Use a structure to help you talk for the full 2 minutes.
Updated: September 2023
In IELTS speaking part 2, you have to talk for 2 minutes on a particular topic. The examiner gives you a cue card with 1 minute preparation time to make notes. It is important to have a strategy in this part of the speaking as 2 minutes is a long time to talk non-stop, even I would find that a challenge!
The way to make this easier is to structure your talk. Remember that you need to develop your speech like you are telling a story. This is very important for a higher band score.
Below is a useful structure for part 2 of the speaking. It is a well-known approach among IELTS teachers and can work well if you use it right. It is flexible so you can change it around, you do not have to be rigid with this. This is not an IELTS rule it is just a structure to help you keep the talk going for 2 minutes.
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Introduce the topic
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Talk about the past
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Talk about the present
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Talk about the future
One minute preparation time
When you are taking notes in your 1 minute preparation time, do not write whole sentences, just note down keywords that you can refer to and build sentences around while speaking. Write keywords for important information or ideas you want to mention.
Do not keep staring at your notes while speaking as this will interfere with your fluency. Your talk must be natural and smooth. If you hesitate too much you will lose marks so develop your pace.
Let’s take a look at how this works with a cue card below:
How is the Speaking test graded?
If you want to see the differences between the Band scores in Speaking, take a look at this link from IELTS Essentials, there are videos of students doing the test from Band 3 to Band 9.
The Marking criteria for Speaking Band 7:
Fluency:
‘Speaks at length without noticeable effort or loss of coherence’
- This means that you should be using a smooth flow of clear speech that seems natural and is easily understood by the examiner. Your answer must be well-developed and coherent too.
‘May demonstrate language-related hesitation at times and some repetition or self-correction
- There might be some hesitation here and there as you are looking for the right words to express your ideas and even a little repetition of words, but self-correction is minimal. If there is too much hesitation or self-correction it will lower your score in fluency and you will end up with a Band 5 in this part of the criteria.
Lexical Resource:
‘uses less common and idiomatic vocabulary’
- Idiomatic vocabulary is idioms, colloquialisms, and fixed expressions. I don’t recommend using idioms unless you are confident when using them and you know exactly what they mean. It’s easy to use an idiom out of context and it can sound odd if you are not entirely familiar with them. Certainly, do not memorise them to throw into your talk.
‘Uses a range of connectives and discourse markers with some flexibility’
- Discourse markers are words like ‘anyway, right, okay, as I say, to begin with’. They are used to connect, organise and manage what we say. To find out more about discourse markers click here to see how they are used in speaking.
Grammar:
‘Frequently produces error-free sentences, though some grammatical mistakes still persist.’
- This means that the majority of the sentences you use have no errors, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Some basic or general mistakes can still be heard, although this will not interfere with overall understanding. So yes there is room for error here and you can still get band 7.
Pronunciation:
- Your pronunciation needs to be clear and easy to follow, use intonation and stress for clear communication. There might still be issues with particular sounds though. Your accent does not matter as long as it does not interfere with communication and you are easily understood. By the way, you do not need a British accent to get a high Band score.