Lesson 6 · Lesson guide
Speaking Part 1: Work, Study and Hometown
Hello, my dear student!
Hello, my dear student!
The IELTS Speaking test starts with easy questions about you: “Do you work or are you a student?” “Where is your hometown?” You know the answers, of course. But many students say only one word, “Student.” or “Tashkent.”, and then the examiner has very little English to listen to.
Today you will learn a simple plan: answer the question, say why with because, and add one detail. Two or three sentences, and then stop.
You will also learn useful frames for your studies, your job and your hometown, and the mistakes that Uzbek students often make in Part 1.
See you in the exercises,Your teacher
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Part 1: questions about you
The test
What is Part 1?
Part 1 is the start of the Speaking test. It takes 4–5 minutes. The examiner asks easy questions about your life: your work or study, your hometown, your home and your free time.
- Do you work or are you a student?(Ishlaysizmi yoki talabamisiz?)
- Where is your hometown?(Tugʻilgan shahringiz qayerda?)
Step 1
Answer the question
Listen to the question word and answer it first. What → a thing, Where → a place, Why → a reason. Do you…? → Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
- I’m a student.(Men talabaman.)
- Yes, I do.(Ha.)
Step 2
Say why
Add a reason with because. It is the easiest way to make your answer longer.
- I study law because I want to help people.(Huquqshunoslikni oʻqiyman, chunki odamlarga yordam bermoqchiman.)
Step 3
Add one detail, then stop
Add one more fact: where, when or an example. Two or three sentences are enough: not one word, and not a long speech.
- My university is in the centre of Samarkand.(Universitetim Samarqand markazida.)
Tip
Present simple, and no memorised answers
Talk about your life now with the present simple: I study, I work, I live. Don’t learn long answers by heart: they sound unnatural, and examiners notice them.
- I live with my parents in a small flat.(Ota-onam bilan kichkina kvartirada yashayman.)
Remember!
Answer → reason (because…) → one detail. Two or three sentences, then stop.
What the examiner asks
Tap each question to hear it. You will hear questions like these in the test.
Do you work or are you a student?
(Ishlaysizmi yoki talabamisiz?)
Say “I work…” or “I’m a student…”, not “Yes”.
What do you study?
(Nima oʻqiysiz?)
your subject
Why did you choose it?
(Nega uni tanladingiz?)
a reason: because…
What do you do?
(Nima ish qilasiz?)
your job
Where is your hometown?
(Tugʻilgan shahringiz qayerda?)
the city or town you come from
What do you like about your hometown?
the good things
Is there anything you would like to change about it?
something you want to be different
Frames for your answers
Learn these frames and put in your own information.
I’m a first-year student at a university in Tashkent.
first-year = in year 1
I’m studying economics.
your subject
I work as a nurse in a hospital.
work as + a / an + job
I come from Samarkand, a city in Uzbekistan.
I come from = I’m from
What I like most about my hometown is the food.
the best thing for you
It’s famous for its old buildings.
famous for + a thing
I’d like more parks for children.
something to change
Dilnoza’s Part 1
Listen to Dilnoza in her Speaking test. Look at how long her answers are.
- Examiner
Do you work or are you a student?(Ishlaysizmi yoki talabamisiz?)
- Dilnoza
I’m a student. I’m in my first year at a university in Samarkand.
- Examiner
What do you study?(Nima oʻqiysiz?)
- Dilnoza
I study tourism because I want to work with people from other countries. It’s really interesting.
- Examiner
Where is your hometown?(Tugʻilgan shahringiz qayerda?)
- Dilnoza
I come from Urgench, a city in the west of Uzbekistan. It’s near Khiva, so lots of tourists visit it.
- Examiner
What do you like about your hometown?
- Dilnoza
What I like most is the people. They’re very friendly and kind.
Dilnoza answers each question, gives a reason or a detail, and then stops. Each answer is two sentences.
Mistakes I hear in Part 1
Not: Student.Say: I’m a student. I study law because I want to be a lawyer.
One word is too short. The examiner needs to hear your English: an answer, a reason and a detail.
Not: I am study economics.Say: I study economics. / I’m studying economics.
Don’t put am before a verb like study. Say I study, or I’m studying with -ing.
Not: I am student.Say: I’m a student.(Men talabaman.)
Use a or an before a job or a role: a student, a teacher, an engineer.
Not: I work as teacher.Say: I work as a teacher.(Oʻqituvchi boʻlib ishlayman.)
work as + a / an + job.
Not: My city is famous with its history.Say: My city is famous for its history.
After famous, use for.
Not: I born in Bukhara.Say: I was born in Bukhara.
Born needs was: I was born, she was born.
Check yourself
How long is Speaking Part 1?
What are the three steps of a good answer?
“Do you work or are you a student?” Is “Yes.” a good answer?
Correct the mistake: “I am study law.”
Now it’s your turn!
6 short parts, each a little harder than the one before. Take your time: mistakes are how we learn.
— Your teacher