Mark Teacher’s Free Weekly IELTS Newsletter
Week 9: Celebrities
IELTS Warm-up Questions: Celebrities
Warm-up Questions:
- Who are some famous people in your country?
- Did you want to be famous when you were growing up?
- Do you think that YouTube / Internet stars should be called ‘celebrities’? Why or why not?
Get the IELTS Newsletter every week!
I’ve chosen the topic of Celebrities & Famous People because we’re going to continue talking about Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking test.
In Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking test, the examiner will give you a cue card.
The cue cards are usually about 1 of 5 different topics:
- Describe a person ← We’re going to talk about this one.
- Describe an experience / situation
- Describe an object / thing / item / product
- Describe a future dream or wish ← AND this one too
- Describe a place
Watch my example answer below about ‘A celebrity you would like to meet.’
If you want to download the transcript for this Sample Answer – you can download it here: https://markteacher.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Part2CelebritiesTranscript.docx
“I can never think of any ideas.”
“I don’t know how to describe something for 2 minutes.”
Does this sound like you?
If you’re struggling with vocabulary and ideas for your IELTS Speaking answers, you can find HUNDREDS more high-band example answers (written and recorded by me) to help you tackle any IELTS Speaking Topic you might encounter.
This week in fact, I’ve just uploaded the 200th example answer to the library! With hundreds more to come!
Get lifetime access to my IELTS Answer Library on Udemy for just $10.00 (that’s 50% off for Newsletter Subscribers only!)
>>> http://bit.ly/IELTSVOCAB <<< Click here if the picture link doesn’t work.
IELTS Grammar Lesson
Let’s breakdown some of the language, grammar and sentence patterns I used in this video to describe why I would like to meet Sir David Attenborough and what we would do together.
Would – Hypothetical Situations
‘Hypothetical’ means ‘imaginary’ or ‘not actually true’. To talk about Future Dreams and Wishes, but they are not true, you should use hypothetical language.
‘Would’ is the hypothetical version of ‘will’.
You need to use ‘would’ before every main verb.
So when you’re imagining meeting your favourite sports star, movie star or pop star, use ‘would’ to tell the examiner that this is just in your imagination.
The grammar structure is simple:
Subject + would / could + bare infinitive verb
In my example answer, I used 3 sentences with ‘would’.
- One foreign celebrity that I would love to meet is a famous British man called Sir David Attenborough.
- I’m sure he would have lots of fascinating and incredible stories
- So I’m sure he could answer any questions that I would have about virtually any animal.
Did you spot the hypothetical version of ‘can’?
Could!
The 2nd Conditional
When you feel comfortable with ‘would’, it’s actually very easy to introduce the 2nd conditional, especially at the end of your Part 2 answer.
Here’s the grammar structure:
- [If / When + subject + past tense verb] , [sub./ obj./ pronoun + would / could + bare infinitive verb]
One of my favourite structures to use at the end of ANY Part 2 answer is:
-
“If I had the chance…”
‘If I had the chance’ really means ‘If my dream came true’. It also means that you think it’s unlikely that it will actually happen.
- If I had the chance, I would love to sing a song with Taylor Swift.
- If I had the chance, I would ask Warren Buffet for some business advice.
- If I had the chance, I would love to play football with Lionel Messi.
This is why it’s ideal for talking about famous people because it’s unlikely you will meet them in person. (Sorry!) In my answer, I said:
- If I had the chance to even take a selfie with him or shake his hand, I would absolutely love to do it
What if I’m talking about a realistic / normal situation?
Good question! You can use the 1st conditional. You just need a few changes:
1st Conditional – If I have the chance, I will cook dinner with my friend soon.
2nd Conditional – If I had the chance, I would ask Queen Elizabeth II for a selfie!
Loving the Grammar Lesson? You can find even deeper explanations, examples, practice exercises and more about the 2nd Conditional in the Complete Edition of my IELTS Speaking eBook.
…
IELTS Vocabulary and Levelled Reading
Read these 3 levels of about ‘Celebrities’. Every level becomes more difficult but every level has the same meaning. The new words are highlighted, so if you don’t understand a word in Level 2, look back at Level 1 to find the easier synonym! This is a great way to learn new vocabulary!
Level 1: Beginner Level 2: Intermediate Level 3: Advanced
IELTS Question #1: How to people become famous?
- Level 1: I suppose most people can become famous if they have a special talent. Singers, for example, become famous through their popular songs, while athletes become famous due to their athletic skills. Nowadays, however, the Internet has started creating a new type of celebrity that’s mainly about being popular and having an energetic personality and nothing else. So I think, nowadays there are more ways that people can become famous than 20 years ago.
- Level 2: I suppose most people can find fame if they have a special talent. Singers, for example, become well-known through their popular songs, while athletes become famous thanks to their athletic prowess. Nowadays, however, the Internet has started creating a new type of celebrity that’s mainly based on popularity and having an energetic personality and nothing else. So I think, nowadays there are more ways that people can become famous than 20 years ago.
- Level 3: I suppose most people can find fame provided that they have a special talent. Singers, for example, become well-known through their chart-topping songs, while athletes become rise or fame thanks to their athletic prowess. Nowadays, however, the Internet has started creating a new type of celebrity that’s mainly based on popularity and having a zany personality and nothing else. So I think, nowadays there are more ways that people can become famous compared to a decade or two ago.
IELTS Question #2: What are the advantages and disadvantages of being famous?
- Level 1: For the advantages, I think celebrities can have very luxurious lifestyles because they make a lot of money so they can visit interesting places, eat at the best restaurants and spend time with the biggest celebrities. But there is very little privacy for celebrities because the paparazzi often follow them, and fans want to know every single detail about their favourite stars. So I think there are some main advantages and disadvantages.
- Level 2: In terms of advantages, I think celebrities can have very luxurious lifestyles because they earn a lot of money, so they can visit interesting places, eat at the best restaurants and hang out with the biggest celebrities. On the other hand, there is very little privacy for celebrities because the paparazzi often follow them, and fans want to know everything about their favourite stars. So I think there are some main advantages and disadvantages.
- Level 3: In terms of advantages, I think celebrities can lead luxurious lifestyles because they earn a lot of money so they can visit exotic places, eat at the finest restaurants, and hang out with other A-listers. On the other hand, there is very little privacy for celebrities because the paparazzi often hound them, and fans want to know every single detail about their favourite stars. So I think those are the two main advantages and disadvantages.
Links and Resources
You can find even more IELTS-appropriate vocabulary, collocations and phrases about Fame and Celebrities here:
Wonderopolis.com has an awesome article full of collocations, vocabulary and idioms about “How Do You Become Famous?” It even gives you the definition of difficult words, such as “Viral” , “Fickle”, and “Fleeting.” Give it a read!
IELTS Practice Questions
Putting it all together:
Try these Part 2 and 3 IELTS Questions all about Fame and Celebrities!
Part 2 Questions about Future Wishes and Dreams
- Describe a foreign celebrity you want to meet in person. You should say:
- Who this person is
- How you know about this person
- What this person does
- And say why you want to meet this person.
- Describe a trip you would like to go on in the future. You should say:
- Where you would like to go
- How you would travel
- Who you would go with
- And say why you would like to take this trip
- Describe a book you would like to write. You should say:
- When you had this idea
- What kind of book you want to write
- What the book will be about
- And say why you want to write this book.
Part 3 Questions
- What sorts of people become famous in your country?
- How do people become famous?
- Are there any differences between the people who were famous in the past (20 – 30 years ago) and the people who are famous today?
- What qualities to famous people have in common?
- Do you think famous people ever have a negative influence on ordinary people?