IELTS Speaking Part 2 — Describe a book you have read recently. • what the book is • what it is about • why you decided to read it • and explain what you thought of it

Practice speaking on this topic for 1–2 minutes using the bullet points above. You have 1 minute to prepare your answer.

IELTS Speaking — Part 2

Describe the following

You will have 1 minute to prepare and then speak for 1–2 minutes.

Describe a book you have read recently

what the book is
what it is about
why you decided to read it
and explain what you thought of it

1 min prep · 1–2 min speaking

Practice with a timer — just like the real exam Preparation time — make notes now Speaking time — speak out loud! Done — check your sample answers below

How to Structure Your 2-Minute Answer

~15s

Open — introduce the subject

Name who or what immediately. "I'd like to talk about..." Don't pause looking for words.

~20s

Context — how you know it / background

Give a short frame of reference so the examiner understands your connection to the topic.

~35s

Description — concrete details

This is the core of your answer. Use specific examples, vivid language, and avoid vague generalities.

~40s

Why it matters — feelings or impact

The examiner awards marks for fluency and range here. Expand on your opinion or reaction.

~10s

Close — a brief reflection

One sentence to wrap up naturally. Avoid trailing off. "That's why I'll always remember..."

Reported in recent exams

May–August 2026

Part 3 — Follow-up Questions

Do children read enough books today?
Will e-books eventually replace printed books?
How can schools encourage students to read more?

Sample Answers (1)

7.5 Band

Speaking

part-2

The book I want to talk about is "Sapiens" by Yuval Noah Harari, which I finished reading about two months ago. It's basically a history of the human species, starting from the earliest humans in Africa and going all the way to the modern day. But unlike a normal history book, it doesn't focus much on kings or wars. Instead, the author tries to explain how humans came to dominate the planet — through things like agriculture, money, religion, and shared stories that hold large groups together. I decided to read it because a friend kept recommending it. She works in finance and she told me it completely changed the way she thinks about money and trust. At first I was a bit hesitant because I'm not usually a fan of non-fiction, but once I started reading I couldn't really put it down. What I thought of it overall is that it's both fascinating and a little uncomfortable. Some of the arguments are quite controversial — the author is very direct about the negative side of farming, for example, which I'd never thought about before. But that's exactly what made it worth reading. It made me see ordinary things, like supermarkets or paper money, in a completely different way. I've already lent it to my brother.

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Useful Vocabulary for This Topic

These words and phrases appear in the band-graded sample answers above. Using varied vocabulary is one of the four IELTS speaking criteria.

came to dominate shared stories that hold large groups together couldn't put it down fascinating and uncomfortable a completely different way

Describe a book you have read recently

How to Structure Your 2-Minute Answer

Part 3 — Follow-up Questions

Sample Answers (1)

Useful Vocabulary for This Topic

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