Home: 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 home 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 prefer to stay at home or go out in your free time?
Honestly, I much prefer staying home to recharge my batteries. After a hectic week, there is nothing quite like curling up on my sofa with a good book and a cup of tea to help me unwind in peace.
Where is your home?
My apartment is situated in a quiet, leafy suburb on the eastern outskirts of the city. It is quite convenient because it is only a short bus ride away from the bustling town centre where I work.
Who do you live with?
I currently share my flat with two close friends from university. We have managed to strike a great balance between socialising in the evenings and respecting each other’s need for personal space when we are busy.
How long have you lived there?
I have been residing in this place for just over three years now. It has truly started to feel like a proper home, especially since we have put so much effort into decorating the living room together.
Can you describe the place where you live?
It is a cosy, two-bedroom apartment that gets a lot of natural light, which I absolutely love. Although it is relatively compact, the open-plan design makes the entire space feel much larger and more airy than it actually is.
What can you tell me about the place you live in?
My neighbourhood is quite a vibrant area with plenty of independent coffee shops and a lovely park nearby. It is a fantastic community to be a part of, as most of my neighbours are incredibly friendly and helpful.
Details are invented. Use the shape, not the sentences: examiners mark memorised answers down.
More home questions to practise
- Do you plan to live there for a long time?
- What's the difference between where you are living now and where you have lived in the past?
- Are you a person who likes to stay at home?
- What do you do when you stay at home?
- Which part of your home do you like the most?
- Do you live in a house or an apartment?
Useful vocabulary
- recharge my batteries
- To rest and regain energy after being tired
- hectic
- Very busy with a lot of fast activity
- leafy
- An area with many trees and green plants
- bustling
- A place that is full of busy activity
- open-plan
- A room design without many walls or partitions
- vibrant
- Full of energy, life, and interesting things
- Provide a direct answer immediately before adding extra details or personal context.
- Use a range of descriptive adjectives to make your answers more vivid and engaging.
Answer out loud and get a band
The AI examiner asks Part 1 questions like these, listens, and scores fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, with the words that cost you.
Practise Part 1 with the AI examinerOn your phone? Get the BandLadder app.