Describe a place where you like to relax

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:

• a small public garden near my flat
• most evenings after work, 20 min
• walk, sit by the fountain, no phone
• quiet despite the city around it
• relaxing: the only place nobody needs anything from me

Band 7–8 sample answer

The place I go to when I need to switch off is a small public library about ten minutes' walk from my flat. It isn't a famous or beautiful building — it's a fairly ordinary concrete block from the seventies — but the reading room on the top floor has big windows that look out over a row of old plane trees.

I go there once or twice a week, usually on a weekday evening after work, when it's almost empty. At weekends it fills up with students revising for exams, which is a completely different atmosphere.

What do I do there? Not much, and that's rather the point. Sometimes I read, sometimes I flick through magazines I'd never actually buy, and occasionally I bring my laptop — although I try not to, because as soon as I open it I start checking emails and the whole effect disappears.

I think the reason it helps me relax is that it's one of the few places left where nobody expects anything from you. At home there's always something to clean or fix; in a café you feel you ought to order another coffee if you stay too long. In the library you can sit for two hours and nobody minds. There's also a kind of shared quiet — everyone around you is being quiet on purpose — and oddly enough I find that more calming than being alone in silence.

So it's not glamorous, but if I had to choose the one place in the city I'd miss most, it would probably be that room.

About 264 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

• unwind — to relax after a period of work or stress
• a hidden gem — a good place that not many people know about
• switch off — to stop thinking about work or problems
• clear my head — to stop feeling confused or stressed
• tucked away — in a quiet place that is hard to notice
• recharge my batteries — to rest so you have energy again

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 difficult to relax these days?

Mainly because work follows us everywhere now. With a smartphone you're always reachable, so even at home part of your mind is still answering emails. On top of that, many people feel guilty when they're not being productive, which makes real rest quite difficult.

Are cities designed well for relaxation?

Not really, in my experience. Most city planning seems to focus on roads and offices, and green space comes last. The best-designed cities I've seen treat parks, wide pavements and quiet squares as essential infrastructure, not as decoration, and you can feel the difference in how people behave.

How important are public parks?

Extremely important, especially for people who live in small flats without gardens. A park is one of the few places where anyone can spend time without paying for anything. They also matter for health — there's quite a lot of evidence that even short walks in green areas reduce stress.

Do you think working hours should be shorter?

I think a moderate reduction would make sense. Several companies have tried a four-day week and found that productivity stayed roughly the same, because people worked more efficiently. It wouldn't suit every industry, of course — hospitals and shops can't simply close — but it deserves more trials.

More cue cards about places

• Describe a city you would like to visit
• Describe a natural place you have visited
• Describe a building you find interesting
• Describe a place in your town or city that has changed
• Describe a café or restaurant you often go to
• Describe a crowded place you have been to

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