IELTS Speaking Part 1: Celebrations and festivals

Questions and sample answers

1. 1. What is the most important festival in your country?

   Eid is the biggest one in my country. Families get together, people wear new clothes, and there’s an enormous amount of food.

2. 2. How do you usually celebrate your birthday?

   Fairly quietly, to be honest. I usually have dinner with my family and a couple of close friends, and that’s about it.

3. 3. Do you prefer big celebrations or small ones?

   Small ones. Big parties are fun now and then, but I prefer having time to actually talk to people rather than shouting over music.

4. 4. Have celebrations in your country changed since you were young?

   Yes. They’ve become much more commercial. When I was young, presents were simple, but now there’s a lot of pressure to spend money.

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

• a family get-together: A natural noun for a gathering.
• it’s a time when people …: Explains a festival to someone who does not know it.
• low-key / lavish: A pair for small and big celebrations.
• it has become more commercial: A common and accurate observation about change.
• mark the occasion: Collocation for celebrating something.