Memories

Why do some people have good memories while others just don't?

Why do more people rely on cell phones to memorize things?

Are you good at memorizing things?

Yes, of course. If you can remember things easily and not forget them it can be
very beneficial. Activities such as studying and learning seem much easier, for
example, learning English is much easier if you can remember all the vocabulary
and grammar you learn and how to use it correctly, and if you can recall things
easily it can save you a lot of time instead of having to look up information or ask
someone else if they know. Our memories hold a lot of important information we
use all the time, every day, just to live, so memory is vital.

Have you ever forgotten something that was important?

(Describe a time when you forgot something important – IELTS Speaking

Part 2 )

ANSWER
Today I am going to share with you the time when I forgot something important/ I
(once) borrowed something useful. It happened a few months ago when I had to
attend an important exam for my accounting qualification.

The test strictly required candidates to use black ball point pen to write the paper. I
was sure that morning when I left for the exam that I had put two pens in my
backpack. However, I was not sure of their ink colors. So by the time I reached the
examination hall, I quickly opened my backpack to check. To my surprise, they
were both blue pens.

This could have resulted in my answer booklet being disqualified and I would

have had to re-take the exam. Since the exam was held twice a year only, this
mistake would not only have cost me valuable time but also a lot of money for
the upcoming exams.
In panic, I looked around to see any familiar face to ask for help; however, I did
not see anyone but the examiner. I took a deep breath and decided to ask him if he
had a spare black pen that I could borrow.
Luckily, he did. He was willing to lend me one and did not forget to remind me
about the regulation. I was relieved and ready to sit my exam, thanks to a kind
examiner.

How do you make sure you don’t forget things?

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/5-ways-never-forget-anything-
again.html

Why do people often forget small things?

Daily routine

What is your daily study routine?

Have you ever changed your routine?

Do you think it is important to have a daily routine for your study?

What part of your day do you like best?

TV program

What kinds of TV programs do you often watch?

Do you think kids are watching too much television?

What are the impacts of watching TV programs on children?

What kinds of TV programs do you think should be broadcast more?

Cars

Did you enjoy travelling by car when you were a kid?

What types of cars do you like?

Do you prefer to be a driver or a passenger?

What do you usually do when there is a traffic jam?

Why do you like travelling by car?

What is the farthest place you have travelled to by car?

Do you like to sit in front or back when travelling by car?

When do you travel by car?

Lost and Found

What will you do if you find something lost by others?

Do you report to the police when finding something lost by others? Why?

Have you ever lost things?

Will you post on social media if you lose your item?

Websites

What kinds of websites do you often visit?

What is your favorite website?

Are there any changes about the websites you often visit?

What kinds of websites are popular in your country?

Time management

How do you plan your time in a day?

Is it easy to manage time for you?

When do you find it hard to allocate time?

Do you like being busy?

What is the latest plan that you made?

Street market

What do people usually buy on the street market?

Do you prefer to go shopping in the shopping mall or on the street market?

When was the last time you went to a street market?

Are there any street markets in Vietnam?

What do street markets sell?

What is the difference between street markets and supermarkets?

Do many people go to street markets in your country?

Do you like going to street markets

Mobile phone
What was your first mobile phone?

How often do you use your mobile phone?

Do you often use your mobile phone for texting or calls?

Can you describe your mobile phone?

Will you buy a new one in the future?

How has your mobile phone changed your life?

Sports

Do you like watching sports programs on TV?

Do you like to watch live sports games?

Who do you like to watch sports games with?

What kinds of games do you expect to watch in the future?

What is the difference between watching sports events at home and at the stadium?

Do you like sport?

Do most people in your country like sport?

What sports do you like?

What sports do people in your country like to play?

What was your favourite sport when you were young?

Did you do any sports when you were young?

OLD TOPICS

Weekend

What do other people in your hometown usually do on weekends?

What will you do next weekend?

Did you do anything special last weekend?

What do you usually do on weekends?

Taking photos

Do you like taking photos?

Do you like taking selfies?

What is your favorite family photo?

Do you want to improve your photography skills?

Art

Do you like drawing?

Do you like to go to the gallery?

Did you want to learn more about art?

Did you learn drawing when you were a kid?

Cinema
Did you usually go to the cinema when you were a kid?

Do you usually go to the cinema with your friends?

Do you still enjoy watching the movie you loved as a child?

Do you prefer watching movies at home or at the cinema?

Emails

Do you often send emails?

When would you send emails to others?

Is sending emails popular in Vietnam?

Do you think sending emails will be more or less popular in the future?

Dreams

Can you remember the dreams you had?

Do you share your dreams with others?

Do you think dreams have a special meaning?

Do you want to make your dreams come true?

Mirror

Do you like looking at yourself in the mirror? How often?

Have you ever bought mirrors?

Do you usually take a mirror with you?

Would you use mirrors to decorate your room?

Spending time with others

Do you like talking with people?

How do you like spending time with your friends?

Would you prefer?

What colour makes you feel uncomfortable in your room?

Barbecue

Do Vietnamese people like barbecue?

What kind of food do you like to eat for barbecue?

Would you like to have a barbecue with your family or your friends?

Did you have barbecue when you were a child?

Spending time with others

Do you like talking with people?

How do you like spending time with your friends?

Would you prefer to study alone at home?

Do you remember a time when you needed to cooperate with others?

Mobile apps

What apps have you recently used?

What kinds of apps are you usually interested in?

What was the first app you used?

What kinds of apps would you like to use in the future?

Colours

What is your favorite colour?

What is the colour you dislike? Why?

What colours do your friends like most?

What colour makes you feel uncomfortable in your room?

Weather

What kind of weather do you like most?

What is the weather like in your hometown?

Do you like the weather in your hometown?

Do you prefer dry or wet weather?

Getting lost

Have you ever lost your way?

How can you find your way when you are lost?

Can you read a map when you get lost?

Have you ever helped someone who got lost?

Concentration

Is it difficult for you to stay focused on something?

What do you do to help you concentrate?

What may distract you when you’re trying to stay focused?

When do you need to be focused?

Pets and animals

What is your favorite animal? Why?

What is the most popular animal in Vietnam?

Have you ever had a pet before?

Where do you prefer to keep your pet, indoors or outdoors?

Public garden and parks

Would you like to play in a public garden or park?

What do you like to do when visiting a park?

How have parks changed today compared to the time when you were a kid? Would
you

prefer to play in a personal garden or public garden?

Science

Do you like science?

When did you start to learn about science?

Which science subject is interesting to you?

What kinds of interesting things have you done with science?

Shoes

Do you like buying shoes? How often?

Have you ever bought shoes online?

How much money do you usually spend on shoes?

Which do you prefer, fashionable shoes or comfortable shoes?

Headphones

Do you use headphones?

What type of headphones do you use?

When would you use headphones?

In what conditions, you won’t use headphones?

Handwriting

Do you like handwriting?

Do you think handwriting is important?

Which do you prefer, handwriting or typing?

What are the differences between handwriting and typing?

Home/Accommodation

What kind of housing/accommodation do you live in?

Who do you live with?

How long have you lived there?

What’s the difference between where you are living now and where you have lived
in the past?

Do you plan to live there for a long time?

Which room does your family spend most of the time in?

Are the transport facilities to your home very good?

Do you prefer living in a house or a flat?

What part of your home do you like the most?

Study
Do you still study or work?

What is your area of specialization?

Why did you choose that major?

Do you have anything that you don't like about your study?

Do you like your major? (Why?/Why not?)

What kind of school did you go to as a child?

What was your favourite subject?