IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a hobby you enjoy

Hobby cue cards are easy to answer but hard to answer well, because most candidates default to generic statements like 'it helps me relax'. The fix is to describe one recent session of the hobby in detail rather than the hobby in the abstract.

The cue card

Describe a hobby you enjoy.

You should say:

  • what the hobby is
  • how you started doing it
  • how often you do it
  • and explain why you enjoy it

60 seconds to prepare · speak for 1–2 minutes

Your one-minute prep plan

  1. 1Name the hobby precisely — not 'sport' but the exact activity, such as bouldering or amateur baking.
  2. 2Note the specific moment or person that got you started, with a rough date.
  3. 3Note your current routine: when, where, with whom, roughly how often.
  4. 4Note one honest, specific reason you enjoy it, avoiding 'it relaxes me' as the whole answer.

Band 9 model answer

The hobby I'll describe is bouldering, which is basically indoor rock climbing without ropes, on shorter walls with mats underneath. I got into it almost by accident — a coworker dragged me along to a climbing gym about two years ago because her regular partner had cancelled, and I went mainly out of politeness, fully expecting to hate it. Instead I couldn't even finish the easiest route on the wall, which annoyed me so much that I went back the following week specifically to beat it, and that was really the start of it. Now I go about three times a week, usually straight after work, and I climb with more or less the same small group of regulars, most of whom I only know from the gym and nowhere else, which is a slightly strange kind of friendship. What I enjoy about it isn't the fitness side, although that's a nice side effect — it's that a route is basically a puzzle you solve with your whole body, and there's this very short window, maybe a few seconds, where you're not thinking about anything else at all because if you do, you fall. I spend most of my week thinking in words, planning, writing, talking, and bouldering is the one part of my life that's completely non-verbal. That contrast is really the whole appeal for me, more than the exercise or even the social side of it.

The same answer at band 7

I want to talk about bouldering, which is a kind of indoor rock climbing on short walls without ropes. I started about two years ago when a colleague invited me to a climbing gym because her partner cancelled. At first I could not even finish the easy route, which made me want to try again, so I went back the next week. Now I go about three times a week, usually after work, with a small group of people I know from the gym. I enjoy this hobby because it is like solving a puzzle with your body, and while you are climbing you cannot think about anything else, which is very relaxing for me. It is also a good way to stay fit and to meet new people who share the same interest.

The band 7 version explains all four bullets clearly and accurately. The band 9 version adds a self-deprecating detail (going out of politeness, expecting to hate it), a striking contrast (a verbal week versus a non-verbal hobby), and ranks reasons rather than listing them.

Phrases worth stealing

“I got into it almost by accident.”
Natural way to start explaining how a hobby began.
“That was really the start of it.”
Neat transition from origin story to current routine.
“…which is a slightly strange kind of friendship.”
Adds a reflective, honest observation about hobby communities.
“What I enjoy about it isn't X, it's that…”
Structure for delivering a deeper reason for the 'why' bullet.
“There's this very short window where…”
Useful for describing a fleeting feeling or moment of focus.
“That contrast is really the whole appeal for me.”
Strong, idea-based closing line.

Part 3 questions that usually follow

Do you think hobbies are as important as they used to be?

Compare free time a generation ago with now, mentioning one specific pressure, such as work hours or screen time, that competes with hobbies today.

Should schools encourage children to have hobbies outside academic subjects?

Give one developmental benefit beyond exam results, then acknowledge the practical challenge of time in a school timetable.

How have hobbies changed because of technology?

Give one specific example of a hobby that exists largely because of technology, and one traditional hobby that has changed as a result.

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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