IELTS Speaking Questions: The Environment
Environment questions in Part 1 stay personal: your own habits around recycling, energy use, and time spent in nature. A direct answer plus one specific example is enough for this part.
Part 3 turns the same theme abstract and societal, asking about responsibility, policy, and how environmental problems might develop in the future. Prepare two or three real details about your own habits, plus one clear opinion on environmental policy more broadly, rather than a memorised answer.
Part 1 questions
Short, personal, present-tense. Answer the question directly first, then add the one detail the tip suggests — the extension is what separates a one-line answer from a Band 7 one.
-
Do you do anything to protect the environment?
How to extend itName one habit, then how often you do it.
-
Do you recycle at home?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then give a specific example.
-
Is the environment a subject you are interested in?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then give a brief reason.
-
Have you ever visited a natural place you found beautiful?
How to extend itName it, then one sensory detail.
-
Do you try to save water or electricity at home?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then name one habit.
-
Did you learn about the environment at school?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then a brief memory.
-
Is air pollution a problem where you live?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then give a specific example.
-
Do you prefer spending time in nature or in the city?
How to extend itPick one, then give a practical reason.
-
Do you use plastic bags when you shop?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then explain your habit.
-
Have you ever taken part in an environmental activity?
How to extend itName one, then a brief detail about it.
-
Are there many green spaces near where you live?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then give a specific example.
-
Do you talk to friends or family about environmental issues?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then describe a recent example.
Part 3 questions
The same topic, pitched at the abstract level the examiner moves to after your cue card. These want reasoning — a position, a cause, an example, a concession — not a description of your own life.
-
What can individuals do to help protect the environment?
How to structure itGive one action, then a likely effect.
-
Should governments or individuals bear more responsibility for tackling climate change?
How to structure itWeigh both sides, then state which matters more.
-
How has public awareness of environmental issues changed over time?
How to structure itCompare past and present, then give one cause.
-
Do you think environmental problems will get worse in the future?
How to structure itPredict a trend, then explain what drives it.
-
What are the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy?
How to structure itCover both sides, then say which matters more.
-
Should companies be fined more heavily for causing pollution?
How to structure itTake a position, then concede one practical concern.
-
How does economic development affect the environment?
How to structure itName one effect, then a supporting example.
-
Is it fair to ask developing countries to limit their growth for environmental reasons?
How to structure itGive a stance, then weigh it against a counterpoint.
-
How might daily life change if governments act more strongly on climate change?
How to structure itPredict a development, then say what enables it.
-
Do you think young people care more about the environment than older generations?
How to structure itCompare the two groups, then suggest a reason.
Say the answers out loud, then sit the whole test
Reading a question and answering it are different skills. Work through the list above aloud, then put the topic inside a full timed test where you cannot stop to think.
- Describe a natural place you have visited Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
- Describe an animal you find interesting Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
- The environment vocabulary 30 band-graded phrases and a self-test
Part 1, a cue card, then Part 3 — timed, in your browser, about 13 minutes.
One cue card a day on Telegram
A new Part 2 card every morning, a vocabulary topic on Sundays.
Practise this with instant AI feedback
Record your answer in the app and get your grammar, vocabulary, fluency and pronunciation analysed in seconds.
More topics
Celebrations and traditions
Part 1 and Part 3 IELTS Speaking questions on celebrations and traditions, from personal habits to their wider role in society, with a tip for every answer.
Technology and phones
Part 1 and Part 3 IELTS Speaking questions on technology and phones, from daily habits to technology's wider effect on society, with a tip for every answer.
Transport and cities
Part 1 and Part 3 IELTS Speaking questions on transport and cities, from daily commuting habits to urban planning and future transport, with a tip per answer.