Please read the full lesson naturally. The term "IELTS" may be new to you, so I think you are likely to pronounce it by spelling separate letters. Actually, it's pronounced as /ˈaɪelts/. You can hear the audio file here at http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/ielts)
IELTS Physical Appearance Vocabulary
During the IELTS Speaking exam you may want to talk about what people look like. This might involve describing their physical appearance or the type of clothes they like to wear.
Part 1-style questions
1. Do you look like any other people in your family?
No … not at all … take my brother for example … he has short cropped hair and has quite a pointed face … he’s also quite fair-skinned compared to me …
2. Tell me about your family.
My father’s getting on a bit … he’s in his 60s … but he looks very young for his age… he still does lots of exercise and is quite well-built …
3. What does your best friend look like?
She’s the same age as me … she has shoulder-length hair … fair hair … she has a slim figure and is medium height …
Part 2-style task
Describe a person whose appearance you like. You should say
• who this person is
• what their relationship is to you
• what they look like
and say what it is about their appearance you like.
OK … I’d like to talk about my aunt … her name’s Marta and she’s quite a character … she’s middle-aged but has a very youthful appearance … she’s a little overweight I suppose but not too much … she has a friendly round face framed by thick blonde hair … she has a lovely complexion and she’s always well-turned out … she actually always looks like she’s going out for the evening to somewhere special … there’s never a hair out of place… I’ve always thought she bears a striking resemblance to someone on TV … I can’t remember the name now … she wears glasses and always seems to have a different pair on every time I see her … I like the way she looks because she wears clothes that are right for her age and manages to look glamorous without it looking like she’s too done up … yes … I’ll be happy if I look like her when I’m her age …
Part 3-style questions
1. Is it important to dress well whenever we go out?
It depends where you’re going … I know some people get done up just to go to the shops … but I don’t see the point … you shouldn’t go out looking scruffy with disheveled hair but I really don’t see the point in getting dressed up to the nines unless you’re going somewhere special …
2. Do people worry too much about their appearance as they get older?
I’m sure they do … yes … but it happens to all of us doesn’t it … we all go grey eventually and get hard of hearing … we start to lose our figure … that’s why plastic surgery is so popular … personally I think we just need to grow old gracefully and not worry too much about how we look …
3. Is attractiveness a quality worthwhile aiming for?
I’d like to say no … it shouldn’t matter what we look like in terms of our physical appearance … but unfortunately it seems women especially are taken more seriously if they are good looking with a slender figure with perfect make up and so on …
Hi Abbott. I waited so long for this lesson to be recorded, but it's worth it. Your voice is so clear and easy to follow. Thank you so much!