In part 2, the examiner will give you a task card which asks you to talk about a particular topic. You will be given 1 minute to prepare and 1-2 minutes to talk about the topic. You will not be interrupted during this time, so it is important to keep talking.
Read the question
Speaking test part 2: candidate task card
Talk about a book you are reading now or have read recently. You should say:
How and why you got it
How long you it took you to read it or how long you have been reading it
What kind of book it is
And say if you would like to read something else similar or not, and why
Start preparing now
Speaking test part 2: candidate task card
Talk about a book you are reading now or have read recently. You should say:
How and why you got it
How long you it took you to read it or how long you have been reading it
What kind of book it is
And say if you would like to read something else similar or not, and why
Speaking test part 2: candidate task card
Talk about a book you are reading now or have read recently. You should say:
How and why you got it
How long you it took you to read it or how long you have been reading it
What kind of book it is
And say if you would like to read something else similar or not, and why
Thank you!
You have completed this part.
Speaking test part 2: candidate task card
Talk about a book you are reading now or have read recently. You should say:
How and why you got it
How long you it took you to read it or how long you have been reading it
What kind of book it is
And say if you would like to read something else similar or not, and why
Get your speaking response scored with audio feedback and a detailed score report.
Take a closer look at the sample speaking review below.
Get a Speaking Review
SAMPLE IELTS Speaking Report
SAMPLE Score Summary
Audio Feedback (Sample)
Audio feedback helps with pronunciation, intonation and flow of speech
SAMPLE Criteria Score Reports
Pronunciation 5/9
• attempts to control features but lapses are frequent
• mispronunciations are frequent and cause some difficulty for the listener
Pronunciation is about how you form English sounds and how you use natural English intonation. Your pronunciation and intonation can damage your score if it is difficult for the raters to understand what you are saying.
How to Improve
Watch the following pronunciation video lessons to improve your pronunciation.
Vowel | Video Lesson |
Vowel ɪ and i | ... |
Vowel ɛ and æ | ... |
Vowel ə and ʌ | ... |
Vowel ɔ and ɑ | ... |
Vowel ʊ and u | ... |
Consonants | Video Lesson |
Consonant b and p | ... |
Consonant d and t | ... |
Consonant g and k | ... |
Consonant dʒ and tʃ | ... |
Consonant v and f | ... |
Consonant ð and θ | ... |
Consonant s and z | ... |
Consonant ʃ and ʒ | ... |
Consonant m, n and ŋ | ... |
Consonant l and r | ... |
Consonant h, w and y |
...
... ... |
Fluency and Coherence 5/9
• may over-use certain connectives and discourse markers
• produces simple speech fluently, but more complex communication causes fluency problems
Fluency and Coherence is about how quickly you can speak, how much pausing and hesitation you use, and how well you use connection words to develop and organize your talk. You don't have to speak quickly, but just quickly enough to sound natural and explain all of your ideas. Raters want to hear natural rhythm and flow.
How to Improve
To improve your speech flow...
Unnatural Pauses and Hesitations Reduction Exercise
Practice any IELTS question and record your answer. Then listen to your recording and...
Speech Pacing Exercise
An important key to earning a high score on Speech delivery is pacing in your speech. A good pacing means using proper pauses and word stresses. Here is a step-by-step exercise that can help you improve the pacing in your speech:
- ...
- ...
- ...
Grammatical Range and Accuracy 5.5/9
Correct grammar usage is about how you use English grammar and sentence structure. Raters want to see that you can use what you know correctly. Your grammar doesn't have to be perfect to score high, but mistakes shouldn't interfere with your meaning.
How to Improve
Using right tenses is important in IELTS speaking. Every time you are not sure about what tense you should use, refer to our sample answer and...
Grammar topic | Lesson |
All past tenses | ... |
Present perfect tense | ... |
How to talk about future using right tenses | ... |
Mixed Verb Tenses in English: Conditionals and IF clauses | ... |
Lexical Resource (Vocabulary) 6/9
• generally paraphrases successfully
Lexical Resource (Vocabulary) is about how you use English words. Raters are looking for responses that use different words correctly and accurately, and that use a wide range of words that help listeners understand.
How to Improve
To improve your vocabulary in speaking, ...
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IELTS speaking LessonsCompleted: 0 / 64
Useful vocabulary for Part 1 questions about books
Do you read often?
Yes! I am an avid reader. I read a lot. I usually have a book with me in my bag or in the car seat next to me.
Yes. I am a big reader. I like to read all kinds of books in my free time. I always have notes in my books. And I would call myself a bookworm.
Do you read in bed?
Yea! I like to read in bed. I usually like to read science fiction as part of my bedtime reading, but sometimes it gets a little bit too exciting, so I have to read something a little bit lighter or more whimsical.
What kinds of books do you like to read?
I relish books that make me feel emotional. For example, I have just finished this book about a war, and there was a poignant moment at the end of the book when the characters had to say goodbye forever.
I revel in horror books. When I am reading these books, I get a real spine-tingling feeling. I enjoy that.
I kind of like tearjerker books. Sad stories make me appreciate and understand life better. My soul experiences a wealth of sublime feelings when I read these kinds of books.
My favorite kind of books is the one with the unraveling of the plots, so as a reader I have to figure out what is going on. It gets so exciting.
I love books that are informative and thought-provoking. I can learn a lot and gain a fresh insight into something new by reading these kinds of books.
I delight in books that are set in the future. This book genre usually unveils how future technologies can backfire and be used against their makers, and it leads us to think about the relationship between technology and humanity.
What types of books do you dislike?
I don’t like reading books that are heavy-going. I feel like I will never be able to finish reading these books, so I might as well just stay away from them.
Useful vocabulary for Part 2 questions about books
Talk about the book you are reading now or have read recently. You should explain:
- How and why you got it
- How long you it took you to read it or how long you have been reading it
- What kind of book it is
And elaborate on whether you would like to read something similar to this book and why
I’d like to talk about “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” which is the fantasy book I have recently finished reading.
This book is part of a popular fantasy series for children, but in fact I decided to start reading it to study English. Anyway, it took me a little less than a month to finish reading it. A few weeks is longer than it usually takes me to read books in my own language, but I think it’s a little more difficult for me to read books in English.
As for how I got this book, I borrowed it from the local library after I had finished reading the previous book in the series a few weeks before.
Now, let’s talk about how I feel about this book. I have to say that this book is a real page-turner, and it really grabbed me from the get-go. I couldn’t put it down because the story is so gripping. The characters are also very enchanting and fun to watch. Another reason I like this book is that I can see myself in the character of Harry Potter. I mean he is brave but at the same time reckless and impulsive. He makes decisions based on his gut feeling and what feels right. I am a little like that. I consider myself a rule-breaker, always trying to be adventurous and doing things that others tell me not to do.
In the future, I plan to read every book in the “Harry Potter” series because I’d like to know what happens next.
“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is a great book to practice English, and it has an entertaining story too. I’ll start reading the next book in the series as soon as I can.
Avid/big reader: a person who often reads books.
Bedtime reading: a book read before bed.
Whimsical: playful and fun.
Poignant: causing or having a very sharp feeling of sadness.
Tearjerker: a sentimental story, film, or song.
Unraveling of the plot: The phrase 'the unravelling of a plot' is used to describe how a writer builds up a story. It is commonly used when describing how the structure of the writing or the vocabulary is used to reveal the plot of the writing.
Heavy-going: difficult to read or understand.
Page-turner: an exciting book.
Gripping: firmly holding the attention or interest; exciting.
Enchanting: very pleasant or charming.