SPEAKING PART 1 QUESTION TYPES

Question type 1: Do you like X?

Language:
- Verbs, adjectives, and nouns: I’m really keen on reading. / I’m a big fan of pop music.
- Giving examples: One of my favorite books is “The courage to be disliked”.
- Time expressions: I listen to pop every day, like whenever I have free time.
Practice questions:
- Do you like reading newspapers?
- Do you enjoy being alone?
- Do you like eat food from other countries?

Question type 2: Do you prefer X or Y?

Language:
- Prefer + verb-ing: e.g. I prefer walking.
- Prefer + to verb: e.g. I prefer to walk.
- Comparatives: e.g. Travelling by bus is faster than going by car.
Practice questions:
- Do you prefer writing letters or sending emails?
- Do you prefer home-cooked food or restaurant food?
- Which do you prefer, indoor or outdoor activities?

Question type 3: What do you like to do (in your spare time)?

Language:
- Words/phrases to express like
- Adjectives with -ed and -ing: e.g. I like playing football. It’s exciting. / I’m really excited about
this trip.
exciting/excited, boring/bored, interesting/interested, fascinating/fascinated, etc.
Practice questions:
- What do you like to do in your free time?
- What kind of hobbies do you have?
- What do you like to do when you’re not working/studying?

Question type 4: How often do you do X?

Language:
- Adverbs of frequency/infrequency:
e.g. I regularly watch TV.
I don’t always eat at home.
I do physical activities on a daily basis.
Practice questions:
- How often do you travel?
- How often do you read books?
- How often do you go out with your friends?

Question type 5: What do you like about X?

Language:
- Adverbs modifying verbs: e.g. I especially like playing the piano.
- Parallel structure: e.g. I like going to the cinema, watching TV and playing video games.
- Linking words: e.g. Although HCM city has developed very fast, it’s still not very expensive to live
here.
Practice questions:
- What do you like about your student life?
- What do you like about your job?
- What is the best thing about your hometown?

Question type 6: Is X popular in your country?

(Note: This questions asks about PEOPLE IN GENERAL, not YOU)
Language:
- Types of people: e.g. People of all ages like to ride bikes / Most businessmen own cars.
- Quantity words: e.g. I think most people use the motorbike in Vietnam / The majority of young
people like to drink milk tea.
Practice questions:
- Is playing sports popular in your country?
- Are bikes popular in your country?
- Is going to the cinema a popular activity in your hometown?

Question type 7: Why do some people like X?

Language:
- Quantifiers: e.g. Most teenagers enjoy listening to pop music.
- Personality adjectives: e.g. Creative people tend to enjoy going to the theatre and art museums.
Practice questions:
- Why do some people like cooking?
- Why do some people enjoy reading?
- Why do some people like gardening?

Question type 8: What is the best time (of year) to do X?

Language:
- Superlatives: e.g. October is the best time to travel to Da Lat.
- Prepositions of time: e.g. Da Lat is beautiful in the late fall.
 - Expression for conditions: e.g. The weather in Da Lat is perfect for a long holiday.
Practice questions:
- What is the best time of year for outdoor activities in where you live?
- What is the best time of day for studying?
- What time of year is best for travelling in your country?

Question type 9: When was the first/last time you did X?

Language:
- Prepositions and adverbs of time: e.g. The last time I went fishing was about three years ago.
- Past simple: e.g. I went on holiday last May.
- Adjectives of experience: e.g. Camping in the forest was so thrilling.
Practice questions:
- When was the first time you used a computer?
- When was the last time you went on holiday?
- When was the last time visitors came to your house?

Question type 10: Did you ever learn to do X?

Language:
- Past tense with times in life words and phrases: e.g. My parents gave me a computer for my 15th
birthday.
- Preposition “by”: e.g. I was taught to use a computer by my brother.
- Adjectives to describe people: e.g. He was a patient and kind teacher who helped me to master
computer skills.
Practice questions:
- Did you ever learn to ride a bike?
- Did you ever learn to play a musical instrument in school?
- Did you ever learn how to swim when you were young?

Question type 11: Is it difficult to do X?

Language:
- Adverbs of degree: e.g. Learning to play a musical instrument is incredibly hard for some people.
- Time marking phrases: e.g. In the beginning speaking English might seem hard, but after a while
it gets easier.
- Phrasal verbs: e.g. Once you get used to a new language, you pick it up quickly.
Practice questions:
- Is it difficult to go around in your city?
- Is it hard to meet new people in your workplace/university?
- Is it difficult for you to learn a foreign language?
Question type 12: How has X changed?
Language:
- Present perfect tense: e.g. Since I was young, my town has changed in a lot of ways.
- Simple and past tenses to compare now and then: e.g. My town was small. Now it is quite big.
- Comparatives: e.g. The streets are now wider and the traffic is heavier than before.
Practice questions:
- How has your hometown changed in recent years?
- How have restaurants changed in your city in the last five years?
- How have your ways of entertainment changed over the last few years?

Question type 13: How would you improve X?

Language:
- Phrase to talk about changes: e.g. I would improve my apartment by buying new furniture.
- Use “would have something done” to talk about things you’d get other people to do for you:
e.g. I would have the walls painted a new colour.
Practice questions:
- How would you improve the traffic in your city?
- What would you like to change about the place you work/study?
- If you could, how would you make your hometown a better place to live?

Question type 14: Is X important? / How important is X?

Language:
- Degree of importance: e.g. Music is especially important in today’s society, but I don’t think art
is very important.
- Positive adjective expressions: e.g. It is essential for all children to learn to draw.
- Adjectives of positive or negative feeling: e.g. I find art and music really inspiring and
stimulating.
Practice questions:
- How important are books?
- Is it important to have daily physical exercise?
- Do you think it is important to read news everyday?

Question type 15: Do people do / get enough X?

Language:
- Opinion phrases: e.g. I believe that many people in my country are very hardworking.
- Quantities and types of people: e.g. Nowadays, nearly all students have access to at least one
computer.
- Suggesting or advising: e.g. It’s a good idea to learn more languages in schools.
Practice questions:
- Do people today do enough physical exercise?
 - Do children do enough sports in schools?
- Do people in your country read enough books?

Question type 16: What do you want / hope to do (in the future)?
Language:
- Hope to / like to: e.g. Studying abroad is something I really hope to do.
- Phrases to say why: e.g. I would like to achieve this ambition because it would be so rewarding.
/ If succeeded in doing this, I would gain an enormous achievement in my life.
Practice questions:
- Do you hope to do the same job in the future?
- What do you want to do when you finish university?
- What kind of job would you like to do when you finish your studies?