IELTS speaking part 2: Something you bought but haven’t used yet

Topic cue card:

Describe something you bought but haven’t used yet.

You should say:

        what it is

        when and where you bought it

        why you bought it

and explain why you haven’t used it.

Answer:

I would like to talk about the trench coat that I bought last year before my trip to Ha Noi.

Although I am currently living in Ho Chi Minh city, my hometown is in the north of Vietnam. Because it is in the mountainous area, the weather is really cold during winter.

Last year I decided to visit my parents during the Tet holiday. I had to prepare for the trip one month in advance in case something unexpected might happen. I went to the weather forecast website and found out that it might be extremely cold during the Tet holiday in the northern part of Vietnam, so I was a bit worried. I had been living in Ho Chi Minh city for too long and got used to the warm weather here, and I could not be sure if I could bear the cold in my hometown. As a result, I decided to look for a big wool coat to cover myself up against the chilly wind. I found the trench coat on an online store and ordered it to my place.

To my surprise, when I arrived in Ha Noi, I found the weather not cold at all. It was even quite comfortable and most people just wear a sweater or a light jacket. The big trench coat seemed totally out of place so I put it away. During the following days, the weather was still warm, and I had no chance to wear the coat. It stayed in my suitcase until I returned to Ho Chi Minh city.

From that time I haven’t used the coat and it has been left in my wardrobe since then. But I think I might need it in the future when I travel to somewhere cold, for example, to Canada, where my sister is currently living.

Similar topics:

Describe something you own but not use often.

Describe something you bought which you were not happy with.

Describe something you bought and were happy about.

Describe an item you have recently bought.

Describe an item of clothing that you purchased but you did not like.

IELTS Speaking part 2: A special date in your country’s history

Topic cue card:

Talk about a special date in your country’s history

You should say:

What is it?

Why is it?

explain it briefly.

Answer:

I would like to talk about the date of the 2nd September 1945. It is special because on this day, Vietnam declared to the world that it was free from over a hundred years of being controlled by the French and Japanese people.

In the morning of the 2nd of September 1945, over a million people gathered in the Ba Dinh square in Hanoi, and listened to the speech of President Ho Chi Minh. In this historical speech, on behalf of all Vietnamese people, he told the world that after a hundred years of slavery, Vietnam was finally an independent country with the name of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. He also promised Vietnamese people that the Communist government would try their best so that every people would have food to eat, clothing to wear and children would be able to go to school.

My grandfather was lucky enough to be present at the square on that day and he still talks about it today. He has told me many times that it was the most memorable moment in his life, when he knew that he was a free people of an independent country. Millions of people had shed their blood in order to realize the dream of freedom and that was the moment their sacrifice made it real. My grandfather, along with thousands of people there, cried the tears of happiness. They hoped that there was brighter future waiting for them.

Vietnam still celebrates the National Independence Day every year. Whenever September comes, the whole country is decorated in joyous colors, and firework displays and musical shows are organized in big cities on the 2nd of September. Various TV channels broadcast documentations about the Independence Day, especially the Declaration of Independence that President Ho Chi Minh read that day so that the young will have a better understanding of the most special date in the history of the country.

IELTS Speaking part 2: A dish eaten in special occasion

Topic cue card:

Describe a traditional meal that you prepare in your country on special occasions.

You should say:

When you eat that meal
How you prepare it
What ingredients are used to prepare it

and explain why you enjoy it.

Answer:

I would like to talk about the Banh chung. It is a special dish that is never absent on the table on the Tet holiday – the lunar new year in Vietnam.

Tet holiday is the most important occasion in a year to Vietnamese people, similar to the Christmas time in Eastern countries. On this occasion, people will return home and enjoy the time with their family after a long year of hard work. They will have great time enjoying the traditional dishes like red sticky rice, candied fruit, red pumpkin seeds, and of course, banh chung.

Banh chung is made with glutinous rice, stuffed with mung bean and pork, and wrapped into a square shape with a special leaf called the la dong. People often make many banh chung at the same time because they take a long time to be cooked. Normally, the banh chung is boiled overnight for at least 12 hours in a big pot full of water.

Boiling banh chung is also a nice time for the young, because this is the only time in the year they are allowed to stay up late to watch the pot. They often gather around the fire, playing cards or talking throughout the night.

When the banh chung is well cooked, it has a distinct green color and tasty flavor that can make you drool. Banh chung is often eaten with pickled shallots and is extremely delicious. However, you will gain lots of weight eating too much banh chung because it is high in calories and carbohydrates. Many people complain that they have to go on a diet after the Tet holiday because of this special dish.

I love banh chung not only because it is delicious but also because it reminds me of my childhood when I was living with my parents. At that time we prepared banh chung for ourselves, but now we are so busy that we could only buy them from the stores, and the taste is so much different from what I had in the past – maybe because I used to put a lot of love and care to the banh chung that I made with my family.

Comment:

You can use the answer for this topics (with proper adjustments) in similar topics as follows:

1.    Describe a traditional food item in your country.
2.    Describe a meal you know how to prepare.
3.    Describe a national festival in your country.
4.    Describe a meal you enjoy eating.
5.    Describe a widely celebrated occasion in your country.
6.    Describe an occasion that you celebrated recently.

IELTS Speaking part 2: A book

Topic cue card:

Describe a book you have read recently.

You should say:

what kind of book it is

who wrote the book

what the story of the book is

and explain if it is a good book or not.

Answer:

I would like to talk about a novel named The Immortal, written by a Vietnamese author. I just finished reading it a week ago.

I found an article about this book on a magazine, and immediately felt interested with the plot, so I looked for it everywhere. Because it was a bestseller, it was sold out from all bookstore. Luckily, when I talked to a friend about it, she sent me the book as a gift.

It was a fantasy novel with the story set in a magical world where people could wield super powers. Most people pursued an eternal life. The protagonist in the novel was a powerful magician who also sought immortality. He overcame countless challenges and finally reached his goal of being able to live forever. However, this was when the story truly began. The man lived years and years and watched his loved one to grow old and die one by one, until he was left alone. It was the price of being immortal. He spent thousands of years in solitude and travelled around the world aimlessly until he met a woman. He fell in love with her dearly and wanted to make her an immortal just like he was, but she refused. She would prefer being a mortal and enjoy a happy normal life.

One day she fell ill and could not wake up because of an incurable illness. No matter how powerful the hero was, he could not save her. In the end, he realized that she was more important than anything else and traded off his power and immortality for her life. She was revived and they lived a mortal life happily together.

The book was interesting to read, and I found it very meaningful. People should not spend too much time and attention on unachievable goals but instead cherish the moments that they have with their loved ones.

Similar topics

Describe a book that you would like to read again

Describe a time you borrowed something from your family or friend

Describe an occasion you found something that someone else lost

Describe a time you receive a gift from someone

Describe a time someone gave you something that you really wanted

Describe a story that you were told

IETLS Speaking part 2: Making a complaint

Topic cue card:

Talk about a successful complaint that you made and its result. Please say

– What was it about?

– Why did you make it?

– What was the result?

Answer:

I would like to talk about the time I made a complaint to a manager of a local hotel.

My company organized a conference at that hotel. It was a small local hotel but had good reputation for its beautiful conference room and good food. At first, it seemed to be a successful event, but later an incident ruined it all.

Because it was an all-day meeting, we had reserved lunch in the hotel. We expected nice and hot food because it was in winter and everybody just needed something to warm them up. However, to our disappointment, the food was utterly cold. Some guests even complained to me that they felt as if they were having leftover food from the day before.

I immediately called the hotel manager and told him about the food. The manager listened to my complaints and called the chef over. They apologized to me about the food and explained that because there were over one hundred people, they were worried that they could not serve the food fast enough so they prepared the food early in the morning, which resulted in cold food on the tables. They immediately called back the dishes and reheat them before bringing them out again. This time the food tasted fine and the guests were happier.

Although I was not happy with this incident, I was pleased that they tried to fix the problem right away. After that, I still organize events in this hotel, and never had such problem anymore.

IELTS Speaking part 2: Money as a gift

Topic cue card:

Describe a time when you received money as a gift. Please say

– When did you receive it?
– What did you do with it?
– How did you feel about it?

Similar topic:

Talk about an instance when you gave someone money as a gift. Please say

– Who was that person?
– When and why did you give them money?
– How did you feel about it later?

Answer:

Well, I have received money as a gift many times, mostly because in Vietnam, people have the tradition of giving a ‘red envelop’ that contains money on special occasions. I would like to talk about the time my parents gave me money as a birthday gift when I was young.

That was my 18^th birthday, and instead of buying me a present like in previous years, my parents decided to give me a red envelop. The envelop contained a million Vietnam dong – which was quite a large amount of money to me at that moment. My dad told me that because I turned 18, I was an adult and I could decide on what I want to spend the money on. Of course that was just part of the reasons. A bigger reason was that our parents could not decide on what to buy for me on my birthday, so they just gave me some money and let me buy whatever I liked.

Anyway, I was happy to have some money at my disposal, and instead of spending it on buying any product, I decided to save it for later use. After all, I had been saving all the money I received from the many red envelopes in the past, and the birthday gift of my parents just helped my savings grow. My plan that time was to accumulate enough money to travel around the country when I graduated from university. A few years later, I got enough money to realize my plan.

My parents were quite pleased with my decision. They of course did not expect me to waste the money on useless stuffs like dresses or shoes but wished me to spend it on meaningful things like a big plan like travelling or studying. After that birthday, every time my parents wanted to give me a gift, they would give me money instead.

Follow up questions:

– Do you think people prefer to receive gifts instead of money? Why?

I think no. Some people do not like the presents that they are given, and they think that they can use the money for other purposes. For example, if someone gives them the thing that they already have, they would not be as happy as receiving money.

– Do you usually use cash or a credit card? 

I use both cash and credit card. Whenever I go to a place that accepts card payment, I use cards, and when I go to a place that doesn’t accept cards, I use cash. In Vietnam, most of the time you will have to use cash.

– What are the advantages of having a credit card? 

I think cards have many advantages. First, it’s more convenient to have a card in your wallet because you do not need to bring along much money. Second, cards are safer than cash, you do not need to worry about your money when you lose your wallet. In case of cash, you will not be able to find them back. Last but not least, you can keep track of your spending in your account statement, and see what you have been spending on.

– Do credit cards have drawbacks? 

Of course yes, having a credit card means that you can spend more than what you actually have, and it will result in a deficit. You will have to work harder to pay the overdraft amount. On the other hand, you have a limit to spend using cash.

– Do you think cash will be replaced by credit cards in the future? 

I think so. In many countries, cash has been mostly replaced by cards. For example, Sweden has the plan to eliminate the use of cash in 2020 I think. Most transactions are made with the use of cards now.

IELTS GT writing task 1: Rubbish collection

Topic:

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The system used for rubbish/garbage collection in your local area is not working properly. This is causing problems for you and your neighbors.

Write a letter to the local council. In your letter:

- describe how the rubbish collection system is not working properly

- explain how this is affecting you and your neighbors

- suggest what should be done about the problem

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Answer:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing you to bring to your attention the problem with the collection system at the rubbish gathering point of Bui Huu street. It is not working properly and we are suffering from the smell of the waste.

As you may know, normally the rubbish is collected from this point every day at 5:00pm. However, during the last two weeks, the frequency of rubbish collection has been decreased to once every two days, resulting in waste piling up and emitting uncomfortable smell. This kind of smell is so strong that it follows the wind into the community garden where people often gather in the morning and evening. We have to stop our daily stroll and exercise because of the unbearable odor.

We would be grateful if you would look into this matter as soon as possible. I recommend you to reestablish the daily collection routine to the rubbish gathering point so that the trash will be cleaned up before the evening. This will help to return the fresh air for the community garden and residents in the neighborhood can resume their activities there.

Thank you for your attention. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

(202 words)

Comment:

I think that the General training writing task is not very difficult, you can just write a letter just like you do normally at work or in life. The only thing you should remember is to choose the right form of the letter. You need to know if the question is asking you to write a formal or informal letter.

Generally, if the question says you should write to someone you don’t know (a manager of a hotel where you stayed, the local council…), you should write a formal letter. If it’s your friend or relative that you know well, you can write an informal letter. If it’s someone you know, but has higher status than you (your professor, your boss…), you can write a semi-formal letter (a bit more relaxed tone than formal letters but less intimate than informal ones).

If the letter begins with “Dear Sir/Madam”, end it with “Yours faithfully,”

If the letter begins with “Dear Mr. A/Ms. B”, end it with “Yours sincerely,”

If the letter begins with “Dear Anna (or any other name of a close friend or relative”, end it with “Cheers/Love/See you/…”

Try to use different phrases and tenses and avoid any typo to maximize the score you can get from task 1.

IETLS Writing task 2: Many working people get little or no exercise either during the working day or in their free time, and have health problems as a result

Topic:

Many working people get little or no exercise either during the working day or in their free time, and have health problems as a result.

Why do many working people not get enough exercise?

What can be done about this problem?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Topic analysis:

- What type of essay is it? – Problem – Solution Essay

- What is the main issue? - Key words: health

- What are the sub issues? - Micro key words: working people, little or no exercise, health problems

- What instruction are you given? - Instruction words: why? (defining the cause of the problems) what can be done? (suggesting solutions)

Answer:

It is common in today’s life that working people face various health problems because they do not exercise enough either during their working day or in their free time. High work pressure and poor work-life balance are to blame for this phenomenon, and actions should be made to prevent this from worsening.

A primary reason for lack of exercise in workers is that they are constantly under high pressure whether it is from their bosses or competing colleagues. Most people have to work hard to accomplish the goals set out for them or try to outperform other members of staff to get a higher chance of promotion. They are willing to trade off their free time and even health to gain a better income or status. As a result, most people are too exhausted when they return home after working overtime and have no motivation to exercise.

In order to cope with this issue, actions should be taken by both the government and the companies. The government can run campaigns to raise awareness of the whole community about the importance of good health and encourage people to exercise. For the companies, they should understand that healthy workers are better assets to the company than stressed and weak ones, and should encourage employees to be more active. For example, many companies have a short activity time when members of staff gather and play some simple games to wind down before returning to work. This not only helps them to relax but also improves their health conditions, resulting in better work performance.

In conclusion, although health issues are prevalent among working people because of high work pressure and the imbalance between work and life, these problems can be solved with actions made by companies and governments.

Comment:

I just read an article about how to distribute time in writing the task 2 essay. You have 40 minutes for the task, and if you jump into writing right away, you may find it hard to get a good essay.

You need to spend the first 10 minutes on outlining what you need to write – just one bullet point for each argument. Then you spend 2-3 minutes for the opening, 20 minutes for the body (5 minutes for each paragraph), and 2-3 minutes for the conclusion. The remaining minutes are for reviewing and correcting any errors that you may have made.

25 minutes can be enough for you to write an essay if you already have a ‘skeleton’ – which is formed at the first 10 minutes.

IELTS General training – Writing task 1: feedback letter

Topic:

You recently organized an all-day meeting for your company, which took place in a local hotel. In their feedback, participants at the meeting said that they liked the hotel, but they were unhappy about the food that was served for lunch.

Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter

- Say what the participants liked about the hotel

- explain why they were unhappy about the food

- suggest what the manager should do to improve the food in future

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Answer:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to give you some feedbacks on the service that you provided for the A company meeting at your hotel last week.

In general, the meeting was a success. All participants at the meeting were pleased with your hotel, especially the beautiful conference room and the relaxation rooms that you reserved for VIPs during break times. However, most of them were not happy with the lunch, mainly because the food was too cold. Some even remarked that they felt like eating leftover food from the day before.

I understand that because your kitchen had limited capacity and could not serve a hundred people in a short time, you had to prepare food early in the morning, resulting in cold food at lunch time. But if you had arranged your staff members to reheat the food before bringing them out on the table, it would have been much better – the guests would not mind waiting extra minutes to have hot dishes.

I hope that you will take my recommendation into consideration for the next time you host similar events. I look forward to our next cooperation in the near future.

Yours faithfully,

(197 words)

IELTS Writing task 2: Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems

Topic:

Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Answer:

Many people think that there are serious social and practical problems associating with living in a foreign country where they have speak a different language from their mother tongue. I personally think that although there might be challenges to live in a country with different language, the benefits totally outweighs the drawbacks.

It is a common knowledge that language barrier can cause serious problems to people when they live or work abroad. Not being able to communicate properly with local people can cause inconvenience not only at work but also in daily life. For example, many foreigners find it difficult just to buy groceries in the market because they do not know how to explain the things they look for. Besides, language is a part of the culture and tradition, not mastering the language can discourage people from socializing and make them feel isolated from their surroundings.

Although I understand these arguments, I believe the difficulties of living in a foreign country can bring people more benefits. While many people consider the language barrier an impassable obstacle, the difficulties one faces when interacting with local people can be an encouragement for him to try harder to learn the language and gradually integrate himself into the community. The problem can be solved at its roots just by mastering the language because most people feel more confident when they can express their opinions and needs freely. More importantly, living abroad itself is a great chance for people to expand their vision and knowledge by meeting new people and having new experiences in life.

In conclusion, despite the fact that people may face many social and practical problems when they live abroad, I believe that they can benefit much more from being exposed to a foreign environment.

Comment:

I used to think that there must be a “frame” for any IELTS writing task 2, but after I tried to follow the ones posted by many IELTS websites, I found that although they are quite useful sometimes, there are no fixed way to writing an essay. It would be better to write freely to what you think fit and not limit yourself with the “frame”. Anyway, the suggested structures are just for reference. Just remember to answer the question directly, explain your reasons and give examples.

I have read somewhere that the “safe length” of an essay is about 300 words, which can be divided into about 10-13 sentences. I usually use 2 sentences for the opening, 8-10 sentences for the two paragraphs in the body (each 4-5 sentences) and 1-2 sentences for the conclusion. The number can change from time to time.

There is two weeks to my computer delivered IELTS exam, I am trying hard not to be lazy. My aim is to get LRWS 8877, hope that it will work out this time. Last time I got 7.5 in writing but only 6.5 in speaking, and I am really concerned about my speaking skill.

Wish me luck this time!