IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe a time you felt annoyed by someone's behaviour in public: IELTS cue card with sample answer

An IELTS cue card for Speaking Part 2 with a Band 8 sample answer, the one-minute plan behind it, the vocabulary that lifts it and the Part 3 follow-up questions the examiner can ask next.
  • 263 words
  • An experience
  • 1 minute to prepare
  • 2 minutes to speak

The cue card

Describe a time you felt annoyed by someone's behaviour in public.

You should say:

  • →When and where it happened
  • →Who the person was
  • →What they did
  • →And explain why their behaviour annoyed you

One minute to prepare, then speak for one to two minutes. Prefer to practise without recording? Run the clock on any card with the IELTS speaking timer.

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An experience

How to answer this cue card: a one-minute plan

  1. 1

    Choose a common situation, such as noise on transport or queue-jumping, and keep the tone calm rather than angry.

  2. 2

    Describe what the person did in stages to show the behaviour continuing.

  3. 3

    Explain the deeper reason for your annoyance, such as lack of respect for shared space.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8263 words, about two minutes at a natural pace. Details are invented; use your own.

This happened last year on a long-distance bus from Beijing to Tianjin, which takes about two hours. I was travelling to visit my parents after a very long week at work, and I was looking forward to sleeping on the way.

The person was a man in his thirties sitting directly behind me. As soon as the bus left, he started a video call on his phone on speaker, at full volume. For the first ten minutes I assumed he'd stop soon. He didn't. He talked loudly for about an hour, and then, when the call ended, he started watching videos, again without headphones. On top of that, he kept pushing his knees into the back of my seat.

I eventually turned round and politely asked if he could use earphones. He looked surprised, said he didn't have any, and carried on. A few other passengers rolled their eyes, but nobody said anything, and the driver didn't seem to notice.

I think it annoyed me so much for a few reasons. The most obvious was that I was exhausted and couldn't rest. But more than that, it was the lack of consideration. A bus is a shared space, and he behaved as though he was in his own living room. What also frustrated me was that nobody else spoke up, so I felt like the difficult one. Looking back, I probably could have asked the driver for help. It also made me more aware of my own behaviour; I now always carry spare earphones, partly to make sure I never become that person.

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7 words

Useful vocabulary for this cue card

  • at full volume

    As loud as possible.

  • assumed

    Believed something was true without checking.

  • carried on

    Continued doing something.

  • rolled their eyes

    Moved the eyes upwards to show annoyance.

  • consideration

    Thinking about other people's feelings and needs.

  • spoke up

    Said something publicly, especially to complain.

  • frustrated

    Annoyed because you can't change a situation.

6 questions

Part 3 follow-up questions

  1. 1What kinds of public behaviour are considered rude in your country?
  2. 2Should there be fines for antisocial behaviour?
  3. 3Have manners in public got worse over time?
  4. 4How should people react when they see bad behaviour?
  5. 5Do mobile phones make people less considerate?
  6. 6Who should teach children good manners, parents or schools?

Answer each in three to five sentences: position, reason, example, limit. See how to answer IELTS Speaking Part 3.

Frequently asked questions

How should I start the cue card "Describe a time you felt annoyed by someone's behaviour in public."?+

Choose a common situation, such as noise on transport or queue-jumping, and keep the tone calm rather than angry.

How long should I speak on an IELTS cue card?+

You get one minute to prepare, then 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.

How is the cue card scored?+

Part 2 is not scored on its own. Your whole Speaking test gets one band from four criteria: fluency and coherence, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. The cue card is where the examiner hears whether you can keep going for two minutes.

Can I use this sample 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.

Keep practising

More cue cards: an experience

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