IELTS Speaking Part One- The Same or Different

IELTS Speaking Part One the same or different

 

Warmer

Take turns choosing a topic from below and asking your partner exactly three questions on that topic before crossing it off. Try to use a mix of tenses, e.g. a mix of different past, present and future forms, or asking your partner to speculate/ imagine.

Name

Work and studies

Travel

Accommodation/ Hometown

Arts and media

Foreign languages

Free time/ Hobbies/ Interests

Friends and family

Future plans

Health and fitness

Technology and the Internet

Ask about any topics above which you can’t understand or couldn’t make three questions about.

Take turns asking any questions below which you didn’t ask in the previous activity. Note that some questions have the same meaning, so be careful not to ask (exactly) the same thing to the same person.

Mixed Speaking Part One questions

• Can I check your name?
• Do you have any plans for the weekend?
• Do you have any plans to live abroad?
• Do you like going to the cinema?
• Do you like going to the cinema?
• Do you like reading news online?
• Do you prefer to get your news online?
• Do you think you will live abroad someday?
• How do you most like to travel?
• How do you pronounce your name?
• How important is sport for you?
• How important is exercise to you?
• How is exercise important to you?
• How long are you planning to continue studying English?
• How long do you think you will continue studying English?
• How long have you been living in your present home?
• How long have you lived in your current home?
• How long have you spent abroad?
• How many times have you been abroad?
• How much time have you spent abroad?
• In what ways is exercise important to you?
• Is there any hobby which you want to take up?
• Is there any hobby you’d like to start doing in the future?
• What are you going to do at the weekend?
• What are your plans for the coming weekend?
• What do you do to keep fit?
• What do you like about going to the cinema?
• What is the area near your home like?
• What is the most important sport for you? (Why?)
• What is your favourite means of transport?
• What is your hometown like?
• What is your neighbourhood like?
• What kind of art do you like?
• What kind of exercise do you do?
• What level of English do you hope to have in ten years?
• What level of English do you think you will have in ten years’ time?
• What sort of visual art do you like?
• What would be the perfect job for you?
• What would be your dream job?
• What would you like me to call you?
• What would your ideal job be?
• When did you last meet up with your school friends?
• When was the last time you met up with your school friends?
• Where are you from?
• Where did you first meet your best friend?
• Where do you come from?
• Where have you come from (today)?
• Where is your hometown?
• Where were you the first time you met your best friend?
• Which members of your family do you have a good relationship with?
• Which people in your family do you get along with?
• Who in your family do you get on well with?
• Would you like to see anything at the cinema?
• Would you live abroad if you could?

Try to find questions above which mean (exactly) the same thing. If you are not sure if they are slightly different or not, think about what your answers to each question would be.

Find some examples above of questions which seem similar but have different meanings (and therefore will have different answers).

Ask about any questions above which you aren’t sure about the meaning of or aren’t sure how to answer. 

 

Part One: IELTS Speaking Part One questions the same or different

Decide if the question on one line have exactly the same meaning (S) or different meanings (D). If there are more than two, they are all the same or all different.

1. Can I check your name?/ How do you pronounce your name?/ What would you like me to call you?
2. Do you prefer to get your news online?/ Do you like reading news online?
3. How do you most like to travel?/ What is your favourite means of transport?
4. How important is exercise to you?/ How is exercise important to you?
5. How is exercise important to you?/ In what ways is exercise important to you?
6. How long do you think you will continue studying English?/ How long are you planning to continue studying English?
7. How long have you been living in your present home?/ How long have you lived in your current home?
8. How long have you spent abroad?/ How much time have you spent abroad?
9. How much time have you spent abroad?/ How many times have you been abroad?
10. Is there any hobby you’d like to start doing in the future?/ Is there any hobby which you want to take up?
11. What are you going to do at the weekend?/ What are your plans for the coming weekend?
12. What are your plans for the weekend?/ Do you have any plans for the weekend?
13. What do you like about going to the cinema?/ Do you like going to the cinema?
14. What is the area near your home like?/ What is your neighbourhood like?
15. What is your neighbourhood like?/ What is your hometown like?
16. What is the most important sport for you? (Why?)/ How important is sport for you?
17. What kind of art do you like?/ What sort of visual art do you like?
18. What kind of exercise do you do?/ What do you do to keep fit?
19. What level of English do you hope to have in ten years?/ What level of English do you think you will have in ten years’ time?
20. What would your ideal job be?/ What would be your dream job?/ What would be the perfect job for you?
21. When did you last meet up with your school friends?/ When was the last time you met up with your school friends?
22. Where are you from?/ Where do you come from?/ Where is your hometown?
23. Where are you from?/ Where have you come from (today)?
24. Where did you first meet your best friend?/ Where were you the first time you met your best friend?
25. Who in your family do you get on well with?/ Which members of your family do you have a good relationship with?/ Which people in your family do you get along with?
26. Would you like to see anything at the cinema?/ Do you like going to the cinema?
27. Would you live abroad if you could?/ Do you think you will live abroad someday?/ Do you have any plans to live abroad?

Hint: 13 lines above should be marked with D for different

 

Suggested answers

The ones in bold below are different (D). Make sure you know what the differences are.

1. Can I check your name?/ How do you pronounce your name?/ What would you like me to call you?
2. Do you prefer to get your news online?/ Do you like reading news online?
3. How do you most like to travel?/ What is your favourite means of transport?
4. How important is exercise to you?/ How is exercise important to you?
5. How is exercise important to you?/ In what ways is exercise important to you?
6. How long do you think you will continue studying English?/ How long are you planning to continue studying English?
7. How long have you been living in your present home?/ How long have you lived in your current home?
8. How long have you spent abroad?/ How much time have you spent abroad?
9. How much time have you spent abroad?/ How many times have you been abroad?
10. Is there any hobby you’d like to start doing in the future?/ Is there any hobby which you want to take up?
11. What are you going to do at the weekend?/ What are your plans for the coming weekend?
12. What are your plans for the weekend?/ Do you have any plans for the weekend?
13. What do you like about going to the cinema?/ Do you like going to the cinema?
14. What is the area near your home like?/ What is your neighbourhood like?
15. What is your neighbourhood like?/ What is your hometown like?
16. What is the most important sport for you? (Why?)/ How important is sport for you?
17. What kind of art do you like?/ What sort of visual art do you like?
18. What kind of exercise do you do?/ What do you do to keep fit?
19. What level of English do you hope to have in ten years?/ What level of English do you think you will have in ten years’ time?
20. What would your ideal job be?/ What would be your dream job?/ What would be the perfect job for you?
21. When did you last meet up with your school friends?/ When was the last time you met up with your school friends?
22. Where are you from?/ Where do you come from?/ Where is your hometown?
23. Where are you from?/ Where have you come from (today)?
24. Where did you first meet your best friend?/ Where were you the first time you met your best friend?
25. Who in your family do you get on well with?/ Which members of your family do you have a good relationship with?/ Which people in your family do you get along with?
26. Would you like to see anything at the cinema?/ Do you like going to the cinema?
27. Would you live abroad if you could?/ Do you think you will live abroad someday?/ Do you have any plans to live abroad?

Work in groups of three or four. Choose one line and ask all those questions to your partners, then give feedback on if they were answered correctly, thinking carefully about their meanings. The people answering can’t look at the worksheet.

Part Two: Comparing/ contrasting phrases presentation

Brainstorm as many different words and phrases as you can into the gaps below to make comparing phrases that you could have used to compare the questions above. At least four things are possible in each gap.

This question is about nicknames etcetera (,/.) __________________________________ this question is just about the pronunciation.

These two questions are ___________________________________________ the same.

These two questions are ____________________________________________ different.

The ___________________________________ difference between the two questions is that is this one is a prediction while this one is a desire.

A ___________________________________________ difference between these two is that this one is hypothetical but this one is about reality.

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Mixed answers to help with the task above.

• a bit
• a tiny bit
• almost
• almost exactly
• almost totally
• but
• considerable
• exactly
• fairly
• great
• however
• in contrast
• main
• more or less
• most important
• most obvious
• most striking
• nearly
• slight
• small
• substantial
• tiny
• totally
• very
• whereas
• while

 

Suggested answers

(NOT… X) in italics and brackets means that it doesn’t fit in the gap

 

This one is about nicknames etc ___, whereas/ , while/ , but/ . However,/ . In contrast, ____ this one is just about the pronunciation.

(NOT On the other hand X NOT On the contrary X NOT though X)

 

These two are ___exactly/ almost exactly/ almost/ nearly/ more or less  __ the same.

(NOT a little X NOT fairly X)

 

These two questions are _totally/ almost totally/ very/ fairly/ a bit/ a tiny bit __ different.

 

The __ most striking/ most obvious/ most important/ main __ difference between the two is that is this one is a prediction while this one is a desire.

 

A ___great/ considerable/ substantial/ slight/ small / tiny __ difference between these two is that this one is hypothetical but this one is about reality.

Part Three: Functional language in Speaking Part One answers the same or different

Do the same with these phrases that you could use in Speaking Part One, marking each line with S for the same meaning or D for different meanings.

1. Can you repeat the question?/ Can you rephrase the question?
2. Can you repeat the question?/ Can you say that again?
3. Could you say that another way?/ Can you rephrase the question?
4. Sorry, what does… mean?/ Excuse me, what do you mean by…?
5. Do you mean…?/ Are you asking…?
6. I’m afraid I still don’t understand the question./ I’m sorry but I’m still not quite sure what the question means.

 

7. Let me think./ Let me see.
8. That’s a difficult question./ That’s a tricky one.
9. I’ve never really thought about that before./ No one’s ever asked me that before.

 

10. I can’t remember… exactly but…/ I don’t precisely recall… but…
11. … or something like that (anyway). / … or something of that sort.
12. more or less/ approximately/ something like…

 

13. Sorry, I meant to say…/ Ah no, that’s wrong. It’s actually…

 

14. There is a word in my language…/ There is something in my country which we call…
15. The usual translation is…/ The direct translation is…
16. The direct translation is…/ The word-for-word translation is.../ The direct translation is…
17. … which is a kind of…/ which is a bit like…

 

18. This is because…/ The (main) reason for that is…
19. I’m not sure why exactly, but…/ …,for some reason or the other.
20. in order to…/ to…

 

21. I (totally) detest/ I loathe/ I really hate…
22. My least favourite/ My most hated…
23. I adore/ I really love…

 

24. Does that answer your question?/ Is that what you wanted to know?

 

Check as a class, then work together to explain the differences.

What does each group of expressions above have in common? Can you think of any more with the same functions?

Test each other on all the things above, this time raising one of the two cards that you are given depending on whether they have the same or different meanings when your partner reads them out to you.

Part 4: Comparing vocabulary in Speaking Part One questions and answers

Compare the expressions below. To make you use suitable comparing language, just discuss this time (don’t write what you decide, though, you can put “?” next to ones you aren’t sure about).

1. family name/ surname
2. first name/ given name/ Christian name
3. to spell/ a spell

 

4. hometown/ where you live/ your country
5. where you live/ your (local) area/ your neighbourhood
6. home/ house
7. where I live/ where I’m staying
8. house/ mansion
9. apartment/ flat
10. flat/ studio flat
11. student halls/ student dorm
12. narrow room/ small flat
13. I grew up/ I was brought up

 

14. brothers and sisters/ siblings
15. wife or husband/ partner
16. two families/ two family members
17. a member of my family/ a relative/ a relation
18. only child/ single

 

19. close friend/ good friend
20. good friend/ best friend/ oldest friend
21. get on with/ get on well with/ get along with/ have a good relationship with
22. workmate/ colleague/ co-worker
23. ex-classmate/ ex-colleague
24. fellow graduate/ fellow alumni

 

25. abroad/ overseas
26. to go on a trip/ to trip
27. meet up with/ go out with/ play with/ hang out with (my friends)
28. travel to and from work/ commute

 

29. party/ (going out for) drinks

 

30. cinema/ movie theater
31. films/ movies
32. movie theater/ theatre
33. sci-fi/ science fiction
34. rom-com/ romantic comedy
35. animation/ anime
36. costume drama/ historical drama
37. kind of movie/ type of movie/ sort of movie/ genre of movie

 

38. exercise/ sport
39. free time/ leisure
40. hobbies/ interests
41. summer holiday/ summer vacation
42. public holiday/ vacation
43. days off/ holidays
44. tidy my flat/ clean my flat
45. like/ prefer/ would like

 

46. normally/ usually/ generally
47. rarely/ seldom/ hardly ever
48. once every six months/ twice a year
49. at the moment/ now/ currently/ presently
50. at the moment/ at that moment
51. nowadays/ these days
52. every time/ always
53. always/ all the time

 

54. the day before yesterday/ two days before
55. when I was younger/ when I was a child
56. when I was in primary school/ when I was an elementary school student
57. when I was 11 or 12/ when I was in my early teens
58. I last…/ The last time I… was…

 

59. in ten years/ in ten years’ time
60. in two days/ the day after tomorrow
61. the week after next/ two weeks after
62. am planning to/ am going to
63. I’m planning to…/ I’ve arranged to…
64. I’ve arranged to…/ I’m… ing…
65. appointment/ date/ arrangement/ promise
66. I like/ I would like
67. I would like/ I want
68. I would like/ I hope/ I wish
69. I will/ I will probably/ I may…
70. I may/ I might…
71. I expect to…/ I’m sure I will…
72. I expect to…/ I’m looking forward to…

 

73. ideal/ perfect/ dream (job/ holiday/ home)
74. If you get the chance/ If you got the chance

 

Compare your answers as a class, then brainstorm more useful vocabulary for each section above.

Cards to hold up

The same	Different
The same	Different
The same	Different
The same	Different
The same	Different
The same	Different
The same	Different