IELTS Speaking Part 2 & 3 Sample Band 9 – Describe a piece of furniture in your home

Band 9 Model Answer

Well, a piece of furniture I would like to talk about is my shaped sofa, which I know is not the most interesting thing in the world to talk about, but neither is the rest of my furniture at home, and so seeing as I use it a lot, I thought it would be a suitable thing to describe for this topic.

Regarding what the sofa looks like, well firstly, it’s an L-shaped one, which I might add, is by far my favourite kind of sofa as this style is definitely the most practical. So, for example, it’s nice and big, and I’d say it probably seats around 8 or 9 people. So it’s great for when we have friends over, because it means we can all sit together.

And as for the colour, well, I suppose the best way to describe it would be a kind of brownish, chestnut colour, and the reason I chose this particular colour was partly because it goes well with all the other furniture in the living room, and also because chestnut is quite a warm and natural colour. So it kind of helps give the room a nice, cozy feel, I think.

Anyway, finally with regard to why I use my sofa, well, I would say the main thing to mention here is the fact that it’s really nice and soft, and I mean, seriously comfortable. So whenever I feel like relaxing and putting my feet up, which is pretty much every evening. I’ll head straight to the sofa.

QUESTIONS FOR PART 3

Which do you think are better, old things or new things?

If I have to take a pick. I would go for antique objects. Originally, I have a taste for collecting old stuff as I’m really eager to learn about the history behind each object. Furthermore, as they’re also of great monetary value, so it’s worth investing in rather than new ones. If I remember rightly, I sold my stamp collection for over $150 to a cousin of mine.

Do people in your country prefer traditional or modem styles of furniture?

That also depends on the people and the families. I don’t think there is any set preference. From my experience though, I would say many younger couples prefer modem furniture. I think it goes along with other trends in our country. What I mean is that modern or foreign fashions are often more popular and interesting, especially for young people. Maybe I’m different in this way though because I think many pieces of traditional furniture in our country are very beautiful. They are also often made better than the modem things.

Have there been any recent changes in the kinds of furniture that people in your country use?

Well, as I said a lot of foreign influence has come into our country and this is affecting what people buy, including furniture. I think that if people have the money they may prefer the quality furniture. Over all, though, the predominant style of furniture that people use is modem.

What factors should a furniture designer consider when designing a piece of furniture?

The use of the particular piece would be the first consideration. A designer would also have to think of the market he is targeting. This would usually indicate the cost of the finished product. This in turn will influence what materials he can use within that price ranged

What are the qualities of a good furniture designer?

I’d say he needs to be artistic and imaginative. At the same time a designer also has to have quite a bit of practical sense, in any design field, there are people who design something more for art’s sake: they don’t really expect anyone to buy it or they hope to find a collector to buy it as a of art more than as something useful.