IELTS Speaking - Part 1: Friends

In part 1 of the Speaking test the examiner will introduce him or herself and ask general questions on familiar topics.

The examiner will ask you to confirm your identity. He or she will then ask general questions on familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies and interests. Part 1 of the test will last 4-5 minutes.

How to practise

You will need a study partner to practise the Speaking test. Ask your study partner to interview you using the questions below. Record yourself if you can.

Friends and friendship are a vital part of our lives, as well as for IELTS Speaking. Just like talking to friends makes us stress-free and comfortable, talking about friends also makes us equally excited or rarely angry. However, in the IELTS Speaking test, control your excitement and answer every question calmly with proper pronunciation, fluency and vocabulary. Try practising for IELTS Speaking using the Part 1 questions given below.

•           Do you have many friends? Are they casual acquaintances or close friends?
•        Do you prefer to stay with your family or with your friends?
•        Do you prefer one or two close friends or many friends?
•       Can you talk about your best friend?
•       Do you know how to make friends?
•        What do you usually do with your friends?
•        Is the time you spend with your friends as much as that you spend with your family?
•        What do you expect from a good friend?
•        Are friends as important to you as your family?
•        Do you think friendship changes as we get older? How?

Vocabulary

Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr

Sample answers

1. Do you have a lot of close friends? (or) Tell me about your friends? (or) Do you have many friends?

I have only one friend I would confide in. I’m quite picky and more importantly, I have a somewhat irrational fear that none of my friends really like me and that I’m just a guy they can barely tolerate and it is hard for me to live in harmony with them.

2. Do you think friendship is important?

There is no doubt that friendships play a vital role in our life. They make our lives interesting and wonderful. They help us develop a sense of sharing whether they are tangible things or just inspirational or motivational words of wisdom.

3. Which do you prefer: to spend time with a friend or spend time alone? (or) How often do you go out with your friends?

It depends. Normally, I’m more of a loner and generally spend more time in solitude than with friends. But when I’m in a bad mood, loneliness makes me feel isolated from the whole world. On those days, I will hang out with my friends so that sad and unhappy thoughts don’t come into my mind.

4. What kind of people do you like to have as friends?

I find myself attracted to people who are honest and who know how to behave with others. I always avoid making friends with people who have a superiority complex.

5. Do you like face-to-face conversations with people?

Actually I like to talk with cyber friends more than having real-world conversations. I think others observe me a lot, they judge me and hence I become very self-conscious and shy away from speaking face to face.

6. Are most of your friends from school or outside school?

Most of my friends are from high school. People who I met at work or from clubs have less in common with me, whereas at Uni we shared common interests.

7. How often do you meet with your friends?

When I was younger, I used to meet my friends almost every day. Even friends outside of school were a part of my daily social interaction. But now, as a 23-year-old working professional, I barely meet anyone during weekdays. I meet my closest friends only on weekends. These meetups are sporadic too.

8. What do you and your friends do together?

My closest friends and I have a mutual interest in shopping for clothes. So whenever we have time, we will go shopping together until we break the bank. Sometimes when we are out of money, just window shopping would be enough.

9. How do people in your country meet others and make friends?

I don’t think it matters what country you’re from. In every country, you can make friends just by sitting next to someone a few times during class, then a friendship logically happens. Otherwise, you can make cyber friends through social networks like Facebook or Twitter.

10. Do adults and children make friends in the same way?

Adults use self-disclosure to develop trust and loyalty among friends. This is quite complicated in practice while children usually use common interests and goals as the basis of their friendships. More importantly, kids have a whale of a time with whoever, but adults have to use their time for work and taking care of their family.

11. Do you think it is possible to become real friends with people you meet on the internet?

Of course, it is possible to establish real friendships through the internet. What you need in a friendship is truthfulness, reliability, empathy, respect and loyalty. If you’re getting all that from your online friends then you can consider them as genuine friends.