Describe a time when you had to wait a long time for someone or something.
This test has appeared in 2 seasons · 1 reported by test takers
- Sep–Dec/2023
- 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?)
Holidays
- How often do you go on holiday? (Tell me more about that.)
- Where did you go on your last holiday? (Tell me more about that.)
- What did your family usually do on holidays when you were a child? (Tell me more about that.)
- Do you prefer relaxing holidays or active holidays? (Why is that?)
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?)
Part 2
One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.
Describe a time when you had to wait a long time for someone or something.
You should say:
- who or what you were waiting for
- where you were
- how long you had to wait
and explain how you felt while you were waiting.
Follow-up question after your talk: Are you usually a patient person? / How did you pass the time while you were waiting?
Part 3
A broader, more abstract discussion of the Part 2 topic. About 4–5 minutes.
waiting in everyday life
- Can you explain why waiting makes some people far more annoyed than others?
- In general, how long is it reasonable to wait for a friend?
- What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of paying more in order to avoid queues?
time and patience
- Can you explain why people today seem less patient than in the past?
- How would you compare waiting alone with waiting in a group?
- Can you speculate on how faster services will affect people's patience 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.