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IELTS Speaking Part 1

Dreams: Part 1 questions and answers

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

Today's topicDreams

  • 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 August 2026

Question 1: Do you often remember your dreams?

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

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

AnswerUsually, yes. A dream often comes back to me during breakfast, so I write down a few things in my phone, although I usually forget the stuff by lunchtime. ExampleLast Tuesday, it was a crowded market, but I can’t remember what I was buying.

Why it's a Band 7

  1. comes back to me A natural phrase for a memory returning to your mind.
  2. a few things A more precise phrase would be the main images.
  3. in my phone A preposition slip: on my phone is correct.
  4. forget the stuff A plain choice; forget the details would be more precise.

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

Question 2: Have you ever had an interesting dream?

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

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

AnswerYes, I have. WhyI once had a vivid dream about walking through an empty school after dark, and I could hear my old maths teacher calling from the upstairs. It felt quite real, so I woke up feeling bad. ExampleI mean, the strange part was that the building had no doors.

Why it's a Band 7

  1. had a vivid dream This precise collocation describes a clear and realistic dream.
  2. quite real A more precise word would be convincing.
  3. I mean, the strange part This small restart sounds natural but less polished in speech.
  4. from the upstairs An extra word: from upstairs is correct.
  5. feeling bad A plain choice; shaken would be more precise.

About 20 seconds to say. Part 1 answers sit around 10 to 25.

Question 3: Do you think dreams have any meaning?

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

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

AnswerProbably, yes. WhyI think dreams can help me make sense of a worry I’ve been carrying around, although I don’t treat them as predictions. How can I say it, they feel like clues after a stressful week. ExampleLast month, I dreamed about missing an exam before a presentation.

Why it's a Band 7

  1. make sense of a worry This natural phrase shows how the speaker understands a personal feeling.
  2. How can I say it This filler and restart make the answer sound less rehearsed.

About 19 seconds to say. Part 1 answers sit around 10 to 25.

Question 4: Are you interested in other people's dreams?

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

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

AnswerNot particularly. WhyI’m interested when a friend opens up about a strange dream, because the dream might say something about their personal life. ExampleMy cousin once described library dream, and I asked what was happening in her life then. I mean, I don’t usually read dream websites.

Why it's a Band 7

  1. opens up Open up means to talk honestly about private feelings.
  2. a strange dream, because the dream Repeating dream is a small Band 7 limit in spoken English.
  3. I mean, I don’t usually A filler that makes the answer sound unplanned.
  4. described library dream A missing article: described a library dream is correct.

About 19 seconds to say. Part 1 answers sit around 10 to 25.

Phrases to borrow

come back to someone

/kʌm ˈbæk tə ˌsʌmwʌn/

return to someone’s memory

The details came back to me on the bus.

have a vivid dream

/hæv ə ˌvɪvɪd ˈdriːm/

experience a very clear, realistic dream

I had a vivid dream about flying last night.

make sense of something

/meɪk ˈsens əv ˌsʌmθɪŋ/

understand something more clearly

Writing helps me make sense of my feelings.

open up

/ˌəʊpən ˈʌp/

talk honestly about private feelings

It took a few weeks before he opened up to me.

Fill the gap

Which phrase fits?

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

Your turn: answer the examiner

Do you often remember your dreams?

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