Part 1 – giving natural, extended answers

How to answer IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions in two to four sentences using simple extension techniques, with model answers and common question patterns.

Part 1 is a warm-up for you and a first impression for the examiner. For four to five minutes you answer around ten to twelve questions on three topics: one about your work, studies or home, and two on everyday subjects. The questions are easy. The challenge is to answer them the way a relaxed, fluent speaker would: neither with one word nor with a speech.

How long should an answer be?

Two to four sentences, or roughly ten to twenty seconds.

Short answers give the examiner nothing to assess. Very long ones sound rehearsed, and the examiner has to interrupt to keep to the schedule.

The basic pattern: answer + extend

1. Answer the question directly in the first few words.
2. Add one or two extensions.

There are several ways to extend. You can think of them with the word REDS:

Full answer:

‘I do, yes. I cook most evenings, usually something quick like pasta or a stir-fry, because it’s a good way to relax after work. I must admit I hate the washing up, though.’

That is three sentences. It shows the present simple, because, like for examples, a concession with though, and natural phrases such as I must admit.

Question patterns and how to handle them

1. Do you…? / Do you like…? / Is there…? (yes/no)

Never stop at yes or no.

Do you often use maps? ‘Almost every day, though only on my phone. If I’m going anywhere new, I check the route before I leave, even when I more or less know the way.’

Ways to say yes and no more naturally:

2. What / Where / When / Who / How often…? (information)

Give the information, then a detail or reason.

What do you usually do at weekends? ‘Saturdays tend to be for chores and seeing friends. On Sundays I try to get out of the city if the weather’s decent, usually for a walk, and then I prepare for the week ahead in the evening.’

3. Do you prefer X or Y?

Choose, give a reason, and perhaps acknowledge the other option.

Do you prefer paper maps or digital ones? ‘Digital, for convenience. But I do think a paper map gives you a better sense of the whole area. On a screen you only ever see the little piece you’re in.’

Language: I’d go for…, I tend to prefer…, I’d much rather…, On the whole I prefer…, It depends on the situation.

4. Questions about the past: Did you… when you were a child? / Have you ever…?

Change tense. This is an easy way to show grammatical range.

Was your morning routine different when you were a child? ‘Yes, completely. My mother used to wake me, breakfast was already on the table, and all I had to do was get dressed. I didn’t appreciate how easy that was until I moved out.’

Useful: used to + verb, would + verb (for repeated past actions), past simple, I remember + -ing, present perfect for experiences (I’ve only been lost once).

5. Questions about the future or hypothetical: Would you like to…? / Do you think you will…?

Would you like to change anything about your mornings? ‘I’d love to stop looking at my phone first thing. It puts me in a reactive mood before the day’s even begun. I keep meaning to leave it in another room overnight.’

Useful: I’d love to…, I’d like to…, I’m hoping to…, I’m planning to…, I doubt I’ll…, I might…, If I had the chance, I’d…

6. Is X popular in your country? / Do people in your country…?

Speak generally, using hedging.

‘It is, especially among younger people. Most of my friends…, whereas my parents’ generation tend to…’

7. Unexpected or slightly odd topics

Part 1 sometimes asks about things you have never thought about: keys, mirrors, the sky, numbers, bags. Do not panic, and do not say ‘I have no idea.’ Give yourself a moment and find something small to say.

Do you like looking at the sky? ‘That’s not something I’ve really thought about, but yes, I suppose I do. Where I live there’s a lot of light pollution, so you can’t see many stars, but I love a dramatic sunset, and I often stop to take a photo of one.’

The first topic: work, study or home

You can prepare for this, because it comes up in almost every test. Be ready to talk for a few sentences about:

• what you do or study, and why you chose it;
• what you like and dislike about it;
• a typical day;
• your plans for the future;
• where you live, what your home is like, your favourite room, your neighbourhood, your home town.

Prepare ideas and vocabulary, not sentences to recite. For example, for your job: its proper name in English, three or four typical tasks, one thing you enjoy, one challenge.

What do you do? ‘I work as a junior accountant for a company that makes kitchen equipment. I’ve been there for about a year and a half, since I graduated.’

What do you find most difficult about your studies? ‘Probably the workload rather than the content. We often have several deadlines in the same week, so I’ve had to become much more organised than I naturally am.’

Sounding natural

Small words and phrases make spoken English sound real. Use them lightly.

Contractions are expected in speech: I’m, it’s, don’t, I’d, I’ve, there’s. Speaking without them sounds stiff.

Common mistakes in Part 1

• One-word or one-sentence answers.
• Repeating the question as the answer: ‘Do you like music?’ – ‘Yes, I like music.’ Vary it: ‘I do, yes. I listen to…’
• Memorised mini-speeches.
• Answering a different question because you recognised the topic.
• Starting every answer with the same phrase (‘Well, to be honest…’).
• Formal linking words from essays: ‘Moreover’, ‘Furthermore’, ‘In conclusion’. In speech use and, also, plus, so, anyway.
• Saying ‘I don’t know’ and stopping. If you really have nothing: ‘I’ve never really thought about it, but I suppose…’

Try it

Answer each question aloud in two to four sentences, using a different extension each time. Record yourself.

1. Do you enjoy walking?
2. What kind of weather do you like best?
3. Did you have a favourite teacher at school?
4. Do you prefer to shop alone or with other people?
5. Would you like to learn another language in the future?

A sample for question 2: ‘I like cold, bright days, the kind you get in early winter when the sky is completely clear. I find hot weather tiring, to be honest. I’d rather put on another jumper than not be able to cool down.’

Listen to your recording. Did you answer directly? Did each answer have at least one extension? Were there long silences?

Key points

• Two to four sentences per answer; ten to twenty seconds.
• Answer first, then extend with a reason, example, detail or contrast.
• Match the tense of the question: past, present, future, hypothetical.
• Prepare ideas for work/study/home, but never memorise speeches.
• Use contractions and natural spoken phrases.

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