Want to practise speaking with an experienced native English teacher?
Sign up for an IELTS speaking course or 1-2-1 Skype class and book your first interview practice today!!
SAVE €20 when you sign up for IELTS Speaking + Writing together!!
Part 1 – sample questions
- Have you got a lot of friends or do you prefer to have just a few good friends?
- Do you keep in touch with any childhood friends?
- Do you find it easy to make friends?
- How often do you see your friends?
- What do you usually do with your friends?
- Has a friend ever let you down?
- Have you made any friends over the Internet?
- How do you maintain a good friendship?
- Do you ever fight with your friends?
- Would you tell a friend everything?
Part 2 – sample task card
Describe one of your closest friends
You should say:
- how you met
- how long you have been friends
- why you think you became friends
and explain why you like this person
Part 3 – sample questions
- How are friendships different now than they were when you were a child?
- Why do people need friends?
- What are the qualities needed to be a good friend?
- Is it common in your country to have friendships across different generations?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of these kinds of friendships?
- What kinds of places are good to meet friends in your country?
- What kinds of things should friends never do?
- Do you think ‘friendship’ is the most important kind of relationship?
- Do you think the internet is a good way to make new friends?
- How can technology help friendships?
- In what way do friendships formed on the internet differ?
- How can friends influence a person’s life in a positive way?
- What kinds of things can people learn through their friends?
Useful Vocabulary - friend(s)
Verb + Noun Collocations (verb + friends)
- become friends
- make friends
- remain friends
- stay friends
- break up with friends
Adjective + Noun Collocations (adjective + friend)
- best friend
- close friend
- true friend
- firm friend
- childhood friend
- school friend
- lifelong friend
- fair-weather friend
- mutual friend
- toxic friend
Useful Vocabulary - friendship
Adjective + Noun Collocations (adjective + friendship)
- close friendship
- long-standing friendship
- (ever)lasting friendship
- loving friendship
- intimate friendship
- strong friendship
Verb + Noun Collocations (verb + friendship)
- strike up a friendship
- develop a friendship
- build up a friendship
- form a friendship
- break up a friendship
- destroy a friendship
- renew a friendship
- rekindle a friendship
Useful phrases
- a friend for life
- a circle of friends
- a friend in need (is a friend indeed)
- friendship bonds/ties
- in the spirit of friendship
- a token of friendship
Useful linkers / discourse markers
- well
- but
- and eventually
- so
- as well
- however
- like
Sample part 3 question
Do you think the internet is a good way to make new friends?
Sample answer
Well, I think it can be. The internet has opened up new possibilities, but there are disadvantages too of course. If you use social media a lot, there is plenty of opportunity to get to know people you might never meet face to face and eventually some of these might become good friends. These people might be from different cultures, so you can learn a lot as well. However, you have to remember that there’s no way of knowing someone that well, just via the internet, and the usual ‘safety’ aspects like being with a group of friends and getting to know someone don’t apply, so you have to be very careful.
