IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topics and Categories
Nearly all of the IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics can be put into these 5 categories below.
You can use these categories to make it easier to prepare, and also to learn how to talk confidently and flexibly on a range of topics, whatever the question.
How to prepare IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics
One good way to prepare for IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics, is to focus on vocabulary, phrases and templates that you can use on a variety of similar topics.
On this page, you will find vocabulary and language templates you can use for each of the 5 categories above.
Practice them at home, trying to use them for different kinds of questions. There are some sample questions below you can practice with.
These are just my examples of the kind of question or cue card you may get in the test. They are not actual IELTS questions.
Use them as a guide, just to practice.
The secret to success is flexibility.
IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic: PEOPLE
In your 2 minute talk you can say ;
- Who (they are).
- How (you know or met them)
- Feel (how you feel about them)
When talking about who they are, you can use adjectives like these;
Personality
- extremely friendly, gregarious, out-going, a real extrovert, a bit of a character,
- timid, quite shy, a bit of an introvert, a little withdrawn,
Appearance
- plump, a little on the large side, slightly overweight
- quite slim, fairly petite,
- rather tall, a bit taller than me,
When talking about how you know or met them, you can talk about their job, role and relationship
She’s my
- boss
- ex-boss
- colleague
- workmate
- classmate
When talking about how you feel about them, you can use expressions like these;
- I was excited to see them
- I was ecstatic to be with them
- I was thrilled to meet them again
- I was delighted to spend time with them
- I was over the moon to see them again
IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic: PLACES
In your 2 minute talk you can say ;
- Where (it is).
- How (it looks)
- What (to do there)
- Feel (how you feel about it)
When talking about where it is, you can use expressions like these;
- It’s located in the north of …
- It can be found in the south of…
- It’s a little known place…
- It’s hidden away, off the beaten track
- It’s a really popular place…
- One of those must-see places
- Quiet, calm, peaceful,
- Noisy, a lot of hustle and bustle, a hive of activity
When talking about what to do there, you can use the following;
- You can (go hiking)…
- It’s well known for it’s (cuisine)…
- People typically like to (shop) there…
When talking about how you feel about it, you can say the following;
- I like / love / adore it.
- I reckon it’s awesome, fantastic, outstanding
- I fell head over heels in love with it
IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic: EVENTS
In your 2 minute talk you can talk about;
- Setting
- People
- What happened
When talking about the setting, you can use phrases like these;
Past Tenses
- When I was living in…
- When I was working in…
- I used to live in…
- I would always…
- When I was younger, I often…
When talking about people, you can talk about personality
- talkative, never shuts up, thick-skinned, rude, inconsiderate
- sensitive, delicate, considerate, thoughtful, polite,
- witty, smart, fast-thinking, intuitive
When talking about what happened, you can use tenses such as past, present and future, as well as functions such as regret;
Past
- I was doing…, when xx happened.
- I did this, I did that, and I did this and that (common pattern of 3 actions)
Present
- As far as I know, (this event) still happens…
- If this happened to me today/now, I would definitely…
- Nowadays, I always…
Future
- I am sure (this event) will continue to happen in the future…
Regret
- I wish I had known…,
- With the benefit of hindsight, I wouldn’t do that again.
- I regret doing that…
IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic: ACTIVITIES
In your 2 minute talk you can talk about;
- What (it is)
- How (you do it)
- Challenges
When talking about the what it is, you can use phrases like these;
- It’s hugely popular,
- It’s really trendy now,
- It tends to be popular with (young/old/city people),
- It’s not so well-known
When talking about how, you do it, you use expressions like these,
Easy
- It’s a piece of cake,
- Anyone can do it,
- It’s not rocket science
Difficult
- It takes a while to pick it up,
- It’s not straight forward,
- You need time and patience,
- It’s not for everyone
When talking about challenges you can say;
- X poses a few challenges, such as…
- The difficult thing about X is..
- The tricky thing about X is…
- Without a doubt, the biggest challenge with X is…
IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic: THINGS
In your 2 minute talk you can say ;
- What (it is).
- How (you got it /gave it)
- Description
- Feelings (about it)
When talking about what it is, you can use adjectives and adverbials like these;
Good
- fantastic
- top quality
- awesome
- outstanding
- the best ever
Bad
- terrible
- awful
- disappointing
- the worst ever
Positive Adverbials
- absolutely
- really
- undoubtedly
- without a doubt
- certainly
- totally
When talking about how you got or gave it, you can say the following,
- My sister gave it to me
- It was given to me by my sister
- I got it from my sister
When giving a description of the object, you can use expressions like these;
- It’s reddish, brownish, greenish…
- It’s square-shaped, round-shaped, oblong-shaped
- It’s modern, state of the art, high-tech, cutting edge
When talking about feelings about it, you can use expressions like these;
- I really like it
- I can’t live without it.
- In fact I’d say, it’s the best X I have ever had/seen/bought…
- In fact, I’d go as far as to say, it’s the best X I have ever had/seen/bought…
Now you know all about IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topics and categories, go and find out about Part 3 and how best to prepare for it.
