Speaking Topics for Intermediate Students (B1 to B2): 40 Questions wit…
페이지 정보
Michael Desrosiers
Langclub Co-founder · MA, Johns Hopkins University
Here are 40 speaking topics for intermediate English students (B1 to B2), each with a main question, two follow up questions and a sample answer of the length a teacher, an examiner or a conversation partner actually expects. The sample answers are not there to memorise. They are there to show you the shape of a good intermediate answer, which is usually the thing nobody explains.
Most lists of speaking topics give you the question and stop. That is fine for advanced speakers. At B1 and B2 the problem is rarely finding something to say. It is saying one sentence, running out, and waiting for the next question. So every topic below shows you what a two to four sentence answer looks like, and each section ends with the phrases that make the answer sound B2 rather than B1.
These topics come from Langclub's live session archive, where intermediate learners from more than 140 countries discuss questions like these every day.
Contents
- What a good intermediate answer looks like
- Daily Life and Routines (B1)
- Food and Eating Out (B1)
- Travel and Places (B1+)
- Technology and Social Media (B1+)
- Health and Habits (B1+)
- Work and Study (B2)
- Money and Shopping (B2)
- People, Friends and Family (B2)
- Vocabulary Notes
- How to Practise With These Topics
1. What a Good Intermediate Answer Looks Like
Almost every sample answer on this page follows the same four moves. Once you can see them, you can use them for any question you have never heard before.
- Answer the question directly. "Yes, most days." "Not really, to be honest."
- Give one reason. "Mainly because my job starts early."
- Add a small example or detail. "Last week, for instance, I was up at six every day."
- Finish with a contrast or a personal comment. "At the weekend, though, it is a completely different story."
The B1 to B2 difference in one line: a B1 speaker answers the question. A B2 speaker answers the question and then keeps going for two more sentences without being asked. That is it. The grammar can be nearly the same.
2. Daily Life and Routines B1
The easiest topics to start with, because you already have the content. The challenge here is not ideas. It is stretching a one line answer into three lines.
1. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Has that always been true?
What time do you do your best work?
What time do you do your best work?
SAMPLE ANSWER
I am definitely a night person, although my job does not agree with me. I get my best ideas after ten at night, when the house is quiet. The problem is that I still have to be at work by eight, so most weeks I am tired by Wednesday.
I am definitely a night person, although my job does not agree with me. I get my best ideas after ten at night, when the house is quiet. The problem is that I still have to be at work by eight, so most weeks I am tired by Wednesday.
2. What does a typical weekday look like for you?
Which part of the day do you enjoy most?
What would you change if you could?
What would you change if you could?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Honestly, it is quite repetitive. I wake up around seven, commute for about forty minutes, and work until six. The part I actually look forward to is the walk home, because it is the only time nobody needs anything from me. If I could change one thing, it would be the commute.
Honestly, it is quite repetitive. I wake up around seven, commute for about forty minutes, and work until six. The part I actually look forward to is the walk home, because it is the only time nobody needs anything from me. If I could change one thing, it would be the commute.
3. Do you prefer to plan your day or just see what happens?
Do you use a calendar or a to do list?
What happens when the plan goes wrong?
What happens when the plan goes wrong?
SAMPLE ANSWER
I like to think I am a planner, but in reality I write a list in the morning and ignore half of it by lunchtime. I do use a calendar for appointments, because otherwise I forget them completely. When the plan goes wrong I am fine with it, as long as it is not my fault.
I like to think I am a planner, but in reality I write a list in the morning and ignore half of it by lunchtime. I do use a calendar for appointments, because otherwise I forget them completely. When the plan goes wrong I am fine with it, as long as it is not my fault.
4. How much free time do you have in a normal week, and how do you spend it?
Is that more or less than five years ago?
What would you do with an extra free day?
What would you do with an extra free day?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Less than I would like, probably ten hours if I am lucky. Most of it goes on cooking and a bit of exercise. Five years ago I had much more free time, but I did not appreciate it, so I mostly wasted it on my phone. With an extra day I would finally learn to cook something that is not pasta.
Less than I would like, probably ten hours if I am lucky. Most of it goes on cooking and a bit of exercise. Five years ago I had much more free time, but I did not appreciate it, so I mostly wasted it on my phone. With an extra day I would finally learn to cook something that is not pasta.
5. Is there something you do every single day without fail?
When did that habit start?
What would happen if you skipped it?
What would happen if you skipped it?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Coffee, first thing, before I speak to anyone. It started at university, when I needed it to survive early lectures, and now it is more of a ritual than a need. If I skip it, I am not dangerous or anything, but my colleagues can tell.
Coffee, first thing, before I speak to anyone. It started at university, when I needed it to survive early lectures, and now it is more of a ritual than a need. If I skip it, I am not dangerous or anything, but my colleagues can tell.
Phrases that lift this section to B2
- although my job does not agree with me (a contrast inside one sentence)
- the part I actually look forward to is (focus on one detail)
- I like to think I am ..., but in reality (self awareness sounds advanced)
- as long as (a condition instead of a plain "if")
3. Food and Eating Out B1
Food is the topic where intermediate speakers have the most opinions and the least vocabulary. Notice how the sample answers describe food without naming dishes the listener may not know.
6. Can you cook? What is the best thing you make?
Who taught you?
What is the worst thing you have ever cooked?
What is the worst thing you have ever cooked?
SAMPLE ANSWER
I can cook about five things well, and I rotate them. The best is probably a chicken and rice dish my grandmother used to make, with a lot of garlic and lemon. She never wrote the recipe down, so my version is a guess, but my family says it is close. The worst thing I ever made was a cake that came out of the oven flat and somehow still raw in the middle.
I can cook about five things well, and I rotate them. The best is probably a chicken and rice dish my grandmother used to make, with a lot of garlic and lemon. She never wrote the recipe down, so my version is a guess, but my family says it is close. The worst thing I ever made was a cake that came out of the oven flat and somehow still raw in the middle.
7. Do you prefer eating at home or eating out?
How often do you eat out in a month?
What makes a restaurant worth going back to?
What makes a restaurant worth going back to?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Eating at home, most of the time, mainly for the cost. We probably eat out twice a month, usually when nobody has the energy to cook. For me a restaurant is worth going back to if the staff remember you. The food can be average, honestly, but if they treat you like a regular you go back.
Eating at home, most of the time, mainly for the cost. We probably eat out twice a month, usually when nobody has the energy to cook. For me a restaurant is worth going back to if the staff remember you. The food can be average, honestly, but if they treat you like a regular you go back.
8. What is a food from your country that visitors usually do not like at first?
Why do you think they react that way?
Did you like it as a child?
Did you like it as a child?
SAMPLE ANSWER
We have a fermented dish that smells much stronger than it tastes, and the smell is usually where visitors give up. I think the problem is that people decide before they try it. I did not like it as a child either, to be fair. It is one of those foods you grow into, and then you cannot imagine a meal without it.
We have a fermented dish that smells much stronger than it tastes, and the smell is usually where visitors give up. I think the problem is that people decide before they try it. I did not like it as a child either, to be fair. It is one of those foods you grow into, and then you cannot imagine a meal without it.
9. Have you ever changed your diet? Why?
How long did the change last?
What was the hardest thing to give up?
What was the hardest thing to give up?
SAMPLE ANSWER
I tried to cut out sugar last year, mostly because I was tired all the time and a friend said that might be why. It lasted about six weeks. I felt better, I have to admit, but the hardest part was not chocolate, it was bread. I had no idea how much sugar was in normal bread until I started reading labels.
I tried to cut out sugar last year, mostly because I was tired all the time and a friend said that might be why. It lasted about six weeks. I felt better, I have to admit, but the hardest part was not chocolate, it was bread. I had no idea how much sugar was in normal bread until I started reading labels.
10. If you could only eat one cuisine for a year, which would you choose?
What would you miss after a month?
Is there a cuisine you have never tried but want to?
Is there a cuisine you have never tried but want to?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Italian, without thinking about it too much, because it has enough variety that I would not get bored. Pasta, obviously, but also a lot of vegetables and simple grilled things. After a month I would probably miss spicy food, since Italian food is not really about heat. I have never tried Ethiopian food and I keep hearing it is excellent.
Italian, without thinking about it too much, because it has enough variety that I would not get bored. Pasta, obviously, but also a lot of vegetables and simple grilled things. After a month I would probably miss spicy food, since Italian food is not really about heat. I have never tried Ethiopian food and I keep hearing it is excellent.
Phrases that lift this section to B2
- to be fair / I have to admit (conceding a point)
- it is one of those ... that (generalising from an example)
- I had no idea how much ... until (a discovery, in one sentence)
- without thinking about it too much (softening a strong choice)
4. Travel and Places B1+
Travel questions are where past tenses get tested. Watch how the sample answers move between what happened, what usually happens and what you would do.
11. What is the best trip you have ever taken?
What made it better than the others?
Would you go back, or is it better as a memory?
Would you go back, or is it better as a memory?
SAMPLE ANSWER
A week in a small town by the sea, three years ago, with two friends. Nothing special happened, which is exactly why it was good. We had no plan, we walked a lot, and we ate at the same place every night. I would not go back, actually. I think if we tried to repeat it, it would feel forced.
A week in a small town by the sea, three years ago, with two friends. Nothing special happened, which is exactly why it was good. We had no plan, we walked a lot, and we ate at the same place every night. I would not go back, actually. I think if we tried to repeat it, it would feel forced.
12. Do you prefer cities or the countryside when you travel?
What do you do on the first day in a new city?
Could you live in the countryside permanently?
Could you live in the countryside permanently?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Cities, for short trips, because there is always something open and something to look at. On the first day I usually just walk without a map until I am lost, and then find a cafe. The countryside is lovely for about three days, and then I start missing noise. So no, I could not live there, although I say that every year and every year I am tempted.
Cities, for short trips, because there is always something open and something to look at. On the first day I usually just walk without a map until I am lost, and then find a cafe. The countryside is lovely for about three days, and then I start missing noise. So no, I could not live there, although I say that every year and every year I am tempted.
13. Do you like travelling alone, or do you need company?
What is the hardest part of travelling alone?
Have you ever fallen out with someone on a trip?
Have you ever fallen out with someone on a trip?
SAMPLE ANSWER
I have done both, and they are completely different holidays. Alone, I see more and eat worse, because I cannot be bothered to sit in a restaurant by myself. The hardest part is dinner, honestly. With company you see less but remember more. And yes, I once spent four days not speaking to a friend over which train to take.
I have done both, and they are completely different holidays. Alone, I see more and eat worse, because I cannot be bothered to sit in a restaurant by myself. The hardest part is dinner, honestly. With company you see less but remember more. And yes, I once spent four days not speaking to a friend over which train to take.
14. What is something tourists always do in your city that locals never do?
What should they do instead?
Is there anything tourists do that you secretly want to try?
Is there anything tourists do that you secretly want to try?
SAMPLE ANSWER
They queue for an hour at the same viewpoint, take the same photo, and leave. No local has been up there since a school trip. If they walked ten minutes further there is a hill with the same view and no queue. That said, I have never taken the river boat, and every tourist does, so maybe they know something I do not.
They queue for an hour at the same viewpoint, take the same photo, and leave. No local has been up there since a school trip. If they walked ten minutes further there is a hill with the same view and no queue. That said, I have never taken the river boat, and every tourist does, so maybe they know something I do not.
15. If you could live in another country for one year, where would you go?
What would you do there?
What do you think you would miss from home?
What do you think you would miss from home?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Somewhere with a language I do not speak at all, maybe Japan, because a year is long enough to actually learn some of it. I would try to get a normal job rather than travel, since I think you only understand a place once you have complained about its trains with the people who live there. I would miss my mother's cooking and, strangely, my own bed.
Somewhere with a language I do not speak at all, maybe Japan, because a year is long enough to actually learn some of it. I would try to get a normal job rather than travel, since I think you only understand a place once you have complained about its trains with the people who live there. I would miss my mother's cooking and, strangely, my own bed.
Phrases that lift this section to B2
- nothing special happened, which is exactly why (a relative clause that adds an opinion)
- that said, (a polite contradiction of your own point)
- I cannot be bothered to (natural, informal, very B2)
- you only understand a place once you have (a general truth from experience)
5. Technology and Social Media B1+
Everyone has an opinion on this, so the question is not what you think. It is whether you can give a reason that is not "because it is bad for you".
16. How much time do you spend on your phone each day? Is it too much?
Which app takes most of it?
Have you ever tried to cut down?
Have you ever tried to cut down?
SAMPLE ANSWER
My phone says about four hours, which I choose not to believe. It is too much, obviously, but most of it is messaging, so I tell myself it is social rather than wasted. I tried turning off notifications last month. It worked for a week and then I turned them back on because I kept checking anyway, which was worse.
My phone says about four hours, which I choose not to believe. It is too much, obviously, but most of it is messaging, so I tell myself it is social rather than wasted. I tried turning off notifications last month. It worked for a week and then I turned them back on because I kept checking anyway, which was worse.
17. Do you think social media makes people more connected or more lonely?
Does it depend on the person?
Has it changed how you keep in touch with old friends?
Has it changed how you keep in touch with old friends?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Both, and I think it depends on how you use it rather than how much. If you post and wait for reactions, it makes you lonelier. If you use it to actually message people, it is just a phone. It has definitely changed how I keep in touch with old friends: I know everything about their lives and I have not spoken to most of them in years.
Both, and I think it depends on how you use it rather than how much. If you post and wait for reactions, it makes you lonelier. If you use it to actually message people, it is just a phone. It has definitely changed how I keep in touch with old friends: I know everything about their lives and I have not spoken to most of them in years.
18. What is one piece of technology you could not live without, and one you could happily give up?
What did people do before it existed?
Is there anything you miss from before smartphones?
Is there anything you miss from before smartphones?
SAMPLE ANSWER
I could not live without maps on my phone. I have no sense of direction, and before it existed I simply got lost and arrived late, which everyone accepted as my personality. I could happily give up the smart watch. It tells me I am stressed, which makes me stressed. The thing I miss from before smartphones is being unreachable for an afternoon.
I could not live without maps on my phone. I have no sense of direction, and before it existed I simply got lost and arrived late, which everyone accepted as my personality. I could happily give up the smart watch. It tells me I am stressed, which makes me stressed. The thing I miss from before smartphones is being unreachable for an afternoon.
19. Should children have smartphones? At what age?
What age did you get your first phone?
Is the problem the phone or what is on it?
Is the problem the phone or what is on it?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Probably yes, but later than most children get them now, maybe around fourteen. I got mine at twelve and it could only make calls, so it was harmless. I think the problem is not the phone itself but the apps, which are designed by adults to keep adults hooked, and children have even less defence. If I had children I would give them a phone with no social media and accept being the unpopular parent.
Probably yes, but later than most children get them now, maybe around fourteen. I got mine at twelve and it could only make calls, so it was harmless. I think the problem is not the phone itself but the apps, which are designed by adults to keep adults hooked, and children have even less defence. If I had children I would give them a phone with no social media and accept being the unpopular parent.
20. Do you think AI tools will change your job or your studies in the next five years?
Have you used them for anything real?
What is one thing you hope they never replace?
What is one thing you hope they never replace?
SAMPLE ANSWER
They already have, to be honest. I use them to write first drafts of emails and to check my English, which is why my written English now looks better than my spoken English. In five years I think the boring half of my job will be gone, and I am not sure yet whether that is good news. The thing I hope they never replace is the conversation itself. I want to talk to a person, even if the person is worse at grammar than the machine.
They already have, to be honest. I use them to write first drafts of emails and to check my English, which is why my written English now looks better than my spoken English. In five years I think the boring half of my job will be gone, and I am not sure yet whether that is good news. The thing I hope they never replace is the conversation itself. I want to talk to a person, even if the person is worse at grammar than the machine.
Phrases that lift this section to B2
- which I choose not to believe (humour through a relative clause)
- it depends on how ... rather than how much (a precise distinction)
- the problem is not X itself but Y (correcting the question)
- I am not sure yet whether that is good news (an open opinion, not a fixed one)
6. Health and Habits B1+
A good topic for practising the present perfect ("I have been trying to...") and for being honest, which is always more interesting than being impressive.
21. Do you exercise regularly? What do you do?
Do you enjoy it, or is it just necessary?
What stops you from doing more?
What stops you from doing more?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Regularly is a strong word. I go to the gym twice a week when things are calm and zero times a week when they are not. I do not enjoy it while I am there, but I enjoy having done it, if that makes sense. What stops me doing more is not time, it is the fact that the gym is a fifteen minute walk away and it rains a lot here.
Regularly is a strong word. I go to the gym twice a week when things are calm and zero times a week when they are not. I do not enjoy it while I am there, but I enjoy having done it, if that makes sense. What stops me doing more is not time, it is the fact that the gym is a fifteen minute walk away and it rains a lot here.
22. How well do you sleep? What affects it?
Do you have a routine before bed?
What do you do when you cannot sleep?
What do you do when you cannot sleep?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Badly, and I know exactly why: my phone is the last thing I look at and the first thing I reach for. My only routine is deciding to have a routine, every night, and then not doing it. When I cannot sleep I get up and read on the sofa, which usually works within half an hour. Coffee after three in the afternoon is the other problem, and I have not fixed that either.
Badly, and I know exactly why: my phone is the last thing I look at and the first thing I reach for. My only routine is deciding to have a routine, every night, and then not doing it. When I cannot sleep I get up and read on the sofa, which usually works within half an hour. Coffee after three in the afternoon is the other problem, and I have not fixed that either.
23. What is a habit you are proud of, and one you would like to break?
How long did the good one take to build?
Have you tried to break the bad one before?
Have you tried to break the bad one before?
SAMPLE ANSWER
I am proud that I read every day now, even if it is only ten pages. It took about two months before it felt normal, and the trick was leaving the book on my pillow. The one I would like to break is saying yes to everything. I have tried, but every time someone asks me for a favour my mouth says yes before my brain has a chance to vote.
I am proud that I read every day now, even if it is only ten pages. It took about two months before it felt normal, and the trick was leaving the book on my pillow. The one I would like to break is saying yes to everything. I have tried, but every time someone asks me for a favour my mouth says yes before my brain has a chance to vote.
24. Do you think people in your country are healthier or less healthy than twenty years ago?
What has changed most: food, work or lifestyle?
Is that true for your own family?
Is that true for your own family?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Less healthy in some ways and more in others. People sit more, eat more delivery food and sleep less, but they also smoke much less and talk about mental health, which nobody did when I was a child. In my own family it is clear: my grandparents walked everywhere and ate simply, my parents drive everywhere and eat well, and I sit at a desk and eat whatever arrives in a bag.
Less healthy in some ways and more in others. People sit more, eat more delivery food and sleep less, but they also smoke much less and talk about mental health, which nobody did when I was a child. In my own family it is clear: my grandparents walked everywhere and ate simply, my parents drive everywhere and eat well, and I sit at a desk and eat whatever arrives in a bag.
25. What do you do to relax when you are stressed?
Does it actually work?
Is there something you know you should do but do not?
Is there something you know you should do but do not?
SAMPLE ANSWER
I cook something complicated. It forces me to concentrate on one thing, and at the end there is dinner, so even if the stress is still there at least I have eaten. It works better than anything else I have tried. The thing I know I should do is go for a walk without my phone, and I do that roughly never.
I cook something complicated. It forces me to concentrate on one thing, and at the end there is dinner, so even if the stress is still there at least I have eaten. It works better than anything else I have tried. The thing I know I should do is go for a walk without my phone, and I do that roughly never.
Phrases that lift this section to B2
- "regularly" is a strong word (questioning the question, with humour)
- I enjoy having done it, if that makes sense (a subtle distinction, then a check)
- it is not X, it is the fact that (correcting an assumption)
- in some ways ... and in others (a balanced answer without "but")
7. Work and Study B2
From here on the questions ask for an opinion, not just a description. The answers get slightly longer and the phrases do more of the work.
26. What do you do, and how did you end up doing it?
Was it a plan or an accident?
What did you want to be when you were ten?
What did you want to be when you were ten?
SAMPLE ANSWER
I work in logistics, which is a job I did not know existed until I was doing it. It was an accident: I took a temporary position after university to pay rent, the company grew, and I grew with it. When I was ten I wanted to be a pilot, so in a way I still move things around the world, just from a desk. I do not regret it, although I sometimes wonder what a plan would have looked like.
I work in logistics, which is a job I did not know existed until I was doing it. It was an accident: I took a temporary position after university to pay rent, the company grew, and I grew with it. When I was ten I wanted to be a pilot, so in a way I still move things around the world, just from a desk. I do not regret it, although I sometimes wonder what a plan would have looked like.
27. Would you rather have a job you love with a low salary, or a job you dislike with a high one?
How low is too low?
Does the answer change at different ages?
Does the answer change at different ages?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Everyone says the job they love, and then most people choose the salary, so I will try to be honest. In my twenties I would have taken the high salary for five years and then bought myself the freedom to do what I love. Now I am not sure the five years ever ends. Too low is when you spend the whole time worrying about money, because then you do not love the job either, you just tolerate it while being poor.
Everyone says the job they love, and then most people choose the salary, so I will try to be honest. In my twenties I would have taken the high salary for five years and then bought myself the freedom to do what I love. Now I am not sure the five years ever ends. Too low is when you spend the whole time worrying about money, because then you do not love the job either, you just tolerate it while being poor.
28. Is working from home better or worse than working in an office?
What do you miss about the other one?
Does it depend on the kind of work?
Does it depend on the kind of work?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Better for the work, worse for everything around the work. I get more done at home because nobody stops by my desk, but I also go entire days without a real conversation, and I have noticed my English getting worse because of it. What I miss about the office is the ten minutes after a meeting where the actual decisions get made. It definitely depends on the job, though. If you are new, you need the office.
Better for the work, worse for everything around the work. I get more done at home because nobody stops by my desk, but I also go entire days without a real conversation, and I have noticed my English getting worse because of it. What I miss about the office is the ten minutes after a meeting where the actual decisions get made. It definitely depends on the job, though. If you are new, you need the office.
29. What is the most useful thing you learned at school, and the most useless?
Who was your best teacher, and why?
What should schools teach that they do not?
What should schools teach that they do not?
SAMPLE ANSWER
The most useful thing was learning to write a clear paragraph, which I use every single day and never thought about at the time. The most useless was memorising the dates of battles, although I admit I still remember some of them. My best teacher was a chemistry teacher who let us ask stupid questions without making us feel stupid. Schools should teach how to handle money, because I left at eighteen not knowing what a tax was.
The most useful thing was learning to write a clear paragraph, which I use every single day and never thought about at the time. The most useless was memorising the dates of battles, although I admit I still remember some of them. My best teacher was a chemistry teacher who let us ask stupid questions without making us feel stupid. Schools should teach how to handle money, because I left at eighteen not knowing what a tax was.
30. Do you think a university degree is still worth it?
Worth it for whom?
What would you tell an eighteen year old today?
What would you tell an eighteen year old today?
SAMPLE ANSWER
It depends what you mean by worth it. As a place to grow up and meet people, yes, absolutely. As a guarantee of a job, much less than it used to be, at least in my field, where half my colleagues studied something unrelated. I would tell an eighteen year old to go if they can afford it without debt, and to treat the people they meet as the main course, not the lectures.
It depends what you mean by worth it. As a place to grow up and meet people, yes, absolutely. As a guarantee of a job, much less than it used to be, at least in my field, where half my colleagues studied something unrelated. I would tell an eighteen year old to go if they can afford it without debt, and to treat the people they meet as the main course, not the lectures.
Phrases that lift this section to B2
- everyone says X, and then most people choose Y, so I will try to be honest (framing before answering)
- better for X, worse for everything around X (a two part evaluation)
- it depends what you mean by (defining the question first)
- at least in my field, where (limiting a claim to what you know)
8. Money and Shopping B2
Money is a topic people avoid, which makes it excellent for practice: nobody has a prepared answer, so what you say is real.
31. Are you a saver or a spender?
Where did you learn that from?
What was the last thing you regretted buying?
What was the last thing you regretted buying?
SAMPLE ANSWER
A saver who occasionally panics and spends. I learned it from my parents, who never bought anything on credit and made me feel that a loan was a moral failure, which is not entirely healthy but has kept me out of trouble. The last thing I regretted buying was a very expensive coffee machine that I use less than the cheap one it replaced.
A saver who occasionally panics and spends. I learned it from my parents, who never bought anything on credit and made me feel that a loan was a moral failure, which is not entirely healthy but has kept me out of trouble. The last thing I regretted buying was a very expensive coffee machine that I use less than the cheap one it replaced.
32. Is it better to buy cheap things often or expensive things rarely?
Does it depend on the kind of thing?
What is one expensive thing that was worth it?
What is one expensive thing that was worth it?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Expensive and rarely, for anything you touch every day: shoes, a mattress, a chair. Cheap and often for anything that goes out of fashion or breaks anyway, like phone cases. The most worthwhile expensive thing I ever bought was a good winter coat, ten years ago, which I still wear and which has cost me less per year than any cheap coat would have.
Expensive and rarely, for anything you touch every day: shoes, a mattress, a chair. Cheap and often for anything that goes out of fashion or breaks anyway, like phone cases. The most worthwhile expensive thing I ever bought was a good winter coat, ten years ago, which I still wear and which has cost me less per year than any cheap coat would have.
33. Should you talk about your salary with friends and colleagues?
Is it a taboo in your country?
Who benefits when salaries are secret?
Who benefits when salaries are secret?
SAMPLE ANSWER
In theory yes, in practice I do not, and I am aware that is a contradiction. It is a strong taboo where I am from, more than religion or politics. But if you think about who benefits from secrecy, it is never the employees. The one time a colleague told me her salary, I found out I was underpaid and got a raise within three months, so the evidence is on the side of talking.
In theory yes, in practice I do not, and I am aware that is a contradiction. It is a strong taboo where I am from, more than religion or politics. But if you think about who benefits from secrecy, it is never the employees. The one time a colleague told me her salary, I found out I was underpaid and got a raise within three months, so the evidence is on the side of talking.
34. What would you do if you won enough money to never work again?
Would you actually stop working?
Who would you tell?
Who would you tell?
SAMPLE ANSWER
I would say I would keep working, because that is the correct answer, but I would probably stop for a year first to find out. Then I think I would do something similar to my current job with fewer hours and no boss. I would tell my sister and nobody else, at least for a while, because I have seen what money does to families and I would rather keep mine.
I would say I would keep working, because that is the correct answer, but I would probably stop for a year first to find out. Then I think I would do something similar to my current job with fewer hours and no boss. I would tell my sister and nobody else, at least for a while, because I have seen what money does to families and I would rather keep mine.
35. Do you think shopping online has made us buy more than we need?
When did you last buy something at midnight?
Do you return things, or keep them and feel guilty?
Do you return things, or keep them and feel guilty?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Without question. The whole system is designed to remove the moment where you stop and think, and it has succeeded. I bought a lamp at midnight last week that I do not remember choosing. I am a keeper and feel guilty type, which is exactly what the shops are counting on. Returning things takes effort, and effort is the one thing they have made sure buying does not need.
Without question. The whole system is designed to remove the moment where you stop and think, and it has succeeded. I bought a lamp at midnight last week that I do not remember choosing. I am a keeper and feel guilty type, which is exactly what the shops are counting on. Returning things takes effort, and effort is the one thing they have made sure buying does not need.
Phrases that lift this section to B2
- in theory yes, in practice no, and I am aware that is a contradiction
- if you think about who benefits from (moving from opinion to analysis)
- the evidence is on the side of (concluding from an example)
- which is exactly what ... are counting on (explaining a motive)
9. People, Friends and Family B2
The richest topic in our sessions. Notice how the sample answers describe people through what they do, not through adjectives.
36. How would your best friend describe you in three words?
Would you agree with them?
Which word would surprise your colleagues?
Which word would surprise your colleagues?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Probably "late, loyal and loud", and I would argue with the first one even though it is true. I do turn up late, but I always turn up, which I think is the loyal part. The word that would surprise my colleagues is loud. At work I am the quiet one, and my friends find that very hard to believe.
Probably "late, loyal and loud", and I would argue with the first one even though it is true. I do turn up late, but I always turn up, which I think is the loyal part. The word that would surprise my colleagues is loud. At work I am the quiet one, and my friends find that very hard to believe.
37. Is it easier or harder to make friends as an adult?
Where did you meet your most recent friend?
How many close friends does a person actually need?
How many close friends does a person actually need?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Harder, because nobody has the time, and easier, because you finally know what you are looking for. My most recent friend I met in an online English discussion group, which I would not have predicted five years ago. As for how many you need, I would say three: one who tells you the truth, one who makes you laugh, and one who will help you move house.
Harder, because nobody has the time, and easier, because you finally know what you are looking for. My most recent friend I met in an online English discussion group, which I would not have predicted five years ago. As for how many you need, I would say three: one who tells you the truth, one who makes you laugh, and one who will help you move house.
38. Do you get on well with your family? What do you argue about?
Who are you most like?
Has your relationship with your parents changed as you got older?
Has your relationship with your parents changed as you got older?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Mostly, yes, as long as we do not talk about politics or how I load the dishwasher. I am most like my father, which my mother points out whenever I do something annoying. The relationship has changed a lot. When I was twenty they were people who told me what to do. Now they are people who ask me how to use their phones, and somewhere in between we became something closer to friends.
Mostly, yes, as long as we do not talk about politics or how I load the dishwasher. I am most like my father, which my mother points out whenever I do something annoying. The relationship has changed a lot. When I was twenty they were people who told me what to do. Now they are people who ask me how to use their phones, and somewhere in between we became something closer to friends.
39. What is a piece of advice someone gave you that you still remember?
Did you follow it at the time?
What advice would you give to yourself at eighteen?
What advice would you give to yourself at eighteen?
SAMPLE ANSWER
My first manager told me that nobody is thinking about you as much as you think they are. It sounded rude at the time, and I definitely did not follow it. About ten years later I understood that it was permission to stop worrying. To myself at eighteen I would say: speak more badly, more often. I stayed quiet in English for years because I wanted to sound perfect, and that was the slowest way to learn.
My first manager told me that nobody is thinking about you as much as you think they are. It sounded rude at the time, and I definitely did not follow it. About ten years later I understood that it was permission to stop worrying. To myself at eighteen I would say: speak more badly, more often. I stayed quiet in English for years because I wanted to sound perfect, and that was the slowest way to learn.
40. Do you think people can really change, or do we just get better at hiding who we are?
Have you changed in a way that surprised people?
Is there anything about yourself you have given up trying to change?
Is there anything about yourself you have given up trying to change?
SAMPLE ANSWER
I think we change slowly and in small areas, and then we tell ourselves a big story about it. I used to be extremely shy in groups, and people who knew me at school are surprised that I now run meetings. But I still feel the shyness. I have just learned what to do with it. The thing I have given up trying to change is my impatience. At this point I treat it as a feature.
I think we change slowly and in small areas, and then we tell ourselves a big story about it. I used to be extremely shy in groups, and people who knew me at school are surprised that I now run meetings. But I still feel the shyness. I have just learned what to do with it. The thing I have given up trying to change is my impatience. At this point I treat it as a feature.
Phrases that lift this section to B2
- I would argue with the first one even though it is true
- harder, because ..., and easier, because ... (holding two answers at once)
- somewhere in between we became (describing gradual change)
- at this point I treat it as (acceptance, with humour)
Vocabulary Notes
Words and expressions from the sample answers that are common in real conversation and rare in textbooks.
- Rotate (verb): to use things in turn, one after another. I can cook five things and I rotate them.
- A regular (noun): a customer who comes often. If they treat you like a regular, you go back.
- Grow into (phrasal verb): to start liking something as you get older. It is a food you grow into.
- Cut out / cut down (phrasal verbs): to stop completely / to reduce. I tried to cut out sugar. I tried to cut down on my phone.
- Feel forced (expression): to seem unnatural. If we repeated the trip it would feel forced.
- Fall out with (phrasal verb): to have an argument and stop being friendly. I fell out with a friend over which train to take.
- Hooked (adjective): unable to stop using something. Apps are designed to keep adults hooked.
- Unreachable (adjective): impossible to contact. I miss being unreachable for an afternoon.
- Tolerate (verb): to accept something you do not like. You just tolerate the job while being poor.
- Taboo (noun): a subject people avoid talking about. Salary is a strong taboo where I am from.
- Underpaid (adjective): paid less than you should be. I found out I was underpaid.
- Turn up (phrasal verb): to arrive. I turn up late, but I always turn up.
- Get on with (phrasal verb): to have a good relationship with. Do you get on well with your family?
- Permission (noun): being allowed to do something. The advice was permission to stop worrying.
How to Practise With These Topics
The sample answers are a model, not a script. If you memorise them, you will sound like someone reading, and a listener can hear that in the first sentence. Use them like this instead.
Step one: steal the shape, not the words. Read a sample answer once. Close the page. Answer the same question about your own life, using the same four moves: direct answer, one reason, one example, one contrast. Your answer will be different and that is the point.
Step two: answer the follow up questions without preparing. The main question you can plan for. The follow up questions are what a real conversation, or an IELTS examiner in Part 3, will actually ask. Two sentences is enough. Silence is not.
Step three: record yourself for one topic a day. Ninety seconds, phone voice memo, no second attempt. Listen back once and notice only one thing: where you stopped. That pause is what to work on, not the grammar.
Step four: take one phrase from each section and use it three times this week. "That said." "To be fair." "It depends what you mean by." Using a phrase three times in real conversation moves it from something you know into something you say.
If you are preparing for IELTS: these topics sit exactly in the range of Speaking Part 1 and Part 2. The follow up questions are close to Part 3. For the scoring side, see how many correct answers you need for Band 7. If you are ready for harder questions, the advanced discussion topics list (B2 to C2) is the next step.
Practise These With Real People
Answering a question alone is practice. Answering it, and then answering the follow up you did not expect, is a conversation. Langclub runs live English discussion sessions every day with intermediate and advanced learners from more than 140 countries, using questions like these. Sessions are small, moderated, and nobody is there to judge your grammar.