IELTS Speaking Lesson about Parties
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Table of Contents
When do people have a party in your country?
- Birthdays
- Graduations
- Retirement
- Anniversaries (e.g. of weddings)
Weddings
- Engagement (when you decide to get married)
- Bridal shower (party for bride and friends)
- Stag do (party for groom and friends)
- Hen do (another party for bride and friends)
- Wedding reception (party on the wedding day)
Company events
- Networking
- Product launches
Cultural / religious parties
- Christmas
- Eid
- Ramadan
- Diwali
- Nowruz
- Yom Kippur
- Lunar New Year
National celebrations
- Independence Day
- Coronations
International days
- Woman’s day
- Teacher’s day
- Children’s day
Here is a simple presentation of different types of parties
IELTS Speaking Vocabulary: Parties
1. To celebrate (v.) /ˈsel.ə.breɪt/
= to acknowledge a special moment with an enjoyable activity
- To celebrate something
- To celebrate someone
Let’s celebrate your birthday in style.
I’d like to celebrate Sarah for all her hard work.
Note: ‘Celebrate’ is often used in the passive
(Passive) = To be + past participle
We celebrate Christmas in England [Active]
👉 Christmas is widely celebrated in England [Passive]
We eat fish and chips a lot in England [Active]
👉 Fish and chips is eaten a lot in England [Passive]
2. A celebration (n.) /ˌ sel.əˈbreɪ.ʃən/
- To organise a celebration
- To hold a celebration
- To join in a celebration
Your new promotion calls for a celebration!
- To host a party = to be the host, inviting people to the party
- To throw a party
Similar words
- Festivity (n.) (usually plural – festivities)
3. To cater (v.) /ˈkeɪ.tər/
= to provide food for an event
We need a company to cater for/at the party.
The catering (n. U.) /ˈkeɪ.tər.ɪŋ/
Who did the catering at your party?
The catering at the party was great.
4. To catch up with someone (v.)
= to chat with someone to learn what has happened in their life
I caught up with my friends at the party.
Similar words (meaning to talk to people at a party)
- To mingle = to mix and talk to people
- To socialise
- To make small talk
I mingled with lots of interesting people last night.
I love to socialise at parties.
I made lots of small talk whilst mingling.
Listening Activity
Listen to Tom and Emily talking about a recent party they went to.
1) Who liked the party the most?
Click the arrow to see the answer
Tom
2) Listen to the conversation again. Fill the gaps with ONE missing
word you hear.
1. Go with the _______
2. He really went to ________
3. I could _______ hear myself think
4. The catering was ________
5. Standing ________ in the corner
6. Trying to avoid small _______
Click the arrow to see the answer
1. Go with the flow = let things happen
2. He really went to town = to make a big effort
3. I could barely hear myself think. = hardly
4. The catering was top-notch = very good
5. Standing awkwardly in the corner = not comfortably
6. Trying to avoid small talk = chit chat = talking about everyday things
(e.g. the weather)
3) Listen to the conversation again, and read the script.
Full Script
Click the arrow to see the answer
Tom and Emily Talk About a Party
Tom: That party last night was amazing! I had such a great time. The
music was fantastic, and everyone was in such a good mood (=feeling
positive and happy)
Emily: Hmm… I wouldn’t say it was amazing. It was loud, crowded, and
exhausting. I don’t know how you enjoy these things so much.
Tom: Come on, Emily! It was fun. You just need to chill and go with the
flow (=let things happen) Plus, it was a special occasion—Mark’s
birthday. He put a lot of effort into organising it.
Emily: I know, he really went to town (=make a big effort) and I
appreciate that. I was happy to celebrate with him, but do we really
need to have a hundred people squeezed into one room with music
blasting? I could barely hear myself think!
Tom: That’s what makes it great! Everyone was chatting, dancing,
laughing. I caught up with so many old friends. And did you see the
food? The catering was top-notch (= the food and service were very
good)
Emily: I did see the food. That was probably the best part—those little
canapés were delicious. But I barely spoke to anyone. It felt like every
conversation was just people shouting over the music.
Tom: Oh, you’re impossible! You just have to embrace the chaos.
Parties are all about energy, meeting new people, and making
memories.
Emily: Or standing awkwardly (=uncomfortably) in the corner, trying to
avoid small talk. But I have to admit, Mark seemed really happy, and
the cake was incredible.
Tom: Exactly! So, deep down, you had a tiny bit of fun, right?
Emily: Hmm… maybe just a little. But next time, can we go somewhere
quieter?
IELTS Speaking Idioms: Parties
Can you guess these idioms?
Click the arrow to see the answer
1. To strike up a conversation
= to start a conversation
I find it hard to strike up a conversation with strangers at parties.
2. To have a blast
= to have a great time
I had a blast at their wedding.
Similar Idioms
- To have a ball
I had a ball last night at Jane’s party.
- To have a whale of a time
You should come to my party tomorrow, you’ll have a whale of a time!
- To have the time of your life
I had the time of my life at your party.
3. To be in full swing
= to be at the most active moment
The party was in full swing when we arrived.
Pronunciation Files For Vocabulary From My Best Live Lessons
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