“Habits” is a fairly common topic in IELTS Speaking Part 1.
Sample Question/Answer
1. Do you have any good habits?
- I can say that I have a bunch of good habits, one of which is doing vigorous regular exercise. I’ve been taking up jogging since I was in high school, as at the time I was a bit overweight. Jogging has changed my life upside down, since it doesn’t only help me to burn plenty of calories to maintain a healthy weight, but it’s also a way to uplift my mood whenever I feel stressed out.
- Yes, of course. I would say that I’m a health-conscious person so I tend to build healthy habits and one of which is drinking enough water every day. You know, staying hydrated is really important because water keeps our bodies working properly, so I usually drink about four or six cups of water a day even when I don’t feel thirsty at all.
2. Are there any bad habits you want to change?
- Sure. No one is perfect and I have a lot of bad habits that I’m trying to get rid of, one of which is probably biting my nails. I picked up this habit when I was a child and it now has become an ingrained self-mutilative behavior of mine. I know that biting my nails can cause me illness due to passing bacteria and viruses from my fingers to my mouth, but it’s difficult to manage.
- I have a habit of biting my nails when I am nervous. Though it can help me to cope with these feelings, I really want to kick this bad habit because it can lead to some problems such as abnormal-looking nails or bleeding. Also, I think my hands will definitely look thinner and more elegant if I have long nails, but it’s really hard to stop a behavior you know.
3. Do you think your habits say something about your personality?
- I genuinely believe they do. In fact, I believe every single thing we do is an accurate assessment of our character traits. To me, my habit of biting my nails, a body-focused repetitive behavior, shows that I long for perfection, as that action is something I do to soothe my boredom, irritation, and dissatisfaction.
- Well, I would like to make gratitude a daily habit. I think it is an endearing habit that we should have because when we know how to be grateful for what we have, we will be more positive about life and stay away from toxic emotions. I’ll try to take small steps every day, it takes time but it’s worth it.
4. Is there anything you want to take up as a new habit?
I would like to read more frequently on a daily basis. Every night before bed, all I seem to do is holding my phone and scrolling through a never-ending list of posts and videos on social media, and it jeopardizes my eyesight in different ways. If I could replace my iPhone with something like books, I would definitely avoid eyestrain and of course, get some more beneficial knowledge.
