IELTS Part 2 Question Types – Describing Future Plans & Wishes

Just like the others parts of the exam, Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking Test features consistent question types. This means you can improve your preparation by familiarising yourself with the IELTS Part 2 question types:

Telling linear stories – Experiences, Holidays, Trips and more
- Click here to learn more about this question type

Describing places – Cities, Parks, Countries, Buildings and more
- Click here to learn more about this question type
Describing people – Friends, Family, Celebrities and more
- Click here to learn more about this question type
Describing Objects – Phones, Furniture, Cameras and more
- Click here to learn more about this question type

In this post, we’re going to look at how to Describe Future Plans and Wishes in the IELTS Speaking Test Part 2.

Why do I need to know this?

Many IELTS Part 2 questions ask you to describe your future dreams, goals or ambitions, such as holidays to specific places, skills you would like to learn or people you would like to meet.

For example:

Describe a country or city in which you would like to live or work
Describe an interesting job you would like to do in the future
Describe a famous person you would like to meet
Describe a sport you enjoy watching and would like to try

How do I answer these Part 2 Question Types?

Here is a list of useful sentence patterns, grammar points and vocabulary ideas you can use to describe people in IELTS Part 2 questions.

Use Modals

Modal verbs include can / could – will / would – might / may – shall / should. When talking about the future or desires, modal verbs help you express the idea that your intentions are likely but not certain.

Since it’s not certain, you should use the conditional modals: could, would and might.

It’s easy to include them in sentences. Here is a common and flexible sentence structure:

I + would / could + bare infinitive verb …

For example:

I would love to visit Santorini in Greece and see the beautiful white cliffs.
I would like to see the Segrada Familia in Barcelona with my family.
I would try to taste some Portuguese seafood, I’ve heard it’s delicious.
I could try to spot some famous A-listers in Hollywood.

Some commonly used verbs are like – love – try

Grammar Point – you can’t use want with the conditional modals – “I could want to visit Spain.” is incorrect.

The 2nd Conditional – If…

Since you’re already learning about the modal verbs could, would and might, you can take your grammar skills a step further and try to use the 2nd conditional. The 2nd conditional refers to the future, which is perfect for talking about your future wishes and dreams.

Here is the structure for the 2nd conditional:

If – Past tense + [would / could / might]

[If clause] + [main clause]

“If I had the chance, I would love to go snowboarding in Bulgaria.”

“If I went to Bali, I would definitely learn how to scuba-drive.”

“If I had to choose one city in Europe to visit, it would be Rome.”

The reverse is also possible:

[Main clause] + [if clause]

“I would love to go snowboarding in Bulgaria if I had the chance.”

“I would definitely learn how to scuba-dive if I went to Bali.”

“I would pick Rome if I had to choose one city in Europe to visit.”

The 2nd conditional is quite an advanced grammatical skill. If you can show use it in the exam you will gain points for Grammatical Range, which is 25% of your overall IELTS Speaking score!

I hope I can

If the 2nd conditional feels a little bit too difficult, there is another reliable and flexible sentence pattern you can use. These types of sentences would be perfect to talk about The Future, which is in the 3rd and final step of the PDF Strategy you should use to increase your score in Part 2 of the Speaking Test.

You can use this structure to talk about actions you want to do:

I hope + I can + bare infinitive verb

For example:

I hope I can take a selfie in front of the Sydney Opera House.
I hope I can watch a football match at Old Trafford in Manchester.
I hope I can see snow in person for the first time in my life.

You can use this structure to talk about people, places and objects:

I hope the weather is nice.
I hope the tickets aren’t too expensive.
I hope my family enjoys going hiking.
I hope my parents will join me on the trip.

Putting it all together

Here is an example IELTS Part 2 answer – applying the new techniques you saw in this post.

Describe a sport you enjoy watching that you would like to try. You should say:

what it is
how you would learn it
what equipment you would need to play

and say why you want to learn this sport.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of motor sports since I was a kid, so I would love to try and have a go at some motor racing if I ever had the chance. The UK is probably the number 1 country for motor sport, since we have some a very long racing heritage, a huge variety of tracks and countless championships featuring both new and old cars. Specifically, I would love to try driving in an historic championship.

Obviously, one of the biggest challenges of getting into motor sport is the cost of it all. It’s probably the most expensive sport in the world, so I would need to save up quite a bit of money before I could buy a car, convert it into a racing model with all the necessary safety equipment, then finally take it to a race track.

I would probably need some coaching from an instructor before I could take part in an actual race. I know there are lots of professional racing instructors, so I’d hire one to show me the ropes before they let m race against other drivers.

Despite those challenges, I think it would be absolutely thrilling to drive in a real motor race. I wouldn’t be necessarily interesting in winning the race, but instead I would prefer to experience some wheel-to-wheel, close, competitive racing. I’ve seen a lot of exhilarating on-board footage from amateur racers on YouTube, and I would love to experience that for myself. I just hope I don’t crash!”

Don’t forget! There are more posts, just like this one, loaded with flexible, realible techniques you can use in your IELTS Speaking Test. Check out the other posts on IELTS Part 2 question types:

Telling Linear Stories – Experiences, Holidays, Trips and more
- Click here to learn more about this question type

Describing places – Cities, Parks, Countries, Buildings and more
- Click here to learn more about this question type
Describing people – Friends, Family, Celebrities and more
- Click here to learn more about this question type
Describing Objects – Phones, Furniture, Cameras and more
- Click here to learn more about this question type

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