# What is your favourite place to visit? IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 1 - Places

What is your favourite place to visit?

Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo.

## Band 6 sample

My favourite place to visit is my grandparents village. It is around four hours from my city by bus and it is located near the mountains. I usually go there in the summer holiday or during the festival. I like this place because the air is very fresh and there is not much traffic like in the city. Also my grandmother cook very tasty food and I can relax without thinking about my study. In the evening I walk with my cousins near the river and we talk about many things. I wish I can visit there more often, but nowadays I am too busy.

**Examiner notes.** This answer gives a clear choice with location, timing, reasons and a typical activity, so it is relevant and well extended. Linking is simple ("Also", "and", "but"), and descriptions like "very fresh" and "very tasty food" are general. Errors such as "my grandparents village", "my grandmother cook", "I wish I can" and "visit there" are noticeable but don't block meaning. For Band 7, the speaker would use more vivid descriptions like "a slower pace of life" and control possessives and verb forms.

## Band 7 sample

I'd say it's a lake about two hours north of my city. My friends and I discovered it by chance a few years ago when we took a wrong turn on a road trip, and we've been going back ever since. It's not a famous tourist spot, so even at weekends it's fairly peaceful, and there's a small guesthouse where the owner now recognises us. We usually hire a boat in the morning and then spend the afternoon just reading or chatting by the water. It's the kind of place where you completely lose track of time, which is exactly what I need when work gets hectic.

**Examiner notes.** This answer tells a brief story of how the place was found ("we took a wrong turn on a road trip") and then explains why the speaker keeps going back. Phrases such as "by chance", "lose track of time" and "when work gets hectic" are natural and accurate, and relative clauses are used well. The description of the lake itself stays fairly general ("fairly peaceful"). For Band 8, the speaker would add more precise sensory detail and reflect more deeply on what the place means to them.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/what-is-your-favourite-place).

## More Part 1 questions on this topic

1. Do you prefer visiting places in the city or in the countryside?
2. How often do you travel to new places?
3. Who do you usually go with when you visit somewhere?
4. Is there anywhere you would like to visit in the future?

## Common questions

### How long should an IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?

You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes; the examiner stops you at two. Aim to keep talking for the full time, which is usually 220 to 300 words.

### Can I use these sample answers in my test?

No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and a learned script is marked down. Use the samples to see what each band does, then answer in your own words.