IELTS Speaking Part 1: Fixing and Making Things
Fixing and making things (DIY)
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🛠️ IELTS Speaking Part 1: Fixing & Making Things
Unit: DIY Workshop • Estimated time: 25 minutes
📋 How to use this lesson
For teachers:
Give students 10 minutes for Module 1 and 15 minutes for Module 2.
Listen to their recordings and check if they use the unit words correctly.
For learners:
First, review the 10 words and 3 speaking patterns in Module 1.
Next, record your own voice for all 8 questions in Module 2 and open the model answers.
Vocabulary & Sentence Patterns
Learn essential DIY words and simple sentence patterns to talk about making and fixing things.
10 Key Unit Words
Part A: Word Check
1. Which tool do you use to turn screws into wood?
2. Water is dripping from the kitchen pipe onto the floor. There is a ___.
3. Before I buy a new desk, I always use a ruler to ___ the room.
4. I need to make a small ___ in the wall to hang this heavy mirror.
5. Use some strong sticky ___ to close the cardboard box.
Part B: Common Word Pairs (Matching)
Match each DIY word pair with its meaning.
6. What does fix a leak mean?
7. What does hammer a nail mean?
8. What does drill a hole mean?
9. What does measure the wall mean?
Part C: 3 Useful Sentence Patterns
Use these friendly sentence structures when you talk about fixing things.
"I ... by myself."
Example: "I painted my small bedroom by myself last summer."
Why this works: It shows you did an entire job alone without extra help.
"We help each other with ..."
Example: "My brother and I help each other with washing the family car."
Why this works: It clearly explains how two or more people share tasks.
"When something breaks, I usually ..."
Example: "When a plate breaks in the kitchen, I usually sweep the floor and buy a new one."
Why this works: It helps you describe your normal habit step-by-step.
IELTS Speaking Part 1 Questions
Answer 8 real speaking questions by recording your voice.
Do you like to fix things yourself, or do you ask somebody for help?
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Well, I usually try to fix small things by myself, like a loose chair. But if it's too tricky, I ask my dad for help because he is much better at it."
try to fix: try to fix something
too tricky: too hard or difficult to do
ask my dad for help: ask my father to help me
much better at it: knows more about fixing things
What was the last thing you made with your hands?
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Um, last weekend I made a wooden birdhouse with my little brother. It was quite simple, but we took our time and painted it blue. It looks really nice in our garden."
quite simple: not complicated
took our time: did not rush the job
painted it blue: added color with a brush
looks really nice: looks pretty
Who in your family is good at fixing things?
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Actually, my uncle is great at fixing almost anything. When something stops working, he comes over with his big toolbox and sorts it out in ten minutes."
great at fixing: very good at fixing things
stops working: breaks down
comes over: visits our home
sorts it out: solves the problem quickly
Which tools do you have at home?
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"We keep a basic tool set under the stairs. It has a small hammer, two screwdrivers, and some tape. They're handy to have when we need to do quick jobs around the house."
basic tool set: simple collection of tools
handy to have: useful to keep at home
do quick jobs: do small jobs to fix things
Have you ever hurt yourself when you were working at home?
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Yes, once I accidentally hit my left thumb with a hammer. It hurt a lot, so I had to put some ice on it and take a break for an hour."
hurt a lot: it was very painful
put some ice on it: put something cold on the hurt place
take a break: pause working and rest
Do you and your family help each other with jobs at home?
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Yes, definitely. On Saturdays, we share the chores. My sister and I clean the kitchen, while my parents take care of the garden. It is much easier when we work as a team."
share the chores: each person does some jobs at home
clean the kitchen: wash and tidy up the room
take care of: look after
work as a team: help each other together
Would you like to learn to build a small table by yourself?
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Well, I'd really love that. I think it would be fun to try, and I could follow a video guide online. It would give me confidence to make other furniture too."
fun to try: enjoyable to test out
follow a video guide: watch steps on the internet
give me confidence: make me feel I can do it
What do you do when something in your home breaks?
[Bài tập luyện nói]
"Um, first I take a close look to see if it's an easy fix. If I can't repair it, I usually call a repair person or buy a replacement so we don't worry about it."
take a close look: look at it carefully
easy fix: something very simple to repair
call a repair person: phone someone who fixes things
worry about it: feel afraid that something is wrong
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