IELTS Speaking Part 2 Questions
Join my IELTS telegram channel
In part 2 of the IELTS speaking test you will be given a topic and asked to speak for 1-2 minutes about it. Before you begin speaking, you will also be given some paper, a pencil and one minute to make notes. After you finish speaking, the examiner may also ask one or two questions to round off this part of the test.
The topics for part two involve you describing a thing, person, time or place. Whatever the topic is, the questions in part 3 will be linked in some way to this topic.
Strategy
One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen people make in this part of the test is not using the minute to think about the topic. This is to help you, so do take this time and think about what you will say. You will not impress the examiner by saying that you don’t need this time, but you will probably run out of things to say and become incoherent.
Make sure you make some good notes – NOT full sentences. Remember these notes are only for you. If no-one else can read them, that is not a problem. Ideally you want to get down 12-20 words which you are able to expand into full sentences when you start speaking.
Once you start speaking, keep going until the examiner stops you. This shows you are able to talk at length on the topic. When the examiner does say stop, make sure you stop. Examiners can get in trouble if one part of the exam goes on for longer than it should, so help them by stopping when they tell you to.
After the two minutes, they might ask you a question or two. They don’t expect long answers here; one sentence is fine.
Practice Questions
Books
Describe a book that you enjoyed because it made you think a lot.
You should say:
- what this book was
- why you decided to read it
- what reading the book made you think about
and explain why you enjoyed reading this book.
Buildings
Describe a house or apartment that someone you know lives in.
You should say:
- whose house or apartment it is
- where the house or apartment is
- what it looks like inside
and explain what you like or dislike about this person’s house or apartment.
Business
Describe someone you know who has started a business.
You should say:
- who this person is
- what work this person does
- why this person decided to start a business
and explain whether you would like to do the same kind of work as this person.
Celebrations
Describe a festival that is important in your country.
You should say:
- when the festival occurs
- what happens during the festival
- what you like or dislike about it
and explain why this festival is important.
Describe a party that you enjoyed.
You should say:
- whose party it was and what it was celebrating
- where the party was held and who went to it
- what people did during the party
and explain why you enjoyed this party.
Celebrity
Describe a well-known person you like or admire.
You should say:
- who this person is
- what this person has done
- why this person is well known
and explain why you like this person.
Describe a writer you would like to meet.
You should say:
- who the writer is
- what you know about this writer already
- what you would like to find out about him/her
and explain why you would like to meet this writer.
Describe an actor from your country who is very popular.
You should say:
- who this actor is
- what they are well-known for
- what you know about this actor’s life
and explain why this actor is popular.
Children
Describe a child that you know.
You should say:
- who this child is and how often you see him or her
- how old this child is
- what he or she is like
and explain what you feel about this child.
Competition
Describe a competition (e.g. TV, college/work or sports competition) that you took part in.
You should say:
- what kind of competition it was and how you found out about it
- what you had to do
- what the prizes were
and explain why you chose to take part in this competition.
Education
Describe a teacher who has influenced you in your education.
You should say:
- where you met them
- what subject they taught
- what was special about them
and explain why they influenced you so much.
Describe a popular teacher you know.
You should say:
- what this teacher looks like
- what sort of person this teacher is
- what this teacher helped you to learn
and explain why this teacher is popular.
Describe an idea that you had for improving something at work or college.
You should say:
- when and where you had your idea
- what your idea was
- who you told about your idea
and explain why you thought this idea would make an improvement.
Describe a difficult task that you succeeded in doing as part of your studies.
You should say:
- what task you did
- why this task was very difficult
- how you worked on this task
and explain how you felt when you had successfully completed this task.
Events
Describe a memorable event in your life.
You should say:
- when the event took place
- where the event took place
- what happened exactly
and explain why this event was memorable for you.
Describe an important choice you had to make in your life.
You should say:
- when you had to make this choice
- what you had to choose between
- whether you made a good choice
and explain how you felt when you were making this choice.
Describe an occasion when you had to wait a long time for someone or something to arrive.
You should say:
- who or what you were waiting for
- how long you had to wait
- why you had to wait a long time
and explain how you felt about waiting a long time.
Family
Describe someone in your family who you like.
You should say:
- how this person is related to you
- what this person looks like
- what kind of person he/she is
and explain why you like this person.
Describe a person who has been an important influence in your life.
You should say:
- who this person is and how long you have known him/her
- why you chose this person
- how this person has influenced you
and explain how you feel about him or her.
Film/TV
Describe a film or a TV programme which has made a strong impression on you.
You should say:
- what kind of film or TV programme it was, e.g. comedy
- when you saw the film or TV programme
- what the film or TV programme was about
and explain why this film or TV programme made such an impression on you.
Describe a TV documentary you watched that was particularly interesting.
You should say:
- what the documentary was about
- why you decided to watch it
- what you learnt during the documentary
and explain why the documentary was particularly interesting.
Food
Describe a restaurant that you enjoyed going to.
You should say:
- where the restaurant was
- why you chose this restaurant
- what type of food you ate in this restaurant
and explain why you enjoyed eating in this restaurant.
Friends
Describe one of your friends.
you should say:
- how you met
- how long you have known each other
- how you spend time together
and explain why you like this person.
Describe a friend of your family you remember from your childhood.
You should say:
- who the person was
- how your family knew this person
- how often this person visited your family
and explain why you remember this person.
Helping others
Describe a person who has done a lot of work to help people.
You should say:
- who this person is/was
- where this person lives/lived
- what he/she has done to help people
and explain how you know about this person.
Describe a time when you helped someone.
You should say:
- who you helped and why
- how you helped this person
- what the result was
and explain how you felt about helping this person.
Hobbies/Interests
Describe an interest or hobby that you enjoy.
You should say:
- how you became interested in it
- how long you have been doing it
- why you enjoy it
and explain what benefits you get from this interest or hobby.
Describe something healthy you enjoy doing.
You should say:
- what you do
- where you do it
- who you do it with
and explain why you think doing this is healthy.
Describe something that you did that was new and exciting.
You should say:
- what you did
- where and when you did this
- who you shared the activity with
and explain why this activity was new or exciting for you.
the Internet
Describe a useful website you have visited.
You should say:
- what the website was
- how you found the address for the website
- what the website contained
and explain why it was useful to you.
Describe a website you use that helps you in your work or studies.
You should say:
- what the website is
- how often you use the website
- what information the website gives you
and explain how your work or studies would change if this website didn’t exist.
Meetings
Describe a meeting you remember going to at work, school or college.
You should say:
- when and where the meeting was held
- who was at the meeting
- what the people at the meeting talked about
and explain why you remember going to this meeting.
Music
Describe a song or piece of music you like.
You should say:
- what the song or music is
- what kind of song or music it is
- where you first heard it
and explain why you like it.
News
Describe an interesting news story that you heard or read about in the news.
You should say:
- when you heard ore read about this story
- what the story was about
- why the story was in the news
and explain why you thought the story was interesting.
Places
Describe an interesting historic place.
You should say:
- what it is
- where it is located
- what you can see there now
and explain why this place is interesting.
Describe a river, lake or sea which you like.
You should say:
- what the river, lake or sea is called
- where it is
- what the land near it is like
and explain why you like this river, lake or sea.
Possessions
Describe something you own which is very important to you.
You should say:
- where you got it from
- how long you have had it
- what you use it for
and explain why it is so important to you.
Describe a piece of electronic equipment that you find useful.
You should say:
- what it is
- how you learned to use it
- how long you have had it
and explain why you find this piece of electronic equipment useful.
Describe something you don’t have now but would really like to own in the future.
You should say:
- what the thing is
- how long you have wanted to own it
- where you first saw it
and explain why you would like to own it.
Describe a time when you started using a new technological device.
You should say:
- what type of device it was
- why you started using it
- how easy or difficult it was
and explain how helpful this device was to you.
Describe something which you bought for your home.
You should say:
- what you bought
- when and where you bought it
- whether you still like it
and explain why you chose it.
Shopping
Describe an open-air or street market which you enjoyed visiting.
You should say:
- where the market is
- what the market sells
- how big the market is
and explin why you enjoyed visiting this market.
Describe a shop near where you live that you sometimes use.
You should say:
- what kind of product or service it sells
- what the shop looks like
- where it is located
and explain why you use this shop.
Describe a website that you have bought something from.
You should say:
- what the website is
- what you bought from the website
- how satisfied you were with what you bought
and explain what you liked and disliked about this website.
Skills
Describe someone you know who does something well.
You should say:
- who this person is
- how you know this person
- what they do well
and explain why you think this person is so good at this thing.
Sport
Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing.
You should say:
- what kind of game or sport it is
- who you play it with
- where you play it
and explain why you enjoy playing it.
Survey/Questionnaire
Describe a time when you were asked to give your opinion in a survey or questionnaire.
You should say:
- what the questionnaire/survey was about
- why you were asked to give your opinions
- what opinions you gave
and explain how you felt about giving your opinions.
Travel
Describe a journey (e.g. by car, plane, boat) that you remember well.
You should say:
- where you went
- how you travelled
- why you went on the journey
and explain why you remember this journey well.
Describe an interesting place that you have visited as a tourist.
You should say:
- where this place is
- why you went there
- what you did there
and explain why you thought this place was so interesting.
Weather
Describe a day when you thought the weather was perfect.
You should say:
- where you were on this day
- what the weather was like on this day
- what you did on this day
and explain why you thought the weather was perfect on this day.
