This is a band score 9 sample answer for a speaking part 2 talk in IELTS. This model answer demonstrates how you can expand each prompt with more information and description. This IELTS speaking part 2 model answer is estimated at band score 9. IELTS Speaking part 2 is where you must speak for 1-2 mins based on a topic given on a cue card. This is your chance to showcase your fluency.
A Recent Holiday: IELTS Cue Card
The topic of holidays and travel is very common in all parts of the IELTS Speaking test and appears every year. Make sure you prepare plenty of ideas, memories and descriptions.
Describe a holiday you recently had.
You should say:
- where you went
- how you got there
- what you did there
- and explain if you enjoyed it
Model IELTS Talk: A Recent Holiday
I would like to talk about a holiday I went on in the south of Vietnam just a few months ago. I went with my parents to a town called Nha Trang, which is a lovely coastal town, and we decided to go there so that they could experience a different part of the country and see life by the beach.
We flew there from Hanoi, which is the capital of Vietnam. The flight took about 1 hour and on the whole it went smoothly. We managed to be one of the first on board and one of the first off when we landed. It was certainly quicker and easier than going by train, which can take over 15 hours.
There was so much to do there that we only had a chance to do just a few things on our three day trip. We took a cruise around the islands and also did some sightseeing inland as well. Taking part in a cookery course was great fun, where we bought fresh ingredients at the local market and learned how to use a wok to fry fresh fish and other seafood like crab and lobster.
We definitely enjoyed our trip and would go there again if we could. Seeing the colourful lifestyle of the locals and having a chance to see spectacular scenery was something we will never forget. For my parents it was a holiday of a life time and they’re still talking about it. If I could live there, I would.
Similar IELTS Cue Card Topics:
- A foreign country you would like to visit
- A holiday you would like to go on but never have
- A place you often visit
- Your favourite city
- A place popular with tourists in your country
- A journey you once made
- A journey that didn’t go as planned
- A weekend visit you enjoyed
- An activity you enjoy doing in your free time
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Hello Liz!
I took my Speaking test on 13 December 2018. The following question are asked by the examiner:
1. Greeting
2. He asks to show my passport.
3. Tell me please your full name?
But here I explained only my name and I have the unusual name so I told for him to call in short “Gech”. I’m not explained my Country and extra information about my self. What is your view here?
4.If you will get a chance to visit which place you would like to visit during your leisure time?
5. What is your preferable weather condition to live? wet or dry place?
6. Do you live in a house or apartment? What do you like from your room?
7. Then cue card about SPORT?
Based on my answer he asked a lot of questions to explain sports.
Thanks you alot, you are so lovely with positive energy. I go through some of your videos every night👍👍
Hi Liz,
Is it ok if I use transitional phrases when answering each questions such as “My initial point would obviously be where I went …” or “Moving forward onto the area of how I got there …”? Does it sound like a native?
It sounds very very formal which is not appropriate for an informal speaking test. The IELTS speaking test is informal.
Hi Liz,
You are doing REAL GOOD WORK!! Way to go!
Thanks,
Vikas
Hi Liz,
I’ve gone through a number of your videos for IELTS test, especially the TIPS one.
They are so useful for preparing the test.Thanks a lot for sharing these useful information.
But going through speaking test videos, I found that there is no example for how to respond NO or dislike .Can giving negative response , change the question or has negative feedback to the examiner?
For example, for SECTION 2 , describe the book you last read.
Student like me who don’t read books ,how should I answer?
Last book I read was storybooks for my kids. Can I answer that?
Waiting for your great response as always.
With regards
Sheen
Of course you can answer that. The speaking score is not about ideas or content or fulfilling a task – it is not marked in the same way as writing. If you want to talk about the a children’s books then do it. Only your English language produced from your mouth will be marked – nothing else counts.
My ilets paper is on 1st February…but i am not ready for paper …can you send me some important speaking and writing that i can prepare till February……plzzzz help meee………..i am not able to do more practise
Go to the main pages of this site on the red bar at the top of the website.
Hello! Sorry about bothering you, i am really keen on watching you IELTS tips. Thanks to you, i learnt more. Please can you help me how to be confident for talking fluently, since having vocabulary enough, having learnt grammar good, i can hardly utilize it and create as well as connect words. I do not know but whenever I take mock exam especially speaking part, i always hesitate during the period. Please help me as much as possible
See the video on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-speaking-free-lessons-essential-tips/
hello liz. in speaking part2, we should speak related to topic r we can speak anything of whatever wewant….
Base your talk on the topic given but use the prompts as you wish.
Do anyone like learning the student in the another country?
I live in Vietnam
I do.I live in China.
Me too. I live in China.
Hi.
Can you advise me about that,
What I have to do to improve my reading skill?
Read all tips and do all exercises on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-reading-lessons-information-and-tips/
Hello Liz. Thank you so much for ur effort and all the tips on how to excel in the ielts exam. I’m finding all ur videos useful.
Hi Liz,
Tbank you so much for your help by posting so many vedios. All are very helpful. I want to know that how can I prepare answer for speaking.
See the main speaking page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-speaking-free-lessons-essential-tips/
Hello Liz,
Your all vedios and suggestions help me. But how can I prepare the answer for speaking.
Watch the video on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-speaking-free-lessons-essential-tips/
I would or i’d??
It is good to use contractions in speaking.
Hi Liz firstly I would like to say thanks so much for everything that you have been doing about teaching IELTS online. Honestly, I’m so glad I found your website. It’s giving me a great direction.
In regards to the model talk, I don’t see complex tenses such as 2o and 3o conditionals, passive and others. It doesn’t need in the speaking part?
Here is the second conditional: “If I could live there, I would.” in the final line. The model also includes:
past tense
present tense
present continuous
clauses
comparatives
gerunds
second conditionals
future form
There is no third conditional offered but it would be easy to put it in. For example, “Our flight was delayed by five hours. If we had known, we would have taken the train”.
Dear Liz.
Can you tell me if it is possible get 7 in speaking without any idioms ?????? Thanks in advance!!!!!!!
Of course you can get band 7 without idioms. But you will need to use other forms of idiomatic language, such as phrasal verbs.
Hi Liz, do you think it is enough to prepare the common speaking questions for IELTS real exam?
The common topics and questions are a safe place to start but they won’t be enough. You also need to prepare other topics such as skills, leadership, flowers, water resources, food hygiene etc.
Liz , do you think the native speaker will give us a complicated question in task 3 during test ?
All speaking part 3 questions are more difficult than in part 1. Part 3 covers broader issues and world issues.
All the best
Liz
2 paragraph contain mistake “going no train”
Thanks for spotting the typo 🙂
Hi Liz,
If I do not understand cue card topic, what should I do???
Just try to give a talk as close to the topic as possible. The examiner is only interested in your English, not your ideas.
All the best
Liz
Hi, I think there is a typo in the last paragraph. It says “For my parents is was a holiday” and it should be “it was”
Cheers
Jorge
Thanks. You are a good proof reader 🙂
Hii liz how are you.i have a doubt that u told in a upper statement that if we dont have any clue about the topic given.we must say that i really have no idea about this topic.so will they give us a new topic or there will b a deduction of marks.plz explain it
The topic will not be changed. That advice is just one way to begin your answer if you don’t have an idea to the question. Even if you don’t know much about a topic, you can still answer questions about it. Also you should be preparing all common topics for speaking which you can find on the main speaking page of this blog.
All the best
Liz
You mean we can reply such kind of questions that we are not sure or immediately can’t remember any examples with another possible answers.
Thank you very much for your reply!
Sorry I don;t understand your question. Try to use clearer English so I can understand your meaning.
Thanks
Liz
Hi Lizz,
I have a speacial question on speaking section 2 which is usually type of the questions about the experience that someone had. For instance, they are usually aboutthe kind of books you read or tv programmes you watched or holiday that you spent or o job you had in you life, etc.
If we don’t have an experience on that topic what should we do? for the best example for this question is written below.
Describe a book you read or a film you watched about the future.
You should say
what the name of the book or film was
When did you or watched it
What it was about
And explain how you felt about it
When a such kind of question asked that the candidate doesn’t remember or doesn’t have any experience in her/his whole life what should the candidates do?
I haven’t read a book or watched a story about the future or I don’t remember any of them 🙂 I really stuck on these questions.
I am looking forward to hear from you.
Thank you very much about your usefull informations.
If you honestly are not able to talk about a future book or film, then you explain that in your talk and you continue your talk about a book you recently read instead.
All the best
Liz
Dear Liz!
kindly explain what to should be the appropriate answer if the examiner says introduce your self??It is a open question so what points must be covered in introduction?
thanks!
The examiner doesn’t have that question in part 1 and the ID check / greeting only has 4 specific questions which can’t be altered – please see my video lesson about that. The IELTS speaking test is highly formatted and questions are planned – see practice tests to learn more about the test.
All the best
Liz
thanks alot!
How can I get 6 band
Take a look at this page for the requirements: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2-band-scores-5-to-8/
Liz
Hello, Liz!
Could you please explain if it is so necessary to use idiom in speaking. A lot of IELTS Trainers say that usage of idioms contribute to 7 and a higher score. Is that true or is it a musconception?
The majority of idioms taught by teachers are out-of-date, such as “cool as a cucumber”. Other idioms are over used, such as “once in a blue moon”. The examiner is looking for idiomatic language, not necessarily idioms. The best type of idiomatic language is phrasal verbs – use them instead.