IELTS Speaking · Part 2
IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topics (Cue Cards) with Sample Answers
In Part 2 you get a cue card, one minute to prepare and up to two minutes to speak. This page shows how to use that minute, eight worked cue cards, and all 204 Part 2 topics in our question bank, grouped by type.
Updated · LingoLeap IELTS Content Team
What happens in IELTS Speaking Part 2
The examiner gives you a task card with a topic and the points to cover, plus pencil and paper. You have one minute to prepare, then you speak for up to two minutes without interruption. The whole part takes 3–4 minutes.
Part 2 tests whether you can speak at length on your own: organising a short talk, keeping it going, and using a range of vocabulary and tenses. Part 3 then asks broader questions on the same theme — see IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions.
How to use your one minute of preparation
- Choose fast. Pick the first real example that comes to mind — a real person, place or event gives you real details.
- One line per prompt. Write two or three keywords next to each point on the card.
- Plan the “explain” point. Note one feeling or reason and one example; it is the part people run short on.
- Add one extra. A contrast, a change over time, or what you would do differently — your reserve if you finish early.
A structure that fills two minutes
Opening (10 seconds)
Say what you are going to describe: “I'd like to talk about…”.
The prompts (60–70 seconds)
Take the points in order, each with a detail or an example.
The story (20–30 seconds)
One specific moment — “The time I remember best is…” — in the past tense.
The explanation (20 seconds)
Why it matters to you, how you feel now, or what you learned.
Make your own two-minute attempt first
Choose one cue card below before opening its sample answer. Use a real memory: one setting, one incident and one reason it matters to you. Your goal is to organise your own talk, not reproduce a model.
Notes stay in this browser tab and are not saved. Record yourself with your own device if useful; this page does not record or upload audio.
Use your own timer if JavaScript is unavailable. Prepare for one minute, then speak for up to two.
Review your recording before reading the model
Now compare the planning notes and development in a worked answer. Borrow the method, keep your own story, and record a second attempt. A timer and checklist do not assess pronunciation or assign an IELTS band.
Eight worked IELTS Speaking Part 2 sample answers
Use these as examples of planning and development, not scripts to memorise. No band score is assigned to a written answer: pronunciation and delivery cannot be judged from text. Record your own version and check that you address your card's actual points.
Person
Describe a person who likes to help others.
You should say:
- who this person is
- how you know them
- how they help others
- and explain how you feel about this person.
One-minute notes: neighbour Mrs Lin · retired nurse · 10 yrs next door · first-aid classes, elderly shopping · lockdown: groceries for whole building · admire: never asks for thanks
Original practice answer (written by our team; timing varies)
I'd like to talk about my neighbour, Mrs Lin, who has lived next door to my family for about ten years. She's a retired nurse, and I think that background explains a lot about her, because helping people seems to be completely natural to her. In practical terms, she does all sorts of things. She runs a free first-aid class for parents in our building once a month, and she regularly does the shopping for two elderly neighbours who can't walk far. The example I remember best is from a few years ago, when a lot of people were stuck at home. She organised a group chat for the whole building and collected shopping lists, so that one person could do one trip instead of twenty people going out. What I admire most is that she never expects anything back. When people try to thank her she just changes the subject. To be honest, she has made me think more about my own neighbours — I've started helping with that group chat myself.Place
Describe a relaxing place you like to go to.
You should say:
- where it is
- how often you go there
- what you do there
- and explain why you find it relaxing.
One-minute notes: riverside park · 15 min bike · most Sundays · bench under willow, read, watch rowers · no traffic noise, phone off · contrast: busy week
Original practice answer (written by our team; timing varies)
The place I find most relaxing is a small park along the river, about fifteen minutes from my home by bike. I go there most Sunday mornings, and more often in exam periods. There isn't much to do there, which is really the point. I usually sit on the same bench under a big willow tree, read for an hour, and watch the rowing teams training on the river. Sometimes I bring a coffee from a stall near the entrance. I think it's relaxing for two reasons. First, it's surprisingly quiet — the river is between the park and the main road, so you can't hear traffic at all. Second, I have a rule that my phone stays off while I'm there. My weeks are usually quite hectic, with classes and a part-time job, so having one place where nobody expects anything from me helps me reset before Monday.Event
Describe a time when you were late for something important.
You should say:
- what the event was
- why you were late
- what happened as a result
- and explain how you felt about it.
One-minute notes: university interview · 2 yrs ago · train cancelled, signal fault · called ahead · 20 min late, moved to end · felt panicked → relieved · lesson: leave an hour early
Original practice answer (written by our team; timing varies)
I'm going to talk about the day I was late for my university admissions interview, about two years ago. It was probably the most important appointment I'd had at that point. I had planned it carefully and left with forty minutes to spare, but my train was cancelled because of a signal fault, and the next one was packed. I realised I wasn't going to make it, so I called the admissions office from the platform to explain. In the end I arrived about twenty minutes late. Luckily, they were understanding and moved my interview to the end of the day, so I actually had time to calm down and look over my notes. At the time I felt completely panicked — my hands were shaking on the train. Looking back, though, I'm glad I phoned ahead instead of just rushing in late, and ever since then I leave at least an hour early for anything that matters.Object
Describe an object that is important to you.
You should say:
- what the object is
- how you got it
- how you use it
- and explain why it is important to you.
One-minute notes: grandfather's small camera · birthday gift · weekend walks · river photo after rain · slow down, family connection
Original practice answer (written by our team; timing varies)
The object I'd choose is a small camera that belonged to my grandfather. He gave it to me for my eighteenth birthday, along with a notebook where he had written a few simple photography tips. It isn't an expensive camera, and my phone probably handles dark rooms better, but I still take it on weekend walks. Usually I leave my phone in my bag and try to notice one interesting detail, like a reflection in a window or the pattern of shadows on a wall. One photograph I particularly like shows the river near our house just after heavy rain. I waited on the bridge until a cyclist entered the picture, which gave the scene a sense of scale. That little wait is part of the reason the camera matters to me. With my phone, I tend to take ten pictures quickly and move on. With this camera, I stop and decide what I actually want to show. It also connects me with my grandfather. When I visit him, we look at the photographs together, and he usually notices something I missed. So its value is partly practical, but mostly personal: it gives us something to talk about and reminds me to pay attention.Why the answer works: The opening identifies the object and its history. The river photograph provides one concrete use, and the final comparison explains its personal value instead of repeating that it is 'important'.
Make it your own: Choose a real object with a small story behind it. For a gift cue card, expand the occasion and the giver; for an object you use often, expand the routine. Keep details consistent with the prompt.
Skill
Describe a skill you learned that was difficult at first.
You should say:
- what the skill was
- when and how you learned it
- what made it difficult
- and explain how you felt after learning it.
One-minute notes: cooking rice and vegetables · first year away · online recipe, sister's advice · burned pan, heat too high · repeat same meal · independent
Original practice answer (written by our team; timing varies)
A skill that took me longer than I expected was cooking a simple evening meal. I started learning in my first year away from home, because buying dinner every day was expensive and I missed familiar food. My first plan was rice with vegetables, which sounded almost impossible to get wrong. I followed an online recipe, but I prepared the ingredients while the pan was already heating. By the time the vegetables were ready, the oil was too hot, and the onions burned almost immediately. The difficult part wasn't understanding the recipe. It was managing several things at once and judging the heat. My sister suggested that I put everything on the counter before switching on the stove, and that made a surprising difference. For the next few weeks I cooked the same meal rather than trying a new recipe every night. Gradually I could tell when to lower the heat and how much water the rice needed. When I finally made a dinner I was happy to serve to a friend, I felt much more independent. I still make mistakes, but now I know how to fix most of them instead of giving up and ordering food.Why the answer works: Past-tense events show the learning process. The distinction between knowing a recipe and coordinating tasks answers what was difficult. The final present-tense reflection explains the lasting result.
Make it your own: Use a skill you can describe in steps. Name one early mistake, one change in your method and one later success. For a skill you want to learn, change the timeline rather than reusing a completed-learning story.
Book
Describe a book you enjoyed reading.
You should say:
- what kind of book it was
- when you read it
- what it was about
- and explain why you enjoyed it.
One-minute notes: local walking guide · last spring · library shelf · routes and small details · weekend market route · changed view of hometown
Original practice answer (written by our team; timing varies)
I'd like to describe a walking guide to my hometown that I borrowed from the library last spring. It wasn't the kind of book I normally choose. I usually read fiction, but the cover showed a street I recognised, so I picked it up while waiting for a friend. Each chapter described a short walk through a different neighbourhood. Alongside directions, the writer pointed out details that were easy to miss, such as old shop signs, unusual doorways and public gardens hidden behind busy roads. I read most of it over a weekend, then tried one of the routes with my younger brother. It took us past the Saturday market and ended at a small garden where we ate the bread we'd bought earlier. The directions were clear enough that we didn't spend the whole walk looking at a map. What I enjoyed most was the change in perspective. Before reading it, I thought I knew the town well because I'd lived there for years. Afterwards, familiar streets felt interesting again. I wouldn't say it was exciting in the way a thriller is, but it encouraged me to be curious about a place I had started taking for granted.Why the answer works: The answer names the book type without inventing a famous author's details. It gives a specific route experience, then explains enjoyment through a change in perspective rather than a list of adjectives.
Make it your own: Use a book you actually know. Separate a short description of its content from your reaction. If the prompt asks about a book you would recommend, add who would benefit and why.
Trip
Describe a journey that did not go as planned.
You should say:
- where you were going
- who you travelled with
- what happened
- and explain how you felt about the journey.
One-minute notes: coastal town · friend Maya · wrong bus, similar stop names · driver helped, later connection · missed lunch, quiet beach · frustrated then amused
Original practice answer (written by our team; timing varies)
The journey I remember was a day trip to a coastal town with my friend Maya last summer. We'd planned to arrive before lunch, walk along the beach and come home that evening. Neither of us had used that bus route before, but the trip looked straightforward on the map. The problem was that two stops had very similar names. We got off at the first one and only realised our mistake when we couldn't see the sea anywhere. At first I was annoyed with myself because I had been the person checking the route. Maya was more practical: she suggested asking the next driver instead of trying to solve everything on our phones. He explained where we were and told us which connection to take. We eventually reached the coast almost two hours late, so we missed the café we'd chosen for lunch. We bought sandwiches instead and found a quiet part of the beach. Looking back, that was probably the nicest part of the day. At the time the mistake felt like a disaster, but by the return journey we were laughing about it. It taught me to check the full stop name and leave some space in a travel plan for things to go wrong.Why the answer works: A clear sequence makes the unexpected event easy to follow. The answer contrasts feelings during the mistake with the later reaction, directly addressing the final prompt.
Make it your own: For an enjoyable trip, give more space to what you did at the destination. For a delay or problem, explain the cause and response. Do not force the same mishap into every travel prompt.
Meal
Describe a memorable meal you had with other people.
You should say:
- when and where you had the meal
- who you ate with
- what you ate
- and explain why it was memorable.
One-minute notes: flat kitchen · end of exams · three classmates · noodles, vegetables, dumplings · everyone helped · relief, first meal without revision
Original practice answer (written by our team; timing varies)
A memorable meal for me was a dinner in our shared flat at the end of last semester. Three classmates came over after our final exam, and we decided to cook together rather than go to a restaurant. The kitchen was quite small, so we had to take turns using the counter. We made vegetable noodles and dumplings, although the dumplings were bought frozen because none of us knew how to make them properly. One friend chopped the vegetables, another cooked the noodles, and I was responsible for checking that the dumplings didn't stick to the pan. We served everything in the middle of the table because we didn't have enough matching plates. The food was good, but that isn't really what made the evening memorable. For several weeks our conversations had been about deadlines and revision. That night we could finally talk about other things, including plans for the holiday and a film one friend wanted us to watch. Nobody was checking a clock or rushing back to study. I remember feeling relieved and comfortable. It was an ordinary dinner, but the fact that we had made it together gave it a sense of celebration that a more expensive meal might not have had.Why the answer works: Concrete food and kitchen details establish the scene. The answer explains why the occasion mattered through the contrast with exam weeks, avoiding an unsupported claim that the food was exceptional.
Make it your own: Choose a meal with a reason to remember it. For a restaurant prompt, include the venue and service; for a celebration, explain the occasion. The people and feelings can stay central without ignoring the food.
All 204 IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics
The Part 2 cue cards in LingoLeap's IELTS Speaking question bank (as of 2026-09-28). The groups are approximate — some topics fit more than one. In the practice app, each is set as Part 2 with Part 3 questions.
People (60)
- A creative person you admire
- A famous person you would like to meet
- A friend I initially disliked but ended up liking
- A friend of yours who loves to sing
- A good friend who is important to you
- A good habit your friend has and you want to develop
- A meal enjoyed with friends
- A person who encouraged you to protect the nature
- A person who likes to help others
- A person who makes plans a lot
- A person who solved a problem in a smart way
- A sportsperson you admire
- A time when you felt proud of a family member
- A time when you told your friends an important truth
- Activities done with others
- Admired athlete
- Admired athlete/sports team
- An experience when someone apologized to you
- An occasion when many people were smiling
- Ancestors' jobs
- Bad behavior of children in public places
- Childhood friend
- Disputes among friends
- Energetic person
- Family business
- Fashionista
- Favorite singer
- Foreigners who are good at speaking Chinese
- Frequent visits to a familiar person's house
- Gardener
- Good news
- Good suggestion
- Idol's movie character
- Intelligent person
- Interested celebrities
- Interesting conversation with an elderly person
- Interesting job
- Interesting old man
- Interesting people I want to meet
- Movies that disappoint you
- One of your friends who learned a skill from someone
- People dressed in strange costumes
- People from different cultures you know
- People met at the party
- People who enjoy cooking
- People who help others
- People who want to study/work together
- People with interesting ideas
- Person who gives advice
- Person you want to spend time with
- Person you want to study/work with
- Persuader
- Skills I want to learn
- Someone else's room
- Someone I know is moving to a new house
- Something important that has been kept in your family for a long time
- Spending time with children
- Successful businessman
- Successful students
- The person who motivates you to do interesting things
Places (34)
- A brief stay in his city
- A city you want to visit again
- A natural place
- A place with poor air quality
- A relaxing place
- A shopping mall
- An interesting building
- An interesting building you saw during a trip
- An occasion when you were not allowed to use your mobile phone
- An unusual building you'd like to visit
- Beautiful city
- Beautiful sky
- Crowded place
- Desired foreign country
- Desired place with many trees
- First day of school
- Frequently used websites
- Ideal house
- Important things learned outside of school
- Interesting places
- Newly opened store
- Noisily
- Noisy place
- Outdoor activity area
- Outdoor activity location
- Parks or gardens in the city
- Place to see wild animals
- Quiet place
- Recommend a place in your country to a tourist
- Relaxing place
- Second-hand goods website
- Shop
- The distant place I want to go in the future
- Your favorite place in your house where you can relax
Events and experiences (63)
- A bicycle/motorcycle/car trip you would like to go on
- A foreign country you would like to stay or work for a short period of time
- A movie you watched recently
- A movie you watched recently that you felt disappointed with
- A music event that you didn't enjoy
- A period that changes life
- A time when the electricity suddenly went off
- A time when you broke something
- A time when you encouraged someone to do something that he/she didn't want to do
- A time you needed to use your imagination
- A trip you would like to make again
- A water sport you would like to try in the future
- Activities that make you feel tired
- Adventure
- An exciting activity you have tried for the first time
- An interesting traditional story
- An occasion when you lost your way
- An unusual meal
- An unusual meal you had
- Argument
- Bad shopping experience
- Being late
- Break a promise
- Car journey
- Childhood favorite activities
- Childhood fun
- Childhood games
- Complaint
- Computer breakdown
- Daily tasks that I enjoy doing
- Decisions made with the help of others
- Determined to wait
- Exciting activities
- First time speaking a foreign language
- Gathering
- Goals that are strived to achieve
- Got incorrect information
- Important decision
- Important rules in school/work
- Interested historical period
- Interesting incident on social media
- Journey
- Late
- Lost
- Made a promise
- Memorable conversation
- Overcoming difficulties and eventually succeeding
- Plan a group activity
- Poor service
- Proud of overcoming difficulties
- Public speaking experience
- Recent daily changes
- Residential development
- Something that makes you proud
- Speech experience
- Sports show
- Teach others how to do things
- The first day of school
- Traditional celebration
- Waiting for good things
- Waiting for special events
- Water sports
- Your perfect job
Objects and things (39)
- A book you read that you found useful
- A child you know who likes drawing/painting very much
- A movie that made you laugh
- A painting
- A photo you are proud of
- A piece of technologythat you would like to own
- A program or app on your computer or phone
- A storyyou have read recently
- A time that you gave advice to others
- Ads that are not liked
- An area/subject of science that you are interested in and would like to learn more about
- An important old thing that your family has kept for a long time
- An item on which you spent more than expected
- Beautiful item
- Books that have been read multiple times
- Childhood toys
- Clothes that you like to wear
- Desired outdoor sport
- Desired sports match
- Favorite movie
- Favorite show
- Health article
- Interested scientific fields
- Interesting novel/story
- Photos that make you happy
- Plastic waste
- Received desired item
- Receiving money as a gift
- Save money to buy expensive gifts
- Seen the advertisement of a product
- Something that you can't live without
- Sports venue
- Talent that wants to be improved
- Teaching skills to others
- Technology products
- Useful advertisement
- Useful inventions
- Using difficult technological products
- 常用网站 popular websites
More topics (8)
- Environmentalist
- Foreign food
- Impressive English class
- Information search
- Interesting discussion
- Poem lines/lyrics
- Share
- Something done with others
Practising the People group? Our IELTS Speaking people topics guide has Part 1–3 questions and sample answers for family, friends, teachers and role models.
Practise out loud, then check your answer
LingoLeap's IELTS Speaking practice has Part 1 and Parts 2–3 questions from the same question bank as the topic lists on these pages. Record an answer and get an estimated band with feedback on fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. You can browse the questions without an account; a scored answer costs 200 credits, and sign-up credits cover your first ones.
Open IELTS Speaking practiceFAQ
How long is IELTS Speaking Part 2?
3–4 minutes in total. You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes. The examiner may ask one or two short questions when you finish.
What is an IELTS cue card?
The task card you are given in Part 2. It names a topic (“Describe a person who…”), lists three or four points to cover, and usually ends with “and explain…”.
Can I write notes in IELTS Speaking Part 2?
Yes. You get pencil and paper for the one-minute preparation. Write keywords for each prompt, not full sentences — you won't have time to read sentences back.
What if I finish before two minutes?
Keep going if you can: go back to a prompt and add an example, compare it with something else, or say how you feel about it now. The examiner will stop you when the time is up.
Do I have to cover every point on the cue card?
The points are there to help you. Covering all of them is the easiest way to fill two minutes and keep your talk organised, and the final “explain” point is usually where you show the most language.
What are the most common IELTS Part 2 topics?
They fall into four groups: people, places, events and experiences, and objects or things. The 204 cue cards in our question bank are listed on this page by group.
Sources
Test format, timing and scoring criteria are from IELTS (ielts.org), read 28 September 2026. Topic lists are from LingoLeap's IELTS Speaking question bank. Example answers are written by our team to show a method; they are not official material and were not graded.