IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe a child who loves drawing/painting

Describe a child who loves drawing/painting

You should say:

One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes.

How to plan it in one minute

  1. Choose a real person you know to make the description feel more authentic and natural.
  2. Use your prep time to list three specific adjectives to describe their artistic style or personality.
  3. Link the 'why' section back to their personality traits to give your answer more depth.

Band 8 model answer

I’d like to tell you about my seven-year-old nephew, Leo, who is an exceptionally gifted budding artist. I first noticed his creative streak about two years ago during a family gathering. While the other children were running around the garden playing tag, I found Leo sitting in a quiet corner of the conservatory, completely absorbed in sketching the intricate patterns on a vase using a set of charcoal pencils. I was immediately struck by his level of focus and the maturity of his technique at such a tender age.

He is almost inseparable from his sketchbook these days. He paints or draws every single day, usually for an hour or so before dinner. Whether it is watercolours, pastels, or simple graphite, he is constantly experimenting with light and shadow. His parents have even dedicated a small section of their kitchen wall as his personal gallery, which is currently plastered with his vibrant impressions of our local park.

I believe he loves drawing because it acts as a unique form of escapism for him. He is a rather shy, soft-spoken boy, so art provides him with a silent language to express emotions that he might struggle to articulate verbally. When he puts brush to canvas, his anxiety seems to melt away, and he enters a flow state where he feels entirely in control of his environment. For Leo, it is not just about the final image; it is the sheer tactile pleasure of blending colours and the way he can capture the fleeting beauty of the world around him that keeps him so passionately engaged.

264 words, about two minutes at a natural pace. Details are invented; use your own.

Vocabulary from the answer

budding
someone who is starting to develop their talent
creative streak
a natural tendency to be artistic or imaginative
intricate
having a lot of small, complex, detailed parts
inseparable
two things or people that are always together
plastered
covered completely with something like posters or art
escapism
activity that helps you forget about unpleasant reality
flow state
a mental state of deep and total immersion
tactile
related to the sense of touch and feeling

Part 3 questions that follow this card

Answer each in three to five sentences: position, reason, example, limit. See the Part 3 guide.

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Frequently asked questions

How should I start the cue card "Describe a child who loves drawing/painting"?

Choose a real person you know to make the description feel more authentic and natural.

How long should my answer be?

Speak for the full two minutes, about 220 to 280 words at a natural pace. The examiner will stop you at two minutes, which is a good sign, not a problem.

Can I use this model answer in the exam?

Use its structure and vocabulary, not its sentences. Examiners recognise memorised answers and mark fluency down; a shorter answer from your own memory scores higher than a recited one.

More cue cards: a person