IELTS Speaking — Part 2 Cue Card
IELTS Speaking Cue Card: Describe a Place in Your City or Town
Model answer for the IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card about a local place you like. Vocabulary, Part 3 questions, and Band 7+ tips included.
The Cue Card Prompt
Describe a place in your city or town that you like to visit. You should say: • what the place is • where it is located • what you do there And explain why you enjoy visiting this place.
How to Structure Your Answer
Cover each bullet point in order. Aim for roughly equal time on each:
- What the place is (park, market, café, museum, etc.)
- Where it is located
- What you do there
- Why you enjoy it
Band 7+ Model Answer
There's a place I'd like to describe — a botanical garden on the eastern edge of the city, roughly a 20-minute cycle from where I live. It's not especially well-known, which is perhaps part of its appeal. I usually visit on weekend mornings, when it's relatively quiet. The garden covers a large area and is divided into different sections — tropical plants in a glass greenhouse, a formal rose garden, and a wilder section that's been left deliberately overgrown to attract birds and insects. I tend to walk through all three sections and then find a bench somewhere in the quiet part to read. What I genuinely enjoy about it is the contrast it offers to the rest of the city. The moment you step inside, the noise of the traffic fades and you're surrounded by greenery. It's one of the few places in the city where I can genuinely switch off — I leave my phone in my bag and just exist there for an hour or two. I also appreciate the way it changes with the seasons. In spring, the rose garden is spectacular; in autumn, the trees turn copper and gold. Visiting the same place across different seasons gives you a sense of time passing in a way that's quite rare in city life.
Key Vocabulary to Use
Examiner Tips for Band 7+
- ✓Describe the place using your senses: what you see, hear, smell — not just what it looks like.
- ✓Show grammatical range by mixing simple and complex sentences: "It's a garden. What makes it special, however, is the way it changes across the seasons."
- ✓Use relative clauses to add detail: "a glass greenhouse, which houses tropical species from across the world."
- ✓Speak about your feelings and reactions — this personalises the answer and demonstrates natural spoken English.
- ✓For Part 3, connect to broader ideas: urban planning, wellbeing research, social trends.
Part 3: Discussion Questions
After the cue card, the examiner will ask abstract questions on the same theme. Here are likely questions with model answers.
Q: Why is it important for cities to have public spaces?
Public spaces play a vital role in urban wellbeing. They give people — particularly those without gardens or large homes — access to nature and open air. They also serve as democratic spaces where people from different backgrounds mix, which is important for social cohesion. Cities that invest in parks and squares tend to have higher quality of life scores.
Q: Do young people in your country spend enough time outdoors?
Honestly, probably not — and this seems to be a global trend rather than a local one. Screen time has increased dramatically, particularly after the pandemic normalised remote work and online entertainment. That said, I think there's a growing countermovement: wild swimming, outdoor fitness, and nature-based activities have all seen a surge in popularity among younger generations.
Q: How do urban areas affect people's mental health?
The relationship is complex. Urban areas offer opportunity, stimulation, and access to services that benefit mental health. But they also expose people to higher levels of noise, pollution, and social pressure. Research consistently shows that access to green space within cities is one of the strongest predictors of urban residents' mental wellbeing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I talk about a place outside my city for this cue card?▼
The card specifies "in your city or town" — stay within those boundaries. If you expand to another place, the examiner may note it, though they won't interrupt you. It's safer to stick to the prompt.
What if I can't think of a place I like?▼
You can describe a real place you know but don't particularly visit, or invent a place. IELTS Speaking assesses your language ability, not the accuracy of your answer. Pick the place that gives you the most to say.
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