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IELTS Speaking Part 1

Collecting things: Part 1 questions and answers

Real Part 1 questions about collecting things, as candidates reported them. Play each one, answer it out loud, then open a short Band 7 reply to compare.

Today's topicCollecting things

  • 4–5 minthe whole part
  • ~12questions
  • ~20 seach answer

Answer, add a reason or an example, then stop. The examiner moves on fast, so short and real wins.

Reported in September 2026

Question 1: Do you collect things?

Yes/no questionDon't stop at yes or no. Say why.

Think of yours first, then see a Band 7 replyHide the reply

AnswerYes, a little. WhyI collect postcards, especially the nice ones I find in small bookshops, because they’re small and easy to carry. ExampleLast summer in Gdańsk, I picked up one with a old lighthouse on it, and it was a nice souvenir.

Why it's a Band 7

  1. picked up one with a old lighthouse Strength: this phrasal verb adds clear personal detail.
  2. a old lighthouse A common spoken slip: an old lighthouse is correct.
  3. the nice ones A vague word: illustrated postcards would be more precise.

About 17 seconds to say. Part 1 answers sit around 10 to 25.

Question 2: Are there any things you have kept from your childhood?

About the pastUse the past: I used to, I remember…

Think of yours first, then see a Band 7 replyHide the reply

AnswerYes, I have. WhyI’ve held on to a small wooden puzzle from primary school because my sister and I use to play with it after dinner. ExampleIt’s a bit scratched now, but it stays in my desk drawer, beside my school photos, with some other things.

Why it's a Band 7

  1. held on to a small wooden puzzle Strength: this phrase clearly describes keeping a childhood object.
  2. my sister and I use to play A common spoken slip: my sister and I used to play is correct.
  3. some other things A vague phrase: old school items would be more precise.

About 18 seconds to say. Part 1 answers sit around 10 to 25.

Question 3: Where do you usually keep the things you collect?

Open questionAnswer it, then add one detail.

Think of yours first, then see a Band 7 replyHide the reply

AnswerI keep them in a box under my bed, a fabric box. WhyI mean, it stops my room to get messy, and the box is easy to pull out. ExampleEvery few months I sort through the tickets and maps, usually when I’m tidying up on Sunday.

Why it's a Band 7

  1. sort through the tickets and maps Strength: sort through is a natural phrase for checking a collection.
  2. a box under my bed, a fabric box The speaker restarts to add a detail, which sounds natural but less smooth.
  3. it stops my room to get messy A small slip: it stops my room getting messy is correct.

About 18 seconds to say. Part 1 answers sit around 10 to 25.

Question 4: Do you usually keep old things, or do you throw them away?

This or thatPick one and say why.

Think of yours first, then see a Band 7 replyHide the reply

AnswerI usually keep old things rather than throw them away, Whybecause there’s a few objects that still feel personal to me. ExampleFor example, I’ve kept a cinema ticket from my first date, and I still keep it inside my wallet.

Why it's a Band 7

  1. throw them away Strength: this phrasal verb answers the choice directly.
  2. there’s a few objects A common spoken slip: there are a few objects is correct.
  3. old things A vague phrase: personal keepsakes would be more precise.
  4. kept a cinema ticket from my first date, and I still keep The word keep is repeated in a natural spoken way.

About 16 seconds to say. Part 1 answers sit around 10 to 25.

Question 5: Have you ever collected coins?

Yes/no questionDon't stop at yes or no. Say why.

Think of yours first, then see a Band 7 replyHide the reply

AnswerNo, I haven’t, actually. WhyI’ve never really collected coins, mainly because coins don’t really interest me, and I find them a bit boring. ExampleI once came across a Polish coin from 1990s at my aunt’s house, but I left it there.

Why it's a Band 7

  1. came across a Polish coin Strength: this phrasal verb makes the personal example vivid.
  2. never really collected coins, mainly because coins don’t really interest me The word really is repeated in a natural spoken way.
  3. a bit boring A vague description: uninteresting to me would be more precise.
  4. from 1990s A missing article: from the 1990s is correct.

About 16 seconds to say. Part 1 answers sit around 10 to 25.

Phrases to borrow

pick something up

/ˌpɪk səmθɪŋ ˈʌp/

get or buy something casually

I picked up a useful guide at the station.

hold on to something

/ˌhəʊld ɒn tə ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

keep something instead of getting rid of it

She held on to her old school uniform.

tidy something up

/ˈtaɪdi səmθɪŋ ˈʌp/

make a place neat

I found my keys while tidying up.

throw something away

/ˌθrəʊ səmθɪŋ əˈweɪ/

put something in the rubbish

Please throw the empty boxes away.

come across something

/ˌkʌm əˈkrɒs səmθɪŋ/

find something unexpectedly

I came across an interesting photograph yesterday.

Fill the gap

Which phrase fits?

Phrases from the answers above. Pick the one that belongs in the gap.

Your turn: answer the examiner

Have you ever collected coins?

Answer, add a reason or an example, then stop: about 20 seconds. Nothing is uploaded.

Want a band score?Sign in free, answer the examiner's Part 1 questions out loud and get one thing to fix.

Practise Part 1

More Part 1 topics

Each question with a short Band 7 reply.

How the IELTS Speaking test works