IELTS Speaking Part 1: Walking
5 common Part 1 questions on walking, each with a sample answer at the length Part 1 actually wants.
Do you walk a lot?
Yes, I walk nearly everywhere – to university, to shops, to friends’ houses. I average about 10,000 steps a day according to my phone. Walking clears my head and gives me mild exercise without feeling like a chore.
Did you often go outside to have a walk when you were a child?
Constantly. I grew up in a safe neighbourhood, and my friends and I would roam for hours, exploring creeks and vacant lots. Walking was how we entertained ourselves before smartphones existed. Those aimless walks are some of my happiest memories.
Why do people like to walk in parks?
Parks offer a respite from traffic noise and concrete – they feel like mini‑escapes into nature. The greenery, birdsong, and open space reduce stress and improve mood. Plus, parks usually have flat, well‑maintained paths that are easy for all ages.
Where would you like to take a long walk if you had the chance?
I would love to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. Combining ancient history, mountains, and cloud forests sounds like a dream. A multi‑day walk like that would be both physically challenging and spiritually rewarding.
Where have you gone for a walk lately?
Just yesterday, I walked along the river path near my flat. It was dusk, and the streetlights were reflecting off the water beautifully. I saw several herons fishing – a reminder that wildlife exists even in the city.
Reading a model answer is not the same as saying one. The sample above shows what a strong Part 1 answer sounds like. What it cannot tell you is how yours sounds — whether you hesitate, repeat the question back, or run out of things to say at forty seconds.
You can record an answer to this exact question and get it marked on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and pronunciation — the same four criteria the examiner uses.
Common questions
How long should Part 1 answers be?
Two or three sentences. Part 1 is a warm-up and one-word answers stall the conversation, but a ninety-second speech on your home town is the wrong length too — the examiner has a list of questions to get through.
How long does Part 1 last?
Four to five minutes, covering three familiar topics. Your identity is checked first, then the questions start.
Can I ask the examiner to repeat a question?
Yes, and it costs you nothing. Asking for a repeat is normal conversational English; guessing at a question you misheard and answering the wrong one is far more damaging.
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.