“Do you like traveling by car?” is one question you might be asked in part one of your IELTS Speaking test.
Let’s take a look at the best way to answer this question. And below you’ll also see 10 good example answers (go straight to the answers here).
What You Can Say About Traveling By Car
If you do enjoy traveling by car, you could talk about:
- Why you like it
- How it compares to other forms of travel (train, plane, coach…)
- If it’s cheaper, easier, more fun…
- Where you’ve traveled to by car in the past
- How often you travel by car
- What you do on a road trip
- If you prefer to be the driver or a passenger
- Problems you face when traveling by car
- Anything else that comes to your mind
If You Don’t Enjoy Traveling By Car
If you don’t like it, you could say:
- Why you don’t like it
- If it’s too slow, uncomfortable, stressful, or boring
- How you prefer to travel, and why
- Where you’ve been to before by car
- What you didn’t enjoy before while traveling by car
- If you would ever travel somewhere by car in future
- If you know someone who enjoys it
- If you used to enjoy it
- Anything else you can think of
Grammar Tip: Use Present Perfect and Past Tense
If you’re asked if you enjoy something, you can easily use the present perfect here to talk about your experience.
For example, “Yes, I enjoy it. I’ve traveled to lots of places by car before…”
And then you can use the past tense to add a little more detail.
“I’ve traveled to lots of places by car before and I always had a great time.”
Here’s another example, “I haven’t traveled much by car before, but I drove to Beijing last summer and, to be honest, I didn’t enjoy it. It took too long and was quite stressful.
Focus on Fluency
Don’t worry about your grammar too much in part one. And don’t worry about your vocabulary either.
The important thing in part one is to focus on fluency; try to speak quickly, without hesitation.
In parts two and three of your test, you can focus more on vocabulary and grammar.
Use the Three-Step YES Method
In your part-one answers, just say:
- Your answer (‘yes, I do’ or ‘no, I don’t)
- Explain your answer (say why you do or don’t enjoy it) or add more details
- Stop talking (wait patiently for the next question)
This YES Method helps you to stop talking.
In part one, your answers should be short and conversational, not really long.
Remember, the examiner has to ask you 10-12 questions in only four or five minutes. That’s not a lot of time.
So keep your answers nice and short. About 10-20 seconds is fine.
Now let’s take a look at 10 good answers to this question.
‘Yes, I Do’ Answers
1. Yes, I do. I enjoy traveling by car because it’s cheaper than other means of transportation, and I have more flexibility and control. I can stop for breaks if I want to.
2. Yes, I’ve always liked road trips. They’re so entertaining. I’ve been to a few other cities around my country by car with my friends. It was always a lot of fun.
3. Yes, I really enjoy driving, and I like driving my car to new places. I haven’t traveled very far by car but I think I’d enjoy a long trip on the road.
4. Yes, I do. In recent years, I’ve been to four countries around Europe and I traveled by car each time. In fact, I think I’ll do it again soon.
5. Yes, I think driving is the best way to travel because you have so much freedom. When you arrive at your destination, you can easily drive anywhere you like to see the sights. You don’t have to spend money on taxis and tour guides.
‘No, I Don’t’ Answers
6. No, I don’t. To tell you the truth, I dislike driving, even over short distances. So I’d hate to drive anywhere far away by car.
7. No, if I go traveling on vacation, I like to catch a plane. It’s so convenient and easy to just fly there. And it’s much faster and more comfortable as well.
8. No, I don’t. I’ve traveled in lots of different ways before, and driving was the worst one. My favorite way to travel is by train because I can relax and read a book and watch the countryside go past the window.
‘Kind Of’ Answers
9. If the journey isn’t too long, then yes, I enjoy going places by car. But it can be really difficult when you go to another country and you have to change to drive on the other side of the road. I don’t enjoy that at all.
10. I suppose it’s good to go on a road trip sometimes as long as you can share the driving with someone else. That way you don’t get too tired.
Your Turn To Try
Now it’s your turn to answer this question.
When practicing for part-one questions, it’s best to record yourself. That way, you can listen afterward and improve upon your answer each time.
So set up your phone’s recorder and ask aloud, “Do you like to travel by car?”
Listen to your answer. Try to notice any mistakes you make and then repeat the process.
This is a good way to prepare for part one of your IELTS Speaking test.