IELTS Part 2 Question Types – Describing Places

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 people – Friends, Family, Celebrities and more
- Click here to learn more about this question type
Describing future plans and wishes – Jobs, Goals, Ambitions 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 Describing Places in the IELTS Speaking Test Part 2.

Why do I need to know this?

Many IELTS Part 2 Questions ask you to describe places such as cities, facilities, famous areas or specific buildings.

For example:

Describe your favourite building in your home town
Describe a new development in your city (a shopping mall, cinema, leisure facility)
Describe a public place that needs improvements
Describe a time you did some shopping in a street market
Describe a quiet place you like to visit

How do I answer these Part 2 Question Types?

Preparing in your 60 Seconds:

Following the PDF strategy – my advice would be to prepare ideas in the Describe section.

Trying choosing 2 or 3 specific things to describe in more detail.

For example: Describe a quiet place

My answer: The park near my house

the duck pond
the walking trails
the outdoor cafes

This is a simple list that is easy to prepare and gives you a lot of flexibility. You can describe these ideas in any order, and you can focus on sharing as much detail as you can. It also stops you over-thinking and getting confused about what to talk about next. Keep it simple!

Language Tips:

I like…

(I like + verb-ing)

I like sitting down and enjoying a coffee
I like going there and shopping in the different stores
I like visiting there every now and again
I like eating there because the menu is fantastic

You can see…

(You can + verb)

You can see huge skyscrapers
You can relax and enjoy the peace and quiet
You can listen to the birds and the wind
You can buy some souvenirs
You can eat some local food
You can spend time by the beach

There are…

(There is / are + things / objects / facilities / people)

There is a beautiful sunset in the evening
There is a lot of traffic during rush hour
There are street markets everywhere
There are fun parties every night
There are kids and families playing on the grass.

…

Strong and Vivid Adjectives

Here are some example collocations you can use to make your descriptions more exciting and vivid. You can also demonstrate your vocabulary skills to the examiner as well.

Here are some examples of common strong adjective collocations:

Mouth-watering food
Stunning views
Breathtaking scenery
Incredible architecture
Gorgeous weather
Boiling hot
Freezing cold
Wonderful people

Googling Strong or Ungradeable Adjectives will help you discover more, and allow you to make even more advanced and varied descriptions in your IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer.

Putting it all together

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

My answer: The park near my house

the duck pond
the walking trails
the outdoor cafes

“In my city there are a lot of green spaces and parks, so fortunately there are a lot of quiet places I can go to unwind and escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre. One place in particular is called ‘Crystal Gardens” here in Sofia in Bulgaria.

“In the park, there is a pretty little duck pond. You can see ducks and ducklings swimming about in the water, I like sitting there and reading a book or just listening to music. You can enjoy the peace and quiet, especially in the city. There are also some really nice walking trails in the park. You can go hiking or just wander around and get lost in the park. I like going there to do some exercise when the weather is nice. Lastly, there are lots of outdoor cafes in the park. After I go walking, I like sitting down there and having a coffee or a beer and doing some people-watching. Overall, it’s just a really nice place.

I’m probably going to go there at some point this week because the weather is supposed to be wonderful. So I’m looking forward to blowing off some steam in Crystal Gardens so I can forget about my IELTS test for a while!”

Telling Linear Stories – Experiences, Holidays, Trips 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 future plans and wishes – Jobs, Goals, Ambitions 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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