IELTS Speaking- Clarifying Questions

Checking/ clarifying in IELTS Speaking Part One

Take turns choosing and asking all the questions from one topic below, with follow-up questions if the answers are short. Don’t look below when it’s your turn to answer.

Introduction

• Can I see some ID?
• Could I just check your name?
• Which part is your first name?

 

Friends and family

• How many people are there in your family?
• Did you get on well with your family when you were growing up?
• Would you like to have a large family?

 

Hobbies and free time

• What do you usually do in the evenings?
• How did you spend your free time when you were at secondary school?
• Do you enjoy any sports?

 

Food and drink

• Can you cook?
• What’s your favourite dish?
• What is the most famous dish from your area?

 

Work

• Have you ever had a job?
• Are you working?
• What job would you like to do in the future?

 

Studies

• Are you studying anything at the moment?
• Is it a difficult subject?
• Is there anything you dislike about your studies?

 

IELTS and English

• What do you want to do after you take the IELTS test?
• Did you enjoy English at school?
• How long have you been studying English?

 

Hometown

• Where are you from?
• Where did you grow up?
• Do you often visit your hometown?

 

Ask about questions which you were not sure how to answer, and compare any questions like that you asked during the pairwork speaking.

Do the same asking each other about one topic, but this time (double-)check the meaning of each question before you answer it (even if you totally understand the question). Try to use different checking/ clarifying phrases each time.

Match the questions above to the answers below.

• Apart from English?
• Are you asking me about doing sports, or just watching them?
• Can I check if you mean continuously or in total?
• Can I talk about my summer job, even though I’m not doing it right now?
• Could twice a year be called often? I’m not sure. That’s more average than often, I guess.
• Do you mean my full name or just my first name?
• Does preparing a salad count as cooking? If so, I guess I can.
• Does that include part-time jobs?
• Does that mean where I was born, or where I grew up?
• Does the question mean favourite dish to cook, or to eat?
• I guess you mean weekday evenings, in which case my answer would be that I just watch TV and sleep.
• I suppose you mean given name, even though some people put it last.
• I’m not quite sure what ages you are asking about.
• If by dislike you mean hate, nothing really. I don’t enjoy giving presentations very much, though.
• If you mean straight after graduation, I’d actually like to go travelling for a while before I start work.
• In terms of workload, it’s not that bad. It’s quite difficult to understand, though.
• Including me?
• Is a driving license okay?
• Is that the same as junior high school?
• It depends what you mean by enjoy. It was okay, I guess.
• Should I talk about famous in my country, or famous abroad?
• Should I talk about my parents, or my brothers and sisters?
• You mean straight after? Go for a drink!
• You mean when I’m married, right? Probably not.

Underline the parts of the clarifying sentences above which could be used in many situations.

Compare as a class or with the suggested answers.

Do more and more difficult variations on the checking/ clarifying activity:

• take turns answering the same questions, using the list of phrases to help if you like
• take turns answering three or four questions, with no list of phrases to help
• do the same with other real Speaking Part One exam questions
• do the same with Speaking Part Three exam questions

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Suggested answers

Introduction

Can I see some ID? – Is a driving license okay?

Could I just check your name? – Do you mean my full name (or just my first name)?

Which part is your first name? – I suppose you mean given name (, even though some people put it last).

Friends and family

How many people are there in your family? – Including me?

Did you get on well with your family when you were growing up? – Should I talk about my parents (, or my brothers and sisters)?

Would you like to have a large family? – You mean when I’m married, right? Probably not.

Hobbies and free time

What do you usually do in the evenings? – I guess you mean weekday evenings, in which case my answer would be that I just watch TV and sleep.

How did you spend your free time when you were at secondary school? – Is that the same as junior high school?

Do you enjoy any sports? - Are you asking me about doing sports (, or just watching)?

Food and drink

Can you cook? – Does preparing a salad count as cooking? If so, I guess I can.

What’s your favourite dish? – Does the question mean favourite dish to cook (, or to eat)?

What is the most famous dish from your area? – Should I talk about famous in my country, or famous abroad?

Work

Have you ever had a job? – Does that include part-time jobs?

Are you working? – Can I talk about my summer job (, even though I’m not doing it right now)?

What job would you like to do in the future? – If you mean straight after graduation, I’d actually like to go travelling for a while before I start work.

Studies

Are you studying anything at the moment? – Apart from English?

Is it a difficult subject? – In terms of workload, it’s not that bad. It’s quite difficult to understand, though.

Is there anything you dislike about your studies? – If by dislike you mean hate, nothing really. I don’t enjoy giving presentations very much, though.

IELTS and English

What do you want to do after you take the IELTS test? – You mean straight after? Go for a drink!

Did you enjoy English at school? – It depends what you mean by enjoy. It was okay, I guess.

How long have you been studying English? – Can I check if you mean continuously (or in total)?

Hometown

Where are you from? – Does that mean where I was born (, or where I grew up)?

Where did you grow up? – I’m not quite sure what ages you are asking about.

Do you often visit your hometown? – Could twice a year be called often? I’m not sure. That’s more average than often, I guess.