Focus on Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking Test

In Part 3 of the IELTS exam, the examiner asks questions to test whether you can speak about more complex topics that are connected to the Part 2 topic.

14. Write down some ideas. Use your dictionary if you need to. Tell your partner your ideas.

“What about the future? In 50 years time, do you think we will watch television and listen to the radio?

What about newspapers? Will people still read them?”

15. Tell your partner what you think will happen.

16. Listen to the audio of an examiner asking a candidate some questions. Fill in the gaps as you listen.

Examiner: What type of activities did people do in their free time before the invention of radios, televisions and computers?

Candidate: I think in the olden days people _________ ____ spend their free time reading or doing activities with their __________. Fathers _________ ____teach their sons to make things out of __________ and mothers ________ ___ teach their _____________ to sew. People probably _______________ games too, such as chess and mahjong.

Examiner: Do you think this was a better way of life compared to how we live nowadays?

Candidate: In some ways it was better. Families ___________ more time talking together whereas today we __________ more time watching television or playing on the computer. I guess the parents ___________ the children in the olden days, but nowadays children learn a lot by themselves from the computer and television.

Examiner: In 50 years time, do you think things will change much or will we be doing the same activities in our free time?

Candidate: In my opinion, I believe we will change. I think people _______ see the benefits of spending more time talking together and less time by ___________ in front of a computer or television. Maybe more electronic, educational games ________ be ____________ that need three or four people to play them, like Play Station games, and the whole family _______ be able to play together.

17. Look at the tape script. What grammatical structures do the speakers use when talking about past activities?

Past simple verbs

Families spent more time talking

Did + subject + base verb? when asking a question about the past.

What type of activities did people do in their free time?

Used to + base verb when talking about a past habit or state that no longer happens.

I think in the olden days people used to spend their free time…..

18. In pairs, practise asking and answering the following questions using the structures given.

Question 1: used to

What do you think your grandmother __________ ____ ______ (do) in her free time?

Answer: She ___________ ___ ___________

Question 2: past simple

What _________ you ____ (do) in your free time yesterday?

Answer: Yesterday, I ______________

Question 3: used to

Did your father or mother ____________ ____ ________ (spend) time

teaching you things when you were a child?

Answer: ____________________________________________________________.

Look at the tape script. What grammatical structure do the speakers

use when talking about future possibilities or predictions?

Will + base verb

In 50 years time, do you think things will change much?

I think people will see the benefits…

19. In pairs, practise asking and answering the following questions using this structure “will + base form.” Choose either the verb ‘have’ or ‘be’ for each sentence.

Remember: ‘have’ is followed by a noun phrase and ‘be’ is followed by an adjective.

Q 1: Do you think you ___________ _____________ a good job in 15 years time?

Answer: Yes /No. I think I ___________ ____ a ________________

(e.g.: doctor, policeman, mother, cleaner)

Q 2: Do you think you __________ _____________ children/grandchildren in 15 years time?

Answer:__________________________

Q 3: Do you think any member of your family __________ _____ famous?

Answer:__________________________

FLUENCY AND COHERENCE

20. With a partner read the tape script above. One person is the examiner and the other the candidate.

21. Ask each other the same questions as in the tape script but this time answer in your own words with your own opinion. Try not to copy the tape script’s answers.

Remember to use past simple to talk about the past

and will + base form to talk about future possibilities.

a. What type of activities did people do in their free time before the invention of radios, televisions and computers?

b. Do you think this was a better way of life compared to how we live nowadays?

c. In 50 years time, do you think things will change much or will we do the same activities in our free time?