IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe a writer you would like to meet

Describe a writer you would like to meet.

You should say:

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

How to plan it in one minute

  1. Choose a writer whose work you genuinely know to ensure your points sound authentic.
  2. Use the bullet points to create a logical flow from past knowledge to future curiosity.
  3. Focus on how their work influences you personally to add depth to your explanation.

Band 8 model answer

If I had the chance to sit down with any author, I would choose Kazuo Ishiguro, the Nobel Prize-winning novelist. I have been fascinated by his work ever since I stumbled upon 'Never Let Me Go' in a dusty university bookshop. I already know that he was born in Japan but raised in Britain, a duality that seems to permeate his prose. His writing style is remarkably understated; he often uses unreliable narrators who look back on their lives with a sense of melancholic resignation, which I find incredibly moving. Beyond the biographical snippets available in interviews, I would love to find out about his specific drafting process. I am curious whether he maps out the emotional arcs of his characters before he starts writing, or if he allows the narrative voice to emerge more organically. I also want to ask him about the transition from his earlier, more realistic style to the speculative elements he has embraced in his recent fiction. The primary reason I am so eager to meet him is that his books have profoundly shifted my perspective on memory and regret. There is a quiet, meditative quality to his sentences that forces me to slow down and reflect on my own experiences. Engaging with him in person would be an intellectual dream, as I believe his insights into the human condition are as sharp as they are compassionate. A conversation with him would not just be about literature, but about the very nature of how we perceive our own histories and the choices we make along the way.

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

Vocabulary from the answer

permeate
to spread throughout every part of something
understated
presented in a subtle or restrained way
unreliable narrators
storytellers whose credibility is compromised or limited
melancholic
feeling or expressing a deep, pensive sadness
resignation
accepting something unpleasant that one cannot change
speculative
fiction involving hypothetical or futuristic concepts
meditative
involving deep thought or reflective contemplation
human condition
the essential characteristics and experiences of mankind

Part 3 questions that follow this card

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

Say it out loud and get a band

Record this card with the AI examiner: one minute of prep, two minutes to speak, then a band for fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation with the words that cost you.

Practise this cue card

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app and record cue cards anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

How should I start the cue card "Describe a writer you would like to meet."?

Choose a writer whose work you genuinely know to ensure your points sound authentic.

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