Describe a healthy habit you have

In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you get this card, one minute to prepare and up to two minutes to speak. Below: the notes a strong candidate might make in that minute, a natural Band 7–8 answer, the words that make it work, and the Part 3 discussion the examiner usually moves on to.

The cue card

One-minute notes

Notes in the preparation minute should be keywords, not sentences — one line per bullet, plus the one detail that makes your story yours. Something like:

• 10-min walk after lunch, every workday
• started 2 years ago, back pain from sitting
• leave phone at desk, walk around the block
• afternoon: less sleepy, clearer head
• keep it up: small, easy, visible results

Band 7–8 sample answer

A healthy habit I have is going for a short walk straight after lunch every working day. It's only about ten or fifteen minutes, so it's not exactly an athletic achievement, but it's made a surprising difference.

I started it about two years ago. I have an office job, and I was sitting for almost nine hours a day, often without moving except to get coffee. I started getting back pain, and a doctor told me — quite bluntly — that I needed to move more during the day, not just at the gym at weekends.

So now, after I finish eating, I leave my phone on my desk and walk around the block a couple of times, or to a small park nearby if the weather's nice. Leaving my phone behind was important, because otherwise I'd just be reading emails while walking. Sometimes a colleague comes along and we chat, but usually I go alone and just let my mind wander.

The effect on my day is quite noticeable. I used to feel very sleepy around three o'clock, and now that hardly ever happens. I also find that I come back with a clearer head, so I often solve problems in the afternoon that I'd been stuck on in the morning. And my back pain has more or less disappeared. I think the reason I've kept it up is that it's so small and easy. When habits are ambitious, I give up quickly, but ten minutes is hard to argue with.

About 252 words — roughly two minutes at a relaxed pace. Notice what it does: one specific story instead of general statements, every bullet covered, natural spoken linking rather than "firstly… secondly…", and the "why" part of the card answered properly at the end — that is where many candidates run out of things to say. Use it to see the structure; don't memorise it. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and your own story will always sound more fluent.

Useful vocabulary

• bluntly — directly, without trying to be polite
• let your mind wander — to think freely without focusing
• a clear head — the ability to think calmly and clearly
• keep something up — to continue doing something regularly
• a sedentary lifestyle — a life with very little physical activity
• hard to argue with — so reasonable that you cannot say no

Part 3: questions and model answers

After your two minutes, the examiner moves to a discussion linked to the card's topic. These questions are more abstract: give an opinion, a reason and an example, and it's fine to say "it depends" — as long as you explain on what.

Why do people find it hard to change unhealthy habits?

Because unhealthy habits usually give an immediate reward, like the pleasure of sugar or the comfort of the sofa, while the benefits of healthy habits come slowly. Habits are also tied to routines and emotions — people eat badly when stressed, for example — so changing them means changing more than one thing.

Should governments tax unhealthy food?

I think a tax on very sugary drinks makes sense, and some countries have seen good results. But taxing all 'unhealthy' food is harder, because it would hit poorer families most. It works best when combined with making healthy food cheaper and more available.

Is health mainly a personal or a public responsibility?

Both. Individuals are responsible for their own choices, but those choices are shaped by things they can't control — the price of food, working hours, whether there are safe places to exercise. Governments are responsible for that environment, so it's a shared responsibility.

How has technology affected people's health?

In both directions. Fitness apps and smartwatches have motivated many people to exercise. But screens also keep people sitting for longer, affect sleep, and social media can damage mental health, especially for teenagers. The technology isn't the problem; how we use it is.

More cue cards about activities and habits

• Describe a skill you learned as an adult
• Describe a meal you enjoyed
• Describe a sport you enjoy watching or playing
• Describe an outdoor activity you did for the first time
• Describe a hobby you would like to take up

→ All 45 IELTS cue cards · Random cue card generator with a timer · IELTS Speaking mock test