money for? FQ

·      Who do you think places more importance on saving money, men or women? FQx2

·      Who do you think saves money easier (or better, or more), males or females? FQx2

·      In general, in your culture, who controls the household finances more, the husband or the wife?

·      Why do some people find it hard to save?

·      Which do you think is better for the economy of a country or area, people saving money or people spending money? FQ

·      Do you think fashion designers are creating new fashion trends on purpose?

·     How do you think the increase in online shopping is affecting society?

Credit Cards

·      Are credit cards used very much in your country?

·      Which is better for saving money, using a credit card or using cash?

·     What changes have resulted from the use of credit cards?

Young People's Expenditure

It's possible either the words "young people" or "children" are used for these questions. "Young people" = teenagers and people in their twenties; "children" = people under the age of 13."

·      How can (or, how do) young people learn to manage their financial affairs? FQ

·      Do parents in your country think it's important for their children to save money?

·      (Similar to above) How do parents in your country view the issue of their children saving money?

·      What do young people spend their money on?

·      Do parents think their children spend too much money (or waste money)? *

·      Would you say parents in your country are strict concerning their children's expenditure?

·      Do you think schools should have courses about finances?

·     What are the differences between buying something online and buying it in a shop?

**************************************************************21  An old thing in your family

Describe an antique or some other old object that your family has kept for a long time. *

You should say:

what it is

how your family first got this thing *

how long your family has kept it (or, has had it)

               and explain why this thing is important to your family. *

 

Notes

·      It seems that the word, "object" might be used somewhere in the wording, instead of "thing". But this might be a mistake.

·      It looks like a mixture of verb tenses is necessary here.

·      No, your old dog is not a suitable example.

·      You should talk about something that has been passed down from a one generation to the next. That is, from your grandparents to your parents (or to you), or from an earlier generation than your grandparents. Naturally, if any of your grandparents are still alive, any of their possessions is only a suitable example if it was passed down to them from their parents (your great-grandparent). Just because your grandmother, who is still alive, has kept something she bought when she was young is not a good enough reason to describe that something because it hasn't yet been passed down to the next generation.

·     Of course, if you can't think of anything, just make up a story. But try to do it and say it skillfully so the examiner believes you!

Part 3

Old Things in the Family

·      Besides your example (from Part 2), what other things do people often keep in the family for a long time?

·      Why do people keep these old things? FQ

·     How do people (manage to ) keep things within a family for a long time?

History / Old Buildings

·      Do you think (the study of) history is important? FQ

·      Do you think (all) old buildings should be preserved?  FQ

·      Why are old buildings sometimes demolished? FQ

·      Do you think historical buildings should be preserved? FQ

·      Do you think it is worth the money to preserve historical buildings?

·      If old buildings were preserved, what do you suggest they could be used for?

·     Which do you think are better, old houses or new houses?

Museums

·      What kinds of museums do you have in your country? FQ

·      Are there many museums in your hometown?

·      Do you think museums are useful?

·      Why do people go to museums?

·      What can people learn from a museum?

·      (Similar to above) What are the benefits of keeping old things in a museum? FQ

·      Are there any other ways to learn about the things in museums besides actually going to the museum?

·      Besides going to a museum, what other ways can people use to learn about the past?

·     Can you suggest how more people could be encouraged to visit (or, attracted to) museums? FQ

**************************************************************