- 1What kind of food do you enjoy eating?
- 2Is there any food you disliked as a child but enjoy now?
- 3Do you prefer eating at home or in restaurants?
- 4What is a popular dish in your country?
- 5Have your eating habits changed in recent years?
How to answer Part 1 well
- Answer the exact question first, then add one short reason or example.
- Use natural phrases such as "I usually…", "I prefer… because…", "For example…".
- Do not memorise answers: examiners notice, and it lowers fluency.
- Stay on topic; an off-topic answer scores lower even if the English is good.
How to answer these questions
- Name real dishes, and add a few words to explain any the examiner may not know.
- For the childhood question, contrast then and now: "As a child I refused it, but now…".
- Answer "Do you prefer X or Y?" directly first, then give a reason.
- Show change with "used to" and "these days".
Model answers
175 words
What kind of food do you enjoy eating?
I really enjoy spicy food, especially South Indian dishes like dosa, which is a thin rice pancake, with coconut chutney. I’m also a big fan of pasta, because it’s quick to cook.
Is there any food you disliked as a child but enjoy now?
Yes, bitter gourd! As a child I refused to eat it, but my mother kept cooking it. Now I actually enjoy it when it’s fried with onions and a little sugar to balance the bitterness.
Do you prefer eating at home or in restaurants?
At home, most of the time, because it’s healthier and cheaper, and my mother’s cooking is hard to beat. But eating out with friends is a nice treat now and then, especially on birthdays.
What is a popular dish in your country?
One of the most popular is biryani, which is rice cooked with spices and meat or vegetables. Almost every region has its own version, and people argue a lot about which one is the best.
Have your eating habits changed in recent years?
Yes, they have. I eat far less junk food than I used to, because I started going to the gym last year. I also try to eat more fruit, although I still can’t resist a samosa now and then.
Written by Acedmi to show what high-band answers sound like. It is not an official IELTS sample, and your own ideas can be different.
Useful vocabulary
- spicy
- Hot, with a strong flavour from spices.
- “I love spicy food.”
- a big fan of
- Someone who likes something very much.
- “I’m a big fan of South Indian food.”
- hard to beat
- Better than almost anything else.
- “My mother’s cooking is hard to beat.”
- eat out
- Eat in a restaurant.
- “We eat out about once a month.”
- a treat
- Something special you enjoy now and then.
- “A restaurant meal is a nice treat.”
- now and then
- Sometimes, not often.
- “I still have a samosa now and then.”
- junk food
- Unhealthy food such as chips and burgers.
- “I eat far less junk food these days.”
- can’t resist
- Find it impossible to say no to.
- “I can’t resist sweets.”
Common mistakes
- Naming a dish without explaining it. Add a few words, as in "dosa, which is a thin rice pancake".
- Grammar after "like": say "I like eating" or "I like to eat", not "I like eat".
- Not answering the choice. For "home or restaurants", say which one first, then why.