Test your English with this IELTS Quiz and learn how to answer "Describe something you bought but don't use very often" in Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking Test Describe something you bought but don't use very often You should say: what it is when and where you bought it what it is used for and why you bought it And explain why you don't often use it. IELTS cue cards Sample Answer Okay, so about a year ago I had to travel to another country where the weather was a lot colder than where I live. I was going to be there for about a week; I was attending a conference there in connection with my work, and I looked online to see what the temperature was in the city I would be visiting and I got quite a shock. I realized that I didn’t have any really suitable clothes for such cold weather, so I decided that I would buy a warm coat to wear while I was there. I couldn’t find anything locally because th...

English Speaking Topics This topic asks about a product or something you bought which you are happy/pleased to have . You can talk about anything you have bought and why it makes you happy (pleased) to have it. Maybe you bought a watch, clothes, a car, an apartment/house, or a new phone. Speaking Tips The key words in the cue card are "pleased to have". It would be difficult to talk about a meal or a concert ticket you bought because it is something you experience - you don't possess it ( have it). So choose a product or item you have / own / possess . Talk about something you bought that you are pleased to have You should say: What did you buy? Where and when did you buy it? Why you bought it? and explain why you are pleased to have it. English Speaking Topics - Sample Answer So I recently bought a new blender or liquidizer, or some people call them juicers, because my old one broke some time ago, and at th...

This IELTS cue card asks you to talk about/describea something special that you saved money to buy . There are also similar cue cards about saving money that ask you to describe how you saved money (the method, what you did, etc.). Describe Something Special That You Saved Money To Buy I’ll tell you about my first car. I bought it when I was 17 years old, so it was special because it changed my life. I became more independent and went to all kinds of places I wouldn’t have gone without it. I had decided to buy a car about six months before. I wanted to have a car because where I was studying was quite far away, and getting the bus every day was a bit of a hassle. At that time, I was also working part-time in a local restaurant at night, and sometimes we used to finish working quite late, and getting a bus home was a problem. Quite often one of the other workers had to give me a lift or I had to take a taxi, which was expensive. So I wanted to be more independent and no...

A few months ago I bought a new phone. My old one was really old, I mean really, really old, and the screen was chipped and broken, and the battery life was almost non-existent. IELTS Quiz / Speaking PART 2 / Describe something imortant you bought recently Describe something important you bought recently You should say: what it is how you bought it why it is important and say how you felt about the purchase of this thing. IELTS Cue Card Sample Answer Okay, so a few months ago I bought a new phone. My old one was really old, I mean really, really old, and the screen was chipped and broken, and the battery life was almost non-existent. Sometimes I had to charge it twice a day. Anyway, I decided it was time for a change because every time I used my phone I would become frustrated because I couldn’t see the screen properly or it would be running out of charge and I would have to look around for someplace to charge it up. It was definitely time for ...

"I'd really like to replace my apartment. I'm planning to buy a new house when I get my promotion, and I'm really looking forward to having more space." This English Speaking Topic "Talk about Something You Own That You Would Like To Replace" was asked in Part 2 of an IELTS speaking exam last week. Describe something you own that you want to replace You should say: What it is Why you want to replace it When you plan to replace it And explain how you decided it needed replacing. IELTS Speaking Test Candidate Task Card Describe something you own that you would like to replace - Sample Answer Okay, so the main thing I need to replace soon is where I live. It’s not that I don’t like sharing with my friends, but because of my work, I’m expecting to be posted to another city within the next 6 months or so. It will mean having to find and buy somewhere new to live. And because the new position is effectively a promotion with ...

Shopping • IELTS Speaking Part 2 Answer planning template, vocabulary, and practice topics Sample Cue Card: Describe your favorite shopping place. You should say: Where this place is What kinds of goods it sells How often you go there And explain why this is your favorite shopping place. Answer Planning Template Cue Card Section What to Include Useful Phrases & Sentence Starters Introduction Name the shopping place and give general context "I'd like to discuss..." "My favorite shopping destination is..." "One place I genuinely enjoy shopping at is..." Location & Description Describe where it is and the physical environment ...

Recent IELTS Speaking Test PART 1 Do you study or work? I’m a student at the moment. I’m studying Industrial Engineering. What do you like the most about your studies? Well, I like the technology aspects more than, for example, the math which is an essential component of the course, but overall I suppose it would have to be the amount of new and interesting knowledge I’m gaining which I think is the best thing about my course. I find it incredibly interesting and stimulating and it just makes me want to learn even more – that’s what I like most about it. Are your studies really what you expected them to be? Actually, the course I’m doing is more interesting than I thought it would be before I started. So it’s really better than I expected. In what part of your country do you currently live? I live in the southern part of the country, which is quite a bit quieter than most of the other areas. It’s less populated than, for example, the north of the country. ...

Talk about a product you received for free as a gift when you purchased an item. You should say: what it was if it was useful what you did with it and explain how you felt about receiving this free gift. Describe A Product You Got For Free A couple of months ago I went to the supermarket to buy some seeds because I wanted to plant a tree in the garden and help with the process of reforesting my hometown. I chose the appropriate tree for my home, a small one with tiny roots and good for the summer because the space where I will plant it is narrow and very hot. The lady in the shop told me that the brand had a campaign supporting the care and promotion of home-grown plantations. She was giving away some extra seeds for the purchase of a tree, so she gave me some other seeds as a free gift , which I could choose from a long list of possibilities. And I thought that it would be a good idea to accompany the tree with some flowers. The gift package had fewer seeds ...

These IELTS questions were asked this week. TIP: Make sure you provide a full response for each question, including examples, reasons, etc. This will help avoid the examiner asking "Why?" which shows that your answers are too short or there is more relevant information which should be supplied. IELTS SPEAKING EXAM PART 1 What do you do? Do study or work? I just started working recently. I’m working on a social project in some of the poor neighborhoods in the city. It’s a government funded initiative. Do you have friends at work? Not a lot, there’s one other person who is about my age and we are quite good friends. The other people I work with are much older than me, and although we get along okay at work, we don’t socialize or anything outside of work hours. What is your work schedule? It varies a little because some days we are office based and then other days we do outreach projects in the communities involved in the project. When I’m working in the office,...

IELTS Speaking Part 2 | Candidate Task Card | Describe an expensive item that you bought and then regretted Describe an expensive item that you bought and then regretted You should say: What the item was How much it cost you Why you bought it And explain why you regretted buying it. Answer So, there's this one time I vividly remember splurging on a super fancy, but super expensive, coffee machine. It cost me almost a grand, and I thought it was an absolute must-have for my growing love for gourmet coffee brewing. I got totally swept off my feet by its cool features and the dream of making barista-level coffee at home, and I didn't really think about whether it was a practical idea. I had a couple of reasons for buying it. First, it was like a badge of honour for my newfound coffee obsession, something that started back in my uni days with those late-night study sessions fueled by endless cups of coffee. Plus, I figured having a pro coffee machine would poli...

IELTS Speaking Part 2 For Part 2 IELTS Speaking you are normally shown a cue card with a particular topic, and it will also have bullet points that you need to mention when you answer. The second part of the interview will give you an opportunity to speak for an extended period on the topic. Before you start speaking,you will be given 60 seconds or so to organize to talk about the topic on the task card. Some paper and a pencil is usually available for you to make notes for your answer. Next, you must talk for 1 minute to 2 minutes. And then the IELTS examiner will ask you 1 or 2 questions about the related to the topic. IELTS Speaking Part 2 lasts for around 3 or 4 minutes in total. Practising for IELTS Speaking Part 2 Get your IELTS speaking partner to concentrate as you discuss the question subject. You should talk for between 1 and 2 minutes. Ask your speaking partner to ask you a few rounding off questions for the same topic on the topic card. Record y...