IELTS Speaking Part 1

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Sweets 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 sweets 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

Sweets questions with sample answers

1

Do you like eating sweets?

Yes, definitely, though I try not to overdo it these days. I've always had a bit of a sweet tooth, so having a small treat like a piece of dark chocolate or some chewy sweets after dinner is a lovely way to unwind in the evening.

2

What kind of sweets do you usually prefer?

I'm quite keen on fruit-flavoured boiled sweets, especially traditional ones like rhubarb and custard or lemon drops. They last quite a long time, so you can just savour them slowly while working, which stops me from constantly snacking on heavier baked goods.

3

Did you eat a lot of sweets when you were a child?

Oh, heaps of them! Whenever I got my pocket money on Saturdays, I'd rush straight down to the local corner shop and buy a paper bag filled with penny sweets, like cola bottles and jelly babies. My parents constantly warned me about tooth decay, but I rarely listened.

4

Are sweets popular in your country?

Immensely so, especially during traditional festivals and family celebrations. People often gift boxes of confectionery or homemade sugary pastries to their neighbours and relatives. You'll find confectionery stalls on almost every high street, packed with customers queuing up around the holidays.

5

Do you think you will eat more or fewer sweets in the future?

Almost certainly fewer, to be honest. As I'm getting older, I'm trying to be much more mindful of my health and sugar intake. I'll probably cut back on sugary snacks and replace them with dried fruit or nuts instead.

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

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7 words

Useful vocabulary and tips

  • sweet tooth

    a strong liking for sweet foods

  • boiled sweets

    hard sweets made by boiling sugar syrup

  • savour

    to enjoy food slowly and thoroughly

  • pocket money

    a small regular amount of money given to children

  • confectionery

    sweets and chocolates considered collectively

  • mindful of

    paying conscious attention to something

  • cut back on

    to reduce consumption of something

  • →Use natural collocations like 'have a sweet tooth' or 'cut back on sugar' rather than repeating basic words.
  • →Make natural contrasts between childhood habits and your current adult diet to show grammatical range.
  • →Mention specific types of sweets, such as boiled sweets or jellies, to provide precise detail.

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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