IELTS-Style Speaking Test Questions and Answers
IELTS-Style Speaking Test Questions and Answers
IELTS-Style Speaking Test Questions and Answers
Part 1
5) What’s the difference between where you are living now and your last
home?
I used to live in an apartment by the sea. It had a wonderful view but no garden.
Now I have a large lawn surrounded by a high hedge, and a patio where I like to sit
in the sun. I’m very happy to have a garden again.
A few years ago I saw a photo in the window of an estate agent of a fabulous property in a
village quite near to where I live. It was my idea of a dream home so I just had to have a
look around it. I felt a bit bad about doing this as I knew I couldn’t afford the house. I’ve
never done anything like it before, or since.
The house itself was quite modern. It had three bedrooms, separate kitchen and dining
rooms and a spacious lounge. It was mostly carpeted and the large windows let in plenty
of natural light. There was also a utility room and a double garage. It was actually a fairly
ordinary house but would have made a lovely home and it certainly felt cosy.
All the windows had wonderful views over the surrounding countryside which is something I
would make a priority if I was house-hunting for real. The owners said that they often saw
deer out on the hillsides.
All this was very nice, but I haven’t told you about the best part of the property yet, the
garden. That’s what had attracted me in the photo. It was amazing and exactly what I
would love to own. For a start, it was huge. There was a large area of lawn, several pretty
flower beds and a terrace sheltered by a fence. Even better than that was the stream
running through the garden into a big pond with ducks on it. I wish I had that in my garden.
You crossed the stream via a little wooden bridge that led to a small field that was also part
of the property. It was perfect.
The location of the house was also ideal. It was down a small lane on the outskirts of the
village. I know the village well and it’s a close-knit community, something else that would
be important to me if I was thinking of moving house. While the area is beautiful
countryside, the beach is only 15 minutes away so it has the best of both worlds.
I’m glad I visited the property. One day I’ll buy a home like it but for now, I’ll just keep
dreaming.
Secondly, most apartments don’t have a garden, although some do have a communal
outdoor that all the residents share. That was what I missed most when I lived in a block of
flats. It was the main reason I decided to move to a house.
Finally, a house feels more like a home of your own, even if you rent it, as you aren’t
sharing any part of the building with other people.
Once the children have left home, many parents downsize as they no longer need so
many rooms. They often use the money they make from buying a smaller property to help
their children get a mortgage and buy a home of their own.
Also, many retired people move from a two-storey house to a bungalow so they don’t
have any stairs to climb as they get older. Modern bungalows are cosy and cheap to heat
so there’s a saving on utility bills as well. This is important when you’re living on a pension.
In conclusion, although many of us would like a nicer home, I don’t think size is the most
important thing for a lot of people.
I saw a programme on TV recently where someone had designed a small apartment where
the furniture folded away so you could quickly change the same space from a living room
to a dining room and then into a bedroom. The kitchen appliances were hidden in
cupboards so were shut away until you needed to use them. It was amazing and I think this
sort of accommodation could become common in the future.
However, in places with more land available I don’t think there will be much change in the
near future. Perhaps in fifty years, people will be living in space but I can’t imagine what
their accommodation would look like.
For an extensive list of accommodation and home-related words and phrases for IELTS
visit:
www.ieltsjacky.com/home-vocabulary.html