IELTS Speaking - Part 1: Your hometown or birthplace
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
Generally speaking "hometown" tends to refer to the place you were born and raised in rather than where you currently live; however that may depend on where you are geographically at the time you say it.
Your hometown or birthplace
Where do you live?
Can you describe your town or village to me?
Can you tell me something about your hometown?
Where are you from?
Where is your hometown?
Where do you come from?
What is the name of the street you live on?
What kind of street do you live on?
What do you like about your town?
Can you tell me about some famous landscapes or scenic spots in your hometown?
Can you tell me about some history of your hometown?
What is the weather like in your town?
What building is considered to be famous in your town?
What jobs do people in your town do?
How has your town changed over the last twenty years?
What changes have taken place in your city in recent years?
Do you think it is better to live in the center of town or outside in the country? Why?
My hometown is in the south-east of Belarus. It’s called Soligorsk and it’s about 1,5 hour south of the capital city.
2. Is that a big city or a small place?
Sample answer 1:My hometown is a medium-size city, so it normally takes local people less time to commute. We can save a lot of time.
Sample answer 2:My hometown isn’t a major city in Belarus but it’s not small either. As far as I know, it has a population of approximately 107,000 people. So the urban area is always crowded with people.
3. How long have you been living there?
Sample answer 1: I’ve been living in my hometown since I was born. I’ve never thought about leaving my hometown because my entire social circle is there and the cost of living is pretty low. However, I also want to work in a different city for a few years to broaden my horizons.
Sample answer 2:I’m a Soligorsk resident born and bred, so l’ve lived here all my life. I’m not telling you exactly how long, because my age is a secret…. I’m a girl after all.
Vocabulary:born and bred (idiom): used to say that someone was born and grew up in a particular place, and has the typical character of someone who lives there.
Sample answer 3: I have been living there since I was born, so it’s about 20 years. I didn’t leave my hometown until I graduated from high school.
4. Do you like your hometown?
Sample answer 1: Yes, I do, though there are no special landmarks except the salty mountains left after potash mining. By the way, my city is known as the capital of miners. It's pretty convenient to live there in terms of getting good education, having rather a well-paid job, commuting and having some entertainment.
5. Is there anything you dislike about it?
Sample answer 1:There are traffic jams in every city. My city is no exception. They are quite annoying especially during rush hours. That is the major thing I dislike about it. There is one more thing that I find a bit annoying. It is the lack of entertainment not only for teenagers but for adults either, thus the life in my hometown seems to be a bit monotonous and tedious.
Sample answer 2:I love the city I live in. But of course, every rose has its thorn. Sometimes, the buses are really slow here. So as a commuter, I often get fed up with having to wait for long periods of time. I just want to get places on time, but the public transportation can make that easier said than done.
6. What do you like (most) about your hometown?
Sample answer 1: There are many public parks in my hometown. I like them very much. When I feel tired, I always go to the park with my friends. So it is a good place to make us relaxed. Moreover, there is a pretty big amount of places for eating out where you can not only enjoy delicious food but chill out with your friends.
7. Do you like living there?
Sample answer 1:Yes, I like living there. The city is eco-friendly and the environment is pleasant. There are many parks in my city. While living here I have noticed a pile of changes for developing and improving our life. New shopping malls are being built, new comfortable dwellings are being constructed, new sport facilities have been created and so on.
8. Please describe your hometown a little.
Sample answer 1:Well, my hometown is Soligorsk, the capital of miners. It's the second largest city in the area. It's young, it was founded in 1958, so there are no special landmarks except the salty mountains left after potash mining.
9. Do you think you will continue living there for a long time?
Sample answer 1:I’m not sure. But I don’t think I would rule out living in another country. Maybe when I’m ready to settle down, I could move abroad to experience different lifestyle and culture. It’s really hard to tell where life will take me. I might want to just keep living in the city.
Sample answer 2:I think so, yes. I’m going to England for a year to finish my studies, but I hope when I come back I can find a good job and stay here.
10. What’s your hometown famous for?
Sample answer 1: You see, it’s an industrial city, I’m afraid, there’s nothing it can be boasted of. There are neither ancient buildings nor other places of interest that could possibly attract tourists. However, you can take some cool pictures in front of the salty mountains imagining yourself on Mars or go to the forest to pick some mushrooms or berries feeling contemplation with nature.
11. Did you learn about the history of your hometown at school?
Yes, my teachers of History, Geography and English told me a huge whale of facts from the history of my hometown. Moreover, my classteacher took our class on various cognitive excursions around my hometown and its landmarks.
12. What do you like about it?
It’s an area of calm natural beauty and for me, rather comfortable place for living. It has dense forests, salty mountains and picturesque countryside. Moreover, my relatives, friends, my dearest and nearest live here and here I feel safe and secure.
13. What do you not like about it?
It can be a little bit boring because it’s not a megapolis with exciting night life and plenty of facilities. While living here I have noticed a pile of changes for developing and improving our life. New shopping malls are being built, new comfortable dwellings are being constructed, new sport facilities have been created and so on.
14. How often do you visit your hometown?
Not as much as I should. I only get to visit about once a year now to see my family because I’m really busy with work and it’s quite far away, but I hope to visit more in the future.
15. What’s the oldest part of your hometown?
As I have already mentioned, our city is young, it was founded in 1958 after the discovery of potassium deposits. So maybe the oldest part is the Holy Protection Church. The oldest Orthodox shrine in the Soligorsk region was founded in 1795. The church building is an example of ancient wooden architecture, so the temple was given the status of a historical and cultural value and an architectural monument. For more than two hundred years of its history, the Holy Protection Church has undergone many hardships - fires, wars, occupation, but the wooden building has survived, and the church to this day unites the faithful people of Soligorsk under its arch.
16. Do many people visit your town?
Frankly speaking, I don't think so. My hometown can't offer a wide range of tourist attractions, therefore not many people come here as tourists. Though there is a unique speleoclinic with underground department 600 metres deep in the mine. A special microclimate with high air ionization, constant temperature, low relative air humidity and the absence of allergens makes it possible to treat a huge range of diseases of the respiratory system, skin, nervous system and circulatory system. Сonsequently, many tourists come to Soligorsk for treatment.
17. How has your hometown changed over the years?
Since I was a child the town has almost doubled in size and population. It used to have a lot of wooden houses, but now there are many new housing developments and comfortable apartments, new infrastructure has been built including new schools, kindergartens, a new policlinic, the Ice Palace, new parks. With all these new people moving in, it has changed the character of the town a little bit, fortunately people are as friendly and hospitable as before.
18. Are there good transportation links to your town?
The public transport system consists of just buses that pass through the town on a regular basis. There is a wide chain of minibuses connecting my hometown with nearby villages and the capital which is really convenient if you need to go there for any reason. If you need to go to other regions of our country or even abroad you can easily book a train ticket to reach your final destination.
19. Would you recommend the town to people with children?
Yes and no. It is obviously a great place to bring up kids because there are so many things for them to do like sport facilities, creativity centres, art and music schools, it's a secure place rather comfortable for living, on the contrary it's a boring place with lack of entertainment. There are no possibilities for higher education.
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