Part 2

Common Part 2 cue card:

● Person monologue
● Place monologue
● Object monologue
● Past event monologue
Part 2

2021
Place TOPICS
Examples

Talk about a historic

Talk about your ideal house
place

Talk about a garden in your

Talk about a shopping center
neighborhood
4 Stages

01 02 03 04
Define its
Introduce a place and Describe its landscape/ significance or
its location features purpose Why it is special and
how you feel about it
Stage 1: place and
location
1. Sử dụng từ vựng chỉ nơi chốn

● Hoian is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

(Hội An đã được công nhận là di sản văn hóa thế giới bởi UNESCO).
● Asia Park is an extremely fascinating amusement centre of the city.
(Công viên Châu Á là một trung tâm vui chơi vô cùng hấp dẫn của thành phố.)
2. Sử dụng giới từ chỉ vị trí

● It’s above a famous restaurant in the city centre.

(Nó nằm trên một nhà hàng nổi tiếng ở trung tâm thành phố.)
● There are many trees along the river bank.
(Có nhiều cây ở dọc bờ sông.)
which
 02
Landscape & Features
Size, outer appearance (adj), shape
Describe an interesting place in your country

Stage 1: place, location

Ex: Danang - tourist attraction - in central VN,

between Hue citadel and Hoian ancient town.
Describe an interesting place in your country

Stage 2: landscape, features

Ex: It is known as.../ famous for…

Tourists will be impressed by…as well as… Along with these…,
there are also some… such as...

Ex: (be) made of + material

(be) covered in/with + objects/designs
(be) decorated with + (floral) patterns
(be) painted +color
1. Các cụm từ mở đầu

● So to start/ begin with, I would like to talk/ tell you

about…
● The place I would like to talk about is…
● I guess I could begin by saying that the place I would
like to describe is…
2. Sử dụng từ nối để chuyển ý

● Going on to the next point, which is …, I really need to

add that…
● Now with regard to the next question…, I’d like to add/
mention that…
● Now on the subject of…, what I need to emphasize
here is that
● In terms of/ And now with reference to…, the point I
want to make here is that…
● Moving onto the next question of…, I would like to
explain that…
3. Các cụm từ kết bài

● Finally/ To end with,

● As a final point,…
● Finally then,…
● As a final point, if time permits, I’d like to bring in the
point of…
Stage 3: Define its significance or purposes
Describe an interesting place in your country

Stage 3: significance/purposes

Ex: Danang – authentic dishes – specialities

Stage 4: Why you like this place/Your feelings about
this place

Ex: Danang – peaceful – slow pace of life –

hospitable
Subject Verb Adjective/ Noun/
Clause

The place makes me feel relax/ nostalgic/

happy,…

reminds me of something …

provides me with

gives me

lets me

is important to me because…
Relaxing Interesting Exciting Beautiful Busy

cosy enchanting exciting delightful hectic

comfortable educational energizing charming stressful

quiet inspiring breathtaking magnificent chaotic

peaceful fascinating exhilarating pretty bustling

tranquil engrossing thrilling attractive frantic

Practice

City Planning
Describe an interesting place in your country.

You should say:

● What/where it is

2021
● What it looks like

● What people do there

College Major
Why you think it is an interesting place
Place monologue type 2

Describe a building
Describe a building
Watch the following video and jot down key words that you think might be useful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC9ZsTnf04E
 Today I’m gonna describe to you about this iconic building, and it’s called the Bitexco Financial Tower.
Since its completion in 2010, this building has been ranked the tallest building in town and has gradually become a
landmark of the city due to its unique shape, which really resembles the Vietnam’s national flower – the Lotus. But in
my opinion, it looks more like a corn. So, given its distinctive design, this building really stands out from all the
building in town. As you approach the heart of Saigon, you can easily see it from far away.
The skyscraper is located on Hai Trieu street in District 1, which is kinda like a central business district of Saigon. As
you can guess, many financial institutions like banks, auditing firms have headquarters here inside this building. In
addition to that, District 1 is also a very touristry area. So, this building is often frequented by many locals and
tourists. In fact, I often go there on weekends, as it’s the best time for me to experience the vibrant atmosphere. I can see
myself blending in the hectic stream of people.
Now, this building serves a wide range of purposes. Essentially, it’s a shopping mall that houses a bunch of high-
end stores. You can literally find anything here, from chic clothing to flashy sneakers, and some lovely souvenirs or
accessories for your beloved ones. But obviously, the prices are just a little bit steep, so you have to think about it before
making the decision. This buiding also leases office spaces, but the rent is prohibitive because of the location and the
view. So you can only spot offices of large corporation while exploring in here. There is a skydeck on the 49th floor of
the building. In my opinion, this is what the building is all about as it rewards the visitors probably the best panoramic
view of Saigon. I mean, it’s just breath-taking.
There are loads of reasons to explain why I love this place so much. First of all, I can browse all the shop and
maybe, you know, just maybe, splurge on something extravagant and fancy. Sometimes, if I feel up to partying, I can
easily grab a drink by hitting the bar on the 52nd floor, or I can just hang out at the Observation deck and admire
the stunning view of the city. So all in all, I always have an absolute blast every time I come here.”
Vocabulary highlights
● iconic (adj) kinh điển
● landmark (n) cột mốc, dấu mốc
● to resemble sth: giống cái gì
● to stands out from sth: nổi bật (so với cái gì)
● the heart of Saigon: trung tâm Sài Gòn
● to be located on: tại địa điểm
● headquarter (n) trụ sở chính
● touristy area (n) khu du lịch
● to be frequented by: thường được ghé thăm bởi
● vibrant (adj) rực rỡ
● hectic stream of people: dòng người nhộn nhịp
Vocabulary highlights
● to serve (a purpose): phục vụ (mục đích)
● to house: cung cấp địa điểm cho
● chic clothing, flashy sneakers (n) quần áo cá tính, giày thể thao sáng lóa
● steep (adj) mắc, đắt
● to lease: cho thuê
● prohibitive (adj) (giá cả) quá cao
● breath-taking (adj) (thường để mô tả cảnh vật) khiến ai nghẹt thở
● to splurge on: vung tiền, đổ tiền vào tiêu
● extravagant (adj) xa hoa, đắt đỏ
● to feel up to doing sth: muốn làm gì
● to hit the bar (phrase) vào quán bar
● stunning (adj) tuyệt vời, ấn tượng
Describe a building: Vocabulary
1. Building materials
• Timber: gỗ
• Stone: đá
• Steel: a strong hard metal that is made of a mixture of iron and carbon (thép)
• Glass: kính. 
• Concrete: building material that is made by mixing together cement, sand, small stones and
water (bê tông). 
• Reinforced concrete: bê tông cốt thép. material for constructing large structures such as
tower blocks and bridges.
• Marble: a type of hard stone, often with a beautiful lined pattern going through it, that can be
highly polished. (đá hoa/ đá có vân). 
Example: The Taj Mahal is the most famous building in the world made from marble.
Describe a building: Vocabulary
2. Types of buildings
• Skyscraper: a very tall building (tòa nhà cao chọc trời)
• Low-rise apartment: căn hộ có ít tầng
• High-rise apartment: căn hộ cao tầng
• Multi-storey car park: bãi đậu xe nhiều tầng
• Ruin: a building reduced to a state of decay and collapse (tàn tích)
• Warehouse: nhà kho (lớn). 
• Office block: a building made up of many different offices, often of different companies. Example:
Many old buildings in the city are being demolished to make way for smart new office blocks.
• Heritage: things, such as buildings and traditions, that are important to a nation’s history (di
sản). Example: Some people complain that large historic houses cost a lot to maintain but they are part
of our heritage and should be preserved.
• Detached house: nhà ở riêng lẻ
Describe a building: Vocabulary
• Semi–detached house: nhà liền kề (1 nửa, vì sát với 1 căn hộ kế bên)
• Terraced house: dãy nhà liền kề
• Mansion: dinh thự
• Cottage: an old-fashioned small house (nhà phong cách đồng quê)
• Bungalow: is a small house or cottage that is either single-storey or has a second storey built into a sloping roof.
(kiểu nhà thường chỉ có 1 hoặc 2 tầng, nhỏ và có hiên rộng)
• Castle: lâu đài.
• Palace: cung điện
• Shopping centre/mall: trung tâm mua sắm
• Landmark: an object or building that is easily seen and recognized from a distance, especially one that enables
someone to establish their location. (cột mốc). Example: The Eiffel Tower is probably the best-loved landmark in
Paris.
• Public building: a building owned by the state or local government and used by the public, e.g. townhall,
library, museum, leisure centre
Describe a building: Vocabulary
3. Parts of a building
• Porch: hiên
• Balcony: ban công
• Roof: mái nhà
• Pillar: cột đình
• Attic: tầng gác mái
• Staircase: cầu thang
• Basement: tầng hầm
• Exterior: the outside of something (ngoại thất)
• Interior: the inside of something (nội thất)
• Dome: a rounded roof (mái vòm)
Describe a building: Vocabulary
4. Aesthetic perception
• Well-designed (a): thiết kế đẹp
• An eyesore (n): a building that is not attractive (đau mắt)
• Elegant (a): trang nhã
• Controversial (a): something that people either love or hate (gây tranh cãi)
• Pleasing geometric forms: có những họa tiết hình học bắt mắt
• Stunning (a): extremely impressive or attractive
• Eye-catching (a): very attractive or noticeable (bắt mắt)
• Iconic (a): mang tính biểu tượng cao. Example: The Sydney Opera House is Australia’s most iconic
building.
• State-of-the-art (a): incorporating the newest ideas and features (hiện đại)
• Groundbreaking = innovative (a): tân tiến, nhiều cải tiến mới
• Spacious (a): rộng rãi, thoáng
Describe a building: Vocabulary
5. Architectural style
• Modernist: Hiện đại
• Post-modern: an eclectic, colourful style of architecture and the decorative arts (hậu hiện
đại)
• Standardized (a): được tiêu chuẩn hóa
• Traditional (a): theo kiểu truyền thống
• International style: phong cách quốc tế
• High tech: công nghệ cao
• Futuristic: mang tính tương lai.
• Gothic: Kiến trúc Gothic
• Classical: Cổ điển => characteristic of the architecture of ancient Greece and Rome.
Describe a building: Vocabulary
6. Features
• Practical (a): có tính ứng dụng cao.
• Multi-functional (a): nhiều chức năng
• Energy-efficient (a): tiết kiệm năng lượng. Example: These days, one of the most
important considerations in building design and the choice of building materials is
energy efficiency.
• Eco-friendly: not harmful to the environment. (thân thiện với môi trường). Example:
Installing solar panels (tấm chắn hấp thu năng lượng mặt trời) to cut down on the use
of fossil fuels is one of the best ways to make your home eco-friendly.
Describe a building: Vocabulary
7. Other expressions
• Plan (v): lên kế hoạch (xây dựng)
• Preserve (v): gìn giữ, bảo tồn
• Renovate (v): cải tạo lại
• Demolish (v): phá hủy
• Refurbish (v) = redecorate: tân trang lại
• Derelict (a): bỏ hoang
• Rundown (a): xuống cấp
• Construct (v) = build
• Design (v): thiết kế
• Fall into disrepair: to be in a damaged state (xuống cấp). Example: The cinema  used to be a
beautiful building but has become a bit of an eyesore since it fell into disrepair.
Practice 2
● Describe a modern building
You should say:
– where it is and what it looks like
– what it is used for and explain
– why you like/dislike it.
Practice 3: Describe a quiet place you like to spend your time in

You should say:

● where it is
● how you knew it
● how often you go there
And explain why you like the place

Note: As you can see in the bullet points, this task does not particularly focus on
describing the place physically. Therefore, the full 4-stage approach cannot
always be applied to every part 2 question => Be smart about what to include!
Homework
● Describe your ideal house
You should say:
• where it is
• what it looks like
• when you would like to live in
• And explain why you would like to live in it