In the individual long-turn part of IELTS Speaking, you have to talk for one to two minutes on a topic chosen by the examiner. This is the only part of the Speaking module in which a time limit applies, so there’s more pressure to speak quickly and without hesitation. However, it’s also the easiest part to practice, as answers tend to follow a similar pattern regardless of the topic. The useful language below will help you structure a response in Part 2. How you use it depends on the question.
Beginning your response
- I’m going to talk about …
- I’d like to tell you about …
- I’ve decided to speak about …
Indicating a time in the past
- I think it was when I was around (age) years old.
- When I was a (school) student, …
- In my (school) days, …
Speaking hypothetically
- If I could choose any (repeat topic), I’d choose …
- Given a choice of any (repeat topic), I’d rather …
- If money were no object, I’d …
Describing a book/film/story
- It’s about a (person) who …
- The story concerns a (person) who …
- The main character is a (role) played by (actor) who …
Omitting some details
- Briefly, …
- I won’t go into detail here but …
- There’s no time to explain fully here but …
Avoiding hesitation
- What else can I say?
- What else is there to say?
- I suppose I should also mention that…
Signalling the next part of the question
- As for …
- When it comes to …
- Moving on to …
Giving reasons
- The reason I …
- … for two/several reasons.
- There are two/several reasons I’ve chosen to talk about …
Adding your own impression
- It was the most memorable/remarkable (repeat question topic) of my life.
- For me, it was a truly memorable/remarkable (repeat question topic).
- I’ll never forget (it/him/her) as long as I live.
Concluding your response
- Anyway, that’s (repeat question topic).
- So, that’s why I chose to speak about …
- Thank you for listening.