IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a book you recently read

Book cue cards fail when candidates retell the entire plot and run out of time before saying anything personal. The examiner wants your reaction, not a book report — plot should take twenty seconds, your response the rest.

The cue card

Describe a book you recently read.

You should say:

  • what the book was
  • what it was about
  • why you decided to read it
  • and explain what you thought of it

60 seconds to prepare · speak for 1–2 minutes

Your one-minute prep plan

  1. 1Name the book and author instantly, note form only, so you don't hesitate on the opening line.
  2. 2Note the plot in one sentence — one character, one problem — resist the urge to summarise chapter by chapter.
  3. 3Note the real reason you picked it up: a recommendation, a mood, a deadline. Honest reasons are easier to sustain than invented ones.
  4. 4Note one specific line, scene or idea that stayed with you — this becomes your 'what I thought' answer.

Band 9 model answer

The book I want to describe is called Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan, which I actually read last month on a friend's recommendation. It's a short novel set in an Irish town in the 1980s, about a coal merchant called Bill Furlong who delivers fuel to a convent and gradually realises what's happening to the young women kept there. I picked it up because my friend said she'd finished it in one sitting and couldn't stop thinking about it afterwards, and I was skeptical, honestly, since it's barely two hundred pages. But she was right. What struck me wasn't the plot exactly, it's fairly quiet as stories go, it was how much weight Keegan puts into small physical details — the coal dust under his fingernails, the exact change he counts out for firewood. There's a moment where he just stands outside a door deciding whether to knock, and it took me a full page to read, but somehow that page said more about moral courage than most books manage in three hundred. I finished it in an afternoon and then immediately reread the last chapter, which I never do. I think what I took from it is that decency is mostly about noticing things other people have trained themselves not to notice, and that's stayed with me since.

The same answer at band 7

The book I want to talk about is Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. I read it last month because my friend recommended it to me. It is a short novel about a man called Bill Furlong who delivers coal in an Irish town. He works near a convent and he discovers something bad is happening there to young women. I decided to read it because my friend said it was very good and short, so I thought I could finish it quickly. I really enjoyed the book. The writing is very simple but powerful, and the main character is very kind and brave. I finished the book in one day because I could not stop reading it. I would recommend this book to other people.

The band 7 answer names, summarises and evaluates correctly, which is enough for a solid pass. The band 9 answer adds a specific sensory detail (coal dust, counting change), zooms into one scene rather than the whole plot, and ends with a reflection about the book's theme rather than a generic recommendation.

Phrases worth stealing

“…which I actually read last month on a friend's recommendation.”
Covers 'why you decided to read it' in one clause.
“It's fairly quiet as stories go.”
Natural hedge when describing a plot that isn't action-packed.
“What struck me wasn't the plot exactly, it was…”
Redirects from summary to genuine reaction.
“…which I never do.”
Small aside that adds authenticity to a reading habit.
“I think what I took from it is…”
Strong way to end with an idea rather than 'it was very good'.
“I couldn't put it down.”
Common, natural idiom for an engaging book.

Part 3 questions that usually follow

Do you think people read as much as they used to?

Compare reading formats, not just quantity — mention screens and audiobooks before giving your judgement.

What are the benefits of reading fiction compared to non-fiction?

Split into two categories, for example empathy versus information, and say which you value more and why.

Should children be made to read certain books at school?

Concede the case for a shared curriculum, then argue for choice — concession then counter-argument scores well.

Mistakes to avoid

Now say it out loud

Reading model answers only gets you so far. Linguently gives you a timed Part 2 recorder with AI feedback on fluency, grammar and pronunciation, plus native speakers to practise with in real conversations.

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