Cars & Car trips IELTS Speaking Part 1 topic 2021 September to December

Cars, among other modes of transport, is a common topic in the IELTS Speaking section. Naturally, cars & car trips IELTS Speaking Part 1 topic 2021 September to December should be a fun topic to talk about.

Luckily, this season (September to December 2021) has a couple of transport topics 🙂

Read the full post carefully to see my model answers, possible questions suggested vocabulary, and great English structures you can use in your exam.

For the full list of new topics (September to December 2021), click here!

For the full list of previously used topics (May to August 2021), click here!

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Here are some things to remember when preparing for this topic

• Your driving exam.
• Why do you want to drive?
• The lessons you took.
• Are you still worried about driving?
• What the traffic is like in your area.
• The price of cars.
• Which cars are popular in your country.

 

Some possible questions:

• Do you drive a car?
• How do you feel about driving?
• Have you ever been on a long car journey before?
• What did you like and dislike about it?
• Would you like to learn how to drive?
• How would it affect your life?
• Are cars expensive in your country?
• Do most people in your family drive?
• What worried you the most when you learnt how to drive?
• Are you a confident driver?
• Can you tell me a bit about your car?

 

Model answers

• Do you drive a car?

I do, yeah. I got my driver’s licence back when I was a teenager and I’ve been driving ever since. Besides being behind the wheel, I also ride a motorbike.

• How often do you drive? 

Hmm… It’s hard to say exactly, but not as much as I used to, that’s for sure. Basically, since I’ve lived in Viet Nam, I haven’t gotten behind the wheel of a car, and quite honestly, I wouldn’t want to drive here. I think riding is much more suitable for these narrow roads and chaotic traffic.

• Was it difficult for you to learn how to drive a car? 

From what I remember, it was pretty tough to wrap my head around it at first. My driving instructor almost lost his patience with me after the first few sessions, haha. Thankfully, after a couple more sessions, I managed to get to grips with the fundamentals of driving and got a real sense of how to drive.

• What is the furthest place you have driven to before?

It’d have to be from Manchester to London. It must’ve taken me about 4 or 5-hours to get there one-way. I was a new driver at that time though, so I reckon I could do it in half the time these days 😛 Honestly, that was my first real road trip, and I haven’t driven that far since. Besides that, I’ve done a few tours on my motorbike which were much, much further.

• Do you prefer to sit in the front seats or the back seats of a car? 

If I had to choose between them, I’d probably pick the front seat. Whether it’s in the driver’s seat or the front passenger’s seat. I dunno why but whenever I’m cooped up in the back seats, I get kinda carsick ‘cuz I can’t see what’s in front of us clearly. I never used to get carsick though, just since I’ve been driving myself. Funny, right?

• Would you like to learn how to drive a car? 

(Answers for people who don’t drive) At some point, yeah! Though I have to admit that I’m worried sick about driving myself. I know it’s something we all need to learn one day, but I’m gonna put it off until I feel like I can handle it.

• How would it help you? 

Well, it’d make the journey to university/work a heck-of-a-lot easier, that’s for sure! I’m sick and tired of relying on public transport to go to and from university/work, plus, here in (name of country), the trains/busses/subways are always packed full of commuters.

• Do you think you would like to go on a long car journey?

Yeah, I probably would. Whether I’m driving or not, it’d be great to get out of the house for a few days and hit the road. I haven’t seen much of my country outside of my hometown, so I reckon a road trip would be the best way to soak up the sights and stop by new places.

 

Useful vocabulary

(get or be) Behind the wheel (phrase) = to drive a car/truck/bus.

To wrap my head around sth (idiom) = to understand something that may be challenging or confusing.

To get to grips with sth (phrase) = to begin to deal with something or understand how to do something.

Driving test (noun) = a test people must pass in order to legally drive a car (in most countries, the driving test is done in 2 parts, a theory test and a practical test. Think of the theory test as a paper-based exam that tests a person’s knowledge of road-safety laws, and the practical test like an exam that tests a persons ability to drive in the real world).

Driving instructor (noun) = a person who teaches others how to drive a vehicle.

Driving lessons (noun) = a lesson conducted by a driving instructor, typically an hour or two.

A new driver (noun) = someone who recently passed their driving test.

Carsick (adjective) = to feel sick whilst in a car, you can also be seasick and airsick.

Motion sickness (noun) = another way to say carsick “I have motion sickness” rather than “be/get/feel”

Road trip (noun) = a long journey that is done on roads.

Tour (noun/verb) = a long journey, or to do a long journey.

Driver’s seat (noun) = the seat in a car that the driver sits in.

Passenger’s seat (noun) = the seat in a car that a passenger sits in.

Road signs (noun) = signs on a road that gives drivers information.

Driver’s licence (noun) = a licence required (by law) to drive a car or vehicle legally (American English = License).

Car insurance (noun) = a form of insurance that protects your vehicle against financial loss in case of an accident or theft.

Commute (verb) = to travel from home to work, or from work to home.

Commute (noun) = a regular journey made from home to work, or from work to home (typically possessive; “my daily commute”).

Commuter (noun) = a person who is commuting.

 

Helpful structures

“I’ve been _____ ever since” = I’ve done something since I started it (this is a great structure to use when you talk about your work, for example; “I started tutoring the IELTS back in 2015, and I’ve been tutoring it ever since”).

“Fundamentals of _____” = the basic concept of something.

“A real sense of ______” = a great structure when speaking about your home country, for example; “most people in Viet Nam have a real sense of national pride”.

“It must’ve….” = contraction (like I’ll or she’d) must + have (must’ve) = we use “Must’ve” to express an opinion about a past event that is based on our knowledge of it. It can be difficult to fully understand how and when to use “must + have” so just think of it this way: If you have some knowledge about something that leads you to form the opinion stated.

“I dunno why but” = very similar to “for some reason” and “there’s just something about ______ that _________”. If you are unsure about those 2 structures, check out my other model answers and read about how to use them.

“At some point” = at an unknown or unspecified time (“I’ll get 1,000 subscribers at some point”).

“Do sth in half the time” = to do something twice as fast (to do something 2x faster).

“If I had to choose between them, I’d probably pick….” = my usual response to “Do you prefer A or B” questions in Part 1.

 

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