IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

96. Ideal Home
Describe the ideal home that you would like to live in.
You should say:
where it would be
what type of house it would be
how you would decorate it (or, how you would furnish it)
and explain what why you would like to live in this kind of home.

Notes:
• See the notes for Topic #102 for important information about grammar for this
question.
• It is unsuitable to use the following expressions for this topic: "I hope my house
will ..." or, "It will ...".
Possible follow-up questions:
• Have you ever seen a home like that? *
• Do you know anyone with a home like that? *
• Do you think you will really live in a house like that? *
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97. Future Work Plans (2)
Version A
Describe the work ( = the job) that you plan to do in the future.
(Or, Describe the work ( = the job) that you want to do in the future.)
(Or, Describe the work ( = the job) that you would like to do in the future.)
You should say:
(what job it is)
where you plan to work (what
country/city etc)
how you plan to prepare for this work
why you choose this kind of work
and explain what skills are necessary for this work.

Version B
Describe your work plans for the future.
You should say:
what your plans are
what preparations you should do
why you choose these plans
and explain what skills will be necessary for doing this work.

Version C
Describe your ideal job. (Or, Describe a job that you would like to do in the future.)
You should say:
what job this would be
what preparations you would need to do
before starting this job
why you think this would be an ideal
job
and explain what skills would be necessary for doing this work.


Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you know anyone involved in this type of work?
• Would this be local work?
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98. A Small Business You Would Like to Own (2)
Describe a small business that you would like to open, (or, start or run or own or have) if
you had the chance.
You should say:
what this business would be

where it would be located
what people you would hire as employees

(or, what people you would need to help you set up this business)
and explain why you would like to open/own/run/have this small business.

Note
• See the notes for Topic #102 for important information about grammar for this
question.
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you know anyone who has a business like that? *
• Do you really plan to have a business like that?
• Do you think you will really have that kind of business one day?
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99. A Type of Film
Describe the type of film that you most enjoy watching (for example, action or romance
films).
You should say:
what this type is
what the characteristics of this type are
when you last watched this type of film
(when & where you usually watch this kind of film *)
and explain why you like this type of film.

Notes
• This topic could possibly be worded as, "Describe the type of film that you find
most interesting" or "Describe the type of film that you are most interested in

watching".
• You should choose only one type of film, not several types.
• Of course you can (and perhaps, should) include one or two examples of this type
of film.
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Possible follow-up questions:
• How often do you watch this type of film?
• Do your friends also like this type of film?
• When was the last time you saw a film? (Or: When was the last time you saw this
kind of film?)
• Would you like to be in films? *
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100. A Childhood Game
Describe a game you enjoyed when you were a child. (Not a sport.)
You should say:
what the game was
when, where and with whom you usually played it
how you played it
and explain why you enjoyed this game.*
or
and explain what was special about this game. *

Notes
• This topic has been moved to Topic #179. There is no need to continue reading
here because all of the questions here were moved and any future changes or
additions will be made to Topic #179 only.
• See also Note
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do children today still play this game?
• Do you still like to play this game? *
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101. A Newspaper You Like to Read
Describe a newspaper (in your own language) you like to read.
You should say:
what the newspaper's name is *
what the contents of thenewspaper are (what sections it has)
when or how often it isprinted/published
how long you usually spend reading this newspaper
explain what sections of the newspaper are most interesting to you.

See Note
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do your friends also (like to) read this newspaper? (Or, Do you ever share your
newspaper with your friends?)
• Is this a popular newspaper in China? *
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102. An Ideal Park
Describe the perfect park for a city.
You should say:
where it would be located in the city
what (facilities) it would have ( = what would be in the park)

what people would do in the park (or, what people would be able to do)
and explain why you think this would be the best kind of park for a city.*

See important NOTES
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Have you ever seen a park like that? *
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103. A Person Who Took Care of You in Your Childhood
Describe a person who took care of you when you were a child.
You should say:
when (or, for how long) this person took care of you
what you and this person did together *
how this person treated you (or encouraged you) *
and explain what kind of person he or she is/was. *

Notes
• 'Look after' = 'take care of'
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Are you still in contact with him/her? *
• Did this person take care of any other people in your family? *
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104. A Person Who Likes to Help Others
Describe a person you know who likes to help others (or, who often helps others).
You should say: (3 of the items below are probably on the task card)

who this person is
how you know them (= him or her)
when you knew or when you first met this person
where this person lives
what kind of person he or she is *
and explain why this person (likes to help) helps others. *
or
and explain how this person helps others. *

See NOTE
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Are you still in contact with this person? *
• Do many people know him/her?
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105. An Important Letter You Received (2)
Describe an important letter that you received.
You should say:
who wrote it
when you received it
what the letter was about
(how you felt about the letter)

and explain why it was important.

See NOTE
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you still have this letter? *
• Do you often write letters to your family and relatives? *
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106. Someone You Like to Spend Time With
Describe a person who you like to spend time with.
You should say:
(how you first met *)
how often you are together
what personal characteristics he or she has that you like
what you usually do together
and explain why you like to spend time with this person. *

See Notes
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Possible follow-up questions:
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107. Something You Would Like to Learn
Describe something you would like to learn.

Notes
Some Common Errors of Chinese Speakers
• In English, we do not say, "learn knowledge" because "knowledge" means
"something you already know or have learned". Instead, the following phrases are
used in English: "learn something", "learn things", "improve my knowledge",
"increase my knowledge", "expand my knowledge" ...
• You can also replace the word "something" in the phrase "learn something" by

stating specifically what is learned. For example, "learn (how) to drive a car",
"learn (how) to swim" , "learn (how) to ski" , "learn (how) to be a better public
speaker", "learn (how) to play mahjong", "learn (how) to play the guitar" = "learn
the guitar", "learn how to speak English". [Sometimes the gerund is used: "learn
swimming" , "learn skiing" , "learn public speaking".] Other examples of learning
something specific are: "learn 50 new English words", "learn the names of the
capital cities of all the countries in the world", "learn the truth", "learn how a
computer works", "learn (how) to be a more patient person", "learn (how) to relax"
...
• The words "knowledge" and "information" are non-count. Therefore, we do not say
"learn many informations" or "an information". We say, "some information" or "a
piece of information".
• "Knowledge" is a noun. "Acknowledge" is a verb, with several meanings such as
承认.
• The words "study" and "learn" do not have exactly the same meaning .
"Studying" is an activity that people do with the aim of learning something. The usage of
the word "to study" in English is similar to using the words, "to examine", "to analyze", "to
ponder", "to research" and "to look closely at". It can also simply mean, "sitting at my desk
doing some kind of schoolwork". For example, "He dislikes studying."
Students who study very efficiently learns quite a lot when they study. But an inefficient
student does not learn the same amount even if they work as hard as an efficient student
and study for the same amount of time.
Here are two examples of extremely inefficient study: If you know nothing about the Greek
language and I give you a page of written Greek to study, you will be able to learn only
limited things even if you study that page for 5 hours; Similarly, if you try to study a page
from a Ph.D. thesis in mathematics, you will learn very little because you will understand
almost nothing on the page. In other words, most cases of "learning" involve understanding
and proceed in a step-by-step manner.
"Learning"
When we "learn" something, a change takes place in the brain - we increase or improve our

knowledge or understanding.
However, some examples of "learning" only require memorization, not understanding. For
example, one can "learn to sing a song in Russian" = "learn a song in Russian" by
mimicking a recording, without understanding what the words mean.
• Other examples of the difference between "learn" and "study" are: Babies learn a
lot in their first few years of life. For example, they learn to talk and they learn to
walk. But have you ever seen a baby (say, a 1 year-old baby) studying? Similarly, a
dog can learn how to open a door but have you ever seen a dog studying?
• Some examples of the use of "study":
study a discipline or general area - study mathematics, study engineering, study music,
study art, study psychology, study international trade, study accountancy
study something specific - study this page, study the stock market, study the piano (this
includes book study as well as practical piano playing), study this theory, study your
proposal, study a photograph. We do not normally say 'study' a practical or physical skill
such as "study swimming" or "study how to drive a car". We learn these things, not study
them.
study for (= in order to get) a qualification - study for a degree, study for a Bachelor's
degree in journalism.
study (in preparation) for a test
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you anyone who has learned this? *
• Do your friends also want to learn this? *
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108. A Traditional Event in Your Country
Describe an important traditional event (such as a national holiday or festival) in your
country. *

You should say:
what this event is
when it happens
who participates in this event and what they do
how people celebrate this event
(whether this event is popular in your family/city/country)
and explain why this is an important event in your country. *
or
and explain how you feel about this event. *

Note:
• The wording is probably either, " ... an important traditional event ..." or " ... an
important traditional celebration ..."
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Have you ever participated in this activity?
• Is this event popular in your family or in your city?
• Do you think people will want to continue with this tradition in the future? *
109. Success (2)
Describe a success you would like to achieve (in the near future).
You should say:
what it is
how difficult you think it will be
what you should do to prepare forthis
and explain why you want to succeed in doing this. *
or
and explain how you think you will feel after you reach this goal. *

See Notes

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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you know anyone who has achieved that success?
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110. A Photograph (2)
Describe a photograph that is important to you.
You should say:
what (or who) is in the photograph
when and where it was taken
where you can see this photograph
who took the photograph
and explain why this photograph is important to you. *
or
and explain how you feel about this photograph. *

Notes:
• Make sure you talk about one of your photographs, if that is what the task card
says. This means, 'a photograph that you own'. It doesn't have to be a photograph
with you in the picture. To talk about a famous photograph or one that you saw in a
magazine is not suitable if the question says 'your photograph'.
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you still have this photo? *
• Where is this photo now?
• Have you shown this photo to other people?
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111. A Polluted Place
Describe a place that you have been to that was polluted.
You should say:
when and where you went
why you went there
what the pollution was like (or, what kind of pollution
it was)
and explain what you think were the causes of this
problem. *
or
and explain some possible ways to fix this pollution
problem. *


Notes:
• As at November 11, 2008, this topic is still in use. On Nov. 11, all of the
questions here were copied to a new location, Topic # 180. You should go there
to continue reading because any changes and improvements to these questions
will, after Nov. 11, be added to Topic # 180 only, not to here. The topic was
moved to make sure that readers no not overlook this topic.
• If the words just say, 'a place you have been to', you could talk about a
part of your hometown that has an environmental problem - you don't have
to talk about going to a place away from your hometown. But I think the
topic is not referring to the place where you live. Many people report the
words are, "... a city you visited that has pollution."
See further NOTES
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do other people think this is a problem?

• If you had the opportunity, would you like to go there again?
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112. Travel to Somewhere in the World
Describe a place in the world that you would like to travel to.
You should say:
how you would go there
how you know about this place
what the scenery is like in this place
(who you would go with) *
(when you would like to go there. *)
and explain why you would like to go to this place.
(or, and explain what you would like to do there.) *
　
See NOTES
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Are you really thinking of going there?
• Have any of your friends or relatives been there?
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114. A Website
Describe a useful website that you like to visit. (Or, that you have visited)
You should say:
what he contents of the website are (or, were)
how and when you first found this website
how often you go to this website *
and explain why you think this website is (or, was) useful.

Notes
• I strongly suggest you DO NOT talk about this website, yasi-
kouyu.com.cn! Most IELTS examiners would consider the contents of
this website to be 'cheating'. You should avoid letting examiners know
that you have prior knowledge of the test questions!
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do Chinese people often use that site?
• Have you told anybody else about this website?
• Do your friends also visit this website? *
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115. Another Language
Describe another language that you would learn, if you wanted to learn another language
[in addition to English and your own language (Chinese)] *
You should say:
the name of this language (& where it is spoken)
how you would learn it
what equipment or facilities you would need to study this language *
and explain what difficulties you think you would have (or, might have) when learning
this language.
or
and explain why you would choose to study this language. *
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you think you will really study this language?
• Do you have any friends who speak that language? ( friends from that country)
• Or: Have you ever met anyone who speaks this language?

• Or: Do you know any Chinese people who can speak that language?
116. A Family Event
Describe an enjoyable family event (such as a birthday party or family dinner) that you
attended.
You should say:
where and when this event took place
what you did (or, what happened at this event)
who was there at this event (or, who participated in this event)
and explain why this event was enjoyable.

Notes
• Instead of the word 'enjoyable', the word 'important' might be used.
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you have any photographs of this event? *
• Does your family often do this? *
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117. A Cafe or Restaurant
Describe cafe or restaurant that you know.
You should say:
where it is *
how often you go there
what kind of food they serve there (or, what service they provide)
who you usually go there with

and explain why you like to eat at this place. *
or
and explain why you choose to eat at this place. *

Notes:
• A "cafe" is a small restaurant. It does not mean the same as "coffee shop" (咖咖认),
so it is unsuitable to talk about Starbucks. The word, 'cafeteria' (自助食堂) is
sometimes used to mean a 'cafe' but usually 'cafeteria' means the kind of eating
place that you find at a school, university, hospital, factory etc. Your school
cafeteria would be a suitable place to talk about but you should call it a "cafeteria",
not a "cafe" or a "restaurant".
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you think other people would like to go to this restaurant?
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118. An Artistic Activity
Describe an artistic activity that you do/did (outside of normal classes) at school or
university (such as painting, woodwork or pottery)*
You should say:
what the activity is/was
when & where you do/did this activity
who you do/this activity with
how you did this activity

and explain how you felt (feel) about his activity.

See Notes
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Possible follow-up questions:

• Do you still do this activity? *
• Are you still interested in this activity? *
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120. A Person You Would Like to be Similar to
Describe a person who you would like to be similar to in the future.
You should say:
who this person is
how you know this person
what impresses you about this person

and explain why you would like to be similar to this person. *
or
and explain in what ways you would like to be similar to this person. *

Notes
• If the first line of this task card does not say, 'a person you know', then 'how you
know this person', does not mean that you necessarily know this person personally.
(For example, the person could be dead or a movie star or a sports star.)
• A few people have reported on the internet that this topic is, "Describe a person
who you are similar to." This is possible but I think this is not the topic, in this
case. (It was a topic in the past.)
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you think you are similar to him/her now?
• Do other people also want to be similar to this person?
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121. A Place for Shopping

Describe a place where you like to go shopping.
You should say:
what type of place it is
when you usually go there
how often you go there
what kind of people work there (Or, what kind of people go
shopping there)
what this place looks like *
what this place sells (or, what you usually buy there)
and explain why you like to shop at this place.
Possible follow-up questions:
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122. A City You Have Visited
Describe a city that you have visited. (that left an impression on you) *
You should say:
where the city is (and its name)
when you went there
what you liked & disliked about the city
and explain why you visited this city. *
or
and explain why this city left an impression on you. *
or
and explain what kind of work people do in this city. *
or
and explain what was special about this city. *


Notes
• See also old Topic# 24 .

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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you think you will go there again one day? (Or: Would you like to visit there
again?)
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123. A School Friend
Describe a friend who you had at school.
You should say:
what he/she looked (looks) like
where you first met
how you became friends (or, how you first met each other)
what you do/did together (or, what you had in common)
and explain why you remember him/her so well. *
or
and explain why you like him or her. *

Notes
• 'School' here means high school or primary school, not university or college.
Americans sometime refer to university or college as, 'school', but this is not
usually said in Britain & Australia.
• The topic wordings might include, "a school friend who you remember well". If it
does say that, you must talk about a past friend from school, someone who is no
longer a friend (not because you no longer like each other but because you have
simply lost touch with other). But if the topic doesn't say "remember", then of
course you could talk about a current school friend if you are still in high school.
Read the words carefully and choose the verb tense and situation carefully.
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Possible follow-up questions:
• How long have you two been friends? *
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124. No Topic
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125. A Happy Event
Version A
Describe an enjoyable event from the past that you remember well.
You should say:
what the event was
when and where it happened
who participated in this event
what you saw or did *
and explain why this event was so enjoyable. *
or
and explain why you remember this event so well. *

Version B
Describe a recent event that made you feel happy.
You should say:
what the event was
when and where it happened
who participated in this event
what you saw or did *
and explain why this event was so enjoyable. *
or
and explain why you remember this event so well. *

Notes
• This topic has been moved to Topic #181. There is no need to continue reading
here because all of the questions here were moved and any future changes or
additions will be made to Topic #181 only.
• Some people have reported Version A & others have reported Version B. I think
Version B is the wording but I suggest you prepare for both.
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you often do that? (Do you often do what you just spoke about?)
• Did your parents or friends also enjoy this event?
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127. A Project or Homework Assignment