IELTS SPEAKING PART 2

IELTS SPEAKING PART 2

STRUCTURAL LANGUAGE

Opening: starting your talk

I'm going to talk about ...

OK, I'm going to describe …

Well, I'd like to talk about …

The first point:

The first thing I'd like to mention is …

I'd like to begin by highlighting that …

In terms of [rephrase question], I would like to mention …

The second point:

Going on to [rephrase question], what I want to highlight here is that ...

Now concerning the matter of [rephrase question], what I would like to mention here is
that ...

The third point:

Progressing to the subject of [rephrase question], I would like to explain that ...

Moving onto the question regarding [rephrase question], what I would like to make clear
is that ...

The last point:

Finally, I'd like to discuss [rephrase question]

Finally, if there is still enough time, I would also like to mention that ...

How many words are needed for a model answer?

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You should ideally speak for 2 minutes. A native speaker speaks at about 145-160 words
per minute and then there are pauses between ideas. A non-native high-level speaker
may speak a bit slower perhaps 110 words per minute. A lower level speaker may speak
at fewer than 100 words. You might want to work out your speaking speed, to get an idea
of how many words you will need to speak. If you plan your model answer to be 250
words, that will be more than enough.

Tenses for stories

Stories occurred in the past so when we are describing what happened in the story, we
need to use the past tense.

"I went to my best friend's birthday"

However, we need to use the present tense if we are describing facts and opinions about
these past events.

"She is a kind woman"

[Note that if we use the past tense then it suggests that she is no longer kind!]

ANSWERING ROUDING-OFF QUESTIONS

You may be asked a follow-up question at the end of your 2-minute speech. You just want
to give a short single sentence answer to this, unless you didn't speak for very long [under
2 minutes]. This is because the examiner needs to move onto Part Three of the test
quickly. You can use this technique to answer a follow-up question:

1. Brief answer, repeating the auxiliary verb [have and do in the examples below]

2. Use the same tense

EXAMINER: "Have you done this type of work before?"

CANDIDATE: "No, I haven't."

EXAMINER: "Do you know anyone who has"

CANDIDATE: "Yes, I do, my cousin does this job."

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MAIN TOPIC 1: OBJECT

I’m going to talk about …, which is …

1. Nguồn gốc: vật đó từ đâu mà có

➢ TỰ MUA

- I bought … + thời gian trong quá khứ + ở đâu

Mở rộng

- Ban đầu: không biết mua gì

At first, I didn’t know what to buy/what gift to give S.O because …

- Lúc sau: vì lý do nào đó nên quyết định mua món đồ đó

Then, I realized that …

So I decided to buy/choose …

➢ ĐƯỢC TẶNG

- Người tặng + gave me + đồ tặng + thời gian

- (Quá trình chọn vật đó) + lý do tặng vật đó (nếu có)

2. Mô tả vật đó

Age (contemporary = modern >< classical)

➢ VẺ BỀ NGOÀI

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o Kích thước

It’s + very/quite/so + small/big/huge …

Mở rộng: So sánh (it’s even bigger/smaller than …)

small: tiny, miniscule /ˈmɪn·əˌskjul/

big: enormous, huge, gigantic /ˌdʒaɪˈɡæn.tɪk/

o Trọng lượng

It’s + very/quite/so + light/heavy/ …

Mở rộng: so sánh (it’s even lighter/heavier than …)

heavy: weighs a ton [idiomatic expression]

light: lightweight, feather light

o Kết cấu (texture)

coarse /kɔːs/ = rough

smooth = flat

o Màu sắc

It’s + màu

Mở rộng: it’s + màu, but not exactly plain + màu. It has some images of … on it.

o Chất liệu

It’s + made of + chất liệu (rubber/plastic/metal/wood/glass/gold/silver/cotton …)

wooden

metallic /məˈtæl.ɪk/

o Hình dáng

It’s + hình dáng (circular/triangular/rectangular/square …)

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It’s shaped like NP (đc tạo hình giống như)

➢ CHỨC NĂNG, CÔNG DỤNG, Ý NGHĨA

Reason for being special: family heirloom /ˈeə.luːm/, birthday present, Christmas gift, from
a soulmate

➢ CÂU CHUYÊN GẮN VỚI VẬT ĐÓ

3. Cảm giác của mình:

- Nó như thế nào đối với mình? (quan trọng, có ý nghĩa …)

- Học được gì từ nó?

- Sẽ cất giữ/giữ gìn/… nó như thế nào?

- Có thay thế nó không?

- Thông thiệp mình muốn gửi tới … / thông thiệp ai đó gửi tới mình qua vật đó.

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MAIN TOPIC 2: PERSON

GRAMMAR

Tenses

If the question asks you to describe someone you know now. e.g. Describe a person who
is interesting, you should describe the person using the present tense. If you are asked
to describe someone you know from the past you should still describe the person using
the present tense, unless the person is now dead. In this case you will use the past tense.

Illustrative examples:

My neighbor Brian is a senior citizen. [present tense is used because he is still alive]
Audrey Hepburn was a petite woman. [past tense is used because she is dead]

For all types of people, describe any actions they have already done using the past tense.
For example, "He learnt how to fly a plane last year.”

I’m going to talk about …, who is …

a celebrity /səˈleb.rə.ti/ = a famous person

1. Thông tin cá nhân

➢ Tên:

-His/her name‘s …

➢ Tuổi:

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-He/she‘s … (years old) now

He is in his thirties

Age: toddler [young child], adolescent [young adult], senior citizen

➢ Nghề nghiệp → thêm kinh nghiệm/nổi tiếng qua tác phẩm nào, thành tựu nào

-composer/song writer: nhà soạn nhạc

-musician: nhạc công

-celebrity

-internationally-recognized actor/actress: diễn viên nổi tiếng thế giới

-has lots of experience in/with …

-be best-known for …

-be best-known as an actor

➢ Sống ở đâu/với ai: xưa >< nay

-He/she lives with … in …

➢ Sở thích

-He/she likes …

➢ Gặp/biết người đó như thế nào/ở đâu/làm gì cùng nhau

I knew about …

If I had a chance to meet her in person, I would …

pal, soul-mate, classmate, colleague, family member, mentor

-have a lot in common

-ask for her autograph: xin chữ ký

-a face-to-face meeting

-see … in person

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2. Ngoại hình

➢ Đẹp/bình thường/trẻ so với tuổi

-a lovely smile - a smile is always on her face

-be very ordinary-looking: ngoại hình bình thường, ko nổi bật

-good-looking/beautiful/gorgeous

-maintain a youthful look: vẫn giữ được một ngoại hình trẻ trung

Facial features: clean shaven, full beard, goatee beard, moustache

Enthusiasm + passion

➢ Tóc

-long/short black hair

-shoulder-length hair

Hair: short cropped hair, long thick hair, ponytail, bald

➢ Chiều cao + Dáng người

-average body build (n)

Build: slender [thin], overweight [fat], well-built [muscular]

Height: petite [short], lofty [tall]

➢ Trông giống

-bear a striking resemblance to

3. Hoạt động/thành tựu

• take part in many voluntary activities to help the poor/ take part in a lot of
charity work

• have many excellent songs which topped the billboards for many weeks

• receive many prestigious /presˈtɪdʒ.əs/ (uy tín) musical/acting awards

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• tham gia vào (phim, nhạc, tác phẩm …) → nổi tiếng (attract public attention)

• nurture (nuôi dưỡng) me / give me a stable upbringing (sự nuôi dạy tốt/ổn định)

• pass on his experience to … (truyền lại kinh nghiệm)

• take the role of a breadwinner (trụ cột gia đình)

bread and butter

• want the best for all of us

• spend time taking care of

• put family first

• kỹ năng: công việc, kinh doanh: communication/teamwork skills, multitasking

ability, time management, business ethics (đạo đức) …

• culinary /ˈkʌl.ɪ.nər.i/ skills = cooking skills

4. Tính cách/điểm đặc biệt → thêm chi tiết/giải thích + kể một câu chuyện

In terms of her personality, I would say that …

-He/she is very … (knowledgeable/kind and

generous/caring/humorous/patient/optimistic)

You can talk about positive and negative features of a person's personality.

Positive: warm, fun loving, intelligent, charming, kind-hearted, extrovert [outgoing]

Negative: mean, selfish, cruel, arrogant, introverted, a pain in the neck [annoying]

-have a good sense of humor (óc hài hước) → crack s.o up (làm ai cười vỡ bụng) – make
S.O laugh with his jokes

-a hard-working person – devote most of his time to (cống hiến, dành ra) his work/acting
career

-patient → never/rarely get mad with others: nổi điên

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5. Cảm nhận

➢ Yêu/nhớ/ngưỡng mộ/biết ơn (vì tài năng, nỗ lực, sự tốt bụng)

-love/miss/admire him because of his talents/efforts/kindness

-happy being together

-be grateful to S.O for sthg: biết ơn vì điều gì

➢ Ảnh hưởng đến tôi/cuộc đời tôi: be a major influence in my life/ be my life
inspiration (niềm cảm hứng)

-shape my personality (định hình/uốn nắn tính cách) = shape who I am today

-a good role model (hình mẫu lý tưởng) for … to look up to / set a good example for …
(làm gương cho ai)

-follow in S.O’s footsteps: nối nghiệp ai

-stand by me during difficult times

-a self-made (tự thân vận động, tự thân nỗ lực) man

➢ Muốn gặp trong tương lai

If I had a chance to meet her in person, I would …

➢ Về thăm thường xuyên hơn

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MAIN TOPIC 3: ACTIVITY

I’m going to talk about …, which is … (one of the most memorable/exciting events in my
life)

1. Thông tin chung về hoạt động/sự kiện

➢ Thời gian/tiệc của ai/hoạt động của ai

-organize/hold a party/a surprise party

throw a party

year-end party

-give S.O a farewell party

reunion party

-housewarming party

➢ Lý do dẫn tới, ý nghĩa cơ bản/Lý do cho hoạt động này

-congratulate S.O on STH (my graduation)/ congratulate S.O when S+V (pass the exam)

-decide to start a family (after 5 years in love with each other)

➢ Địa điểm (mở rộng: quá trình chọn địa điểm cho hoạt động này)

-a fancy (sang chảnh) restaurant

➢ Người tham dự, khách/Thực hiện hoạt động chung với ai

-… invite … to the party

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-meet friends I lost contact with/ meet friends I haven’t met for a long time

2. Hoạt động → thêm ý nghĩa

➢ Trước hoạt động: chuẩn bị: make preparations for = prepare for

I spent 1 week preparing for my birthday party

o Trang trí, dọn dẹp nhà

- my house is decorated with colorful ornaments (đồ trang trí)/flowers/buntings/balloons

- I decorate my house with a lot of balloons

- clean houses/rooms

o Mua sắm

-shopping for …

o Mọi người tụ họp

-family members/people living far away return

-wind down

-kill time

o Nấu nướng

-mouth-watering (a) homemade food

-Chinese cuisine

-prepare hotpot

-food and drinks/beverages

➢ Trong lúc hoạt động diễn ra: hoạt động + kỷ niệm

-everyone chatted

-sing, dance, play music together

-take lots of pictures

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-play some card games

-enjoy Vietnamese specialties (đặc sản)/traditional food

-exchange rings and their vows

-propose a toast (nâng ly) to wish the newly married couple happiness

The newlyweds

wish S.O STH: chúc ai cái gì

-tasty/scrumptious (ngon tuyệt) food

Recall the fond memories of … (high school years)

Atmosphere: cozy

➢ Sau khi hoạt động kết thúc:

3. Cảm nhận

➢ Sự kiện/hoạt động gần nhất: bạn đã làm gì?

➢ Sự kiện/hoạt động lần tới: bạn sẽ làm gì?

➢ Học được gì từ sự kiện/hoạt động đó? Sự kiện/hoạt động đó tại sao có ý

nghĩa với bạn?

-a memorable event

-… marked a special milestone/turning point (bước ngoặt) in life

-get together with old friends (reunion party)

-spend quality time (thời gian riêng tư, thời gian thân mật) together

-a once-in-a-life-time experience

-a symbol of long-lasting friendship

→ We hope that there will be more parties like this/that in the future.

for many years to come – for many coming years

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MAIN TOPIC 4: PLACE

Describe a place

I’m going to talk about …, which is …

1. Thông tin chung

➢ Vị trí

It’s a country in …

It’s the capital city of …

It’s located in the northwest of …

It lies in the northwest of …

Location: on the coast, in the mountains, in the heart of the country

Location: remote, just outside the city, along the coast, in a mountainous area

➢ Quy mô

It’s a small/large/huge country/city/town

It’s the smallest/biggest/largest/the most populous (đông dân) country/city

➢ 1 câu đánh giá: one of the most …

It is one of the most popular tourist destinations and attracts millions of (local and
international) visitors each year

cosmopolitan (đa văn hóa, đa sắc tộc)/multicultural

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a bustling (sầm uất) area

metropolitan (thuộc thủ đô, lớn) area

a worth-living city

pay a visit to = visit

➢ Cách tiếp cận (How to get there)

It takes me 6 hours

by coach

2. Đặc điểm chi tiết

➢ Cảnh đẹp, nơi nổi tiếng: thành thị >< miền quê

• Thành thị: trang thiết bị, cơ sở vật chất, nơi nổi tiếng + hoạt động

Cityscape: picturesque, contemporary architecture, skyscrapers, classical architecture,

polluted and contaminated

ancient buildings

famous landmarks = iconic buildings

skyscrapers /ˈskaɪˌskreɪ.pɚ/ = high-rise buildings

facilities for entertainment

Entertainment: bustling and lively, a wide variety of entertainment facilities, touristy

• Miền quê: cảnh thiên nhiên, nơi nổi tiếng + hoạt động

Visitors: visitors flocked to, seldom visited

Activities: go sightseeing, hiking, doing extreme sports like bungee jumping, experiencing
indigenous species

Contents: fauna [animals], flora [plants], lake, waterfall

Opinions: amazing, breathtaking, spectacular

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mountainous (a)

stunning mountain ranges: những dãy núi hùng vĩ

spectacular natural landscapes: cảnh sắc thiên nhiên tuyệt đẹp

stunning scenery (n)

small cobbled streets

➢ Ẩm thực: món ăn truyền thống

I’d love to try local foods such as …

Enjoy specialties/specialities (đặc sản)

➢ Thời tiết: chia theo mùa

The country/city has four amazing seasons. I’ve watched some travel vlogs (videos) and
documentaries about the four seasons in …, and I’m really amazed by the beauty of
seasonal changes in nature.

The typical weather

➔ Thời tiết + hoạt động

➢ Lễ hội/hoạt động: những hoạt động phổ biến

There are a wide range of activities for visitors.

➢ Con người:

People: kind-hearted, hospitable, polite, rude, arrogant, cosmopolitan [mix of cultures]

3. Cảm nhận

be well-known for

an ideal destination for those (= people) who have tight budgets (có ngân sách eo hẹp)

attract both international and domestic tourists

be impressed by

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dream destination

vibrant life = hectic (sôi động) life

tranquility → tranquil (a) (= peaceful)

settle down (định cư) in …

historic but modern at the same time

pristine (tinh khôi) beauty

unforgettable memories

an escape from the hustle and bustle

helpful/hospitable – give … a helping hand

be close to nature

feel at one with nature: hòa mình với thiên nhiên

➢ đã tới → tới thăm lại

I would definitely visit … again.

➢ chưa tới → sẽ tới trong tương lai (với ai/khi nào)

I would like to visit … one day in the future with my best friend and I hope we could have
a memorable/wonderful trip.

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Describe a building

I’m going to talk about …, which is …

Independence Palace

Notre Dame Cathedral

✓ one of the most important historical sites (di tích lịch sử)

witnessed (v) a significant historical event, which is the liberation of South Vietnam

1. Thông tin chung về tòa nhà

➢ Tên

It’s called …, which is a nice name.

➢ Vị trí

It’s located on … (đường + quận)

Location: downtown, at the corner of a hectic street

➢ Diện tích

It’s quite small/large/spacious. I think it can hold a maximum of … people.

➢ 1 câu đánh giá:

It’s … (on a quiet corner of the street), which makes it a perfect place for …

It’s in the center of … and it’s a perfect place for people who …

2. Chi tiết tòa nhà

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➢ Thiết kế: Bên ngoài (vườn, sân, bao quanh bởi …) + Bên trong (trần, cửa sổ,
tường, nội thất, phòng …)

Exterior: elegant, plain, contemporary design, classical architecture

Interior: well lit, dark and dingy, lofty ceilings, compact, spacious

is/are decorated with … (tiny flowers/coloured string lights/ornaments/colorful balloons)

is/are surrounded by … (tall trees/department stores/souvenir shops)

is/are made of … (glass/wood/plastic/silver)

be painted (in) white

3 storeys + terrace (sân thượng)

Có cái gì ở trước/sau/bên ngoài: There is/are … in front of …/ behind …/ outside … (a

beautiful rose garden/an ornamental pond/a collection of …)

fountain: đài phun nước

Bầu không khí

enjoy the breathtaking view of the city/sea/garden …

make the atmosphere even cosier/more relaxing

Atmosphere: cozy, comfortable, tranquil ambience, lively and upbeat

tranquility

➢ Sản phẩm, dịch vụ

It serves a wide range of … (teas/foods/drinks/wines/ … including …)

I usually order/buy … because …

o Chất lượng

good/bad

high/low quality

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o Giá cả

cheap/affordable/reasonable/expensive

… only costs …

I only have to pay … for the entrance fee

o Nhân viên

They are very fast/polite/helpful/friendly/informative

They always welcome their customers with a smile.

The thing that I love most about … is …

Historical meaning/significance

3. Cảm nhận

➢ Đã tới → tới thăm lại

➢ Giới thiệu bạn bè/bất kỳ ai yêu thích hoặc muốn …

➢ Đã recommend rồi và nhận được feedback tốt

➢ Cảm giác như thế nào khi ở đó

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MAIN TOPIC 5: EXPERIENCE

I’m going to talk about a situation/time when S+V

1 CÂU CHUYỆN (BỐI CẢNH – CHI TIẾT)

Sequencing phrases

At first/ At the beginning

After that, … / Afterwards, ...

After breakfast, ... / After lunch, …

After hearing … / After learning that ...

After two hours, … / After three weeks, ...

Two hours later, …

At that time, … / At that moment, ... / At this point, … / At the same time, ... / Meanwhile,
...

During my flight, … / During those two hours, …

On the way home/ On the way to …

Eventually/ Finally

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Since then/ From that moment

Describing feelings

excited bored

happy sad

cheerful lonely, isolated

satisfied disappointed

motivated nervous, worried

touched scared

impressed hopeless

confused

embarrassed

1. Đầu câu chuyện (hình dung bối cảnh – hình dung chi tiết)
2. Diễn biến (hình dung bối cảnh – hình dung chi tiết)
3. Kết quả (hình dung bối cảnh – hình dung chi tiết)
4. Cảm nhận

➢ Cảm thấy như thế nào về tình huống đó/khi nghĩ lại tình huống đó?

Whenever I think of that time when I …, I still feel …

➢ Học được gì từ tình huống đó?

From that moment, I knew that I needed to … (stay calm/think more carefully)

Ask for recommendations/suggestions from other people before …

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