About today's practice
Day two of the Part 1 thread. Work and study questions are almost guaranteed in Part 1, so this is high-value practice. The trap is the flat one-line answer (“I’m a student.”) — today is about adding a reason and a detail.
Part 1 has no planning time in the real test. Read each question and answer on the spot in two to three full sentences — that on-your-feet fluency is exactly what this builds.
Questions — Work & Studies
- Do you work or are you a student?
- What subject are you studying, or what’s your job?
- Why did you choose that subject or job?
- What do you enjoy most about it?
- Is there anything you find difficult about it?
- What would you like to do in the future?
- Are the people you work or study with friendly?
More questions — build a bank
If you study
- What is a typical day at your school or university like?
- Which subject do you find the most interesting, and why?
- Do you prefer studying alone or in a group?
- What would you like to do after you finish your studies?
If you work
- Can you describe a typical day at your job?
- What skills are most important in your work?
- Would you like to change anything about your job?
- Do you think you will do the same work in ten years?
Work & study in general
- Is it better to have a job you love or a job that pays well?
- Do people in your country tend to work long hours?
- How do most people find a job where you live?
- Is it common to change careers in your country?
- Would you ever like to work or study abroad? Why?
- Do you prefer working in the morning or later in the day?
- What makes a good boss or a good teacher, in your opinion?
Example answers — short reply grown into a full one Do you work or are you a student? I’m a student at the moment — I’m in my final year of an engineering degree. It’s demanding, but I chose it because I’ve always liked solving practical problems, so most days it doesn’t feel like a chore. Why did you choose that subject? Honestly, it goes back to childhood — I was the kid who took apart radios to see how they worked. So studying engineering felt like a natural fit rather than a big decision. Is there anything you find difficult about it? The workload, mainly. There are weeks when several deadlines land at once, so I’ve had to get much better at planning ahead — which is probably a useful skill in itself.
Pair-work sequence (~30 min)
▸ Interview · 13 min — A asks every question, B answers (~6 min); swap so B asks and A answers (~6 min). The examiner-partner keeps the pace brisk, like the real test, and resists chatting back. No planning — straight in. ▸ Extend & re-run · 13 min — New partner. Run the set again — but now every answer must carry a reason (“because…”) and one example or detail. Faster, more natural delivery. ▸ Feedback · 4 min — Whole-class: read out two answers you overheard that grew from one word into a full, natural reply.
Listen for / feedback: Mark any answer that stops at one word — push that student for a reason and a detail. Praise natural extenders: “Well, actually…”, “I’d say…”, “It depends, but…”. Note tense slips (“I go yesterday”) for a quick thirty-second correction at the end.
Flexibility: Short on time today? Assign the whole set as paired home practice — a quick voice call or an in-person run — and have each student record one answer to bring back. If the room runs ahead of schedule, this slots straight in after the wrap-up.