IELTS Speaking Part 1, 2, 3 samples: Talk about your hometown

The topic of your hometown is extremely familiar and appears frequently in the IELTS Speaking test. Therefore, with the desire to help Preppies master the actual Speaking test, be confident in answering the examiner's questions, and achieve a high band score, here are the detailed ideas and sample answers for Part 1, 2, and 3. Refer to the article on the topic "Talk about your hometown" to practice effectively for the test at home!

I. Sample Speaking Part 1 Answer: Talk about your hometown

Talking about your hometown is one of the common and frequently encountered topics in the IELTS English exam. Let's decode this topic together with Prep!

1. Let’s talk about your hometown. Where is your hometown?

My dwelling is in Hanoi. It is one of the most outstanding tourist attractions of Vietnam. To talk about this city, I suppose this place is heading to “megacity” as it is densely populated with 8.5 residents according to the latest report in 2022. Moreover, it has become the largest city in Vietnam. 

• Dwelling (n): a place of residence

• Megacity (n): a large city

• Densely populated (adj phr): having a high population density

2. What do you like most about your hometown?

Hanoi is dynamic since more foreign investors are coming in, hence more job opportunities for the inhabitants here, especially the youngsters who are sharp with new trends. That is what I like most in this city because it seems like I will never be jobless if I live here. 

• Dynamic (adj): energetic, active

• Inhabitant (noun): resident, citizen

• Sharp (adj): quick, clever

• Jobless (adj): unemployed

3. What do you not like about it?

The problem of big cities is most likely the overload situation of every system. For example, the hospital is always overcrowded with patients, up to the point when people have to reserve an appointment for a week later to meet doctors. What’s more, the number of students in a classroom in public schools is about 50 people. This leads to a scenario where parents have to scramble to get a position for their children. I feel like living in Hanoi forces me to be in a situation when I always have to fight for my basic rights. 

• Overload (n): an excessive load or burden

• Overcrowded (adj): excessively crowded

• Reserve (v): to book or set aside in advance

• Scramble (v): to compete or fight for something vigorously

4. Would you prefer to live somewhere else? (Why)?

Sometimes, when I’m distressed about life, I think of moving to Quy Nhon to live. It’s about over 1000km away from Hanoi. The reason why I choose this place is first, I want to seek escapism from the hectic pace of life. Second, the sea is a tranquil place to walk, where I can free my negative thoughts or worries. 

• Distressed (adj): extremely stressed or overwhelmed

• Escapism (n): the tendency to seek distraction or relief from reality

• Tranquil (adj): peaceful, calm

• Free (v): to release or liberate from something

II. Sample IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic: Talk about your hometown

1. Cue card: Talk about your hometown

Talk about your hometown. You should say: 

• Where is your home town?

• What is special about it?

• What tourists should do there?

Explain whether it is an ideal place to live in or not?

2. Outline

One-minute note taking

• Hanoi

• 4 seasons:

  • Sticky/humid summer

  • Breezy fall => milk flower

• Dos:

  • Crossing roads

  • Visiting historical sites

• Worth living: yes

3. Sample Speaking: Talk about your hometown

Well, Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is my hometown. The city, located in the north of Vietnam, is the heart of the politics and culture of the whole country. To me, what is so unique about Hanoi is that it has four distinct seasons. As Vietnam has a tropical climate, summer in Hanoi is super sticky, but there is chilly fall, which is also my favorite season. 

At this time, I often get around at night by my motorbike to sense the aromatic scent of milk flowers which sprawls all over the atmosphere thanks to the breeze. However, not everyone loves it, some might think the fragrance is too much to take. I would say that Hanoi is one of the well-known tourist attractions in Vietnam, given that there is an array of historical sites.

Visitors should tour around places like Hoa Lo prison, which maintained treaties and prisoner figures, or visit Huu Tiep lake to see the remnant of the B-52 Stratofortress and then drop by Ngoc Ha flower village. One more activity that tourists should try is crossing the crossroad without traffic lights. I know it’s a little bit eccentric to do this, but chaotic traffic has been a culture of Vietnam.

Nonetheless, I do recommend that travelers do this under the guidance of a native since it’s quite dangerous. If I am asked whether Hanoi is a decent place to live, I will have a lot of considerations. Sure the living expenses are exorbitant, but the services from health care to entertainment here are fast and convenient, not to mention the labour market is huge. So, in my opinion, although residing in Hanoi is challenging, it’s still worth staying in this city. 

Having a strong vocabulary is crucial for success in IELTS Speaking Part 2. This section requires you to speak at length about a given topic, so having a diverse range of words at your disposal is essential. The examiner will be assessing your lexical resource - your ability to use a wide vocabulary, including less common and idiomatic terms. Focusing on expanding your vocabulary, especially topic-specific words and collocations, will allow you to describe things in more detail, use more precise language, and demonstrate your command of the English language. Ultimately, a rich vocabulary can help you achieve a higher band score in this challenging part of the IELTS Speaking test.

Let’s take a look at the list of high-scoring vocabulary in the above sample:

• Sticky (adj): adhesive or viscous

• Get around: to travel or move from place to place

• Aromatic (adj): having a pleasant smell or fragrance

• Scent = fragrance (n): a particular smell or odor

• Breeze (n): a gentle wind

• An array of sth: a wide variety or range of something

• Treaty (n): an official agreement or contract between countries or parties

• Remnant (n): a small remaining quantity or trace of something

• Eccentric (adj): unconventional or peculiar in behavior or appearance

• Native (n): a person born or belonging to a particular place or country

• Exorbitant (adj): unreasonably high or excessive in price.

For more information, please refer to the following article:

• Bài mẫu IELTS Speaking Part 2 chủ đề: Describe a town or city where you live in future

III.  Sample IELTS Speaking Part 3 Answer: Talk about your hometown

1. How easy is it to find a place to live in your country?

I don’t think so. It’s not so hard to choose a place to live in Vietnam, but finding a safe and cheap one with decent infrastructures like clean water supply and adequate sanitation is as difficult as mining diamonds. Of course, people with sufficient income would have much more options than ones with a meager salary. 

• Sanitation (n): the system of maintaining cleanliness and promoting good health, especially in regards to public health and waste disposal.

• Mine (v): to dig or extract resources, such as minerals or ores, from the earth.

• Meager (adj): lacking in quantity or quality, insufficient or inadequate.

2. Do you think it's better to rent or to buy a place to live in?

Since a house is considered as a highly - value asset, it’s crucial for people to think whether they want to permanently own one. If the person desires to develop a career and start a family, he or she should buy accommodation as it would be more economical. However, if the person only resides in a city in a specific amount of time, he or she should only rent a house because purchasing an apartment is an unreasonable and unnecessary investment. 

• Asset (n): something valuable or useful that is owned by a person, company, or organization, typically with monetary value.

• Economical (adj): using resources wisely and efficiently to minimize waste and save money.

3. Do you agree that there is a right age for young adults to stop living with their parents?

I don’t think so. How to justify “the right age” depends on the social and cultural contexts, which is quite subjective. In Western countries, the 18-year-olds can leave their house and begin a new life, but that situation is a little bit different from Asian countries. Some offspring live on their own when they enter into marriage, which is the standard of maturity.

Some don’t even try to move out because it is the children responsibility to take care of parents when they are old. For that reason, there is no right moment to actually live independently. 

• Subjective (adj): based on personal opinions, perspectives, or feelings rather than objective facts.

• Offspring (n): the children or descendants of a person, animal, or plant.

• Maturity (n): the state of being fully developed or grown, both physically and emotionally; the state of being mature.

This article has provided the sample IELTS Speaking Part 1 + 2 + 3 on the topic "Talk about your hometown." Hopefully, the article has provided you with ideas for discussing your hometown. Prep hopes to accompany you on your IELTS preparation journey.