Describe a song or piece of music that is special to you

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:

• an old folk song my grandmother sang
• first heard as a small child, at her house
• calm, a bit sad, makes me feel at home
• recorded her singing it before she died
• special: her voice; the only recording I have

Band 7–8 sample answer

The piece of music that's most special to me is an old folk song that my grandmother used to sing. It's not famous at all outside our region, and I doubt many people my age know it.

I first heard it when I was very small, probably three or four, when I used to stay at her house in the village during the summer. She sang it while she was cooking or hanging out the washing, and at night when she was trying to get me to sleep. For years I didn't even know it was a real song — I thought she'd made it up for me.

It's quite a slow, gentle melody, and the words are about someone waiting for a person to come back from the sea. So it's a little sad, but whenever I hear it, the main feeling I get is a sense of being at home and safe. It takes me straight back to her kitchen.

What makes it truly special is that a few years before she passed away, I recorded her singing it on my phone. At the time it felt like a slightly silly thing to do; she laughed and told me her voice wasn't what it used to be. Now it's one of the most valuable things I own. I don't listen to it often, because it's quite emotional, but on her birthday every year I play it. I've also started learning to sing it myself, so that one day I can sing it to my own children.

About 258 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

• make something up — to invent something
• take (someone) straight back to — to make you remember a time or place vividly
• sentimental — connected to emotions and memories
• a melody — the tune of a song
• give someone goosebumps — to cause a strong emotional reaction
• pass on (a song/tradition) — to give to the next generation

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 different generations like different music?

Partly because music is tied to the period when people are teenagers — that's when most people form their taste. Each generation grows up with different technology and styles, and music also becomes part of a generation's identity, a way of being different from their parents.

Should music be a compulsory school subject?

I think music should be part of every child's education, at least in primary school. It develops creativity, concentration and teamwork, especially when children play together. Making it compulsory at secondary level is less important, as long as students who are interested can continue.

Can music bring people from different cultures together?

Definitely. You don't need to understand the words to feel the emotion in a piece of music. Festivals and collaborations between musicians from different countries show how music can create connections, and many people develop an interest in another culture through its music first.

Has streaming changed the value of music?

In some ways. It's made almost all music available for very little money, which is wonderful for listeners. But artists earn very little per stream, so many musicians struggle to make a living from recordings. People also tend to listen more casually, skipping songs, rather than listening to whole albums.

More cue cards about media and technology

• Describe a website or app you find useful
• Describe a book or film that made an impression on you
• Describe a piece of news you found interesting
• Describe an advertisement you remember

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