IELTS Speaking part 1 | Public transportation

This question depends a lot on where you live and how developed the public transportation is, but most places will have buses.

Think about the following –

1. Do you use buses or subway?
2. Do you use public transportation at all?

Examples

• I always take the bus to university as it is the most convenient. There is a subway, but the line does not go as far as my university. The government plans to extend it in the future, however, by that time I will have graduated. I usually get up early in the mornings so that I can beat the rush hour so that the buses are not so crowded.
• Actually, I rarely use public transport as I use a bike. It can be a bit cold in the winter but it’s great in the summer. My office is about a 30 minute bike ride so it’s not too far. Using a bicycle is far more convenient as the traffic is a nightmare in my city and at rush hour it is difficult to even get on a bus.

If you live a long way from where you study, you may take a number of different kinds of transport. If your journey is a long one, then maybe personal transport is probably the answer.

Think about these questions –

1. Do you live a long way from work or your place of study?
2. Do you prefer to use private transport because it is more convenient?

Examples

• As I mentioned, I take a bus every day to go to university. There are plenty of buses at rush hour, but they can be a bit busy so sometimes you can’t get on.
•  Usually, I only take the bus if I am going out somewhere. As I mentioned I usually use a bike but if I am going out then buses are the best option. If I have a few beers I can’t ride my bike and also I can’t exactly wear my good clothes as I would most probably be sweating by the time I get to where I am going.

This depends on the distance of your commute to work, university, or school and how much traffic is on the road if taking a bus. Subway is usually a faster option, but you may not have one in your city.

Think about these questions –

1. Does your city have a lot of traffic congestion?
2. Is public transportation reliable?
3. Is public transport very busy at rush hour?

Examples

• My university is quite a long way from where I live, and it is a about 1.5 hours each way so I would say about three hours in total. If the weather is bad, then it will take longer and could add another hour onto the commute. If I am lucky, sometimes I can get a lift from my uncle as he needs to travel for business sometimes, so he uses his car which is much quicker.
• Usually, I only travel about 1 hour per day. It takes roughly 30 minutes to get to my office on my bike and the same for the return journey. However, if the weather is bad in the winter then I will take a bus, and this usually takes about an hour as there are a lot of traffic jams at rush hour. The buses are not very reliable either, so if I miss one I may have to wait half an hour for another.

Depending on where you live trains may be the best option. However, if you live in a very large country, then aeroplanes will be the fastest option.

Take a look at these questions –

1. Which of two is most relaxing?
2. Which is the most convenient?
3. Which is the fastest?

Examples

• Obviously, the plane is faster than a train, especially if you are travelling long distances or overseas. In my country the airport is quite a distance away, but the train station is located in the city centre, so it’s convenient. We also have a high-speed train network, so it has reduced journey times considerably. In fact, by the time you travel to the airport, check-in, get to your destination and take a taxi the journey can sometimes take longer by plane.
• Firstly, the cost is the major difference. Air tickets are more expensive but taking the plane can reduce the journey time considerably. In my country the trains are slow and usually very crowded, so it is not usually a pleasurable experience. You can take overnight trains and pay extra to get a sleeper car which I have done a few times which makes the journey more comfortable and when you reach your destination you are refreshed after a night’s sleep. You can enjoy the scenery on train as you can see everything out of the window which you can’t always do on a plane if you have an aisle seat.