Describe a time when you worked in a group
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 worked in a group
You should say:
- what the team was like
- why you joined it
- what you did
- how you felt about it
Sample answer
I'd like to describe a time when I worked in a group, specifically on a major project during my time at university that I look back on very fondly.
The team consisted of five students, myself included, and we were tasked with researching and presenting a solution to a real-world environmental problem. We were a fairly diverse bunch, with each member bringing different skills and personalities to the table - some excelled at research, others at design, while I tended to take on an organising and coordinating role.
I joined the team partly because the project was compulsory and partly because I was genuinely drawn to the topic. However, I was also keen to hone my teamwork and leadership skills, which I knew would stand me in good stead for my future career, so I saw it as a golden opportunity.
My role within the group was fairly central. I helped divide the workload fairly among the members, set deadlines to keep us on track, and made sure everyone's ideas were heard during our discussions. I also contributed a substantial chunk of the research and helped put together the final presentation. Whenever disagreements flared up, which they inevitably did, I tried to mediate and broker a compromise everyone was happy with.
As for how I felt about the experience, it was a real mixture of challenge and reward. At times it was exasperating, particularly when opinions clashed or when a member wasn't pulling their weight, and juggling everyone's schedules could be tricky. However, working towards a common goal and watching our combined efforts come together was immensely gratifying. In the end, our project was extremely well received and earned us an excellent grade, which made all the hard graft worthwhile.
Overall, the experience drove home the true value of collaboration, communication and compromise. It made me realise that a group can achieve far more than any individual working alone, and I've drawn on those lessons many times since.
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 talk about rather than a script.
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.