Aubrey Carter
"3 Keys IELTS Certified Coach"
Jessica Beck
"Director of IELTS Training"

What are native, natural answers for Speaking questions about your home?

Today we’ll teach you how to score band 9 for these very common questions.

There is a good chance you will be asked about your home.

You need to be ready with high level vocabulary and interesting intonation.

This will score you that 7 or higher you need for IELTS Speaking!

For the strategies you need for every part of the IELTS exam, sign up for 3 Keys IELTS today!

DIY vocabulary

Aubrey describes a Do-It-Yourself plumbing issue she is dealing with at home.

Her husband replaced a faucet, but it ended up leaking into the walls and ruining some drywall.

Jessica describes trying to repair a dishwasher when she ended up having to call a repairman.

  • drywall: plaster boards used to form interior walls of a home
  • DIY: Do It Yourself; often referring to self-completed home improvements

What are the first set of Part 1 questions?

You have a 50% chance of answering a question about home or your hometown.

The first group of Part 1 question will be about one of the two groups of topics:

  • Work or studies
  • Home or hometown

You need to be prepared to talk about these topics!

Varied intonation is a must!

You must have a variety of intonation for a 7 or higher on Pronunciation.

Also, you need to be ready to use informal vocabulary and tone.

This will get you that variety you need for Pronunciation and Vocabulary scores.

Notice the difference in our intonation on these sample answers.

We don’t sound the same when we describe our bedroom and when we talk about more serious topics like taxes.

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Accommodation questions

You will likely be asked about your accommodation.

  • accommodation: the room or building in which you live

What type of accommodation do you live in?

Aubrey describes her house, with details about her family’s need for home offices.

She also describes the park behind their house that their kids play in.

Use this answer for mimicking practice!

Notice her intonation when she says the park is “massively gigantic!”

She emphasizes the proximity by saying it’s right behind her house.

  • In each other’s business / In each other’s hair: idioms for disrupting or being in the way

Copy this positive intonation and stress.

For this type of question, you should sound positive and happy.

Amenities questions

What type of amenities do you have where you live?

If you are asked this question, you need to describe any extra perks that come with your accommodation.

Jessica describes the amenities at her condo complex.

  • Secure, locked storage
  • Extra parking
  • A courtyard with fountains, ferns and a decorative clock

Students often get confused by the words utilities, amenities and facilities.

Check out this podcast episode so you understand the difference and how to use these.

What would you like to change about where you live?

You might be asked what you wish were different about something.

  • Home
  • Town
  • Neighborhood
  • Yard

This might throw you off if you love where you live and haven’t thought about drawbacks.

Aubrey shares that she wishes the city where she lives had more diversity.

She misses living in NYC where she had friends and neighbors from many different social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Remembering opposites is a great way to remember vocabulary.

  • antonym pairs: two opposites
  • diverse: different
  • homogenous: the same

The necessity of filler phrases

At the beginning of Aubrey’s answer, she uses a great filler phrase.

I was just thinking about this the other day because, honestly, …

A phrase like this gives you a few seconds to think of your answer or high level vocabulary.

Don’t be afraid to say it slowly while you think.

Practice them so you can say them without thinking, giving you that time to reflect.

This boosts your Fluency score by helping you avoid pauses and hesitation.

Bonus Part 1 question: upcoming plans

You might be asked in Speaking Part 1 about your plans regarding where you live.

  • Do you plan to move anytime soon?
  • How long do you think you’ll live there?
  • Do you plan to live there for a long time?

Choose one of these to answer in the comments.

Don’t answer with just a few words!

Just like on the Speaking exam, always answer with 2-3 sentences!

Vary intonation for higher pronunciation scores

For a 7+ on the IELTS Speaking Pronunciation score, you need appropriate and varied intonation.

In today’s video, Aubrey models the appropriate tone for informal Part 1 questions and more serious Part 3 questions.

  • Part 1 question: What’s your favorite restaurant?
  • Part 3 question: Are companies more likely to create environmentally friendly policies now than in the past?

Notice the difference in intonation!

If asked about fun, exciting things, you should sound excited and happy.

The tone is very different for the more serious part 3 question.

Watch the video now!

Takeaway

There is a good chance you will be asked about your home or hometown.

Practice answering these questions with 2-3 sentences.

Provide details!

Vary your intonation and avoid speaking monotonously or like a student.

Mimic our answers by listening and repeating specific phrases with the same intonation.

Use filler phrases and speak slowly and clearly.

For more strategies, sign up for 3 Keys IELTS!

What questions do you have from today’s episode?

Please leave a comment below.

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