IELTS Speaking Part 1

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Desserts questions and answers

IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions are short and personal: the examiner asks three to five on two or three everyday topics in the first four to five minutes. Here are 6 questions about desserts written by BandLadder in the examiner's style, each with a Band 8 sample answer and useful vocabulary. Aim for two or three sentences each: answer, reason, one detail.
  • 6 questions
  • 6 Band 8 answers
  • 4 to 5 minutes

6 answers

Desserts questions with sample answers

1

Do you often eat desserts?

Not really on a daily basis, to be honest. I tend to save them for special occasions like birthdays or when I'm dining out at the weekend. If I do have something sweet after dinner on a weekday, it's usually just a bit of dark chocolate or some fresh fruit.

2

What kind of desserts do you enjoy most?

I have quite a sweet tooth, but I generally lean towards rich, warm puddings. Things like sticky toffee pudding or a classic apple crumble served with hot custard are my absolute favourites, especially during the colder months when you want something comforting.

3

Did you eat a lot of sweet things when you were a child?

Yes, definitely more than I do now. My grandmother was an amazing baker, so she used to spoil my cousins and me with homemade biscuits and sponge cakes almost every weekend. Looking back, I had far too much sugar, but it was lovely at the time.

4

Are there any traditional desserts in your country?

Yes, quite a few. One well-known example is rice pudding infused with cardamom and topped with toasted almonds. It's often prepared for festivals or family celebrations, and people usually serve it warm in winter or chilled during the summer months.

5

Have your tastes in desserts changed over time?

I'd say so, yes. As a child, I went for anything sugary and brightly coloured, like gummy sweets or heavy frosting. Nowadays, I prefer desserts with subtler flavours, like matcha tarts or citrus-based treats, where the sweetness doesn't completely overpower everything else.

6

Would you like to learn how to bake desserts in the future?

I'd love to, actually. I can manage basic cookies, but I've always wanted to master pastry making, particularly things like flaky fruit tarts or sourdough pastries. It requires a lot of patience and precision, so taking a weekend baking course is definitely on my bucket list.

Details are invented. Use the shape, not the sentences: examiners mark memorised answers down.

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8 words

Useful vocabulary and tips

  • sweet tooth

    a strong liking for sweet foods

  • comforting

    making you feel warm, relaxed, or emotionally secure

  • spoil

    to treat someone especially well with gifts or treats

  • infused with

    having a specific flavour soaked into or blended into something

  • subtler

    more delicate and not overly obvious or strong

  • overpower

    to be much stronger than other elements or flavours

  • precision

    the quality of being exact, careful, and accurate

  • bucket list

    a list of achievements or experiences someone wants to complete

  • →Describe textures and specific ingredients rather than simply saying a food is sweet or tasty.
  • →Use time markers like 'as a child' versus 'nowadays' to show a natural shift in past and present habits.
  • →Keep answers conversational by balancing a direct response with one brief personal example.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are in IELTS Speaking Part 1?+

Usually about ten to twelve, over four to five minutes: a few on your work, study or home, then three or four short questions on each of two everyday topics.

How long should a Part 1 answer be?+

Two or three sentences, about 15 to 20 seconds: a direct answer, a reason and one detail. One-word answers cost fluency marks, and long speeches eat into the examiner's time.

Keep practising

More Part 1 topics

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