Describe an occasion when you saw many people smiling.
This test has appeared in 5 seasons · 2 reported by test takers
- Sep–Dec/2026
- May–Aug/2026
- Jan–Apr/2026
- Jan–Apr/2025
- Jan–Apr/2022
Reported by test takers Forecast only
Part 1
The examiner asks about you and two familiar topics. About 4–5 minutes.
Your home
- Do you live in a house or an apartment? (Why?)
- Which room do you spend the most time in? (Why?)
- What would you like to change about your home? (Why?)
- Do you think you will live there for a long time? (Why not?)
School
- Where did you go to secondary school? (Tell me more about that.)
- What was your favourite subject at school? (Tell me more about that.)
- Did you enjoy your time at school? (Why is that?)
- Do you think schools today are better than they were in the past? (Why is that?)
Days off
- How often do you have a day off? (Tell me more about that.)
- What do you usually do on your days off? (Tell me more about that.)
- What did you like to do on days off from school as a child? (Tell me more about that.)
- Would you prefer to relax at home or go out on a day off? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe an occasion when you saw many people smiling.
You should say:
- when and where it happened
- who the people were
- what they were doing
and explain why so many people were smiling.
Follow-up question after your talk: Do you smile a lot in your daily life? / Did the atmosphere there make you smile as well?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
smiling in public
- Can you explain why people smile at strangers in some places but not in others?
- How would you contrast a real smile with a polite smile?
- What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of expecting staff in shops to smile at every customer?
what makes people happy
- Can you explain why people in a city can feel unhappy even when they have enough money?
- What could be done about parts of a city that are unpleasant to spend time in?
- Can you speculate on how people's daily mood will change as more of life happens on screens?
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.