Of course! "Broken equipment" is a very common and high-potential topic for IELTS Speaking Part 1 and Part 2. It allows you to use a wide range of vocabulary, tenses, and grammatical structures.

Here’s a complete guide to help you tackle this topic effectively, from Part 1 to Part 2.

Part 1: Common Questions & Sample Answers

Part 1 questions are simple and personal. The key is to give a direct answer and then add a little extra detail.

Do you often have problems with broken equipment?

Sample Answer A (Not often): "Not really, I'm quite careful with my things. I tend to look after my gadgets and appliances, so I rarely run into issues with them breaking down. The last time I can remember was probably years ago with an old laptop."

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Sample Answer B (Sometimes): "Yes, unfortunately, it happens more often than I'd like. I have a lot of electronic devices at home, and since I use them daily for work and study, they're bound to wear out or malfunction eventually."

What kinds of equipment do you use often?

"I use a lot of different equipment on a daily basis. The most important one is definitely my laptop; I use it for everything from work and studying to streaming movies. I also rely heavily on my smartphone for communication and my headphones for listening to music or podcasts. At home, I use the washing machine and microwave pretty much every day."

Is there any equipment in your home that is broken?

"Actually, yes. My blender has been acting up recently. It makes a horrible grinding noise when I try to use it, and it doesn't blend things smoothly anymore. I've been meaning to get it fixed, but I just haven't had the time. I think it's probably the motor that's on the blink."

How do you usually deal with broken equipment?

"It really depends on what it is and how old it is. If it's something inexpensive or easily replaceable, like a pair of headphones, I'll probably just buy a new one. However, if it's a more expensive item, like my laptop, I'll first try to troubleshoot the problem online. If that doesn't work, I'll take it to a professional to get it repaired."

Part 2: The Long Turn (Cue Card)

This is where you can really showcase your English skills. Here’s a sample cue card and a model answer.

Cue Card:

Describe a piece of equipment that stopped working.

You should say:

• What the equipment was
• What you were using it for
• What happened when it stopped working
• And explain how you felt about the situation.

Model Answer for Part 2

"I'd like to talk about a really frustrating experience I had with my laptop about a year ago. It was a high-spec gaming laptop that I'd saved up for for a long time, so it was a significant investment for me.

At the time, I was using it for absolutely everything. My university studies were in full swing, so I used it for writing essays, conducting research, and attending online lectures. But more importantly, I was an avid gamer, and I loved playing the latest AAA titles on it during my free time. It was my primary source of entertainment and my essential work tool.

One evening, I was in the middle of an important online exam when disaster struck. The screen suddenly went completely blank, and the laptop made a loud beeping noise before it just shut down completely. I tried to turn it back on, but nothing happened. The power light wouldn't even come on. I was absolutely panicked because I was right in the middle of my exam. After a few minutes of fiddling with the charger and pressing the power button repeatedly, I had to use my phone to contact my professor and explain the situation.

My initial feeling was one of sheer helplessness and panic. I was so stressed about the exam and the potential consequences. Once the immediate crisis was over, my feelings shifted to frustration and annoyance. I was angry at myself for not having a backup plan, like saving my work on a cloud service more frequently. I also felt a bit of dread because I knew getting it repaired would be expensive and time-consuming, and I had a lot of assignments due soon.

In the end, I had to take it to a specialized repair shop. It turned out to be a faulty motherboard, which is one of the most expensive components to replace. I had to shell out a significant amount of money to get it fixed, and I was without my main computer for nearly two weeks. It was a real wake-up call about the importance of backing up data and having contingency plans for essential technology."

Part 3: Follow-up Discussion

Part 3 requires you to discuss more abstract ideas related to the Part 2 topic.

Why do you think people get so frustrated when their technology breaks?

"I think it's because we've become incredibly dependent on technology in our daily lives. When a device breaks, it's not just the loss of an object; it's the disruption to our routines, our work, and our social connections. We feel a sense of helplessness because we can't easily fix it ourselves, and there's often a significant cost and time involved in getting it resolved. This loss of control and convenience is what leads to so much frustration."

Is it easier to fix things today compared to the past?

"That's a great question. In some ways, yes, and in other ways, no. On one hand, the internet is a fantastic resource. You can find countless tutorials, forums, and videos that guide you through fixing common problems with everything from phones to cars. This empowers people to become amateur repairers. On the other hand, modern electronics are often designed to be 'disposable'. They are glued shut, and parts are not user-replaceable. So, while the information is more accessible, the physical act of repair has become much harder for the average person."

Do you think companies should make products that are easier to repair?

"Absolutely. I believe there's a strong argument for this, both from an environmental and an economic perspective. From an environmental standpoint, making products easier to repair would significantly reduce e-waste, which is a massive global problem. It promotes a more sustainable culture of consumption rather than disposability. Economically, while it might mean lower profits for manufacturers in the short term, it builds consumer trust and loyalty. People would be more willing to buy from brands that offer longevity and repairability, which is becoming an increasingly important factor for many consumers."

How has our reliance on technology changed the way we deal with problems?

"Our reliance on technology has made us both more and less resilient. On one hand, we have tools at our fingertips to solve problems instantly—we can Google a solution, order a replacement part online, or use an app to find a local repair shop. This makes problem-solving incredibly efficient. On the other hand, it has made us less tolerant of inconveniences. When a piece of technology fails, our first reaction is often annoyance because we've forgotten how to function without it. We've lost some of the self-sufficiency and patience that people had in the past when they had to rely on more manual or analog solutions."

Key Vocabulary & Phrases to Use

• Nouns:

  • Malfunction, breakdown, glitch, fault, defect
  • Gadget, appliance, device, gadgetry
  • Repair, fix, service, maintenance
  • Technician, engineer, repair shop
  • Cost, expense, bill, quote
  • Inconvenience, hassle, setback, disaster

• Verbs:

  • To break down, to conk out, to give up, to stop working
  • To malfunction, to glitch, to bug
  • To repair, to fix, to service, to mend
  • To troubleshoot, to diagnose
  • To replace, to upgrade, to discard
  • To back up (data), to save

• Adjectives & Adverbs:

  • Broken, faulty, defective, damaged, worn out
  • Reliable, durable, long-lasting
  • Frustrating, annoying, inconvenient, stressful, disastrous
  • Expensive, costly, pricey
  • Suddenly, eventually, fortunately, unfortunately

• Idioms:

  • On the blink: Not working properly.
  • A pain in the neck: An annoying thing or problem.
  • To cost an arm and a leg: To be very expensive.
  • To bite the dust: To be destroyed or to stop working.
  • To be up and running: To be working correctly after a problem.

Good luck with your IELTS preparation! Remember to speak naturally and focus on communicating your ideas clearly.