Part 1 — IntroductionQ3/2026Difficulty 3/5

Sleep & daily routine

IELTS Speaking questions reported by recent test-takers, compiled each quarter. Cambridge does not publish the active list, so this is a compilation of reports, not official material.

Questions

Question 145s to speak

Has your routine changed in the last few years?

Model answer

Written by 8020 teachers. Do not memorise it — take the structure and the way ideas are developed, then speak about your own life.

What time do you usually get up? About six thirty on weekdays, without an alarm now, which took years to get to. Later at weekends but not much — maybe seven thirty. Are you a morning person or an evening person? Morning, definitely. I'm useful for about three hours after I wake up and after nine at night I'm not much good to anybody. Do you think you get enough sleep? On weekdays yes, roughly seven hours. The problem is that I make it up at weekends instead of being consistent, and I've read that's worse than just sleeping less. Has your daily routine changed in the last few years? A lot. When I worked in an office I got up at five thirty to avoid traffic. Working from home gave me that hour back and I've protected it since — it's the only hour nobody can book.

Vocabulary you can use today

without an alarm now, which took years to get to
giờ không cần báo thức, mất mấy năm mới được vậy
I'm useful for about three hours
tôi làm được việc trong khoảng ba tiếng
not much good to anybody
chẳng giúp được gì cho ai — cách nói vui
I make it up at weekends
tôi bù lại vào cuối tuần
gave me that hour back
trả lại cho tôi một tiếng đó
the only hour nobody can book
giờ duy nhất không ai đặt lịch được

Common traps for Vietnamese speakers

Đừng trả lời "I usually get up at 6:30" rồi hết. Thêm một chi tiết ("giờ không cần báo thức nữa") là có ngay câu thứ hai mà không phải cố. Câu "sau chín giờ tối thì chẳng giúp được gì cho ai" là kiểu hài nhẹ, và nó thể hiện điều khiển ngôn ngữ — tính vào điểm từ vựng. Câu cuối "giờ duy nhất không ai đặt lịch được" là ý hay từ chi tiết bình thường. Đó chính là cách nâng Part 1 lên band 7+ mà không cần từ học thuật.

âm cuối /θ/ trong thirty, three, monthâm cuối /d/ trong changed, worked→/t/, protectedâm cuối /z/ trong hours, weekends, years/h/ trong home, hour (KHONG doc /h/ trong hour), hard

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