IELTS Speaking Part 1

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Textbooks 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 textbooks 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

Textbooks questions with sample answers

1

Do you often use textbooks now?

Not as much as I used to, to be honest. Since finishing university, I rarely need them for daily life, though I still keep a couple of grammar textbooks on my desk because I'm currently trying to pick up Spanish in the evenings.

2

Did you have a lot of textbooks when you were at school?

Yes, absolutely. My school bag was always weighing a ton because we had separate, thick books for subjects like biology, history, and maths. I remember having to lug about five different volumes back and forth every single day.

3

Do you prefer printed textbooks or electronic versions?

I'd definitely go for paper ones. While digital copies are obviously lighter to carry around, I find it much easier to flick through physical pages and highlight key sections with a pen, especially when I need to cram for an exam.

4

Are textbooks expensive in your country?

They can be quite pricey, especially for higher education. University students often spend a small fortune on course materials each term, which is why second-hand book sales and borrowing from the campus library are so popular.

5

Do you think schools will stop using printed textbooks in the future?

I reckon they will gradually be phased out. Many classrooms are already switching to tablets and interactive digital resources, so in ten or twenty years, carrying physical textbooks might become completely obsolete for younger students.

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.

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7 words

Useful vocabulary and tips

  • pick up

    To learn a skill casually or through practice.

  • lug

    To carry something heavy with effort.

  • flick through

    To turn pages quickly to find information.

  • cram for

    To study intensively just before an exam.

  • a small fortune

    A very large sum of money.

  • phased out

    Gradually removed or discontinued over time.

  • obsolete

    No longer produced or used.

  • →Compare your past schooling habits with your present routine to demonstrate tense flexibility.
  • →Use natural study-related collocations like 'flick through' or 'cram for' to boost your lexical score.
  • →Give practical reasons when comparing paper and digital books rather than just stating a preference.

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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