Talking about taking photos in the IELTS speaking test - IELTS with Vic - Episode 17

In a recent poll on my YouTube channel, the IELTS speaking test topic of photos got a good percentage of the votes. So,

talking about photos is going to be our focus for this episode.

Specifically, we're going to cover the question, how often do you take photos?

Hi, my name's Vic and this is episode 17 of the IELTS with Vic podcast.

As always, the links to my YouTube channel and blogs are in the show notes.

Remember to check those out later.

Right, let's focus on today's question, then. How often do you take photos?

then. How often do you take photos?

I feel like the most important thing I can say on this topic is that the verb to use regarding photos is take.

We take photos in English.

Perhaps in your native language, you might use a different verb such as make, but in English we take photos. So that's

my top tip for sounding natural and authentic in the speaking test.

Given that this question focuses on how often we take photos, a great place to begin our answer is to talk about frequency.

Personally, I take photos pretty much every day using my smartphone.

How about you?

There is so much vocabulary we can use to talk about frequency.

The common terms you're probably familiar with are always, often, sometimes, and never. But let's

have a few alternatives.

If you are someone who takes photos constantly, you might say one of the following.

I take photos constantly.

I take photos nonstop.

I take photos pretty much around the clock.

That last one, around the clock, implies that you really never stop taking photos.

So, if you are a really passionate photo taker, that might be suitable for you.

If you sometimes take photos, you could say one of the following.

I take photos from time to time.

I occasionally take photos.

I take photos now and then.

I only take photos once in a while.

Finally, if you rarely take photos, one of the following would be more suitable.

I barely ever take photos.

I hardly ever take photos.

I take photos once in a blue moon.

That last one, once in a blue moon, is an idiom meaning rarely.

The word order and forms are important for the idiom to carry meaning though, so don't change it up, otherwise it will sound odd.

We do something once in a blue moon in English. For example, I go running once

English. For example, I go running once in a blue moon. The only word you need to change is the word something, like I did there by talking about running.

Unless, of course, you are talking about someone else, in which case you can change the pronoun and the verb.

For example, I take photos once in a blue moon.

She or he takes photos once in a blue moon.

They take photos once in a blue moon.

Returning to the question then, what would your answer be? How often do you take photos?

In my earlier answer, I said, "Personally, I take photos pretty much every day using my smartphone."

I added a nugget of information in my response there by saying, "Using my smartphone.

I think mentioning the type of device you use is also a sensible way to expand your answer.

Some common devices people use for taking photos are a smartphone, a tablet,

a digital camera.

However, if you are a fan of photography, you might have a special piece of equipment that you use.

For example, I saw someone fairly recently who was taking photos with a Polaroid instant camera.

If you're not familiar, it's a camera where a physical photo is created after you push the button, and the image develops within a minute or so. You can

literally sit and watch it happen.

Polaroid cameras were very popular when I was a child, and they seem to have become fashionable again recently, perhaps because of their retro cool vibe.

Over to you then. What type of device do you use for taking photos?

If you use multiple, you could mention them all as a way of expanding your answer.

Another aspect that seems natural to me is mentioning our reason for taking photos.

Years ago, when I only had a traditional camera containing film, I always thought really carefully about taking a photo.

There were only 24 exposures on a standard roll of camera film, and it cost money to go and get those rolls of

film processed into physical photos.

So, I never wasted a shot.

These days though, taking photos with a smartphone is limited only by the battery charge and storage capacity of your device.

If I take a photo of something, I often take several snaps to make sure I get a clear image and then delete the ones that I don't want.

Personally, I used to only take photos of beautiful views or social gatherings, but these days I use my smartphone more

like a memory aid. I take photos of things I'm going to need later or instead of writing something down.

Of course, I also still take photos of lovely things, too. But the camera roll on my phone is a chaotic mix of scenery,

Wi-Fi passwords instructions and various other bits and pieces.

How about you? What do you take photos of these days? And has that changed at all across your lifetime?

Finally, then if you wanted to, you could say something about what you do with the photos you take.

Personally, I periodically have a clear out of the photos on my phone, mainly so I don't run out of storage space.

I tend to delete duplicates and ones I no longer need, then arrange the others into folders.

From time to time, I back them up on an external hard drive when I get around to it.

I very rarely print physical copies of photos these days, but I do sometimes use photos to make personalized gifts and cards for people.

There are various online services where you can upload your photos and get them printed onto products such as mugs, bags, and t-shirts.

For example, last year I had a bunch of fridge magnets printed with group photos that we had taken with various friends and then gave those magnets as little

Christmas gifts. It's a fun reminder of

Christmas gifts. It's a fun reminder of happy times spent together, and to me, that's a priceless gift.

I know some people think this kind of gift is a bit cheesy, but I get a real kick out of picking nice photos and doing the designs.

How about you? What do you do with the photos you take?

Do you ever print them off and put them into photo albums or perhaps into photo frames?

Perhaps you share them on social media or send them to people via messaging apps.

Have a think about what you could talk about in the speaking test.

To summarize, then you could build your answer by saying how often you take photos and what device you use. You

could also say something about why you take photos, what you take photos of, and perhaps what you do with the photos you take.

The next step is to take a few minutes to create your own answer to the question, how often do you take photos?

Feel free to post your answer in the comments and then I can give you some feedback on it.

Just one sentence is enough to get started. So go ahead, leave a comment

started. So go ahead, leave a comment and tell us how often you take photos.

Thanks for joining me today and don't forget if you want a free copy of the podcast transcript, then head over to my IELTS blog and fill in the form.

Also, don't forget to hit the like button if you're watching on YouTube, and if you're on Spotify, you could leave a star rating.

I just had a look at the results of the poll, and it seems like the question about time spent using your phone each day is quite popular, so that's what

we'll talk about next episode. See you

then. Thanks for listening and have a great day.