Part 2 – cue card

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IELTS Speaking

Part 2 – Cue card

In the individual long-turn part of IELTS Speaking, you have to talk for one to two minutes on a topic chosen by the examiner. This is the only part of the Speaking module in which a time limit applies, so there’s more pressure to speak quickly and without hesitation. However, it’s also the easiest part to practice, as answers tend to follow a similar pattern regardless of the topic. The useful language below will help you structure a response in Part 2

In IELTS speaking part 2 you will be given a topic or cue card similar to this:

Describe a plant grown in your country. You should say

what the plant is
where it is grown
why you like or dislike it

and explain why it is important to your country.

You will have 1 minute to make notes and then will be asked to speak for between 1-2 minutes.

When you get the cue card you will be given one minute to write down some ideas. You are going to use this time wisely by using the following structure. On the piece of paper provided write down five headings with a little space between each one.

Introduction
Past
Description
Opinion
Future

Now you will start to write keywords beside each of these headings. Let’s look at each in a little more detail.

Introduction

Start off by saying ‘I’d like to talk about (X).’ Then say ‘I chose this topic because…’ and you will be able to say why you choose this topic. If you can’t think of a reason just make one up, although it’s always better to talk about real experiences.

Past

Now pause and use a linking word like ‘anyway’ or ‘anyhow’ to transition into talking about the past. This will allow you to demonstrate that you are confident using a range of past structures. For example-

Used to + infinitive to talk about past habits or states that are now finished.

Would + infinitive to describe past habits.

Past simple to talk about things you did in the past that you no longer do or are no longer true.

Past continuous to talk about the background of a story or how you felt at a particular time.

Past perfect to say something happened before something else in the past.

Description

Now pause and say ‘So let me tell you about (X) in a little more detail.’ This is your opportunity to impress the examiner with specific vocabulary. Get to know the common topics and have some specific adjectives ready. If you use an adjective to describe something, make sure you expand on it or explain it with examples. Again, if you can’t think of specific examples, it is fine to make these up. Make sure your examples match the adjective and you will be fine.

Opinion

Now you can pause and say ‘If you ask me/In my view/I would say + (opinion on topic). This give you a chance to express how you feel about the topic. It could be your personal opinion or it could be a comparative or superlative. Using a wide range of phrases to express your opinion will help you get a higher mark. If you want to give a stronger opinion you could say:

I strongly believe that…

As far as I’m concerned…

I’m strongly against…

I’m strongly in favour of….

I’m skeptical of the idea that…

I must admit, I think….

Future

Finally, you can display your ability to use future tenses. Start off by saying ‘With regards to the future….’ A range of tenses will help you gain extra marks. For example, you could use:

Present continuous to talk about fixed arrangements.

Be going + to + infinitive to talk about future plans.

Will or won’t + infinitive is used with predictions based on opinions or experiences. It can also be used to talk about hopes and assumptions.

The future perfect- will have + past participle- is used to say something will have happened or will have been completed by a certain point in the future.

That’s it! Five simple headings that will allow you to speak for at least two minutes without any difficultly.

The most important thing is that you practice using this strategy with many different topics. Get some past IELTS speaking part 2 questions and ask a friend or classmate to give you them at random.

IELTS Speaking part 2 useful language

Beginning your response

I’m going to talk about …
I’d like to tell you about …
I’ve decided to speak about …

Indicating a time in the past

I think it was when I was around (age) years old.
When I was a (school) student, …
In my (school) days, …

Speaking hypothetically

If I could choose any (repeat topic), I’d choose …
Given a choice of any (repeat topic), I’d rather …
If money were no object, I’d …

Describing a book/film/story

It’s about a (person) who …
The story concerns a (person) who …
The main character is a (role) played by (actor) who …

Omitting some details

Briefly, …
I won’t go into detail here but …
There’s no time to explain fully here but …

Avoiding hesitation

What else can I say?
What else is there to say?
I suppose I should also mention that…

Signaling the next part of the question

As for …
When it comes to …
Moving on to …

Giving reasons

The reason I …
… for two/several reasons.
There are two/several reasons I’ve chosen to talk about …

Adding your own impression

It was the most memorable/remarkable (repeat question topic) of my life.
For me, it was a truly memorable/remarkable (repeat question topic).
I’ll never forget (it/him/her) as long as I live.

Concluding your response

Anyway, that’s (repeat question topic).
So, that’s why I chose to speak about …
Thank you for listening.

Now you can download IELTS Speaking part 2 questions with many different topics plus sample answers.

DOWNLOAD IELTS SPEAKING PART 2