2. You might be asked to describe:
• Family
• Home
• Neighborhood
• Hometown
• School / studies
• Job
• hobbies
3. Part 1 general tips
Do Don’t
Listen carefully to
the question
Let the examiner
interrupt you
remain upbeat and
positive
Extend your
answers forever
Give reasons for
your answer.
talk about
something different
just so you can talk
for longer.
Be honest Stay on topic
explain WHY you
have given the
answer
4. Describing: Your family
Relation Name/Age Occupation Status Other
Describe your family factually, don’t talk about emotions.
Useful words:
Small, Nuclear, extended, only/first/second/middle/youngest child,
s i b l i n g s , m a r r i e d , m o v e d o u t , d i v o r c e d , - i n - l a w ,
s t e p - , h a l f - , w i d o w, s i n g l e , s h a re , ra i s e d , d i e d , c l o s e , d i s t a n t
5. Assemble and order the best answer.
Don’t use all the points.
How many people are there in your family?
A. We live in a large house in the north of my
country.
B. It gets very cold there in the winter
C. I try to go back often.
D. There are four
E. My brother and my parents.
F. There's myself of course.
G. We are four
H. Then there's my brother
I. And I have my mother and father
J. I have two grand parents
K. they don't live with us.
late 70s
of us
younger
fifteen
years old
as well
6. Lots more useful language
I live in a one-parent family / single-
parent family.
I really enjoy my family life.
I grew up on a farm.
A large household
We've got the same name but are
not related.
He is a close / distant relative of
mine.
I really take after my mother.
All her children are very artistic. It
must run in the family.
Bringing up / raising children is
never easy.
My parents really tried to give me a
good upbringing.
my mother's the
main breadwinner now.
I need a job, so I can support my
family.
I am getting married next year and
hope to start a family straight
away.
My father is really a family man.
My step father is a nice man.
Paul is my big brother / older
brother.
Anna is my little sister / younger
sister.
My twin sister is a dentist.
She doesn't get on well with her in-
laws.
I closely resemble my father.
My parents live apart from each
other.
7. Family IELTS questions
• How large or small is your family?
• What do you do together as a family?
• Who are you closest to in your family?
• Is yours a typical family?
• Are there many different types of family in
your country?
9. More Topics for IELTS Speaking Part 1
Name
Weather
Favourite Season
Punctual
TV program
Museum/gallery
Vacation
Public holiday
Film
Leisure Time
Sports
Friends
Fruits
Math
Sky
Clothes
Weekend
Reading
Sleep
Tree
Memorizing
Friend
Traveling by
train/car/taxi
Public Transportation
Letters VS email
Photography
Help
History
Handwriting
Music
Colour
Teachers
Being in a hurry
Being alone
Team work
Countryside
Social network
Swimming
Snacks