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Part 1 – sample questions
- What kinds of places do you like visiting on holiday?
- Would you ever try an adventure holiday?
- What would be your dream holiday?
- Do you usually go on holiday with family or friends?
- What kinds of celebrations are there in your country?
- Do you often go to Festivals?
Part 2 – sample task card
Describe a festival that is important in your country
You should say:
- when the festival occurs
- what you did during it
- what you like or dislike about it
and explain why this festival is important
Part 3 – sample questions
- Why do you think festivals are important events in the working year?
- Do you think the significance of some festivals is lost today? Is this a good or bad thing?
- Do you think new festivals will be made in the future? What kinds of festivals might these be?
- How may globalisation affect different festivals around the world?
- Do you think it is good to watch festivals on TV?
- How do festivals today differ from those in the past?
Useful Vocabulary
Different types of holiday
- activity
- adventure
- camping
- cruise
- skiing
- beach
- summer
- winter
- package / all-inclusive
- self-catering
- city break
- mini break
Verb + Noun Collocations (verb + holiday)
- go on (a)
- spend a holiday
- have a holiday
- take a holiday
- book a holiday
- cancel a holiday
- need a holiday
- be entitled to a holiday
Noun + Noun Collocations (holiday + noun)
- holiday destination
- holiday resort
- holiday home
- holiday cottage
- holiday rental
- holiday camp
- holiday brochure
- holiday insurance
- holiday arrangements
- holiday plans
- holiday romance
- holiday photos / snaps
- holiday season / period
Adjective + Noun Collocations (adjective + holiday)
- annual holiday
- Christmas holiday
- Easter holiday
- national holiday
- public holiday
- religious holiday
- enjoyable holiday
- exciting holiday
- fun-packed holiday
- luxurious holiday
- relaxing holiday
- lovely holiday
- fantastic holiday
- unforgettable
- awful holiday
- disastrous holiday
- nightmare holiday
Prepositions
- during the holidays
- in the holidays
- to be on holiday
- for/on my next holiday
- on my last holiday
Useful phrases
- a holiday of a lifetime
- a dream holiday
- a holiday to remember
Useful Vocabulary - festivals
Verb + Noun Collocations (verb + festival)
- have a festival
- hold a festival
- attend a festival
- go to a festival
- visit a festival
- organise a festival
- take part in a festival
Noun + Noun Collocations (festival + noun)
- a festival event
- a festival venue
- a festival programme
- festival food
- a festival organizer
- a festival-goer
Adjective + Noun Collocations (adjective + festival)
- huge
- mega
- important
- major
- annual
- Summer
- Winter
- International
- local
- arts
- dance
- film
- beer
- jazz
- literary
- folk
- flower
- rock
- music
- theatre
Useful linkers / discourse markers
- well, the first thing
- whereas
- so
- nowadays
- also, another difference
- even if
- by and large
- although
Sample part 3 question
How do festivals today differ from those in the past?
Sample answer
Well, the first thing I would say is probably the size. Nowadays, festivals tend to be very big even if they start small they usually grow into events for thousands of people whereas in the past festivals were generally more local affairs held in the community, so they were much smaller in nature. Also, another difference is in the past people celebrated events to do with nature and the seasons. I’m thinking of things like harvests and May celebrations where in my country people used to dance with ribbons around a pole. This may have been linked to earlier Pagan fertility rites. By and large, although there are still national celebrations today, an increasing number of festivals are music-related and these attract huge numbers of people.
