IELTS
SPEAKING CLASS
C O L L I N S G E T R E A DY F O R F O R I E LT S
SPEAKING
U N I T 4 H O M ET O W N
DESCRIBING PLACES IN CITIES
How would you
describe your
hometown?
VOCABULARY
1. A place which has an attractive scenery. q Suburb
2. An economic activity concerned with processing raw
materials and manufacturing good in factories.
q Vibrant/lively
3. A large city especially the main city of a country or region. q Quaint
4. It means containing people from different types or form q Scenic view
other country and influenced by different culture.
5. It means the surrounding residential areas of a larger city
q Metropolis
or town. q Outskirts
6. It means a place having an old fashioned attractiveness or q Mom-and-pop
charm, oddly picturesque, old fashioned.
7. It means having full of activity
shop
8. It means full of life and energy. q Main industry
9. It means the outside part of the city or town. q Cosmopolitan
10.It means a small independent usually family owned
q Bustling
businesses or shops.
MODEL 1
My hometown is London, the capital city of the UK. It is located in South East England, on
the River Thames. It is well known around the world for its amazing history, architecture,
music and fashion.
I think what makes my hometown special is the fact that you can meet all kinds of
people there as it is a melting pot of hundreds of different communities, cultures and
languages. The main language is English, but this is spoken with a wide variety of accents
and dialects.
The advantages of living in London are the high employment prospects, the range of
things to do, such as cultural and social activities, and the beautiful parks and river.
Some of the main industries in London are tourism, retail, finance, creative industries,
education, banking and so on. So the job opportunities are good, and it’s quite easy to
travel around London on the Tubes, buses and overground trains.
CONTINUATION
However, one of the main downsides of London is the cost of living. Rent and travel costs
are some of the highest in the world, so any advantage of higher wages is usually
cancelled out by higher living costs. If you don’t like crowds, you’d better stay away from
the city center – but I guess that is true of any city.
London also faces environmental problems such as air pollution, caused by heavy traffic,
and also flooding, as it is in a river valley and some areas of London are lower than the
level of the river. It also faces social problems such as overcrowding and homelessness,
and in some areas, social tensions.
London is more cosmopolitan and much larger than any other city in the UK, and
compared with Paris, the capital of France, London has a higher population and is also
greener in terms of the number of parks and open spaces.
(Answers SHOULDN’T be too long or too short.
Make 3-4 sentences.)
1. What kind of housing/accommodation do you live in?
2. Do you live in a house or a flat?
Exam 3. Who do you live with?
4. How long have you lived there?
Practice 5. Can you describe the place where you live?
Part 1 6. Which room does your family spend most of the time
in?
7. What do you usually do in your house/flat/room?
8. What part of your home do you like the most?
(Introduction, body and conclusion.)
How do you describe your
hometown?
Exam
You should say/give
Practice
Part 2 •Where it is
2 mins •What its special features are
•What you and other people do in this area
•Explain why you like it/not like it
(Two way discussion.)
1. How long have you been living in your hometown?
2. Do you like living there?
3. What do you like (most) about your hometown?
4. Is there anything you dislike about it?
Exam 5. Do you think you will continue living there for a long
time?
Practice 6. What do you look forward to seeing about the future of
your hometown?
Part 3 7. Would you build your own family in your hometown in
the future?
PROGRESS CHECK
Did you give long answer?
Did you speak at a normal speed?
Did you use good vocabulary?
Did you use correct pronunciation?
Are you satisfied with your answer?
