IELTS Speaking Part 1

Windows: 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 windows 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 like sitting near a window when you are at home?

Yes, definitely. I love having plenty of natural daylight while I'm reading or working on my laptop. In my flat, I've actually set up my study desk right next to the living room window, which overlooks a quiet leafy street.

2

What can you see from the window of your room?

Well, to be honest, it's mostly just a view of the neighbouring block of flats and a small communal garden down below. There's also a lovely mature oak tree, so I often spot birds hopping around the branches in the morning.

3

How often do you open the windows in your home?

Pretty much every day, to let some fresh air circulate through the rooms. Even during the winter, I'll crack open the bedroom window for ten minutes in the morning so the air doesn't feel too stuffy, especially after cooking.

4

Did you have a good view from your bedroom window when you were a child?

I did, actually. My childhood bedroom was on the top floor of our family house, and it looked straight out onto a local park. I used to spend hours daydreaming and watching people walk their dogs on the grass.

5

Would you prefer to live in a house with very large windows?

Absolutely, I'd love floor-to-ceiling windows. I think they make any space feel far more open and bright. The only drawback would probably be cleaning them, but the panoramic view of the city would definitely be worth the effort.

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

Answer out loud and get a band

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8 words

Useful vocabulary

  • natural daylight

    light from the sun during the day

  • leafy

    having lots of trees and green plants

  • communal garden

    a shared green space for residents

  • circulate

    to move freely around an area

  • crack open

    to open something just a tiny amount

  • stuffy

    lacking fresh air or proper ventilation

  • floor-to-ceiling

    extending all the way from floor to ceiling

  • panoramic view

    a wide, unobstructed view of an area

  • →Use descriptive adjectives when talking about views instead of just saying something looks nice.
  • →Connect the topic to your everyday routine, such as airing out your bedroom or working in natural light.
  • →Mention specific outdoor features like trees, parks, or buildings to build natural detail in your answers.

Keep practising

More Part 1 topics

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