IELTS Candidate Tips for an Overall Band 8.5

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Below are IELTS Tips for Band Score 8.5 from a successful IELTS candidate. These tips are written by Esha who is happy to share her experiences of the IELTS test and her exam preparation with you all. I have added some extra essential tips for the writing test at the bottom of the page to help you guys push your score to band 7 and above.

IELTS Candidate Tips for Overall Band 8.5

I am Esha Chaugule. I recently took IELTS and scored more than I expected. Firstly, I’d like to say a huge THANK YOU. I diligently scoured through every section of this website. They were all tremendously helpful, and I owe my score to you, Liz. I secured 8.5 overall band in my IELTS Test. I would like to share my tips with you, so that you can post them up on the website and hopefully, my tips might help students in the future. (I’ve attached my score card below).

Esha’s IELTS Results

  • L 9
  • R 9
  • W 6.5
  • S 8.5

Here are my tips…

Listening Band 9

Initially, I practised online from various websites, but later realised that these are not accurate, are unnecessarily high level, and the answers are sometimes wrong. I realised the only source I can trust is the official IELTS Cambridge books. These are curated exactly like the official IELTS Exams, and thus, provide the most accurate formats and practise questions (comment from Liz – these books are past papers published by IELTS). My biggest tip for Listening would be to read the questions ahead of time. The IELTS exam format gives you time to read questions beforehand, but it might not always be enough (eg. in the last section). Along with the reading time, I would advice to use the “introduction of the section” time and the “answer checking” time as well. Reading questions ahead gives you an idea of what to expect for an answer (i.e., a number, a street name, an adjective, etc.). Focus and concentration play a crucial part of course. Practicing gets you equipped with the Listening test format, accents and your focus increases as well.

  • Tricky part: when the answer to a blank comes way before in the audio, than we expect it to. Thus, we need to keep close attention to everything that’s being said in the audio.

Or

  • Phrases are rephrased in the audio, so reading questions beforehand, to get the gist of what is going to be said, gives you a heads up on when an answer to a blank might be coming up.

Eg. The audio might say: There’s a lot of litter on the beach. This might be harmful for children playing or adults walking on the beach. So, we need people to clean this up from the beach.

The test might have the question: “making sure the beach does not have ________ on it.”

The word “litter” is never repeated after the first time it’s said. Thus, we need to keep close attention to the audio and concentrate to find answers even if the sentences are paraphrased.

Reading Band 9

Again, use only Cambridge Tests for practise. I would advice to read a couple questions first, and try to LOCATE the answers to those questions, by skimming through the passage. Try to identify a particular word or couple words in the question that are unique, and find those in the passage. Begin from the first paragraph, because 90% of the questions come in order.

Tricky parts:

  1. True/False/NG or Yes/No/NG: When not sure about False/NG or No/NG, rephrase the question with the exact opposite meaning, and try to find if that opposite meaning is given in the passage. If it’s given, the answer is False/No. If it’s not given, the answer is NG.
  2. Matching Information/Matching Headings: Read the paragraph in it’s ENTIRETY, get the gist of what it’s trying to convey, match. Sometimes the answer lies in one sentence, other times, you need to read the entire paragraph. When it’s confusing and taking too long, skip, and come back to the question after you’re done with the rest of the questions.

Writing Band 6.5

Not a great score, but I can give my tips. I went through ALL the sections of IELTS Liz Writing. Kept in mind specific words like slightly, marginally, rose, dropped and phrases like “number stood at X”, “number witnessed a peak of X” and “number accounted for X% of the total”. This was for part 1 of course.

Apart from this, just follow Liz’s tips, and you’ll be good to go to score at least 6. I knew I wouldn’t be able to score more than 6.5 in Writing, so I focused more on the other three sections. (Comment from Liz – I’ve added useful tips for Writing Task 2 at the bottom of this post.)

Speaking Band 8.5

I actually completely forgot everything that I had prepared for the Speaking test. I had prepared to incorporate a few high vocab words and complex phrases into my speaking test. But what came out at the time, was a natural conversation and genuine thoughts. I just tried to speak as much as possible, without any pauses. I never ended my answers by myself in section 2 and 3, the examiner did that for me, I just kept speaking while maintaining a coherent logic of my thoughts. I remember using a couple high vocab words, but the rest of it is a blur to me, so I don’t know what kind of grammar I used. Have a strong (but not loud) voice and be confident. A smile goes a long way! (Comment from Liz – here’s a link to my free tips for IELTS speaking)

Lastly

PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!

You’ll get comfortable with the format of these tests, and with the level of questions as well. You’ll know what to listen for during Listening and know what to locate during Reading much easier only with practise.

Liz’s site helped a lot. If you follow only her website diligently and practise from the official Cambridge Tests, you’ll be good to go!

All the best!

Comments from Liz

Well done, Esha! A great overall score and some very useful tips for all future IELTS candidates. I want to stress how important your tip is about using the authentic listening and reading test materials. The only full tests you should use are ones directly offered by IELTS in their books, not ones you find on other websites. I also want to commend your listening tips regarding answers that appear before keywords are given – very well spotted. These questions are so challenging!

EXTRA WRITING TASK 2 TIPS from Liz (Target band 7 plus)

Task Response in writing task 2 is 25% of your marks. Each main point must be relevant to the topic given. Each sentence should be 100% relevant to the main point in the paragraph. Your essay should not contain any padding. So, aim for a focused and highly relevant essay. For all Writing Task 2 tips, click here: Writing Task 2. For writing task 1, it is about task achievement for both Academic reports and GT letters. See this page for tips: Writing Task 1 Tips

Coherence and Cohesion is 25% of your marks and many we forget to focus on this. Using a range of linking devices is crucial. Click: key linking words. You should have an introduction, conclusion and either two or three body paragraphs. This is the easiest marking criterion to get a high score in as long as you plan paragraphing and check your linking words.

Grammar is 25% of your marks. Do not over-complicate your sentences. A complex sentence does not mean a complicated sentence. Just one clause can change a simple sentence to a complex sentence for IELTS tests. Use a range of grammar features, such as noun phrases and noun clauses, and also aim for accuracy with articles (a/the/plurals), word order and prepositions. See this video lesson: Adding a Clause to your Sentence. Remember that too many errors means a lower score.

Vocabulary is 25% of your marks. Don’t try to push fancy, flowery words into your essay because the essay must be in formal style. Words should be suitable, appropriate to the topic and conveying precise meaning. Use phrasal verbs, rather than idioms (which are mostly too informal). Don’t try to over-paraphrase as it’ll lead to too many errors. Spelling counts.

Band Scores – learn more about them. Know the requirements of the band score you are aiming for and what causes your score to go up or down. Click here: IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Scores Explained

Note to Other Successful IELTS Candidates: if you wish to share your tips as Esha has done above, please email me: liz@ieltsliz.com. I can’t promise to post all candidate tips but any that are posted will be deeply appreciated.

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New IELTS Essay Topics for 2023

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Below are new IELTS essay topics in 2023 for Writing Task 2. I’ve also included useful ideas for each topic so that you can prepare for your test more quickly.

The majority of essay questions you will get in IELTS writing task 2 will be recycled topics from previous years. This is because there are so many common topics to choose from. However, occasionally new topics are introduced which reflect our changing world and new current issues in society. I haven’t put the precise wording for the essay questions as IELTS often rephrase their essay questions using different wording.

To prepare fully for your test, you must also prepare ALL common essay questions. Please click here: 100 IELTS Essay Questions

In addition, please note that all the topics below can also appear in the speaking test as well (part 3).

2023 New IELTS Essay Topics with Useful Ideas 

These essay questions could appear in both the IELTS Academic and GT writing task 2 test. Please remember, these are topics with ideas so that you can use them and adapt them to the question in the test because questions will usually be paraphrased and tasks will vary from test to test.

  1. Essay Topic: Poor concentration due to social media
    • Short attention spans can affect us by not focusing on detail and poor performance at school or work
    • Pop up ads are intrusive and interrupt our focus
    • Temptation to chat on social media cuts into people’s concentration
    • Social media encourages a shorter attention spam with short punchy media, such as on TikTok and Instagram
    • Social media is all about excitement and pleasure viewing. Due to this we are training ourself to switch off from anything that isn’t offering pleasure and this impacts our ability to focus on work tasks.
      • Note: I’ll post a page with useful language for the topic of concentration in a few weeks as this topic is very common in the speaking test. 

2. Essay Topic: Children learn how to grow vegetables or farming

    • Growing vegetables and caring for livestock is part of essential life skills for a healthy future
    • As a species we should never forget our basic life skills for future survival
    • Homegrown vegetables have more nutrition which children should learn about
    • Vegetables can be grown on balconies as well as patios
    • It allows children to reconnect to nature which is important in a world where they are so focused on gadgets
    • This might encourage children to also take an interest in cooking, which is another essential life skill

3. Essay Topic: Taking risks in personal and professional life

    • + New challenges to keep people on their toes
      • “to keep people on their toes” – idiom – keep people alert and prepared for potential problems (an idiom suitable for WT2)
    • + Risks help us grow and learn new skills
    • + Life is always changing and full of risks so people should embrace this aspect of life rather than try to avoid it
    • – Risk can lead to negative consequences for individuals and families
    • – It is better to be safe than sorry
    • – Avoiding risk is the responsible thing to do
      • (note: this topic is very similar to the topic about “people who like change vs people who do not like change in their life” – that topic has been used for years by IELTS

4. Essay Topic: Streaming Films Online vs cinema

    • Streaming online is cheaper and more accessible
    • Streaming online is more enjoyable at home
    • Streaming online offers a wider choice of options
    • Cinema has better sound systems and bigger screens
    • Cinema allows you to share emotional responses with an audience
    • Cinema is a special experience for groups and couples

5. Essay Topic: Children & active or passive leisure activities

    • Active activities: sport, photography, hiking, camping
    • These activities help children get fresh air, build physical health, learn new skills and engage in socialising with others face to face.
    • Passive activities: reading, watching TV, social media
    • These activities help children gain insight, can be educational or inspirational, help children develop creativity and technological skills.

6. Essay Topic: Men’s and women’s sports shown on TV and social media

    • Traditionally most sports were male based so audiences are historically more attracted to male sports
    • Women’s sports are just as exciting as male sports
    • Women’s sports don’t often get the same amount of sponsoring from companies which impacts their sport
    • Women’s football already has large followings on social media

7. Essay Topic: Truth in people’s communication is most important

    • + Truth helps people develop honest, meaningful relationships
    • + Truth develops open communication instead of repressed relationships
    • + Without truth, there is only deceit which is toxic to relationships and erodes trust
    • + Truth leads to trust
    • – Social media encourages people to present a version of truth rather than the whole truth in order to impress others and create a particular impression – this can lead to misconception and lead others in the wrong direction
    • – Sometimes the truth can be hurtful and needs to be approached step by step rather than directly
    • – Some people are not ready to hear the whole truth
    • – Truth may be something that needs time to emerge in cases such as abuse or where someone may be at risk
    • – Truth sometimes has to be edited for children

8. Essay Topic: Sense of Community

    • + People used to know their neighbours well and have a sense of community
    • + Community meant that people took care of each other and looked out for one another
    • +/- Doctors and teachers used to live in the community and become leaders of the community but now they often live in other areas and play little part in the community as a whole
    • – Social media does not encourage relationships with neighbours but rather between people at a distance
    • – Online shopping means fewer people socialise whilst shopping locally
      • Note: a similar essay topic is one such as “adults should be required to do obligatory community service for a period of time”. That essay leans towards the benefits of community service vs time and obligation.

9. Essay topic: Graffiti on city walls

    • + Freedom of expression
    • + Some graffiti can be a work of art
    • + It creates a colourful environment in a drab urban setting (drab = dreary, dull, lifeless)
    • + Graffiti can stimulate creativity in others
    • + Graffiti can be cultural which benefits society
    • – It is often unregulated art
    • – Graffiti could contain indecent or violent images or words
    • – It could incite racism, hatred or political unrest

10. Vaping and Children (Predicted Topic)

    • Vaping was originally introduced to help smokers quit, but now vaping is becoming popular amongst people who never previously smoked.
    • Vaping can be addictive and their use has grown dramatically in the last five years, particularly in high school children
    • E-cigarettes are less harmful than normal cigarettes, but they do still contain harmful ingredients such as nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals
    • Vaping could lead to increase in asthma
    • Could lead to people choosing to take up smoking normal cigarettes later on
      • While this is only a predicted topic, it is something you can easily introduce into essays or into your speaking test as it is a current world issue

11. Organised Tours to Remote Places (Tourism)

    • + Travellers get to see places that are largely untouched by the modern world
    • + Remote places are steeped in culture and interest
    • + Remote places can benefit from a boost in their economy
    • – The culture in such places will be altered by so many tourists
    • – Such tourism can have a negative impact on the local eco system
    • With tourism comes the threat of pollution

12. Museums should focus on local works of art

    • + Focusing on local art exhibits means local artists are supported and encouraged
    • + Part of the task of a museum is conserving local history and culture so this should be their primary goal
    • + This is a way of promoting local culture and history to tourists which could benefit the economy of the country
    • – Many museums have international collections of art that people travel from around the world to see
    • – The history of some countries is interconnected with other countries and other cultures – history is not always confined within a boarder
    • – We now live in a global world and museums should reflect that

13. Values from family and parents play a greater role in future success than skills and knowledge from schools

  • + from parents we can learn discipline and the meaning of hard work which are vital for future success
  • + from family we can learn the value of determination and never giving up
  • – schools provide the building blocks of knowledge upon which our future hangs, such as reading, writing, comprehension, maths etc
  • – without education, most people would be reduced to menial work and success would be much harder to attain
  • – some careers require specific education and training without which success would be impossible

Useful Links:

Click Below:

100 Essay Questions

Writing Task 2 Model Essays and Tips

Writing Task 1: Model Answers and Tips

Note: IELTS do not use topics based on religion or politics because IELTS is non-political and non-religious . IELTS tests tend to aim for topics that reflect the world we live in by focusing on social issues and everyday issues that are more familiar and less emotional for people to write or speak about. So, please pay attention to which resources you use online when you prepare for your test and make sure you aren’t wasting your time preparing for topics that definitely won’t appear.

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Update: On the Day IELTS Test Tips

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Hi guys,

This is to let you know that I’ve add more last minute tips to the “On the day tips” page.

The “On the Day Tips” page is a run down of vital tips for all parts of the test and other aspects of the test that you really need to remember before you step into the exam room. It also reminds you what you should take with you on the day.

I’ve tried to add as many tips for you without overwhelming you as I want you to remain calm and focused on the day of your test. I hope the On the Day Tips page will help you.

Wishing you lots of luck as always,

Liz

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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topics for 2023

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Below are predicted topics for IELTS Speaking Part 1 in 2023. The majority of the topics are recycled from topics that have been previously used. New topics are often related in some way to well known main topics. Even though part 1 is the easiest part of the IELTS  speaking test, make sure you start on the right foot by preparing comprehensively.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topics 2023

Below is a list of likely topics that will appear during 2023. While you should be preparing all these topics, please do not ignore the common topics which are also likely to appear (there’s a link at the bottom of this post). During part 1, you will be given about 3 topics with a total of around 12 questions. This part lasts for 4-5 mins. See further down the page for typical questions for part 1, common topics, tips and useful links.

  1. Appearance: hair styles & cuts, sloppy or tidy appearance, first impressions, importance of appearance
  2. Animals: pets & wild animals, zoos
  3. Art: museums, galleries, photos, paintings, drawing
  4. Books & Reading: magazines, newspapers, articles, internet, children’s stories, novels
  5. Celebrations & Festivals
  6. Clothes & Fashion: casual/comfortable/formal/work/traditional clothes, accessories (bags, sunglasses, shoes, jewelry), particular articles of clothing such as trousers, shirts
  7. Colours
  8. Dancing
  9. Family & Friends
  10. Food & Cooking: meals, family meals, snacks, desserts & sweets, fast food, restaurants, cooking skills, cooking in schools
  11. Happiness & Laughing
  12. Health
  13. Home – this is a main topic and frequently asked
  14. Hometown – this is a main topic and frequently asked
  15. Housework
  16. Internet: website, surfing, shopping, socialising, apps (learning, useful, fun, maps, calendars, photos)
  17. Music: songs, concerts, singers
  18. Name: your name meaning, choosing names
  19. Nature: parks, gardens, flowers, trees, environment
  20. Noise: types of noise in everyday life, noise pollution, noise avoidance, silence, peace, mental health
  21. Planning & Organising
  22. Remembering: diaries, schedules, calendars, remembering numbers, concentration, phone apps for planning and remembering
  23. Security: passwords, keys, alarms
  24. Shops & Shopping: local shops, things to buy, first purchases, online shopping
  25. Sky or Space: sci-fi films, space travel, planets , school learning about space, star gazing, night sky, clouds, weather signs, seasons
  26. Sport & Exercise: team games, individual games, keeping fit, places for exercise
  27. Study or Work – this is a main topic and frequently asked
  28. Taking photos: types of photos, equipment, apps, family photos, holiday photos
  29. Travel & Holidays
  30. Teachers, School & Subjects: your childhood teachers, memorable teacher, lessons, art, drawing, science, calculations (maths), languages, sport, school rules
  31. Weekends & Free Time
  32. Work or Study – this is a main topic and frequently asked

What about the Questions?

All the topics above will most likely include the following question types: your favourite, your childhood memories, your childhood likes/dislikes, key past memories, first times, recent events in your life, your abilities, your opinions, your country, popular choices in your country, your future hopes, descriptions, how often you do something, how long you’ve been doing something, how something could be improved.

Lets see an example of applying those question types to a predicted topic: Appearance (Hair)

  • Do you have a favourite hair style?
  • What kind of hair style did you have as a child?
  • Did you like that hair style?
  • Is there a hair style you have had that you particularly remember?
  • Have you recently changed your hair style?
  • When did you last have your hair cut?
  • Can you cut your own hair or do you go to a hairdresser or barber?
  • Do you think it’s important to have a fashionable hair style?
  • What kinds of hair styles are popular for women or men in your country?
  • Do you plan to change your hair style?
  • How often do you get your hair cut?
  • How long have you had your current hair style?
  • If you could change anything about your appearance, what would it be?

As you can see, it is possible to easily predict the questions you will be asked by following the list I’ve given you. So, for each topic listed above, prepare all those possibilities. Remember this isn’t about your knowledge of a topic, it’s about your life and your country in part 1.

Important Tips for Speaking Part 1

Tip 1: DO NOT memorise your answers when you prepare topics and questions. Just refresh your memory relating to each topic based on the possible questions and prepare key vocabulary that you think will help you answer. In the actual test, your answers must come naturally. Tip 2: Always answer directly. Don’t dance around the question, just be direct. Then add a bit more detail to explain. These are short answer questions which means the answer ought to be between 2-3 sentences long. Some answers might be slightly shorter and some longer. Tip 3: The examiner might interrupt your answer. This is normal. Let the examiner decide when it’s time to move on to the next question. Be prepared for that and just focus on the next question. Tip 4: You can ask for the question to be repeated. It won’t affect your score and could give you a bit of thinking time. Tip 5: Be natural, be open, be chatty in your speaking test. It is an informal chat with the examiner covering a range of topics. Tip 6: You can’t ask for the topic to be changed. Even if you don’t like the topic or don’t have much knowledge, you can still answer questions about your first memories, your opinions, your childhood, popular opinions etc. IELTS is not a test of knowledge. Each question is just a chance to chat and show your English. Tip 7: Also prepare from the list of common topics for speaking part 1. Click here:  COMMON SPEAKING PART 1 TOPICS

Useful Links:

Click below to open the useful pages for IELTS Speaking Part 1 exam preparation:

Good luck in your test. Let me know how it goes.

All the best, Liz

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IELTS Essay Topic Ideas: Advertising to Children

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Here is an IELTS writing task 2 essay question about advertising to children in schools. This was reported a number of times in the IELTS test. Below are some ideas for your answer.

IELTS Essay Question: Advertising to Children in Schools

Don’t forget that although IELTS recycle essay topics, they usually paraphrase the question.

In some countries, fast food restaurants and companies give money to schools provided that the schools promote their products to school children.

What do you think is the positive and negative of this in the development of children?

This type of question is a Direct Question which requires you to give your opinion of whether the development is more positive than negative or vice versa.

Ideas for Essay Topic

Positive Effects of Companies Promoting in Schools

  • Companies will donate to schools as a form of advertising. This could be food, equipment or resources. Children benefit from the additional resources and facilities that schools can afford due to the funding from companies
  • Children can learn the value of money in order to buy the products being promoted
    • learning to manage money is a useful life skill
    • children learn to be selective about what they buy

Negative Effects

  • Allowing companies to promote junk food to children encourages a poor diet.
    • poor diets, which include high quantities of salt and sugar, can be harmful to a child’s health
    • this sets children up to be unhealthy adults which can be expensive for the state in the long run
  • Advertising and promoting to children can be exploitative and unethical
    • they are easily influenced
    • they are not able to criticise or form their own opinion
    • this form of advertising is aimed at the parents through their children
    • children are unable to distinguish what is promotional and what is educational
  • Advertising expensive products can encourage children to demand luxury items from their parents which may be beyond their finances.

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Inspiration for a High Score

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Hi guys,

I thought you would like a bit of inspiration for a high IELTS score. It’s now 2023 and each New Year brings new chances to change your future. Below are useful links to inspiration that will help build your determination to do well.

1.  High Band Score Results

This page will show you comments from people posting their results. They have shared their results as a way to say thank you but also as a way to inspire others. If you scroll down the comments, you’ll see a couple of lengthy comments which contain really useful tips for you.  Click here: IELTS Results Page.

2. Tips from band 8.5 IELTS candidates

These pages were written a couple of years ago by candidates who wanted to share their results and also give you all loads of tips for success. At the bottom of each page, you’ll find a list of useful links to more resources and also links to other high band score candidates who have published their tips on my website. Click here: 8.5 Band Score Candidate One and 8.5 Band Score Candidate Two

3.  The requirements for a high score

This page will help you understand more about the two factors that influence your final score. Take your time to read it carefully because there are lots of useful tips and links for you to learn from. While this page isn’t very inspirational, it is important to know about. Click here: High Score Requirements

4. Know the test in detail

You won’t do well until you know as much as you can about the IELTS test. The more you know and understand, the more confident you will feel. For this reason, I created the FAQ page. It provides answers to loads of queries and concerns people have about the test. Of course, all the main pages of my website are useful, but the FAQ page is a Must Read page. Click here: IELTS Test FAQ

5. Understand the band scores

Learn about the band scores in IELTS. This page will give you an overview of the main band scores for each part of the test: IELTS Band Scores. These pages will give you more a more detailed understanding of the band scores for writing task 1 and writing task 2, as well as how to increase your score: Writing Task 1 Band Scores Explained and Writing Task 2 Band Scores Explained

Notice:

My Health Update: As many of you know, I’m currently battling a serious long term illness. Last year, 2022, turned out to be a really tough year for me when I faced a lot of difficult times. I am hoping that 2023 will be a kinder year to me. I will try to continue posting here on my website, but please be patient. I don’t have a lot of strength and I can only do a small amount of work. But with luck that will change this year.

Wishing you all the best

Liz

……………………………………..

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HAPPY NEW YEAR *** 2024 ***

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Hi guys,

It’s 2024! I would like to wish you all a very wonderful 2024!

May this year bring you joy, health and prosperity.

And my wish for the world this year is …. understanding, respect, peace and love. May each of us in our own corners of the world strive to bring this about in 2024 in our own special way.

My love to you all,

Liz xxx

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Trees, Plants, Gardens and Parks Topics in IELTS Speaking

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IELTS Speaking Topics such as Parks, Gardens and Flowers are possible in all parts of the speaking test. In fact, one of the topics below will appear in the Speaking Test each year. These topics can be particularly difficult if you don’t prepare fully. They are certainly used by examiners each year with only slight variations on wording. Below you will find plenty of topics, questions and cue cards for you to prepare at home.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topics

Below you will find a list of questions for the topics: parks, gardens, green spaces, trees & plants, and flowers. All these topics can appear in part 1 IELTS speaking.

Parks

  • Do you like parks?
  • How often do you go to a park?
  • Did you often go as a child?
  • Are parks popular places in your country?
  • Why do people like parks?
  • What do people do in parks?
  • Do you think parks are important?

Gardens

  • Do you have a garden or outdoor space in your house or flat?
  • Did you have a garden growing up?
  • Do you think it’s important for children to have access to a garden?
  • What do people enjoy doing in their gardens?
  • Why do some people prefer their own garden to a public park?
  • Do you know anyone who likes growing plants?

Green Spaces

  • Are there many green spaces in your neighbourhood?
  • Did you often use green spaces to play when you were young?
  • Did your hometown have many green spaces where you could play?
  • Do you think neighbourhoods look better with green spaces and trees?
  • Why do you think green spaces are important in a city?

Plants and Trees

  • Do you like trees and plants?
  • What’s your favourite plant?
  • Have you ever grown a plant?
  • Have you ever planted a tree?
  • Did you learn about trees and plants as a child?
  • Did you ever climb a tree when you were young?
  • Do you think children benefit from nature?
  • Do you think trees and plants are important?

Flowers

  • Do you like flowers?
  • What’s your favourite flower?
  • Have you ever received flowers from someone?
  • Did you ever give someone flowers?
  • Are there any special occasions in your country when it’s suitable to give flowers?
  • Are flowers important in your culture?

IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Cards: Gardens, Parks, Trees etc

You will see below that the list of part 2 topics is very similar to those of part 1. If you prepare fully for all the above part 1 questions and topics, you will have an easy time in part 2 because you’ll be able to adapt your answers to fit the cue card.

Someone you know who likes planting trees

  • who that person is
  • how that person is connected to you
  • why they planted trees
  • what you think about their actions

Someone you know who likes gardening

  • who the person is
  • what they do in the garden
  • why it is important to them
  • what you think about it

A place with trees

  • where it is
  • when you first went there
  • what you do there
  • why you remember it

A green space or park you like (2024 currently in use)

  • where it is
  • how often you go there
  • what you do there
  • why you like it

All the ideas and vocabulary for the above topics can be adapted for the following cue cards: a peaceful place, a quiet place, an interesting person, an elderly person, a healthy hobby, a quiet hobby, a cheap hobby, something to do in your leisure time, a picnic etc. You can easily use the language from these topics in many other topics for part 2.

Please remember, the examiner is not testing your knowledge of trees or flowers. Even if you don’t know the name of the flower you like, you can still talk about your memories of it and describe it. See the model below.

If your topic is about a park or garden, you can expand your talk by talking about activities people do in the park/garden, descriptions, comparisons with other places, your opinion of their importance, your memories as a child, your future hopes etc etc.

Model Answer for Speaking Part 2 Plants & Gardens

This is another example of a cue card for these topics.

A plant, tree or flower you like

  • what it is
  • where it grows
  • why you like it

I’d like to talk about a tree that I’ve always loved. I don’t remember the name of the tree, even in my own language, but it’s a very large tree that can reach around 30 meters high and has a really wide diameter. It spreads really far offering a lot of shade in summer which is really great. The weird thing about the tree is that its roots come from the branches and grow towards the earth to eventually form part of the tree trunk. It’s just so unique. There’s no other tree like it.

I remember the first time I saw this tree in China. I couldn’t believe it. There was a whole street lined with these trees and it felt almost like another planet. I’ll never forget driving down that street. Since then, I’ve always noticed these trees wherever they are. I also saw quite a lot of them in Vietnam when I lived there.

I don’t know precisely where the tree grows worldwide, but I’ve seen them in a number of different Asian countries, but not in Europe or the UK. In Vietnam, I would see these trees in parks and other green areas. In fact, while I was there, I loved how many trees in general lined the streets and how many parks there were. Considering that the capital city, Hanoi, is full of hustle and bustle, the trees give such a calming presence.

I think it’s pretty hard to describe why I like this particular tree. The only thing I can say is that it feels magical. It’s such a huge tree, taller than most, and definitely one of the widest trees in the park. It’s appearance is really striking. If you compare it with other trees, it looks majestic. I also really like the flame trees that they have in Vietnam. Those trees burst into flame late spring each year with bright red little flowers. That was also a sight to remember.

I think people underestimate the effect nature has on tourists and locals. We need trees and green spaces to improve our quality of life and bring beauty into our lives. Hopefully, I’ll get back to China and Vietnam one day and enjoy their gorgeous parks again.

Feedback on Model Answer

  1. Great vocabulary – diameter, roots, branches, tree trunk, hustle and bustle, shade, scorching hot, magical
  2. Strong grammar – different tenses including present, past tense and a future form. Also complex sentences, comparatives, superlative
  3. Good descriptive language. It doesn’t make any difference to the score that the speaker doesn’t know the name of the tree. The descriptions are very strong.
  4. Technique – there is quite a lot of information given that goes beyond the prompts on the cue card. This is a good thing. More detail, more memories, more description and more chat.
  5. The final part of the talk is about another tree with more description, the importance of parks and future hopes. This provides a good range of extra language.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: parks, flowers, trees etc

  • Do you think parks play an important role in a city?
  • Do you think parks affect the quality of air in urban areas?
  • Which do you think is more important: housing or green spaces?
  • Why are trees important?
  • Do you think green spaces and parks help people’s mental health?
  • What do you think of deforestation?
  • Do you think we should protect trees?
  • What can the government do to protect natural beauty spots more in your country?
  • Are plants important to the economy of your country?
  • Does your country have a symbolic plant or flower?
  • Are there any traditional celebrations where plants or flowers play a role?
  • Why do so many people want their own garden?
  • Do you think people should be encouraged to grow their own food?
  • Do you think children should be taught to grow their own food?
  • Do you think children should learn to plant trees?
  • Why do so many old people enjoy parks and gardens?
  • Do you think all houses and flats should have their own gardens?

VOCABULARY FOR THIS TOPIC: Word List for Plant/Tree/ Flower Topic in IELTS Speaking

For more Speaking Topics, click here: IELTS Speaking Main Page (Topics, Tips & Model Answers)

All the best

Liz 🙂

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