IELTS Speaking Part 1

Motorbikes: 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 motorbikes 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 know how to ride a motorbike?

No, I've actually never learnt how to ride one. I’ve always stuck to standard pushbikes, to be honest. A couple of my cousins tried to teach me in an empty car park once, but I was far too nervous about losing control of the throttle.

2

Are motorbikes popular in your hometown?

Yes, they're everywhere, especially during rush hour. In my city, the traffic can get dreadfully congested, so plenty of commuters use scooters to weave through the queues. My neighbour actually relies on one every single day just to get to his office on time.

3

Do you prefer riding a motorbike or travelling by car?

I'd definitely choose a car, mostly for comfort and safety. Motorbikes are brilliant for dodging traffic, but if it starts pouring with rain, you get completely soaked. I'd much rather sit in a warm car with the radio on, particularly during the winter months.

4

Have you ever been on a long journey on a motorbike?

Not as a driver, but I once rode pillion with my uncle across the countryside in the north of the country. It was quite exhilarating feeling the wind, though my back was aching terribly after about three hours on the road.

5

Would you consider buying a motorbike in the future?

I don't think so, mainly because the roads around my area are fairly dangerous for two-wheelers. Besides, I do a lot of grocery shopping at the weekends, so a vehicle with a decent boot suits my lifestyle far better than a motorbike ever would.

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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7 words

Useful vocabulary

  • pushbike

    a bicycle powered by pedals rather than an engine

  • throttle

    a device controlling the flow of fuel to an engine

  • congested

    extremely crowded and blocked with traffic

  • weave through

    to move smoothly around obstacles or other vehicles

  • ride pillion

    to travel as a passenger on the back of a motorbike

  • exhilarating

    making one feel very happy, excited, and full of energy

  • boot

    the enclosed luggage compartment at the back of a car

  • →If you do not ride a motorbike, talk about people you know or how they are used locally.
  • →Use transport-related collocations like 'rush hour', 'heavy traffic', or 'ride pillion' to boost your score.
  • →Compare motorbikes with cars or public transport to expand your answers naturally.

Keep practising

More Part 1 topics

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