Describe a natural place you like to visit
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 natural place you like to visit.
You should say:
- Where this place is
- How you discovered it
- What you usually do there
- and explain why you like visiting this place
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 lake called Loch Eck, which is tucked away in the Scottish Highlands, about two hours from Glasgow. I first stumbled across it almost by accident. A few years ago I was on a road trip with a friend and we took a wrong turning, and suddenly this long, narrow loch opened up in front of us, surrounded by steep, forested hills. We just pulled over and sat there for ages. Since then I've been back several times, usually in early autumn when the trees along the shore turn copper and gold. What I usually do there is fairly simple, really. I walk along the shoreline path, sometimes I bring a flask of coffee and just sit on a rock watching the water, and occasionally I'll spot a heron or even a deer coming down to drink. The reason I keep going back is that it genuinely helps me recharge my batteries. Life in the city is fairly hectic, so being somewhere this quiet, where the only sounds are birds and water lapping against the stones, feels like a world away from my normal routine. I also find that I completely lose track of time there, which almost never happens to me anywhere else. Honestly, if I could, I'd move somewhere nearby permanently.
Why this answer scores band 8
- ✓Wide range of tenses used naturally: present simple for habits, past simple for a specific visit, present perfect for experience, conditional for hypothetical wish
- ✓Idiomatic and precise vocabulary such as 'recharge my batteries', 'lose track of time', 'a world away from' used naturally rather than forced
- ✓Clear discourse organisation with linking phrases like 'what really stands out', 'the reason I keep going back' that signpost ideas and extend the final bullet fully
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 natural place you like to visit — FAQ
How do you answer the 'Describe a natural place you like to visit' IELTS cue card?
Spend your one minute of preparation noting a few keywords for each prompt (Where this place is; How you discovered it; What you usually do there; and explain why you like visiting this place), 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 natural place you like to visit'?
Part 3 broadens the topic into a discussion. For this cue card, expect questions such as: Why do you think people are drawn to natural landscapes rather than urban environments? How important is it for cities to preserve green spaces and parks? Do you think modern technology has changed the way people experience nature?