IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe a boring place: IELTS cue card with sample answer

An IELTS cue card for Speaking Part 2 with a Band 8 sample answer, the one-minute plan behind it, the vocabulary that lifts it and the Part 3 follow-up questions the examiner can ask next.
  • 250 words
  • A place
  • 1 minute to prepare
  • 2 minutes to speak

The cue card

Describe a boring place

You should say:

  • →Where it is
  • →Who you went there with
  • →What you did there
  • →And explain why you think it is a boring place

One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.

A place

How to answer this cue card: a one-minute plan

  1. 1

    Jot down the name of the place and your companion during the first 20 seconds.

  2. 2

    Use the middle 20 seconds to list three specific reasons why the place lacked excitement.

  3. 3

    Draft a brief emotional conclusion to ensure your final sentence has a clear impact.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8250 words, about two minutes at a natural pace. Details are invented; use your own.

I’d like to talk about a place that left a rather underwhelming impression on me: the local history museum in my hometown, Oakhaven. I visited it a few months ago with my younger brother, mainly because it was pouring with rain and we were desperate for some indoor shelter. We spent about two hours wandering through the cavernous galleries, which were filled with endless glass cabinets displaying shards of pottery and rusted agricultural tools from the nineteenth century. I spent most of the time reading tiny, faded placards that described the soil composition of the local area in excruciating detail, while my brother sat on a wooden bench, staring blankly at the wall. The reason I found it so monumentally boring is that it completely lacked any sense of narrative or interactivity. Everything was presented in a static, dusty fashion that felt frozen in time, with absolutely no multimedia elements or engaging displays to bring the past to life. It felt like walking through a graveyard of forgotten objects rather than a place of discovery. There was a pervasive silence that made even our footsteps sound intrusive, and the lighting was so dim it made me feel lethargic. It was just a collection of mundane items stripped of any context, which made the experience feel entirely stagnant. I suppose history can be fascinating, but the way this place was curated drained every ounce of life out of the subject matter, leaving us both feeling incredibly restless and eager to leave.

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8 words

Useful vocabulary for this cue card

  • underwhelming

    failing to impress or reach a high expectation

  • cavernous

    giving the impression of being huge and empty

  • excruciating

    extremely painful or boring to a high degree

  • monumentally

    to a very great or extreme extent

  • interactivity

    the ability of a system to respond directly

  • pervasive

    spreading widely throughout an area or group

  • lethargic

    affected by a lack of energy and enthusiasm

  • stagnant

    having no activity or showing no development

4 questions

Part 3 follow-up questions

  1. 1Why do most children think education is boring?
  2. 2Why aren't young people willing to listen to the experiences of older people?
  3. 3What can people do when they feel bored?
  4. 4Why are some teachers' classes boring? Are there any solutions?

Answer each in three to five sentences: position, reason, example, limit. See how to answer IELTS Speaking Part 3.

Frequently asked questions

How should I start the cue card "Describe a boring place"?+

Jot down the name of the place and your companion during the first 20 seconds.

How long should I speak on an IELTS cue card?+

You get one minute to prepare, then speak for the full two minutes, about 220 to 280 words at a natural pace. The examiner will stop you at two minutes, which is a good sign, not a problem.

How is the cue card scored?+

Part 2 is not scored on its own. Your whole Speaking test gets one band from four criteria: fluency and coherence, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. The cue card is where the examiner hears whether you can keep going for two minutes.

Can I use this sample answer in the exam?+

Use its structure and vocabulary, not its sentences. Examiners recognise memorised answers and mark fluency down; a shorter answer from your own memory scores higher than a recited one.

Keep practising

More cue cards: a place

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