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IELTS Speaking Part 1: Water and the sea

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

  1. Do you live near water, such as a river, lake or sea?
  2. Do you enjoy spending time near water?
  3. Can you swim?
  4. Have you ever been on a boat?
  5. Why do you think many people like to live near the sea?
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

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