Important Notice: 

You can send your answers to us, and we will publish it on our website with your credential. You can send it by following only three simple steps.

Step-1: Choose a topic

Step-2: Write the answer

Step-3: With the name of the topic post your answer as a comment.

Cue Card Topics (21 to 50)

Topic-21: Describe a time when you invited someone to have dinner at home.

You should say: 

• When you invited them 
• Where you had the dinner 
• Why you invited them

And explain how you felt about this dinner 

Topic-22: Talk about a quiz programme you watched on television or online.

You should say: 

• Where you watched it? 
• What it was like? 
• How often you watched it? 

And explain why you like or disliked it. 

Topic-23: Describe an unusual experience of travelling 

You should say: 

• What did you do? 
• When and where you did it
• Who you did it with 

And explain why you think it was unusual. 

Topic-24: Describe a person who helps others in his/her spare time.

You should say: 

• Who this person is? 
• How often this person helps others? 
• How this person helps others? 

Ans explain how you feel about this person. 

Topic- 25: Talk about a historical building. 

You should say: 

• Which is the building? 
• Where it is? 
• Why it is important? 

And explain how you feel about the building.

Topic-26: Describe a person who speaks a foreign language well.

You should say: 

• Who is this person is 
• Which foreign language does he speak? 
• Why did he/she learn this foreign language? 

And explain why you think he/she speaks the foreign language well. 

Topic-27: Describe a practical skill you learned 

You should say: 

• What this skill was
• When you learned it 
• How you learned it

And explain how you felt about this. 

Topic-28: Describe a person you think has interesting ideas and opinions. 

You should say: 

• Who this person is? 
• What does this person do? 
• How do you know this person? 

And explain what kinds of ideas and opinions he has and why are interesting.

Topic-29: Describe a time you solved a problem through the internet. 

You should say: 

• What the problem was? 
• How you solved this problem? 
• How long it took to solve the problem> 

And explain how you feel after solving it. 

Topic-30: Talk about a time when you gave advice to someone. 

You should say: 

• Who you gave advice to? 
• What the advice was? 
• Why you gave the advice? 

And how it will be beneficial to the other person. 

Topic-31: Talk about a prize you want to win. 

You should say: 

• What prize it is? 
• How do you know about it? 
• What will you do to win it?

And explain what will be your strategies to win the prize. 

Topic-32: Describe an occasion when you got up extremely early.

You should say: 

• When did you get up early? 
• Why you got up early?
• What did you do? 

And explain how you felt about it. 

Topic-33: Describe a water sport you would like to try in the future.

You should say: 

• What is it? 
• Where you will do it? 
• Whether it is easy or difficult? 

And explain why would you like to try it.

Topic-34: Describe a time when the vehicle you were travelling in broke down. 

You should say: 

• When was it? 
• Where did it happen?
• Who was with you? 

Ans explain what you think about the situation. 

Topic-35: Describe an interesting advertisement. 

You should say: 

• What was it about? 
• When and where you saw it? 
• Why do you think it is interesting?

And explain why do you think is it a successful advertisement. 

Topic-36: Describe a gift for which you spent a long time to choose. 

You should say: 

• What it was? 
• Who was the person you gave it to? 
• How did he/she feel about it? 

And explain why you took a long time to choose it? 

Topic-37: Describe a photograph in your home. 

You should say: 

• What is it about? 
• Where is it in your home? 
• From where do you bought it?  

And explain why do you like it. 

Topic-38: Describe a bad experience of online shopping.

You should say: 

• What did you buy? 
• From which site? 
• How did you know about the site? 

And explain why you had a bad experience. 

Topic-39: Describe a special day that made you happy. 

You should say: 

• When was it? 
• What was the occasion? 
• Why did it make you happy? 

And explain why this day is so special. 

Topic-40: Describe a popular product from your hometown.

You should say: 

• What it is? 
• What is it used for? 
• How is it made? 

Explain why your country makes it.

Topic-41: Describe a person who talks too much. 

You should say: 

• Who is the person? 
• How do you know him/her? 
• What does he talk about? 

And explain what do you think about the person. 

Topic-42: Describe a time when you got bored. 

You should say: 

• When was it? 
• Where was it? 
• Why did you get bored? 

And explain how you felt about it. 

Topic-43: Describe a historical city you once visited with your family.

You should say: 

• What city was it? 
• When you visited? 
• What you did there? 

And explain why this is historical. 

Topic-44: Describe a time when you spend a lot of money. 

You should say: 

• What was the thing? 
• When you bought it? 
• For whom did you buy

And are you happy with your purchase?

Topic-45: Describe an important technological product you bought. 

You should say: 

• What is it? 
• When did you buy it? 
• How often do you use it? 

And explain how it helped you to do something.

Topic-46: Describe a leisure activity that you do with your family

You should say: 

• What activity it is? 
• When do you do it? 
• With whom do you do it? 

And explain how much do you enjoy it. 

Topic-47:  Describe an important person who is important for society.

You should say: 

• Who this person is?
• What job does he or she have? 
• How do you know this person?

Explain why his or her job is important to society.  

Topic-48: Describe an important decision you made with the help of someone. 

You should say: 

• What was the decision? 
• Who helped you? 
• How he helped you? 

And explain why making the decision was important.

Topic- 49: Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood. 

You should say: 

• What was the toy?
• Who gave it to you? 
• did you share it with someone else?

And explain how often did you play with it.  

Topic-50: Talk about something that you borrowed from your friend. 

You should say: 

• What was it? 
• When did you borrow? 
• What did you do with it? 

And explain why you borrowed it.

Source: Makkar IELTS Speaking

Cue Card Topics (1 – 20)

Recent Post: 

• Complete Guideline for IELTS Speaking Part 1.
• The best way to prepare your speech for IELTS Speaking Part 2. 
• How to give your answers in IELTS Speaking Part 3? 
• 17 Ultimate tips for the IELTS Speaking test.

If you are planning to take your IELTS Exam in 2021 then, these are the most important cue card topics you should practice before your IELTS Speaking test. 

Before we start talking about the cue card topics there are few things you need to know about the IELTS Speaking Part-2:

1) This is the most crucial part of the exam. So don’t mess up in this part if you are trying to get a high band score.

2) In the Speaking test, you will have one minute to prepare your speech, and you will have to talk around 1.30 to 2 minutes on that topics.

 So, my suggestion is to practice speaking at least for 2 minutes on each topic. 

3) You will be assessed in four different criteria, these are – Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.

So, you have to maintain a proper balance between all criteria to get your desired score. 

4) Lastly, You should have a clear idea about what you are allowed to do and what things you should avoid in the IELTS Speaking test. There are many tips you can follow to start your IELTS Preparation. 

Important Notice: 

You can send your answers to us, and we will publish it on our website with your credential. You can send it by following only three simple steps.

Step-1: Choose a topic

Step-2: Write the answer

Step-3: With the topic name post your answer as a comment.

Cue Card Topics

These topics will help you to get an idea about the cue card section in the IELTS test, so that you can start your IELTS Speaking preparation.

Topic 1: Describe a time when you helped someone.

You should say: 

• When was it?
• Whom did you help?
• How did it benefit him/her? 

and explain why did you help?

Topic-2: Describe a well-known place in your city you visited.

You should say: 

• Where is the place? 
• Why did you go there? 
• Who influenced you to go there? 

and explain how you feel about the place.

Topic-3: Describe your favourite neighbour. 

You should say: 

• Who is the person? 
• When did you meet him/her? 
• How did your relationship develop? 

and explain why he/she became your favourite. 

Topic-4: A radio program you like most.  

You should say: 

• What is the program? 
• Why do you love about the program? 
• When do you listen it? 

and explain how it is influencing others.

Topic-5: A meal you want to offer to a friend.

You should say: 

• What will you offer? 
• What is the speciality of this meal? 
• Whom would you invite and why? 

and explain how you enjoyed the meal.   

Topic-6: An interesting thing you have learned from a foreign culture. 

You should say: 

• What is it? 
• Why have you learnt it? 
• Do you think it is important? 

and explain how it will help others. 

Topic-7: Describe your university or college building. 

You should say: 

• How does it look? 
• With which building can you compare it? 
• What are your feelings towards it? 

and explain why this building is so special to you. 

Topic-8: Describe a skill you want to learn. 

You should say: 

• What is it? 
• Why do you want to learn this skill? 
• How can you learn it? 

and explain how it will help you. 

Topic-9: Describe your activities when a friend or relative visits to your home.

You should say: 

• What would you do? 
• Why would you do these?
• Will the activities be different for a friend and relatives? Why?

and explain how you feel when they visit you. 

Topic-10: Describe a person who always influences you to learn English.

You should say: 

• Who is the person? 
• How did you meet him/her? 
• How did he/she influence you? 

and explain the specialities of this person. 

Topic-11: Describe a course you recently completed in your institution. 

You should say: 

• What is the course? 
• Why did you choose it? 
• How did it help you? 

and explain why did you think it is better than other curses. 

Topic-12: Describe a vehicle you want to buy.

You should say: 

• What type of vehicle is it? 
• Why will you buy it? 
• How did you get interested in it? 

and explain why did you think this the safest vehicle for you.

Topic-13: Describe your activities if you get a lot of money.

You should say: 

• What will you do? 
• What might you buy? 
• Why do you choose these? 

and explain with whom will you share this. 

Topic-14: Describe the busiest time you passed.

You should say: 

• When was it? 
• Why was it busiest time? 
• What were the obstacles? 

and explain how did you overcome those.  

Topic-15: Describe an interesting thing you did in your free time. 

You should say: 

• What is it? 
• Why did you do it? 
• How did you do it? 

and explain how did you feel at the end.

Topic-16: Describe a workaholic person you know.

You should say: 

• Who is he? 
• What does he do? 
• How do you know him? 

and explain what do you think about him. 

Topic-17: Describe a time when you were cheated. 

You should say: 

• What was the occasion? 
• Who was the person? 
• What did he hide about? 

and explain why do you think the person did not tell the whole truth.

Topic-18: Describe an occasion when you received incorrect information.

You should say: 

• What was the information? 
• How you found out the information was incorrect? 
• How did you feel about it? 

and explain how you managed the situation. 

Topic-19: Describe a time when you were locked-down in your home.

You should say: 

• When did it happen? 
• How did you pass your time in that situation? 
• How it changed your daily routine? 

and explain how you felt about the situation. 

Topic-20: Describe a time when you are forbidden to leave your room for some days. 

You should say: 

• Why you are forbidden? 
• When did it happen? 
• What was your family’s reaction? 

and explain how you pass those days in your room.

Continue: (21-50)

Recent Post:

1) Complete Guideline for IELTS Speaking Part 1.

2) The best way to prepare your speech for IELTS Speaking Part 2. 

3) How to give your answers in IELTS Speaking Part 3? 

4) 17 Ultimate tips for the IELTS Speaking test to get band 8. 

I think almost every student freaks out when they think about the IELTS Speaking test. Well, here are my ultimate IELTS Speaking tips which may help you to get band 8 or above. 

First of all, if you are trying to get a high band score in the speaking test, you should have a clear understanding of two things: 

1) How will you be assessed? 

2) What the examiner expects from you? 

In this article, we will briefly discuss the assessment criteria along with some IELTS Speaking tips to improve your skills in each section.

Assessment Criteria

In the IELTS Speaking test, you will be assessed on 4 different things. These are: 

1) Fluency and coherence 

2) Lexical Resource

3) Grammatical Range and Accuracy 

4) Pronunciation 

Every assessment criteria are equally important for your speaking test and if you focus to improve your speaking skills in these areas then you can expect to get a higher score in.

Fluency and Coherence

Fluency and Coherence are the two important measures to describe “are you able to communicate logically and clearly?” 

Here, Fluency means your spontaneous speaking ability and Coherence means your ability to link ideas. 

The examiner will check: 

1) Can you speak in a fluent way that is easy to understand? 

2) Are you able to link your ideas together clearly?

IELTS Speaking Tips to improve your Fluency and Coherence

1) Stop thinking too much

First of all, it is not a test of your intelligence, it is just a speaking test. So, don’t think too much about any question, just keep talking. But make sure, everything you say should relate with the questions that examiners ask you. You can’t go off-topic while speaking. 

2) Use linking words

Using some linking words can help you to sound more fluent in front of the examiner. It also helps the examiner to follow your ideas.

Example of Linking words 

i) Adding information: And, also, another reason is, as well as.

ii) Time Phrases: Nowadays, at the moment, in the past, years ago, right now. 

iii) Giving Example: For instance, for example, such as, like.

iv) Opposite View: On the other hand, although, while, or, but.

3) Don’t take a lot of pauses

Taking a lot of pauses may not be a good idea for the IELTS Speaking test. Many students make sounds like “Uhh”, “Ahh”, ”Umm” while thinking. And it reduces their fluency rate. So, try to avoid taking lots of pauses to prove your fluency.

To avoid pauses, you can ask the examiner for some time to think. You can say: 

– Well, it’s a tough question, let me think for a moment.

– I don’t really know about this, let me think about this.

 This way you can have a few extra seconds to think and you will be able to deliver a well-structured answer.

4) Extend your answers

In the speaking test, never answer the question just by saying “YES” or “NO”. Try to explain your every answer or add an example to support your opinion. For example: 

Question: Do you like using the internet? 

Student A: Yes, I do.

Student B: Yes, I do. I can learn many things by using the internet. Besides, I can contact my friends and relatives by using the internet.    

So, what do you think? Form Student A and B, which one sounds more fluent? Obviously, Student B. 

By the way, among all the speaking tips, this one is really important for IELTS Speaking Part 3. It is better to answer elaborately in part 3.

5) Control your mumbling rate

If you mumble too much, the examiner may think you are struggling with linking your ideas together, as a result, he may end up giving you a low band score in Fluency and Coherence. So, it is essential for a student to control their mumbling rate. 

6) Avoid using too much Filler words

Using filler words like: “Well..”, ”So..”, “Actually..”, “Let me see” in a limitation is good for a natural conversation. You can use the filler words in the starting of your answers. For example: 

Question: Are there any homeless people in your city? 

Answer: Well, there are a few homeless people in the city. But, I think the number is not significant. 

I have also seen many people who use them almost in every sentence, and it is really not a good practice for an IELTS candidate.

Lexical Resource

Here, Lexis means the stock of words and the Resource means the range and the variety. So, Lexical Resource means the range of words or vocabulary. 

In the speaking test, the examiner will check: 

i) Are you able to use a wide range of vocabulary accurately and effectively? 

ii) Can you explain your ideas even if you don’t know any particular word?

iii) Are you able to use higher-level vocabulary accurately?

IELTS Speaking Tips to improve your Lexical Resource

1) Grow your vocabulary

Well, I’ve seen most of the students do very well in the IELTS Speaking Part 1, but not in part 2 or 3. Only because, the questions of part 1 are easier and they can explain their ideas by using common vocabularies which are frequently used in everyday life. 

But, one can’t fully answer Part 2 and 3 questions using the common vocabularies, because the topics are more abstract and it requires a wide range of vocabulary to explain your answers. 

So, it’s essential to grow your vocabulary if you are planning for a high band score. Using common words somehow you can manage to answer the questions of part 2 and part 3, but it won’t be enough to score a perfect band. 

2) Use Paraphrasing  

Try to avoid repeating the questions while answering and practice paraphrasing the question. 

Well, you can paraphrase any question by:

i) Using synonyms and,

ii) Changing the sentence structure

Example of Paraphrasing

Question: What is the reason for the increased level of pollution? 

Answer(A): The reason for the increasing level of pollution is industrial development and overpopulation. (Non-paraphrased)  

Answer(B): The causes of rising levels of pollution are industrial development and overpopulation. (Paraphrased)

3) Avoid using words that you don’t know 

Sometimes student tries to empress the examiner by using higher-level vocabulary that they even don’t have any proper idea of using it. As a result, they make mistakes which causes them a low band score. 

So, never try to use any higher-level vocabulary without knowing how to use it.   

4) Use idioms and Collocations

Using idioms and Collocations in your answers is a great way to prove your strength in lexical resources. But, before using them, you should have the proper practice of using them accurately with a wide range of topics.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Many times you may hear a piece of advice that, grammar is not important for Speaking. Certainly, it’s not true for the IELTS Speaking test. You will also be assessed on the grammatical range and accuracy.

You can boost your band score by avoiding grammatical mistakes and using a wide range of sentence structure accurately.

On the test day, the examiner will check: 

i) Do you have the ability to use a wide range of grammatical structure? 

ii) Are you repeating the basic sentence structure? 

iii) Do you often make grammatical mistakes? 

iv) Are your sentence structures accurate?

IELTS Speaking Tips to improve the Grammatical Range and Accuracy

1) Find a speaking partner or a teacher to point out your grammatical errors.

Sometimes it becomes hard to point out your own mistakes. So it’s a good idea to start your speaking practice with a speaking partner or with an expert English teacher.

As a result, they can easily find out your grammatical mistakes and you will also be able to correct your errors. 

2) Record yourself 

If you are unable to find a speaking partner, then try to record yourself, in this way you can find out your own mistakes also you will be able to check your progress.

3) Practice using a variety of grammatical structure

To empress the examiner, you should use a variety of grammatical sentences, rather than repeating the basic structure. But, if you make frequent grammatical mistakes, then it can affect your expected band score. 

4) Read English newspapers or books

Reading English newspapers and books can help you to improve your grammatical skills naturally. If you are reading newspapers and books for a long period of time, not only it will help you to improve your grammatical skills, it also can help you to extend your vocabulary as well as the reading skills.

Pronunciation

It’s become a common tendency among students to neglect the pronunciation criteria. They become so busy with the other three criteria, they don’t even pay attention to improve their pronunciation skills. But, it can affect your band score similarly as other. 

In the Speaking test, the examiner will check:

i) Is your spoken language clear and easily understood? 

ii) Do you use stress and intonation to add extra meaning? 

iii) With individual words, do you use stress accurately?

IELTS Speaking Tips to Improve your Pronunciation

1) Don’t worry about your accent 

In the test day, the examiner won’t check whether you are speaking in a British or American accent. He will pay attention if your spoken language is clear to understand or not. So, don’t be worried about your accent. 

Rather try to improve your word pronunciation. You can mimic the native speakers, also watching English movies and TV series can help you to improve your pronunciation naturally. 

2) Avoid speaking like a robot, feel what you say

In the speaking test, try to act naturally. You should make proper eye-contact with the examiner while talking, also pay attention to your body language. 

Try to feel everything you are saying. For example, if you are talking about your joyful experiences then share it by keeping a simple smile on your face, If you are angry or worried about something then put some extra stress on the words to mean it. 

The examiner will notice it if you are using any extra stress on words accurately for adding some extra meaning. So, practice it. 

3) Watch YouTube videos

You can find tons of high band speaking test videos on YouTube. Watch them and try to follow how they are describing anything or their body language.

Practice the same topic and record yourself, then compare yourself with the YouTube video you followed. As a result, you can have an idea about your speaking level and you will be able to know which section you should focus on to improve your skills. 

So, try to follow these IELTS Speaking tips, and start your preparation. Remember, without practice, these tips won’t make any difference

In the IELTS Speaking test, undoubtedly IELTS Speaking Part 2 is really important, but if you want to push your band score a little higher then doing well in IELTS Speaking Part 3 is also very crucial.

In this article, we will discuss: 

• The Question structure of IELTS Speaking Part 3.
• How should you answer the questions? 
• What are the things you can do? 
• What you should avoid doing?
• How to boost your band score?

The Question structure of IELTS Speaking Part 3

In the IELTS Speaking part 3: 

• You will be asked around 4-8 questions.  
• Questions will be related to part 2 speaking topics. 
• In the questions, basically, you will be asked to:

1) Give your opinion. 

2) Talk about the advantages and disadvantages.

3) What are the causes and effects of anything? 

4) What are the benefits of doing something? 

5) Agree or disagree questions.

• It will take 4-5 minutes to end this part of the IELTS Speaking test. 

Here is an example of IELTS Speaking part 3 questions:

Here, you can see, the structure of speaking part 3 is similar to part 1. Both parts are two-way discussion with the examiner. Then maybe you are thinking about “what is the difference between speaking part 3 and part 1?” 

Well, the main difference is IELTS Speaking Part 1 is all about yourself, the examiner will ask you direct questions about your hobbies, experience, etc. These questions are short and straight forward types. 

On the other hand, the questions of  IELTS Speaking Part 3 will be based on the topic of speaking part 2, where the questions will be a bit trickery, and complex. So you should pay attention to understand the questions before answering them.

How should you answer the questions of IELTS Speaking Part 3

In the part3 of IELTS Speaking, you can’t give your answer as you gave in part1. You should explain your answers clearly by adding relevant examples. 

You can follow a specific structure to give your answers in IELTS Speaking Part 3. This will help you to develop your ideas also.  

So, “What is the best way to answer the questions?”. Well, you can find tons of styles or structures that you can use but I think you should start your speaking part 3 practice by following this structure:  

1) Give your opinion 

2) The reason why you think so 

3) Give an example 

For Example: 

The examiner asks you: 

“How do you evaluate the increase or decrease in the popularity of cinema in recent years? ”

You can say: 

I think the popularity of cinema has decreased in recent years. (opinion)

This may be due to the omnipresence of TV programmes in our life. Hundreds of TV channels make interesting programmes and fulfil our entertainment needs. (reason)

For example, there were many popular cinema halls in our city. But nowadays their condition is not really good and even some of them are converted into markets. (example)

Things you can do in IELTS Speaking Part 3

Many students don’t know what they are allowed to do in the IELTS Speaking test. As a result, they often make some mistakes. Well, here in this part we will discuss some of the things that you are allowed to do in the speaking test.

1) You can ask the examiner to repeat the question

In the IELTS Speaking Part 3, questions are a bit trickery. If you are unable to understand the question, you are allowed to ask the examiner to repeat the question again. You can simply say: 

“Sorry. Can you please repeat the question?”

Also, if you do not clearly understand the question, you say: 

“By saying …, do you mean….” 

Remember, never start giving your answer without understanding the question properly. 

2) Ask for a few seconds to think

You may face many questions which you don’t have any idea about. So, without giving any irrelevant answers you can ask the examiner for a few seconds to think. You can say: 

“Well, it’s a really tricky question, let me think about this…”

Or

“I don’t really know about this, let me think for a moment ”

But, remember never take a long break, you should start your answer within 3 to 4 seconds.

3) Made any mistakes? Correct it immediately

If you make any mistake while giving you answers and able to understand your mistake, you can correct it immediately. You can say: 

“By saying…, I meant….”

 But, if you are unable to understand the mistake immediately, then should move on. 

What you should avoid in IELTS Speaking Part 3

To get a high score in the IELTS Speaking test, there are certain things you should avoid doing in the IELTS Speaking Part 3.  These are: 

1) Giving Short answers

In the speaking part 3, you should avoid giving short answers like part 1. Try to explain your answers by giving relevant examples and explanations. For every question try to give your answers with at least 3 to sentences.   

2) Using too much filler words

Almost everyone uses filler words like: “ah”, “uh”, “um”, “You know”, “I mean”, “so”, “actually”, “basically” etc. while speaking, and it’s good. But if you are using too much filler words, then the examiner may think you are not able to connect your ideas properly, and he can decrease your band score on fluency. 

3) Delivering a Memorised answer

Try not to deliver any memoried answer. The examiner can easily understand if you deliver any memorised answer by the speed of your talking and pronunciation, and you may face a penalty which will result in a low score. So, you should develop your speaking skills rather than memorising any answer. 

4) Using words you don’t know

Well, if you look at the assessment criteria in the Speaking test, lexical resources, in other words, using a range of vocabulary hold 25% of the band score. Many students try to impress the examiner by using good quality worlds. But sometimes they also try to use those words they don’t even know how to use them properly. And this becomes another reason for a low band score in the IELTS Speaking test. 

5) Overthinking 

The Speaking test is all about your English speaking ability, not your knowledge. The examiner won’t judge you by your opinions or point of view. So, don’t overthink about any topic that you don’t know, just keep talking and don’t go off-topic. 

Also overthinking may increase your mumbling rate, which is totally not good for your fluency. 

How to boost your band score in IELTS Speaking Part 3

To boost your band score in the IELTS Speaking, you should focus on improving your skills in the 4 different criteria in which you will be assessed. These are: 

1) Fluency and coherence 

In the criteria, the examiner will pay attention to your Fluency and Coherence. Here, Fluency means, if you are able to speak spontaneously, and Coherence means, how well you can connect your ideas. The examiner will also check your speaking speed. 

Tips for improving your fluency rate and coherence:

i) Use linking words 

ii) Don’t take a lot of pauses 

iii) Stop thinking too much and

iv) Control your mumbling rate. 

2) Lexical resource 

The examiner will check: 

– Can you accurately use or attempt to use a wide range of vocabulary accurately and effectively?

– How do you explain your ideas even if you don’t know a particular word?

– Can you use or attempt to use high-level vocabulary accurately?

Tips for improving lexical resource: 

i) Don’t repeat the question.

ii) Paraphrase the question while answering. 

iii) Avoid using words that you don’t know.

iv) Don’t repeat any word multiple times. Use synonyms.   

3) Grammatical Range and Accuracy 

Here, the examiner will check if you are able to use a wide range of grammatical structure rather than repeating the basic structure, also are your sentences accurate or do you often make grammatical errors. 

Tips for improving grammatical range and accuracy: 

i) Find a speaking partner or a teacher to point out your grammatical errors.

ii) Record yourself then you will be also able to check your mistakes.

iii) Practice using a variety of grammatical structure. 

iv) Read English newspapers or books. This will help to improve your grammar skills naturally. 

4) Pronunciation

Here, the examiner won’t assess you on your accent. It doesn’t affect your band score whether you are talking in British or American accent.

The examiner will check:

– Is your spoken language clear and easily understood?

– Do you use stress and intonation to add extra meaning? 

– With individual words, do you use stress accurately? 

Tips for improving your pronunciation: 

i) Don’t speak like a robot, feel what you say. 

ii) Find a speaking partner or a teacher to point out your pronunciation errors.

iii) Watch English movies and YouTube videos. 

If you are looking for a high band score in the IELTS Speaking test, then messing up in the IELTS Speaking Part 2 will become a nightmare to you. Therefore, understanding this part is very crucial for a student.

In this article we will discuss:

• The format of IELTS Speaking Part 2.
• How to prepare your speech within just 1 minute?
• How to start your speech in IELTS Speaking Part 2?
• What are the things you should avoid?
• How to prepare for IELTS Speaking Part 2? 

The Format – IELTS Speaking Part 2

After the end of IELTS Speaking Part 1, the examiner will give you a cue card with a specific topic written on it. The topic will contain 3 to 4 follow-up questions, and you will be given only one minute to prepare your speech.

Remember, You should include answers of every follow-up questions in your speech. Then, the examiner will ask you to speak about 2 minutes on this topic. It requires only 3-4 minutes to end IELTS Speaking Part 2.

Here is an example of Cue Card:

I have prepared 100+ cue card topics for you to start your speaking part 2 preparation. 

How to prepare your speech within 1 minute?– IELTS Speaking Part 2

The examiner will give you 1 minute to prepare your talk. You should use this time as effectively as possible to build your ideas and organise your speech. You will be provided paper and pencil to make notes.

Making notes will help you to:

1. 1. Start your thinking about the topic
   2. Organise your ideas.
   3. Keep going while talking.

Now, many students think “how is it possible to make notes within 1 minute?”

As time is very limited, you should write only keywords so that, when you start talking you can follow your notes to deliver an organised speech. Also, your notes should be clear so that you can quickly find your next idea during your talk.

Look at the example below:

Read this part 2 task and look at two different techniques of making notes.

Normal Technique:

Many students follow this style to make their notes. In this style, locating your next idea is really tough while you are speaking. You may lose your track and start mumbling, as a result, you will face a penalty in fluency. So, don’t follow this technique to make your notes.

The clockwise Technique:

In this technique, information is organised in a clockwise order as a result idea are easy to locate so you will never lose your track while speaking. Try to finish doing notes in 30 seconds and in the next 30 seconds think about these topics again. If you can use this 1 minute perfectly, definitely you will be able to increase your band score in IELTS Speaking. 

So, try to use this technique while you prepare for your IELTS Speaking examination.

How to start your speech in IELTS Speaking Part 2

In IELTS Speaking Part 2, always try to start your talking with a little introduction of the topic you have given. So can use some opening phrases to start your introduction part, and try to follow the format given below to impress the examiner:

”A line of General Statement” + “Opening Phrase” + “Paraphrased Topic name”

Now, I’ll discuss how you can use the opening phrases to start your talking for this topic:

“Describe a useful technological product you bought”

Some Common Opening Phrases for IELTS Speaking Part 2:

These are the 3 most common opening phrases that you can use to introduce the cue card topic.

1) I would like to talk about…

Example: Well, Technology has become an integral part of our lives. Here, I would like to talk about one such device that I recently purchased. 

Here, I have started with a general statement about the technological product. Then Instead repeating the topics name: 

“I’m going to describe a technological product I bought”

I said: 

“ I would like to talk about one such device that I recently purchased.”

Similarly,

2) I’m going to talk about…

Example: Well, Technology has become an integral part of our lives. Here, I’m going to talk about an interesting technological product that I have purchased about a month ago.

3) I’m going to tell you about…

Example: Well, Technology has become an integral part of our lives. Here, I’m going to tell you about an interesting technological product that I have purchased about a month ago.

What are the things you should avoid– IELTS Speaking Part 2

I have seen many students who have the potential to score well in the IELTS Speaking test, but due to some common mistakes they just failed to obtain their desired score. Here are some common mistakes you should avoid in the IELTS speaking part 2.

1) Thinking too much while making notes

The given 1 minute to make your note, is really important for your part 2 speaking test. Try to finish making notes within 30 seconds and for the 30 seconds make a plan for how you will be going to present your speech. Using clockwise technique is a good idea to prepare your notes, as a result, you will be able to keep track of your notes.

2) Speaking too fast

Some students start to speak too much faster than usual, and eventually, they run out of words before 2 minutes. Also speaking faster may cause your pronunciation and fluency. Therefore, try to deliver your speech at a moderate pace.

3) Delivering an unstructured speech

Speaking in a structured way is really important for the IELTS Speaking test. Delivering structured speech proves that you are able to link your ideas quickly and it is one of the important abilities that the examiner is looking for.

4) Mumbling too much

Some students have the potential to get a good band in the speaking test, but sometimes they get nervous and start mumbling, and if the mumbling rate is too much then the examiner will decrease your band in fluency. So try to control your mumbling rate.

5) Run out of thing to say

Suppose you delivered an excellent speech but you run out of words within 1 minute. This is not going to be good for your speaking test. You should keep talking until the examiner asks you to stop.

How to prepare for IELTS Speaking Part 2

To get a high band score in the IELTS Speaking test, you must focus on improving your skills in speaking part 2. To improve your speaking skills follow the tips:

1) Speak at least 2 minutes on each topic

In IELTS Speaking part 2, the examiner looks for if the candidate is able to speak fluently on a random topic. You will lose your expected band score if you stop speaking before the examiner asks you to stop. So, when you are preparing for your part 2 speaking test, try to speak at least for 2 minutes on each topic. 

2) Start your practice with a friend

If you start your practice with your friend, then you will be able to reduce the fear of public speaking and improve your confidence level. Moreover, they can point out where you are making mistakes. 

3) Record yourself while speaking 

Recording yourself is also a good idea for making yourself prepared for the IELTS Speaking test. This way you will be able to know about your mumbling rate as well as, you can find out our own grammatical mistakes. 

4) Follow some high-level speaking tests on YouTube 

You can learn many things by following high-level speaking tests on YouTube. For example, you can compare your recorded audio with their speaking, so that you can have an idea about your speaking level.

5) Take mock tests before your IELTS Speaking test

Taking some mock tests before your actual speaking test will help you to be more familiar with the test, as a result, you will feel more confident on the test day. So try to take at least 2 or 3 mock tests before the exam.

IELTS Speaking Part 1

Almost every student got nervous before starting the test. It is really common for a first-timer because they don’t have any prior knowledge or experience about the IELTS Speaking test. If you have the exact knowledge about the test then it would be easier for you to overcome the fear of test. Here we will briefly discuss about the IELTS Speaking Part 1.

So in this article we will cover:

• How does the test start?
• 35 most common topics for IELTS Speaking part 1
• How you should answer the questions? 
• Which type of mistakes you should avoid? 
• Lastly, What you should do to get a high band score? 

How does the test start?

Well, when you enter the test room, the examiner will ask you to sit and starts introducing himself. After that, the examiner will ask you to show your passport and may ask you one or two questions. You will not be marked on these questions. After completing the paperwork, the actual test will start. From now on, everything you say will be recorded and marked. 

Try to make a good impression before starting the test. 

• Wearing a formal dress is not compulsory. But try to look good.
• Smell good. 
• Look confident. 
• Don’t be upset if the examiner doesn’t seem friendly.
• and don’t forget to smile. 

35 Most Common Topics for IELTS Speaking Part 1

IELTS Speaking part 1 is like a warm-up section for the rest of the speaking test. Here, the examiner will ask you simple questions, it is mostly about yourself and other common topics.

Here are some common topics, which may help you to start your preparation:

Start your IELTS Speaking Practice with 100+ Cue Card topics.

How to answer the questions of IELTS Speaking Part 1

The questions of the IELTS Speaking part 1 are very easy to answer. But, getting a high band score is not easy. It is not just only a speaking test, the examiner will also notice the quality of your speaking, as well as how well you can communicate using English. Here are some tips, try to follow them while practising.  

• Avoid giving very shot answer

In the speaking test, we will face many questions which can be answered using YES or NO or only using one word. For Example, 

Question: Do you use The Internet?

Your Answer: Yes, I do. 

Expecting a high band score is not possible if you answer questions this short. The Examiner wants to hear you talk, as it is a speaking test. Therefore, you should try to avoid giving very short answers. 

Now, one question may come to your mind that ”How many sentences should I use to answer each question in IELTS Speaking part 1?”

Well, it is better to answer each question within 2 or 3 sentences in speaking part 1. But if there is any question like “Did you visit museums when you were a child? ” and you want to share a fantastic experience you had about museums, then don’t hesitate to share this. 

• Extend your answer

An extended answer gives the examiner a positive view that you have the skills to speak fluently. Now the question is ”how to extend the answer?” 

There are two effective ways to extend your answer: 

1) Adding an example.

It is a simple but very effective way to extend the answers in the IELTS Speaking part 1.

Question: Do you use The Internet?

Answer with an example: As a student, I have to use the internet almost every day for study purpose. For example, last week my teacher gave me an assignment on Globalisation, but I didn’t have the proper knowledge to do the task, therefore I have used the Internet to gather knowledge. 

2) Explaining your answer.

Another effective way to extend your answer is to explain it using “because”. 

Question: Do you use The Internet?

Answer with an explanation: As a student, I have to use the internet almost every day for study purpose, because there are tons of resources available which are also free for students to learn.

• Stop repeating questions 

While answering try not to repeat the questions. You can paraphrase it, but repeating questions is not a good idea if you are looking for a high band score. For example: 

Question: How often do you wear jewellery? 

Paraphrased answer:  Usually I don’t wear any kind of ornaments at home, but if there is a party I love to wear ornaments which match with my dress. 

Non-Paraphrased: Every day I wear jewellery…….

Common Mistakes in IELTS Speaking Part 1

If you are looking forward to obtaining a high band score, then you should try to avoid these common mistakes. 

• Overthinking 

When the examiner asks you any question don’t think about the answer too much. Many students start overthinking and take long pauses, as a result, it affects your fluency. Remember, it is not your intelligence test.  

• Acting like a Robot

Some students become so nervous that they don’t even look at the examiner while answering the questions. They started to answer like a robot, and It is very unusual. So try to speak naturally, maintaining proper eye contact with the examiner and keep a little smile on your face.   

• Speaking too fast 

It is the nature of many people to talk fast. But in the IELTS test if the examiner becomes unable to understand you, surely it won’t be good for your band score. You may be fluent but speaking faster may affect your word pronunciation. So try to speak at a normal pace. 

• Going off-topic

To extend their answers many students go off-topic. In that case, it won’t help you to get a perfect band score and you will be penalised if you go off-topic without giving the answer to the question.

What you should do to get a high band score in IELTS Speaking? 

To get a high band score in the IELTS Speaking, first, you need to understand how the examiner will assess your speaking. Then you can focus on these particular skills to improve your band score in the IELTS Speaking test. 

There are 4 criteria. 

1) Fluency and Coherence 

The examiner will check if you are speaking in a fluent way that is easy to understand as well as are you able to link your ideas together clearly.

You should focus on: 

1. 1. 1. Speaking in a creak tone which is easy to understand
      2. Don’t speak too fast.
      3. Use linking words. 
      4. Try to deliver an organised speech.  

2) Lexical Resource

The examiner will check 

• Can you accurately use or attempt to use a wide range of vocabulary accurately and effectively?
• How you explain your ideas even if you don’t know a particular word? 
• Can you use or attempt to use high-level vocabulary accurately?  

You should focus on: 

• Using a wide range of vocabulary. 
• Use paraphrasing without repeating the questions.

3) Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The examiner will check:

• Can you use a wide range of grammatical structures rather than repeating the basic structure?
• Are your sentence accurate or do you often make grammatical errors? 

You should focus on:

• Avoiding grammatical mistakes.
• Use a variety of grammatical structure while speaking.

4) Pronunciation

The examiner will check

• Is your spoken language clear and easily understood?
• Do you use stress and intonation to add extra meaning?
• With individual words, do you use stress accurately?

So, keeps these factors in mind while practising for IELTS Speaking. 

Many students are concerned about the IELTS Speaking test. Trust me, you can score your desired band if you know correctly about the IELTS Speaking format and what you should do and should avoid doing on the test.

In this article, we will discuss:

• The format of IELTS Speaking
• Things What you should do.
• What you should avoid doing.
• What the examiner is looking for.

IELTS Speaking Format

The IELTS  speaking test will happen 7 days before or after the main exam or maybe on the same day with the other 3 Modules (Writing, Reading, and Listening). The test will be recorded for evaluating further. 

The content of the IELTS  speaking test is the same for both the Academic IELTS as well as the General IELTS Training test. The speaking test takes about 11/14 minutes to complete the three parts.

IELTS Speaking Part 1

Time: 4-5 minutes

In this part, the examiner will firstly give his introduction, and later on, he will ask about you and your life. These are the basic simple questions to make you comfortable for conversation. You can say it is the warm-up section.  

The question will be like:

• What’s your name?
• Where are you from?
• What do you do?
• Can you tell me something about yourself?
• Tell me something about your family/ hometown/village?
• What do you do in your leisure time?
• What do you like or dislike?

These sorts of questions are basically asked in the first part, so don’t panic, stay relaxed, and try to give the correct answers.

IELTS Speaking Part 2

Time: 3-4 minutes

This is the most important part of the IELTS Speaking test. You can’t mess up in this section if you want to score well in the test. 

In this part, the examiner will give you a cue card along with paper and pencil. There will be certain topics with also some questions in the cue card.

 “What you will have to do”  You will get one minute to make some notes. After that, should speak about 1.30 to 2 minutes on this topic. 

The cue card topic will be like this:

Here, you should answer all the questions in your speech in an organized way. You will be penalized if you miss any questions.   

You can start your practice with 100+ Cue Cart  topics.

IELTS Speaking Part 3

Time: 4-5 minutes

In this part, the examiner will ask you more detailed and more abstract questions related to the topic in part 2. 

In these questions, sometimes the examiner will ask for your opinion, and you should present your opinion with supporting examples. 

The question will be like:

• Does your country fall a victim to cyclones very often?
• What damages do the cyclones do to your country?
• What precautionary measures should people take against cyclones?
• At what time of the year do the cyclones usually strike?

IELTS Speaking -Things You Should Do

 1) Be confident and keep yourself relaxed: 

I have seen many students who have the potential to speak correctly but in the test center they got nervous as a result they mess up everything. So be confident and keep yourself relaxed, only then you can perform best.

2) Speak more than the Examiner

When the examiner asks you any question, don’t just answer using YES or NO. Try to explain your answer or giving some kind of example is a good idea.

3) Organize your speech

To achieve a good band score, you should deliver your speech in an organized way. Try to use linking words in your speech so that you can speak in a flow.

4) Keep eye contact with the examiner

While speaking with the examiner, keeping eye contact is really important for achieving a high band score. Try to speak normally and with maintaining normal eye contact.

IELTS Speaking -Things You Should Avoid

1)  Memorizing answers

If the examiner finds out you memorized any answer, immediately he will change the question, and you may get a penalty for that. Some students speak a little bit faster. The Examiner will doubt if you speak faster than usual.

2) Don’t speak off-topic

If the examiner asks you about your village and you started to describe your city. Not going to be good for your exam. Sometimes students go off-topic while expending their answers or giving examples. So try to avoid these things.

3) Repeating Questions

You should avoid repeating questions while answering. For example, the question is “What is the population of your village? “. Don’t start your answer using “the population of my village is…”, you can paraphrase the question or you can say ”there are 2000 people lives in my village”

4) Pronunciation Mistakes

The Examiner doesn’t care which accent you are using “British” or “American”. But you should focus on your pronunciation. You can lose your grade if you make any pronunciation mistakes. The best practice is that, don’t use any words in the speaking test that you didn’t use before.

IELTS Speaking – What the Examiner looks for

1)  Do you have the skill to communicate using English?

IELTS Speaking test is formatted to evaluate your speaking skills, not your knowledge. The examiner will follow if you are able to communicate using English. Can you express your opinion or are you able to give any statement to support your opinion? Mumbling too much can decrease your band score.

2)  Can you speak on a certain topic?

In the IELTS Speaking part 2, you will be given a certain topic to speak for about 2 minutes. With this part, the examiner able to understand your ability to speak fluently on a given topic. Remember, fluency is a crucial thing for the speaking test, and if you want a higher band score, you shouldn’t mess up in part 2.

3) Do you make grammatical mistakes?

The examiner also checks if you are making and grammatical mistakes or not. Using a wide range of grammatical structure can boost your band score. But, you should use these correctly, otherwise, it can decrease your band score also.

4) Is your pronunciation correct?

The Examiner doesn’t care which accent you are using “British” or “American”. But you should focus on your pronunciation. You can lose your grade if you make any pronunciation mistakes.