Describe a time when you encouraged someone to do something that they didn't want to do
IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card with a full sample answer, a Band 9 model of the two-minute long turn.
The cue card
Describe a time when you encouraged someone to do something that they didn't want to do
You should say:
- who this person is
- what you encouraged them to do
- how this person reacted
- why you encouraged this person to do it
Sample answer
As a teacher, I often find myself having to motivate students who aren't fully engaged, and one particular occasion stands out.
I had a student who was absolutely determined to skip the writing section of the IELTS exam. He had come across various online claims suggesting that strong scores in listening and reading alone could produce a respectable overall band, so he saw writing practice as a waste of time and was very reluctant to do it.
Rather than simply lecturing him, I decided to organise a full mock exam covering all four sections, including writing, to show him the reality of his situation. I guided him through the writing tasks and then went over his results with him afterwards.
When he received his scores, he was genuinely taken aback. Not only was his writing disappointingly low, but his reading also fell well short of what he'd expected. This served as a real wake-up call, clearly demonstrating just how much preparation and practice he still needed across the board.
His reaction was one of sudden realisation. He turned to me and admitted, 'Okay, I understand your point now, and I'm willing to follow your instructions.' It was a significant moment, as his whole attitude towards his studies shifted from that point on.
I felt compelled to encourage him down this path because I knew how costly exam preparation and the IELTS fees themselves can be for families, including his. I genuinely didn't want him to waste his time and money sitting an exam he wasn't fully prepared for.
Ultimately, my aim was to guide him towards the best possible outcome and make his investment worthwhile. It was deeply satisfying to see him embrace a more balanced approach, and he went on to perform far better than he otherwise would have, which made the whole effort worth it.
307 words — roughly 2–3 minutes at a natural speaking pace.
Reading a model answer is not the same as saying one. The sample above shows what a strong Part 2 answer sounds like. What it cannot tell you is how yours sounds — whether you hesitate, repeat the question back, or run out of things to say at forty seconds.
You can record an answer to this exact question and get it marked on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and pronunciation — the same four criteria the examiner uses.
Common questions
How long should I speak for in Part 2?
Between one and two minutes. The examiner stops you at two, so aim to still be talking at the ninety-second mark rather than finishing early — running out at forty seconds is the most common problem in this part.
What do I do with the one minute of preparation time?
You get one minute and a pencil and paper. Most candidates waste it writing full sentences they then read aloud, which sounds flat. Note a few keywords against each bullet instead, so you have four things to say and can speak naturally from them.
Do I have to cover all four bullet points?
They are prompts, not a checklist, and you are not penalised for skipping one. In practice they are the easiest way to fill two minutes, so covering them is usually the simplest way to keep going.
Does it matter if the story is not true?
No. You are assessed on your English, not on whether the events happened. Inventing detail is fine and often easier than recalling a real memory under pressure.
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.