Parks and public spaces are common topics in the IELTS Speaking test. On this page, you’ll find useful vocabulary, IELTS-style questions, and model answers to help you speak naturally and confidently about green spaces and outdoor activities.
📝 Essential Vocabulary
Here are some key words to help you talk about parks and public spaces in the IELTS test:
Green space – An area of grass, trees, or other vegetation in an urban environment.
Recreational facilities – Places and equipment designed for leisure activities and exercise.
Urban planning – The process of designing and organising towns and cities.
Landscaped – Gardens or parks that have been carefully designed and maintained.
Joggers – People who run at a steady, gentle pace for exercise.
Bustling – Full of activity and energy; lively.
Tranquil – Peaceful and quiet; calm.
Public amenities – Facilities or services provided for public use.
Biodiversity – The variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat.
Footpath – A path for people to walk on, especially in the countryside or through a park.
Well-maintained – Kept in good condition through regular care and attention.
Open-air – Taking place or situated outside rather than in a building.
🎯 Part 1 Questions: Parks & Public Spaces
Question 1: Do you often visit parks in your area?
Answer: “Yes, I do—especially on weekends when I want to escape the bustling city centre. There’s a lovely green space near my flat with well-maintained gardens and a footpath perfect for walking. It’s quite tranquil compared to the rest of the neighbourhood.”
Question 2: What do people usually do in parks where you live?
Answer: “Well, it depends on the time of day, really. In the mornings, you’ll see joggers and people doing yoga or tai chi. Later on, families come with children to use the recreational facilities like playgrounds. Some people just sit on benches reading or having picnics—it’s a proper community space.”
Question 3: Do you think cities need more green spaces?
Answer: “Absolutely. I think urban planning should prioritise parks because they improve people’s mental health and wellbeing. Plus, they support biodiversity by providing habitats for birds and insects. More landscaped areas would definitely make cities more liveable.”
💬 Part 2 Task: Describe a Public Space
Question:
Describe a park or public space you enjoy visiting.
You should say:
- Where it is located
- What it looks like
- What people do there
…and explain why you enjoy going there.
Sample Answer:
“I’d like to talk about Victoria Park, which is located about ten minutes from where I live in the city centre. It’s quite a large green space—probably around 50 acres—and it’s been well-maintained by the local council for decades.
The park itself is beautifully landscaped with mature trees, flower beds that change with the seasons, and several ponds where you can see ducks and swans. There’s a lovely footpath that runs all the way around the perimeter, which is perfect for walking or jogging. In the middle, there’s a rather grand Victorian fountain that still works, which adds a nice historical touch to the place.
What I really appreciate about Victoria Park is the variety of recreational facilities it offers. There’s a children’s playground that’s always busy with families, tennis courts that you can book, and even an open-air café where you can grab a coffee and sit outside when the weather’s nice. On weekends, the park becomes quite bustling with people having picnics, playing football, or just lying on the grass reading.
Despite all this activity, there are still tranquil corners where you can find peace and quiet. I particularly love the Japanese garden section, which has a small bridge over a stream and carefully pruned trees—it feels like a world away from the city.
I enjoy going there because it offers something for every mood. If I want to exercise, I can jog around the footpath. If I need to relax, I can find a quiet bench under a tree. It’s also a great example of thoughtful urban planning—the council has managed to create a space that serves the whole community whilst also supporting local biodiversity with wildflower areas and bird boxes.
The park basically represents everything a good public space should be: accessible, diverse, well-maintained, and genuinely beneficial to people’s wellbeing. It’s become an essential part of my weekly routine.”
🔍 Part 3 Questions: Public Spaces & Urban Development
Question 1: How have public spaces changed in recent years?
Answer: “I think there’s been a significant shift in how cities approach urban planning regarding public spaces. More councils are creating multi-purpose areas with recreational facilities that cater to different age groups—not just playgrounds for children, but outdoor gyms for adults and accessible paths for elderly people. There’s also greater emphasis on biodiversity, with many parks now incorporating wildflower meadows and natural habitats rather than just perfectly manicured lawns. The focus has definitely moved towards creating green spaces that are both functional and environmentally beneficial.”
Question 2: Why do you think some people prefer indoor activities to spending time in parks?
Answer: “Well, I suppose it comes down to personal preference and lifestyle, doesn’t it? Some people might find open-air activities uncomfortable due to weather concerns—Britain’s unpredictable climate certainly doesn’t help! Others might prefer the controlled environment of gyms or shopping centres where there are public amenities like toilets and cafés readily available. Additionally, I think the rise of digital entertainment means people are perhaps less motivated to visit green spaces. However, I do believe many people would visit parks more often if they were more well-maintained and felt safer, particularly in urban areas.”
Question 3: What role should governments play in developing public spaces?
Answer: “Governments have a crucial responsibility in this area, I’d say. Firstly, urban planning policies should ensure that new housing developments include adequate green spaces—it shouldn’t be an afterthought. They also need to invest in maintaining existing recreational facilities so they remain safe and attractive to use. Furthermore, I think councils should involve local communities in decisions about park design to ensure the public amenities actually meet people’s needs. It’s also important that governments protect biodiversity by creating wildlife corridors and preserving natural habitats within urban environments. Ultimately, accessible, quality public spaces contribute significantly to public health and social cohesion, so government investment here really pays dividends.”
🎓 Practice Activity
Think about your favourite park or public space and describe it using at least five words from the vocabulary list above. Try recording yourself speaking for 2 minutes about:
- What makes this space special
- How well-maintained or landscaped it is
- Whether it’s usually bustling or tranquil
- What recreational facilities or public amenities it offers
Test your knowledge of Parks & Public Spaces vocabulary!
We’ve created a comprehensive quiz to help you practise the vocabulary from this lesson. The quiz includes:
- Gap-fill exercises
- Multiple choice questions
- Sentence completion tasks
- Matching exercises
✅ Interactive Vocabulary Quiz
Complete this quiz in approximately 10 minutes
Section A: Gap-Fill Exercise
Complete the sentences using words from the Essential Vocabulary list.
- The city council has invested millions in __________ to create more parks and cycle paths throughout the urban area.
- I love jogging along the __________ that runs beside the river—it’s much safer than running on the road.
- Despite being in the middle of the city, the botanical gardens are surprisingly __________ and peaceful.
- The park attracts __________ every morning who use the 5-kilometre loop around the perimeter.
- Our local park has excellent __________ including tennis courts, a skate park, and a children’s playground.
Section B: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.
- The gardens were beautifully __________ with ornamental trees and colourful flower beds.
- a) landscape
- b) landscaped
- c) landscaping
- d) landscapes
- The park provides important __________ by offering habitats for various birds and insects.
- a) biology
- b) diverse
- c) biodiversity
- d) biological
- The __________ cafe in the park is only open during the summer months.
- a) open-air
- b) open-minded
- c) opening
- d) openly
- The playground is always __________ with children on weekends.
- a) bustle
- b) bustling
- c) bustled
- d) bustles
- 10.The park offers various __________ such as toilets, water fountains, and benches.
- a) publicities
- b) publications
- c) public amenities
- d) public houses
Section C: Matching Exercise
Match the vocabulary terms with their correct definitions.
- Green space →
- Well-maintained →
- Recreational facilities →
- Tranquil →
- Urban planning →
Definitions:
- A) Places and equipment designed for leisure activities
- B) Kept in good condition through regular care
- C) An area of vegetation in an urban environment
- D) The process of designing towns and cities
- E) Peaceful and quiet
🎯 Answer Key & Explanations
Section A: Gap-Fill Answers
1. urban planning Explanation: “Urban planning” refers to the process of designing and organising cities. The sentence discusses city council decisions about infrastructure, making this the correct choice.
2. footpath Explanation: A “footpath” is specifically a path for people to walk or run on. The context of jogging beside a river makes this the most appropriate term.
3. tranquil Explanation: “Tranquil” means peaceful and quiet. The sentence contrasts the location (middle of the city) with the atmosphere (surprisingly peaceful), making this word perfect.
4. joggers Explanation: “Joggers” are people who run at a steady, gentle pace for exercise. The sentence specifically mentions people using the park for running in the morning.
5. recreational facilities Explanation: “Recreational facilities” encompasses all the amenities listed (tennis courts, skate park, playground). This is the umbrella term for leisure equipment and spaces.
Section B: Multiple Choice Answers
6. b) landscaped Explanation: We need the past participle “landscaped” here because the gardens were designed and maintained (passive voice). “The gardens were landscaped” is correct.
7. c) biodiversity Explanation: “Biodiversity” is the noun that means the variety of plant and animal life. The sentence requires a noun as the object of “provides.”
8. a) open-air Explanation: “Open-air” is the correct compound adjective meaning outdoors. Note the hyphen is essential when used before a noun.
9. b) bustling Explanation: “Bustling” is the adjective form meaning full of activity. “The playground is bustling” correctly describes its busy nature.
10. c) public amenities Explanation: “Public amenities” are facilities provided for public use. The examples given (toilets, fountains, benches) are all public amenities.
Section C: Matching Answers
11. Green space → C (An area of vegetation in an urban environment)
12. Well-maintained → B (Kept in good condition through regular care)
13. Recreational facilities → A (Places and equipment designed for leisure activities)
14. Tranquil → E (Peaceful and quiet)
15. Urban planning → D (The process of designing towns and cities)
📊 How Did You Score?
13-15 correct: Excellent! You have a strong grasp of parks and public spaces vocabulary.
10-12 correct: Good work! Review the words you missed and practise using them in sentences.
7-9 correct: Fair effort. Spend more time studying the Essential Vocabulary section and try the quiz again.
Below 7: Keep practising! Review the model answers to see how these words are used in context, then retake the quiz.
🎤 Practice Your IELTS Speaking
Record yourself answering the Part 2 question from this page and send it to us for professional feedback.
Our feedback is based on the official IELTS Speaking Descriptors and will give you precise information on how to improve your:
- Fluency and Coherence
- Lexical Resource (vocabulary)
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Pronunciation
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