Questions in IELTS speaking section one are usually related to your life. One common question type — one that you’ll find in plenty of on both the IELTS exam and Magoosh IELTS prep — is the likes/dislikes question which asks you about your hobbies and preference. Though the questions are quite simple, you need to vary your language and give complete answers in order to get high scores. Therefore, let’s take a minute to learn how to express likes and dislikes in IELTS speaking!
Common Questions
Study/Work
What is your favorite subject at school?
Do you like your job? Why?
Music/Movies
Do you like to listen to music?
What kind of movie do you like to watch?
Books
What types of books do you dislike reading?
Do you like to read electronic books or paper books?
Shopping
Do you like shopping on the Internet?
Is there anything you don’t like about shopping?
Hobby
What do you usually do in your free time?
Do you like to stay at home or go out with friends at weekends?
Useful Expressions
Try to use various expressions rather than repeat I like… or I don’t like… again and again. There are many other ways to show your likes and dislikes. Let’s take a look at some of them!
Expressing likes:
I love…
I adore…
I enjoy…
I am into…
I am fond of…
I am keen on…
I am a big fan of…
I am crazy about…
I am fascinated by…
Example: I am a big fan of romantic movies.
You can also place adverbs such as quite and really before verbs or adjectives in these expressions to emphasize your likes/dislikes.
Example: I am really crazy about online shopping.
Expressing dislikes:
You can use negative forms of the like expressions to show your dislikes. For instance, I am not into… and I am not a big fan of….
Example: I am not into hanging out with friends at weekends.
The following expressions are also great ways to express dislikes.
I hate…
I can’t stand/bear…
I am tired of…
Example: I can’t stand reading textbooks.
Give Reasons
To complete your answer, you need to list one or two reasons to explain why you like/dislike something.
Let’s take Do you like shopping on the Internet? for example. If your answer is yes, think about how online shopping benefits you.
Example answer:
Yes, I really enjoy shopping online. It is so convenient as I don’t have to step out in the sun, deal with the heavy traffic and carry so many things in my hands. Besides, I can get better prices online because shopping websites offer discounts from time to time.
If your answer is no, think about the advantages of traditional shopping and the disadvantages of online shopping.
Example answer:
No, I am not a big fan of online shopping. The images and descriptions on the website are sometimes misleading. Therefore, I like going to the stores and physically see as well as try the products. This experience helps me to make better decisions. Moreover, online shopping has security risks such as credit card fraud, so I am not that into online shopping.
If the examiner asks your preference between two things, you need to compare them to support your choice. Check out our how to Compare and Contrast in IELTS Speaking to learn more!
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