IELTS Speaking test sample answer: Accommodation and House

On IELTS Speaking tests, questions on Housing and Accommodation are very common to find. Here are some of those questions and answers. These are not exactly 9 bands answers but they will definitely help you to realise how to answer questions on IELTS Speaking test. So, let’s begin.

IELTS Speaking Part 1

Accommodation

Let’s talk about accommodation. 

Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in?

I reside in a penthouse near the airport. It is quite comfortable and roomy to live in. The penthouse comes with a terrace to enjoy refreshing walk. Also, as it is on the top floor of the building, it gets quite a lot of cross ventilation.

Does the place you live in have many amenities?

Yes, we get many amenities. There is a gym and a pool for physical exercise. We also get a big terrace that we can modify for any purposes. For example, we can build a garden on top of the terrace.

Is there anything you would like to change about the place you live in?

If I was to change anything about my house, it would be planting more trees in the vicinity to make the place more ecofriendly. I would also make the switch to solar power instead of traditional power source of the house. 

Do you plan to live there for a long time?

Considering the fact that my place has a lot of amenities as well as spacious rooms, I plan to live here for a long time. The fact that there is a small garden on the terrace to make it more relaxing has made me unwilling to move out of my current house.

Home

Who do you live with?

I live with my parents. My maternal grandparents come over occasionally, but that’s it.

What is your favourite room in your home?

My favourite room in my house would be my own. I had it custom-designed to suit my needs. I planned the colour theme well so that it matches my personality as well as the decor of the place.

How is your home decorated?

When decorating the house, we decided to go with modern but simple theme. The walls are painted white and we have false ceilings with beautiful flowers cutout on it.

Do you like visitors coming to your home?

I love guests coming to our home. It is always fun and entertaining to have them. We often prepare snacks made from ingredients that we grew in our garden for them.

Do you live in a house or a flat?

I live in a house on the topmost floor. It has two levels, one being the living areas and the other being a garden. It is quite spacious and comfortable to live in. 

Is it a big place?

Yes, the house was built to be very spacious. The rooms are made large so that there would be space for storage as well as anything you could use them for.

How long have you lived there?

We shifted to the current place five years ago because I got admission in a local college. After I graduated, I fell in love with the city and decided to remain here permanently.

What do you like about living there?

I love the people. They are some of the most amazing people to be around. They treat you kindly and are always helpful whenever you ask them for advice. I also love the slow pace of life here.

Is there a garden in the place you live in?

Originally, there was none. However, we built one on the terrace because we wanted to grow our food as well as to take calming walks in the evening with the cool wind blowing in our places. 

IELTS Speaking Part 2

Cue Card 1 on Home

I recently visited my cousin’s house in Shrinagar. It is owned by my cousin’s mother who has been living in it for over forty years and got ownership of it as it was a family heirloom. I initially visited this house because I wanted to have a landscape and a portrait photography shoot, and the location was perfect for this job. It is a very old property – approximately two hundred and fifty years old. It is five stories tall and is large.

 I loved living in the house as it represents what a traditional Kashmiri household looked. The house is decorated by mixing traditional Kashmiri designs with a modern style. As a result, this vintage building looks beautiful. 

If I were to make some alterations to the house, I would increase the garden area as well as paint the house golden brown so that the exterior also looks traditional. I would also use wood to decorate the house’s exterior to reflect more on the traditional house construction methods.

Cue Card 2 on household appliances

Out of all the precious household appliances that I own, the one that is the most useful is my Personal Computer. It is a compact design and is powerful for its size. Since I am not a Computer Engineer, I cannot explain how it works properly as it involves terms that I am not familiar with. 

However, I cannot imagine life without it currently as we are in the middle of a global pandemic. Its purpose has been valuable to me. It is used mainly for my work, as well as picture and video editing for my office work. Additionally, it can be a good distraction if I ever feel frustrated and cooped up inside the house. Being powerful, I can even play games on it, should I ever get bored of watching TV.

This computer is important to me as I built it back when I was first interested in computer technology. It is a custom built, meaning that I bought the hardware and assembled it on my own. It is also connected to other household appliances as the exercise machine, the fridge as well as the tv. 

IELTS Speaking Part 3

House-work

Do you do housework at home?

Yes. I usually do housework all by myself. Sometimes, my parents help me with cleaning or cooking. Still, I prefer cooking overall as it allows me to experiment with a lot with recipes, and it also helps in being independent. 

What kind of housework do you often do?

I usually do all the work in the house, but I prefer to cook as it helps me to learn how to improvise as well as experiment with new recipes daily. Another thing that I prefer to do is cleaning. I get a feeling of independence whenever I clean something. Additionally, I often find things that I thought that I lost while cleaning.

Did you do housework when you were a child?

Regrettably, no. I did not do any housework then. The truth is that I was often busy with schoolwork and thus did not find the time for any work in house. As a result, I used to underestimate its importance. However, I realised how vital it is and therefore, learnt to do household work fairly quickly.

Do you think that children should do housework?

In my opinion, children should learn to do household work. It teaches them to be independent of their parents. It also keeps the place clean and ordered. 

Machines in the house

What kinds of machines are used for housework in modern homes in your country?

Well, most people in our country are technology savy and hence are adapting to modern equipment quickly. Most of the houses have TVs, washing machines and vacuum cleaners. However, many families are buying many modern appliances too. For example, I have automated floor cleaners as well as kitchen appliances that cut down the time it takes to do household tasks. 

How have these machines benefited people? Are there any negative effects of using them?

I believe that these machines are a blessing. They help to cut down on time. For example, I no longer have to clean the floors manually. I simply press a button, and my automated floor cleaner does it all for me. The only negative effect I can think of is that more automated appliances lead to laziness.

Do you think all new homes will be equipped with household machines in the future? Why?

I believe that more and more new homes will have household machines in the future. The reasoning behind this is simple. Generally, people wish to focus on their careers and cut down on other activities. As a result, they wish to minimise time spent in housework. So, it is very natural that people would modernise their homes with machinery

IELTS Speaking Part 1 – Apartments & Houses vocabularies

• reside/currently living
• located/situated in
• inner city/central location
• suburbs/outskirts
• rent<>own
• born and raised there/resided/lived there since I was
• two-bedroom multi-storied house/single-storey house
• two-bedroom apartment complex/high-rise apartment
• back garden/yard
• balcony/veranda
• nicely/simply decorated
• nice/simple décor
• ostentatious<>modest
• homely (comfortable)/cozy
• spacious<>cramped
• all the mod cons (modern appliances)
• redecorated/renovated
• run down/in disrepair
• cold and draughty (cold air from outside)
• vicinity/nearby

Additional Vocabulary

• isolated rural community
• detached house
• town-house
• condominium
• cottage
• single-story house
• old fashioned/tradition house
• unique design/architectural style
• garden/yard/vegetable garden
• sitting/living room
• en suite
• garage
• furnished-unfurnished

Apartments: Positives & Negatives

• noisy – hear neighbours
• limited space/cramped
• cut off from neighbours – less social
• can’t make any structural changes
• well-constructed
• modern
• all the mod cons (modern appliances)
• good security
• spacious/enormous
• central
• good facilities (swimming pool/tennis
  courts)
• panoramic views
• not cold and draughty like some old houses
• not susceptible to power-cuts like houses