IELTS Speaking Lesson about Books
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In the IELTS Speaking test, you may asked about books in Part 1 for example, whether you like reading and what kind of books you read, or in Part 2 for example, a book you recently read and liked.
In this IELTS Speaking lesson on the topic of books, you will learn how to describe books, and discuss a book you recently read.
Table of Contents
IELTS vocabulary: Books
It is essential to build your vocabulary and also to start activating it.
That means you should try making some phrases with the vocabulary below.
Remember to always learn the collocations of new words.
Literature (n.) = written works (books)
Literacy (n.) = the ability to read and write
Literate (adj.) = able to read and write
Examples:
I am really into English literature
I think it’s really important for young children to become literate
Types of books
Fictional or non-fictional BOOKS
Fictional novels- think of the different genres –
- Crime novels
- Romance
- Thriller – suspense
- Comedy
- Action
- Sci-fi
You could also think of books that have been made into a film
Examples:
I am a big fan of crime novels
I don’t like action films too much, I find them too unrealistic
Non-Fictional BOOKS
- Biographies
- Autobiographies
- Hobbies
- Historical (adj.)
- Personal development = self help
- Books related to your field of work
- Recipe book
- Travel guide
Examples:
I enjoy reading a good auto-biography
I read personal development books now and again
Describing the story
- Plot = storyline
- Setting = background (where – when)
- Characters = people in the story
- Protagonist (main character / hero)
Examples:
This book has a gripping plot
It is set in the middle ages in England
The protagonist is a magician called Merlin
Phrases to describe how we read books
- To skim through books in the bookstore
- To flip through a book
- To leaf through a book
All of these above mean to glance at quickly, not to read in depth.
- A voracious reader
- An avid reader
- A bookworm
All of these mean someone who reads a lot
Describing a book in IELTS Speaking
A heavy read (n) = that book is difficult to read
It’s a good read
This book is easy reading
This book makes easy reading
I could’t put it down
It had me spellbound
It was a gripping novel
I read it from cover to cover
It’s a captivating/great read
It had an intriguing plot
Idiomatic expressions about books
- To turn over a new leaf = to start anew / start something fresh
- I want to get in my boss’s good books = I want to do something to win his/her favour
- She threw the book at me = she told me off very strongly / scolded me for doing something wrong
- Take a leaf out of Mary’s book = learn from Mary (suggesting she is better than you)
Useful vocabulary tools
Great for finding words related to any topic you are studying. Great for expanding your vocabulary on a certain topic.
You put in a word and it gives you real life examples so you can see how to use that word
https://skell.sketchengine.co.uk/run.cgi/skell
You put in a word and it gives you all the words that collocate with it, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and so on. Priceless tool, once you get to used to using it.
More IELTS Speaking Free Lessons
If you liked this lesson, leave a comment below!
There are more lessons you can follow in the links below too.
ART in IELTS Speaking. How to describe different kinds of art, feelings about art, exhibitions and art in education
CHANGE in IELTS Speaking. Learn to talk about personal, professional and global change, and get some tips for IELTS Speaking Part 3
FOOD in IELTS Speaking. Vocabulary and collocations to talk about food, healthy food and cooking.
