IELTS Speaking Model: Friends and Family - Part 1

IELTS(International English Language Testing System) is the world's leading test of English for higher education, immigration and employment. Below are some sample questions and model answers for the topic ‘Friends and family'

Do you have many (close) friends?

To be honest I only have one friend I truly trust. I have many friends that I hang out with however I know most of them are unreliable. Personally I think 1 close friend is enough. If i share my secrets with too many people it wouldn't be a secret anymore.

Are most of your friends from school (or university) or from outside school (or university)?

Well, like most students in China I don't really get out much so I guess most of my mates are from uni. I share a room with 5 others and we are quite close - normally we hang out and even eat together. I have some friends from outside of uni but most of them are unreliable.

Do you think friendship is important?

Sure. As the saying goes "no man is an island". We all need people to rely on otherwise the world would be a very dark place. I so think that friendship is essential.

Do you prefer to spend time with friends or spend time alone? (Why?)

Definitely with friends. I already spend too much time alone and really need to get out more. When I'm with my friends we could socialize and hang out. To he honest without my friends I'm a little lonely.

Are friends more important than family? (Why?)

Definitely not! Although friends are sometimes more fun to hang out with, they are no way as important as family members. The main reason is because family members share your blood and they are irreplaceable where as in contrast people often change friends.

What kind of people do you like to have as friends?

Ah good question! My friends are all people who are good at sports. I believe that playing basketball is the best way to bond with someone and if they are unhealthy or unfit they are not suitable to be my buddy.

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How do you keep in contact with your friends?

Well usually my friends and I chat online using a program called QQ. It's the most popular form of communication cuz it's free to use and we are able to send text, pictures and even voice recordings to each other. We also call each other with our mobile phones since it's convenient and we don't need to be around a computer or a place with wifi.

Do you think it's possible to become real friends with the people you meet on the internet, for example, on chat sites or personal introduction sites?

Well I'm sure most people would say no but I met my current girlfriend online and we have been going out in real life for over a year. Further more we are planning to get married next year so I think it's definitely possible. Of course people should still be careful when making friends online. I guess I just got lucky.