IELTS Speaking Part 1 in 2019 with Band 9 Answers – Topic: Borrowing/ lending

Topic: Borrowing/ lending

1. Have you borrowed books from others?
2. Have you ever borrowed money from others?
3. Do you like lending things to others?
4. How do you feel when people don’t return things they borrowed from you?

1. (Have you borrowed books from others?)
(Answer) Yes, I sometimes do.

(Give a reason for your answer) I’m an avid reader of books and novels, but there are certain books I may not be able to afford. Therefore, I borrow them from my close friends occasionally and afterward, I treat them to a drink in return for their generosity.

2. (Have you ever borrowed money from others?)
(Answer) Yes, I have but quite rarely.
(Give a reason for your answer) I borrowed money from my uncle to study for university, and it turned out alright. I paid him on time and there were never any problems. I paid it off after a few years and we are still close. Having said that, I usually don’t recommend borrowing money from family members or close friends. I’ve seen it go badly too many times. When you borrow money from a relative, and miss a payment, things get very awkward when they have to come collect.

3. (Do you like lending things to others?)
(Answer) Well, to be honest, the answer is no.
(Give a reason for your answer) Too often the things that you lend don’t return, and they very seldom return in the same condition, minus ordinary wear and tear. In my opinion, unless we have complete trust in someone, we rarely feel ready to lend valuable or too fragile items to others.

4. (How do you feel when people don’t return things they borrowed from you?)
(Answer) Well, it depends.
(Give a reason for your answer) If that object is too important to be stolen from me, I will persist and try to get it back. If I can spare the item or money, I would probably write it off and consider it a lesson learned. All of these choices will probably hurt the relationship, which is why I assume it’s generally best not to borrow from or lend to someone you want to remain
friends with.

Vocabulary:
1. avid [adj]: extremely eager or interested
Eg: She hadn’t seen him for six months and was avid for news.

2. in return for [expression]: as an exchange for something
Eg: The farmer offered us food in return for our work.

3. recommend [v]: to suggest that someone or something would be good or suitable for a particular job or purpose, or to suggest that a particular action should be done
Eg: I can recommend the chicken in mushroom sauce – it’s delicious.

4. awkward [adj]: difficult to use, do, or deal with
Eg: Some of the questions were rather awkward.

5. seldom [adv]: almost never
Eg: Seldom do we receive any apology when mistakes are made.

6. wear and tear [expression]: the damage that happens to an object in ordinary use during a period
Eg: Seat covers on buses take a lot of wear and tear.

7. fragile [adj]: easily damaged, broken, or harmed
Eg: Be careful with that vase – it’s very fragile.

8. persist [v]: to try to do or continue doing something in a determined but often unreasonable way
Eg: If he persists in asking awkward questions, then send him to the boss.

9. write sth off [v]: to decide that a particular person or thing will not be useful, important, or successful
Eg: A lot of companies seem to write people off if they’re over 50.

10. assume [v]: to accept something as true without question or proof
Eg: We can’t assume (that) he’s innocent simply because he says he is.