How to Prepare IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topics

One good way to prepare for IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics, is to focus on vocabulary, phrases and templates that you can use on a variety of similar topics.

On this page, you will find vocabulary and language templates you can use for each of the 5 categories above.

Practice them at home, trying to use them for different kinds of questions. There are some sample questions below you can practice with.

These are just my examples of the kind of question or cue card you may get in the test. They are not actual IELTS questions.

Use them as a guide, just to practice. 

The secret to success is flexibility.  

IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic: PEOPLE

In your 2 minute talk you can say ;

• Who (they are). 
• How (you know or met them)
• Feel (how you feel about them)

When talking about who they are, you can use adjectives like these;

Personality 

• extremely friendly, gregarious, out-going, a real extrovert, a bit of a character,
• timid, quite shy, a bit of an introvert, a little withdrawn, 

Appearance 

• plump, a little on the large side, slightly overweight 
• quite slim, fairly petite, 
• rather tall, a bit taller than me, 

When talking about how you know or met them, you can talk about their job, role and relationship 

She’s my

• boss
• ex-boss
• colleague
• workmate
• classmate

When talking about how you feel about them, you can use expressions like these;

• I was excited to see them
• I was ecstatic to be with them
• I was thrilled to meet them again
• I was delighted to spend time with them
• I was over the moon to see them again

IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic: PLACES

In your 2 minute talk you can say ;

• Where (it is). 
• How  (it looks)
• What (to do there)
• Feel (how you feel about it)

 

When talking about where it is, you can use expressions like these;

• It’s located in the north of …
• It can be found in the south of…
• It’s a little known place…
• It’s hidden away, off the beaten track
• It’s a really popular place…
• One of those must-see places
• Quiet, calm, peaceful,
• Noisy, a lot of hustle and bustle, a hive of activity

When talking about what to do there, you can use the following;

• You can (go hiking)…
• It’s well known for it’s (cuisine)…
• People typically like to (shop) there…

When talking about how you feel about it, you can say the following; 

• I like / love / adore it.
• I reckon it’s awesome, fantastic, outstanding
• I fell head over heels in love with it

IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic: EVENTS

In your 2 minute talk you can talk about;

• Setting  
• People 
• What happened 

 

When talking about the setting, you can use phrases like these;

Past Tenses 

• When I was living in…
• When I was working in…
• I used to live in…
• I would always…
• When I was younger, I often…

When talking about people, you can talk about personality 

• talkative, never shuts up, thick-skinned, rude, inconsiderate
• sensitive, delicate, considerate, thoughtful,  polite,
• witty, smart, fast-thinking, intuitive

When talking about what happened, you can use tenses such as past, present and future, as well as functions such as regret;

Past  

• I was doing…, when xx happened.
• I did this, I did that, and I did this and that (common pattern of 3 actions)

Present

• As far as I know, (this event) still happens…
• If this happened to me today/now, I would definitely…
• Nowadays, I always… 

Future

• I am sure (this event) will continue to happen in the future…

Regret

• I wish I had known…,
• With the benefit of hindsight, I wouldn’t do that again.
• I regret doing that…