Cars and driving touch most people’s lives in some way, whether it’s daily commutes, road trips, or just getting around town. These questions cover everything from learning to drive and car preferences to bigger issues like traffic, safety, and the future of transportation.
Questions are organized by level from beginner to advanced. A printable PDF of all the questions is available at the bottom of the page.
Beginner (A1-A2)
- Can you drive?
- If yes, are you a good driver? When did you get your license?
- What is the fastest you have gone in a car? Were you scared or was it fun?
- Would you like to drive an F-1 race car? Why or why not?
- What kind of car does your family have? What do you like about it?
- How do you get to work or school? Does it take a long time?
- Have you ever been in a really big traffic jam? Where were you going?
- Who taught you how to drive? How was it?
- Do you get carsick? What do you do when it happens?
- Do you listen to music when you drive? What kind?
- How often do you drive? Where do you usually go?
- Do you wash your car yourself or take it somewhere? How often?
- What is the longest road trip you have taken? Where did you go?
Elementary (A2)
- What kind of cars do you think look the best? What do you like about them?
- Do people drive well in your country? What do drivers do that annoys you?
- Do you prefer driving or being a passenger? What’s good about each?
- What is the scariest driving experience you have ever had? What happened?
- Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket or a parking ticket? What happened?
- Do you prefer small cars or big cars? Why?
- Have you ever had a flat tire or a car breakdown? What did you do?
- What snacks or drinks do you bring on a long car ride? Why those?
- What was the first car you ever drove? How did it feel?
- Have you ever driven in another country? What was different?
- What kind of car would you never buy? Why not?
- What are three things that make driving in your city difficult?
Intermediate (B1)
- If you were going to get a new car, what kind of car would you get? A luxurious car? A sports car? A hybrid or electric car?
- If no, do you want to get a driver’s license? Why or why not?
- Do you think cars are safe? Why or why not?
- What do you think cars will be like in the future?
- Do you think the use of cars will increase or decrease in the future? Why?
- Do you think people drive more aggressively now than in the past? What do you think has changed?
- Should all new drivers have to practice for a full year before getting a license? Why or why not?
- Do you think speed cameras are a good idea, or are they just a way to make money? What makes you think that?
- Is it better to buy a new car or a used car? When is each one worth it?
- What do you think makes someone a bad driver? Give me some examples.
- Should the driving age be raised or lowered in your country? Why or why not?
- How do you feel about motorcycles compared to cars? What are the downsides of each?
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
- What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of driving versus public transportation?
- How has ride-sharing (like Uber and Lyft) changed the way people think about owning a car? What do you think about those changes?
- Some cities are banning cars from their downtown areas. What are the upsides and downsides of this approach?
- Compare how people learn to drive in your country with how they learn in other countries you know about. What are the biggest differences?
- What role does a car play in someone’s social status in your country? Is this changing?
- How has the way people buy cars changed with the internet? What has been gained and what has been lost?
- How do traffic problems affect a city’s economy and quality of life? What solutions have you seen that actually work?
- How has car culture changed in your country over the last 20 years? What do you think is driving those changes?
- Compare the safety features in modern cars versus cars from 20 years ago. How have these changes affected driving behavior?
- How does car dependency affect public health, both positively and negatively?
Advanced (C1)
- How do self-driving cars challenge existing ideas about personal responsibility, insurance liability, and the ethics of algorithmic decision-making?
- Why have cars become such powerful symbols of freedom and identity in some cultures but not others, and what does this reveal about how different societies define personal autonomy?
- How do government decisions about fuel taxes, emissions standards, and infrastructure spending simultaneously reflect and shape public attitudes toward climate change?
- What tensions exist between making cars safer through technology and the risk of creating drivers who pay less attention because they rely on that technology?
- How has the global automobile industry influenced geopolitics, trade relationships, and labor movements in ways that most people rarely think about?
- As electric vehicles become mainstream, how might the decline of the oil industry reshape economies, international alliances, and the political power of oil-producing nations?
- How does the marketing of cars exploit psychological needs for status, adventure, and belonging in ways that go beyond simply selling a product?
- How has the democratization of car ownership both advanced and undermined social equality across the 20th and 21st centuries?
- How do speed limits reveal underlying conflicts between individual liberty, collective safety, and state authority?
- What does the global variation in traffic fatality rates reveal about differing cultural approaches to risk, responsibility, and the value of human life?