In this tutorial, ex-examiner Robert looks at how to answer Speaking Part 2 questions you know nothing about.

You will learn:

What the examiner is really interested in

What to do with the 60-minute preparation time in Speaking part 2

How to take notes for Speaking part 2

The difference between “Describing” vs “Explaining” in Speaking Part 2

Useful tips for answering Speaking Part 2 Questions you know nothing about

Imagine you receive the following question during part 2 of the IELTS Speaking test: 

Describe something you do to keep healthy. 

You should mention:

What it is

How often you do it 

How you do it (how easy or difficult it is to do)

Explain how it helps to keep you fit

Oh dear! That’s something you know absolutely nothing about. You don’t exercise and you eat all the wrong things. You’ve got 60 seconds to think of something to say! Help!

Yes, exams do have a nasty habit of asking the questions you least wanted. But, will a lack of knowledge or life experience affect your Band score? Do you have to follow the bullet points one by one or else expect your score to go down?

I think the answer to both those questions is “No” but both are worth looking at in more detail. 

What the examiner is really interested in

The examiner is interested in your spoken English, not your depth of knowledge or experience related to any topic. But it is still important for you to keep to the chosen topic. That means you shouldn’t change the topic or even ask for it to be changed. 

What to do with the 60-minute preparation time

So, what’s the solution when your mind goes blank? First of all, do not panic. There’s always a way. Here’s what I would do in that one-minute preparation time. 

First of all, do not panic. Take notes on how you’ll answer the questions following the bullet points. Keep an eye on your notes because, in moments of crisis, it gives you a foundation upon which you can build your 2-minute answer. 

Talk about the first bullet point truthfully. Don’t invent a false story. It will take you all your time to think of the details instead of concentrating on the English. 

Expand on the second, third and fourth bullet points. An easier way would be to talk about someone you know who is fit and healthy. 

How to take notes for Speaking part 2

There are two important issues when it comes to notes. 

How many points can you manage to write in 60 seconds?

What form should the notes take? A bullet point list style? A mind map with connecting arrows to show cause and consequence, thought bubbles or whatever? Something different? Just some key words?

There are no definitive answers to point 2 I think.  What have you found suits you best? Find that out, practice using it and feel comfortable with it. 

Point 1 is another thing, though. I read somewhere that a maximum of 5 or 6 keywords or phrases is the most you can write in 60 seconds. 

The difference between “Describing” vs “Explaining” in Speaking Part 2

Look again at the bullet points. There’s a difference between “describing” and “explaining”.  Take this example and notice how simple “describing” turns into “explaining”. 

Well, what I do most weekdays after work is that I go to this gym just near where I live. It’s on the way home from work in fact. I try to follow some kind of routine there, you know, like working on upper body strength with weights a couple of times a week and other days on the running machine or something I started a while ago and I really like it, that’s yoga. I find it really relaxes me after a stressful day at work and if I know if ...