IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe an event (sample answer)
Answer 'describe an event' IELTS cue cards with a clear story structure, past tenses, feelings vocabulary and a sample answer.
By English Grader study guides · AI-assisted educational content · Official sources linked below
The short answer
Tell it as a short story: set the scene, describe what happened, then explain how you felt and why you remember it.
Story structure
- Scene: when, where, who
- Events: what happened, in order
- Feelings: how you felt then
- Reflection: why it still matters
Mix past tenses
Past simple for events, past continuous for background, past perfect for earlier actions — this shows grammatical range.
Related guide: Common grammar mistakes
Sample opening
Sample
I'm going to describe my cousin's wedding last summer. It was held outdoors, and while everyone was waiting for the ceremony, it suddenly started pouring with rain.
Put this into practice
Record your story and get feedback on tenses and fluency.
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Official sources and further reading
Practice examples and study routines are illustrative advice, not official band-scored answers or predictions of exam questions.