IELTS-Simon’s video course

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe your favourite

Describe a song or piece of music that you like.

You should say

what type of music it is

where you first heard it
who performs it

and explain why you like this song or piece of music.

Here’s the answer that I gave in the lesson. I’ve highlighted the best vocabulary.

I’m going to describe one of my favourite pieces of music, which is the theme music from
the James Bond films. This is the soundtrack that begins every one of these James Bond
films, and you hear the instruments straight away - it’s an instrumental piece of music;
there’s no singing, there are no lyrics, it’s just orchestra with electric guitar, and it begins
every one of the James Bond films.

So the first time I heard this soundtrack was probably when I was a child and I watched my
first ever James Bond film on television, and I was immediately struck by the music,
how impressive it was and how it gets you excited before the film’s even begun. The
spectacular opening sequences that always begin any James Bond film, matched with
this iconic music, are really exciting and memorable.

This is performed, obviously, by an orchestra, but as I said, it incorporates electric guitar

and some drums as well. So it’s a mix of popular and classical I’d say. I’m not sure who
composed it, but I imagine any orchestra can play it.

The reason I like this music then, is because of the expectation it creates at the
beginning of a James Bond film. You know that you’re about to watch something special
when you hear the first few notes of this soundtrack, of the theme music. It creates an
expectation of adventure, mystery, excitement; I think it’s really dramatic and powerful
to hear this music at the beginning of the film, and they always match it with a spectacular
opening sequence, and I think you’re already on the edge of your seat before the film’s
even begun because it’s a really special beginning to hear this music before the film gets
going.
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Describe a book that you enjoyed reading.

You should say

what the book was about

how you found out about it
why you chose to read it

and explain why you enjoyed reading this book.

I’m going to describe a book that I really enjoyed reading recently. The name of the book
was ‘Mindset’. It’s a non-fiction book and the author is called Carol Dweck. I’m not sure
how to pronounce her surname properly, but she’s a psychology professor and so the topic
of this book was related to personality and development and motivation. In particular,
she was writing about people’s own personal views regarding ability. Some people,
according to this author, believe that ability is innate - you’re born with it, you have a
talent that you can’t change. Other people, on the other hand, believe that abilities can
be improved through gradual hard work, and this is the area of personality that she’s
looking at. So she divides the two types of people into people with a ‘fixed mindset’
and other people with a ‘growth mindset’; that’s why the name of the book is ‘Mindset’.
These two mindsets are about whether you believe that our traits are fixed or, on the
other hand, you think that we can grow and develop our talents through hard work.

I found out about the book from a friend who’d read it, who recommended it, said it was
really interesting.

And I chose to read it because I thought, well, this could help me with my job, with my own
aims or goals in life, and I’m interested in that kind or area, psychology, anyway.

And I really enjoyed reading the book because it did open my eyes to motivation and
people’s growth and development. I found it really informative, fascinating and even
inspiring to see how we can improve ourselves.

Note: As you can see, I spent most of the time describing the book, and I covered
the other 3 points quite quickly. It’s fine to answer in this way - you don’t need to
say an equal amount for each point; in fact, the points are there to guide you, but it
isn’t compulsory to cover them all.
 IELTS-Simon’s video course

Finally, here is the answer for the “favourite film” topic that I covered on my blog:

Describe a film that you would like to see in the future.

You should say

what the film is called

what it is about
how you heard about this film

and explain why you would like to see it.

I’m going to talk about a film that I’d like to see when it comes out later this year. It’s the
new James Bond film, and I saw in the news that it’s going to be called ‘Spectre’. I think
‘Spectre’ refers to the name of the imaginary criminal organisation that James Bond
has to defeat in the film.

As ‘Spectre’ hasn’t been released yet, I don’t know exactly what it will be about. But I can
guess that the hero, Bond, is going to be on a mission to save the world from an arch-
criminal as usual. I’m sure it will be similar to most of the previous Bond films, with a plot
line involving lots of twists and turns, and with Bond using his skills to defeat his
nemesis in the end.

I first heard about this film when I was watching the news a couple of months ago, and
since then I’ve seen the official trailer on TV. There have also been various articles in
newspapers discussing the actors who have been cast to play supporting roles in the
film. The James Bond films are always big news here in the UK, probably because Bond
himself is an English character.

I’d like to see ‘Spectre’ at the cinema because I’m sure it will be full of action scenes and
special effects, and I like the fact that Bond’s missions always take place in
spectacular locations in different parts of the world. Of course Bond films are totally
unrealistic, you could even say ridiculous. But they're always fast, entertaining and fun,
a bit like a roller-coaster ride!
 IELTS-Simon’s video course

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe a person

Describe a person you know who does something well.

You should say

who this person is

how you know this person
what they do well

and explain why you think this person is so good at doing this.

Here’s my example description from the video lesson. It took me exactly 2 minutes, and I simply
followed the points above. I tried to use some of my ‘theme’ language and a good example to
demonstrate the ‘hard-working’ theme.

I’m going to describe a friend of mine called James. James is an actor by profession. He’s in his
thirties I think. He’s tall, he’s about my height, with dark hair and a friendly face; he’s always smiling
and he cheers me up whenever I see him.

I met James in… at university. He was my next-door neighbour in my hall of residence in the
first year of university. So on that first day when we were moving in to our rooms, James
introduced himself to me and we struck up a conversation, and got to know each other then, and
we became good friends.

James, as I said, is an actor, and I think he’s really good at that. He studied drama at university,
where I met him, and since then he’s been working in theatre, he’s done some small
independent films, and he’s trying to get his break in television or in more popular,
mainstream films. And I think he’ll do it, because for me he seems… when I’ve been to see him in
theatre productions or I’ve seen the short films that he’s been in, he seems to be a really good
actor to me.

Why I think he’s good: well, I think it comes from his work ethic. He’s a really hard worker, he’s
really persistent. He always said he wanted to be a successful actor; it’s not an easy profession to
become successful in, but he has persisted, he’s really intense, he studies each role very
carefully, he gets into character. I remember, for example, not being able to talk to him for about
a week before one of his acting jobs because he was ‘in character’ - he didn’t want to lose
focus. So he’s really intense, and that’s what I think makes him a great actor, and why I think he’ll
be successful.

See the next page for notes.

 IELTS-Simon’s video course

Notes:

The best vocabulary is highlighted in bold, italic writing. I think the examiner would be particularly
impressed by “less common” items such as:

- struck up a conversation
- get his break in television (meaning ‘get his first opportunity’)
- mainstream films
- his work ethic
- he has persisted
- he’s really intense
- he gets into character

There is a lot of ‘content’, but I don’t worry about linking. Your focus should be on the task:
describing the person using good ideas and vocabulary. Examiners are not impressed by
memorised linking phrases!

I wasn’t thinking about grammar, but I naturally used a variety of verb tenses: past, present,
present perfect, and future tenses are all used correctly where necessary.

Finally, this was my first attempt. The next step is to go back to my ‘theme’ vocabulary for ‘hard-
working’ and see if I can improve the description.

If I did the description a second time, I would try to add words / phrases like:

- motivated
- determined to succeed
- he always sees things through
- he likes to challenge himself
- he has a magnetic personality
 IELTS-Simon’s video course

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe a place

Describe a river, lake or sea which you like.

You should say

what the river, lake or sea is called

where it is
what the land near it is like

and explain why you like this river, lake or sea.

Here’s my example description from the video lesson. It took me exactly 2 minutes, and I simply
followed the points above. I’ve highlighted the good language that I think an examiner would
notice.

I’m going to describe the best known river in England, the river Thames.

The river Thames is in the south of England, and it’s famous because it flows right through the
centre of London. It goes winding through all of the most iconic, famous tourist attractions
and landmarks of the city. For example, it goes past the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament,
with Big Ben, and it goes under Tower Bridge, probably the most famous bridge in London.

So the land around this river, or on either side of this river is hectic, thriving, city-centre London.
It’s right in the heart of the city, and of course it’s a cosmopolitan mix of cultures, business,
tourism all around. It’s where everyone goes to do sightseeing in the centre of the capital, and it’s
got a lot of the history and heritage of London based around that area, in close proximity to the
river itself.

The reason I like this river, the river Thames, is because it’s such an iconic location. It’s a great…
it’s a backdrop to these great landmarks of the city: the historic buildings and famous tourist
sites in the city. And I’ve got good memories of being there on a New Year’s Eve one year
recently. In London, New Year’s Eve celebrations are all focused on the river, with the river and
some of the landmarks as the backdrop to a big fireworks show. And so the river’s all lit up,
and there’s a spectacular fireworks display put on, and lots of tourists and local people all watch
it there together. That was really an unforgettable experience, and the river was central to it.

Notice that here is a lot of ‘content’, but I don’t worry about linking. Your focus should be on the
task: describing the place using good ideas and vocabulary. Examiners are not impressed by
memorised linking phrases.

With regard to grammar, I’m not trying to use any ‘special’ structures. My focus is on answering the
question. But of course we should try to avoid making grammar mistakes!

Notice also that I tell a story in the last paragraph. This helps me to keep speaking for the full 2
minutes.
 IELTS-Simon’s video course

Here’s the second question from the video lesson:

Describe a restaurant that you enjoyed going to.

You should say

where the restaurant was

why you chose this restaurant
what type of food you ate

and explain why you enjoyed eating in this restaurant.

Here’s my example description from the video lesson. Again, it took me exactly 2 minutes, and I
followed the points above. I’ve highlighted the language that I think an examiner would like.

I’m going to describe a restaurant that I went to quite recently for the birthday party of a friend of
mine.

The restaurant that we went to was right in the heart of London, overlooking the river Thames.
It was quite near to Tower Bridge, the famous bridge in London, and we had a great view from our
vantage point above the river; we had a great view of all the famous London landmarks in that
area.

My friend chose the restaurant because of this location, because of the great backdrop; out of the
window of the restaurant we could see all of these iconic places in London, and he thought it
would be a good place to have a celebration, a place that would be memorable for everybody.
But also, we’d heard that the food in this restaurant was delicious, and that the staff were warm
and welcoming, and the service and the quality was all round really good.

The type of food that we ate there, well, it was a fusion restaurant I think they called it, which
meant that there was a variety of food choices from all over the world. There were Mexican food
choices, Mediterranean, Persian, but also hamburgers and pizzas, that kind of thing. I think I
actually had a pizza with various toppings on it myself, and it was really nice - it was a fantastic
meal.

The reason I enjoyed eating in this restaurant: Firstly, it was a great chance to get together with
friends and chat about what we’d been up to, and catch up with some of my good friends. But
also, the restaurant itself really did make the night special. The service was fantastic, the waiters
and the staff really made us feel at home, they were thoughtful and attentive to all of our
needs, and we were really surprised at the end when they brought us a cake to celebrate my
friend’s birthday.

Note:
The description above is not true. I invented it to show that we can use our ‘theme’ ideas and even
adapt ideas that we have prepared for a different question.

Notice also that I’m speaking naturally, so it’s often difficult to tell when my sentences begin or end
because the ideas flow and merge together. This is normal in spontaneous, spoken language.
 IELTS-Simon’s video course

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe an activity

Describe something healthy you enjoy doing.

You should say

what you do
where you do it
who you do it with

and explain why you think doing this is healthy.

Here’s the answer that I gave in the lesson. I’ve highlighted the best vocabulary.

I’m going to describe a really healthy activity that I do, currently, which is swimming. I used
to swim a lot when I was younger, but I’ve recently taken it up again, and I go a couple of
times a week now.

I go swimming in a gym that I joined, which has a nice swimming pool. I tried going to my
local public pool, but it was too busy and you couldn’t really swim up and down in
lanes there. So, I found a gym that has a pool, and it’s usually quite empty, and I can have
a lane to myself and swim up and down.

As I said, I do this hobby or activity alone. I don’t go there with anyone; it’s a solitary
sport really, and I’m doing it for my own health reasons. Obviously, of course, there are
other people in the pool when I’m there; sometimes you have to share a lane with another
person or a couple of people. But, basically, I’m in there, focused, on my own,
concentrating on my own swimming stroke and technique, and trying to improve my
endurance and stamina as well.

And the reason I think this is a healthy sport… well, I think it’s widely accepted that
swimming is really healthy. It’s a good all-over body workout; it’s great cardiovascular
exercise; it’s a low-impact sport, so you’re not expected to get any injuries as you might
do if you were running, where there’s impact on the joints - with swimming you don’t
have that. So I think it’s really good for the body, but it’s also good for the mind. When I
get into the swimming pool, as soon as I hit the water it clears my mind; I’m focused
only on one thing, which is my stroke, my technique, the breathing - it makes you think
about your breathing as well, which is good. And I think it rejuvenates and reinvigorates
you to be in the water. It’s a really relaxing experience.
 IELTS-Simon’s video course

Here’s the ‘chess’ description from one of my blog lessons, with the good
vocabulary highlighted as usual.

Describe an indoor game that you enjoyed as a child.

You should say

what the game was

where you played it
who played this game with you

and explain why you enjoyed it.

As a child I enjoyed playing chess. I think chess is probably the best known board game
in the world. It’s a game for two players, and the aim is to defeat the other player by
taking his or her pieces and eventually trapping his King. This final move is called
checkmate.

I remember that it was a classmate of mine at primary school who first taught me to play
chess. He had a small, portable chess set, and once I knew how each piece moved, we
started playing at break and lunch times; we played in our classroom or outside on the
school playground. Later my parents bought me my own chess set as a birthday present
so that I could play at home.

I taught my younger brother to play, and at some point I joined the school chess club.
There I had the chance to hone my skills against some of the older pupils, and in my
final year of primary school I made it onto the school team. There were five of us on the
team, and we competed against children from other primary schools in the same town.

I liked playing chess because I enjoyed the challenge of thinking ahead and trying to
outwit my opponent. I was probably seven or eight years old when I started playing, and
it seemed like a very mysterious and intellectual game at that time. Also, although I
loved winning, chess taught me to learn from my losses and to congratulate the person
who had beaten me.

Note: It would be nice to add an example or story to the end of this description.
 IELTS-Simon’s video course

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe an event

Describe a sports event that you enjoyed watching.

You should say

what event you watched

where you were
who you watched it with

and explain why you enjoyed watching it.

Here’s the answer that I gave in the lesson. I’ve highlighted the best vocabulary.

I’m going to describe what I think was the most memorable event in recent years that I
remember, which was the London 2012 Olympic Games. This was a spectacular festival
of sport over the course of several weeks here in England, and I think it was a once-in-
a-lifetime experience for us to have the Olympic Games in our own country.

I was unfortunately at home watching most of the Olympics on television. I didn’t manage
to go down to London to see any of the events in person, but I enjoyed them all on TV
at home, in my own house, or sometimes with friends or family at their houses. And I do
remember the events themselves, though, were in all different places across London,
mainly at the Olympic Park area, in the main stadium or the various other smaller
stadiums for the different events, like the swimming, the basketball etc., and I watched
various of these different events when they were on television.

As I said, I was watching at home, usually on my own or with family or occasionally with
friends. I remember, for example, watching the 100 metres sprint race, which is probably
considered to be the most important or the most famous event in the Olympic Games;
we often call it the “blue riband” event, and there was a lot of hype and anticipation
surrounding the 100 metres at the London Olympics because everyone wanted to see
whether Usain Bolt would win again, or whether anyone would be able to beat him.

So I enjoyed this event, the London Olympic Games, because I think it was an
unforgettable experience to see it in my own country. There were some great
performances and victories by the athletes, and I enjoyed every minute.

Notes:
- The section highlighted in green is my example or ‘story’. This example helped me to
keep talking and add some interesting detail to my description.
- No description will ever be perfect, but the important thing is to try to include some of
the good vocabulary that you have prepared.
 IELTS-Simon’s video course

Describe a concert or musical event in your country.

You should say

who the musicians are

where the concert is held
what type of music is played

and explain why people attend this musical event.

Here’s the answer that I gave in the lesson. I’ve highlighted the best vocabulary.

I’m going to describe a concert that I’ve actually been to, that takes place here in
Manchester, where I live. The musicians who perform this concert are classical
musicians; it’s an orchestra called the Hallé orchestra, which is obviously made up of the
conductor, the string instruments, like violins, the percussion, the woodwind
instruments, the brass instruments etc.

And these musicians play in a concert hall, a venue called the Bridgewater Hall, here in
Manchester, which is a purpose-built concert hall, by which I mean that it was designed
specifically for music. The sound acoustics are really good in the concert room, and the
lighting, the stage etc., they were all built specifically for music.

The type of music that you would expect from an orchestra would normally be classical
music. But this particular concert, that I think they put on once a year, is a bit more
popular or mainstream because the orchestra plays theme music from famous films, the
soundtracks from films. And most of them are very popular, well-known Hollywood films
like E.T., Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, the James Bond films, that kind of thing.

And this is why people attend, because we all know, or most of us know, the music from
those films, and it’s amazing to hear a full orchestra playing these songs, these pieces
of music in a live venue. The sound quality is fantastic, and to hear these pieces of
music loud and live is really wonderful. I, for example, was particularly blown away by
the E.T. soundtrack, which is a really emotional piece of music when you hear it,
especially in a live venue like that.

Notes:
- Again, I included as much good vocabulary as I could.
- I also missed a few good phrases that I wanted to include e.g. the atmosphere was
electric, it exceeded my expectations.
- I had enough to say this time, and didn’t need to give a long example or story.
 IELTS-Simon’s video course

Finally, here are some other “describe an event” ideas from my blog
[Link]

Describe a family celebration that you remember.

You should say

what you were celebrating

who was present
what you and your family did to make the celebration special

and why you enjoyed the occasion.

Here’s the sample answer from my blog. Can you improve this description with
some good words and phrases from the video lesson?

• I’m going to describe my sister’s wedding day, which took place a few years ago in
the town where I grew up. For my sister it was the biggest and most important day
of her life.

• I think there were around 100 people at the marriage ceremony, which was held in a
church. Even more people came to the party, or the wedding reception as we call it,
after the ceremony. Of course, most members of my family were there, as well as
the groom’s family and a collection of the bride and groom's friends and colleagues.

• To make the celebration special, we did what families normally do. My mother made
sure that the church and the reception venue were nicely decorated - there were
flowers everywhere! Obviously we all dressed for the occasion, and there were
bridesmaids, gifts, a huge wedding cake, and so on.

• I enjoyed the occasion because it was great to see my sister so happy on her big
day. The ceremony was perfect, and we all had a fantastic time at the reception. It’s
rare for me to see all of my family and friends together in one place, so that’s
probably what made the day so memorable for me.
 IELTS-Simon’s video course

Some ideas for the “describe a festival” topic:

A common topic for the short presentation (IELTS Speaking Part 2) is "describe an
important festival in your country”.

My advice is to look for a description of your festival on Wikipedia. Copy the best parts of
the description and make small changes if necessary. As an example, I've copied a short
description of Christmas from Wikipedia.

Christmas:

Christmas is an annual holiday that, in Christianity, commemorates the birth of Jesus

Christ.

Popular customs of the holiday include gift-giving, music, an exchange of greeting cards,
church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations; including
Christmas trees, lights, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, Father Christmas (known as
Santa Claus in some areas) is a popular figure in many countries, associated with the
bringing of gifts for children.

Over the Christmas period, people decorate their homes and exchange gifts. In some
countries, children perform plays re-telling the events of the Nativity, or sing carols that
reference the event. Christmas, along with Easter, is the period of highest annual church
attendance.

A special Christmas family meal is an important part of the celebration for many, and what
is served varies greatly from country to country. In England and countries influenced by its
traditions, a standard Christmas meal includes turkey, potatoes, vegetables, sausages and
gravy, followed by Christmas pudding, mince pies and fruit cake.

Try using these ideas (or your own festival ideas) to answer the question below.

Describe a festival that is important in your country.

You should say

when the festival occurs

what you do during it
what you like or dislike about it

and explain why this festival is important.

 IELTS-Simon’s video course

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe an object

Describe something that you would like to own.

You should say

what it is
where you have seen it
what you would use it for

and explain why you would like to own this object.

Here’s my example description from the video lesson. It took me exactly 2 minutes, and I followed
the points above.

Note: you’ll see that in paragraph three I jumped to the last point by mistake, and then went back
to the point about “how I would use it” in paragraph four. But this doesn’t affect the quality of my
answer.

I’ve highlighted the good language that I think an examiner would notice.

I’m going to talk about a watch that I would like to own. It’s one of these new smartwatches, a new
type of watch that has all the functions and features of a smart phone, of a mobile phone, but of
course you wear it on your wrist, so it’s even more portable.

And this is a new fashion accessory these days, a new gadget, that I’ve seen advertised
everywhere: on billboards in the city centre, on TV adverts, and I’ve seen these watches in
person, in ‘real life’, in various department stores that I’ve been to when out shopping. And I’m
not sure which brand I would buy, but I’ve seen the various brands, and maybe the most famous
one at the moment is the Apple Watch.

The reason I’d like one of these watches is because you can synchronise it with your computer
and phone, and so you’ve got all your contacts, your photos and especially calendar notifications
right there on your wrist, and you’re carrying it round with you.

I think it would be particularly convenient for me to be able to organise my life using one of
these watches, and check my appointments and work commitments at a glance, just looking
at my wrist. I think it’d even be good maybe for health reasons, because apparently you can
track your exercise goals, even things like the number of steps you're taking every day. So that
might be quite interesting.

So the reason that I’d like one of these watches, as I said, would be the features and functions that
I’ve just mentioned. I think these watches are really practical. It’s just as good as a phone in
terms of the technology, but it’s even more portable; really they’re the ultimate in portable
devices. And I’m a fan of gadgets, and this one looks really stunning too. Those are the
reasons why I think it would be nice to have one.
 IELTS-Simon’s video course

Here’s the second question from the video lesson:

Describe something old that you own which is special to you.

You should say

what this possession is

how long you have had it
where it came from

and explain why this possession is special to you.

Here’s my example description from the video lesson. Again, it took me exactly 2 minutes, and I
followed the points above. I’ve highlighted the language that I think an examiner would like.

Notice that I gave a long example, or ‘story’ in this description (highlighted in green). This story
helped me to keep talking for the full 2 minutes.

I’m going to describe an old wristwatch that I inherited from my grandfather. So it’s a family
heirloom, it’s an antique watch, and it’s really a simple, classic old watch with a leather strap, a
white face, and a gold edge around it.

And I’ve had it for the last 10 years, I think it is, since my grandfather gave it to me. But it’s been
in the family for several generations before that.

In fact, I think it came originally from my great-grandfather, because his name is engraved on
the back of the watch face. So perhaps it was a gift that he received from an employer, or a friend,
or another family member. We’re not really sure, but he had it originally, and then passed it down
to my grandfather, and now it’s obviously mine.

The reason it’s special, then, is because of this sentimental value that this watch has. As I said,
it’s a family heirloom, it’s probably the only antique, really old possession that I’ve got that reminds
me of my grandfather, and it brings back happy memories.

For example, I remember when my grandfather was helping me to learn to tell the time when I
was a child. Because his watch had such a simple, clear clock face, it was very easy for me to
understand what he was talking about, when he showed me how the big hand was for the minutes,
and the shorter, small hand on the watch was for the hours. So I remember him teaching me to tell
the time, and testing me with different times to see if I understood.

I also like the watch’s stylish, elegant design; it’s very simple, it’s just a classic, timeless look,
and it’s really durable and resilient; I think it’s so well-made that I’ll be able to hand it down to
the next generation when I’m older.

Note:
The description above is not true. I invented it to demonstrate the use of our ‘theme’ ideas and our
prepared example.

Finally, notice that I’m not worrying about ‘linking’ phrases at all. I’m focusing on vocabulary: good
ideas, and lots of detail.