If you’re talking about food in part one of your IELTS Speaking test, then you might be asked, “Do you like chocolate?”
Let’s take a look at how to answer this question for a good band-seven score. This post includes 10 sample answers (go straight to the answers here).
The Easiest Way to Answer
Just say if you do or don’t like chocolate, and then explain why you feel that way. You could talk about:
- How it tastes (smooth, creamy, rich, sugary, soft, crunchy, a treat…)
- What kind of chocolate you prefer (dark, white, milk, ice cream, bars, cake, boxes of chocolates, various kinds of chocolate treats and brands…)
- How often you eat it
- How long you’ve liked chocolate for
- If you liked chocolate when you were younger
- Times of the year when you eat lots of chocolate (Christmas, Easter, birthday parties…)
- What you prefer instead of chocolate
- Why you think it’s unhealthy
- Anything else you can think of
Try Not to Hesitate
Part-one questions are simple, easy questions. Remember that part one is only supposed to be a warm-up.
You can’t get a very high score in part one, so don’t focus too hard on vocabulary or grammar, which could make you hesitate.
Instead, just focus on answering fluently. Answer as smoothly and quickly as you can, using quite simple English, without hesitation.
In parts two and three, you can show off your impressive vocabulary and complex grammar.
Use the Three-Step YES Method
Also, in part one, don’t say too much. Answer with one or two or three sentences, then stop talking.
Remember, the examiner has 10-12 questions to ask you in only four to five minutes. So help them to do their job more easily, and they will appreciate it.
Here’s the YES Method for part-one answers:
- Your answer (say ‘yes, I do’ or ‘no, I don’t’)
- Explain your answer (say why you like it) or add more details
- Stop talking (wait calmly to let the examiner know they can ask you the next question)
Below are 10 good answers to this question about chocolate. Notice how they are not very long, because they don’t need to be.
See if you can borrow some ideas from these examples.
‘Yes, I Do’ Answers
1. Yes, I do. I quite often have a chocolate bar at lunchtime, and every now and then I buy a chocolate cake for dessert at home.
2. Yes, I do. To be honest, I’m a huge fan of dark chocolate. I don’t like chocolate that’s too sweet, but I really like how dark chocolate is a little bit bitter.
3. Oh, I adore chocolate. Actually, I’m a bit of a chocoholic. I’ve always loved chocolate since I was very young. I’m trying to lose weight at the moment, but it’s so hard to resist buying chocolate bars. I love it too much.
4. Yes, I really like white chocolate. When I was a child, my parents would buy me and my siblings chocolate for Christmas and Easter and I always asked for white chocolate. It’s always been my favorite.
5. Yes, I like chocolate because it’s so creamy and tasty, and smooth. My favorite chocolate snack is called Crunchy Bars, which are popular in France. They have crunchy caramel inside.
‘No, I Don’t’ Answers
6. No, to be frank, I don’t like chocolate at all. I think it’s too sweet and unhealthy. I don’t want to put on lots of weight so I avoid sugary snacks like that.
7. No, I don’t. But I used to like chocolate when I was a kid. I remember I would eat chocolate almost every day. But these days, I rarely touch chocolate.
8. No, I hate chocolate and any sweet food made with artificial sugar. I think processed sugar is addicting and terrible for our health. I prefer healthy snacks like fruit.
‘Kind Of’ Answers
9. Well, I suppose I kind of like chocolate. I’m not a very big fan of it, but it’s always nice to have some chocolate cake as a treat after dinner.
10. I used to like chocolate a lot, but these days I only eat chocolate ice cream. I like the flavor, but I rarely eat chocolate bars or snacks.
Now, It’s Your Turn!
Try to answer this question yourself.
Set up a voice recorder and ask yourself aloud, “Do you like chocolate?”
Remember to focus on fluency; just say the first thing that comes into your head. Speak as smoothly as possible, without hesitation.
When you’ve finished answering, listen to your recording, and think of how you could improve your answer.
Then do it again!
Keep repeating this process and soon you’ll be ready for part one of your IELTS Speaking test.
