IELTS Speaking Part 1

Petrol stations: 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 petrol stations 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

How often do you visit a petrol station?

I'd say I pop into one about once a fortnight. I don't commute by car every single day, so a full tank usually lasts me a fair while. When the fuel gauge dips near empty, I just head over to the local garage around the corner from my flat.

2

What do you usually do when you go to a petrol station?

Well, obviously, filling up the car is the main priority, but I often nip into the adjoining convenience store as well. I tend to pick up a takeaway coffee or perhaps a quick snack for the road, and I usually check my tyre pressure at the air pump before leaving.

3

Do you prefer self-service petrol stations or having someone serve you?

To be honest, I definitely prefer self-service. It's just so much quicker because you don't have to wait around for an attendant. I quite like paying directly at the pump using a contactless card, which saves having to queue inside the shop altogether.

4

Did you ever go to petrol stations when you were a child?

Yes, fairly often. My parents used to take my siblings and me on long road trips during the summer holidays, and stopping at a motorway service station was always a highlight. We were usually treated to an ice lolly or a comic book to keep us occupied.

5

Do you think petrol stations will look different in the future?

I reckon they'll change quite dramatically, mainly due to the shift towards electric vehicles. Instead of rows of fuel pumps, we'll probably see rapid charging points everywhere, and the shops might expand to offer nicer seating areas where people can relax while waiting for their batteries to charge.

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

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7 words

Useful vocabulary

  • pop into

    visit a place briefly

  • fuel gauge

    an indicator showing the amount of fuel in a vehicle

  • nip into

    go somewhere quickly for a short time

  • tyre pressure

    the amount of air inside a vehicle's tyres

  • queue

    wait in a line of people or vehicles

  • motorway service station

    a rest area beside a major road with shops and fuel

  • rapid charging points

    high-speed power supplies for recharging electric vehicles

  • →If you do not drive, explain your visits as a passenger or as a customer using the convenience shop.
  • →Incorporate specific motoring terms like 'full tank' or 'tyre pressure' to demonstrate natural lexical range.
  • →When asked about the future, mentioning the rise of electric vehicles is an easy way to extend your answer.

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More Part 1 topics

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