IELTS Speaking Test Part 3 Question and Answer

Question Type: Changes, the Past vs Now

Mark will guide you through this type of question and the best way to approach it here in the audio clip:

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This is quite a common Part 3 question, the examiner will ask you to think about how things have changed in recent years or just within your lifetime. So it’s a great opportunity to compare the past and the present, and it’s another good chance to use some real-life examples from your own life and things you’ve noticed in your own experience.

The best verb to use to do this is ‘become’, which means ‘change’, but I think become is because with the word ‘change’ you might need to say ‘change into’ – ‘change to’ – ‘changed from’, or ‘change back’ – which can get quite confusing. ‘Become’ doesn’t need any of those extra words or changes. Listen to these two examples:

Both examples are correct:
Correct: Schools have changed into more technical places with more computer labs and things like that.
Easier: Schools have become more technical places with more computer labs and things like that.

The tense we’re using with become is the present perfect, because the action is still happening, and we don’t know when it’s going to finish or what the ending might be. So use ‘have become’ and then follow it with that comparative adjective. Look at these examples:

Now, children have become better at using computers.
Travelling has become cheaper than ever.
The Internet has become faster all over the world.
Smartphones have become more common in developing countries especially.
Learning English has become easier than ever.
People have become more reliant on technology.

Have a listen to some full example answers:

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How has education in your country changed since you were young?

I think the biggest change is that technology has become more widespread in the classroom. For example, I’ve seen that the whiteboards in classrooms are all digital and I’ve seen some classrooms where every student has a tablet or a computer at their desk. I suppose that’s because technology has become more important, so the schools are helping their students become more capable with technology so that they’re ready for life in the 21st century. That’s probably the biggest difference I’ve seen.