IELTS SPEAKING

INTRODUCTION TO PART TWO TOPIC TYPES

Generally, the topics of Part two in the IELTS Speaking test consist of four types: (1) Describing a person; (2)
Describing a place; (3) Describing an object; and (4) Describing a past event.

TOPIC TYPE 1: DESCRIBING A PERSON

Answer Order:
Follow the following order to respond to this type of topic.

Prompt 1: Say who this person is, and how you know him/her
Prompt 2: Say what he/she is like, and what he/she does
Prompt 3: Say what he/she has achieved, ad how he/she has influenced you
Prompt 4: Say why he/she is special, and how you feel about him/her

Topic card:

Describe a person who looked after you as a child.

You should say:
 Who this person is, and how you know him/her
 What he/she is like, and what he/she does
 What he/she has achieved, and how he/she has
influenced you
 and why he/she is special, and how you feel about
him/her

Model answer:

The person whom I would like to talk about is my grandmother. When I was a child, my parents were
very busy, so my grandmother, who is my father’s mother, had to look after me.
My grandmother is a very gentle and kind woman. Her hair, as far back as I can remember, has always
been brilliant white, but she is quite self-conscious about this and wears a shoulder-length wig to hide it. My
grandmother is really short, probably about four feet something, but she seems even shorter because she has a
permanent stoop. When I think of my grandmother’s appearance, the thing which stands out most is her
constantly smiling face. She has a very kind face, which is covered in wrinkles. Although she was a bit elderly
and had to take care of the house as well as me, she tried to keep me entertained and find interesting things
for us to do together. I member once when we were playing hide-and-seek at home, I ran into the garden and
hid so well that she couldn’t find me. It was quite a few hours before I decided to come out and my
grandmother was relieved. She had almost called the police.
My grandmother has always taught me to be more patient and understanding towards other people. She
had been a nurse for many years, and I think if it hadn’t been for her, I would never have studied nursing
which I love.
My grandmother was a great role for me when I was growing up, and now I’m an adult. I still admire
her. I hope that one day I’ll have children and grandchildren too, and I hope that I’m as good as a grandmother
of mine was.

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Language Use:

A. Prompt 1: Who this person is and how you know him/her

1. Vocabulary: Relatives, Occupations and Social Positions

When describing a person, it’s necessary to say something about the person’s relation to you, his/her
occupation or social position.

Relatives Occupations Relationship/Social Positions

Great-grandfather Surgeon Celebrity
Grandfather Accountant Star
Aunt Architect Politician
Uncle Civil servant TV presenter
Cousin Plumber Sports personality
Brother-in-law Electrician Fiend of the family
Mother-in-law Butcher Childhood friend
Stepfather Self-employed Ex-boyfriend/girlfriend
Nephew Waiter/waitress Distant relation
Examples:
I would like to talk about my nephew, who is a plumber like me.
I really admire Daniel Craig, who is an excellent actor and has recently become a hug movie star.

2. Relative Clauses with “Who”:

a. Non-finite relative clause:
My mother, who worked as a waitress for many years, thoroughly dislikes politics.
Her good friend Daniel Craig, who became a very successful businessman, had suggested to her
once that she study computer programming.

b. Finite relative clause:

The woman who lived next door to us when I was a child was extremely ugly.
The movie star who starred in the film “Titanic” has become hugely successful.

3. Past Continuous and Past Simple: Used to say how you met somebody
We met when we were working together at the same company.

B. Prompt 2: What he/she is like, and what he/she does

1. Vocabulary: Adjectives of personality

Funny Shy Confident Angry Happy

humorous Reserved Ambitious Aggressive Charming
Witty Introverted Self-confident Bad-tempered Cheerful
Funny Quiet Self-assured Moody Vivacious
Hilarious Sensitive Extroverted Irritate Lively
Amusing Conservative Adventurous Short-fused
hysterical Timid Arrogant Abrupt

Helpful Honest Kind Intelligent Stupid

Considerate Straightforward Gentle Clever Immature
Supportive Frank Calm Bright Silly
Sympathetic Reliable Generous Mature Dumb
Helpful Genuine Loving Talented Dim
Sincere Thoughtful Open-minded Daft
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 altruistic Wise Foolish
2. Adverbs of Frequency for Habits and Behavior

Constantly Always Commonly Regularly Generally

Typically Never Hardly ever Often From time to time
Sometimes Frequently Usually Rarely
Seldom Occasionally Every now and then Almost never

Times +time period Every + time

Once a day/ Once every two days Every morning Every month
Twice a week Every evening Every birthday
Three times a month Every day at 6 pm Every Saturday
Five times a year Every week Every summer vacation

Ex: My friend Omar has to wash five times a day, every day.
My grandfather would regularly go to the temple to pray and offer gifts.
Every summer vacation, my father would think of a special trip for us to go on.

3. Past Continuous, Past Simple and Past Perfect Tenses to Tell Anecdotes.

Ex: The teacher was getting really angry, but David didn’t realize and continued making stupid jokes.
Last Christmas, I had eaten a huge dinner at my mother’s house and then my girlfriend’s mother made
me eat another enormous meal.

C. Prompt 3: What he/she has achieved, and how he/she has influenced you.

1. The Third Conditional Sentence:

IF –Clause Main Clause

If + S + had(n’t) + PP S + would + have + PP
could
might

Ex: If it hadn’t been for her, I would never have studied nursing.
I wouldn’t have studied a Master’s degree in Roman History if I hadn’t met Dr. Shotter.

2. Present Perfect for Talking about Changes and Achievements

Ex: My grandfather has had a great influence on my life.

My nephew has helped me see that family is the most important thing.

D. Prompt 4: Why he/she is special and how you feel about him/her.

1. Expressions of Admiration

Everyone respects wise and peaceful leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi.

My niece really appreciates what my parents did for her.
I look up to her because she is good-natured.
I will always admire him for his extraordinary ability.
His colleagues all think highly of my stepbrother and his work.
I fell proud of my mother’s achievements.
I truly hold in high regard people such as President Obama.
Many movie enthusiasts consider him to be the best actor of his generation.

2. Expressions of Imitation

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 I hope I am as successful as Bill Gates.
I hope I will as successful as Bill Gates.
I hope I am as happy as my next-door neighbor when I am old.
I hope I will be as kind a teacher as Mrs. Capp.

I would love to be like my mother.

I would like to be as well-respected as my father.
I want to be like my neighbor Doris when I’m older.

3. Expressions of Role Model

A fine example A hero A pop icon A charismatic leader

An idol A mentor A visionary A sex symbol

Ex: John Lennon became a big pop icon. Hen was all over the media.
Ringo was his mentor for the first year he lived away from home.
Charles Manson, who was imprisoned for the murder of Sharon Tate, was a crazy charismatic leader
during the 1960s.
Some people say that the Beatles were not only a talented rock band, but they were visionaries for
their generation.

Topics for Practice

1. Describe a good cook.

2. Describe a famous person you’d like to meet.
3. Describe a neighbor you once had.
4. Describe a teacher you know.
5. Describe a person you enjoy spending time with.
6. Describe one of your friends.
7. Describe an old person you know who lives near you.
8. Describe an animal you find interesting.

Model Answer to Topic 3:

The next-door neighbor I’d like to talk about is named Win. We moved to our family home when I was
only six months old, so Win is the earliest neighbor that I can remember, Win, who lived with her daughter and
son-in-law, was always a very elderly woman.
She was a big woman, about 5.8 feet and quite fat. When people saw her, they would be struck
immediately by the expression on her face, which often appeared to be scowl. Actually, she was a very
friendly and gentle woman.
Win was originally from London and had a very strong London accent and was never without a
cigarette. Because she smoked, whenever she heard something funny, she would have this raspy, hoarse laugh.
When I visited her, she would also be very kind to me, offering to make me a cup of tea, but would usually
have some bad words to say about her son-in-law, as he often annoyed her on purpose. I remember that Win
did all the clearing in the house while her son-in-law, Fred, and her daughter were out at work. To annoy her,
Fred would often stub his cigarette out not in the ashtray but on the kitchen floor – making her go crazy!
It was a very sad day when they left, as we had known each other for so long. Although Win was just a
normal woman, she had helped our family many times over the years and done small things like looking after
our cat, which we really appreciated. Also, the new neighbors who moved in were terrible, so my family really
missed Win and her family. We all agree Win was a great neighbor and feel proud to have known her for so
many years.
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 TOPIC TYPE 2: DESCRIBING A PLACE

Answer Order:
Follow the following order to respond to this type of topic.

Prompt 1: Say what it is and where it is

Prompt 2: Say what it looks like
Prompt 3: Say what its purpose is
Prompt 4: Say why it is special, and how you feel about it

Topic card:
Describe a house or flat you’d like to own one
day.
You should say:
 what it is and where it is
 what it looks like
 what its purpose is
 and why it is special, and how you feel about it

Model answer:

Maybe it’s a bit unrealistic, but I would love to own a luxury flat. It’s located in District 1 of Ho Chi
Minh City, right in the center of downtown, close to all the best restaurants and shops.
The flat would be on a high floor – perhaps the top floor – of a brand-new high-rise apartment block
with the most modern architectural style. The apartment would have at least two huge bedrooms, one lounge,
a massive kitchen and one or two bathrooms – it’d be great if one of the bathrooms was en suite! The style
would be modern, with varnished wooden floorboards, leather sofas and colorful rugs on the floor. The flat
would be very airy and light, with lots of windows that have great views over the surrounding streets and
buildings.
A flat like this would be perfect for my husband and me to live in and then bring up our child. A new,
gleaming kitchen would be great for preparing delicious dishes for our friends when they come to dinner, and
the guests could be entertained in the comfortable and relaxing sitting room.
I know that this kind of flat will be difficult to buy, especially as my family is not very rich. However, if
I am very successful in my career and make loads of money one day, this is the kind of flat I’ll buy. I think
almost everybody would be happy to live in a flat like this. I just hope that one day I can.

Language Use:

A. Prompt 1: What it is and where it is

1. Words for Types of Places

Religious Tourism Shopping Accommodation Natural Leisure Entertainment

Mosque Tourist Shopping House Scenic spot Leisure Nightclub
attraction mall center
Temple Historic site Shopping Flat/apartment Park Sports Theater
center ground
Church Historic Plaza Mansion Botanical Stadium Cinema
building garden
Cathedral Palace Market Campsite Nature Football Concert hall
reserve pitch
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 Religious Museum Discount Youth hostel Countryside Sports field Music hall
building store
2. Prepositions of Location

Prepositions of Location Examples

In + an enclosed or large place In Ho Chi Minh City
In the countryside
In the middle of nowhere
At + a certain place or location At the top of the mountain
At the end of the street
On + a surface or road On the fifth floor
On a main road
On the outskirts of the city
Over/above + a certain place or location Above a Japanese restaurant
Over Ba Dinh Square
Next to/beside/by + a certain place or location By the seaside
Next to the Bell Tower
Beside Xuan Huong Lake
Opposite to/across from + a certain place or location Opposite to my favorite restaurant
Across from Ninh Kieu Park
Between + two places or locations Between the mountains and the sea
In front of + a certain place or location In front of the main historic building
Outside of + a certain place Outside of Can Tho City
Near (to) + a certain place Near to Laos
Near the sea
Far from + a certain place Far from Vietnam
Far from the city center

B. Prompt 2: What it looks like

1. Expressions of Size and Shape

Big Small Width Height Length

Huge/large Little Narrow Towering Long
Massive Tiny Wide High Short
Vast Minute Broad Tall Winding
Enormous Minuscule Thin Short Endless
Gigantic Cramped Thick Low Far-reaching
Immense Squat

Ex: A vast mountain range/landscape/lake/desert

A massive/gigantic/huge/enormous/immense building/house/shopping complex/room
A cramped room/house/dormitory
A broad avenue/street
A tall/high building/mountain
A winding path/country road/mountain pass
A tiny/minuscule/incredibly small object/doorway/window

2. Expressions of Character and Appearance

Light Dark Ugly Beautiful Impressive

Airy Dingy Horrible Appealing Awe-inspiring
Bright Gloomy Disgusting Attractive Majestic
Well-lit Dim Awful Lovely Thrilling

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 Clear Murky Unappealing Comfortable Significant

Ex: A(n) airy/well-lit/light/dingy/horrible room/house/flat/dormitory

A dark/gloomy/dank cave/woodland
A murky river/lake/pool/stream
An awe-inspiring work of art/scene/panorama/building
A majestic building/statue
A thrilling scene
A significant area of town/spot/historic site/symbol of our city

Untidy Age Luxury

Crumbling Old Expensive
Tatty Ancient Upmarket
Run-down New Posh
Dusty Modern Luxurious
Shabby Brand-new Sumptuous
Messy Antiquated Opulent

Ex: A crumbling old building/wall

A tatty curtain/clothes/fabric/wooden structure
A run-down/shabby old building
A dusty room/building/yard
A(n) luxurious/opulent/sumptuous/upmarket/expensive palace/mansion/five-star hotel/restaurant

C. Prompt 3: What its purpose is

1. Passive Voice to Express Purpose/Significance of a Place

Ex: The Pyramids of Egypt was constructed by unpaid workers.

This famous site is respected and admired by locals and tourists alike.

2. Expressions to Talk about Past Habits

Ex: I always visited the river at weekends and went swimming.

My girlfriend and I regularly exercised at the gym.

3. Expressions of Popularity and Fame

Be famous for + noun/verb-ing

Be famous because + clause
Be renowned for + noun/verb-ing
Be noted for + noun/verb-ing
Be popular with + types of people
Be great for/excellent for/particularly good for + noun/verb-ing

Ex: Hue is famous for the local cuisine.

Ha Long Bay is famous because it is so beautiful.
The Victory is renowned for the live music it has on the weekend.
The Cu Chi Tunnel is noted for its size and historical importance.
The new shopping mall is only popular with wealthy people because the prices are so high.
The new sports center is great for meeting like-minded sports enthusiasts.

D. Prompt 4: Why it is special and how you feel about it.

1. The Zero and First Conditionals to Talk about Habits and Preferences.

Zero Conditional: used to talk about things that are always true.
If (When) I am hungry, I go to a restaurant.

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First Conditional: used to talk about things that might happen in the future if something else happens.
If I have enough time, I will go shopping.

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 2. Expressions of How You Feel

I like/love (the place) because…..

I value (the place) because ……..
(The place) is important to me because…..
(The place) reminds me of ……..
(The place) provides me with ……..

3. Adjectives to Describe the Qualities of a Place

Relaxing Interesting Exciting Beautiful Busy

Cozy Enchanting Exciting Delightful Hectic
Comfortable Educational Energizing Charming Stressful
Quiet Inspiring Breathtaking Magnificent Chaotic
Peaceful Fascinating Thrilling Pretty Bustling
Tranquil Engrossing Exhilarating Attractive Frantic

Topics for Practice

1. Describe your ideal home.

2. Describe a shopping center or mall you have visited.
3. Describe a place where people can do sports.
4. Describe a place where people go to listen to music.
5. Describe a friend’s house you know or like.
6. Describe a museum you have visited.
7. Describe a lake or a river you know about or have seen.

Model Answer to Topic 4:

The place people can enjoy listening to music is a bar called D22 located in Ho Chi Minh City, quite
near Marie Curie High School.
It’s really a small place, although it’s quite long when you get inside. The bar runs along one side, and
at the end of the bar is the stage, where the bands play. To be honest, D22 is not an attractive place: not only
does it always seem dark and dingy – no matter how lights are on – but there is also a permanent smell of
cigarette smoke in the air.
Despite D22 being a bar, it’s more of a music venue than a place to go for a drink. In fact, it’s pretty
famous in Ho Chi Minh City because so many bands play there every week, and on Friday and Saturday nights
the atmosphere is fantastic! When I was a student, I would go there all the time and hang out with my friends –
it was great!
I really value D22 because whenever I go there, it brings back loads of memories from when I was at
university, having fun with my friends. It makes me feel really nostalgic. Besides, D22 is still a cool place to go
– if I want to have a good time, I just need to go to D22, drink some beer and get ready to mosh.

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TOPIC TYPE 3: DESCRIBING AN OBJECT

Answer Order:
Follow the following order to respond to this type of topic.

Prompt 1: Say what it is and why you have it

Prompt 2: Say what its purpose is
Prompt 3: Say how it is evaluated
Prompt 4: Say why it important and how you feel about it

Topic card:

Describe an invention you know and like.

You should say:
 what it is and why you have it
 what its purpose is
 how it is evaluated
 and why it is important and how you feel about it

Model answer:

The invention I’d to talk about is mobile phones. As you know, mobile phones nowadays are very light,
compact and sleek telephones made of plastic, which can be carried everywhere conveniently. My parents
bought me my first mobile phone one Tet holiday when I was a teenager and I’ve had one ever since.
I think mobile phones are an extremely practical piece of equipment to have. Not only are mobile
phones used for talking to people and sending text messages but also for surfing the Web, keeping a diary and
even as an alarm clock. Some of the most expensive mobile phones are bought by people who want to show off
and display their wealth. They’re often a status symbol.
Today, a mobile phone is an essential piece of technology for everyone, which is use everyday. I last
used my mobile phone just before this speaking test. My mum sent me a message to wish me luck. Despite
being slightly more expensive than a landline, mobile phones are so useful and convenient that many people
simply couldn’t do without one.
If I had to organize trips out with my friends a few days in advance or contact friends who live far away
by letter, life just wouldn’t be as much fun. I think that everyone has got used to simply picking up their
mobile phone and communicating immediately. As for me, I couldn’t bear to part with my mobile phone. It
gives me so much independence and freedom, and the games are great, too.

Language Use:

A. Prompt 1: What it is and why you have it

1. Adjectives of Appearance

To describe an object well, it’s important that you use correct adjective order as below. Generally, we don’t
use more than three adjectives together at the same time.

Opinion Size Age Shape Color Origin Material

beautiful life-size marble
a meter long diamond-
shaped
old round green
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 lovely red Vietnamese
Ex: A beautiful, almost life-size marble statue
The kite was about a meter long, diamond-shaped.
An old round green ball
A lovely red Vietnamese lantern

Some common Adjectives of Appearance:

Opinion Size Age Shape Color Origin Material

handy compact ancient round blue Chinese cardboard
useful life-size old-fashioned square multi-colored American cotton
useless tiny antique rectangular rainbow- western golden
colored
silly little worn diamond- black and European leather
shaped white
cute miniature aged oval grey African plastic
terrible enormous brand-new spherical silver mass- silk
produced
attractive huge modern curved gold factory- stone
produced
ugly gigantic state-of-the- triangular white with home-made wooden
art blue stripes
elegant average-sized new cylindrical black with hand-made woolen
grey dots

2. Expression of “Made of”, “Made from”

“Made of”: used when you can still recognized the material/things used to make the object.
Ex: The dress is made of silk.
The light bulb is made of glass and metal.

“Made from”: used when you cannot recognize the material/things used to make the object.
Ex: My model airplane is made from paper and glue.
The sculpture is made from old tin cans and bicycle parts.

3. Simple Past and Pas Continuous

E: I saw the Statue of Liberty when I was studying in America.
My parents bought the furniture while they were traveling to Binh Duong

B. Prompt 2: What its purpose is

1. Passive Voice for Creation and Application

Ex: The plane was invented by the Wright brothers.

The photograph was taken before I was born.

2. Expressions for Uses

Expressions for Use Examples

X + can help (people) + (to) verb The Internet can help people communicate across the world cheaply
and quickly.
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 X + is/are used + to verb/for verb-ing Microwaves ovens are used for cooking, baking, heating and
defrosting food and drinks.
X + is/are useful +for verb-ing The Internet blog I write is useful for developing my research and
writing skills.
X + is/are great + for verb-ing A pocket digital camera is great for taking quick photos while on
holiday.
X + provides Online English classes provide an environment for students to speak
to real, live native English speakers.
X + provides people with Cars provide ordinary people with the freedom to travel
independently anywhere at any time
X + is/are appreciated because/for The movie Lilies of the Field is appreciated because one of the
actors, Sidney Poiter, was the first black actor to win an Oscar.
X + is/are valued for Egyptian mummies are valued for their historical significance.
X + is/are important for When I become a father, I wan to buy a baby carry bag as it’s
important for carrying the baby around outside safely.

2. Phrases for The First/Last Time

A. The first/last time + past verb + was + time in the past

Ex: The first time I used a computer was about 10 years ago.
The last time I saw the painting was in 1997.

B. I + firs/last + past verb + time in the past

Ex: I first used a computer about 10 years ago.

I last saw the paining in 1997.

C. Prompt 3: How it is evaluated

1. Adjectives of Evaluation

Age Appearance Value Quality

state-of-the-art vivid overpriced high-quality
innovative striking expensive reliable
fashionable colorful costly unreliable
advanced eye-catching dear dependable
brand-new attractive reasonable poorly made
cutting-edge lifelike good value well-made
modern realistic economical low-quality
outdated charming reasonably priced poor-quality
old-fashioned ugly low-cost
dated unattractive cheap
unfashionable unappealing a waste of money
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 antique unrealistic

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 Use Importance Size/Weight Fun Speed
practical essential compact enjoyable sluggish
convenient vital bulky fantastic slow
useful indispensable heavy beneficial fast
useless crucial light delightful speedy
impractical needless thick pleasant quick
informative dispensable thin
enlightening superfluous soft
educative unnecessary hard
helpful

Ex: My laptop is quite old now, so although it seemed an absolutely cutting-edge piece of technology when
I bought it, it’s relatively sluggish compared to other computers now.
Despite being extremely costly, airplanes provide passengers with a convenient, safe and economical
way to travel.

2. Linking Phrases for Used and Evaluation

Linking Phrases for uses Examples

In addition to …..also In addition to being a worker’s tool, a computer also provide people
with the ability to communicate worldwide.
Besides …….. also The subway is a great means of transport because besides being
more environmentally friendly, it also helps reduce traffic.
As well as …… also I really valued the scarf my mother knitted me because as well as
keeping me warm, it also reminded me of her love for me.
Not only ………but also The electronic dictionary I have not only have millions and millions
of definitions, but also has recordings of native speakers saying the
words.

Linking Phrases for Evaluation Examples

Although……. (still) I prefer Van Gogh’s Crows over Cornfields although Sunflowers is
much more famous.
Despite ……… (still) Despite buses always being crowded, they’re still the cheapest and
most convenient way to travel.
Even though Even though it has caused many problems, the invention of
gunpowder is extremely important historically.
Apart from …….. Apart from the very low battery power, my new mobile phone is
excellent.

3. Comparative Structures

Ex: Watching TV is as enjoyable as going to a party.

Movies are not as interesting to watch as they were when I was a child.
Buses are slower than taxis.
Mobile phones are smaller and more advanced than 10 years ago.
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D. Prompt 4: Why it is important and how you feel about it.

1. Words and Expressions for Attachment to Objects

A. Adjectives for how an object makes you feel:
Nostalgic sentimental homesick inspired
Intrigued fascinated enthusiastic delighted
Thrilled exhilarated relieved relaxed

B. Expressions for how an object makes you feel:

It makes me feel ……
It makes me think of/about……
Whenever I (do something), I feel ………
It reminds me of ……………..
I couldn’t bear to part with …………….
It’s important to me because ………….
It’s indispensable to me because ……….

2. Second and Third Conditionals for Expressing the Importance of Objects

Ex: If I didn’t have my laptop, I wouldn’t be able to study English online.

If computers hadn’t been invented, the world economy wouldn’t have developed so quickly in
the last 30 years.

3. Present Perfect for Expressing the Importance of Objects

Ex: Computers have become essential to business.

The government has greatly developed the subway system.
I have watched every movie by James Cameron.

Topics for Practice

9. Describe something you’d like to buy.

10. Describe something you made yourself.
11. Describe a form of transport you use.
12. Describe something you enjoy wearing.
13. Describe a piece of furniture in your house.
14. Describe a statue or work of art that you’ve seen.
15. Describe a photograph you have or have seen.
16. Describe a gift you were given.

Model Answer to Topic 8:

The gift given to me and I would like to tell you is a kite. My father gave it to me for my ninth
birthday. It was a fairly simply kite: about a meter long, diamond-shaped and it had four colors – red, blue,
yellow and orange I think. It was made of plastic and light wood, so it was very light. I remember I was able to
carry it to the park all by myself.
The kite was made by my father, probably because he couldn’t afford to buy one from a shop. Although
it wasn’t such a valuable gift, I didn’t mind because I was just pleased to receive such a cool present. I
remember feeling really excited when my father gave me the present and we went to the park to try flying it.
It seemed so thrilling to have a brand-new kite to fly, and my dad to help me fly it. That first day we flew the
kite for hours and hours, my dad showing me how to get the kite into the air, then how to fly it.
After that birthday, I used to go to the park with my dad every chance I got. When there was even a
gentle breeze, I would start asking him to take me there. Some years later the kite got broken, I don’t
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remember how. But I remember seeing the broken kite and feeling really upset, like I’d lost a part of my
childhood. Now, whenever I see children flying kites at my local park, I always start feeling nostalgic, and
think about when I was young.

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 TOPIC TYPE 4: DESCRIBING A PAST EVENT

Answer Order:
Follow the following order to respond to this type of topic.

Prompt 1: Say what it was and when it happened

Prompt 2: Say why it happened, where it happened and who was there
Prompt 3: Say what happened
Prompt 4: Say why the event was special, and how you feel/felt about it

Topic card:

Describe a story you heard as a child.

You should say:
 what it was and when it happened
 why it happened, where it happened and who
was there
 what happened
 why the story was special, and how you feel/felt
about it

Model answer:
The story I’d like to tell you is called “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”. When I was a child, my mother always
used to read me bedtime stories to help me get to sleep. My mother would lie next to me on the bed and read
a different story every night. When she was reading, I would often lay my head on her chest and listen to the
voices she made for the different characters in the stories. The story I remember best is “The Boy Who Cried
Wolf”
In the story there was a boy who was a shepherd> His job was to look after his father’s sheep in the
fields outside his village, but he found it very boring to be by himself all day.
Once, he decided to play a trick on his fellow villagers. He ran into the village shouting “Wolf! Wolf!
There’s a wolf killing my sheep!” Immediately, all the villagers stopped working and ran to the field to help
protect the sheep. When they found there was no wolf, the boy laughed at them. Another day, the boy played
the same trick on the villagers and again laughed at them when they cam running into the field looking for a
wolf. One day, a real wolf did get into his field and start attacking his sheep. Again, the boy ran into the
village shouting “Wolf! Wolf! There’s a wolf killing my sheep!” But to his surprise nobody believed him and all
his sheep got killed.
The moral of this story is that you shouldn’t lie, otherwise, people won’t believe you – even when you
are speaking the truth. I liked this story as a child and I think it has a good message. I will definitely read this
story to my children in the future.

Language Use:

A. Prompt 1: What it was and when it happened

1. Words and Phrases for Events

Stories Competitions/Sports Learning a Language Journeys

children’s story sports match class school trip
bedtime story boxing match activity educational trip

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 novel sports competition exercise road trip
play athletics competition role-play daytrip
poem chess competition summer camp holiday/vacation
film speech contest English corner family holiday
opera the Olympic games friendly game tour
fable the Asian games class discussion romantic weekend
away
fairy tale debate
legend

Parties Television
birthday party TV program
housewarming party TV drama
hen-party TV show
stag-party soap opera
wedding reception documentary
ball comedy

2. Prepositions of Time and Time Phrases

Ex: Once I went on a school trip.

One day I took a bus into the countryside.
A few years ago, I was late for work.
I started going to English corners quite a while ago.
Some time ago, a friend gave me this piece of advice.

B. Prompt 2: Why it happened, where it happened and who was there

1. Passive Voice for Location or Cause of Events

I was told the story by my teacher.
I was taken to the swimming pool by my father.

2. Prepositions of Location
At, On, Next to/Beside/By, Opposite/Across, Far from, etc.

C. Prompt 3: What happened

1. Direct and Indirect Speech
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
My mother said, “I won’t have time to read you My mother said that she wouldn’t have time to read
story.” me a story.
Our teacher said, “Stay together so you won’t get Our teacher told me to stay together so that we
lost.” wouldn’t get lost.
She said, “John was hungry yesterday.” She said that John had been hungry the day before.
He said, “Mary will go to New York tomorrow.” He said that Mary would go to New York the next day.
She asked him, “Do you like ice cream?” She asked him if he liked ice cream.
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 The teacher asked, “Why didn’t you come to class The teacher asked me why I hadn’t gone to class that
today?” day.
2. Past Simple with Sequence Markers

To start with As soon as So Next In the end

At the beginning Immediately Afterwards Soon after Finally
At first Straight away Following that Shortly after
By the time that Following from that
Then After that

Ex: To start with, I felt nervous, but after a few dances I relaxed and in the end had a really great time.
As soon as we entered the stadium, we realized we were very early.
I watched a documentary about wild animals a few years ago. Following that, I decided not to eat
meat anymore because I think it’s cruel.

3. Adverbs of Surprise

to (one’s) surprise out of the blue surprisingly unexpectedly

unbelievably incredibly the next thing I knew

Ex: We were watching the basketball match on TV when the electricity unexpectedly stopped.
We had asked our parents for a pet dog many, many times and they always said no. Then one day, to
our surprise they said yes.

D. Prompt 4: Why the story was special, and how you feel/felt about it.

1. Adjectives for Describing Events

Interesting Strange Surprising Good Bad

funny unusual amazing inspiring horrible
amusing bizarre astounding life-changing terrible
interesting weird astonishing enjoyable awful
fascinating mysterious awe-inspiring wonderful depressing
curious peculiar incredible fun unpleasant
stimulating random breath-taking refreshing frustrating
thought-provoking crazy encouraging disappointing
enlightening wild moving embarrassing

2. Adjectives of Feelings

amazed awe-inspired enlightened inspired stimulated

amused depressed encouraged interested
astonished disappointed fascinated moved

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astounded embarrassed frustrated refreshed

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3. Expressions for Conclusion

Expressions for Conclusion Examples

The (event) taught me that……… Writing this letter and the effect it had on my friend taught me
that making just small signs that you care about someone can
have a big impact on their life.
The (event) was important to/for me This trip was important to me because I learnt a lot about
because …….. traveling alone and staying safe.
Through this experience, I learnt the Through this experience, I learnt the importance of studying as
importance of ……… well as I could, and not being lazy.
I will always remember ……. I will always remember that sunny afternoon in the park with
my boyfriend.
I will never forget ……. I will never forget watching that crazy basketball match with
my father.
Overall, it was a rewarding experience…….. Overall, it was a rewarding experience and I learnt a lot.
I’m glad I did it…….. I’m glad I did it. It was a very inspiring experience.
I would love to do it again if ……………. I would love to do it again if I had the chance.
Although I enjoyed it at that time, I Although I enjoyed it at that time, I wouldn’t do it again
wouldn’t do it again because…… because I don’t think it would be as much fun now that I’m
older.
In the future, I will ……. In the future, I will try to share the same piece of advice with
others.

Topics for Practice

8. Describe a party you attended.

9. Describe a stage in your life that you enjoyed most.
10. Describe a sports event you attended.
11. Describe a journey you have been on.
12. Describe a time when you were late for something.
13. Describe something you did that helped you learn a language
14. Describe an experience that makes you smile whenever you think about it.

Model Answer to Topic 5:

During my life I have seldom been late for any event. However, the time that I was late for an exam
was a must-be-unrepeated mistake in my study life. It was in my last year at secondary school, when I was
taking my final exams. Obviously, these exams were very important, as they affected what university would be
able to go to after school.
There were loads of exams and I had been revising really hard in preparation for them, especially my
English exam. I had studied so hard that I got more and more tired as time went by. Then, the night before my
English exam, I was an all-nighter to try and cram as mush as I could.
I remember studying by myself in my bedroom and feeling exhausted. I’m not really sure what
happened next, but I must have fallen asleep when I was studying because the next thing I knew it was the
next day and the sunlight was streaming through the window. Straight away, I started panicking as it felt very
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late. Looking at my watch, I found that I was already 20 minutes late for my exam. So without showering or
changing my clothes, I ran out of the house and caught the bus to school. I think I was about 40 minutes late
by the time I entered the examination hall. As soon as my teacher saw me, he asked what on earth I thought I
was doing. But he didn’t wait for an answer and just helped me to find my seat. I got a few looks from my
classmates, but of course nobody said anything. I remember hurriedly opening my exam paper, taking a deep
breath and then writing as fast as I could.
Needless to say, this was a pretty horrible experience for me to go through. Apart from feeling so
anxious on the day of the exam, I was also worried sick about what my result was going to be for weeks
afterwards. In the end, my exam result was much better than I had expected, although not great. I got into a
good university, but I always wonder what my life would have been like if I had done better in the exam and
gone to a better university. This event taught me the importance of not being late. I’ve always been punctual
ever since.

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