Describe a time when you used your imagination
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 used your imagination
You should say:
- when it was
- what you imagined
- why you used your imagination
- and explain how it helped you
Sample answer
I'd like to describe a time when I made real use of my imagination — it was when I had to come up with a creative idea for a university project.
This happened last year, when my class was set a rather open-ended assignment. We were asked to design an innovative product or service that could solve a common everyday problem, and then present our concept. There were no strict guidelines, so it was entirely up to us to dream up something original.
What I imagined was a mobile app combined with a small device that would help elderly people who live alone stay safe and connected to their families. In my mind, I pictured how it would work in detail — how it would automatically detect falls, remind them to take their medication, and allow them to contact loved ones at the touch of a button. I essentially had to visualise the entire product, from its design and features to how a real person would use it in their daily life.
The reason I had to use my imagination so heavily was that the idea didn't yet exist, so there was nothing to copy or follow. I had to brainstorm freely, picture different scenarios, and think creatively about the needs of the users and how technology could meet them. It required me to think well beyond the obvious.
Using my imagination helped me enormously in several ways. Most importantly, it allowed me to come up with a genuinely original and thoughtful concept that stood out from the rest of the class. Picturing the product vividly in my head also made it much easier to explain and present convincingly. In the end, my project was very well received and earned an excellent grade.
Looking back, the experience reminded me just how valuable imagination is, not only for creative work but for problem-solving in general. It taught me that thinking imaginatively can lead to solutions you'd never arrive at through logic alone.
331 words — roughly 3–3 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.