Describe an advertisement you remember

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:

• TV advert for a bank, I was ~15
• saw it during a football match
• old man learning to skateboard with grandson, falls, tries again
• no product shown until last 5 sec
• remember: funny + emotional; still don't use that bank

Band 7–8 sample answer

An advertisement I remember surprisingly well was a TV advert for a bank, which I saw when I was about fifteen. It's strange, because I've never had an account with that bank and I'm not particularly interested in banks in general.

I first saw it during the break in a big football match, so presumably they'd paid a fortune for that slot. It was shown constantly for months afterwards, so I saw it dozens of times.

The advert itself told a tiny story. An old man, probably in his seventies, is watching his grandson skateboarding in a park. He asks to try. He falls off almost immediately, everyone laughs, and he gets back on. The whole advert is a montage of him practising in different seasons, falling, getting up, while his grandson coaches him. At the end, he finally manages a little trick, and the two of them celebrate. Only in the last five seconds does the bank's logo appear, with a short line about it never being too late to start saving.

I think I remember it because it didn't feel like an advert at all. It was funny, and it was quite touching, especially the relationship between the two of them. It made me think about my own grandfather. Ironically, it was such a good story that I remember every detail of it — except the name of the bank, which I had to really think about. So I'm not sure it worked as an advert, but it certainly worked as a short film.

About 256 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

• pay a fortune — to pay a very large amount of money
• a montage — a series of short scenes edited together
• touching — emotional in a way that makes you feel sympathy
• catchy — easy to remember (for songs, slogans)
• a slogan — a short memorable phrase used in advertising
• ironically — in a way that is the opposite of what you expect

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.

Should advertising aimed at children be banned?

I think there should be strict limits rather than a total ban. Young children can't really tell the difference between an advert and entertainment, so adverts for unhealthy food or expensive toys during children's programmes should be restricted. For teenagers, education about advertising may be more useful than bans.

Do people trust adverts less than before?

Probably, yes. People have seen so many exaggerated claims that they're more sceptical. Many now trust online reviews or recommendations from friends more than traditional adverts. That's partly why companies pay influencers — their recommendations feel more like personal advice.

How has online advertising changed shopping?

Enormously. Online adverts follow you based on what you've searched for or looked at, so they're much more targeted. That makes shopping more convenient, but also more impulsive, because the thing you were thinking about keeps appearing until you buy it.

Is advertising a form of art?

Some adverts definitely are. The best ones use the same techniques as films — storytelling, photography, music — and can be genuinely moving. But their purpose is always to sell something, which is a key difference from art that exists for its own sake.

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 a song or piece of music that is special to you

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