Describe a time when you broke something.
This test has appeared in 3 seasons
- May–Aug/2026
- Jan–Apr/2026
- Sep–Dec/2025
Reported by test takers Forecast only
Part 1
The examiner asks about you and two familiar topics. About 4–5 minutes.
Work or study
- Do you work, or are you a student? (Why?)
- Why did you choose that job or that subject? (Tell me more about that.)
- What do you enjoy most about it? (Why?)
- Is there anything you would like to change about it? (Why?)
Mornings
- What do you usually do in the morning? (Tell me more about that.)
- Do you have the same routine every morning? (Why is that?)
- Do you eat breakfast every day? (Why is that?)
- Are your mornings different at weekends? (Why is that?)
History
- Are you interested in history? (Why is that?)
- What period of history do you find most interesting? (Tell me more about that.)
- Did you enjoy history lessons at school? (Why is that?)
- Do you think it is important to learn about history? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time when you broke something.
You should say:
- what you broke
- when and how it happened
- who it belonged to
and explain what you did afterwards.
Follow-up question after your talk: Were you able to repair it or replace it? / How did it happen?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
repairing and replacing things
- Can you explain why people now replace broken items instead of repairing them?
- In general, what kinds of things do people in your country still get repaired?
- What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of paying to repair an old item rather than buying a new one?
products and their quality
- Can you explain why some products break sooner than buyers expect?
- What could be done about products that break soon after they are bought?
- Can you speculate on how repair services will change in the coming years?
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.