LESSON 3- SPEAKING PART 1 (3)

(Question types: Habits, Yes/No, Wh-, Comparing)

A. THEMATIC VOCABULARY: LEISURE TIME & PERSONAL TASTE

1. Read the text and decide whether the sentences below are true or false. Match the
words in bold in the sentences with one of the underlined words or phrases in the text.
Leisure activity isn't just for fun, says a University of Florida psychologist who has developed a
scale that classifies hobbies based on needs they satisfy in people. The scale can help people find
more personal fulfillment by giving them insight into what they really like. 'The surprising thing
is that activities you might think are very different have similar effects on people,' said Howard
E.A. Tinsley, a UF psychology professor who developed the measurement. 'Probably no one
would consider acting to have the same characteristics as roller-skating or playing baseball, but
men and women who act as a hobby report feeling an intense sense of belonging to a group,
much the same way others do in playing sports.'
Moreover, activities providing the strongest sense of competition are not sports, but card, arcade
and computer games, he found. Participating in soccer satisfies our desire for a sense of
belonging and coin collecting and baking fulfill their need for creativity.' 'With so many people
in jobs they don't care for, leisure is a prized aspect of people's lives,' Tinsley said. 'Yet it's not
something psychologists really study. Economists tell us how much money people spend skiing,
but nobody explains why skiing really appeals to people.' Or how one activity relates to another,
perhaps in unexpected ways, Tinsley said. Fishing, generally considered more of an outdoor
recreational activity, for example, is a form of self-expression like quilting or stamp collecting,
because it gives people the opportunity to express some aspect of their personality by doing
something completely different from their daily routine, he said.

a. Both acting and roller-skating give people a strong feeling of being part of a team.
b. Taking part in sports gives you the strongest desire to win.
c. Collecting things satisfies people's desire for making things.
d. Researchers already know why a hobby attracts a person.
e. Fishing allows you to show the type of person you are.

2. Now look at the remaining words and phrases that have been underlined in the text
and match them to these definitions.
a. a feeling of doing what you have always wanted to do ...
b. a deep understanding
c. a feature of ..
d. something that is done for enjoyment in your free time. (x3)
e. things you do every day .......
3. Look at the phrases in the box with the word taste. Use a dictionary to help you choose
the correct phrases to complete the sentences below.

in bad taste have poor taste in (to) my taste

acquire a taste for suit all tastes share the same tastes
have good taste in a matter of taste diverse tastes

a. The jokes he made about the earthquake were _______________________ and quite
offensive.
b. I'm not a good judge of art but I believe I _______________________ clothes.
c. My sister and I wanted to decorate our bedroom but we don't
_______________________ could never agree on a colour!
d. Humour can be quite personal and subjective - it really is _______________________.
e. I have quite _______________________ _in music - I enjoy opera and rap.
f. I've tried them often but I've never managed to _______________________ oysters.
g. I think it's virtually impossible to find a piece of music that will
______________________.

4. Use a dictionary to help you replace the underlined words below with the adjectives in
the box that have a similar meaning. There are two possible answers for each one.

abysmal monotonous petrified thrilling hilarious

joyless terrified spectacular spine terrifying
humorous dismal tedious chilling gloomy
a. The last movie I saw was supposed to be a really funny comedy, but I didn't laugh at all.
b. I was expecting the circus acts to be really daring and exciting to watch, but it was all a
bit disappointing.
c. I really enjoy horror movies. I know it sounds strange, but I like the feeling of being
really scared!
d. I've really enjoyed his plays before, but this one was so boring that I was asleep by the
third act!
e. Last week I saw a horror movie, and the special effects were so realistic it was really
scary to watch.
f. The play was supposed to be a tragedy, but the acting was so bad it made me want to
laugh not cry!
g. I got so sick of the relentlessly depressing plot, I decided to read something more
uplifting instead.
B. IELTS SPEAKING PART 1: How to deal with Habits, Yes/No, Wh-, and Comparing
questions.
1. HABIT QUESTIONS
a. Strategy: Depends
b. Structure: Depends + if preference 1 + if preference 2 [note that the structure uses
conditional clauses which can increase your score for grammar]
c. Sample questions: “What do you usually do at the weekend?”

Well, it is contingent upon how I feel.

If I'm exhausted after working all week I prefer to do something relaxing like chilling out on
the sofa with a good book.
But, if I feel energetic I would rather do something more exciting like go hiking or camping.
d. Useful language
Depends
Well, it is contingent upon...
I think it depends really.
Well, to be honest, I would have to say that it really depends.
Preference 1
If I'm...
I prefer to...
Usually, I prefer...
Sometimes, I prefer to...
Preference 2
But, if I... I would rather...
Although, sometimes I would rather...
However, if I have...

ACTIVITY 1: Work in pairs. Answer the questions.

a. What do you usually do on the Internet?

b. Where do you usually study?
c. What do you like to do for holidays?
d. When do you go shopping?
e. What do you do to relax?
2. YES/NO QUESTIONS
a. Strategy: Depends
b. Structure: Depends + preference 1 + preference 2
c. Sample question: “Do you eat healthy food?”

Well, to be honest, I would have to say that it really depends. Usually I prefer to eat
something quick and convenient such as instant noodles because I am very busy with my studies.
Although, sometimes I would rather spend a little more time and cook something healthier
such as a rice and veggies.
d. Useful language (See in 1.d)

ACTIVITY 2: Work in pairs. Answer the questions.

a. Do you like the weather in your country?

b. Do you enjoy eating food from other countries?
c. Do you enjoy your work/studies?
d. Do you enjoy going shopping?
e. Do you like to get up early?
f. Do you play or watch any sports?

3. WH- QUESTIONS

a. Strategy: Concession (making a main point and then giving a concession to it)
b. Structure: main point + concession
c. Sample question: "What sort of restaurants do you usually eat at?"

Well, recently I'd have to say that I have been enjoying eating steak and each time I feel like a
steak I go to Outback Steak House, because the steaks there are huge. Although, I suppose it
could be argued that it may not be all that healthy to eat so much red meat, as I've heard it can
lead to high levels of cholesterol.
d. Useful language
Concession
Although, I suppose it could be argued that...
However, I'm quite aware that...
Nevertheless, it is worth remembering that..

ACTIVITY 3: Work in pairs. Answer the questions.

a. Which do you prefer, reading a book or watching TV?

b. Who do you spend your evenings with?
c. When do you usually sleep?
d. Why do you work/study there?
4. COMPARING QUESTIONS
a. Strategy: avoidance (not directly answering the question]
 b. Structure: avoiding phrase + answer to the question
c. Sample question: "Do you prefer to read a book or watch TV?"

Oh, I like them both so it's hard to choose only one. But I guess that if I had to choose one,
then I would rather read a novel and the main reason for this is because I slightly prefer the
storylines of novels to TV.
(Note: the comparative words are underlined)
d. Useful language
Avoiding phrase
Oh, I like them both, so it's hard to choose only one.
Well, to be honest, I don't really have...
Actually, I'm not really sure about that.
Oh, I've never really thought about that.
Answer to the question
... but I guess that I will probably... ...
but I guess that if I had to choose one, then I'd... ... perhaps the end result will be that
Comparatives
I slightly prefer…
I'd much rather
I enjoy X much more than Y

ACTIVITY 4: Work in pairs. Answer the questions.

a. Do you prefer studying in the morning or in the evening?

b. Do you prefer taking photos with your phone or with a camera?
c. Would you rather live in a place with hot weather or cold weather?
d. Do you like to take lots of short holidays or one long holiday?
e. Do you prefer to write by hand or using a computer?
f. Do you prefer to send text messages or to call someone
 HOMEWORK
1. Fill in the blanks with correct words or phrases.

from cover to cover to be engrossed in box-office hits a big reader

a. Do you like to read books?
Yes, I love reading. For me, there is nothing better than ______________________ a
good book. I regularly take out books from the library and usually read them
______________________ in no time. Also, I can’t go to sleep at night without some
good bedtime reading.
b. How often do you go to the cinema?
Unfortunately we don’t have a cinema near us so we have to go into the nearest town to
catch the latest movie. I usually avoid seeing popular ______________________ which
I’m not always keen on seeing. I prefer low-budget films, sci-fi especially. Luckily,
there’s a great cinema I often go to that has frequent showings of films like these.
c. Do you prefer reading books or watching films?
I’m not really ______________________. As I find books quite heavy-going, I much
prefer to see a film. Perhaps it’s the special effects or the soundtrack that can help me to
focus on the content for a longer period of time.
2. Answer the questions, using strategies and structures learnt from the lesson.
3. Read the sample answer below and try to explain the words/ phrases in bold by making
sentences with them.

I like reading, especially English novels. It’s a great way for me to improve my vocabulary and
there are so many fantastic authors to choose from. One book that came highly
recommended by my teacher was “The Mayor of Casterbridge”. I was studying at a school in
The UK at the time and she said it would give me a picture of what life was like years ago in the
area I was living. Well, I have to say I absolutely loved it and it was a real page-turner. It’s
a historical novel and the setting was a fictional town called Casterbridge, but actually it
was based on a town near where I was studying called Dorchester. The story had such a
great plot, but to cut a long story short, it tells the story of the downfall of a man called
Henchard, the central character, who lives during a period of great social change around the
time of the industrial revolution. The reason I enjoyed it so much, apart from the great story, is
because it gave me a picture of what life had been like in the place I was studying at the time. I
really couldn’t put it down. What a fantastic story.