Mat Clark – IELTS Speaking
37
I absolutely loathe...
I really can't stand...
In your answer, try to use a ―dislike‖ and a ―strong dislike‖ phrase. Use the same
style of structure as the ―liking‖ answer but change the linking phrases.
Example:
―Is there anything you don't like about your hometown?‖
“Of course I think I'd have to say that I'm not so keen on the weather. To be
more precise, I really can't stand the summer months. This is due to the fact that the
temperatures can get as high as 40 degrees so it can be quite uncomfortable if you don't
have air conditioning in your house. In addition to this, I'm not really that fond of the
public transport system. And I guess this is probably because the buses are too old and the
seats are really hard, so long journeys are usually pretty bumpy.”
Now answer the following ―disliking‖ questions using a similar structure:
Is there anything you don't like about your school/ studies?
Is there any food you don't like?
What's the worst thing about shopping?
Are there any clothes that you don't like?
What type of weather do you dislike?
Summary of “Liking/ Disliking” Questions
The most important thing is to avoid the simple vocabulary (like, dislike, enjoy,
love, hate) and replace these with the expressions given in this chapter.
May candidates put ― likes‖ and ―dislike‖ in the same answer (usually the ―
liking‖ question). This is not wrong, but as we have seen, the answers to these questions
can be quite long, so it is better to split them into two separate answers.
Remember: Give a developed answer to every question.
In the past I have
heard answers like these:
Do you like animals? - No, I don’t like animals
Do you like reading? - No, I like watching TV instead.
Is there anything you don’t like about your hometown? - No, I like my city.
Mat Clark – IELTS Speaking
38
As a rule, if the examiner asks you if you like something,
give a positive
answer (yes) even if that answer is not true. In the same way, If the question is ― Is there
anything you don’t like about...?‖, you should also give a positive answer(yes).
Speaking positively is much easier than speaking negatively and it is easier
to give reasons and examples to say ―why‖ rather than ―why not‖
Remember: Base your answer on language not on fact or truth. You do not
get any marks for telling the truth!
