IELTS Speaking
Part 2
Topic from the IELTS Question Bank
Success
IELTS Speaking
Part 2
Part 2 Cue Card
Describe a friend or a person who encouraged you
to achieve a goal.
You should say:
– Who this person is
– What this person encouraged you to do
– How this person helped you
And explain why this encouragement helped you.
1.
Ideas
Certainly talk about…
Friends, family, colleagues, classmates…
Choose someone who has encouraged, rather than
inspired and motivated.
So they have taken (repeated) action to encourage you
So better not…
A famous person who’s book, film, work has motivated or
inspired you.
Study Goals
Pass an exam
Read a number of books
Join a club
Work goals
Develop a professional skill
• Public speaking
• Reach a sales target
• Reach marketing target
Develop a soft skill
• Presentation
• Team work
• Communication
New Year’s Resolution
Lose weight
Go to the gym
Quit smoking
Eat healthier food
Spend more time with
family
2.
Advanced
Vocabulary
Facing difficulties
I was having a hard time
It wasn’t taking off
It wasn’t happening for me
I got a sinking feeling
I was (totally, utterly, completely) fed
up
I was ready to throw in the towel
I was sick and tired of it
Encouraging people
He told me to hang in there
She gave me a pep talk
He urged me not to give up
He nudged me to…
She really lifted my spirits
Persistance
I decided to keep going
I resolved to keep at it
I got back on the right track
I decided to give it my best shot
I was on a roll
3.
Model
Answer
I’m going to tell you all about Mark and how he encouraged
me to keep going with my reading club, this was quite a
while back, a couple of years after graduating from university.
Introduction is to the point
I’m going to tell you about ….
Indicating time
This was quite a while back
Mark was a friend I had met at university, and he was a total
bookworm. You couldn’t tear him away from his books. I
guess that was what brought us together; our love of reading.
Describing personality
He was a total bookworm
= he loved reading books
Idiomatic expression
You couldn’t tear him away from…
= he loves ….
I’ve always loved reading, I read books like nobody’s business.
Night and day. So, after uni, I decided to set up a book club to
share new books and ideas with other people.
Idiomatic expression
do something like nobody’s business
= do something a lot, to a high
standard
The trouble was, only a handful of people ever came, turning up in
dribs and drabs. So, it wasn’t really taking off. As you can
imagine, I got a real sinking feeling that this was a waste of time.
Idiomatic expressions
Turn up in dribs and drabs
= appear slowly a few people at a time
It wasn’t taking off
To take off = to be successful (a business,
project, product)
I got a sinking feeling
= feel that everything is going wrong
Despite that, Mark told me not to give up hope. He nudged me to
keep going. And he quoted his Dad to me, of all people.
It turns out, in times of despair, his Dad used to say, ‘I will, until.’
Simple as that. Meaning ‘I will continue, until this works’.
Linking words / Cohesive phrases
Despite… = without being affected by
It turns out = it just so happens, it seems
Vocabulary
To nudge someone = to encourage
someone
Of all people = the least expected person
In times of despair = in difficult times
And so, I decided to keep at it, for as long as it took.
Sure enough, as if by magic over the following weeks, more and more
people came and suddenly the reading club was on a roll.
Idiomatic expressions
to keep at it = to continue doing
to be on a roll = having great success
Linking words / Cohesive phrases
Sure enough = confirm something was
true
Looking back, I think Mark’s words were integral to it all coming together.
And I was forever grateful.
Linking words / Cohesive phrases
Looking back = remembering something
that happened
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