How to answer yes/no questions in IELTS Speaking, with examples

Parts 1 and 3 of the Speaking test are full of closed questions. “Do you like cooking?” “Is it important to keep in touch with friends?” “Would you like to live abroad?” Each one can be answered in a single word, which is exactly why they cause trouble. The examiner needs language to assess, and a one-word reply supplies none. This guide covers how to answer, how long to go on, and the mistakes at both ends.

Why a bare “yes” or “no” is not enough

The Speaking test is marked on four equally weighted criteria: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. IELTS.org publishes descriptors for each, and the Speaking band is the average of the four, reported as a whole or half band. Every one of those criteria is judged from the language you produce. A reply of “Yes” has one word of vocabulary, no grammar to speak of, almost no rhythm to hear, and no idea to follow.

The examiner cannot award marks for what you did not say. This site’s Part 1 post on extended, natural answers makes the same point about a bare “yes”, and the lowest descriptor traps listed in the band descriptors explorer include stopping after one short sentence and waiting for the next question.

Part 1 lasts four to five minutes and Part 3 lasts four to five minutes, according to IELTS.org’s description of the Academic format. Each short answer in that time is a missed chance.

The shape: answer, reason or detail, stop

A reliable pattern for a closed question has three beats.

1. Answer. Say yes, no or something between, in a short phrase.
2. Reason or detail. Say why, or give one concrete detail.
3. Stop. Finish the thought and leave a clear silence for the examiner.

Take “Do you like cooking?” (an invented question).

• Too short: “Yes.”
• A good size: “Yes, I do, mostly because it helps me switch off after a long day. I usually make something simple, like pasta or a soup, and I find the chopping quite relaxing.”
• Too long: a two-minute account of every dish you have ever made, three childhood memories and a plan to open a restaurant.

The good answer gives a reason (“helps me switch off”) and a small detail (pasta, soup, chopping), then stops. If the examiner wants more, they will ask.

You can vary the order. A reason can come first: “I’ve never really had the patience for it, to be honest, so no.” What matters is that the answer is clear and the reason follows.

Part 1: two to four sentences

In Part 1 the questions are about familiar topics such as work, study, home and hobbies, and a natural answer is two to four sentences. This is a guideline from the site’s Part 1 post, not an IELTS rule. IELTS publishes no word or sentence count.

Closed questions in Part 1 often come in pairs, and the second is usually open. “Do you work or are you a student?” is followed by “What do you do?”. A good answer to the first already includes a little of the second: “I’m a student, in my second year of an engineering degree.”

Keep Part 1 answers personal: a reason from your own life is easier to say than a general statement.

Part 3: longer, with reasons

Part 3 asks about the wider world: “Is it important for children to learn a second language?” “Do you think people read less than they used to?” These can also be answered with yes or no, but the examiner expects more, because the questions ask for opinions and the reasons behind them. The post on Part 3 discussion questions suggests a position, a reason, an example and, where it fits, a concession. In practice, four to six sentences is a comfortable size.

A closed question in Part 3 might be answered like this (invented):

“Do you think people read less than they used to?”

“Probably, yes, at least when it comes to books. Most people I know spend their spare time on their phones, and a long book needs more attention than a video does. That said, they may be reading more short texts than ever before, so I’m not sure it’s simply less. It might be a different kind of reading.”

The first sentence answers, the next gives a reason and a contrast, and the last returns to the position.

“It depends” answers

Some closed questions have no honest yes or no. “Is it better to live in a city or a village?” is open in disguise, and “Do you enjoy trying new food?” may depend on the food. “It depends” is a good answer when it is followed by what it depends on.

• Weak: “It depends.”
• Better: “It depends on the person, really. For someone who likes a quiet life, a village is better, but if you want a wide choice of jobs, a city makes more sense.”

The trap is to use it to avoid taking any position, so finish with where you stand if you can. The related guide on linking words for Speaking has phrases that suit this kind of answer, such as “it depends on” and “having said that”.

Honest “no” answers

Candidates sometimes feel a “no” is the wrong answer, so they invent a “yes” and then cannot support it. The examiner is not looking for a particular opinion, only for language to assess. A true “no” followed by a reason is easier to say than a false “yes”, and it sounds more natural.

For “Do you like shopping online?”, an honest reply might be: “Not really, actually. I like to see things before I buy them, so I usually go to a shop, and I only order online when I can’t find something nearby.”

Softeners such as “Not really”, “Not so much” and “Honestly, no” are normal and polite, and they lead into a reason. Choose whichever answer you can explain most easily in English.

Not every answer needs a story

There is a habit, sometimes taught, of turning every answer into a story with a beginning, middle and end. It makes sense for a Part 2 cue card, where you speak for one to two minutes after one minute of preparation. It does not suit a closed question in Part 1, and the examiner will move on to the next question while you are still setting the scene.

Use a story only when the question asks about a past event, such as “Did you enjoy it as a child?”, or when a short memory is the best reason you have. Even then keep it to a sentence or two. If a detail does not help answer the question, leave it out.

The opposite error: a speech for every question

Over-long answers are common in candidates who have memorised the advice to “extend”. They answer “Do you like walking?” with a prepared paragraph on health, nature and city planning. This makes the exchange unnatural, and the examiner may have to interrupt to move on. It can also show on the Fluency and Coherence criterion, because rehearsed material sounds different from live speech. The post on Part 1 strategy covers the same trap.

A simple check: once you have given a reason and a detail, stop. A short silence after a complete answer is normal, and the examiner will ask the next question.

Questions that look like yes/no but are not

Several question forms start like a closed question and are not.

• “Do you think… and why?” This is two questions. “Do you think young people spend too much time online? Why?” needs your view and your reason in the same answer.
• “Do you prefer X or Y?” The answer is a choice, not yes or no. Say which, then why.
• “Is it true that…?” and “Would you agree that…?” These ask for a view and an explanation. A one-word agreement is not enough.
• “Have you ever…?” The yes or no is only the door; a short example usually follows.

Practise out loud

Take ten closed questions, some in the style of Part 1 and some of Part 3, such as the ones in the speaking mock test. Answer each one aloud, record it, and count the sentences. If you have one, add a reason. If you have six, remove the least useful. Over a week, you should find that two to four sentences in Part 1 and four to six in Part 3 become your natural size.

The answer on how to answer IELTS Speaking questions gives the general method, and the answer on improving Speaking fluency explains why this habit supports the criterion. IELTS makes no promise that any length or phrase raises a band. The habit simply gives the examiner enough of your English to assess, and that is what the marks depend on.