IELTS - A City
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: What is it like where you live?
Christiane: I live in a residential area of a busy town in the south of Spain … we have
all the facilities you need … good public transport … a good shopping centre … it’s
nice …
Examiner: Do you like living in the city?
Andrea: Yes I do … I like going out with my friends and there are lots of lively bars and
restaurantswithin walking distance of my apartment … I’m a bit of a culture vulture as
well so it’s great to have access to art exhibitions and that kind of thing …
Examiner: Do you get many tourists visiting your area?
Mandy: Not really no … I live in the inner-city and the area is a little run down … it’s
basically a lot of high-rise flats and many of the shops are boarded up … so nothing to
interest tourists really …
Part 2-style task
Describe an interesting town or city in your country that visitors might enjoy. You should
say
what the place is called
where the place is
what the facilities are like
and say why visitors might enjoy going there.
Monique: Anyone who comes to my country really should spend some time in Barcelona
… it’s a beautiful place … it’s not what you would call a sprawling city … it’s quite
compact really and you could walk across the city in a couple of hours … but there’s no
need to do that as we have a fantastic public transport system so it’s easy to get
around … there are various districts all with their own character … you have
the upmarket shops in the centre … you’ll find lots of chain stores you’ll recognise
from your own country but also local brands as well … we have the narrow streets in the
Gothic district with lots of fashionable boutiques and tourist attractions … there’s the
Olympic area and the beaches along the coast … and dotted around the city are some
lovelypublic spaces … parks and squares in the city centre and on the outskirts of
Barcelona where people relax with their friends and family … and of course pavement
cafes everywhere … all that and some great historical places of interest … so a great
destination for tourists …
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: What are the advantages of living in a city or big town?
Carrie: I think it’s having access to local facilities really … local shops as well as access
to largershopping malls in the city centre … and if you’re well-off you can afford to
live in the suburbsaway from the busy traffic …
Examiner: In your experience are city centres usually attractive places?
Mary: Some can be yes … especially those with a historical interest … but sometimes
they’re full of ugly office blocks … multi-story car parks … and residents living
in poor housing … it depends on the city doesn’t it?
Examiner: What are some of the challenges facing towns and cities?
Penny: I suppose traffic congestion is a major problem … and the growth in out-of-
town supermarkets and retail parks mean lots of town centre shops are closing
down … plus a shortage of good quality housing … I think these are the major
challenges …
Definitions
boarded up shops: shops that are no longer doing business
chain stores: well-known brands with shops in multiple cities
to close down: to stop doing business
fashionable boutiques: fashionable clothes shops
to get around: to travel around
high-rise flats: multi-story apartments
inner-city: the central part of a city where people live and where condidions are
often poor
in the suburbs: the outer area of large towns and cities where people live
lively bars/restaurants: bars or restaurants with a good atmosphere
local facilities: local buildings or services serving the public
multi-story car parks: car parks on several floors
office block: a large building that contains offices
out of town shopping centre/retail park: large shopping centres outside of the
town or city
pavement cafe: cafes with tables outside on the pavement
places of interest: buildings that have a particular interest for visitors
poor housing: housing that is not in good condition
public spaces: areas in a town or city that are open to the public
public transport system: public vehicles such as buses and trains that operate at
regular times on fixed routes
residential area: an area where people live
run down: old and of a poor standard
shopping centre: an area consisting of multiple shops
shopping malls: large indoor shopping centres
sprawling city: a city that has grown over time and which covers a wide area
tourist attraction: a place of interest to tourists
traffic congestion: heavy traffic making it difficult to move around a town or city
upmarket shops: expensive fashionable shops
Part 1 style questions
Examiner: What is it like where you live?
Examiner: Do you like living in the city?
Examiner: Do you get many tourists visiting your area?
Part 2 style task
Describe an interesting town or city in your country that visitors
might enjoy. You should say
what the place is called
where the place is
what the facilities are like
and say why visitors might enjoy going there.
Part 3 style questions
Examiner: What are the advantages of living in a city or big town?
Examiner: In your experience are city centres usually attractive
places?
Examiner: What are some of the challenges facing towns and
cities?
What changes would you make to your city? – Give me two
examples and reasons. –
Here is my sample structure
As I said, Vinh is a great place to live. That being said, it’s not
without its faults. I would like to _____ because ______. In
addition I would ______.
