IELTS Speaking Part 3 – Topics, Questions & Samples
In IELTS Speaking Part 3, the examiner will ask some related questions arising from the previous Part 2 topic, which you should discuss with him/her. There is no preparation time for Part 3. This part will last up to 4–5 minutes.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Topics & Follow-up Questions
Science
- Does education in Canada do enough to support scientific development?
- How do or how could governments support scientific development?
- Which scientific developments should be exhibited in a museum of the last hundred years?
- Should science subjects be compulsory or voluntary at school?
Technology
- What kinds of machine are used for housework in modern homes in your country?
- How have these machines benefited people? Are there any negative effects of using them?
- Do you think that all new homes will be equipped with household machines in the future? Why?
- What kinds of equipment do most workers need to use in offices today?
- How have developments in technology affected employment in your country?
- Some people think that technology has brought more stress than benefits to employed people nowadays. Would you agree or disagree? Why?
Animals
- Should endangered species of animals be protected if that means restricting the development of business and industry?
- Do you think that animals should have rights just as people do?
- Are zoos suitable places in which to keep animals?
- How could the conditions of animals in captivity be improved?
Possessions
- Do you think we care too much about possessions and are becoming too materialised?
- Would you be willing to own less if that meant working less?
- Should people be fairly equal in wealth?
- Should men earn more than women for the same type of work
Wedding
- Do you think marriage will become less common in the future?
- When is the best time to marry in your opinion?
- Does it make any real difference if people live together but aren't married?
- How do different countries celebrate weddings differently?
Sport
- Are top sportsmen paid too much?
- In what ways is sport an important part of life?
- Should public money be spent on promoting sports?
- What improvements to the sports life of Toronto can you suggest?
Childhood adventure
- Do people benefit from having adventure in their lives? If so, how?
- Would you give your own children more or less freedom than you had as a child?
- Do people and nations really learn from their experience?
Making plans
- Do you think people should try to plan their lives or should they take life as it comes?
- Are children put under too much pressure to achieve high academic results?
- Do schools do enough to prepare children for real life in the outside world?
- What more could they do?
For more topics and questions, you may want to see IELTS Speaking Part 3 Topics on IELTS Liz.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Sample Answers
- What qualities do you think are important in a good friend? Well, as far as I'm concerned, some of the most important things are trust and being supportive. What I mean is that a good friend should be someone that you can always depend on and turn to if you need them, and you would do the same for them. For example, if you lost your job, a good friend might help you out by lending you money. They would know that you'd pay it back and that you would do the same thing if they were int the same situation.
- What kind of effect do you think changes in technology have had on the nature of friendship? Well of course mobile phone and computer technology, the internet and everything have all had a big impact on the way we manage our relationships with other people. They can affect the nature of friendship in so many different ways. For example, on the positive side if you're far away from your friends it's so much easier to keep in touch using the phone, internet or even Skype. On the other hand, a lot of people would say that personal relationships have suffered from excessive use of computers – people are less interested in what's going on around them and spend more time alone on the computer.
- Well, as far as I am concerned, ... = In my view
- What I mean is that ... = Let me explain
- For example, ...
- On the positive side / negative side ...
- On (the) one hand ... , but on the other hand ...
If you don't remember a specific word, it is better to continue speaking. For example, you could explain the situation and say:
I'm afraid I have forgotten that word in English. I mean ... (a thing used for moving a boat).
By doing so, it shows you can efficiently communicate with the examiner even if you struggle to find some words. After all, going around the word without a long pause will be worth more marks than remembering one word.
"I'm an active IELTS instructor with 10+ years experience and currently work in an IELTS Centre. I will help you improve your IELTS speaking band score through online classes using Zoom. I will also provide you with your band as well as suggestions on how to improve your score."
— Lester, IELTS teacher from the UK
Useful Phrases for IELTS Speaking Part 3
First response
- That's a difficult question
- That's
- Well, it depends
- It depends on (the / how / who)
Giving views
- In my view, ...
- In my opinion, ...
- As far as I' m concerned, ...
- To my mind, ...
- To be honest, I think ...
- Generally speaking I'd say ...
- It seems to me that ...
- If you ask me ...
Being unsure
- I'm not sure what I think about that
- I have mixed views/feelings about that
- Well, on the whole, I tend to agree that ...
- Of course everyone is entitled to his point of view, but to my mind ...
Useful Language for IELTS Speaking Part 3
Analyse the question
- I think it (entirely) depends on the (type of) person
- One can't really generalise; some do, others don't
- It depends what is meant by 'learning'
- If by 'older' one means people over, say 35, then I think ...
What other people might believe
- It is often said that ...
- It might be said that ... . However, I believe that ...
- I tend to think that ...
Make a comparison
- While younger people prefer ... , older people prefer ...
- I would say that young people learn more because ... whereas older people ...
- There are two main differences between Z and X ... , but in terms of ... they are similar
Use personal experience
- It's hard to say but in my experience ...
- I have noticed that ... (younger people) tend to (prefer) ...
Refer to a past time
- Things have probably changed
- I think people used to travel mainly to ... , but nowadays ...
Refer to the media
- TV suggests that exploration and extreme holidays are very popular among ... at least in countries like the UK
- However in my country, judging by the advertising ...
Agree or disagree
- I entirely agree with that
- Actually, I don't really agree with that because ...
- I'm not sure I agree with that view because ...
- Generally speaking I would agree, although perhaps ...
- It seems that ... but I'm not sure
Giving opinions in a qualified way
- In my opinion ... but this may not be quite true among ...
- I would say ... although others would say ...
- For me ... is important because ...
- I think ... but I can understand people who say that ...
Supporting an opinion
- All the evidence shows that ... . For example, ...
Asking for clarification
- Could you repeat / rephrase your question, please?
- What do you mean by ' ... '?
Making yourself clear
- What I mean to say is ...
- By that I mean ...
- In other words ...
SPEAKING RESOURCES

IELTS Speaking Test

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Topics, Questions & Samples

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Topics & Questions

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Topics, Follow-up Questions & Samples

How to Practice IELTS Speaking for a Band 7+ Score?
