IELTS Speaking Part 2: How to Plan and Speak for 2 Minutes
Learn how to plan your IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer in one minute, find ideas fast and speak for two minutes. Model answer, phrases and practice included.
Fillable PDF – type your answers directly into the lesson.
Audio for the Start IELTS lesson Speaking – Part 2: Planning the Long Turn. Listen first, then open the audio script to check.
Track 1 – The Test and Model Answer
Section 1. The examiner gives the task. After the tone there is one minute to plan – plan your own answer, then compare it with the model.
Show the audio script
Examiner: Now I’m going to give you a topic, and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two minutes. Before you talk, you’ll have one minute to think about what you’re going to say. You can make some notes if you wish. Here is your topic. I’d like you to describe a time when you helped someone.
One minute to plan, between two tones.
Examiner: All right? Remember, you have one to two minutes for this. Don’t worry if I stop you. I’ll tell you when the time is up. Can you start speaking now, please?
Candidate: I’d like to talk about a time I helped an elderly neighbour of mine, Mrs Patel, during a very cold winter about three years ago. She’s in her eighties and lives alone in the flat below mine. As for the situation, there was heavy snow for almost a week, and the pavements were covered in ice. One morning I noticed that she hadn’t collected her newspaper, which was unusual, so I knocked on her door. It turned out that she’d run out of food and medicine, but she was too nervous to walk to the shops in case she fell. So I offered to help. I went to the supermarket and the pharmacy for her, and for the rest of the week I called in every evening to check she was warm and had everything she needed. On one of those evenings, she made me a cup of tea and showed me old photos of the town in the nineteen sixties, which was fascinating. The reason this experience was important to me is that it made me realise how isolated some older people can be, especially in bad weather. I felt really useful, and honestly, I think I got as much out of it as she did. Since then, we’ve become good friends, and I’ve started volunteering at a local community centre once a month. Looking back, it was a small thing to do, but it made a big difference to both of us.
Examiner: Thank you.
Track 2 – Practice Card One
Section 6. After the tone, plan for one minute. At the second tone, speak for up to two minutes. The double tone means stop.
Show the audio script
Examiner: Card one. Describe a person who has influenced you. You should say who the person is, how you know them, what they are like, and explain how they have influenced you.
One minute to plan, then two minutes to speak.
Track 3 – Practice Card Two
Section 6. After the tone, plan for one minute. At the second tone, speak for up to two minutes. The double tone means stop.
Show the audio script
Examiner: Card two. Describe an object that is important to you. You should say what it is, where you got it, how often you use it, and explain why it is important to you.
One minute to plan, then two minutes to speak.
Track 4 – Practice Card Three
Section 6. After the tone, plan for one minute. At the second tone, speak for up to two minutes. The double tone means stop.
Show the audio script
Examiner: Card three. Describe a time when you were very busy. You should say when it was, what you had to do, how you managed, and explain how you felt about it.
