Describe an interesting conversation you had

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 elderly man on a long-distance bus
• 6-hour journey, seats next to each other
• he'd been a ship's engineer, 40 countries
• we talked about change, regrets, languages
• interesting: total stranger, very honest; changed my plans

Band 7–8 sample answer

I'd like to describe a conversation I had a couple of years ago with an elderly man I sat next to on a long-distance bus. The journey was about six hours, and I'd planned to sleep the whole way, but that didn't happen.

At first we just exchanged the usual polite comments about the weather. Then he noticed I was reading a book about ships and told me he'd spent forty years working as an engineer on cargo ships. From that point on, we basically didn't stop talking until we arrived.

We covered a huge range of topics. He told me about storms in the Pacific, about learning bits of six or seven languages just to get by in ports, and about how much the world had changed between his first voyage and his last. But what surprised me was how honest he was. He talked quite openly about what he regretted — mainly missing so much of his children's lives because he was always at sea — and he asked me a lot of questions about my own plans, which I wasn't used to from a stranger.

The reason it was so interesting is that it was a completely random meeting, yet it was more meaningful than most conversations I have with people I know well. He told me not to put off travelling until I'd 'sorted my life out', because that moment never comes. Partly because of that conversation, I took a gap year the following summer. I never got his phone number, which I regret, but I still think about him.

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

• exchange polite comments — to have a short, formal chat at the start
• get by — to manage with the minimum you need
• open up — to start talking honestly about personal things
• put off — to delay doing something
• strike up a conversation — to start talking with someone you do not know
• lose track of time — to not notice how much time is passing

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.

Are people losing the ability to have deep conversations?

I think there's a risk. Many conversations now happen in short messages, and people are constantly interrupted by their phones. Deep conversations need time and full attention, and both are in short supply. Having said that, people still have them — they just have to make a conscious effort.

How has messaging changed communication?

It's made communication faster and more frequent, but often more superficial. You can stay in touch with dozens of people at once, which is great, but it's easy to misunderstand tone in text. I've seen small disagreements turn into real arguments simply because a message sounded colder than it was meant to.

Should schools teach communication skills?

Yes, I think they should. Skills like listening properly, explaining your ideas clearly and disagreeing without being rude are needed in every job. Most schools focus on written work, so students who are shy can go through their whole education without ever practising speaking to a group.

Is it harder to disagree politely these days?

It seems so, particularly online, where people react quickly and publicly. Disagreements quickly turn into attacks on the person rather than the idea. Face to face, I think most people are still capable of polite disagreement, but they get less practice at it than they used to.

More cue cards about experiences and events

• Describe a journey you remember well
• Describe an important decision you made
• Describe a time someone helped you
• Describe a goal you achieved
• Describe a time when you were very busy
• Describe a change that improved your life
• Describe a time you were late for something important
• Describe a celebration you enjoyed
• Describe a time you changed your mind about something
• Describe a piece of good advice you received
• Describe a time you taught someone something

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