Here are some sentences and phrases to help you with IELTS Speaking Part 2. These are particularly useful for students who are using one of my strategies.
This is a work in progress, so there should be more added when time allows.
If you use any of them, remember to change the tense to suit what you are saying.
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IELTS Speaking Part 2 Quiz: It Doesn’t Need to be Hell!
Places (also try this Quizlet)
Cosy little hotel
This part of the city could look really bleak on a cold wet day
That part of the city always reminded me of East Berlin in January, cold, grey and bleak
The path wound up the gorge beside the crashing river
The beach was crowded with people of every shape and size
There’s an ancient, ruined castle on top of a cliff keeping a look out over the sea
There’s a huge stone cathedral that seemingly took about a hundred years to build, right in the middle of the city
Although it’s too touristy these days, it must have been an amazing place before.
There’s a promenade so it’s easy to walk along the beach on a kind of road, watching all the kids playing and people sunbathing
There’s a castle that’s still used sitting upon a huge rock right in the city centre.
A grand old hotel that’s seen better days inside and out.
Inside places
Lots of great photographs hanging on the walls
Highly polished wooden floors
Incredibly comfy sofas
Has a really relaxed and intimate atmosphere
Floor to ceiling windows
Floor to ceiling bookshelves
It had a large and ornate fireplace at one end of the room
A tall narrow pine bookcase absolutely crammed full of books in both Chinese and English
Although it was on a busy little street, it was really quiet inside
There were clothes strewn all over the sofa
Little knick-knacks from memories past
A coffee table covered in the necessities of beauty
The top of the bookcase is covered with little ornaments he has gathered over the years
There was an orange yoga mat stuffed down the side for some reason
The shelves were covered in mementoes from another life
There was a full set of encyclopaedias in the bookcase
Sun streamed in the windows and …..
Outside places
It looked out on to a wonderful walled garden full of flowers of all different colours
The moors rolled on forever, covered in their bushes, tough grass and bright yellow gorse
Coming off the moors, you can see the whole of the estuary spread out in front of you like a map
You could see the tops of the mountains in the distance
The grass behind the beach is well manicured in keeping with the town spirit
The usual detritus had been washed up on the sand by the last tide
The sea reflected the gunmetal grey of the coming storm
It looked run down and abandoned
There was grass growing between the slabs in the pavement
Tags from the latest gangs covered the walls
Everything was covered with frost
The frost crunched as we walked across the grass
People (also try these Quizlets)
Character / Appearance
He/she is:
good company
highly intelligent
fiercely loyal
supremely confident
painfully shy
He/she has:
a selfish streak
an outgoing personality
a good sense of humour
a vivid imagination
a quick temper
a razor-sharp mind
a sense of responsibility
He/she has a tendency to:
set high standards
make snap decisions
keep their word
bear a grudge
keep their temper
make a fool out of someone
play a joke on people
throw a tantrum
keep their patience
She/he has:
an upturned nose
a lovely complexion
shoulder length hair
broad hips
broad shoulders
chubby cheeks
jet black hair
strawberry blonde hair
ginger hair
fair hair
going grey
dishevelled hair
always immaculately groomed
a youthful appearance
bushy eyebrows
She/he is:
slim
skinny
well built
going bald
Negative attitudes towards people
He/she is:
bone idle
a slippery customer
a nasty piece of work
totally out of order
a downright disgrace
He/she has:
an attitude problem
no respect for others
Men
Very tall and thin with greyish hair
His spectacles made him look rather clever
He’s always laughing, no matter how serious the situation is. I think he’s seen hard times
He sticks his nose in his book for hours at a time
He always has some kind of money-making scheme on the go
He hardly goes out these days, his computer is his window to the world
He’s desperately trying to lose weight without much success
He’s a keen footballer but it’s just to keep fit
He can’t stop himself tapping his fingers in time to songs he likes
He’s worked at the mill for as long as I can remember
He’s never been able to hold down a job for longer than a year
He’s always getting promoted and demoted at work depending on how he’s getting on with the boss at the time.
He’s making a conscious effort to work less so he can spend more time with his family
He stuck his hands in his pockets to keep them warm
He stooped slightly from working at his desk too long
Gaunt
Completely bald
He’s got a loud voice; you can hear him from miles away
He’s in his 50s
He’s always very well dressed
He tries to be funny, but his jokes are terrible, and nobody laughs
It was worth all the time and effort
He will always have a special place in my heart
He looks like me
There is a clear family resemblance
We look like each other
People say he looks like his dad
I must admit though, his photos are stunning
He hadn’t shaved for a week
He had a beard
He wore a T-shirt, a denim jacket and had a baseball cap on.
Women
She had hair that had a kind of purple glow about it.
Her face is full of wrinkles that she prefers to call laughter lines
The blue glow of her mobile phone compliments her pretty face
She always wanted to be a dancer on the telly
She adores playing cards
She sticks to her guns
She’s as thin as a rake
She has a little turned-up nose
She usually wears her hair in a ponytail/ a bun/ bunches
She has long black hair
She has shoulder-length blonde hair
The older she gets the lighter her hair is
There was a sadness about her, I don’t know why
She has always been a role model in our family
She always wore bright clothes
She was a dance teacher, and she loved going to raves
She has big bright eyes
She has a heart of gold
She would do anything for you, she’s always helping people
I don’t really read mags or newspapers anymore, I read the online versions
Glossy fashion mags
She has a sweet tooth
Sometimes I like nothing better than sitting back on the sofa and reading a glossy fashion mag
Believe it or not, I prefer to read about historical stuff like the war. I find it fascinating
She loves pottering about in her garden
She likes nothing better than relaxing with a drink
She stared straight at me
She had long brown hair
She was wearing a pair of jeans, a white Tshirt and an expensive-looking black jacket
She used to enjoy knitting cute little jerseys for her grandchildren, but her fingers are too stiff these days
A Journey for IELTS Speaking Part 2 (Try this Quizlet)
There were five of us in the car and I was all hunched up in the back because my legs are really long
I had my head against the window, and I was staring blankly at the passing scenery
I gazed out at the mountains/ farmland stretching into the distance/ wind and rain lashing down/ the clear night sky full of stars/ ……
I was dreaming of the time that I ……..
I was thinking of what I had left behind and what was ahead of me
I was still worried about my exams and how they were going to affect my life when …….
We took turns at driving and sleeping
The train just kept going as life was played out inside the carriages
I find it really easy to fall asleep to the gentle rocking motion of a train
I made it just in time, they closed the doors after I went in. Everyone was looking at me
I woke up with a jolt when the air hostess offered me a glass of orange juice.
I was really disoriented
I followed the weather on the screen, a massive snowstorm was following us across America
The trains are long and very comfortable, but they are so slow. I could have walked quicker
All three of us were crammed into a row of seats, all trying to sleep
An object
A hardback version of my favourite book
A top of the range coffee machine
An expensive jade bracelet
A handcrafted mug with a little black lid with ‘you deserve the best’ painted on the front.
A small porcelain figurine of a ballerina
A bright red exercise bike with no mileometer
One of these bendy things for holding your iPhone when you’re watching a movie in bed
Food (Try this Quizlet)
Eye wateringly spicy food
Firey chilli
Bright red-hot pot
The air was thick with the smell of chillies
There’s nothing that brings back childhood memories more than the smell of baked bread
The aroma of coffee was pulling me towards the cafe
A nice juicy steak with really fat chips
Apple pie that was to die for
Steak as tough as an old boot
A slap-up meal
He drinks nothing but Earl Grey tea
He likes nothing more than a nice pint of Guinness
The only thing he misses is his mum’s cooking
There are great little places that sell the most amazing noodles/ filled rolls/ cakes/ local delicacies/ ………
He has boiled eggs and toast for breakfast every day
She changes diet every week, but she still isn’t getting any thinner
Clothes (Try this Quizlet)
He’s blind without his glasses
A huge worn brown leather jacket
A black down jacket
A pair of old black jeans
A crisp business suit and tie
T-shirt and shorts
An old tracksuit
A beautiful pink trouser suit
Incredibly short shorts
Hot pants
A mini skirt
A lovely thick woollen sweater
A green hoodie
A baseball cap pulled down over his eyes
There were clothes rails full of clothes
There were lots of dresses on hangers.
Hobbies and Activities for IELTS Speaking Part 2 (Try this Quizlet)
They’re going to dance lessons every Thursday evening to learn the cha cha cha
He likes buying things cheaply and trying to sell them for a profit
She knits kids jerseys when she watches the TV, she hardly looks at what she’s doing
Even though they live on the 15th floor, she has a little garden hanging outside her dining room window which she tends every day.
Although her mum only likes to play old favourites, she likes to think of herself as a rock pianist.
I really like drawing, but I don’t like to show them to anyone
My dad likes to bake cakes, but only for the family
Everybody thinks I should like to play basketball because I’m tall, but I hate it
I’m really into playing chess. I go over different moves, then try them out when I play someone online.