IELTS Speaking part 1 | Laughing

Some people have a gift of making people laugh sometimes without trying to be funny.

Take a look at these questions –

1. Are you naturally a funny person?
2. How do you make people laugh?
3. Why do you like to make people laugh?

Examples

• I do like to make others laugh because I like to laugh myself. I would say that I have a good sense of humour. I am big fan of stand- up comedy and like to remember jokes told by the comedians and tell them to my friends or colleagues.
• I wouldn’t say that I am a naturally funny person really. I don’t tell other people jokes or anything like that, I can never remember them anyway. However, one thing I like to do is imitate different accents around the world and my friends think that is funny.

Comedian – (n) – UK /kəˈmiː.di.ən US /kəˈmiː.di.ən/ – Comedienne (F)   UK 

 /kəˌmiː.diˈen/ US   /kəˌmiː.diˈen/) – a person whose job is to make people laugh by telling jokes or funny stories

Imitate (v) – UK /ˈɪm.ɪ.teɪt/ US /ˈɪm.ə.teɪt/ – to behave in a similar way to someone or something else, or to copy the speech or behaviour, etc. of someone or something

Think about when you might laugh with friends and what might make you all laugh.

Think about these questions –

1. Were you at a party when you laughed with friends?
2. Did something funny happen at work/school?
3. Were you watching a funny film together?

Examples

• The last time I laughed with my friends was a couple of weeks ago. One of them had a video on her phone that we watched where people were letting their dogs lick a lemon. The looks on those dogs faces were hilarious and we were all in stitches.
• A few weeks ago, I went to visit one of my friends and we watched a film together called Dirty Grandpa.  Without giving away too much of the plot, it is about a grandfather who realises his grandson is making a few incorrect life choices and they take a road trip together. The grandfather has only recently lost his wife, and he passes on his wisdom to his grandson in some very different ways!  It’s hilarious, you should watch it if you get the chance.

Hilarious (adj) – UK /hɪˈleə.ri.əs/ US  /hɪˈler.i.əs/ – extremely funny and causing lots of laughter

Stitches (informal) – something that makes you laugh a lot – has you in stitches

Life choice (collocation) – something you decide to do

Road trip (n) – UK /ˈrəʊd ˌtrɪp/ US /ˈroʊd ˌtrɪp/ – a long trip or holiday taken by car

Not everyone shares the same sense of humour and sometimes humour does not cross cultures. For example, something that may be funny in the U.K. might not be funny in Kuwait

1. Take a look at these questions –
2. Do you think it is important that you and your friends have the same sense of humour?
3. If you don’t think it is important why not?
4. Would it effect your friendship if your friends didn’t laugh at the same things?

Examples

• I think it is important that friends share the same sense of humour. I would find it a little weird if one my friends wasn’t laughing at something everyone else found funny. However, I have watched some western films that are supposed to be funny and couldn’t really understand why people were laughing.
• I think humour is quite different between cultures. What someone may find funny in the U.K. might not be funny in my culture. For example, we have something called ‘cross talk’ in China which I think most westerners wouldn’t understand really although we find it very funny. I know that stand up comedy is popular in western culture, but I don’t really find it funny and those kinds of acts are not popular in China.

Weird (adj) – UK /wɪəd/ US /wɪrd/

Cross talk (Xiangsheng) is a comic dialogue (traditional performing art in China)

Stand-up comedy – (collocation) – an act where the comedian/ienne stands in front of an audience and talks directly to them telling funny stories or jokes

Most people like to watch funny tv shows as in general people like to laugh.

1. What are the tv shows?
2. Why are they funny?
3. What channel are they on?
4. How often do you like to watch them?

Examples

• One of my friends told me about ‘The big bang theory’ a few months ago and I have been watching that. I think the characters are really funny, especially Sheldon. Just looking at him makes me laugh. There are a few main characters in the show, Sheldon and his flatmate Leonard who are both scientists share an apartment and there is also their neighbour Penny. Some of the storylines are so funny, I love watching that show.
• One of the funny tv shows I like to watch is ‘Zabaan Sambhalke’ which means ‘Watch your tongue’ in English. It was made quite a long time ago, but it was really popular in the 90’s and is often repeated on Indian television. It’s about a man called Mohan Bharti who teaches Hindi in a language school. He doesn’t really like his job and often loses his temper with the students. It’s really funny.

Flatmate (n) – UK /ˈflæt.meɪt/ US  /ˈflæt.meɪt/ – a person who shares an apartment with another person

Character (n) – UK /ˈkær.ək.tər/ US  /ˈker.ək.tɚ/ – a person represented in a film, play or story

Repeated (adj) – UK  /rɪˈpiː.tɪd/ US  /rɪˈpiː.t̬ɪd/ – happening again and again