IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics: practise by category

IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics become less intimidating when you practise choosing an example, rather than collecting answers. A task card about a person and a task card about learning something may draw on the same memory, but they ask you to describe different things. Your preparation needs to leave room for that difference.

The twelve task cards below are original practice material written for this guide. They are not predictions of questions in your Speaking test. Use them to practise noticing what a prompt requires and finding enough relevant detail for the long turn.

Use categories to find material

People, places and objects give you something concrete to describe. Events and experiences ask you to explain what happened, often with a change in how you felt or thought. These are useful practice categories, not a complete classification of IELTS questions.

The IELTS website describes the long turn as a task with 1 minute to prepare and up to 2 minutes to speak. Choose a subject you can describe without spending the preparation time searching for specialist vocabulary.

For each category, keep a few memory notes rather than a written speech. A repair you watched might supply a person, an object or an experience. The examiner listens to how you organise and express your ideas, not how unusual your choice is.

People and what they do

A person becomes easier to describe when you show them doing something. Instead of listing adjectives such as patient or helpful, recall a moment that explains your choice. These cards ask about different qualities, so the same anecdote may not fit all of them.

1. Describe a person who taught you a practical skill.

   Say who the person is, what they taught you, and how they taught it. Explain why their way of teaching helped you.

2. Describe a person you know who organises things well.

   Say how you know this person, what they organise, and what you have seen them do. Explain how their organisation affects other people.

3. Describe a person whose opinion you value.

   Say who this person is, what you usually discuss, and when you last asked for their opinion. Explain why you take their advice seriously.

A relevant opening for the first card could be: My aunt taught me to mend a torn pocket. She did the first few stitches, then handed the needle to me and waited while I tried. You now have a specific method to explain.

Places and how you use them

You do not need a famous destination. Somewhere ordinary gives you details about what you do there and how it differs from other places. Keep the description connected to the card's purpose.

1. Describe a place where you go to concentrate.

   Say where it is, when you go there, and what you do there. Explain what makes this place suitable for concentrating.

2. Describe an outdoor place you would like to visit again.

   Say where it is, when you first visited, and what you did during that visit. Explain why you would like to return.

For the first card, the position of a desk might matter more than the building's history: The desk faces a wall, so I don't keep looking up when someone walks past. The detail supports your explanation rather than filling time.

Objects and their value to you

Describe enough of an object for the listener to picture it, then explain its role. A long account of its colour and shape gives you less to develop than a particular occasion when you used it.

1. Describe an object you use more often than you expected.

   Say what it is, how you got it, and how you use it now. Explain why it has become useful to you.

2. Describe something you kept after it stopped working.

   Say what it is, when you got it, and what happened to it. Explain why you decided to keep it.

These prompts need different explanations. A broken radio might fit the second because it belonged to a relative. It would need a believable current use to fit the first. Familiar material does not remove the need to answer the wording.

Events with a clear sequence

An event has a setting and a sequence you can follow. Give enough background to make sense of what happened, but save time for the final explanation. The most interesting moment is often a small change in the plan.

1. Describe a small celebration you helped to organise.

   Say what the celebration was for, where it took place, and what you did to help. Explain which part you remember most clearly.

2. Describe an event that did not go as planned.

   Say what the event was, what you expected to happen, and what happened instead. Explain how you felt about the change.

An opening such as We planned to eat outside, but it started raining while we were carrying the food out gives you a clear next step. Explain what you did, then how that changed the occasion.

Experiences and what changed

For an experience, the change may be in your understanding rather than in the situation. You can describe something modest. Learning to do an everyday task gives you as much material as an expensive trip if you explain it clearly.

1. Describe a time you learnt something by making a mistake.

   Say what you were doing, what mistake you made, and what you did afterwards. Explain what you learnt from the experience.

2. Describe a time you had to wait longer than expected.

   Say where you were, what you were waiting for, and how you spent the time. Explain how you felt during the wait.

3. Describe a time you changed your opinion about an activity.

   Say what the activity was, what you thought beforehand, and what happened when you tried it. Explain why your opinion changed.

Listen for the time relationship. The third card needs both an earlier opinion and a later view: I thought growing herbs would be difficult, but after a month I realised the main problem was remembering to water them.

Adapt the memory to the exact request

Suppose you remember cooking with a cousin for a family celebration. The person card could focus on how your cousin explained a method. The event card could focus on preparing the meal. The experience card could focus on what you learnt after burning the first batch.

Before reusing that memory, finish this sentence: "This answers the card because..." If the connection is weak, choose something else. Then replace the opening and the explanation, not merely the noun. Read the Part 2 task card technique for a way to turn your chosen material into preparation notes.

Check relevance after you speak

Choose one card without preparing an answer beforehand. Give yourself 1 minute for notes, then record the long turn. Afterwards, write down what the card asked you to explain and what you actually explained.

If they differ, repeat the explanation first. Then attempt the whole card again. On another day, use a different card from the same category. This tests whether you can select useful details again, rather than repeat a speech you now remember.

BandNine lets you practise Part 2 task cards with Alex, its live AI examiner.

Questions people ask

What topics come up in IELTS Speaking Part 2?

Task cards can ask you to describe people, places, objects, events or experiences. These are useful practice categories, not an exhaustive list. Read the particular prompt carefully, including what it asks you to explain, before choosing your example.

Can I use the same story for different Part 2 topics?

Yes, when the memory fits the exact request. A family celebration might support a card about an event or someone who helped organise it. Change the focus and explanation to answer the new card. Do not force an unrelated story into the prompt.

Should I memorise answers for IELTS Speaking Part 2?

Prepare memories and useful vocabulary rather than complete speeches. A memorised answer may miss the wording of a new card. Practise choosing details during the preparation minute and explaining their relevance in your own words.