IELTS Speaking Part 2 Strategy 2

Hi, my name is Kara. In our lesson for today, we're going to be looking at another strategy for part 2 of the IELTS speaking section.

As you may know, at the beginning of part 2 of the IELTS speaking section you'll be presented with a question card, pen, and paper. You'll be given one minute for taking notes and preparing, and when that one minute is up, you'll need to speak for 2 minutes straight. So it will be very helpful to have a strategy for this 2 minutes talk. We talked about the first strategy in the previous lesson. If you have missed it, be sure to check it out as well. Today we are going to focus on the second strategy for approaching the questions you'll see in part 2.

Let's get right into it.

In this strategy, the structure of the response is also divided into 3 parts, which you can think of as being 3 different "stories" that you'll tell the examiner.

These three stories will concern events from the past, present, and future. So, that means you will tell a story about what happened before, a story about what is happening now, and a story about what you think will happen later.

By using this structure, you won't get stuck trying to think about what to talk about, and you are more likely to speak long enough to reach 2 minutes.

If you don't have enough to talk about using the bullet points alone, this structure can help you get ideas to extend your answer. In fact, you don't need to stick with the questions on the bullet points -- really, you don't even need to stay on topic. It's okay to answer by using relevant stories, and if you get a little off-topic, that's okay too. The most important thing is to be fluent and coherent in your answer. So, let's learn how to structure answers with past, present, and future stories.

Here's that example question card again:

Now! You should attempt to start your 2 minute talk by introducing the examiner to what you'll be talking about. You can introduce your three stories by using one or a few sentences. Here are some examples of how to introduce your three stories:

There are many means of transportation that we can use, and today I'd like to tell you three stories about my experiences with transportation in my life.

So, today I'd like to tell you three stories about my experiences with transportation throughout my life.

The introduction will help the examiner follow along with the structure you are going to be using. It doesn't need to be too long, as each of your stories will take up most of your talking time. Sound good? Okay, let's continue.

Once you've introduced your talk, next you can tell a story about past experiences. You can come up with something from past experience related to the topic of transportation. You'll use this to tell your past story. Consider mentioning some of these points in your story, like, what you remember about the past experience, when you first tried it or used it, or what you know about it. Here is my note:

Past story notes:

• took bus
• high school, for 3 years.
• drove a car
• started 20 years old. stopped recently.

In this example, I wrote down details from two different past experiences that I could talk about. Let's say, I used to take the bus, and I also used to drive a car. The point is they are both memories I have from the past. It might be the case that one of these points is easier to tell a story about than the other one. It never hurts to have options. Here is how I respond:

Well, first of all, I always used to take the bus. The bus was pretty slow, and it was not as convenient. because it only stops at specific locations. I took the bus to and from school every day for about 3 years until I finally got my own car when I was 20. Even though taking the bus was fairly simple and cheap, I don't miss having to remember the schedule or rush to make it to the station on time. That reminds me of a time that I missed the bus once when I was on my way to school in the morning. I ended up being late for class, and that was not a good situation. Anyway, I used to take the bus every day when I was in high school.

So basically you can spend around 30-45 seconds of your time talking about your past experiences, and you can go even longer if you have more to say. Remember, you still have two other stories to tell.

After you're finished with your past story, you can tell a story about something in the present. So, next we're going to tell a story about something that is happening in your life now. This will be your present story. Remember, the story you tell does not have to match the topic exactly, as it may be difficult for you to come up with three specific stories that can do this. Just do your best to brainstorm a story for each past, present and future in your 1 minute preparation time, and try not to worry about whether they match the topic closely enough. Here is my note:

Present story notes:

• the subway
• every day
• cheap and easy
• only in the city.

In this example, I wrote about one form of transportation that I use regularly now, which is the subway. I wrote some details about this transportation method to help me organize my thoughts, but ideally I'd like to put these together into a story. When you do this, you can think about a habit or current preference that you have right now. You can imagine the answers to some questions like "why did you start doing this?" or "what do you like about this?" to help you get started. Here is my example of how to tell a present story:

Now, I'd like to tell you about my current transportation situation. These days, I've been taking the subway almost every day to easily get where I need to go around the city. I started saving a lot of money taking the subway once I got a commuter pass. It hasn't always been like this, though. Actually when I first moved here, I was still very confused about how to use the subway lines and I got lost a few times. But recently, I think I've gotten much better at reading the subway maps and understanding how the different lines connect up. It took some time and some practice, along with a few mistakes, but today I can say that I feel very confident about using the subway in my everyday life.

You can also spend around 30-45 seconds of your time talking about your present story, and don't worry about continuing a little longer if you have more to say for your story. Now, don't forget, there's still one more story for you to tell the examiner.

Finally, we want to tell a story about something in the future. You can imagine an experience you would like to have, or a way you would like to change your habits. Think about questions such as "what would make your life better in the future?" or "how could this topic change in the future?" to get some ideas. Okay, here is one example for the future.

Future story notes:

• Self-driving vehicles
• Article from WIRED
• More reliable and safe
• Unknown possible problems
• Cost?

For my last story today, I'm going to tell you about an article I read on future transportation methods. Maybe you've heard about self-driving vehicles in the news already. I remember reading an article in WIRED magazine a few weeks ago discussing this. The article talks about how both our attitudes and available technology for self-driving cars have changed drastically in the last 5 years. The cars are getting safer, and will continue to become more commercially available. If the price were low enough, and they were regarded as relatively safe, I would be very interested in using self-driving cars as a method of transportation in the future. I think it sounds amazing.

Okay, now you've learned a new strategy for part 2 of the IELTS speaking section. Remember, in this strategy, you'll need to tell three stories, one for the past, one for the present and finally one for the future. Let's try one example question using this strategy:

There are lots of ways to be a good parent, and today I'd like to tell you three stories about my experiences with parenting.

Well, first of all, when I was growing up, I think I was very fortunate to have good parents. My parents both worked very hard, but also took the time to make sure they taught us valuable lessons and spent time with us every day. I remember that we would always have dinner at the dinner table together, and my mother and father would ask me and my siblings questions about our day and make jokes with us. They are still very important people in my life now.

Next, I'd like to talk about some great parents that I know today. They are my friends who are new parents. Even though they are still learning about how to be good parents, I watch them lose sleep each night and sacrifice their own comfort regularly for the sake of their baby. The mother is so patient, even when she has not had time to take a shower or relax, she always smiles and plays with the baby. The father works hard and even after a long day, he still takes time to give his wife a break when he comes home from work, so she can have some time to herself. The couple is not only kind to their baby, but they are also kind to each other.

For my last story today, I'm going to tell you about a TV show I saw that has influenced how I think I want to be a parent in the future. The show is called "Parenthood," and it's a sitcom about a few different families. Although they are all very different, the thing that holds them together is their support, honesty, and love for one another. I hope that when I become a parent someday, I can give my family the same amount of all of those things, and be accepting of my children even if they are different from how I expected them to be.

Okay! That's the end of the lesson. And remember, practice makes perfect. You can go to our "IELTS QUESTIONS" section to practice more IELTS part 2 speaking questions and improve your speaking by listening to sample responses by native speakers.