Describe a time when you watched a live sports event and liked it
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 watched a live sports event and liked it
You should say:
- what the sports event was
- where and when the sports event took place
- why you watched it live
- why you liked it live
Sample answer
I'd like to describe a memorable occasion when I watched a live sports event and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a football match between two of the biggest teams in our national league, and I was lucky enough to watch it in person at the stadium.
The event took place a couple of years ago on a warm evening in autumn, at the main stadium in my city. It was an important derby match, meaning a fierce rivalry between two local teams, so the stakes were high and the atmosphere was electric even before the game began.
The reason I watched it live rather than on television was that a close friend of mine happened to get hold of a couple of tickets, and he invited me along. I'd always watched such matches on TV before, so I jumped at the rare chance to experience one first-hand. We arrived early to soak up the pre-match atmosphere, and I'm so glad we did.
There are several reasons why I loved watching it live. Above all, the atmosphere was absolutely incredible and simply cannot be replicated at home. Being surrounded by tens of thousands of passionate fans, all chanting, singing and cheering in unison, sent a genuine thrill through me. The energy in the stadium was infectious, and every near-miss and goal was met with a deafening roar from the crowd. On top of that, the match itself was thrilling, with our team scoring a dramatic winning goal in the final minutes, which sent the entire stadium into wild celebration.
By the end, I was completely swept up in the excitement, hugging strangers and celebrating as if I'd known them for years. It was a truly unforgettable experience that made me realise just how special watching sport live can be. Ever since, I've been eager to attend more matches whenever the opportunity arises.
311 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.