Describe a time you bought something and then returned it.
This test has appeared in 3 seasons · 2 reported by test takers
- Sep–Dec/2025
- May–Aug/2025
- Jan–Apr/2025
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?)
Going out
- How often do you go out with friends? (Tell me more about that.)
- Where do you usually go when you go out? (Tell me more about that.)
- Did your parents let you go out much when you were a teenager? (Why is that?)
- Do you prefer going out during the day or in the evening? (Why is that?)
Being busy
- Are you busy most days? (Why is that?)
- What keeps you busy at the moment? (Tell me more about that.)
- Were you busier as a student or are you busier now? (Why is that?)
- Do you enjoy being busy, or do you prefer a slower pace? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time you bought something and then returned it.
You should say:
- what you bought
- where and when you bought it
- why you decided to return it
and explain how the shop dealt with the return.
Follow-up question after your talk: Do you usually check things carefully before you buy them? / Was it easy to get your money back?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
how people shop today
- Can you explain why people send back so many of the things they buy online?
- In general, how have shopping habits in your country changed since online shopping arrived?
- How would you compare buying things in a shop with buying them online?
shops and their customers
- Can you describe the rules shops have about returning goods?
- What could be done about the trouble customers face when a product breaks quickly?
- Can you speculate on how people will do their shopping ten years from now?
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.