How to talk for 2 minutes? IELTS Speaking Part 2 tips and strategies

The required length of answers in Speaking Part 2 of the IELTS test is between one and two minutes.

For most candidates, without the IELTS Speaking Part 2 tips and strategies discussed below, the main problem with the Long Turn question in the Speaking test is talking continuously for that long.

At most, candidates can barely muster a 30 second response, even if they answer all the wh- questions (the prompts presented as bullet points) in the cue card.

Unless you talk for at least one minute without needing verbal cues, you would not score well in the test. On the other hand, if you exceed the two-minute limit, the examiner will stop you. This, however, is not a problem provided that you have covered all aspects of the question.

Let us look at a sample question.

Describe an outfit you like to wear.
You should say: • what the clothes in the outfit are • when and where you got it • how often you wear the outfit and explain why you like to wear this outfit.

So here is a format you can use in the test to structure your answer into a coherent 2 minute speech. Scroll down to read a breakdown of each of these sections.

Introduction	5 seconds
First wh question	20 seconds
Second wh question	20 seconds
Third wh question	20 seconds
Example	20 seconds
Future	10 seconds
Conclusion	10 seconds

IELTS Speaking Part 2 tips: Taking notes

The biggest benefit in IELTS Speaking Part 2 is that we get one minute time to get ready for the speech. Although some people may have to ability or practice of giving an extempore speech, most would struggle. So, you should make notes of essential points in the paper provided to you so that you can refer to them while speaking.

Remember that the one-minute preparation time is not enough to write a complete script of your speech. If you start doing that, I am afraid you would not be able to write even a 30 second script before the time runs out. You have to start talking immediately after the one-minute time is over.

Hence, only some facts which will help to remind your story or get you to move along if you are stuck should be noted down. Look at the sample notes prepared for the cue card above:

You can see that the notes begin with the answer to the first question “what the clothes in the outfit are“. The outfit is a “3-piece suit” and the color and individual items of the set are also mentioned.

Secondly, facts about “when and where you got it” have been jotted down. The date, location, price and occasion of purchase are included in the notes.

Further, with regards to “how often you wear the outfit” question, a brief line about “parties” gives a clue.

If there is time, candidates can also include other relevant details about the topic which they might want to bring up during the speech. Here, an example of wearing the outfit “last time” and plans to “get one more set…next month” have been written on the notes. The speaker can use these factoids to make the response not only longer but also more interesting.

Preparing notes in order to speak appropriately with proper fluency and coherence is also a skill which needs practice.

Listen to this IELTS Speaking Part 2 sample answer by a Filipino speaker based on the above notes:

Transcript:

I am going to tell you about a 3-piece suit I own. The outfit is meant for formal occasions. It consists of a jacket, a waistcoat, and a pair of trousers, all of which are navy in color. I like to wear it over a plain white shirt with silver cufflinks, combined with a red skinny necktie having white dots as motifs and a white pocket square. Black-colored classic Oxford shoes go well with that suit. I remember getting this suit made in the April of 2019 especially for wearing in my sister’s wedding reception. I purchased the cloth from the mall in my hometown, and since it was for an important function, I spared no expense on the fabric. I chose Mancini Tailors, which is one of the finest tailor shops in town, to stitch the suit. All in all, it cost me around 2,500 pesos. Nowadays, I prefer to wear the suit for cocktail parties or important business functions. As it is the only set of posh attire I have, I take good care of it. Last time I put on that suit was during the New Year party at my work earlier in the year. Everyone from the office was complimenting me for how smart and elegant I looked. In addition, in the pictures of the party, I am so noticeable as I was the only one dressed flamboyantly for the function. I have become a fan of wearing such clothes because apart from distinguishing you from the crowd, they also boost confidence. I have thought of getting another set of 3-piece suit next month. This time I want it in grey color. Though it is not for a particular occasion, I have decided I am going to dress ostentatiously more often in coming days.

Introduction

Before jumping into the details of the thing you are going to describe, it is advisable to start with a brief introduction sentence. This will prepare the listener about the subject of the talk.

Some useful opening lines would be:

• Today I want to describe … [insert the name of the topic]
• Based on this cue card, my speech is going to focus on …
• The topic of my talk is …
• I am going to tell you about …

Spend around 5 seconds and no more on the introduction. Do not go into too much detail here and just state the topic.

Examples:

Describe an actor you would like to meet.

Today I want to describe Jack Black.

Describe a wild animal you have seen.

Based on this cue card, my speech is going to focus on the Begal tiger.

Describe a documentary you liked a lot.

The topic of my talk is Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

Describe your ideal day.

I am going to tell you about a sunny day in the winter.

Three wh questions

The letters “w” and “h” form the base of most interrogative words, mainly what, who, where, when, why, and how. Among the prompts in the cue card for Speaking Part 2 of the IELTS test, you will notice at least four such words.

Here is an example:

Describe a mobile application or computer software you often use.
You should say: • what the program is • when you started using it • how often you use it and explain why you use it.

You can see in the above example that there are four wh words: what, when, how, and why. If you take these four questions as one, then the answer could be very short.

For example: There is an app called GuitarTuna in my phone which I have been using for 5 years to tune the strings of my guitar whenever I play music.

This sentence answers all the questions about what, when, how often, and why, but it not sufficient to elongate our response to 2 minutes.

Hence, you should spend at least 20 seconds on each of the first three questions. The last wh question at the bottom is for the conclusion, so let us ignore it for now.

Do not move to the second wh question until you have spoken for 20 seconds on the first, and so on.

what the program is: The mobile application is called GuitarTuna. It is a lightweight app which is under 10 MB in size. It has a guitar pick as its logo. Together with being a fast and simple program, it is stylish and easy to use as well. I just need to touch it and start plucking the strings of my guitar. The app automatically recognizes the string and instructs me to tighten or loosen it in order to set it in tune.

Notice how this response provides as much detail as possible about what the application is. Also notice how other wh questions have not been touched upon. Do not start about when without talking for 20 seconds about what.

For the next 20 seconds,

when you started using it: Five years ago, I started taking guitar lessons. Initially in my coaching class, my teacher used to tune my guitar for me. But then my friends told me that mobile apps can also be used to tune a guitar. So I visited the Play Store on my phone and searched for guitar tuner apps. Among them, I found GuitarTuna the best.

Again, this answer delves deep into the when question. Small details have been added to stay on this topic. Although a short response like “for five years” would have answered the question, building a story around the fact is what is required.

The last wh question,

how often you use it: I play guitar at home and practice new riffs almost everyday. Before I start playing, I have to make sure that all the six strings are in tune. Therefore, at least once in a day, I use this app.

In total, one minute out of the two minutes you get should be spent on the three wh questions. Stay on the first question and try to put in as much detail as possible before jumping to the next question.

Answering these questions is just like how you would answer IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions.

Example

To make your response more concrete, always include a detailed example related to the topic. Provide facts about the day, time, names of people and places, and other information just like how we learned about the wh questions.

The ideal length of speaking for the example would be 20 seconds.

Here is an example based on the cue card about mobile application:

Let me tell you about an instance when the GuitarTuna app came in handy. Last month, I had borrowed a ukulele from a friend. By the time I brought it home, its strings had loosened and gone out of tune. Fortunately, the GuitarTuna app also has a tuner for ukulele, so I could enjoy playing the ukulele.

Future

A good way to end any talk or presentation is to speak about future aspirations, goals, or outcomes. Otherwise, the speech may end abruptly affecting its flow and coherence. Talking about the future is also advisable because candidates can demonstrate their range of grammatical proficiency by using the future tense.

A short 10 second remark about the future will be a appropriate to bring the talk to a resolution.

Here is an example for the same cue card from earlier about GuitarTuna:

I am going to use GuitarTuna in the days ahead, unless better apps emerge in the Play Store. I would recommend others to use it as well.

Conclusion

Conclusion is just a formality. Some candidates prefer to speak till the time, which is a maximum of 2 minutes, runs out. But if you have spoken for at least 90 seconds, you might want to stop instead of just rambling on.

Therefore, use a conclusion marker and bring it to a close with a simple sentence in about 10 seconds.

Here are some discourse markers for conclusion which can be used while speaking.

Anyway	As I said	Well
Okay	So	Therefore
On the whole	Overall	All in all
Indeed	Clearly	Needless to say

These examples are based on the introductions from earlier:

Describe an actor you would like to meet.

Anyway, I really want to meet Jack Black.

Describe a wild animal you have seen.

Okay, that was my encounter with a Bengal tiger.

Describe a documentary you liked a lot.

Overall, Jiro Dreams of Sushi is one of my favorite documentaries.

Describe your ideal day.

Needless to say, I am very fond of basking in the sun in the winter.

IELTS Speaking Part 2 sample answer: Putting it all together

Describe a mobile application or computer software you often use.
You should say: • what the program is • when you started using it • how often you use it and explain why you use it.

Transcript:

Introduction: Well I am going to talk about GuitarTuna. what the program is: GuitarTuna is a mobile application. It is a lightweight app which is under 10 MB in size. It has a guitar pick as its logo. Together with being a fast program, it is easy to use. I just need to touch it and start plucking the strings of my guitar. The app automatically recognizes the string and instructs me to tighten or loosen it in order to set it in tune. when you started using it: Five years ago, I started taking guitar lessons. Initially in my coaching class, my teacher used to tune my guitar for me. But then my friends told me that mobile apps can also be used to tune a guitar. So I visited the Play Store on my phone and searched for guitar tuner apps. Among them, I found GuitarTuna the best. how often you use it: I play guitar at home and practice new riffs almost everyday. Before I start playing, I have to make sure that all the six strings are in tune. Therefore, at least once in a day, I use this app. Example: Let me tell you about an instance when the GuitarTuna app came in handy. Last month, I had borrowed a ukulele from a friend. By the time I brought it home, its strings had loosened and were out of tune. Fortunately, the GuitarTuna app also has a tuner for ukulele, so I could enjoy playing the ukulele. Future: I am going to use GuitarTuna in the days ahead, unless better apps emerge in the Play Store. I would recommend others to use it as well. Conclusion: On the whole, I am a big fan of GuitarTuna. It’s a lifesaver.

---

Describe an actor you would like to meet.
You should say: • who the actor is • what kinds of films he or she has acted in • what you know about his or her life and explain what you would like to talk about with this actor.

Transcript:

Introduction: Today I want to describe Jack Black. who the actor is: Jack Black is an American actor. He is a short and chubby guy, and I guess he is in his 50s. Having seen several of his films, I have become a huge fan of his. what kinds of films he or she has acted in: Black has almost exclusively played comedy roles in Hollywood movies. He is most renowned for his roles in blockbuster cinemas such as Kung Fu Panda, Jumanji, and The School of Rock. He always portrays the role of a misfit in such a comedic way that viewers can relate to him and laugh at his misfortunes at the same time. what you know about his or her life: I know that Jack Black is married with kids because I was just watching his interview a few days ago. On top of his acting career, he is also a member of the musical duo called Tenacious D. They usually play rock songs. Example: I recently watched an interview of Jack Black. He appeared on The Graham Norton Show as a guest. You can tell from the interview that he is a very chill person and can engage people in conversation. Moreover, he has so many funny things up his sleeves that anyone is guaranteed to laugh. Future: If I get the opportunity to meet Jack Black, I would definitely bring up his movies and pick his brain on how he prepared for the roles. He must also have so many funny stories to tell to a fan like me. Conclusion: Therefore, I would love to meet Jack Black.

Next lesson:

IELTS Speaking Part 3: What is asked?