A2IELTS-style · Band 4.0Speaking25 min

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Fixing and Making Things

Fixing and making things (DIY)

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Target: 4.0-4.5

🛠️ 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.

Module 1 • Build-Up

Vocabulary & Sentence Patterns

Learn essential DIY words and simple sentence patterns to talk about making and fixing things.

10 Key Unit Words

hammer screwdriver drill tape nail plug hole leak crack measure

Part A: Word Check

1. Which tool do you use to turn screws into wood?

____ a. screwdriver ____ b. tape ____ c. hammer ____ d. plug

2. Water is dripping from the kitchen pipe onto the floor. There is a ___.

____ a. nail ____ b. leak ____ c. drill ____ d. hammer

3. Before I buy a new desk, I always use a ruler to ___ the room.

____ a. plug ____ b. hole ____ c. measure ____ d. hammer

4. I need to make a small ___ in the wall to hang this heavy mirror.

____ a. hole ____ b. leak ____ c. tape ____ d. screwdriver

5. Use some strong sticky ___ to close the cardboard box.

____ a. nail ____ b. crack ____ c. drill ____ d. tape

Part B: Common Word Pairs (Matching)

Match each DIY word pair with its meaning.

6. What does fix a leak mean?

____ a. stop water from coming out ____ b. hit a sharp metal pin into wood ____ c. make a round opening in hard stone ____ d. find out how long or high a room is

7. What does hammer a nail mean?

____ a. stop water from coming out ____ b. hit a sharp metal pin into wood ____ c. make a round opening in hard stone ____ d. find out how long or high a room is

8. What does drill a hole mean?

____ a. stop water from coming out ____ b. hit a sharp metal pin into wood ____ c. make a round opening in hard stone ____ d. find out how long or high a room is

9. What does measure the wall mean?

____ a. stop water from coming out ____ b. hit a sharp metal pin into wood ____ c. make a round opening in hard stone ____ d. find out how long or high a room is

Part C: 3 Useful Sentence Patterns

Use these friendly sentence structures when you talk about fixing things.

Pattern 1

"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.

Pattern 2

"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.

Pattern 3

"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.

Module 2 • Exam Practice

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Questions

Answer 8 real speaking questions by recording your voice.

1

Do you like to fix things yourself, or do you ask somebody for help?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

Fluency and Coherence Lexical Resource Grammatical Range and Accuracy Pronunciation
Show Model Answer (after recording)

"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

2

What was the last thing you made with your hands?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

Fluency and Coherence Lexical Resource Grammatical Range and Accuracy Pronunciation
Show Model Answer (after recording)

"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

3

Who in your family is good at fixing things?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

Fluency and Coherence Lexical Resource Grammatical Range and Accuracy Pronunciation
Show Model Answer (after recording)

"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

4

Which tools do you have at home?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

Fluency and Coherence Lexical Resource Grammatical Range and Accuracy Pronunciation
Show Model Answer (after recording)

"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

5

Have you ever hurt yourself when you were working at home?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

Fluency and Coherence Lexical Resource Grammatical Range and Accuracy Pronunciation
Show Model Answer (after recording)

"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

6

Do you and your family help each other with jobs at home?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

Fluency and Coherence Lexical Resource Grammatical Range and Accuracy Pronunciation
Show Model Answer (after recording)

"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

7

Would you like to learn to build a small table by yourself?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

Fluency and Coherence Lexical Resource Grammatical Range and Accuracy Pronunciation
Show Model Answer (after recording)

"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

8

What do you do when something in your home breaks?

[Bài tập luyện nói]

Fluency and Coherence Lexical Resource Grammatical Range and Accuracy Pronunciation
Show Model Answer (after recording)

"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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