IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe home exercise equipment you have

A Band 8 model answer with the one-minute plan behind it, the vocabulary that lifts it, and the Part 3 questions that follow.
  • 284 words
  • An object
  • 1 minute to prepare
  • 2 minutes to speak

The cue card

Describe home exercise equipment you have

You should say:

  • →what it is and what it looks like
  • →where you keep it in your home
  • →how often you use it
  • →and explain why you prefer using this at home rather than going elsewhere

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

An object

How to plan it in one minute

  1. 1

    Identify the specific item and describe its design and mechanism clearly.

  2. 2

    Mention where it is stored to naturally show your living arrangement and domestic routine.

  3. 3

    Contrast the ease of home workouts with the inconvenience of travelling to a fitness centre.

Model answer

Band 8 model answer

Band 8284 words, about two minutes at a natural pace. Details are invented; use your own.

I would like to talk about a pair of adjustable dumbbells that I keep in my flat for regular strength training. In terms of appearance, they look remarkably sleek and compact compared to standard gym weights. Rather than having a whole rack of loose iron plates, these use a clever dial mechanism on the handle, which allows you to switch the load from two kilos up to twenty-four kilos per hand simply by turning a small knob.

I keep them stored away in the corner of my spare bedroom, which doubles up as a makeshift home office and workout space. They sit on a small protective rubber mat so they do not scuff the wooden floorboards. Because the whole set takes up less than a square metre, they never get under my feet or make the room feel cluttered, which is vital since space is at a premium in my flat.

As for my routine, I tend to use them roughly four to five mornings a week. I generally follow a thirty-minute upper-body or full-body circuit before sitting down to work. It is not an excessively long session, but it really sets me up for the rest of the day and boosts my energy levels.

The main reason I prefer training with these at home rather than going to a commercial gym is sheer convenience. In the past, having to pack a kit bag, travel across town in rush-hour traffic, and queue for popular machines often put me off exercising altogether. Having this equipment readily available eliminates that friction entirely. I can simply roll out of bed, complete a workout in complete privacy, and save a considerable amount of money on monthly membership fees.

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8 words

Vocabulary from the answer

  • sleek

    smooth, elegant, and modern in design

  • dial mechanism

    a rotating control component used to adjust settings

  • doubles up as

    serves an additional purpose or secondary function

  • makeshift

    temporary and improvised for immediate use

  • at a premium

    scarce and therefore highly valued

  • sets me up

    prepares someone effectively for an activity or period

  • put me off

    discouraged or demotivated someone from doing something

  • friction

    unnecessary obstacles that slow down or deter action

5 questions

Part 3 questions that follow this card

  1. 1Why do you think home workouts have become so popular recently?
  2. 2Do you think exercising at home is as effective as training in a gym?
  3. 3How might advances in technology change the way people exercise at home in the future?
  4. 4Should governments invest more money in public sports facilities or in home-fitness subsidies?
  5. 5What are the main drawbacks of relying entirely on home workouts for physical health?

Answer each in three to five sentences: position, reason, example, limit. Read Band 8 answers to these Part 3 questions: home fitness and public health trends.

Frequently asked questions

How should I start the cue card "Describe home exercise equipment you have"?+

Identify the specific item and describe its design and mechanism clearly.

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.

Keep practising

More cue cards: an object

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