formerly ielts.gg

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Messages and emails

The examiner asks questions like these in Part 1. Answer each one aloud in 2–3 sentences, about 20–30 seconds.

Do you send many messages every day?
Do you prefer to send messages or to call people? [Why?]
Do you write emails often?
Have you ever written a long letter by hand?
Do you think people still need to write by hand?

Practice a full Part 1 set

How to answer Part 1 questions

Answer the question, then add one reason or a short example.
Do not learn answers by heart. Part 1 is about you, and memorised answers sound memorised.
If a question asks why, say why. Short one-word answers cost fluency marks.

Part 1: how long to answer

Part 2 cue cards on the same subject

Describe a story or legend from your culture that you know well

More Part 1 topics: Technology

Getting ready for IELTS?

Get your study plan

Writing topic generator

Write to Task 1 and Task 2 prompts with a timer and a word counter.

IELTS band score calculator

Average your four skill bands, rounded the way IELTS rounds them.

IELTS score converter

Compare an IELTS band with TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE scores and CEFR levels.

University IELTS requirements

Look up the IELTS score a university asks for, with the source.