View entire study abroad journey

Most popular IELTS Speaking Part 3 topics (Part 1)

Topics covered

Published: 23 February 2024

The topics in part 3 Speaking are very diverse, divided into different groups such as media (advertising, media and news), human life (cellphone, meeting people, gender roles, punctuality, busy time, daily routine), scenery (river and lake, street market),... Let's explore more about the common question types based on the most popular topics in part 3 IELTS Speaking.

IELTS Speaking test Part 2 and Part 3 are closely related to each other. Specifically, Part 3 requires candidates to discuss in more detail the topic mentioned in Part 2. Therefore, in addition to referring to Part 3 questions, you should also link with Part 2 questions to get a more comprehensive view.

1. Advertising

Advertising is a popular topic in IELTS Speaking. For this topic, in Part 2, you may encounter the question “Describe an advertisement you saw recently”. The ideas you need to have in order to answer this question include:

What the product was?
Where you saw it
How the product was advertised
How you felt about it

Next, in Part 3, the examiner may add the following questions:

Do you think advertising will change in the future?
What are the differences in advertising now in relation to the past?
Some people think that children should not see the advert. What is your opinion?

For these questions, you should answer directly to the point, using complex sentence structures and uncommon vocabulary to impress the examiner. In addition, you can improve your vocabulary and expressions on this topic on websites related to advertising and marketing.

Some common vocabulary

Từ vựng	Từ loại	Nghĩa
Billboard	Danh từ	Bảng quảng cáo
Flyer	Danh từ	Tờ quảng cáo
Brand awareness	Danh từ	Nhận thức thương hiệu
Celebrity	Danh từ	Người nổi tiếng
Endorsement	Danh từ	Sự tán thành
Marketing	Danh từ	Tiếp thị
Commercial	Tính từ	Có tính thương mai

2. River and lake

This is also one of the common IELTS Speaking Part 3 topics. Questions on this topic revolve around describing the location, size and influence of rivers/lakes on life. To do well on this topic, candidates can refer to geography channels such as National Geographic or read travel articles.

In Part 2, you may encounter the question: “Describe an important river/lake in your country”, you need to develop your speech according to the following ideas:

What it is called
The place the river/lake is located
The width or length of this river/lake
How it looks like
Why it is important

Sau đó, bạn sẽ tiếp tục đến với Part 3 với những câu hỏi đi sâu vào lòng vấn đề.

How can the lakes benefit residents/ tourism?
Do you think rivers/lakes attract tourists?
Do you think rivers/lakes are good for transport?

3. Cellphone

Mobile phones are not unfamiliar to most IELTS candidates, but talking about this item in the IELTS Speaking test is not a simple matter. To do well, you need to practice your reflexes through the following frequently asked questions:

In Part 2, you will often encounter the question: “Describe a time when you used a mobile phone to do something important”. Similar to the previous parts, your speech should have the following structure:

When it was
What you did
Why it was important
How you felt

Next are the questions for Part 3:

How many times a day do you look at your cell phone?
How often do you use your cell phone?
What do you usually use your mobile phone for?
Which app do you use most on your smartphone?
Do people in your family/class/company/country use cell phones a lot?
What are the advantages of mobile phones these days?
Do the young and the old have the same phone usage?

Useful vocabulary/collocations/idioms

Từ vựng
Smartphone
Landline
Low on battery
Wireless
Wireless
Handheld device
Cellular network
Touch screen
A quick/slow charge time
A handy device
A weak/strong signal
Charge up
Drop me a line
Keep me posted
Play phone tag

4. Meeting people

Meeting people is a popular topic for IELTS Speaking examiners. For this topic, you can familiarize yourself with the interpretation through TV series such as Friends, How I met your mother, as well as watching dialogues on Youtube. Below are some suggested questions for IELTS candidates.

Where are your favorite places to meet with your friends or other people?
Are you nervous about meeting new people?
What are some ways to overcome being nervous about meeting new people?
Do you enjoy meeting new people?
Is it easy for you to meet new people?
Do you often meet new people?
Do you usually be an “icebreaker” in the first meeting with someone?
What do you like to talk about with new people?
What are some good things to ask someone you just met or what are some bad things that you shouldn’t ask people you just met?
Which one do you prefer, talk or listen to?
What things will impress you on the first meeting?
Do you care about people’s thoughts about you?
Where do you find new people?

Similar to the topics above, you need to answer the question directly before expressing ideas to support your answer.

Common vocabulary

Từ vựng	Từ loại	Nghĩa
Throw a party	Idiom	Tổ chức tiệc
Chip in	Phrasal verb	Tham gia vào cuộc trò chuyện
Hang out	Phrasal verb	Dành thời gian cho một địa điểm nào đó
Casual occasion	Collocation	Dịp thường gặp

5. Media and News

The topic of Media and News is a hot topic and there are many issues to discuss, especially in the era of technology and information explosion like today. The probability of encountering this topic is very high, so candidates should pay attention to this topic. To make it easier to deal with this topic, you should spend time reading English newspapers, watching and listening to news reports. This will help you expand your specialized vocabulary as well as have more ideas to complete the exam.

How has social media changed the way people get and share information?
What are the most popular ways people get their news in your country?
What are the benefits and harms of spreading information on the Internet?
What do you think about the speed of sharing news nowadays?
Do you completely believe in the news in online newspapers?

Từ vựng hữu ích

Từ vựng
Get news
Channel
Print
Social media
Social platform
Mislead the public
The national newscast

6. Punctuality

Punctuality is a very important topic for many people in most English-speaking countries, especially the UK - the home of the IELTS test. Therefore, the probability of punctuality, a part of British culture, being included in the test is very high. In this part of the test, candidates should express themselves concisely, using appropriate vocabulary.

Do you think it is important to be on time for an individual?
Can you describe yourself as a punctual person?
How do you feel when people keep you waiting for long hours?
Do you feel sorry if you are late?
How do you remind yourself to be on time?
What are the popular reasons that make people late?
What are the impacts of being late?
Are you often late?
Does your country have punctual culture?

Common vocabulary

Từ vựng
All set
Meet about
A bit of a squeeze
On time
Run late
On the dot
Prompt
Timely
High time
At the eleventh hour

7. Gender roles

Gender is a topical topic in today's society, and it has many aspects that can be exploited in the IELTS test. Here are some questions that you should practice while studying for the IELTS test.

Do you think that women should be able to do the same sorts of jobs that men do?
Should more women be encouraged to work in male-dominated fields such as science and technology?
What is the difference between gender equity, gender equality, and women's empowerment?
Is it possible for women to join the army in your country?
What are the responsibilities of a father/mother in a family?
What habits are deemed appropriate for men but inappropriate for women?
Are more doctors/technology engineers female or male in your country?
Do professional women soccer athletes in your country make the same as male soccer athletes? What is your opinion about this?
What jobs do men/women do and women/men not do in your country?
Do you think men and women have equal abilities and intelligence?
Do men and women in your country access the same educational opportunities/the same incomes?
Do you think it is wrong to discriminate against students because of their gender?

Common vocabulary:

Từ vựng	Từ loại	Nghĩa
Glass ceiling	Collocation	Rào cản vô hình
Gender fluid	Collocation	Linh hoạt giới
Equal opportunities	Collocation	Cơ hội bình đẳng
Social bias	Collocation	Định kiến xã hội
Feminine character	Collocation	Tính nữ
Domestic violence	Collocation	Bạo lực gia đình
Equality	Danh từ	Bình đẳng
Discrimination	Danh từ	Sự phân biệt đối xử
Male - dominated/ female-dominated	Tính từ	Môi trường hầu hết là đàn ông/đàn bà
Stereotype	Danh từ	Sự rập khuôn
Breadwinner	Danh từ	Người trụ cột trong gia đình
The weaker sex	Collocation	Phái yếu
Child-bearing	Danh từ	Quá trình sinh nở
Sentimental	Tính từ	Đa cảm
Single-mother families	Collocation	Mẹ đơn thân
Ambitious	Tính từ	Có nhiều tham vọng

8. Busy time

With the pace of modern society, time management and organization are essential. Therefore, this topic will also be an issue that the judges want to discuss.

Common vocabulary

Từ vựng
Management
Leisure
Routine
Hobby
Workaholic
Extracurricular activities
Mediation
Overload/overwhelmed
Binge - watching

9. Daily routine

The topic “daily habits” is a simple topic, but not everyone is capable of expressing it fluently to meet the criteria of an IELTS Speaking test, especially Part 3. Therefore, the questions below will help you get acquainted with this topic better.

Common vocabulary

Từ vựng
On a regular basis
Keep an open mind
Prioritize
Productive
Effective
Accomplish

10. Street market

The topic of “street markets” is an interesting point in any country, and it is also a topic with many aspects to discuss. In this part, you should equip yourself with vocabulary about goods, festivals, items, prices and shopping habits to make your speech flexible and not go off topic.

Common vocabulary

Từ vựng	Từ loại	Nghĩa
Produce	Động từ	Sản xuất
Perishing	Tính từ	Rét buốt
Economic status	Collocation	Tình trạng kinh tế
Under one roof	Idiom	Dưới một mái nhà
The good fabrics that last longer	Idiom	Bền bỉ

Above are the top 10 common topics in IELTS Speaking Part 3 along with frequently asked questions. To get good results in Part 3, in addition to collecting topics, you also need to spend time practicing speaking in front of a mirror or with a partner to quickly improve your reflexes.

Book your IELTS test

Watch the story of lifelong dreams, passion and determination that truly reflects the journey of our IELTS test takers. IELTS is the breakthrough to a world of full of incredible.

Book now