Handout · Day 3 · Part 2 lesson (2 of 2)
This builds directly on Day 2, where you learned to plan in a minute and structure the talk. Today is about performance.
Work in pairs on your phones. Use the count-up stopwatch to time each turn, and draw questions from the downloadable banks below.
Quick one-minute long turn on an easy card (e.g. “Describe a hobby you enjoy”) to recall yesterday’s shape: open → bullets → develop the “why” → round off. Then today we make it fluent and varied.
Reach the full two minutes with a range of language — running short is the most common way to lose marks in Part 2.
Lexical resource: reach for precise words and collocations instead of “good / nice / very”. Place: bustling, tucked away, a hidden gem. Person: down-to-earth, quick-witted, a real role model. If a word escapes you, paraphrase around it rather than freezing.
Grammatical range: match grammar to the card. Experiences → narrative tenses (“I was waiting when I realised I had left…”). Abstract cards → speculation/conditionals (“it might be…”, “if I had the chance, I would…”). Add a relative clause (“the friend who introduced me to it”).
Fluency is continuity, not speed. When you need a moment, use a filler rather than silence: “That’s an interesting one — let me think…”, “Off the top of my head…”, “What comes to mind first is…”. A quick self-correction is fine; a ten-second silence is not. Speak in thought groups, stress the key words, and let your intonation move.
“The experience I’d like to describe is the first time I organised an event on my own — a small charity fair at my college. It happened in my final year, and to be honest I had underestimated how much work it would be. I was running around for weeks beforehand while I was also trying to keep up with my studies. What I learned was important: if you don’t delegate, you end up doing everything badly rather than one thing well. Had I shared the jobs out earlier, it would have run far more smoothly. So although it was stressful, looking back I’m grateful — these days I’m much quicker to ask for help.”
In pairs, run each card under exam conditions: one minute to plan, up to two minutes to talk, then your partner asks the rounding-off questions and gives one comment per criterion (a “keep” and a “change”). Swap, then re-pair for a faster second attempt.
Card 1 — Describe a memorable journey you have taken: where you went · who with · what happened · and explain why it was memorable. (Rounding-off: Would you take it again? Alone or with others?)
Card 2 — Describe a skill you would like to learn: what it is · how you’d learn it · how long it might take · and explain why you want to. (Rounding-off: Is it ever too late to learn something new?)
Pair work — a second pair of cards so each partner speaks on a different topic, then re-pairs on a fresh one:
Card 3 — Describe a change you would like to see in your town or city: what the change is · why it is needed · who it would help · and explain how it could be brought about. (Rounding-off: Should changes like this come from government or from residents?)
Card 4 — Describe an achievement you are proud of: what you achieved · how long it took · what difficulties you faced · and explain why you are proud of it. (Rounding-off: Do people value effort or results more these days?)
After speaking, write up your strongest long turn (or notes on it) below and tag the language you used. Two-minute timer. Saves automatically.
One comment per criterion after each turn. This mirrors the real marking, but it is a practice estimate, not an official IELTS band.
| Criterion | Listen for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fluency & Coherence | ~2 min? logical order? long silences? | |
| Lexical Resource | varied, precise words? collocations? | |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | mix of simple/complex? right tenses? | |
| Pronunciation | clear? natural stress & intonation? |
Record one two-minute long turn on a fresh card, self-assess against the four criteria, and note one target to improve.
Extra self-study for Part 2 fluency — opens in a new tab. Free resource; may ask you to create a free account.