IELTS Speaking Part 3: Family & Society (Band 9 Sample)
IELTS Speaking Part 3 broadens your Part 2 topic into an abstract discussion — here, family and society. A band-9 answer states a clear view, develops it with reasons and concrete examples, and weighs the other side before landing a balanced conclusion. Below are four common discussion questions with band-9 model answers, plus why they score 9 and the collocations worth stealing.
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01 · Discussion questions & Band 9 answers
Q: How have families changed compared to the past?
They've changed quite dramatically. A few generations ago, it was normal for extended families — grandparents, parents and children — to live under one roof, whereas today the small nuclear family, or even living alone, has become the norm in many places. People also have children later and have fewer of them. A lot of this comes down to people moving to cities for work and women having far more career opportunities than before.
contrast past and present, give causesQ: Do you think the family is still the most important influence on children?
I'd still say it's the most important, particularly in the early years when a child's values and sense of security are formed at home. That said, its influence isn't what it once was. Children now spend huge amounts of time at school, with friends and, increasingly, online, so parents are competing with a lot of other voices. Even so, I think the emotional foundation a family provides is very hard for anything else to replace.
affirm, concede, reaffirmQ: Who should be responsible for caring for elderly relatives?
This is a real dilemma, and I don't think there's a single right answer. Traditionally families took on that role, and in many cultures there's still a strong expectation that children will care for their ageing parents. But modern life makes that genuinely hard — people work long hours and often live far away. So I'd argue it has to be a partnership, with families providing love and involvement and the state providing professional support that individuals simply can't manage alone.
frame the tension, propose a partnershipQ: What are the advantages of children growing up with grandparents nearby?
There are quite a few. Grandparents can offer a kind of unconditional patience and time that busy parents sometimes struggle to, and they're a living link to a family's history and traditions. Practically, they can be a huge help with childcare, which takes real pressure off working parents. The main downside is the potential for clashing over how children should be raised, but on balance the benefits tend to far outweigh that.
list benefits, note one downside02 · Why this scores Band 9
Each answer builds an argument in stages — claim, reason, example, then a qualifying turn ("That said...", "Even so...") — so the discussion develops rather than lists points. The delivery holds across the longer turns without hesitation.
Family-and-society vocabulary is precise and idiomatic — "extended families", "under one roof", "the nuclear family", "a living link to a family's history", "takes pressure off" — and the collocations carry the argument rather than decorating it.
A wide range is handled accurately: a contrast with "whereas" ("it was normal for extended families... whereas today the nuclear family..."), a concessive ("That said, its influence isn't what it once was"), and a comparative ("the benefits tend to far outweigh that"). Complex ideas come out without breakdown.
Longer turns are chunked into clear thought groups with stress on the contrast words, so the intonation signals emphasis and qualification the way a fluent debater's would.
03 · Useful phrases for this topic
Tap a phrase to see what it means and how to use it. Natural phrases like these lift your Lexical Resource score.
04 · Frequently asked questions
Do I need sociology knowledge for this topic?
No. Part 3 tests reasoning in English, not sociology. A clear opinion backed by everyday logic and a plausible example ('people moving to cities for work') scores far higher than statistics or theories you're unsure of.
Can I use my own culture as an example?
Yes, and it's encouraged. Describing how families work in your country ('in many cultures children are expected to care for ageing parents') makes your argument vivid and personal, and examiners welcome that specificity.
How do I handle "who should be responsible" questions?
Acknowledge the tension, then propose a clear position — often a partnership. This model gives families and the state complementary roles rather than sitting on the fence, which is exactly what band 9 rewards.
How long should each answer be?
Three to five sentences: state your view, give a reason, add an example or a concession. Long enough to develop the idea, short enough to keep the discussion flowing.
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