Describe an object you use every day
You should say:
- what the object is
- when you got it
- how you use it
- and explain why it is important to you
Part 3 discussion questions
After your talk, the examiner asks more abstract questions on everyday objects and consumption. Practise giving a direct answer, a reason and an example.
- 1Why do people keep buying new things even when the old ones still work?
- 2Are products made today less durable than those made in the past?
- 3Should manufacturers be responsible for repairing what they sell?
- 4How does advertising influence what people think they need?
- 5What might everyday objects look like fifty years from now?
How to plan your answer in one minute
- Note one or two words for each bullet point; you can glance at them while you speak.
- Open with the main idea, then take the bullets in order so the examiner can follow you.
- Keep the last bullet (the "explain" part) for detail: this is where you show range.
- Keep talking until the examiner stops you; two full minutes shows fluency.
Notes for your minute of preparation
- What: my insulated steel water bottle, dark blue, one litre.
- When I got it: a birthday present from my sister last year (I wanted headphones).
- How I use it: cold water every day at college, hot tea in winter; take it everywhere without thinking.
- Why it matters: I drink more water, I stopped buying plastic bottles, and it reminds me of my sister.
Model talk
252 words · about 2 minutes spoken
The object I’d like to talk about is a very ordinary one: my steel water bottle. It’s dark blue, it holds about a litre, and it’s insulated, so it keeps drinks cold for most of the day and hot for several hours.
I got it as a birthday present from my older sister last year. At the time I was a bit disappointed, to be honest, because I’d been hoping for headphones, but it’s turned out to be one of the most useful things I own.
I use it every single day. In the morning I fill it with cold water before I leave for college, and it stays in my bag all day. In winter I sometimes fill it with hot tea instead, which is lovely on a cold bus journey. It’s also become a habit: if I go to the library or the gym, picking it up is as automatic as taking my phone.
There are a few reasons why it matters to me. First, I drink far more water than I used to, because it’s always next to me, and I’ve noticed I get fewer headaches. Second, I used to buy a plastic bottle of water almost every day, so it saves me money and I’m not throwing away hundreds of plastic bottles a year. And finally, because my sister gave it to me, it reminds me of her, especially now that she lives in another city. So it’s a simple object, but I’d honestly feel lost without it.
Written by Acedmi to show what a high-band talk sounds like. It is not an official IELTS sample, and your own ideas can be different.
Useful vocabulary
- ordinary
- Normal, not special.
- “It’s a very ordinary object.”
- insulated
- Built to keep heat in or out.
- “The bottle is insulated, so the water stays cold.”
- turn out to be
- Prove to be, in the end.
- “It turned out to be very useful.”
- habit
- Something you do regularly without thinking.
- “Carrying it has become a habit.”
- reusable
- Able to be used again and again.
- “A reusable bottle saves a lot of plastic.”
- rely on
- Need and trust something.
- “I rely on it every day.”
- sentimental value
- Importance because of memories, not money.
- “It has sentimental value because my sister gave it to me.”
- feel lost without
- Feel you cannot manage without something.
- “I’d feel lost without it.”
Common mistakes
- Choosing an object you have little to say about. Pick something with a story, so the "why it is important" point is easy to develop.
- Only describing what it looks like. Spend most of your time on how you use it and why it matters.
- Repeating "use" again and again. Vary it: rely on, carry, can’t do without.