IELTS Speaking Part 1

Medication: 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 medication 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 take medication?

Not really, to be honest. I try to avoid taking pills unless it is absolutely necessary, like if I have a severe migraine. Most of the time, I just drink plenty of water and try to rest rather than reaching straight for painkillers.

2

What do you usually do when you catch a cold?

Whenever I come down with a cold, I usually stick to hot honey and lemon tea rather than buying pharmaceutical products. If my nose is really blocked, I might use a nasal spray to help me sleep, but that is about it.

3

Did your parents give you medicine when you were a child?

Yes, definitely. Whenever I had a fever, my mum would give me a sweet-flavoured paracetamol syrup. I actually remember quite liking the taste, so I didn't make much of a fuss about taking it whenever I felt under the weather.

4

Do you prefer modern medicine or traditional home remedies?

I suppose it depends on the illness. For everyday aches, I lean towards natural remedies like herbal teas. However, if it is something serious like a chest infection, I would definitely rely on prescription antibiotics from a doctor to sort it out.

5

Do you think people take more medicine nowadays than in the past?

I reckon they do, mainly because over-the-counter drugs are so accessible now. People lead busy lives, so instead of taking time off work to recover naturally, they tend to pop a pill to mask the symptoms quickly and keep going.

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

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7 words

Useful vocabulary

  • severe migraine

    an extremely painful, recurring headache

  • come down with

    to begin to suffer from a minor illness

  • under the weather

    feeling slightly unwell or tired

  • home remedies

    traditional natural treatments prepared at home

  • prescription antibiotics

    drugs authorised by a doctor to treat bacterial infections

  • over-the-counter

    medicines bought directly without a doctor's prescription

  • pop a pill

    an informal phrase meaning to swallow a tablet quickly

  • →Avoid sounding like a medical textbook by focusing on your personal habits and routines.
  • →Use everyday health collocations and idioms naturally, such as 'under the weather' or 'come down with'.
  • →Show contrast when talking about treatments for minor ailments versus serious health conditions.

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More Part 1 topics

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