Describe an app or program you use
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 an app or program you use
You should say:
- what it is
- how often you use it
- what you use it for
- and explain why you like or dislike it
Sample answer
I'd like to describe an app that I use almost every single day — YouTube, the enormously popular video-sharing platform.
YouTube is an application that allows users to watch, upload and share videos on virtually any topic imaginable. From music and entertainment to educational tutorials and news, it has an almost endless library of content created by people all over the world.
In terms of how often I use it, the honest answer is that I use it daily, often several times a day. It's become such an integral part of my routine that I'd struggle to imagine my day without it. Whether it's during breakfast, on my commute, or while relaxing in the evening, I usually have YouTube open at some point.
I use it for a wide variety of purposes. Firstly, I use it for entertainment, watching everything from music videos and comedy clips to documentaries. More importantly, though, I use it as a powerful learning tool. Whenever I want to learn a new skill, understand a difficult concept, or fix something, I can almost always find a helpful tutorial. I've learned everything from cooking recipes to complex academic topics through YouTube, so it's genuinely educational as well as fun.
There are many reasons why I like this app. Above all, I love its incredible versatility and the sheer amount of free content available at my fingertips. It caters to absolutely every interest, and its recommendation system is very good at suggesting videos I'll enjoy. I also appreciate that it allows ordinary people to share their knowledge and creativity with a global audience.
That said, if I had one criticism, it's that YouTube can be quite addictive, as it's very easy to lose track of time watching video after video. The frequent advertisements can also be a little annoying. Nevertheless, on the whole, I consider it one of the most useful and enjoyable apps out there, and I rely on it heavily.
324 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.