IELTS Speaking Part 1

Dreams: 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. These are the 12 questions about dreams in the BandLadder test bank, with sample answers for the most frequent ones. Aim for two or three sentences each: answer, reason, one detail.

Sample answers

Do you dream much at night?

Actually, I dream quite vividly almost every single night. It feels like my brain is constantly processing information while I sleep, which often results in these elaborate, cinematic storylines that I experience until the alarm goes off.

Do you like your dreams at night?

I have mixed feelings about them. While some are incredibly pleasant and surreal, others can be quite unsettling or stressful, especially if they involve me running late for an important event or losing my belongings.

Do you remember your dream when you wake up?

To be honest, my memory of them fades almost instantly. Unless I jot down the key details in a notebook immediately upon waking, the narrative usually slips away within just a few minutes of starting my morning routine.

Have you told others about your dreams?

Occasionally, I share the stranger ones with my close friends. We sometimes find it amusing to discuss the bizarre logic behind my subconscious thoughts, though I try not to bore them with the more mundane or repetitive nightmares.

Do you like hearing other's dreams?

I find them fascinating, provided they are not too lengthy. There is something intriguing about how differently people perceive reality while they are sleeping, and it often leads to some quite thought-provoking conversations over a cup of coffee.

Do you think dreams can have special meanings?

There might be some truth to that, although I am naturally sceptical. I personally believe they are more of a reflection of our daily anxieties or recent experiences rather than some sort of mystical premonition or hidden message.

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

More dreams questions to practise

Useful vocabulary

vividly
In a way that produces powerful and clear images
surreal
Having the disorienting quality of a strange dream
unsettling
Causing anxiety or a feeling of being disturbed
subconscious
Part of the mind influenced by hidden feelings
thought-provoking
Stimulating careful consideration or new ideas
premonition
A strong feeling that something is about to happen

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