IELTS Speaking Questions: Politeness
Politeness questions in Part 1 ask about your own habits and upbringing: how you greet people, who taught you manners, what you do on public transport, and what annoys you. A direct answer with one small, real example sounds natural; avoid listing rules of etiquette.
Part 3 asks why manners matter, how they differ between cultures and generations, and what messaging and online life have done to them. Prepare one clear opinion on whether politeness is learned or natural, with an example from a situation you have seen, 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.
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Do you think you are a polite person?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then give one example.
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What do people in your country say or do to greet each other politely?
How to extend itName one phrase or gesture, then when it is used.
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Who taught you good manners when you were young?
How to extend itName a person, then one rule they taught.
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Is saying thank you important in your culture?
How to extend itGive a view, then one example of when it matters.
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How do you show respect to older people?
How to extend itDescribe one habit, then explain why it matters.
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Do you give up your seat to others on public transport?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then explain when you would.
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Do you find it annoying when people are impolite?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then describe one example.
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Have you ever had to be polite when you did not want to?
How to extend itSay yes or no, then describe the situation.
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Are people more polite in small towns or big cities?
How to extend itPick one, then give a short reason from daily life.
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Are young people in your country as polite as their grandparents were?
How to extend itGive a view, then suggest one likely cause for it.
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What manners would you teach to a child?
How to extend itName one rule, then explain why it matters.
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Is there a custom of politeness from another country that you like?
How to extend itName it, then explain what you like about it.
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.
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Why is politeness important in everyday life?
How to structure itGive one reason, then support it with an example.
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Do you think manners are the same in every culture?
How to structure itState a view, then give one contrasting example.
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Is politeness more important at work than among friends?
How to structure itCompare the two settings, then say which matters more.
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How has politeness changed because of mobile phones and messaging?
How to structure itName the main change, then one concrete effect.
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Should schools teach manners as a subject?
How to structure itTake a position, then concede one practical concern.
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Can being too polite ever cause problems?
How to structure itTake a side, then support it with an example.
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Why do some people behave rudely online but politely in person?
How to structure itGive one likely reason, then a consequence.
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Do older and younger generations have different ideas about respect?
How to structure itCompare the two groups, then suggest a reason.
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How can visitors avoid offending people in a foreign country?
How to structure itName one method, then explain why it helps.
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Will good manners become less important in the future?
How to structure itPredict a trend, then explain what drives it.
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 time you helped someone Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
- Describe an interesting conversation you had Part 2 cue card, with the one-minute prep timer
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.
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