Describe a time you heard a stranger talking on the phone in a public place.
This test has appeared in 2 seasons
- May–Aug/2025
- May–Aug/2024
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?)
Family
- Do you spend a lot of time with your family? (Why is that?)
- Who are you closest to in your family? (Tell me more about that.)
- What did your family often do together when you were young? (Tell me more about that.)
- Do you think families spend less time together than they used to? (Why is that?)
Noise and quiet places
- Is the area where you live noisy or quiet? (Why is that?)
- What kind of noise annoys you most? (Tell me more about that.)
- Has your neighbourhood become noisier over the years? (Why is that?)
- Do you prefer working in a quiet place or with some background noise? (Why is that?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time you heard a stranger talking on the phone in a public place.
You should say:
- when and where it happened
- who the stranger was
- what they were talking about
and explain how you felt about it.
Follow-up question after your talk: Do you often make phone calls in public? / Where were you when you heard it?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
phone use in public places
- Can you explain why loud phone calls annoy other people in public places?
- In general, what behaviour do people find rude on public transport?
- How would you compare talking on the phone in public with talking to the person beside you?
rules for behaviour in shared spaces
- Can you describe the rules some places set for using phones?
- What could be done about quiet places where people still use their phones loudly?
- Can you speculate on how phone habits in public will change in the future?
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.