IELTS Speaking Part 1

Keyboards: 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 keyboards 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 use a computer keyboard often?

Yes, pretty much every single day. Because my job involves writing reports and answering dozens of emails, I spend hours sitting at my desk typing away. I've actually got an ergonomic one at home which makes a huge difference to my wrists during long working sessions.

2

Do you prefer typing on a physical keyboard or a touchscreen?

Definitely a physical one. I find touchscreens a bit fiddly, especially when I need to draft longer messages, whereas real keys give you proper tactile feedback. If I'm working on my tablet on the train, I always plug in a portable wireless keyboard.

3

Did you learn to type when you were a child?

I did, actually. We had basic computing lessons at primary school where we played typing games to build speed. At the time, I thought it was just a bit of fun, but it turned out to be an essential skill that really paid off later on.

4

Is it easy for you to type quickly without looking?

To be honest, I'm quite good at touch-typing now. I don't need to look down at the keys for ordinary text, though I occasionally slip up when I'm typing complicated passwords or numbers. It just takes muscle memory from years of daily practice.

5

Do you think people will still use keyboards in the future?

I suppose so, at least for the foreseeable future. Voice recognition is getting much better, but typing is still far more practical in a noisy office or when you need privacy. I think traditional keyboards might evolve, but they won't disappear completely.

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

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.

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8 words

Useful vocabulary

  • ergonomic

    designed to be comfortable and avoid strain

  • fiddly

    awkward to handle or use

  • tactile feedback

    physical sensation felt when pressing a key

  • paid off

    produced a positive or useful result

  • touch-typing

    typing without looking at the keys

  • slip up

    to make a small, careless mistake

  • muscle memory

    automatic physical movement learned through repetition

  • foreseeable future

    as far ahead as can be reasonably predicted

  • →Distinguish clearly between physical computer keyboards and touchscreen typing on mobile devices.
  • →Use natural collocations related to typing, like 'touch-typing', 'tactile feedback', or 'muscle memory'.
  • →Keep your answers conversational by sharing brief personal habits rather than technical specifications.

Keep practising

More Part 1 topics

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