Tips to Answer Yes/No Questions in IELTS Speaking

Yes/No questions are often asked during the IELTS speaking test. IELTS candidates can answer these questions with a simple Yes or No. However, this way of answering Y/N questions doesn’t help them score high in IELTS Speaking at all. Therefore, this lesson covers 6 types of Yes/No questions and how to respond to this kind of questions effectively to get IELTS Band score 7.0 or higher.

Things to Remember

there are few this which a test taker needs to keep in mind while answering yes/no questions. Some of them are given below:

• The Yes/No question is also called a closed question. This is the question, that can be answered in simple words. The answer to this question will be in a single word.
• But you need to keep in mind that these yes or no questions have to be elaborated while you get these kinds of questions in the speaking test because answering the questions only by saying Yes or No may not fetch you your desired score.
• Most of the time the Yes/No questions begin with the following words like ‘are you…’, ‘do you…’, ‘can you…’, ‘are there…’ and so on.

Type 1: Question of Preference.

Do you prefer A or B?

• Personally, I prefer A to B/ If I were to choose between the two, I would go for the former/latter
• This is simply because/ There are several reasons why…
• Besides/ Moreover/ In addition/…
• In a word, I will go for A

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Ex: Where do youngsters love to live in? Flat or Private house?

It depends. For the young who earn a fortune, they have a tendency to live in a private house. However, for fresh graduates, flat would be their optimal choice.

Type 2: Question of Importance.

Is/Are A important?

• Yes, I always believe that A is essential and necessary for…
• Without (doing) A, we would +…  |  Let’s imagine, if …
• Besides,…: Supporting ideas.
• So, obviously, there is no doubt about the significance of A

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Ex: Do you think that music is important?

Yes, absolutely. Music plays a crucial role in human’s life, without music, our life would be so dull and boring. This is due to the fact that music is a great way for us to escape from the hustle and bustle of life. Moreover, it cheers people up greatly when they feel blue. Last but not least, by listening to music, people have a better understanding of the outside world.

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Type 3: Question of Popularity.

What is/are… the most popular in your country?

• It depends
• For A, I believe that they have a fancy for…
• Yet/ However, for B, I guess they tend to like … including…. That’s probably because…

Ex: What is the most popular sport in your country?

It depends. For the young, they are more in favour of ball games or dynamic sports such as volleyball, basketball, tennis. Yet, for the old/ the senior citizens, they are more into relaxing sports like jogging, yoga, and meditation.

Type 4: Question of Differences.

What are the differences between A and B?

Obviously, A and B have some certain differences/ Well, there are some obvious differences between A and B,

• Unlike A, B tends to…
• A is… while B is more likely to…
• Compared with A, B is less likely to…

Type 5: Advantages and Disadvantages.

• Well,.. is beneficial in a variety of ways.
• Firstly,… Besides,…
• However, when it comes to the drawbacks, I have to say that…

Ex: What are some advantages of using technology?

From my perspective, there are numerous benefits of using cutting-edge technology. First, high-qualified devices enable people from different places to interact and communicate efficiently. On top of that, by using technology, all the tasks at the workplace and study place are facilitated. For example, people can send and receive emails to their partners whenever they want. Last but not least, people have an instant unlimited resource to get information by just a click of a mouse.

Type 6: Changes.

What are the changes…

• Generally speaking, people used to…
• However, nowadays, people tend to…

Ex: Compared to a few decades ago, do you think in your country do more or less exercise?

In the olden days, the living standard was not improved as nowadays, people had to earn their living and regarded sport as a form of exercise. Nowadays, people have a tendency to go to the gym to work out, keep themselves in good shape and show off themselves.

See also:

• IELTS Speaking preparation tips
• Linking words for IELTS Speaking
• IELTS Speaking recent actual test
• Sports Vocabulary IELTS
• Work Vocabulary IELTS
• IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions with Answers
• Idioms for IELTS Speaking
• IELTS Pronunciation Guide
• Common English words in IELTS Speaking
• Ough words