Describe a time when someone talked about something that did not interest you but you kept listening.
This test has appeared in 1 seasons
- Sep–Dec/2026
Reported by test takers Forecast only
Part 1
The examiner asks about you and two familiar topics. About 4–5 minutes.
Your home town
- Where is your home town? (Tell me more about that.)
- What do you like most about it? (Tell me more about that.)
- Has it changed much since you were a child? (Why is that?)
- Would you like to live there in the future? (Why is that?)
Shopping
- Do you enjoy shopping? (Why is that?)
- Do you prefer shopping online or in shops? (Why is that?)
- Who do you usually go shopping with? (Tell me more about that.)
- Is there anything you never enjoy buying? (Why is that?)
Websites
- Which websites do you visit most often? (Tell me more about that.)
- What kind of websites do you find useful? (Tell me more about that.)
- Have you ever made your own website? (Why is that?)
- Do you prefer using websites or apps? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time when someone talked about something that did not interest you but you kept listening.
You should say:
- who the person was
- what they talked about
- where the conversation took place
and explain why you kept listening.
Follow-up question after your talk: Do you think the speaker noticed you were not interested? / How long did you keep listening for?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
listening to other people
- Can you describe the habits that make someone a good listener?
- What could be done about people who interrupt others constantly?
- In general, how polite is it to change the subject when you are bored?
listening at school and at work
- Can you explain why students find some lectures hard to follow?
- In general, what should a speaker do to keep an audience interested?
- Can you speculate on how short online videos will affect people's ability to listen for a long time?
Test titles follow test-taker reports and each season's forecasts — IELTS does not publish its papers. "Reported" means someone reported meeting this topic in a dated test. The questions are written by us in the format of the real test.