IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a photograph you like

Photograph cue cards ask you to describe something static, which tempts candidates into listing visual details like an inventory. The examiner is really testing whether you can explain why an image matters, not just what's in it.

The cue card

Describe a photograph you like.

You should say:

  • when it was taken
  • who or what is in it
  • where you keep it
  • and explain why you like this photograph

60 seconds to prepare · speak for 1–2 minutes

Your one-minute prep plan

  1. 1Pick one photo you can actually picture clearly, ideally one with a person or moment attached, not scenery alone.
  2. 2Note the date or occasion in a few words, and where the photo physically lives now.
  3. 3Note two or three visual details that aren't obvious from the subject alone — lighting, an expression, something in the background.
  4. 4Note the real reason it matters, which usually isn't the image itself but what it reminds you of.

Band 9 model answer

The photograph I want to describe was taken about eight years ago, at my cousin's wedding, and it's of my grandfather dancing, which he almost never did. It's actually a slightly blurry shot, whoever took it clearly didn't mean to catch that exact second, his arms are half-raised and his eyes are shut, and normally I'd say a blurry photo isn't a good one, but in this case the movement is the whole point. I keep a printed copy of it tucked into the frame of my bathroom mirror, which is a strange place for it, admittedly, but it means I see it every single morning rather than it sitting forgotten in a photo album somewhere. My grandfather passed away about two years after it was taken, and he was a fairly reserved man his whole life, not someone who danced at every gathering or made a scene, so this is really the only photo that exists of him looking completely unselfconscious. What I like about it, I think, is that it captures something true about him that words never quite managed to when I try to describe him to people who never met him. Whenever I'm having a rushed, bad morning, I catch it in the mirror and it slows me down for about two seconds, which is oddly exactly what I need.

The same answer at band 7

The photograph I want to talk about was taken about eight years ago at my cousin's wedding. It shows my grandfather dancing, which he did not usually do because he was quite a shy person. The photo is a little blurry because it was taken quickly, but I still like it very much. I keep this photo in the frame of my bathroom mirror, so I see it every morning. My grandfather passed away two years after this photo was taken, so it is very special to me now. I like this photograph because it shows a happy and relaxed side of him that I do not see in other photos. When I look at it in the morning, it makes me feel calm and it reminds me of him in a good way.

The band 7 answer is warm, coherent and covers every bullet cleanly. The band 9 answer adds a slightly counterintuitive judgement — that the blur is the point, not a flaw — and closes with a physical, present-tense habit ('it slows me down for about two seconds'), which grounds the emotion in something concrete rather than stating feelings directly.

Phrases worth stealing

“…which he almost never did.”
Short clause that adds contrast and interest to a description.
“…the movement is the whole point.”
Reframes an apparent flaw as a strength, a useful IELTS move for any topic.
“…which is a strange place for it, admittedly.”
Self-aware aside covering the 'where you keep it' bullet naturally.
“…looking completely unselfconscious.”
Precise adjective for candid photographs.
“What I like about it, I think, is that…”
Natural hedge before delivering the 'why' bullet.
“…which is oddly exactly what I need.”
Reflective closing phrase that avoids a flat ending.

Part 3 questions that usually follow

Do people take too many photographs nowadays compared to the past?

Compare quantity with intentionality — mention how phone cameras changed behaviour before giving your opinion.

Why do people like to keep old photographs?

Separate personal memory from family history as two distinct reasons, then say which applies more to you.

Do you think printed photographs will disappear completely?

Hedge with a generational split — mention who is more likely to keep printing photos and why.

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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