IELTS cue card: describe a person you admire
An answer plan for the IELTS Speaking Part 2 task about a person you admire, with prompts for who they are, what they did, and why they matter to you, plus follow-up practice.
Speech10 cardsAbout 2 min to speakIntermediateAnyone
IELTS cue card: describe a piece of technology you use
IELTS Speaking Part 2 plan for describing a device or app you use: what it is, when you got it, how you use it and how life would change without it, plus tech vocabulary.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
The task
Describe a piece of technology you find useful.
You should say:
- what it is
- when you got it
- how often and how you use it
- and explain why it is important to you.
Original practice topic in the Part 2 style.
- 2
Choose something specific
Not just "my phone", but one use of it, or a less obvious device:
- a translation or map app
- noise-cancelling headphones
- an e-reader, a smartwatch, a rice cooker
- a laptop you use for study or work
My choice: [___]
- 3
Opening
"The piece of technology I'd like to talk about is my [e-reader]. It might sound simple, but it's changed the way I [read / study / travel]."
- 4
What it is
- Describe it: "[It's a slim device about the size of a paperback, with a screen that looks like paper.]"
- Key features: "[It holds hundreds of books and the battery lasts weeks.]"
Explain it as if the examiner has never seen one.
- 5
When you got it
"I got it [as a birthday present two years ago / with my first salary]."
"Before that, I used to [carry heavy books / get lost all the time]."
Used to contrasts past habits with now.
- 6
How you use it
- Frequency: "[I use it every evening before bed / several times a day.]"
- Typical moment: "[On the bus to university, I read for twenty minutes.]"
- A feature you rely on: "[I can look up any word I don't know instantly.]"
- 7
Why it matters
- "It saves me [time / money / space]."
- "It has helped me [improve my English vocabulary]."
- Hypothetical: "If I didn't have it, I'd probably [read much less]."
Close: "So for me, it's one of the best things I own."
- 8
Balance it (optional)
Add one drawback to show mature thinking:
"The only downside is [it's easy to stay up too late reading / it needs charging]."
"But overall, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages."
- 9
Useful language
- user-friendly, cutting-edge, handy
- I can't imagine life without it
- it's become part of my daily routine
- a must-have, a game changer
- download, update, sync, charge
- 10
Part 3 practice questions
- How has technology changed the way people communicate?
- Are older people at a disadvantage with modern technology?
- Should children have their own smartphones? At what age?
- What technology do you think will be common in twenty years?
How to use this template
Describing an object is a classic IELTS Speaking Part 2 task, and technology is one of the easiest objects to talk about at length because you use it every day. These cards help you go beyond 'my phone is useful' by choosing one specific device or app and describing it clearly, then comparing life before and after you got it, explaining how you use it and imagining life without it. That gives you natural chances to use 'used to', present simple routines and a second conditional. An optional card lets you add a downside, which shows balanced thinking. You get one minute to prepare and one to two minutes to speak; vocabulary and Part 3 questions finish the set. Original practice topic.
Tips
- Describe the object as if the examiner has never seen it: size, shape, what it does. This is easy vocabulary to show off.
- Avoid brand-name lists and technical specifications. How you use it is more interesting than what is inside it.
- A 'before and after' comparison is the simplest way to explain why something matters.
- Use the second conditional at least once: 'If I lost it, I would...'.
- If you choose your phone, focus on one app or one use so your answer has a clear centre.
Make it fit
- For 'describe an invention that changed the world', talk about society instead of your own routine on the 'why' card.
- For 'describe something you bought recently', add how you chose it and whether it was worth the money.
- For 'describe a gift you received', describe who gave it and the occasion before how you use it.
- For 'describe an app you would like to create', move everything into the future and explain the problem it would solve.
Updated October 28, 2026