IELTS Speaking Part 2

Describe something you would do if you had a lot of money: 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.
  • 273 words
  • Other topics
  • 1 minute to prepare
  • 2 minutes to speak

The cue card

Describe something you would do if you had a lot of money.

You should say:

  • →What you would do
  • →Who would benefit from it
  • →How you would organise it
  • →And explain why you would choose to do this

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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Other topics

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

  1. 1

    Choose something meaningful and specific, like building a clinic or funding scholarships, rather than a list of luxury purchases.

  2. 2

    Show careful planning in the 'how' point with sequencing words such as first, then and also.

  3. 3

    Use the third conditional in a personal story ('if she had been treated earlier, she would have recovered') to explain your motivation.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8273 words, about two minutes at a natural pace. Details are invented; use your own.

If I suddenly had a lot of money, the first thing I'd do is build a proper community health clinic in my home village in Sindh, Pakistan. I'm a twenty-seven-year-old software developer in Karachi, but my parents and many relatives still live there.

The people who'd benefit are the families in our village and the dozen or so smaller settlements around it, probably several thousand people. At the moment, the nearest decent hospital is over two hours away by road, and the road floods during the monsoon. Pregnant women, elderly people and children with fevers are the ones who suffer most.

I'd organise it carefully, because I've seen projects fail. I wouldn't just put up a building. First, I'd talk to local elders and women's groups to understand what they actually need. Then I'd hire a qualified doctor and nurse, offering them good salaries and housing so they'd actually stay. I'd also set aside money in a fund so the clinic could keep running for at least ten years, and I'd train a few local young people as health workers.

I'd choose this because of my grandmother. When I was eleven, she had a sudden infection, and by the time we got her to the hospital in the city, it was too late. The doctor said that if she'd been treated a day earlier, she'd probably have recovered. That has stayed with me ever since. Of course I'd also buy my parents a nicer house and maybe travel a little. But a clinic is something that would outlast me, and it would mean no other family has to go through what we did.

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7 words

Useful vocabulary for this cue card

  • settlements

    small villages or places where people live

  • decent

    of good enough quality

  • qualified

    having the right training and certificates

  • set aside

    keep money for a particular purpose

  • infection

    an illness caused by bacteria or a virus

  • recovered

    become healthy again

  • outlast

    continue to exist longer than someone or something

5 questions

Part 3 follow-up questions

  1. 1Does money make people happier?
  2. 2Should very rich people be required to give more to society?
  3. 3Why do some people waste money after winning a lottery?
  4. 4Is it better to save money or spend it on experiences?
  5. 5Should children be taught about money at school?

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 something you would do if you had a lot of money."?+

Choose something meaningful and specific, like building a clinic or funding scholarships, rather than a list of luxury purchases.

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.

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