IELTS Speaking Topics – Part 2 and Part 3
We have lots and lots of IELTS speaking topics for you to practice with. We have speaking topics for parts 1, 2, and 3 of the IELTS speaking test.
Just click the drop down menu to see the topics and practice questions. Parts 2 and 3 are grouped together because on the test the questions from part 3 will be related to the topic of part two.
You can also check out our overview of the IELTS speaking test to learn more about the parts or you can take a look at our IELTS speaking tips to improve you speaking score.
One very important thing to remember for the IELTS speaking test, DO NOT memorize answers. You will lose points if the examiner suspects you have memorized an answer.
First the examiner will ask your name, what they can call, where you are from, and check your identification. Then they will move on to part 1.
You’ll be given a card with the topic and a piece of paper and a pencil for part 2. You’ll be given 1 minute to prepare. You will then have to speak for 1 – 2 minutes.
For part 3 the examiner will ask you questions based on your answer for part 2 and questions loosely related to the topic of part 2. Part 3 lasts for 4 – 5 minutes.
Examples of part 2 and part 3 questions:
Medicine / Doctors
PART 2 Remedies
Describe a traditional remedy from you culture.
You should say:
What ailment it fixes
What the remedy is
Who told you about the remedy
and explain whether you think it works or not.
PART 3
Traditional versus modern medicine
Do you think that science can learn a lot from traditional medicine? Why or why not?
Should medical science try to disprove traditional medicine? Why or why not?
How is medical science different from traditional medicine? How is it similar
Some people think that if a traditional remedy hasn’t been proven to work and sometimes hurts people, it should be banned. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Doctors
Do doctors in your country spend a lot of time talking with their patients? Is this a good or bad thing, why?
Some people think that in the future doctors will be replaced by robots and computers. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
How effective are doctors and diagnosing health problems? How could they improve?
Sports / Athletes
PART 2 Sports
Describe a sport that you enjoy watching.
You should say:
What sport it is
How often you watch it
Who your favorite team or athlete is
and explain why you enjoy watching it
PART 3 Sports
Almost all cultures and countries play sports. Why are sports so universally popular among all cultures and countries?
Do you think it is important to maintain traditional sports? Why? How can they be preserved?
What sports are the most popular in your country? Are there any new sports that are gaining in popularity?
In what ways do sports mirror human behavior?
Athletes
Should athletes get paid huge salaries? Why?
How are athletes from the past different from athletes in the present? In what ways are they similar?
Do you think that athletes make good role models? Why?
How important is it for your country’s athletes to perform well in the Olympics? Why?
Email / Texting
PART 2 Email
Describe an email you remember writing
You should say:
Who it was written to
What it was about
How long it took you to write
and explain what result you wanted from writing the email
PART 3 Email
Which do you think is better email or letters? Why?
How does email make people more productive? Does it make people less productive in any way?
What do you think email will look like twenty years in the future? Will it still exist?
Texting
What are some of the benefits of texting versus email?
Many people text while they are commuting. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Why?
Some people think that because many young people text rather than talk, it hurts their ability to communicate verbally. Do you agree or disagree?
Dreaming / Sleep
PART 2 Dreaming
Describe a dream you remember well.
You should say:
When you had the dream
What the dream was about
Who was in the dream
and explain why you think you had the dream
PART 3 Dreaming
Why do you think that humans dream?
Do you think that nightmares sometimes help people? Why or why not?
How important are dreams and dreaming in your culture?
Do think that science will ever fully understand dreaming? Why or why not?
Sleep
Which is worse, sleeping too much or not sleeping enough? Why do you think so?
If you are having trouble sleeping, what is the best way to fall asleep?
Do you think that most people in your country get enough sleep? Why or why not?
Manners / Politeness
PART 2 Bad manners
Describe an example of bad manners that you hate.
You should say:
What the bad manner is
Where it usually happens
Why you hate it
and explain why it is bad for society
PART 3 Manners
How have manners changed in you culture? Are the changes to manners a good or bad thing?
Compare your ideas of bad manners with a friend’s ideas of bad manners. How are they similar or different?
What are some examples of good or bad manners in another culture that are different from your own culture?
Should people be fined for certain types of bad manners? Why or why not?
Politeness
Do you think that people in your country were more or less polite than they are now? Why?
Does your culture have a tradition of different levels of politeness for different ages or social groups? How closely do you follow this tradition?
What are some examples of polite behavior that aren’t done anymore in your culture? Why do you think people stopped those behaviors?
What are some examples of polite behavior while eating? Are you always polite when you eat?
Movie stars / Movies
PART 2 Movie stars
Describe your favorite movie star.
You should say:
Who they are
What movies you have seen them in
What roles do they usually play
and explain why you like them
PART 3 Movie stars
Do you think movies stars have a right to privacy? Or is giving up their privacy part of their job?
Some people believe that movies stars have a responsibility to behave morally since they are role models to many people. Do you agree or disagree?
Why do people idolize movie stars?
What qualities are necessary to be a successful movie star?
Movies
What are the advantages and disadvantages to watching a movie alone?
Do you think movies are a form of art? Why do you think so?
Talk about how movies have changed over years.
How do movies change society?
Good deeds / Charity
PART 2 Good deed
Describe a time when you helped someone.
You should say:
Who you helped
How you helped them
How you felt after helping them
and explain why you decided to help them.
PART 3 Good deeds
Some people say that by helping others we help ourselves. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
What is a good deed you think that more people should do?
Who do you think does more good deeds, older or younger people? Why do you think so?
Do you think people are more likely to do good things for others now, or in the past? Why?
Charity
Why do you think some people give a lot to charity but others don’t?
What is the best way to help homeless people?
Some people think that volunteering at a charity should be mandatory for getting into university. Do you agree or disagree?
Do you think that richer countries should be required to give aide to poorer countries?
Inventions / Inventors
PART 2 Inventions
Describe a new technology that you enjoy
You should say:
What the new technology is
When you started using it
Who makes it
and explain why it is useful to you
PART 3 Inventions
The amount of new inventions is increasing rapidly. Do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing? Why?
What is a problem that you wish someone would solve with a new invention?
What do you think the most important invention of the last 50 years is? Why?
How can a country foster innovation?
Inventors
Do you think it is easier to be an inventor now or was it easier to be an inventor in the past?
Who was the greatest inventor in your country’s history? Why were they so great?
Where do you think most inventors get their inspiration? Why do you think so?
How much legal protection should governments give inventors for their new inventions? Why?
Meals / Cooking
PART 2 Meals
Describe the last meal you had.
You should say:
What it was
Where you ate it
Who you ate it with
and explain why it was or wasn’t a good meal.
PART 3 Meals
Which meal is the most important meal of the day? Why is so important?
How important is it for families to eat meals together? Are there any drawbacks to families eating together?
In your culture, what are some traditions around eating meals? Do you uphold those traditions? Why or why not?
Cooking
Do you think that it is important for a husband and a wife to know how to prepare meals? Why?
People can be taught to be chefs. If people can learn to cook well, why don’t more people learn to cook?
Some people say that chefs are artists. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Classrooms / High School
PART 2 Classroom
Describe a typical high school classroom from your childhood.
You should say:
What was in it
What it looked like
What was on the walls
and explain what was good and bad about it.
PART 3 High school
What is the most difficult thing about attending high school? Why?
Do you think that high schools adequately prepare students for adulthood? Why or why not?
Teenagers naturally sleep later and longer. Should high schools start at a later time to accommodate teenager sleeping habits? Why or why not?
What can be done to improve high schools in your country?
Classrooms
What are some of the benefits of small class sizes? Are there any drawbacks of small class sizes?
What is the most important thing for a classroom to have? Why?
How will the classrooms of the future be different from the classrooms of today?
Teachers / Text books
PART 2 Favorite Teacher
Describe your favorite teacher.
You should say:
What they looked like
What grade they taught
What they subject they taught
and explain why they were your favorite teacher
PART 3 Teachers
Do you think that paying teachers more results in a better education for students? Why or why not?
What qualities make a great teacher? Can these qualities be taught? Why or why not?
Some people think that in the future teachers will be replaced by computer programs. Do you agree or disagree?
Text books
What did you think about the text books you used in school? How could they be improved?
Some people believe that soon all text books will be replaced by tablets. Do you agree or disagree?
What are some of the benefits of digital text books versus physical text books? Are there any disadvantages to digital text books?
Friends / Making New Friends
PART 2 Best friend
You should say:
How you met them
What they look like
What you usually do together
and explain why they are your best friend.
PART 3 Friends
Do you prefer to have many friends or just a few close friends? Why?
Which is more important to you, family or friends? Why?
Do you think that social media websites make friends closer or just easier to contact? Why?
Some people say that you are the sum of the 5 people you are with the most. What do you think this means? Do you agree or disagree?
Making new friends
Do you easily make new friends or do you find it stressful to make new friends? Why do you think so?
Where is the best place to make new friends? Why?
Should people be selective when making new friends? Why or why not?
Books / Libraries
PART 2 Favorite book
Describe one of your favorite books.
You should say:
Who wrote it and its title
What type of book it is
What it is about
and explain why you like it.
PART 3 Books
What are some of the advantages of books versus movies? Which do you prefer?
What book has had the most influence on your country’s culture? Why?
Should a book ever be banned? Why or why not?
Is it more beneficial for people to read fiction or nonfiction books? Why?
Libraries
What roles do libraries play in society? How do you think they could improve?
Some people think that libraries shouldn’t have certain books because children might read them. Do you agree that libraries should filter which books children read?
Do you think that libraries will still be important in a future full of digital books? Why or why not?