Part 1

IELTS Speaking 2021 topic: Farms

Posted on by Jim Davies

Here we go. The new IELTS Speaking 2021 topic: Farms seems to be causing so many of my students difficulty whilst preparing for the speaking section.

About this topic

Just like IELTS Speaking 2021 topic: Museums – this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the topic. Funnily enough, also just like with the topic about museums, this topic gives you another great opportunity to show confidence whilst speaking in Part 1.

Remember that examiners know which topics are tougher to talk about than others, and they will of course consider that when it comes to assessing your performance. If you’re able to speak as confidently about farms as you are your family, then the chances are you’re all set for Part 2 and 3.

As usual in the IELTS Speaking section, there are always a few topics that students need the most help with, read our model answers, have a look at the vocabulary recommend, and of course, enjoy the video 🙂

Model answers

All noteworthy language has been highlighted.

Pay attention to how many structures were reused, too 🙂 Learning complete sentences/structures is a proven way to sound more native-like in any language.

  • Have you ever visited a farm before?

Yeah, back when I was in primary school we went on a school trip to an animal farm. It was pretty cool actually, I got to feed the pigs, watch the cows, n’ all that great stuff. I have quite a few fond memories of it.  

  • Have you ever worked on a farm?

Uhm, no. Unless you consider what I just mentioned as working on a farm, then yeah, sure. Because I’ve lived in major cities throughout my entire life, I haven’t had so many chances to…  

  • Do you like farms? Why / why not?

Yeah, I suppose so. Believe it or not, I absolutely love the smell of them. There’s just something about it that makes me feel alive, y’know? Plus, I reckon it’s necessary to understand where our food comes from and how it’s cultivated, I guess that’s something I’ve always been interested in. 

  • What kinds of farms are common in your country?

Uhm, I’m not sure, really. I guess it’d predominantly be livestock and crops here in the UK. We’ve got plenty of grasslands dedicated to livestock where sheep n’ cows can roam freely and graze… In terms of crops though, I honestly haven’t got a clue. 

  • Are there any farms near where you live?

No, none at all. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m a typical city boy. The nearest farm I know of is a fair drive away, although, if there are any nearby, I haven’t discovered them yet. 

  • When you were younger, did you want to be a farmer? Why / why not?

Not that I remember, no. I always thought that one day I’d become an artist or a teacher, obviously the latter ended up coming into fruition as I’ve been tutoring the IELTS for the past 5-years. 

  • How important is farming?

I reckon it’s absolutely essential. Though most people consider medicine and education the most vital industries within society, I actually believe that farming is the backbone of all other industries. Agriculture should be seen in a different light, rather than unattractive, manual labour, people should realize how noble and crucial it really is. 

Video

coming soon

Vocabulary for Farms

Here is a quick list of some useful vocabulary to use for this topic.

Agriculture (noun) /ˈaɡrəˌkəlCHər/ = the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.

Plantation (noun) /planˈtāSH(ə)n/ = an estate (owned land) on which crops such as coffee, sugar, and tobacco are cultivated by resident labour.
Grassland (noun) /ˈɡrasˌland/ = a large open area of country covered with grass, especially one used for grazing.
Graze (verb) /ɡrāz/ = (of cattle, sheep, etc.) eat grass in a field. 
Cattle (noun) /ˈkadl/ = large animals like cows, domesticated for meat or milk.
Livestock (noun) /ˈlīvˌstäk/ = farm animals regarded as an asset.
Crop/Crops (noun) /kräp/ = a cultivated plant that is grown as food, especially a grain, fruit, or vegetable.
Animal farm = a farm dedicated to animals.
Dairy farm = a farm dedicated to producing milk or dairy products.
Rice paddy = a wet farm dedicated to producing rice.
Organic farm = a farm that uses organic farming methods, which basically means, no chemicals, GMO crops, additives, and is as natural as possible.
Wheat/corn/name of crop farm = a farm dedicated to producing wheat/corn/crops.
Cultivate (verb) /ˈkəltəˌvāt/ = to raise or grow (plants or livestock), especially on a large scale for commercial purposes.
Harvest (verb) /ˈhärvəst/ = to gather (a crop) as a harvest /or/ catch or kill (livestock) for human consumption or use.
Harvest can also be a noun that means the ‘period’ when crops or livestock are ready to harvest. 
Tend (verb) /tend/ = to tend means you look after something, for example, the farmer tends to his crops every morning.
Plow/Plough (verb) /plou/ = to turn up the earth of (an area of land) with a plow, especially before sowing seeds.
Sow (verb) /sō/ = to plant (seeds) by scattering it on or in the earth. To plant the seeds of (a plant or crop).
Fertile land (common collocation) /ˈfərdl/ = land that plants will grow well.
Mechanised farming/agriculture (common collocation) /ˈmekəˌnīz/ = the process of using agricultural machinery to mechanise the work.
Industrial farming (common collocation) = the industrialization of farming, it basically means, to produce large quantities of food capable of feeding large numbers of people.
Keep in mind that there are plenty of other ‘farming terms’ that I haven’t listed here, they honestly aren’t necessary to learn for your speaking section.
For example, Permaculture (self-sustained farming), Horticulture (garden farming), Floriculture (flower farming), Aboriculture (tree farming), Fungiculture (mushroom farming),

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