IELTS Speaking Vocabulary & Sample answers by Asiya Miart

FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS

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TOPIC-SPECIFIC VOCABULARY

At the beginning of your IELTS Speaking test, your examiner will ask you several questions about one of these topics: your work/studies, family, home, or hometown.

Below, you will find some sample answers and useful vocabulary for some of these topics. You should not learn any answers by heart as you may be penalized for giving memorized answers. However, feel free to learn any words and phrases to improve your answers.

FAMILY

Do you have a large or small family?

My immediate family is small as I’m an only child. So it’s just my parents, my husband and me, but I have two uncles and many cousins.

immediate family = parents, spouse and children

extended family = grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins…

spouse = husband or wife

only child = someone who has no brothers or sisters

siblings = brothers and sisters

I’ve grown up in a large family with three younger siblings, two brothers and a little sister. Now I’m married and have three children myself.

Do you have any brothers or sisters?

I’m an only child. Well, actually, I have a half-sister. My parents got divorced when I was 18. Then my father remarried and they have a daughter.

half-sister or half-brother = you have only one common parent

divorced = no longer married because the marriage has been legally ended

separated = no longer living with your husband or wife

My parents aren’t officially divorced, but they separated a long time ago.

FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS

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to remarry = to marry again

widow = a woman whose husband has died

widower = a man whose wife has died

Do you think it’s good to be the only child in the family?

I guess there are pros and cons. When I was little, I really wanted to have an older brother, but that definitely wasn’t possible.

Could you tell me something about your family?

It was actually my granny, my mum’s mum, who brought me up until I was seven. My parents were geologists and spent most of their time on expeditions.

to bring up (brought up) = to care for a child

My grandmother brought up three sons.

My father was brought up to respect authority.

upbringing = the way a child is cared for and taught how to behave while she/she is growing up

I grew up with five siblings, so my upbringing prepared me for everything.

What are your parents like?

What is someone like? = Please describe their appearance, character, and behaviour

What do your parents do? = Please describe their occupations/jobs

My parents are both well-educated, intelligent people. My mum is kind, attentive and likes taking care of the family. My dad is still really energetic and never says no to a challenge.

Do you enjoy spending time with your family?

Definitely, although my family live/lives far away and I don’t often have a chance to see them. My in-laws are in Brussels, so it’s easy for us to spend a weekend together.

FASTRACK IELTS | IELTS SPEAKING VOCABULARY AND SAMPLE ANSWERS

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in-laws = the relatives of your husband or wife

mother-in-law = your spouse’s mother

brother-in-law = your spouse’s father

Do you get along well with your family?

Generally yes, especially with my mum. My dad is a bit short-tempered. We used to quarrel a fair bit when I was younger, but our relationship has improved in recent years.

to get along = to have a good relationship, to like each other

short-tempered = becoming angry quickly and easily

a quarrel = an argument between people who usually get along well

a quarrel with somebody about/over something

I sometimes quarrel with my sister over domestic chores.

Who are you close to in your family?

I’m very close to my mum. Even though we live in different countries, we speak several times a week. There’s always been a bit of sibling rivalry between my elder sister and me, but I guess that’s inevitable.

sibling rivalry = competition between brothers and sisters

I used to be really …