IELTS Speaking Test 2
Describe an item of clothing that someone gave you
You should say:
- What the clothing was
- Who gave it to you
- When you got it
- And explain why this person gave you the clothing
For me, Diwali and Rakshabandhan are two special festivals. The former is the festival that I celebrate with my family, whereas the latter is the festival that I celebrate with my sister.
There are many other festivals in our Indian culture, but they all pale into insignificance when I think about Diwali and Rakshabandhan.
On Rakshabandhan, my sister and I exchange gifts.
Normally, the tradition is that a brother gives gifts to his sister. But, we have made our own peculiar tradition where we both receive gifts.
When I was in school, I always waited for this day eagerly. And I still wait for this day, though not with the enthusiasm of a schoolboy.
Childhood was the time when we brother and sister exchanged toys. But now we have grown up.
So every year we choose something special to give to the other person.
Last year, I decided to give a smartphone to my sister. I bought a brand new iPhone 13s that was all the rage in the market.
But I was curious about what my sister would give me as a gift. And then the day of Rakshabandhan arrived.
After finishing the rituals she took out a packet from her bag and gave it to me.
When I opened it, I was quite surprised to see a nice red shirt that was inside the packet.
My sister knew that red is my favorite color, and she chose a red shirt for me as I love wearing formal clothes whenever I have to go to some conference or to meet some official person.
I don’t know why but tears started streaming down my cheeks , and I was very happy to receive such a beautiful piece of clothing that my sister had chosen for me.
Today, whenever I wear that shirt, my colleagues can’t help praising the color and quality of the fabric of that shirt.
And I feel grateful for having such a lovely and caring sister.
Part 3
Have you ever given clothes to others?
Yes, I have. Just recently I gave some clothes to the maid servant for her kids.
I bought some clothes for my kids, and then I thought about maid servant’s kids who were my kids’ age. So I also bought clothes for them and gave them.
Why do people dress casually in everyday life but dress formally at work?
Our dress defines our personality, and workplace is where we need to appear as professionals.
Casual wear is for home, whereas formal wear is ideal for workplace.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of wearing uniforms at work and school?
The main advantage is that poor kids don’t feel inferiority when they can’t come to school wearing expensive fancy clothes.
All kids, regardless of their family’s financial condition, come to school with a similar dress called uniform, and that serves the purpose.
The disadvantage is that children don’t get the opportunity to wear colorful clothes. Kids love designs, and in my opinion, they love fancy clothes. To express their love for fashionable clothes, they want to wear designer clothes when they are with their friends. A uniform denies them this pleasure.
Why do people from different countries wear different clothing?
It all depends upon the climate. In a tropical climate , we can wear clothes made of cotton. Men can wear cotton shirts. Women can wear saris.
But, in a country that is in the temperate zone, and where snowfall occurs for most part of the year, people must have to wear woolen clothes to protect themselves against the cold.
IELTS Speaking Test 2
Describe a time when you gave advice to others
You should say:
- When it was
- To whom you gave the advice
- What the advice was
- And explain why you gave the advice
As I am a banker, it is part of my duty to offer financial advice to my clients whenever they need one.
But, this is a completely professional matter, and there is no personal concern is involved in this thing.
Whereas, my close friends and my family members are the people to whom I would give a word of advice even if they don’t seek one.
There are many instances that I can recollect, but there is one particular incident that I would like to talk about today.
My son Rajesh is a 17-year-old guy who is right now preparing for his university entrance test.
He is a brilliant boy who can excel in studies only if he stays focused on it.
But, a few months ago, I observed that he was not concentrating on his studies. Soon I found out the reason.
It was the overuse of social media websites like Facebook and Instagram that was ruining his career.
Rajesh was quite addicted to these sites, and one day his teacher Mr. Paresh Patel complained to me that Rajesh was not doing well in subjects like Math, Science, and Chemistry.
I was quite upset after hearing this news. I talked to my wife first, before saying anything to Rajesh.
My wife agreed that Rajesh was quite absorbed in the world of social media, and he even started skipping his breakfast every other day.
She suggested that as a parent, I should talk to Rajesh in a gentle manner and help him to overcome his addiction.
The next day, I went to Rajesh’s room. And as usual he was absorbed in his smartphone.
I asked him to put that phone aside for a while. And then, in a very friendly manner, I asked him about his goals in life.
Once he finished talking about his goals, I asked him this question, “Dear son, do you think you could achieve your goals by spending time chit-chatting with your online friends?”
Rajesh was stunned for a moment.
And then the truth dawned upon him that I was talking about his addiction to smartphone.
Then I told him that it is for his better future he must focus on his studies, as the teenage years are very crucial in deciding his career path.
I also cautioned him that once he strayed from the right path, nobody – not even himself – would be able to get him on the right track.
And my son heeded my advice , and that was the last day he used his smartphone. He gave his phone to his mother and started using his old Nokia phone that had only some basic functions.
Today, when I look back upon that day, I thank my wife for helping me in getting my son back on the right track. My son is doing well in his studies. And just last month he won the first prize in the interstate science quiz.
Part 3
What are the problems if you ask too many people for advice?
There is an old proverb that goes like this,
“Too many cooks spoil the broth“
People have different opinions based on their own experiences. When we see their advice, often we would get contradictory advice.
This will result in unnecessary confusion.
What are the personalities of the people whose job is to give advice to others?
There are two types of people:
Our teachers and elders are the genuine advice givers. They are our well wishers and they would never tell us to do something that is harmful to us.
On the other hand, there are people who themselves have never achieved anything in their lives. They have never taken any bold decisions or never felt the necessity to follow their dreams.
Such people offer unsolicited advice out of jealousy they feel for us. They often give us impractical or discouraging suggestions.
Is it good to ask for advice from strangers online?
No, it is no use seeking advice from strangers online, unless they are professionals and we are paying money to get their help.
Strangers don’t know our circumstances. Even if they have no wrong intentions, their advice would be based on some wrong assumptions about our situation.
Should people prepare before giving advice?
Of course, they must know the background story of the advice seeker. And then only the advice should be given.
But, some cases are exceptions.
When some guy is addicted to alcohol, there is no need to prepare before telling him to stop consuming alcohol. As it is a well-established fact that alcohol is not good for health , and the person consuming it should be stopped using it.