Walking: 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 walking 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 like walking?
I absolutely love it. It is my favourite way to clear my head after a long day at the office. There is something incredibly therapeutic about strolling through my local park and listening to a podcast while getting some fresh air and exercise.
Do you like to walk on your own or with others?
Honestly, I prefer walking solo most of the time. It gives me a rare opportunity for some solitude and reflection, which I find difficult to achieve when I am chatting with a companion. Occasionally, though, it is nice to go for a brisk hike with a close friend.
Would you say that your city is a good place for walking?
Unfortunately, my city is not particularly pedestrian-friendly. While the historic centre is beautiful and walkable, the outer suburbs are dominated by heavy traffic and narrow pavements, making it quite hazardous to navigate on foot during the busy rush hour periods.
Do people in your country walk a lot?
Not as much as they used to, I am afraid. Modern lifestyles have become increasingly sedentary, and most people rely heavily on private cars or public transport for even the shortest journeys, which has led to a noticeable decline in daily physical activity levels.
How much walking do you do in your daily life?
I try to clock up at least ten thousand steps every single day. I make a conscious effort to walk to the nearest underground station instead of taking the bus, and I usually take a brisk walk during my lunch break to stay energised.
Do you think walking is important?
It is undeniably vital for maintaining physical and mental well-being. Regular walking is a low-impact exercise that helps manage stress and keeps your cardiovascular system in good shape without requiring a gym membership or any expensive equipment at all.
Details are invented. Use the shape, not the sentences: examiners mark memorised answers down.
More walking questions to practise
- What could be done to improve the experience of walking in cities?
- Did you walk more when you were at school than now?
- What places are there to go for a walk near where you live?
- Do you think walking in the countryside is better than walking in the city?
- Would you ever like to go on a walking holiday?
- Do you think you will keep walking as a part of your routine in the future?
Useful vocabulary
- therapeutic
- having a healing or relaxing effect on the mind
- solitude
- the state of being alone and enjoying the silence
- pedestrian-friendly
- designed to be safe and convenient for people walking
- sedentary
- tending to spend much time seated and inactive
- clock up
- to reach a certain amount or number of something
- low-impact
- putting little stress or strain on the body joints
- Use specific details to make your answers sound more personal and interesting to the examiner.
- Vary your sentence structure and vocabulary to demonstrate a higher level of language proficiency.
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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