You probably know the meaning of individual words like ‘flight’, ‘tour’ and ‘view’. However, the key to showcasing your advanced English is to show you are able to use these individual words in combination with other words to form set phrases and expressions.

Read the following IELTS-style questions and answers below and pay attention to the phrases in bold.

Part 1-style questions

Examiner: What kind of holiday do you like?

Miguel: I try to avoid tourist traps … I like to get away from it all and prefer going somewhere off the beaten track … last year I had the holiday of a lifetime … a two week wildlife safari in Kenya.

Examiner: What do you like to do when you’re on holiday?

Anna: I enjoy visiting the local places of interest … I like to go sightseeing and always sign up for guided tours as it’s a chance to be shown around and take photographs … one of my hobbies.

Examiner: Do you have many tourists in your country?

Amy: Yes … we have a lot of holiday resorts along the coast that are popular with tourists … most people come on package holidays and stay in one of the many hotels and self-cateringapartments.

Part 2-style task

Describe a beautiful place you once visited. You should say:

• when you went to this place
• where it was
• who you went with

and say why you liked it so much.

Sally: A few years ago I went on a long weekend to the Lake District in the UK … it’s a very popular holiday destination in the north of England … I went on my own and had a wonderful time … I stayed in a youth hostel and met some really nice people … but the most memorable thing about the holiday were the breathtaking views … and lovely picturesque villages … it can get very busy with hordes of tourists so I decided to go out of season in the autumn  … the weather was fantastic and the shops were full of local crafts … a really great holiday … it’s certainly not the kind of short break for someone looking for a busy nightlife but if you want to relax in the middle of stunning landscape I would certainly recommend a holiday to the Lake District.

Part 3-style questions

Examiner: What do you think has led to the growth in the tourism industry?

Miguel: It’s much easier and affordable to travel now … nowadays you can get cheap charter-flights or all-in packages … to somewhere near or to a far-off destination.

Examiner: How do people tend to choose a destination?

Anna: The Internet is a great source of information and high street travel agents are still very popular … that’s where I like to go to get holiday brochures for the place I’m interested in.

Examiner: People sometimes say flying is the most glamorous form of travel. Do you agree?

Amy: I’m not so sure really … flying can be quite boring  … queuing up at the check-in desk … going through passport control … sitting for ages in the departure lounge … then the flight itself can be quite uncomfortable … no … I’m not sure I agree.

Definitions

• all-in package/package holiday: a holiday where you purchase the travel and accommodation together
• breathtaking view: an extremely beautiful view
• charter-flight: a cheaper form of flying than a scheduled flight
• check-in desk: the place at the airport where you register for your flight and deposit your luggage
• departure lounge: where you wait for your flight to be called
• far-off destination: somewhere a long way away
• to get away from it all: to take a holiday to escape a busy or stressful lifestyle
• guided tour: an organised group shown around a place of interest by an expert
• holiday brochure: a glossy publication with details of holiday packages
• holiday destination: where you go for a holiday
• holiday of a lifetime: a special holiday that you are unlikely to repeat
• holiday resort: a place where lots of people go for a holiday
• hordes of tourists: crowds of tourists
• local crafts: objects produced locally
• long weekend: an extended weekend holiday including Friday or Monday
• out of season: outside of the main holiday period
• picturesque village: very pretty village
• passport control: the place where your passport is checked
• places of interest: sites of interest to tourists
• wildlife safari: a holiday, often in Africa, to observe wild animals
• self-catering: a holiday where you supply your own food
• short break: a short holiday
• to go sightseeing:  to look around the tourist sites
• stunning landscape: extremely beautiful countryside
• travel agent: a shop that specialises in booking holidays
• tourist trap: somewhere where too many tourists go
• youth hostel: a cheap form of accommodation

Enjoy!