Describe a book you enjoyed reading
The full IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card, a band-8 model answer you can learn from, the Part 3 questions that follow, and examiner strategy. Free, no sign-up.
Describe a book you enjoyed reading.
You should say:
- what the book was
- what it was about
- when you read it
- and explain why you enjoyed it
You will have one minute to prepare and should then speak for one to two minutes.
Band-8 model answer
I'd like to talk about a novel I read a couple of summers ago called 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho. It's quite a short book, but it's had a lasting impact on me. Essentially, it follows a young shepherd who travels from Spain to Egypt in search of treasure, but along the way the story becomes much more about following your dreams and paying attention to the signs life gives you. I actually picked it up almost by accident — a friend lent it to me when I was going through a fairly uncertain period, trying to decide what to do after graduating. What I enjoyed most was how simply it was written; the language is very plain, yet it manages to say something quite profound, which I think is much harder to pull off than it looks. There were several passages I underlined and still think about now. The main reason it resonated with me was the timing — it gave me a bit of perspective exactly when I needed it, and ever since then I've recommended it to pretty much everyone I know.
Why this answer scores band 8
- ✓Comfortable paraphrasing to summarise the plot without listing events
- ✓Evaluative language: 'lasting impact', 'quite profound', 'harder to pull off than it looks'
- ✓Ties enjoyment to a specific personal moment ('the timing') rather than a vague 'it was good'
Part 3 follow-up questions
After the cue card, the examiner discusses the topic in more depth. Practise these aloud too — Part 3 is where the highest bands are won or lost.
Examiner strategy for this cue card
Practise this answer out loud in a real Speaking test
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Describe a book you enjoyed reading — FAQ
How do you answer the 'Describe a book you enjoyed reading' IELTS cue card?
Spend your one minute of preparation noting a few keywords for each prompt (what the book was; what it was about; when you read it; and explain why you enjoyed it), then speak for the full two minutes. Cover each point briefly but give most of your time to the final 'explain why' prompt, where the marks are. A full band-8 model answer is shown on this page.
How long should the IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?
You should talk for up to two minutes without stopping. It is better to keep going and cover the topic in depth than to finish early — the examiner will stop you when the time is up.
What Part 3 questions follow 'Describe a book you enjoyed reading'?
Part 3 broadens the topic into a discussion. For this cue card, expect questions such as: Do you think people read less now than in the past? What are the benefits of reading for young people? Are printed books better than e-books, in your view?