IELTS Speaking Part 1

Deliveries: questions and Band 8 answers

The examiner asks three to five short questions on two or three everyday topics in the first four to five minutes. Here are 5 questions about deliveries written by BandLadder in the examiner's style, each with a Band 8 sample answer. Aim for two or three sentences each: answer, reason, one detail.
  • 5 questions
  • 5 Band 8 answers
  • 4 to 5 minutes

5 answers

Sample answers

1

Do you often have things delivered to your home?

Yes, quite frequently, to be honest. I work long hours during the week, so having parcels sent straight to my doorstep saves me an awful lot of hassle. Just yesterday, for instance, a courier dropped off some coffee beans I had ordered online.

2

What kinds of things do you usually order for delivery?

It tends to be household essentials and clothes mostly. Occasionally, I will order a takeaway meal on a Friday evening if I really cannot be bothered to cook. Last weekend, I actually ordered a pair of running shoes because the local shops did not have my size in stock.

3

Do you prefer getting parcels delivered to your home or picking them up in person?

I definitely prefer home delivery because of the sheer convenience. However, if I know I am going to be out of the flat all day, I will sometimes arrange to collect a package from a local pick-up locker nearby just so it does not get left out in the rain.

4

Have you ever had a problem with a delivery?

Yes, a couple of times. A few months ago, a fragile ceramic mug arrived completely smashed because the driver had thrown the box over the garden gate. Luckily, the seller was very understanding and dispatched a replacement right away without making a fuss.

5

Do you think you will receive more deliveries in the future?

I suppose so, yes. Ordering things online is becoming more efficient every year, with same-day options becoming the standard. As life gets busier, I imagine I will rely on couriers even more for everyday groceries rather than pushing a trolley round a supermarket.

Details are invented. Use the shape, not the sentences: examiners mark memorised answers down.

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7 words

Useful vocabulary

  • saves an awful lot of hassle

    avoids a great deal of trouble or effort

  • household essentials

    basic everyday items needed to run a home

  • cannot be bothered

    feeling unwilling to make the effort to do something

  • pick-up locker

    a secure automated compartment where parcels are collected

  • fragile

    easily broken or damaged

  • dispatched

    sent off to a destination

  • without making a fuss

    smoothly and without unnecessary complaints or complications

  • →Use natural everyday phrasal verbs related to parcels, such as 'drop off', 'pick up', and 'sent back'.
  • →When discussing a delivery issue, briefly explain how it was resolved to demonstrate your storytelling ability.
  • →Make sure to use British vocabulary where appropriate, such as 'parcel', 'flat', 'takeaway', and 'trolley'.

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More Part 1 topics

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