IELTS Speaking Part 3

The IELTS Speaking Part 3 is a discussion where the examiner asks the candidate a few general questions related to the long-turn speaking topic. You must be able to justify your opinions and be able to discuss certain issues. Part 3 is the last section of IELTS speaking and will be completed in less than 5 minutes.

The number of follow-up questions asked in the IELTS Speaking Part 3 will differ based on the topic given. The test will be conducted by certified IELTS examiners and you will be scored based on some marking. To know more about this section continue to read this article.

 Topics Part 3

The topics given are some of the most common IELTS Speaking Topics Part 3.

• weather
• art
• family
• advertisement
• home
• hometown
• music
• sports
• gifts
• famous person
• books
• animals
• food
• concentration
• handwriting
• friends
• Reading
• Dream job
• Shopping
• Hobbies

Check out more IELTS speaking topics with questions and answers. The IELTS Speaking Topics Part 3 questions and answers are given below in this article.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions with Answers

You can use these IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions with Answers to prepare for the test. 

Weather
1. Do you think that the weather affects people’s moods?
Answer: Yes I do think that weather affects people’s moods. In fact, I have read an article that talks about the differences between people’s behaviour in cold and warm countries. Also, I have experienced mood changes when it is rainy or cold.

2. Does air pollution affect the weather?
Answer: Air pollution causes the temperature to rise and is a reason for global warming. This has in effect resulted in an increase in heat in the summer season and rains during the monsoon season.

3. Do you think that weather affects people's behaviour?
Answer: Weather has the ability to change people’s behaviour. It is scientifically proven that people living in different climatic conditions have distinct behaviours.

4. What are some other examples of bad weather in the world?
Answer: Some areas are affected by heavy rainfall and some places get no rainfall and heat waves that cause draughts. As we go toward the poles, the places get heavy snowfall. 

Art
1. Describe the general purpose of art. Why do people enjoy art?
Answer: Art is a display of certain skills and people’s imagination. Art is expressive and reaches a wide audience. People enjoy art and like to explore a different world that has evolved from the artist’s mind.

2. Do you think that art is as important as academic subjects when it comes to educating children?
Answer: Art helps in the development of the human brain which is why we should encourage students who are interested in learning arts. Art is equally important just like any other subject.

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of art education?
Answer: Art education can be quite expensive in some countries and art graduates can find it difficult to find a suitable job that justifies the amount they paid for tuition. But if a person is really an art lover and wants to learn it and have a career in arts, then surely they will find happiness in life as they follow their passion.

4. Why do you think some people enjoy looking at paintings and sculptures and others do not?
Answer: Paintings have a lot of meaning to them. The artist has tried to show what he wants to express in his paintings. Some people enjoy these paintings and try to decode what the artist tries to tell them. But others might feel they are meaningless and boring.

Family
1. Is family important in your country?
Answer: In India family is very important and it is a part of the culture to stay with the family, unlike in some countries where parents and children live apart. There are a lot of family values that are taught to children and they grow up being fond of their family.

2. How has the size of the family changed in the last few decades in your country?
Answer: Earlier people in my place lived in large families. That included aunt, uncle, cousins, grandparents, and parents. Nowadays the situation has changed and homes have nuclear families only with parents and one or two children.

3. How do you think the family will change in the future?
Answer: Families will have a western influence and children will stay apart from their parents once they are mature and can live on their own. Relatives will see each other less often and relationships will not be as strong as it was before.

4. What role do grandparents play in the family in your country?
Answer: Grandparents are like our friends as people become more childish as they grow very old. We can easily confess anything to them and share any secrets with them that we can't tell our parents.

Advertisement
1. Do you think advertising influences what people buy?
Answer: Advertising is almost unavoidable nowadays. We are bombarded with a lot of ads which have influenced our minds and buying decisions. Sometimes we tend to buy things that we don't need just because those advertisements have attracted us.

2. What makes an advertisement effective?
Answer: Marketers consider advertisements effective when people buy products seeing their ads. The advertisements should attract people and tempt them to buy their products. Some advertisements become a trending topic for some time because of how creative it is.

3. What is the purpose of advertising?
Answer: Advertising helps a business grow. It helps the business to reach more people and to tell how good their products are. A business needs a marketing strategy and advertising specialists to create a good image of itself in front of the public. 

4. How have advertisements changed since you were a child?
Answer: The advertisements that I saw when I was a child had more use of songs and dialogues which made the brand name stay in people’s minds forever. Nowadays advertisers are more into creating visually appealing ads which attract a lot of young people to it. The use of songs is very less. Earlier the ad songs used to go viral.

Know about the IELTS speaking band descriptors to understand the marking pattern and secure a band 8 in your first attempt. 

Home
1. Why do some people buy lots of things for their homes?
Answer: People have a consumer mindset that drives them to buy more things. In my opinion, people don't require a lot of things which they don't need but just buy because they think it would be good having them at home.

2. Do you think it is very expensive to make a home look nice?
Answer: Homes can be simplistic or luxurious, and either way it looks nice. It depends on the taste of the person living there. If we can keep their homes neat and tidy we can make our homes look nice.

3. Why don’t some people care about how their home looks?
Answer: It is the dream of many people to build a house and when their dream comes true they take care of it. When our friends and relatives come home it is important that our home looks nice so that they don't get a bad impression of it.

4. Do you think homes will look different in the future?
Answer: Yes, homes have evolved in every century. The style of architecture and people’s ideas of homes has changed as we humans evolved. In the future as technology advances, there will be more smart homes, and new architectural styles will come. 

Hometown
1. Why do people have a very strong bond with their hometown?
Answer: Human beings have a strong bond with the place where they grew up in. It is because we are familiar with the surroundings and people in our hometown. As we grow up we have created a lot of memories in that place which gives us nostalgic moments when we return to our hometown.

2. In what ways can you improve your hometown?
Answer: In my hometown, we lack a lot of facilities like roads and a proper drainage system. We can bring these drawbacks to the notice of the authorities or report the problems to concerned politicians. We can also bring up more public places so that people and children can spend some quality time there.

3. Some people want to live in their hometowns for the rest of their lives. Why?
Answer: Our hometown is a comfort zone where we have everyone at a close distance. When we leave our hometown we don't have anyone we know around us which leaves us in a lonely situation. Living in a faraway place can be difficult for some people. That's why they never leave their hometowns.

4. What is the main reason for liking a hometown other than the fact you were born there?
Answer: I like my hometown because it is beautiful with parks and lakes and hills. I have never seen such natural beauty anywhere else which makes me not want to leave the place. The people of my hometown are also very friendly which is the main reason why I like my place.

Music
1. What kind of music is popular in your country?
Answer: Classical music is very popular in my country. It goes beyond languages and people love to listen to it. It is soothing to hear and older people are most likely to listen to classical music. Even though youngsters have different musical tastes, classical music still is very popular in our country.

2. At what age can people go clubbing in your country? (Is that the right age limit?)
Answer: People can go clubbing once they cross 18 years of age. It is believed that people mature by the age of 18 and they can make better decisions at that time. In our country, people at that age are still under the influence of their parents and cannot make their own decisions. It is their wish to go clubbing, but I suggest people go clubbing once they start earning money on their own as it makes us more responsible.

3. What do old people like to listen to?
Answer: Old people like to listen to calm and relaxing music. They avoid songs that are loud and with a lot of noise. Traditional and classical music suits their musical taste. Even though all old people are not the same, most of them I know like very soothing songs.

4. Do you think it is possible to judge someone’s personality from their taste in music? (Why/ Why not?)
Answer: I used to believe that we cannot judge someone solely from their music taste. We cannot know a person’s personality from the types of music they listen to. But then I read some scientific articles that said there was a correlation between people’s music taste and their personal traits.

Sports
1. Why are some sports fans so passionate?
Answer: Every human being has a different passion which they carry through their life. Likewise, some are interested in sports and like to cheer for their favourite players. It is an experience to watch games in stadiums with our friends among all the sports lovers. In many communities, people have certain traditions related to sports.

2. Is there any violence at sporting events in your country?
Answer: I have read about violence that happened in many sports competitions. Fights can happen between players or between fans. When sportsmen play foul, they tend to fight with each other and fans fight with each other when their favourite team loses.

3. Should athletes be better role models?
Answer: Athletes are famous and millions of people follow them after seeing them. There are people who closely follow them and follow their routine to be like them in hope of being successful. Athletes should respect their followers and be good role models to them as they are capable of influencing so many people.

4. What benefits do international sporting events bring?
Answer: International sporting events bring a lot of foreigners to that country and thus a lot of foreign money to that country which results in an improvement in the economy of that country. It creates a lot of jobs for people in that country. It also helps in keeping up the sports spirit of that country and also encourages a lot of sportsmen.

Gifts
1. What is the purpose of gift giving?
Answer: Gifting people establishes a strong connection with them and makes them feel special. It establishes a strong bond between people. The type of gift we give also tells them how close they are to us. It helps us to tell them how important they are to us and lets us communicate with them our feelings. 

2. How has gift giving changed since your grandparents’ time?
Answer: The things that my grandparents gifted were very less. In their time there were very few choices for gifting. So they used to give people only on very special occasions. Nowadays there are a lot of choices for every type of day. We can easily find gifting ideas on the internet for an occasion.

3. How important is gift giving in a relationship?
Answer: We only give gifts to those people who are special to us. We give them knowing their likes and dislikes so that they never feel disappointed with the gift. A gift makes that person feel closer to us and unique from others. Gifting is important because we can express how much we care for that person.

4. What is more important when it comes to giving a gift, cost, or effort?
Answer: There are people who give expensive items. But in my opinion, the effort a person takes to make or buy a suitable gift for someone is what is important. Everyone in this world cannot afford expensive gifts but can put an effort to buy a good gift.

Famous person
1. Do you think that famous people are generally happier than ordinary people?
Answer: Being famous and being happy are two different things that cannot be connected. There are famous people who are unhappy and there are common people who live happily. The mindset of a person and the satisfaction they get with what they have in life are what make people happy.

2. What qualities does a person need to have in order to be famous?
Answer: It is not an easy task in this world to become famous. People become famous when more people recognize and like the work they did, for example, movie stars. There is a lot of hard work which goes behind being famous which most people don't see. A person has to be consistent, hardworking, and passionate to become famous.

3. Is it easier or more difficult to achieve fame today than in your grandparents’ time?
Answer: It is definitely easier to become famous now. It is because of the rise in the use of social media platforms. In the past, such platforms were not available and people didn't get the opportunity to display their talents which is why it was difficult to become famous these days.

4. Describe the ways that famous people influence the public.
Answer: Famous people can influence the public, especially their fans. That's why businesses use celebrities to reach more people. There are people who closely watch what their celebrities do and follow a similar trend. The dress they wear, the products they use and the things they say have always influenced other people.

Books
1. Do you generally read a lot of books or do you prefer watching TV? Why?
Answer: I prefer reading books as TV programs don't offer any good content nowadays. Every book offers us some new information and a chance to dive into a new world. I mostly find many books interesting and keep me engaged. This is why I prefer reading books to watching TV.

2. What kind of books are considered good reads in your opinion?
Answer: I feel books that give you information or entertainment are good reads. Books should improve the thinking capacity of the readers and have a positive impact on their lives. Else books should be able to entertain the readers with good content like stories or poems.

3. Do you think that people read nowadays as they did in the past?
Answer: People long back had only books or newspapers to read. When the internet was invented, people slowly shifted to reading many things online. These days the younger generation prefers to read using computers and smartphones. There are several reading apps available that store a lot of books so it is easy to carry anywhere.

4. Do you regard famous writers as good role models?
Answer: Writers are better role models than politicians or actors. Writers have contributed a lot of changes to society by expressing their opinions and criticising people. Many writers and their works have become a discussion in society. Writers have inspired people over generations as their works never die.

Animals
1. In what ways are humans different from other animals?
Answer: The main difference between humans and animals is that human beings have a higher thinking capacity than animals. We have the ability to do complex tasks using our brain, speak multiple languages and solve problems. The brains of animals have not developed as much as humans.

2. What are the main roles of animals in your country?
Answer: Animals are used to carry goods for long distances, to guard houses, as pets, and are also consumed as food. Big animals like elephants and buffaloes are used for carrying heavy weights. Dogs and cats are bought as pets. In some parts of the country, animals are also worshipped, and in some places, it is sacrificed.

3. Why is it important to conserve the world’s animal and plant species?
Answer: Wildlife and forests are important for our sustainable living because without them we will not be able to live on Earth. The balance of nature will be lost if the trees and animals disappear. The world not only belongs to us, but to them too so it is important that we provide them the space to live too.

4. Which species are endangered in your country? Why?
Answer: The Asiatic Lion, Bengal Tiger, Snow Leopard, and One-horned Rhinoceros are some of the animals that are endangered in my country. These animals are endangered because people illegally hunt them for greedy reasons. Several organs of these animals are used to make expensive things and sold on the black market.

Food
1. Tell me about the types of food that people eat in your country.
Answer: People in my country eat foods that are rich in carbohydrates like rice and chapati. They are a staple food in many states of the country. Along with rice and chapati, we have different types of veg and non-veg curries. Biryani is also a popular dish in our country and each location has a different variety of biryani.

2. How are the eating habits now in your country different from eating habits in the past?
Answer: People only had homemade food in the recent past until many companies started delivering food to our homes. Even though people used to go out to restaurants to have food, nowadays people have become more reliant on home delivery. 

3. How healthy is your country’s food?
Answer: In our country, most people eat unhealthy food which is high in carbohydrates and fats. People eat foods that are good for the tastebuds but bad for the body. Nowadays with the increase in packaged foods, it has become a convenient choice for people and has directly affected their health.

4. Why do you think different cultures have different table manners?
Answer: People from different cultures eat different kinds of food. So people have to eat in a different manner. People in India eat rice which can be conveniently eaten using a hand. But people in western countries prefer using cutleries to eat instead of using their hands.

Concentration
1. Is it important for kids to concentrate?
Answer: Concentration is important for students to learn. Only if the kid concentrates on what's being taught will the kid be able to understand it. If the kid is unable to concentrate he will have no grasping power or will not grow academically.

2. How can employers make their employees concentrate on their work?
Answer: Employers should first build workplaces in a very work-friendly manner. Only then will the employees be able to concentrate on their work. Employees must be able to customise their workplace for their comfort as it is the place where they sit for work for most of their day. The workplaces must be free of outside distractions and should have a comfortable environment.

3. What kinds of jobs need higher levels of concentration?
Answer: Every job requires concentration. But certain jobs require more concentration than others. Jobs like doctors, nurses, engineers, and mechanics need extra concentration as they are involved in highly complex jobs. Even accountants should concentrate well because they handle money and every penny is important to the company.

4. Why is it hard for some people to concentrate?
Answer: People lose focus easily and are unable to concentrate on what they do. This is because their minds are distracted easily by other thoughts. It can be due to any mental or physical problems they have or something that bothers their everyday life. Improper food and sleep can also make people lose concentration on their work.

Handwriting
1. Is handwriting still important?
Answer: handwriting was important when people had to write a lot for different purposes. It is important that other people understand what we have written. But nowadays we don't see handwritten texts that often. We mostly read printed texts so the importance of handwriting is lost.

2. What are the disadvantages of handwriting?
Answer: Handwriting can be misinterpreted by other people if it is not written in a legible way. Different people have different styles of handwriting so one person can find it difficult to read and understand what the person has written. Also if your hand is injured, it will be difficult to write.

3. Is it possible to improve school students’ handwriting once they have established a style?
Answer: Yes, there are several training sessions that can be given to the students to improve their handwriting. The students can practise writing slowly to make their handwriting better. Once they practice for some days they can write well with a better speed.

4. Is being left-handed the cause of the problem?
Answer: Being left-handed is not a cause of any problem. I have seen some people in my life that are left-handed and have good handwriting. Some people are left-handed because of their genes and it does not lead to any problems.

Friends
1. Generally, are friends or family more important to people your age?
Answer: When I was a small child family was very important as they took care of me and I was very dependent on them. But nowadays I have stopped depending on my parents and need friends to hang out with and spend time with. At this age, I feel friends are really important. It is important to make good friends at my age.

2. How do people in your country usually make friends?
Answer: In my country, people make friends at schools, colleges, and workplaces. The friendships might be while studying together or working together and while asking someone for help. We get to know each other and feel comfortable with the other person and slowly become friends.

3. Who do people tend to speak to about their personal problems?
Answer: Sharing our personal problems makes us feel better about ourselves. It gives us a feeling that there is someone to listen to us and understand us. There will be a lot of things that we want to tell openly and honestly we will feel good about it because it relieves our stress.

4. What do you think of making friends on the internet?
Answer: We can find like-minded people on the internet easily and it is easy to connect with them through messaging. It is debatable whether it is safe or not but I have been able to create a lot of friends on the internet. 

Reading
1. If a movie is based on a book, would you prefer to read the book or to watch the film? Why?
Answer: I would like to read the book first and then watch the movie. Movies are the imagination of the director and the scriptwriter. But when we read the book our imagination works that takes us to a whole new world. I like to have that kind of experience and I feel reading the work of the writer gives the story more impact.

2. How do our reading habits change as we grow up? Why does it happen?
Answer: When we grow up we become mature and start to think about more serious things in life. We become more selective about the things we experience. Small children have kids' books with more pictures and small stories. As adults, we choose novels, philosophies, etc.

3. Do parents read stories to their children in your country?
Answer: In my country parents don't read stories to their children. But I have seen grandparents telling stories to their grandchildren. Grandparents have a lot of stories to tell, especially ghost stories that were prevalent during their childhood times. But parents who read out stories to their children are very rare in my country.

4. How do you think these stories influence children?
Answer: Stories give the children a sense of their culture. Many stories are developed based on local stories which include a lot of culture and traditions. Stories with morals help students to understand good and bad which shapes their character.

Dream job
1. What kind of jobs do young people prefer?
Answer: Young people prefer jobs that allow them the freedom to work from anywhere. Nowadays people like to work from home or in a place where they are comfortable. They also look for jobs that give them a good learning experience and also financial growth. Most of the young people in the world are highly educated and are looking for high-paying white-collar jobs.

2. Some people will lose their jobs because of technology, how to deal with it?
Due to the advancements in technology and science, many jobs have been automated using machines and computers. Many machines have reduced the need for human labour and have improved efficiency and speed. I feel in the future artificial intelligence will take up more jobs that people are doing now.

3. Will you settle down in another country?
Answer: In my opinion, I should stay in my country and work for my country instead of settling in a different country. I have seen many people who wish to work in a different country because they provide a good salary and a better standard of living. But I want to spend my life working for my country.

4. How do young people today decide on their careers?
Answer: Nowadays people look at their career very seriously. They do research on the various options they have based on their qualifications and then decide if it suits their interests and then choose to do that job. Now many youngsters are choosing their careers based mostly on their passion.

Shopping
1. Is shopping a popular activity in your country?
Answer: Yes, people in my country love shopping. Shopping malls and shopping streets are usually busy during weekends. People like to go shopping with their friends and family to spend their free time and holidays. Rather than buying things when they want, going shopping has become a leisure activity.

2. How have shopping habits changed over recent years?
Answer: People's shopping habits have changed drastically over the past several years. People nowadays prefer to shop from online stores rather than going to shops. Online shopping is convenient and a cheaper option. I think the number of people going to shops has reduced. Other than that people see shopping as a fun activity.

3. To what extent do you think advertising affects the way people shop?
Answer: Advertising connects people's emotions to the product which makes them buy the product. It gives us a feeling that things are on sale for huge discounts through many offers. It gives a sense of feeling superior if we buy and use their products. Advertising affects the buying pattern of people.

4. Do you think shopping habits are likely to change in the future?
Answer: Shopping habits have always been changing throughout history. Technology is the main reason behind this change. Through technological advancements, companies have tried to give us a personalised shopping experience

Hobbies
1. What hobbies are common in your culture?
Answer: There are no common hobbies in our culture. Hobbies are developed based on personal interests. I have seen people playing games, reading books, going for walks, and writing poems and stories in their spare time. People get these hobbies because they feel they are good at doing those things.

2. Are there any hobbies that you think are not worthwhile?
Answer: I don't know about any hobbies that are not worthwhile. We have hobbies so that we can do something in our free time. If someone has a hobby that helps them in their free time it is up to them to do it. Someone else’s hobby may seem silly to another person but we cannot tell that it is not worthwhile.

3. Why do people have hobbies?
Answer: Hobbies are fun, and make us spend our free time effectively by doing something that we love. It is also a stress reliever as we do something apart from our daily routine. Hobbies are something that we enjoy doing without having to worry about anything. Hobbies also have helped many people to earn money through a side hustle. 

4. How important is it to encourage children to take up hobbies?
Answer: Hobbies are an excellent method to discover our hidden talents and passion. It helps children to develop new skills in life. It is also a method to learn something new every day. This way children can build confidence and self-esteem and also in the development of their brains.

How to practice for the IELTS Speaking Part 3?

Include these strategies in your IELTS Speaking Part 3 preparation to score a band 9 in this section. 

1. Speak in a general manner

You should answer the IELTS speaking part 3 questions in a general manner. You will be discussing the same topics that you got in part 2 in a general manner by expressing your views on them. You should not speak about your personal interests.

2. Include linking words and phrases

Using linking words and phrases makes your speaking better. You can use them to organise your sentences in a better way. Stop using meaningless words or fillers when you don't get the right words to speak. Instead, learn to use the linking words and phrases while speaking as this will help you score better.

3. Don't give short answers

In speaking part 3 you can speak in-depth about the topic. This gives the examiner the impression that you have the ability to communicate your views well. As the topics are of general interest you don't have to be a subject matter expert to talk about them. The questions asked will be about the everyday affairs that you know about.

4. Speak without grammatical mistakes

Grammar is something you need to practice if you don't speak English frequently. Non-native speakers tend to get the grammar wrong most of the time. So if you feel you are weak at the grammatical part while speaking, improve it with the help of a trainer.

5. Use good vocabulary

The use of good vocabulary, while you speak, is a good indication that you are an expert in the language and can use it well. Learning to use proper words to communicate your ideas will help you improve your speaking part 3 scores.

6. Get more practice

Practice makes your speaking better. Speak out loud and take the help of a second person preferably a trainer and practice with them to improve your speaking skills. This will also improve your confidence to speak while you are sitting in front of an interviewer.

Find more IELTS speaking tips here and improve your preparation strategies for the test. By following these tips you can easily score in the IELTS Speaking Part 3.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 - Detailed discussion

Once you complete the cue card task, the examiner will proceed with the IELTS Speaking Part 3 or the discussion part which is the last section of the speaking test. The examiner or the interviewer will ask a few questions related to the previous task. Most of the questions asked are prepared by them in advance and you can also expect some unscripted questions. 

You will be scored by certain marking criteria like Fluency and coherence, Lexical resource, Pronunciation, Grammatical range, and accuracy in the IELTS Speaking Part 3. These are checked to assess your ability to communicate effectively in English. The band score that you get will be based on your spoken English skills. To improve your overall performance in the IELTS speaking section, check out the resources given below.

Use our IELTS speaking test samples, to practice for the speaking test and to get familiarity with the answering strategies. 

Other IELTS Speaking Resources

IELTS speaking part 1
IELTS speaking part 2
IELTS Speaking Cue Card

IELTS Speaking Part 3 Topics & Questions with Answers PDF

Conclusion

The speaking section is an important part of the test and the IELTS Speaking Part 3 is a section where you can score well if you know the right way to answer it. I hope this article turned out useful for you in your IELTS speaking preparation.

IELTS Speaking Part 3 FAQs

1. How long is the IELTS Speaking Part 3 test?

The IELTS Speaking Part 3 generally lasts 4-5 minutes and you will get a few questions based on the part 2 topic.

2. How should I answer IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions?

Answer the questions generally, and use appropriate linking words, phrases, vocabulary, and correct grammar while speaking.

3. What will I have to talk about in IELTS speaking part 3?

You will have to answer a few questions from the examiner which will be based on the part 2 topic. When asked, you just have to express your opinion on the subject in general.

4. How many questions are there in the IELTS speaking part 3?

The interviewer will ask around 3 to 6 questions which you can complete in less than 5 minutes. Some questions will be scripted and sometimes you may get made-up questions.

5. What is Part 3 in IELTS speaking?

Part 3 is a follow-up to the cue card section of IELTS speaking. It is a two-way discussion involving a certified examiner asking you questions on general topics.

6. What kind of questions are asked in the IELTS speaking part 3 test?

The questions asked in IELTS speaking part 3 can be from general topics like marriage, animals, famous people, music, jobs, etc. The questions asked will be more abstract and less personal.