The question
Do you use headphones?
What kind of headphones do you use?
When do you use them?
When would you avoid using them?
How to answer it
The fourth question is the one that separates candidates: it asks for a judgement about context, not a habit. Say where you take them off and why — crossing roads, at work, around people who would find it rude — and you have given a reason rather than a list.
What moves the band
- Object lexis: over-ear, noise-cancelling, wired, they're a bit tinny, they block everything out.
- 'When would you avoid' is hypothetical; answer with would, not do.
These are candidate recalls. These are questions reported by test-takers after their exams, not official or leaked IELTS material. Wording varies by test version, location and memory. Use them for timed practice — never as a prediction of what you will be asked.
Practise these next
Know the number. Now move it.
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