IELTS Speaking Part 1

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Statues 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 5 questions about statues 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.
  • 5 questions
  • 5 Band 8 answers
  • 4 to 5 minutes

5 answers

Statues questions with sample answers

1

Are there many statues in your hometown?

Yes, quite a few, actually. Most of them are dotted around the main public square and depict historical figures from the region. There is this huge bronze sculpture of a local poet near my flat that everyone uses as a handy meeting point.

2

Do people in your country like taking photos with statues?

Definitely, especially tourists. You often see people striking funny poses or standing right beside old monuments in the city centre. When I was out last weekend, I saw a crowd queuing up just to take a selfie with a stone lion outside the town hall.

3

Have you ever seen a statue that impressed you?

Yes, I have. When I went on holiday to a coastal town a couple of years ago, there was this massive marble carving of a mythical sea creature overlooking the harbour. The level of detail on the scales was just breathtaking to look at up close.

4

Did you learn about any famous statues at school?

A little bit in history class, I suppose. We mainly covered ancient Greek and Roman sculptures to understand classical art and mythology. I remember our teacher showed us slides of ancient stone figures that had survived for thousands of years, which I found fascinating.

5

Would you like to have a statue of yourself in the future?

To be honest, not really! I think it would feel a bit bizarre and embarrassing to see a permanent monument of myself in public. Besides, statues are usually reserved for people who have achieved something extraordinary, which definitely does not describe me.

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

Answer out loud and get a band

The AI examiner asks Part 1 questions like these, listens, and scores fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, with the words that cost you.

Log in to practise this with AI scoring — free →

7 words

Useful vocabulary and tips

  • dotted around

    spread out in various places across an area

  • bronze sculpture

    a piece of art made from cast bronze metal

  • striking funny poses

    holding amusing body positions for a camera

  • marble carving

    a figure sculpted out of hard polished stone

  • breathtaking

    extremely beautiful, exciting, or impressive

  • classical art

    art inspired by ancient Greek and Roman traditions

  • bizarre

    very strange or unusual

  • →Use specific materials like bronze or marble when describing monuments to show natural topic-related vocabulary.
  • →Feel free to describe an ordinary local statue in a park rather than struggling to remember a world-famous monument.
  • →Keep your response light-hearted and realistic when asked imaginative questions about yourself.

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

© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy

Log in to practise free