May 2020 IELTS Speaking Topic: Colours

Colours is a topic currently being used in IELTS Speaking Part 2 and Part 3. Below you will find the cue card being used with a model answer and some Part 3 questions that might follow. This topic will probably run from May – August 2020. I’ll update more topics as they are reported. Meanwhile, make sure you prepare from previous topics which will no doubt be recycled this month. Click here: IELTS Speaking Topics so far in 2020.

Below you will find:

1. IELTS Speaking Cue Card “Colourful Place” with Model Answer
2. Review Questions & Tips
3. Speaking Part 3 Questions
4. Speaking Part 1 Questions
5. Vocabulary for Colours
6. Thank you message from Liz

1) Colours: IELTS Speaking Part 2

Below you will find a cue card and model answer for the Speaking Part 2 Topic: A Colourful Place. This topic frequently appears in IELTS Speaking.

Cue Card: Describe a colourful place that you have visited.

• where it was
• when you went there
• what you did there
• why you thought it was colourful

Model Answer for “A Colourful Place”

The model answer below is a band 9. Answer:

It isn’t easy to decide on just one colourful place to talk about because I have been to so many. But I’d like to talk about somewhere in Vietnam where the colour is a type of beauty beyond anything I have seen before. It’s a place that I will never forget.

The name of the place is Hoi An. It’s a small town located in central Vietnam not far from the sea. It is a UNESCO heritage site known for it’s stunning buildings, which were mainly one or two storey high, and it’s amazing colours. The first time I went there was about 8 years ago when I was travelling through Vietnam on vacation on my own. Since then, I’ve visited a number of times and I’m sure I’ll return again one day.

From the moment I arrived I was struck by the incredible colour of the traditional houses. They were nearly all painted a soft pastel yellow with tropical flowers and plants growing around them. In the daylight it was stunning but as evening came, the glow from the setting sun turning everything golden. The colours were almost ethereal. I’m really not surprised it’s a UNESCO heritage site and extremely popular with photographers. When I was there, I only had a basic camera. But if I had known how lovely it was, I would have taken my best camera with me.

I can’t say I did very much there. It was possible to get clothes made by tailors, travel down the river to the sea, take a cookery course to learn Vietnamese cuisine and learn about lantern making. However, all I wanted to do was mainly soak in the sites and the gentle, inspiring colours. I admit I did enjoy the food in the local restaurants and the seafood was the most delicious I’ve had. I can’t remember ever having eaten any squid as tender or any mackerel as tasty. 

The whole atmosphere made me feel lucky to be alive. Even now when I’m stuck at home, I can recall those sites and I remember the wonderful feeling I had at that time. It helps me remember that we live in a remarkably colourful world.

2) Review Questions & Tips

Questions about Language Content

This cue card is a past tense topic about a place you have been to before. Staying true to the past tense is important. You need to show the examiner you can speak in the past tense for 2 mins. However, it is also very important to showcase other tenses and grammar features.

1. Can you spot a third conditional statement?
2. Can you spot a future tense?
3. Can you spot a present perfect?
4. Can you spot a present simple?
5. Can you spot a superlative?
6. Can you spot any useful descriptive language?
7. Can you spot any particular language about colour?

Using first, second and third conditional statements is a great way to showcase your grammar skills and boost your score. Part 2 is the best time to use conditional statements because you have 1 mins to plan what to include in your talk. Showcasing a range of grammar tenses and showing the ability to change from one tense to another is essential for a high score. Description is also something you need to think about and plan in part 2.

Cue Card Tips

• Use your 1 min planning time to plan not only ideas, but also language you wish to showcase.
• Use the prompts. They will help you build a structure to your talk.
• Go beyond the prompts. Add rich description – paint a picture.
• Even if all you did was “walk around”, talk about what other options of activities there were. Add more. Showcase your English. You can mention both what you did and what you didn’t do.
• Showcase a range of grammar tenses and other features as explained above.
• Keep talking. You can also add recommendations, suggestions, opinions, other people’s opinions etc.
• Don’t worry about time, the examiner will control the time and stop you when 2 mins is up.
• You do not need to conclude your talk.

What else could you talk about with the topic “colourful place”?

• someone’s house
• a garden or a park
• a street, town or city
• a market (for clothes, food or spices)
• an art gallery

Similar Cue Cards about Colour:

1. Describe your favourite colour
2. Describe a colourful event you have attended

3) Colours: IELTS Speaking Part 3 Questions

1. Do colours affect our mood? In what way?
2. Do you think the colours a person chooses to wear illustrates something about their character? OR – Are certain colours connected to particular character traits?
3. Do you think men and women like to wear similar colours?
4. How are colours used in advertising? OR – Do you think colour plays an important role in marketing and advertising?
5. Do you think colour is important for company uniforms?
6. Is there any particular colour that is symbolic in your country?
7. Are there any colours that are connected to festivals in your country?
8. Are there any specific colours used to decorate homes in your country?
9. Are there any colours in your country that are considered lucky or unlucky?
10. Do you think colour is important in text books?
11. Do you think children should be given colourful storybooks to read?

4) Speaking Part 1 Colours

Although this topic isn’t being used as a part 1 topic at the moment, it can appear in part 1. As you will see below, some questions overlap with Speaking Part 3. However, in part 1, you are expected to give shorter answers.

1. What is your favourite colour?
2. Are there any colours you dislike?
3. Is there any colour you would never wear?
4. Do you prefer dark or light colours?
5. What colours do you have in your home or on the walls of your home?
6. Were colours important to you when you were a child?
7. Do you think the colour people like changes as they grow older?
8. Do you think colour shows us things about people’s character?
9. Do you think men and women like different colours?
10. Are there any popular colours in your country?

5) Vocabulary for Colours

• vivid
• bright
• deep
• rich
• soft
• pastel
• harsh (this can be used to describe very bright, unpleasant colours)
• loud (to describe very bright colours that you can’t ignore)
• neutral
• multicoloured
• vibrant

Don’t just say “it was blue” – describe the blue:

• deep blue, sky blue, soft blue, pastel blue, navy blue, aquamarine, midnight blue
• If you can’t remember the exact words, paraphrase – it was a blue that reminded me of a gentle summer’s day / the blue was darker than the sky just before nightfall. 

6) Thank you from Liz

I just want to say thank you to all of you who responded to my post last week called “My Story”. I have posted a message to you all back on the original page at the end of my story. Needless to say, I was deeply touched by your comments. To read my thank you message and return to My Story Page, click here: Liz’s Personal Story

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