IELTS Speaking Part 1

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Bakeries questions and answers

IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions are short and personal: the examiner asks three to five on two or three everyday topics in the first four to five minutes. Here are 6 questions about bakeries written by BandLadder in the examiner's style, each with a Band 8 sample answer and useful vocabulary. Aim for two or three sentences each: answer, reason, one detail.
  • 6 questions
  • 6 Band 8 answers
  • 4 to 5 minutes

6 answers

Bakeries questions with sample answers

1

Do you often visit a bakery?

Yes, fairly often actually. There's a charming little independent bakery just around the corner from my flat, so I usually pop in a couple of times a week to pick up some fresh sourdough or a croissant on Saturday mornings.

2

What kind of things do you usually buy at a bakery?

I tend to stick to savoury items mostly, like seeded loaves or freshly baked rolls for lunch. That said, if they've just pulled a batch of cinnamon buns out of the oven, I really can't resist treating myself to something sweet.

3

Did you go to bakeries much when you were a child?

Not all that often, to be honest. My parents generally bought standard sliced bread from the supermarket to save time. However, on special occasions like birthdays, my mum would take me to a traditional local bakery to choose a proper iced pastry.

4

Do you prefer buying bread from a local bakery or a supermarket?

Definitely a local bakery, hands down. Even though it's usually a bit pricier, the quality is far superior and it doesn't have all those artificial preservatives. Plus, I quite like supporting small neighbourhood businesses whenever I can.

5

Have you ever tried baking bread or cakes yourself?

Yes, I have had a go a few times. During the lockdown a few years back, I got really into baking banana bread, like pretty much everyone else. It was quite therapeutic, though kneading traditional dough was much harder work than I'd anticipated.

6

Would you like to learn how to bake in the future?

I certainly would. I'd love to master pastry making in particular, as it requires quite a lot of precision and patience. Attending a weekend artisan bread-making workshop is actually something on my bucket list.

Details are invented. Use the shape, not the sentences: examiners mark memorised answers down.

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7 words

Useful vocabulary and tips

  • pop in

    Visit a place briefly or informally

  • savoury

    Belonging to the category of salty or spicy food

  • hands down

    Easily and without any doubt

  • preservatives

    Chemical substances added to food to stop it decaying

  • have a go

    Try or attempt to do something

  • therapeutic

    Causing someone to feel relaxed and happy

  • artisan

    Made in a traditional or non-mechanised way

  • →Use sensory adjectives related to taste and texture to enrich your descriptions.
  • →Compare bakeries with supermarkets to showcase comparative structures and varied vocabulary naturally.
  • →Keep answers conversational by using common idioms like 'hands down' or 'have a go'.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are in IELTS Speaking Part 1?+

Usually about ten to twelve, over four to five minutes: a few on your work, study or home, then three or four short questions on each of two everyday topics.

How long should a Part 1 answer be?+

Two or three sentences, about 15 to 20 seconds: a direct answer, a reason and one detail. One-word answers cost fluency marks, and long speeches eat into the examiner's time.

Keep practising

More Part 1 topics

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