IELTS Speaking Part 1: Friends
Friends and keeping in touch. It rewards relationship vocabulary and the present perfect for how long you have known someone.
Questions and sample answers
1. Do you have a large group of friends or a few close ones?
A few close ones. I know plenty of people through university, but there are only three or four I’d call real friends.
2. How do you usually keep in touch with your friends?
Mostly through group chats. We try to meet up in person at least once a month, although that’s harder now that we all work.
3. Have you known your friends for a long time?
Two of them, yes. We’ve known each other since primary school, so it’s been almost fifteen years.
4. Is it easy to make new friends where you live?
It’s easy to meet people, but harder to turn them into proper friends. Everyone’s busy, so it takes effort on both sides.
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 close-knit group: Describes a tight friendship circle.
- keep in touch / catch up: Core phrasal verbs for this set.
- we’ve known each other since …: The present perfect this topic tests.
- drift apart: For friendships that faded.
- it takes effort on both sides: A mature, natural opinion.
The trap on this topic
"I know him for ten years." It should be "I have known him for ten years". Duration with "for" or "since" needs the present perfect.
Answer these out loud and get marked
The Part 1 practice runs the interview the way the examiner does: your work or studies first, then two topic sets. It records you, transcribes what you said and marks it on the four official criteria.
Start Part 1 practiceMore Part 1 topics
Ready for the long turn? Browse the Part 2 cue cards.