IELTS Speaking Part 1: Photographs

Questions and sample answers

1. 1. Do you like taking photographs?

   I do, although mostly on my phone. I wouldn’t call myself a photographer, but I take a lot of pictures when I travel.

2. 2. Do you prefer taking photos of people or of places?

   Places, mainly. People often feel awkward in front of a camera, whereas a landscape or an old building doesn’t mind being photographed.

3. 3. How do you keep the photos you take?

   Almost all of them are in the cloud. I keep meaning to print some, because I rarely look back through thousands of digital photos.

4. 4. Has the way people take photographs changed in your lifetime?

   Completely. My parents had maybe one album per year; now people take dozens of photos a day and hardly look at any of them again.

Each sample is two to four sentences: the answer, a reason or example, then stop. Use them to hear the shape, not to memorise. Examiners are trained to spot a rehearsed answer, and it costs fluency marks.

Language this topic rewards

• snap / take a quick shot: Informal verbs that avoid repeating "take photos".
• stored in the cloud / backed up: Accurate storage vocabulary.
• I keep meaning to …: A natural way to admit a habit you have not started.
• capture the moment: Common, but fine if used once.
• hardly ever: An adverb of frequency examiners listen for.