7 Common
Question types
1.
OPINION – What do
you think about ‘this’? Remember to say why you think that way and give
examples.
Some
variations of “I think”
|
Neutral
opinions |
Strong
opinions |
Weaker
opinions |
Idiomatic
phrases |
|
If
you ask me, As
I see it, I’d
say In
my view, |
I’m
sure I’m
convinced I’m
certain I’m
sure |
I
guess I
suppose I
imagine I
reckon It
might/may/could |
Off
the top of my head, I’d say… It’s
hard to say but… It
goes without saying that… |
Add
your own example phrases in the table. Your aim is to use as many different
opinion words as you can.
Try
answering the following sample questions:
·
Why do you think different cultures have different table manners?
·
What is your opinion on the way languages are taught in schools?
·
To what extent do you think advertising affects the way people
shop?
2.
EVALUATE – What do
you think about someone else’s opinion?
VOCABULARY BUILD UP
|
Agreeing |
Neither
agree nor disagree |
Disagreeing |
|
I
agree with the idea that… I’m
in favour of… I
support the fact that… I
completely agree with you… I
couldn’t agree more… That’s
so true/That’s for sure. No
doubt about it. |
It
depends on the situation/country/person. I
partially agree… To
a certain extent, no. This
is partly true, but… |
I
disagree with the idea that… I’m
against the idea… I
don’t support the fact that… I
will have to disagree with that I’m afraid because… I
feel the exact opposite way… I
beg to differ. That’s
not always true. I
don’t think so. |
Add
your own example phrases in the table.
Try
answering the following sample question:
·
Some people say that people helped others more in the past than
they do now. Do you agree or disagree?
3.
FUTURE – What do
you think will happen in the future?
GRAMMAR: Useful structures for discussing the future
a.
Will – used when
we want to talk about future events that we believe are certain. It is followed
by a verb, or the infinitive.
For
example:
There will be a lot of
changes in our education system in the near future because of the changing
demands in jobs and there will be
greater competition.
b.
Modal verbs
(may/might/could)
If you are
100% certain of what you are saying, you can add the word “definitely/surely/certainly” to emphasize your certainty. On the
other hand, if you are less certain of what you’re saying because of lack of
evidence, we use the words ‘maybe/perhaps/possibly/probably/likely.’
For example:
There will definitely be
a lot of changes in our education system in the near future because of the
changing demands in jobs and there will
be greater competition.
There will probably be a
lot of changes in our education system in the near future because of the
changing demands in jobs and there will
be greater competition.
c.
Going to – this is
generally used to talk about a plan we have but in the IELTS, we use it when
we’re making a prediction based on evidences that are often in front of us. It
is also followed be a verb, or the infinitive.
For
example:
Smartphones
are slowly replacing desktop and laptop computers as the main medium to connect
to the internet to gather information as they are smaller and are handy (the evidence that we see).
From what I see, there is going to be
a dramatic change in our education system as online education will be the trend
in the coming years.
d.
Present
continuous tense – can be used less commonly. This tense is used when we want to
talk about what has been arranged for the future.
For
example:
The Olympic Games are being
held in Japan in 2020.
VOCABULARY BUILD UP (Collocations)
Write your own example sentence on the space provided. You can
answer any of the questions provided below the table.
|
Expressions |
Example
sentence |
|
The near future |
This
is unlikely to happen any time in the
near future. Example: |
|
The immediate future |
The
immediate future looks promising. Example: |
|
The long-term future |
Teachers
need to look to the long-term future
in order to provide quality education to their future students. Example: |
|
The foreseeable future |
The
print media may disappear in the
foreseeable future. Example: |
|
A bright future |
It
is certain that if students study hard in the IELTS, they can have a bright future. Example: |
|
An uncertain future |
Many
traditional industries have a very uncertain
future in the age of computer technology. Example: |
Try
answering the following sample questions:
·
Do you think problems with cleanliness of water will improve in the
future?
·
What types of leisure activities may become more popular in the
future?
·
Do you think habits are likely to change in the future?
4.
CAUSE AND
EFFECT – What caused ‘this’ and/or what effects has ‘it’ had?
VOCABULARY and GRAMMAR BUILD UP
Useful Variations (Because)
|
Because of + noun |
The economy is in recession because
of the failure of the banks. |
|
As a result + verb |
Demand in the labour market has fallen and as a result, unemployment has risen. |
|
As a result of + noun |
Unemployment has risen as a
(direct) result of a fall in demand in the labour market. |
|
As a consequence + verb |
More and more roads are being built and as a consequence, air pollution is rising. |
|
As a consequence of + noun |
International cooperation has improved
as a consequence of globalization. |
|
Thanks to (positive situations) |
Literacy rates have improved thanks
to better primary education. |
|
Due to (negative situations) |
Many commentators believe that the increase in crime is due to rising poverty levels. |
|
Caused |
Violence in films has probably caused crime to rise. |
|
Lead to |
Intensive farming has led
to many smallholders becoming unemployed. |
|
Result in |
Poor diet and lack of exercise has resulted in a generation who will die younger than their
parents. |
Try
answering the following sample questions:
How
does advertising influence what people choose to buy?
·
How can the type of school you go to affect career success?
·
What effects can watching television have on children?
5.
HYPOTHETICAL– talk about
imaginary or unreal situations. These questions ask about any ‘unreal’
situation which are ‘unlikely’ or ‘impossible’ to happen.
GRAMMAR: If + (subject 1) + past participle, then (subject 2) +
would + verb
For
example:
If I could choose to live in any country, I would probably choose Canada. Most people dislike the cold weather there but not me. I
love to go snowboarding and skiing and have got used to extreme cold
temperatures.
Try
answering the following sample questions:
·
If you could choose any country to live in, where would you choose?
·
If you could win a million dollars, how would you use it?
6.
COMPARE AND
CONTRAST – talk about the difference and/or similarities between two
things. Using comparatives is a good way of answering questions about changes. When talking about how things are different
now, the present perfect is often
used as well as the present simple.
GRAMMAR
Here are the basics of how they are formed:
|
|
Example
word |
Comparative |
Example
sentence |
|
Words with
one syllable |
big |
bigger |
We
have a bigger chance to get a
high-paying job when we finish our studies in a university. |
|
Words with
three syllables or more |
productive |
More productive Less productive |
The
Philippines has proved to be more productive in agriculture than other
Southeast Asian nations. |
|
Words
ending in -y |
healthy |
healthier |
Most
people believe that it is healthier to eat organic food than genetically
modified food. |
|
Short words
ending with a consonant/vowel |
hot |
hotter |
The
summer season has become considerably hotter than before. |
|
Irregular |
bad |
worse |
My
decision to move out of my hometown was worse than my decision to change
jobs. |
VOCABULARY BUILD UP (Transitions and Subordinating Conjunctions)
Look
at the examples and then try to make your own.
|
Expression |
Example Sentence |
Your
example |
|
However |
The
Middle East produces high levels of oil; however, Japan produces none. |
|
|
In contrast |
The
USA produces large amounts of natural gas. In contrast, South Korea produces
none. |
|
|
On the
other hand |
European
countries make great use of solar power. On the other hand, most Asian
countries use this method of power generation very little. |
|
|
Whereas/while |
The Middle East produces high levels of oil, whereas/while Japan produces none. |
|
|
Although |
Although
the Middle East produced 100 tons of oil, Japan produced none. |
|
Try
answering the following sample questions:
·
Do you think primary school children should learn a second language
or should they wait until secondary school?
·
How are the eating habits now in your country different from eating
habits in the past?
·
Do you think state or private television is better?
7.
PAST – how were
things different in the past and how they changed?
GRAMMAR (Useful structures)
a.
Simple Past
tense – used to talk about things you did in the past that you no longer do
or are no longer true.
For example:
In the past, teachers simply lectured
students using textbooks and the students just listened to what they said.
b.
Present
Perfect continuous – used to talk about something that started in the past and continues
up until the present. Pattern: (has/have
+ been + past participle).
For example:
The Philippine Government has
been focused on financing small business enterprises to help boost our
country’s economic status.
c.
Used to - One way of
describing how things have changed is to use “used to”. This is to refer to facts or situations that were true
in the past but are not true now.
For
example:
In
our country, we used to go to supermarkets, convenience stores and street shops
to but the bare necessities.
d.
Would +
infinitive – to describe past habits.
For example:
When
I was a college student, I would walk
to and from my university everyday just to save enough money for necessities.
Try
answering the following sample questions:
How
has teaching changed in your country over the past few decades?
·
How have shopping habits changed over recent years?
·
What kinds of improvement have there been in transport in your
country in recent years?
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